Suspensions and Firings (Opinion)
Two things I don’t get in baseball: getting suspended for PEDs and firing your manager. I already discussed how I feel about firing your manager last week, so I’m not going to offer too many thoughts on Brandon Hyde’s relief of duties. Yes, the Orioles are way worse than their talent says they should be. That is 0% Hyde’s fault. The players are underperforming. If the organization thought that firing Hyde would light a fire under the players, they were dead wrong. I guess you have to take the highs of 2022 Manager of the Year and the low of being fired for a slow start if you’re Hyde. Let’s get to the PEDs now.
I am a Phillies fan. This one hurts. On Sunday morning, Jose Alvarado was suspended by MLB for 80 games for violating the PED policy. I don’t really care if Jose was intentionally taking PEDs or if they were in a weight loss drug like he claims. There is no reason that any player should be caught taking PEDs in 2025. The consequences are clear. Any medication you are taking should be brought to team doctors for approval. But I’m going to assume that in 2025 any player that tests positive for PEDs didn’t slip up. The penalty for taking PEDs is simply not steep enough and there are too many success stories. Jurickson Profar just made $30 million by getting away with taking PEDs for a “breakout” season. For the two guys caught this season, you have to imagine that there are plenty of players who haven’t been caught. Despite what we’re led to believe, steroids seem to be alive and well in baseball.
T(WIN) Streak Over (Stories/Analysis)
What’s in a 13-game win streak? Now that the Twins’ win streak is over, let’s take a look at what went into the streak and some fun facts/moments.
So what did the Twins do well? As in the case of almost all long win streaks, the answer is most things. They were 2nd in pitching WAR and had a league-leading 2.06 ERA across the streak. While they were a relatively unimpressive 9th in hitting WAR, they got hits when it mattered. This is also a lesson in advanced stats not always telling the whole story. They had a 127 WRC+ with RISP, 12th in the league across this span. But they had a .317 batting average, good for 4th in the league. You don’t need to mash when you have guys in scoring position, you just need hits. And while their pitching showed up for the whole streak, a 0.67 ERA in the 8th inning or later doesn't hurt. Let’s get into the fun stuff now.
The first highlight of the streak came from its very first game in which Kody Clemens homered at Fenway in front of his dad, Roger Clemens (you may have heard of him). Roger’s reaction is really special. As a Phillies fan who was sad to see Kody go, I’m happy he’s finding his footing with another major league squad.
The Twins are not a particularly deep team, however, there were only two Twins that played in all 13 games of the win streak. Not started, played. This is the last team to sign a player in free agency we’re talking about! I am going to pick the Phillies as a random reference for no particular reason. Across the same dates, the Phillies had five players that were out there every day. The Phillies have solid pieces on the bench that deserve playing time. The Twins, well, don’t, making it all the more impressive how many position players appeared during this streak.
We’ve already talked about how awesome Twins pitching was during this streak, but their streak within the streak speaks volumes to just how awesome it was. The Twins had a streak of 34 consecutive scoreless innings. 34! It’s the longest streak in franchise history. You’re asking a lot of guys to be special for that to happen, 13 to be exact.
Inaugural MLB Rivalry Weekend (Stories)
MLB tried something new this year with Rivalry Weekend. It was a weekend full of “geographical rivalries” like Mets-Yankees, White Sox-Cubs, and of course Red Sox-Braves. Was it a success on the rivalry front? Eh, I’m not really sure. There certainly was some fun baseball though. Let’s talk about some of the biggest moments from this “rivalry” weekend:
Unlucky Number 13 (Brewers-Twins)
Entering Sunday, the Twins were on a 13-game win streak. Prospects for their streak to continue looked bleak as they entered the 7th down 3. But after scoring in the 7th and blanking the Brewers in the bottom half of the inning, they had a man on in the 8th when Royce Lewis hit a ball that would seemingly tie the game. That is until Jackson Chourio leapt to rob Lewis of a game-tying blast. Look at how ridiculous this catch is! A potential catch of the year in any situation, much less to preserve the lead late in a game. The Brewers would go on to win the game and end the Twins win streak at 13.
Skenes Out-Dueled By Who? (Pirates-Phillies)
Bryce Harper had his 1000th career RBI in Friday's game, but that is somehow not the major storyline from this series. Sunday’s game featured a matchup between Paul Skenes and Mick Abel. This was Abel’s first career appearance. Paul Skenes is Paul Skenes and he did Skenes stuff. Through 8 IP, he gave up one run (which was arguably earned) on 3 H, 1 BB, and 9 K. This is the kind of stuff we’ve come to expect from Skenes. But he isn’t our big storyline either. In his first career start, Mick Abel went 6 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K without giving up a run, outclassing Paul Skenes in his first game, earning his first career win. While Abel will likely be sent back down to AAA and won’t have a regular spot in a rotation for some time, this debut should stir up some encouragement for his future.
Soto Uncomfortable In Return to the Bronx
There was a CLEAR storyline entering this one. Juan Soto returned to the Bronx for the first time since ditching the Yankees for the Mets in free agency. There was no question as to how Yankees fans would treat Soto. The question was how Soto would handle the pressure. The answer is that it actually seemed to get to him. Soto kept acting like was being showered with applause instead of boos, but he was clearly uncomfortable. He is not someone to crack under pressure, but Yankees fans clearly got under his skin. Him dogging it on a groundout that he could've turned into a hustle single late in a tie game made it seem like he was just trying too hard to be nonchalant.
Trouble In Paradise (Angels-Dodgers)
As we all expected, one team in the Angels-Dodgers series showed the other who’s boss. That’s right, the Angels swept the Dodgers. I mean the Angels swept the Dodgers. I me- wait did the Angels really sweep the Dodgers? The real story here is that Dodgers starting pitching is in dire straits right now. Against a below average offense, Dodgers starters combined to allow 13 runs in just as many innings. The three guys that started these games were Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, and Tony Gonsolin. While maybe not expected to start, each of those three is supposed to be a reliable piece for this team. While the MO seems to be “As long as everyone is ready in October”, there still has to be some worry about the pitching staff.
One Day, Five Walkoffs (Story)
Wednesday night was a night of heartbreak for some and exhilaration for others. It can be just as upsetting to watch your team get walked off as it is to watch them get crushed. Same story for a walk off and winning big. There were five walk offs on Wednesday night. Let’s pay some respect to the losers and give some praise to the winners (walk offs all linked if you want to watch them).
Red Sox - Tigers
How about Javy Baez! This game was pretty awesome with five of the first eight half innings featuring a run scored with no crooked numbers. The Sox took the lead in the 5th before Baez hit a three run bomb in the 6th. The Sox scored in the 8th and we got some free baseball. The Sox scored in the 10th and the Tigers answered. The Sox scored two in the 11th to put the Tigers in some deep trouble. Javy Baez answered the call once again with another three run bomb to walk em off. Baez continues to show that his resurgence this season is no joke.
Marlins - Cubs
Down 4-2 in the bottom of the 9th, the Cubs got the rally started with Carson Kelly reaching on an error. A walk, a fielder’s choice, and a single later, the Cubs were down by one with a men on 1st and 3rd with one out. Justin Turner laced a double down the right field line and Nico Hoerner’s speed from 1st was more than enough for the Cubs to walk it off 5-4.
Royals - Astros
A pitcher’s duel all game. We’re knotted at one in the 9th. A pitcher who’s been struggling comes into the game against a hitter who has been struggling. What happens? You’re cheating because this section is about walk offs. But yes, Isaac Parades hit a walk off homer to left center on the second pitch he saw.
Angels - Padres
Tied going into the bottom of the ninth, the Angels called on Kenley Jansen. In six or seven short years, Kenley’s career has been an all-time great closer and voters will start to answer the question of “is he a hall of famer?” in six years or so. After walking the first batter, Fernando Tatis Jr. strolls up to the plate. Nando has the talent for his career to eventually ask the same question to voters that Kenley’s will. He put that talent on full display by hitting his first career walk off homer, a no-doubter to center field.
Yankees - Mariners
Yet another pitcher’s duel that brought itself into the 11th. Tied at 1, the Mariners popped off two singles in a row. The game winning hit came from the bat of Mariners fan-favorite J.P. Crawford, who has been a big part of their AL West leading success this season.
To add an unbelievable layer to there already being five walkoffs, in one day there were three walk offs within four minutes! That’s crazy! For the especially curious, no, this is not the most walk offs on a single day. That day would be May 28, 2004 on which there were seven walk offs.
The Hooleegans and LA Go Wild (Story)
How special is it when a player is able to perform on their own night at the stadium? There are a couple good ones in recent memory. Elly De La Cruz hit a grand slam on his bobblehead night. Corey Kluber pitched a no-no for the Yankees against the Rangers on his Rangers bobblehead night. This past week, two players showed out on their special night at the stadium:
Jung Hoo Lee has been a fan favorite since his arrival to the bay. In his second season in San Francisco, he already has a fanclub, the Hooleegans, that show up to every game in matching jerseys and spiky orange wigs. Tuesday was Korean Heritage night at Oracle, and they gave away a Korean Jung Hoo Lee Giants jersey. With 102 Hooleegans in attendance, Lee put the game to bed in the 8th with a 3-run shot that put the Giants up 10-4. Oracle Park went nuts. The cameras caught the Hooleegans going wild. It was awesome.
“Of course he did” is starting to define Shohei Ohtani’s career. He threw six scoreless and went 4-4. Of course he did. He struck out Mike Trout to win the WBC. Of course he did. Thursday was his 50-50 bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium. Did he homer? Of course he did. Twice.
Moments like these are reminders of how universal a league MLB has become. A player from Korea and a player from Japan are two of the most beloved players in the league. Baseball becoming a universal sport will only allow us to see more special talents like these guys in the future.
Permanent Bans? (Opinion)
There are 17 people who have received a permanent ban from MLB, almost all due to betting on the game. Among these players are two of the greatest to ever play the game in Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Due to Rose’s recent death, his estate has asked the MLB to reinstate him. That is exactly what commissioner Rob Manfred has done. On the grounds that deceased peoples who were previously banned from baseball permanently can no longer damage the integrity of the game, all players who receive a permanent ban in their lifetime now have that ban lifted after death. This is one of the dumbest blanket decisions ever made. I’m going to drag Rose’s name to talk about why.
Even after receiving a permanent ban, players have the chance to be reinstated. Once he was caught betting on baseball by MLB, Pete Rose had the option to come clean and admit his wrongdoings. He could have apologized to the league and become an advocate to discourage players from making the same mistakes that he did. Is that what he did? No, of course not. He denied everything for years until he finally admitted his wrongdoings in a book so he could sell copies and cash in. He never expressed an ounce of remorse for his actions that the MLB rulebook clearly outlines earn you a permanent ban. People can change, but Rose didn’t. He died without ever offering an apology. Is Pete Rose no longer having the chance to damage the integrity of MLB really a good enough reason to reinstate him? I think the question needs to be “If he were still alive, would he be actively bettering the league?” The answer to this is obviously a resounding no, so let’s keep him out.
As a part of this reinstatement, these players are now eligible for the Hall of Fame. Rose is eligible to be on a Classic Era ballot as soon as 2027. We now have to hope that the voters for this committee have a better understanding of how MLB should feel about Pete Rose than Commissioner Manfred. In addition to his blatant breaking of the rules, Rose was a disgusting human being. I am hopeful that the voters will hold Rose to the appropriate standards of the character clause and keep him out of the hall.
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