BASEBALL - WEEK 2
Playoff hockey and early season baseball…the only thing better is playoff baseball and early season college football. The positive thing about this time of year is we are heading to summer instead of heading to winter (TOB does not care for the cold, or the sun. Really anything aside from 68 with low humidity and a slight breeze sends TOB inside). It’s been a wild first 15 days of the baseball season, with the NL West turned upside down, and the Red Legs leading the Central. Also, what’s the deal with the Blue Jays?! They are making the Cardinals look competent at this point, which wouldn’t bother me except for the fact that TOB has them in his Wins Pool League.
No sponsor this week, so straight to the mediocre content! (Editor’s Note: This semi-regular baseball column will be structured similarly throughout the season hitting a few topics on a regular basis. If you are in a rush and just want to read about something in particular, TOB will not be offended if you scroll past some items. However, if you are in a rush, God have mercy on your soul for spending it on this website)
Various Team TOB observations:
St. Louis Cardinals: Hard to tell where to start…they can’t hit, hit for power, run the bases, catch the ball, or throw the ball. Other than that, they have it made! Fowler has been disappointing so far at the plate (sweet .384 OPS, we will get to that later). Matheny has decided that Matt Adams in in fact a left fielder, even though he’s hitting around .150 with two of those hits as broken bat squibbers against the shift that would make Tim Tebow proud. Matheny seems to be more of the problem than anything at this point, he double switches in the 5th inning, doesn’t put his best lineup out there with regularity, and overall seems like a pretty surly guy. The vibe around the club is very similar to last season when many guys admitted it was too rigid and businesslike. Hopefully MO makes a shakeup to get Matheny to stop playing some guys where they don’t belong, or at least do it a bit more sparingly. It’s concerning that the team has gotten worse nearly every year since he Matheny took over (save for the 100 win year in 2015, which seems imaginary in retrospect). The defense, which we were promised would be improved, has gotten worse from last year, if that’s possible. Already with 10 errors through 11 games, and that’s with some generous scoring (could easily be around 15). This needs to improve, or it will be a long season looking up at the Cubs…again.
Houston Astros: Last year appears to be the anomaly. Houston pushed KC to the brink in 2015 (the eventual WS winner) and have returned to that form in 2017. George Springer could break the leadoff homerun record, and Keuchel will likely be back in the Cy Young race.
Kris Bryant: After an atrocious start (0/13 w/ 6 strikeouts vs the Cardinals), Bryant is back to a .855 OPS. Appears to be poised for another MVP candidacy with Harper, Correa, and Arenado.
Boston Red Sox: David Price should be back in a couple of weeks, but those types of injuries do not just heal themselves. Could be a season where Price starts a game here and there, before finally shutting it down. Without him, the starting pitching ERA is 5.66 (that’s Cardinal territory). Sale has been a bright spot, but he’s bound to lose his temper with those bean eaters before too long.
Seattle Mariners: How many years are we going to hear that Seattle has it all figured out this year? Apparently at least one more. Poor King Felix, if only he had left when he had the chance.
Heyward vs. Fowler Update:
Heyward: .699 OPS through 10 games (42 AB). Seems to be back to his usual self, which isn’t great offensively, but passable. His career OPS is .760, if he can do that maybe the Cubs won’t bench him in the World Series this year…
Fowler: .384 OPS through 11 games (49 PA). Ouch. The Cardinals are not having much luck with left handed, defense first, outfielders. Not looking so good for TOB on this one…
Manfred Mann’s League of The Blind Update:
Silky Johnson’s Player Haters: Wins – 35 / Pace – 508. Tigers are a pleasant surprise for the Player Haters
Dexter’s Laboratory: Wins – 33 / Pace – 472. Sorry about those birdnals…
Synderhard-on for Kershaw: Wins – 32 / Pace – 457. Need those Canucks to start winning some ballgames!
Blake Street Bombers: Wins – 39 / Pace – 542. The Twins? Really? The Twins are 7-4? Good for you Dragon.
Cano Corn: Wins – 32 / Pace – 451. Mariners are struggling, Astros keeping the Corndogs afloat.
Best Moment of the Year (to date):
The Cardinals are terrible, that’s a fact, however on a positive note, they continue to provide us with memorable moments, even if they are dicks about it afterward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGnS-H4Cc-4
What’s Annoying TOB this Week:
For about two and a half years, TOB shares a lot of time with a person that loves hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etc.) but not too hot. This leads to countless conversations that start with, “Is it hot?” To which TOB responds, “Yes, it’s fresh coffee, it is hot.” Then inevitably, “But, is it hot for you or hot for me?” TOB has only his own nervous system to go by. People who enjoy hot drinks need to either suck it up and deal with a burned tongue once in a while, or order iced coffee like the rest of Seattle. Same goes for soups, chilis, and fajita plates at Mexican restaurants.
Best Comment by an Announcer (to date):
Two quotes this week, one is a sums up the Cardinals season pretty well. During the Cardinals / Nationals game on Monday, April 10th, both teams played a particularly sloppy game. The Nats made 5 errors (could have easily have been more), and the Cardinals were charged with 1 (should have been several more, but he score keeper likes to give hits to their own batters). Dan McLaughlin, after another Nationals miscue in the 8th inning, says apologetically, “Well, if you’ve never seen a Major League game, this is not typical. They are usually much better than this.” Hilarious, because this year it may not be true for our boys with the birds on the bat.
TOB received a nice little shout out last Sunday (4/9) by our old friend Jimmy Baseball (Jim Edmonds). He was chatting about the Cardinals fantasy camp that takes place in January every year. Edmonds mentioned that it was difficult hitting against the fantasy campers because they threw so much slower than big leaguers. Jim Edmonds, “It’s tough to hit because it’s below hitting speed. It takes quite an adjustment.” Nailed it! Free merch for life for Jimmy!
-Tony on Ball
