With spring training having started a few days ago, here’s a new thread for it.
A couple of notes on my Brewers:
Two key players who missed much, if not all, of last season, with injuries are expected to be able to return for 2025. Outfield Christian Yelich (back) and pitcher Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) are participating in spring training practices; Yelich believes he’ll be ready to go for opening day, while Woodruff pitched off a mound to live batters for the first time since September of 2023.
Also, Yelich unveiled a new bat – a tribute to longtime Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker – which he will be using this season.
Oy, that really blows up the Yankees season. We’re built around starting pitching and down Cole and Gil is an awful lot. Gil will probably be out the first half.
The offense will really have to step it up to give the Yanks a chance.
Oh, no! Where will every other MLB team go to acquire young talent for a bag of prospects?
OTOH, the only exciting thing to come out of the Cardinals during spring training is the news that the long-time "home of the Cardinals, " KMOX-AM has finally acquired a full power FM station so fans in and near St. Louis can hear static-free games.
But as a kid who grew up listening to night games on a cheap transistor radio tucked under my pillow, I don’t know if I can enjoy a baseball broadcast without the crackle of static mixed in with the play-by-play.
Losing seasons from top talent sucks for the fans and sucks for baseball in general. It’s a double whammy for Cole: the TJ surgery probably puts an end to any chance he had of making the Hall of Fame.
I feel pretty gloomy about Gil too. Shoulder problems can be even worse than elbow.
Great spring training moment in Monday’s Mets-Cardinals game. A loudmouthed fan in the bleachers was bellowing “Overpaid! Overrated!” at Juan Soto in center field. Soto came up in the third inning and homered on the first pitch, over the fence directly at the loudmouthed fan, who tried to catch it but missed and fell down. Perfect.
It reminds me of the time I was at an Indians-Tigers game and an incredibly loud and boorish fan sitting near us repeatedly screamed insults at Tigers players, notably picking on Miguel Cabrera (“Go back to Cuba!” (Cabrera was actually born in Venezuela)). Cabrera came up in extra innings and hit the game-winning home run, which was enjoyable.
An odd note from today’s Mets-Cardinals game: de Los Santos was replaced in left field by the Mets, who put in…De Los Santos.
The Rays. I mean, they have to be somewhere, owned by someone, and all the A-tier markets are taken.
Where ya gonna put them? There aren’t any MLB quality stadiums handy that do not already host an MLB team. I happen to think New York City would be a great place, but the Yankees and Mets won’t have it.
I don’t quite grasp why the Rays aren’t trying to move to TAMPA, which to any logical analysis is a better area for them than St Petersburg, but I don’t know the local politics, maybe they’ve tried.
If he comes back healthy he might still pull it off, and these days pitchers usually do. It’s only one season, and he has the basis of an HOF career; 3-4 more decent seasons and he’ll hit 200 wins and he’s likely in, and 3-4 more decent years is not at all out of the question.
The Dodgers this year apparently once again quietly renewed the contract of Andrew Toles, the once-well-regarded outfielder who has had serious mental health issues and has not been able to play baseball for seven years. By doing so, Toles keeps the benefits his family needs to take care of him.
Most teams are still in spring training games, while the Dodgers and Cubs traveled to Japan late last week.
They played some exhibition games against Japanese teams over the weekend, but played the first regular-season game of the year today (about a week before the rest of MLB has their Opening Days). Both teams started Japanese-born pitchers (Yoshinobu Yamamato for the Dodgers, and Shota Imanaga for the Cubs), both of whom pitched well. But, the Dodgers were able to score off of the Cubs’ bullpen, and won 4-1.
I really enjoyed watching Andrew Toles play and thought he was a good addition to the team. Then he just disappeared and it was a while before I found out why. Such a sad story, but it warms the heart that the Dodgers keep renewing his contract.
