The Twins just won their series against the Yankees. First time since 2001. Yes, you read that correctly. This isn’t a “NL East team wins first mid-week series played during all day games against an AL West team featuring an ambidextrous flugelhorn playing secondbaseman” level of obscurity. The Twins aren’t an historically bad team, either. How does that happen?!
The White Sox are absolutely horrible. I thought they were kinda good? After watching them “play baseball” here in Toronto this week, I’m just appalled.
Maybe Tony LaRussa was better than we all thought? They were a .500 team last year, at least, though they lost a few players over the off-season, particularly Jose Abreu.
The Sox have a rookie manager, Pedro Grifol, whose only previous managerial experience was in Single A; at this rate, he may not be in that job for very long.
No.
Bench coach at the MLB level is a fair bit of managerial experience. It’s early, and I don’t know how a manager would make a difference in Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert batting a combined .204/.246/.395. Their pitching is atrocious - and they have absolutely no help on the way (other than maybe Liam Hendricks, but how much help will 40 IP be?).
Yeah, I should have put in a /s. My impression is that the Sox were as OK-to-good as they were in '21 and '22 despite LaRussa, not because of him.
Good points, though my fear is that, even if it’s not Grifol’s fault, he may wind up becoming the fall guy if the team continues to be among the worst in MLB.
Whew! I was worried there!
I really like Grifol. Salvador Perez seemed really unhappy that the Royals didn’t sign him as their manager, and if Salvy is unhappy, then I’m unhappy. I hope he does well.
Nats just put up a 5-run eighth inning against the Mets. With only one hit! (which happened to be a grand slam from weak-hitting CJ Abrams). Three hit batsmen in the inning.
A list of Jacob DeGrom’s physical ailments so far this year:
- Left side tightness
- Wrist soreness
- Forearm tightness
- Right elbow inflammation*
*now on the 15-day IL.
Answering my own question:
the thing the a’s have to contend with in a place like Vegas is 1. the “I’m here because it’s something to do while in town” types that might not even care about the team or baseball itself… will they mind being just another tourist attraction?
2 the same thing teams in Florida and other places face being in a town that’s more non-native born …most of the fans that do go aren’t there to see you they want to see the other team because they were born elsewhere like the Rays sell out when they play the Yankees because of the NY retirees and transplants wanting to see the yanks
It was noted today the Yankees are in last place.
But the thing is, they have a winning record. The AL East is now 90-53. Toronto is on a pace to go 104-58, and they’re only in third place. 71-34 against extradivisional opponents.
By way of comparison, the AL Central is 55-75.
Currently the Yanks are a pretty poor team. They need to start getting some players back off the DL or they’ll be fighting Boston for 4th in the AL East all season.
Go, Xander!
The White Sox, which had lost ten games in a row (and, as documented upthread, have been playing extremely poorly) managed to end April with a win, thanks to a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the 9th against the Rays.
Tony Clark and Michael Brantley got robbed - they’ve each homered in 3 countries + Puerto Rico.
That record will someday be broken, Cy Young’s Win total and Walter Johnson’s Complete Game Shutout records are actually unbreakable.
There will be regular season games held in Paris and Tokyo in the next few years, so maybe someone can catch Xander…or Xander can add to his list.
15-15 when half your team is hurt is, if anything, a pretty good sign.
Basically you’re seeing a team that’s 1/2 AAA for the Yanks now. I’d rather start slow and close fast than the opposite.
They’re unwatchable. Tonight’s line-up has Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and LeMahieu, then five guys with an OPS+ under 90. Plus Bader, which gives a glimmer of hope, I guess.
Say, what happened to those great arms we got at the deadline last year? Frankie Montas: shoulder surgery. Scott Effross: Tommy John. Lou Trivino: Tommy John.
Bleh. Injuries are the worst thing about baseball. I don’t even wish them on the Red Sox or Astros. Get everyone on the field.