Fan Interference

Kumar Rocker, a pitcher in the Rangers’ minor league system needs Tommy John Surgery on his right elbow. You may recall he was the 10th pick in the 2021 minor league draft by the Mets. They then balked at signing him over an issue with that right elbow. Were they really able to see two…… Continue reading Kumar Rocker Needs TJS

Former star pitcher Vida Blue has passed away, the Oakland A’s have announced. No cause was announced. In 1970, during a September call up, Blue no-hit the 1st place Minnesota Twins. He followed that with his 24-8, 1.82 ERA 1971 campaign. That garnered him the MVP and Cy Young awards…yet not the Rookie of the…… Continue reading Vida Blue, 1949-2023

The San Diego Chargers defeated San Francisco 49’ers 16-11 in Mexico City today. Wait…the Chargers don’t call San Diego home anymore. That was baseball. The Padres over the Giants. It was the first MLB game ever with four separate pairs of back to back homers, two by each team. Bonkers, but that’s what happens when…… Continue reading Was That a Football Game in Mexico City?

Lance Lynn of the White Sox was cruising against the Rays today. He had held them hitless through 6 innings, and his team led 3-0. The Wander Franco led off the 7th with a solo homer. Then the Rays chased Lynn after putting up three more runs. Then the Rays put up 6 more runs…… Continue reading That’s How You End a No-Hit Bid

The Oakland A’s ownership has entered a binding agreement to purchase a 49 acre parcel of land in Las Vegas. They plan to build a $1.5 billion stadium, then restaurants and such in the area as well. With that, it appears the end has come for Oakland to keep the A’s for relocating. Their current…… Continue reading A’s (Probably) Relocating by 2027

The Arizona Diamondbacks have designated pitcher Madison Bumgarner for assignment. They have decided it’s better to absorb the $34M they owe him over the next two seasons rather than try to resurrect him as a productive starting pitcher. The velocity of his fastball has dropped to less than 90 MPH, and his ERA has ballooned…… Continue reading MadBum DFA’d

The Mets-Dodgers series this week has been eventful. Yesterday Clayton Kershaw notched win number 209 for his career. Today fellow future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer got ejected for having a sticky glove. How did this come about? Well, after the game, he said his hand was “clumpy” from sweat and rosin in the second…… Continue reading Updated: Scherzer Tossed

I’ve often said pitcher wins don’t really mean much…unless you pile up a lot of them. Winning 200 means a pitcher has been good a long time. Clayton Kershaw picked up win #200 yesterday. He has been good to the tune of three Cy Young Awards over a 16 year career. I could stop there,…… Continue reading Clayton Kershaw Superlatives

Okay, I promise I’ll start posting about things other than the Rays’ winning streak soon. However, I am, of course, a Rays fan, so give me this. The Rays have now swept four straight series, vs the Tigers, Nationals, A’s, and Red Sox. Granted, I’ve predicted all four to finish last in their respective divisions.…… Continue reading 13-0!

When I posted that the Rays had gotten to 5-0, I promised myself not to get too excited, to make too much of it that they were the last remaining undefeated team. I decided I’d post about them again if they stayed undefeated through their third series…well, they are. It is still wise to not…… Continue reading Rays Now 9-0

The Rays have never started a season 5-0…until now. Of course, it helps to have one’s first two series be against the Tigers and Nationals. Whatever, they’re both MLB teams. The wins count, and I’ll take them.

Manny Machado got called out on a third strike to end the first inning. Why? He failed to be in the batters box ready to hit within 8 seconds. He says he was trying to call time out. The ump says he did so too late. Machado decided to jaw at the ump over. One…… Continue reading Machado Tossed

This year is the 25th anniversary of the Rays franchise. One of the things being done this year is starting up a team Hall of Fame. The first ever inductee was honored today: the late Don Zimmer, who was bench coach and an executive assistant for 11 years…the longest he’d ever spent with one team,…… Continue reading Don Zimmer—Rays’ #1 Hall of Famer

For the first time minor league players, now represented by the MLBPA, have guarantees under a collective bargaining agreement. It runs for 5 years (through the 2027 season). Highlights: Minimum annual salaries will be..rise from $19,800 at rookie ball (up from $4800) $26,200 at Single-A and $27,300 at High-A (up from $11k at both levels),…… Continue reading MiLB Players Now Have CBA with MLB

This is the “Nostradumbass” edition of my previews. If you’ve read my division by division breakdowns, you already know who I’ve picked to win the divisions. If not, they were: AL East—Tampa Bay Rays AL Central—Minnesota Twins AL West—Houston Astros NL East—Atlanta Braves NL Central—St Louis Cardinals NL West—San Diego Padres Wild Cards, in no…… Continue reading 2023 MLB Preview: Playoffs, Awards, Miscellaneous Guesses