May the Yankees Find Their Way...

   

Carlos Rodon (Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News)

Making the moves to retain control of the AL East...

I should go on record for saying that I like Giancarlo Stanton, but with the passage of time, I prefer younger players. I would hate to see Ben Rice lose his place when/if Stanton returns. For the benefit of the player and the team, it would be best for the Yankees to find a new home for Stanton when he is ready to play. I would have liked to have seen Stanton put a Yankees World Series Championship ring on his finger, and I appreciate the time he gave us. He was never really the World Crusher that he was in Miami during his MVP year, but he earned his pinstripes. It is a shame that so much time has been spent on the injured list during his time in New York. Moving Stanton would help the Yankees improve in other areas, like third base. 

As far as the AL East goes, I love the Yankees in first place, but I am amazed at the collapse of the Baltimore Orioles. The team has a pipeline of talent ready to be infused at the game’s highest level, but the front office’s decision to stay clear of premium pitching talent has thrown a monkey wrench into the machine. I thought the new Orioles ownership would be effective, but it has not. At the end of the day, the best AL East rivalry is the Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox. I may be a bit biased, but those tend to be the best games in the division.

Max Fried is a god. When Gerrit Cole went down for the season, losing the team’s ace seemed devastating. Yet, Fried promptly stepped into the top role and has delivered. Fried represents one of the greatest Yankees free agent signings of all time. It also rates highly as one I did not see coming. I am grateful for Max Fried and glad he is a Yankee.

Jonathan Loaisiga is back in the Bronx. I love Johnny Lasagna, but the injuries are inevitable. I am glad he is back, but it is hard not to wonder when the next trip to the IL awaits. I wish him good health, and I know the Yankees need him in the pen. I would love it if we could put the injuries in the rear-view mirror. I am glad he re-signed with the Yankees in the offseason, but staying healthy is on him. I wish him the best for good health as we move forward. I feel bad for Tyler Matzek, who was designated for assignment. But I would rather have a healthy Loaisiga on the roster than Matzek. I wish him the best for the future, whether he is selected by another team on waivers or if he is outrighted to Triple-A.

Luke Weaver, Closer. In retrospect, the Yankees should have stood pat with Weaver as their closer in the offseason. Devin Williams has been a disappointment, and so far, he has shown that he is not cut out for the Bronx. The fact that Nestor Cortes Jr has underwhelmed Milwaukee is of little comfort. I hope Williams can shake the Carl Pavano jitters and become a solid force in Pinstripes. If not, I would prefer the Yankees ship him elsewhere by the Trade Deadline. Send him to the Cubs to spice up the Cubs-Brewers rivalry as if it needs more spicing. I am disappointed Williams has become the latest Ed Whitson/Carl Pavano, but he has time to right the ship. I am hopeful the Airbender becomes a thing in the Bronx rather than just another failed acquisition shipped elsewhere. Meanwhile, I have no qualms about Weaver as the backend guy. 

Juan Soto, Luke Weaver, and Austin Wells (Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News)

I was shocked to hear that Pete Rose and other deceased players like Shoeless Joe Jackson were freed from their lifetime suspensions. I saw Rose play, and there is no doubt he was an All-Star talent on the field. Yet, Rose, the man, was a sorry excuse for a human being. I wish he had admitted his guilt for betting on baseball games while he played. I had always said that it was okay for Rose to make the Hall of Fame after he died, and I continue to hold the opinion. Pete Rose, the player, is a Hall of Famer. Pete Rose, the guy? I could not care less. I do not find fault with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to free the deceased. Ultimately, they should be judged for their performance on a baseball field, not what they represented in everyday life. But if Rose does make the Hall of Fame, I think Barry Bonds, while living, should be there too. The cases are not related, but they both crossed ethical lines. Not saying that everybody who crossed an ethical line should be admitted, but I feel Bonds, without steroids, would have been a Hall of Famer. He was a talented baseball player with tremendous hand/eye coordination. The steroids may have boosted the bulk and the power, but not the ability to hit a baseball. You can get into more reasons why Bonds’ crimes are less severe than Rose’s indiscretions, but suffice it to say, I think Bonds should be in the HOF before Rose.

Barry Bonds

This post is not long, but I have experienced “life happens.” I moved from sunny Southern California, which I loved, to New Mexico. No doubt New Mexico would have never been at the top of my list of places to move to (if not for family), but I love my new home in Albuquerque. This past Wednesday, I became a grandfather for the first time, and the opportunity to live ten miles from him is exciting. The little guy is beautiful. I have found most babies to be ugly, but my grandson avoided that tag. Love the little man. He is quiet, except when he is hungry (hey, he took after me!), and my son is beyond proud of his son. It is great to see the continuation of the family lineage.

Sadly, there are no Major League sports in Albuquerque. The best sporting events are the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, the top farm club of the Colorado Rockies. I wish the Dodgers and their former farm club, the Albuquerque Dukes, were still here, but they are not. The second sports venue is the University of New Mexico basketball team. Go Lobos. I intend to check out some of the games. My daughter-in-law, the mother of my grandson, is a Lobo. My children are Arizona Sun Devils, but I will try to embrace the local Lobos.

Albuquerque will get a hockey team in 2026 when the ECHL expands. It is not the NHL, but it is the next level. I will certainly be supportive of the local hockey team.

Yesterday, I saw the Yankees traded minor league pitcher Rob Zastryzny back to his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, for cash considerations. I have not been following him, and I know he is in the later stages of his career, but I am sorry it did not work out for him with the Yankees. Hopefully, he finds late career success in the Beer Capital. The Yankees also took a minor league flyer on former Giants/Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani. I am not expecting much from the acquisition. The veteran right-hander is now thirty-five, and he last pitched in the Majors in 2023 for San Francisco.

I look forward to making some meaningful trades to help the team in the weeks and months before the trade deadline.

Unfortunately, the Yankees have lost Oswaldo Cabrera for an extended period due to his broken ankle and subsequent surgery. I wish him the best with his recovery and triumphant return to the Majors when he is ready. Even if he had not been injured, the Yankees would need an upgrade at third base. DJ LeMahieu is not the answer, and I always prefer to keep Cabrera in his utility role to play multiple positions. 

Oswaldo Cabrera (Photo Credit: AP)

I hope to write more in the coming months, but the move has occupied my time. This has been one of my most complicated moves despite moving from multiple cities over the past decade. I look forward to a prolonged stay in the Land of Enchantment with my young grandson. I plan to take him to a few baseball games and introduce him to America’s greatest sport.

As always, Go Yankees!

My Thoughts on Sports Betting and Major League Baseball

I touched on this a bit in a previous post this week, but I wanted to take it one step further and really give my opinion on the United States Supreme Court’s decision to legalize sports betting in the United States. I think this is going to be terrible in the grand scheme of things, but at the same time you have to wonder how much is really going to change? Those two statements seem contradictory, I understand that, but if you really think about it they aren’t. Let me explain.

Before if you wanted to do any sort of sports betting you couldn’t just run down to an online casino and do so, but those who wanted to do it still did it regardless. They might make a trip to Nevada and Las Vegas, or they may know a guy who knows a guy. Either way, sports betting was happening regardless, now with this ruling it is up to each individual state whether they will allow sports betting or not. I believe that all this ruling will do is make it easier for those who want to bet to do so. Convenience wins once again.

The players are going to want a cut of this and so are the teams. Will this drive down prices at the ball parks since there will presumably be added revenue for the teams and for the players? I doubt it, but there should be. This is going to be potentially a huge money-making aspect for the league and I think if the top executives, owners, and players benefit from it I think it should trickle down to the fans as well. Again, it won’t, but it should. The league has asked for a 1% integrity fee from these sports bets and have even been on record as willing to go as low as 0.25 percent on this fee. That doesn’t sound like a lot of money but when you consider how much money is spent and wagered in gambling every single year the amount of money the league would garner from this before they do anything significant would be astronomical. That is before you consider advertisements and such as well.

This is going to be terrible in the grand scheme of things because the rich will continue to get rich while the fans continue to foot the bill. The owners will get their integrity fee and the players will receive a portion of that, it is going to happen either right away or when the two sides meet for a new collective bargaining agreement in 2021. This could potentially lead to a strike if either side cannot agree to terms and meet in the middle, which could be detrimental to the progress that the league has made since the 1994 strike. But, to go back to my original statement, are things really going to change that much? Obviously, they will if we see another work stoppage, but hasn’t the owners and the players always gotten rich while prices for the fans have continued to go up? Television stations and such for teams have been making teams money at an all-time high, yet ticket prices continue to go up. Merchandise continues to go up. Concessions continue to go up. Do you think any of that will change when, not if, the league, owners and the players start receiving money from legalized gambling? If your answer is yes, think again, because it won’t.

The only constant is change, except when it comes to greed and money. Think on it, and reinstate Pete Rose.

Hello… & Let the Hypocrisy Begin

Good morning everyone, Happy Wednesday and Hump Day to you all. The United States Supreme Court just put Major League Baseball between a rock and a hard place this week with the decision to legalize sports gambling nationwide. Everyone knows where I stand on the big issues surround the game, namely the steroid era, whether players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should be in the Hall of Fame, and Pete Rose’s banishment from the game completely.

How in the world can you keep Pete Rose banned, the leader in hits for Major League Baseball, for betting on the sport after you legalize it in the country. I get it, that it wasn’t legal back then. I also get it that he lied about it and blah, blah blah. We all know the story. How can you keep Rose out of the game and especially out of the Hall for doing what presumably so many others can do now?

Sure, it is probably still against MLB’s rules for players to bet themselves, like Rose did, but there are loopholes and ways around everything. Especially this. Maybe Player X won’t bet himself, but maybe his brother will for him. Or his mother. Or maybe Player X is dumb enough to do it himself, players are still doing steroids for peeps sake. Where do you draw the line? And when does it become hypocrisy?

I guess that is for a room of lawyers, representatives, and people much smarter than I to decide.

Speaking of people much smarter than I, my Kari Ann Burch. I love you my amazing girlfriend, and I would bet the house that we will make it together, forever. I love you. Hey you.

The Key to Success?...

For me, the key to the 2017 season is Michael Pineda.

I remember when he first came up to the Bigs and was viewed as a potential solid #2 starter behind Felix Hernandez in Seattle.  He had some great starts in 2011, finishing 9-10 for the Mariners, with 3.74 ERA in 171 innings.  Or at least he helped my fantasy baseball team that year.  It should have been a spring board to bigger and better things, but it has never come to fruition due to injuries and inconsistency.

I can't really compare Pineda to CC Sabathia as they were two completely different pitchers in their 27th years but I will anyway.  By age 27, Sabathia had 117 wins, whereas Pineda  has only 32.  It's disappointing because Pineda has every bit the talent Sabathia had at that age.  Pineda might not have the ceiling of a clear cut #1 pitcher like Sabathia did at the time but he's not too far behind in overall talent.  Application of that talent has been a vastly different story.

At age 28, Sabathia, in his first year with the Yankees, went 19-8 with 3.37 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 230 innings.  It's hard to predict that kind of success for the 28-year-old Pineda considering he's never come close to Sabathia's numbers.  From the time he joined the Cleveland Indians at age 21 to age 27, CC never won less than 11 games (averaging over 14 wins per season).  For Big Mike, the 12 wins in 2015 represents his only double-digit win total.  If he could win 13-15 games for the Yankees this year, it would have a huge impact.  

The Yankees carry so many questions in their rotation this year.  But for Bryan Van Dusen's benefit, I will forego any requests for Jose Quintana.  

Masahiro Tanaka has been outstanding, if not spectacular, this spring and is showing signs this will be a dominant year for him.  But we live in fear of hearing the words, "You know that slight tear in the UCL...".  I am cautiously optimistic that this will be a career year for him and  that he'll be mentioned among the candidates for Cy Young at the end of the season.  He may not win it but he should at least be in the conversation.

CC will be CC…the age 36 version.  Last year, he averaged nearly 6 innings per start.  He'll need to do it again.  The days of 19 or 20 wins are over, but if he can just pitch to keep the team in games, life should be good.  We'll let the bats of Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird do the rest.

For the final two spots, I am still forecasting Luis Severino and Bryan Mitchell.  I think it's a certainty that Severino starts but the fifth spot could be easily taken by Chad Green or Luis Cessa.  I like Mitchell and he's gotten the most looks this spring over the other back-end rotation competitors as Joe Girardi makes his evaluations.  But regardless of who wins those final two spots, there will surely be a few bumps and bruises along the way.

With so many questions looming throughout the rotation, Big Mike needs to man up, put on his big boy pants and pitch like we know he can.  He needs to have Tanaka's back and make sure that teams fear the 1-2 punch.  

No pressure, Michael.  As actor Rob Schneider says, "You CAN do it!"...

Daniel Burch has been preaching pitcher Jordan Montgomery all spring and now the 6'6" lefty is starting to get the love from other blog sites.  Although Montgomery won't break camp with the Yankees, I predict that he'll make his first start on Sunday, June 4th in Toronto against the Blue Jays.    Whether it is caused by injuries or if the back-end of the rotation is failing, I think we'll see Montgomery sooner rather than later.  

My thoughts about Pete Rose saying that Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria should be playing for the Yankees or the Cubs?  I honestly  do not care what Pete Rose thinks (although admittedly Longoria wouldn't look too shabby in pinstripes).  At 31, Longoria doesn’t fit the youth movement in the Bronx.  As for displacing Kris Bryant in Chicago?  Yeah, right.  Daniel Burch, take this as a sign that you are now too old to play for the Yankees.

In yesterday’s Grapefruit League action, the Yankees started off the second half of the Spring schedule on the wrong foot, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays, 10-6.  Despite giving up a wind-assisted home run, Luis Severino pitched well and looks to be in control of the drive for the #4 slot in the rotation.  The new Core were represented by Gary Sanchez's solo homer and a 2-for-3 performance by Greg Bird.  However, the man of the hour (as he is most days) was Gleyber Torres.  He doubled and homered, driving in 3 RBI’s.  Like Bird, he was also 2-for-3.  He's making this game look way too easy.

With the loss, the Yankees fell to 13-5.  Today, the Yankees face (again) Clay Buchholz and the Philadelphia Phillies at Steinbrenner Field.  It’s another opportunity to pin a loss on the former Red Sock.  The aforementioned Michael Pineda will be on the mound for the home team.  As long as Gleyber Torres is in the lineup, I’m good!

Have a great Wednesday!

ARod, Yankees Reunion in 2017?

Did Alex Rodriguez drop a bombshell over the weekend while working as an analyst for Fox Sports? Maybe so and it may have included Alex’s future plans for the 2017 season. Do the Yankees know? Was he just doing it for television? Is the Centaur coming back and will it be in the Bronx? So many question, so few answers unfortunately and I think that was part of Alex’s plans all along. You know, because he’s Alex Rodriguez after all.

So where did all this come from? Well on Saturday during the Nationals and Dodgers game Pete Rose asked Alex on air about what he thought about David Ortiz lacing up his cleats for his final games of his career since Alex had just gone through the same thing, so we thought anyway, and Alex responded with a very vague “stay tuned.” What else could “stay tuned” mean if Alex did not have plans to return to Major League Baseball in 2017?

Alex is well within his rights to come back to MLB in 2017 and on the Yankees dime as well at the tune of $21 million so would the former Yankees slugger be willing to return to New York? Would he prefer to stay closer to his hometown and his children while playing in Miami with the Miami Marlins as their first baseman or bench piece? I can tell you this I can’t see the Yankees taking him back after finally committing to a youth movement so it may be Miami or bust… and I’m leaning towards bust.

And really, so what if it is bust? What does Alex have to lose? If a team invites him to spring training and he doesn’t make the team he would presumably still have a job with the Yankees as a special advisor. If not he’ll have plenty of time on his hands to count his $21 million in the bank for 2017. Here’s an idea though, what about if he returns to baseball and to Miami but not as a player but as the team’s hitting coach? Barry Bonds didn’t work out, could Alex be next? Honestly, I think so. Stay tuned because somehow, even in retirement, Alex has made himself front page news again like he always does, he is Alex Rodriguez after all you know. 

Pete Rose's Mouth Is In The News Again

I won't sugar coat it... I'm not a fan of Pete Rose. And I don't believe he should be in the Hall of Fame. He didn't break some little, unknown, rule in Major League Baseball. When you walk into every locker room in the league you'll see a big sign telling you that gambling on the game is against the rules. But Pete did it anyway.

Simply put... you break the rules, you deal with the consequences. It doesn't matter if you're a career backup in MLB, or a perennial All Star. Just like if two people commit the same crime, their punishments should be the same, regardless if one person is homeless and the other could be our next President.

Not that I have anybody in particular in mind.

So when I read that Pete Rose doesn't think the hits Ichiro Suzuki accumulated in Japan should count towards the hits record, which Ichiro is one hit from tying, I was ready to lash out at Pete again. But after reading his comments, and thinking about them for a minute, it turns out I agree with him.

"I'm not trying to take anything away from Ichiro, he's had a Hall of Fame career, but the next thing you know, they'll be counting his high school hits." - Rose

Okay, comparing hits from Nippon Professional Baseball and high school is ridiculous, but he has a point.

1. Major League Baseball draws from the best players around the World, while Nippon Professional Baseball has limits to the number of foreign players that are even allowed on any team's active roster (the last I saw it was four).
2. Many players that couldn't cut it in MLB went to NPB, such as Tuffy Rhodes. Tuffy hit 67 home runs between the Majors and Minors across 10 seasons (6.7 HR/yr), but hit 464 homers in 13 seasons in Japan (35.69 HR/yr).
3. While position players such as Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki have had excellent MLB careers after coming from Japan, there are many more Japanese hitters that have done little to nothing in the States. Look at the MLB careers of Kenji Johjima, Tadahito Iguchi, Kazuo Matsui, Akinori Iwamura, Kosuki Fukudome, and So Taguchi... to name only a few.

Over the years I've heard from many people that Nippon Professional Baseball is a step above Triple-A, but a step below MLB. Some would say NPB is the equivalent of Quadruple-A baseball.

With all that in mind, and although I'm not a fan of the guy, Pete Rose will continue to be the hit king.

Other Than Babe Ruth the Potential Milestones for Alex Rodriguez in 2016

Alex Rodriguez has the opportunity to tie and pass a Yankees legend this summer if he can replicate the production and successes that he had in 2015. Alex sits just 27 home runs behind former Yankees, Red Sox and Boston Braves icon and legend Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list which we spoke about earlier today but that's not the only milestone he could potentially reach in 2016.

Alex tied Hank Aaron for the most 30-home run seasons in MLB history last year with 14. If he can do that again in 2016 he would not only pass Aaron in that category but absolutely pass Ruth as well.

Alex is also just 40 hits away from 20th place on the all-time hits list. The 40 hits gives him 3,110 for his career and ties him with former Yankee Dave Winfield.

The final milestone Alex could reach in 2016 is the runs scored milestone after passing a couple of legends in 2015 in Derek Jeter, Stan Musial and Cap Anson. Rodriguez finished the season sitting on 2002 career runs scored with the next three in front of Rodriguez being Willie Mays (60 behind), Pete Rose (163 behind) and the Babe Ruth/Hank Aaron combo who both sit at 2174 runs scored.

Well he could also strike out 86 more times and tie Sammy Sosa for fourth all-time but we don't need or want to talk about that, do we?

Pete Rose to Be Inducted into Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame

Major League Baseball may never open their doors for this man but the Cincinnati Reds are opening up their Hall of Fame to the Hit King, Mr. Pete Rose. The Cincinnati Reds announced the upcoming induction this week barely a month after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the league would not reinstate him into the game. Convenient timing.

Rose, now 74-years old, will be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame sometime over the June 24-26^th weekend in Cincinnati. Rose will be the sole inductee and will join 85 other members in the Hall including former “Big Red Machine” teammates Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez.

The team will also retire Rose’s #14 jersey.

The Reds and their chief executive Bob Castellini call this a “defining moment” in the franchise’s history. We’ll see. Outside of Cincinnati I’m not sure how many people would agree. I’m indifferent. 

My Take on the Unpopular Popular Decision on Pete Rose

Pete Rose had one last shot to make it back into Major League Baseball and into the Hall of Fame and that hope lived and died on the decision made by Commissioner Rob Manfred. Manfred promised to have his decision to us by the end of the calendar year and he did just that this week when he denies Rose’s application for reinstatement back into the game. This is it for Pete Rose. This was a popular decision to some and unpopular to others but truthfully I am on the fence. I have been a Rose supporter for so long and I have defended him for many years making the remarks that he should be judged as a Hall of Famer for his time as a player, not as a manager, but I’ve come to learn that Rose is one of those that absolutely cannot get out of his own way.

Rose had an opportunity to avoid the lifetime ban altogether if he just admitted to betting on the game. Rose chose the hard way, denied it and is now banned from baseball. Rose has later admitted to betting on baseball but only as a manager and only on his team, the Cincinnati Reds, to win games. Later on news broke that evidence was found that Rose bet on games as a player too, again the hard way for Mr. Rose. Baseball has had 26 years to change its mind and it didn’t and it’s not going to, and that is something we all now need to come to terms with.

Rose will die banished from the Hall of Fame. He can walk in and see his memorabilia and his name mentioned in the record books but he cannot ever see his plaque, and honestly it is probably for the best. I know what you’re probably thinking, isn’t this the same guy screaming for the steroid users to not only be forgiven but also be allowed into the Hall of Fame? Yes, it is, but with an explanation. Steroids were not against MLB rules at the time, betting on the game of baseball was. Those who have used steroids since, Alex Rodriguez for example, should not be in the Hall of Fame 100%.

Rose knew heading into the interview with Manfred that him and his investigators confirmed the information found in the Dowd Report that declared Rose not only gambled as a manager but as a player as well in 1985 and 1986. Rose was told heading into the meeting that Manfred knew he bet as a player and he still told him face-to-face that he did not. Later in the same meeting he admitted, once again, to betting as a player but only to bet that the Reds would win the games he was betting on. I guess that justified it to Rose. Rose later admitted that he is still betting on Major League Baseball games and other sporting events showing the world that, no Pete, you have not changed. You haven’t changed one bit. In fact you’re likely just exploiting this to sign more baseball, sell more posters and get more face time. That’s it. You’re greedy. You’ve made me look bad for defending you and I’m done with you, and so is Major League Baseball. 

Pete Rose Denied Access Back into MLB

No man was more excited about the retirement of former Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig than Pete Rose, not even new Commissioner Rob Manfred. Rose almost immediately applied for reinstatement back into the game when Manfred was sworn in as commissioner in hopes of getting his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball overturned. Manfred met with Rose personally and swore that a decision would be reached an announced by the end of the 2015 calendar year. That decision came down today when Manfred denied Rose's appeal for reinstatement back into MLB.

Here is the press release from the New York Times:

FanDuels and DraftKings Still Under Attack

Every day it seems like we hear more and more criticism and litigation against popular daily fantasy sports sites like FanDuels and DraftKings. It all started when the daily fantasy sports leagues dealt with an insider trading bout and has gone downhill from there. It has even gotten to the point now that if you live in the state of New York you cannot participate in the daily fantasy “gambling” that’s going on at these two sites. FanDuels and DraftKings are in hot water and big trouble and now leagues such as Major League Baseball are getting dragged down with them.

Major League Baseball along with the NBA, NHL and MLS were part of a motion that seeks to add them as defendants to a class-action lawsuit filed against these two companies. All told a whopping 51 companies were named in the lawsuit after either having invested into FanDuels and/or DraftKings or facilitated gambling. The lawsuit includes claims for “negligence, breach of contract, unjust enrichment as well as civil RICO and civil conspiracy.”

Other notable companies being listed in the lawsuit are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, J.P. Morgan, Capital One and PayPal.

It’s awfully convenient for MLB to be making money off of, advertising for and partnering with DraftKings and FanDuels in the same season that new Commissioner Rob Manfred meets with Pete Rose about his lifetime ban for betting on baseball… isn’t it? 

MLB the Last Time the Kansas City Royals Won the World Series

The last time the Kansas City Royals won the World Series was the 1985 season, the year I was born, and boy have things changed since then. Before the 2015 version of the Kansas City Royals face off with the latest edition of the New York Mets let's take a look at what the state of Major League Baseball looked like the last time the Kansas City Royals won the World Series in 1985.

Kansas City won the American League West Division over the California Angels by just one game to reach the postseason and faced off with the mega-team of the American League in the Toronto Blue Jays with 99 victories. Meanwhile the St. Louis Cardinals led Major League Baseball in victories in 1985 with 101 victories winning the National League East Division by three games over the New York Mets.

For the first time ever the ALCS and NLCS were a best-of-seven series and the Kansas City Royals took on the Toronto Blue Jays while the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off in the National League. Kansas City defeated Toronto in seven games to reach the World Series while it took St. Louis just six games to send the Dodgers home for the long winter.

It took seven games but Brett Saberhagen and the Kansas City Royals took care of business on the road to win the 1985 World Series. Kansas City was on top of the baseball world.

The 1985 season was generally business as usual but Pete Rose did break Ty Cobb's all-time Major League hits record with his 4,192nd hit of his career. On September 11, 1985 Rose became the hit king while Don Mattingly of the Yankees and Willie McGee of the Cardinals won the AL and NL MVP awards. Meanwhile Bret Saberhagen of the Royals and Dwight Gooden of the Mets won their respective Cy Young Awards in 1985 while Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox and Vince Coleman of the Cardinals won the Rookies of the Year awards in the league.

A lot has changed since the 1985 season and a lot has changed since either the Kansas City Royals or the New York Mets won a World Series but, sticking with the common thread of this article, that is about to change. Tune in tonight as the 2015 World Series kicks off inside Kauffman Stadium.

Japanese Betting Scandal hits Japanese World Series

The Pete Rose of the Japanese baseball league and the Shoeless Joe Jackson of the Japanese World Series is about to be exposed. I am exaggerating a bit to set the tone but a gambling scandal has hit Japanese professional baseball, and probably at the worst possible time. Japan’s version of the World Series is set to begin but it will not begin before Nippon Professional Baseball can announce that two more pitchers from the Yomiuri Giants bet on professional baseball games.

This is the worst possible time not only for the NPB but for baseball as a whole as the sport is still actively trying to get back into the Olympics. Two weeks ago, and this hasn’t been talked about much for whatever reason, Yomiuri Giants pitcher Satoshi Fukuda was caught betting on games involving his team as well as Major League Baseball games. Betting on games and fixing games are two different stories, and there is no evidence that Fukuda fixed games whatsoever, but neither scenario is going to help the NPB or baseball as a whole.

Shoki Kasahar and Ryuya Matsumoto have admitted to betting on baseball but deny any fixing of games, both are also members of the Yomiuri Giants. All three men, who have bet on anything from NPB games to High School games to MLB games, have given the sport the black eye and will now carry the weight of the sport if baseball, which has been out of the Olympics since 2008, does not return to the Olympic Games in 2020 when they head out to Tokyo. 

Christine Brennan, It’s Time to FORG1V3

Christine Brennan is a writer for the USA Today, a website that I frequent quite often as you probably already know, and a personality that I used to respect. A personality I used to respect up until she took, in my opinion, a hypocritical stance regarding Fox Sports decision to bring Alex Rodriguez into the fold for their postseason and World Series coverage and analysis. Brennan didn’t hold back whatsoever in her piece, which I was so ever graciously link HERE because I’m not a hater, but I personally believe she missed out on a few key points that I will try and cover here and yes, Christine, I will leave my Yankees fandom at the door.

Christine wasted no time pulling punches in her article as she called Alex Rodriguez the “worst” baseball player and expert they could have picked to join the Fox Sports crew. Of course it didn’t take more than two or three lines to bring up Alex’s steroids suspension and PED use but nowhere in the article does it mention that he did his time, apologized and has done everything in his power to turn his image, and more importantly his life around. Christine brings up the image that we as a society are sending to the children by using “the guy” for steroid use, what about the message that everyone makes mistakes? That everyone is entitled a second, and sometimes even a third or fourth chance, if they earn it? What about the image that no living man walking this Earth is perfect? What about the message of forgiveness?

I have children, one of which is old enough to watch and understand baseball but not quite old enough to understand the severity of steroid use and such yet, and while I will never prop up Alex Rodriguez as a role model or someone I want my son to emulate I will not merely throw him by the wayside either because of past mistakes. There are two sides to every story and every situation, there is also a high road and a low road. I prefer to take the high road with anyone who earns that, and Major League Baseball and Alex’s peers have him up for the AL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award so I’m obviously not the only one who thinks he’s earned at least something back, while you Mrs. Brennan decided to take the low road. What will your children think and the children of others think about the message being sent by a judgmental and hypocritical article like the one you wrote this week?

I have used the term hypocritical multiple times in this article but I haven’t fully explained what I thought was hypocritical. To quote your article you were quoted as saying “this tells us that the game, and Fox Sports, will do anything to get attention. Anything.” What exactly do you think you’re doing as a writer for the USA Today when you write what is more than likely going to be a controversial article about Alex Rodriguez? Are you not doing it to get attention, to get clicks and to look good for your publication? Of course you are, if you weren’t you wouldn’t be getting paid for it. No one is blaming you for that either, I just prefer to call it like I see it and call it fairly for both sides which is something that you showed you were incapable of in this article.

Be the change you want to see in the world. Gandhi said that, Alex Rodriguez is doing that and you, Christine, are everything that’s wrong with the world. Again, that’s just my opinion. Carry on. 

Yet Another Pete Rose Bombshell

No man was more excited about the retirement of former Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig more than Pete Rose. Rose has been banned from Major League Baseball after betting on baseball as a manager of the Cincinnati Reds and also as a player for the same club. Rose almost immediately asked that new Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred to review his application for reinstatement and a face-to-face meeting. The deck was already stacked against Rose after the initial investigation into his gambling problem but now it's not just the jokers being removed from the deck for Rose, it's the aces too.

Major League Baseball's all-time hit king has been accused of committing statutory rape not only as a player but also as a member for the Reds. Wow, how the mighty have fallen. Former Rose associate Michael Bertolini admitted to "running down young girls" for Rose in Spring Training as young as 12-14 years old. Rose obviously denied the allegations almost immediately but this has to be the straw that breaks the camels back for his application and potential reinstatement into the league, doesn't it?

In a July 13th interview with WCHE the man who investigated Rose originally, John Dowd, broke the news of these allegations. Here is the exact quote and HERE is the link to the interview:

Q: Do you find Pete a likable person? Did you see the window inside his soul?

Dowd: "Ah, no. I don't. I've been asked that question whether he had any moral bearings at all and the answer is no. There's a lot of other activity. ... Michael Bertolini told us that not only did he run bets, but he ran young girls for him down in spring training. Ages 12-14. Isn't that lovely? So that's statutory rape every time you do that. So he's just not the kind of person that I find very attractive. He's a street guy.

"Did I get along with him? Yes. If I'd had gotten him alone do I think could have brought him around? Yes. He knew we had him. When I played the tapes for him and also showed him the betting slips and fingerprints, he turned green and gray. I mean, I thought he was going to go over in that disposition I took of him. He knew he was a goner. And then he chisels. He gets this book and defrauds the publisher a million bucks. The guy only sold 40,000 copies, so he lost a million. He says, 'I wanna come clean.' He didn't come clean."

Nuggets From Rob Manfred’s Press Conference

Rob Manfred met with the media and the Baseball Writers Association of American for a little question and answer session before last night’s 86^th annual All-Star Game in Cincinnati and more than a few interesting nuggets came of the session.

• First and foremost the most asked question was whether Manfred would reinstate Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list and Manfred confirmed that no meeting had happened or is planned at this time regarding Rose and his reinstatement application. Manfred wants to first fully go over all the evidence from the 1989 investigation and all the information that has come to light since before meeting and making a decision.

• No change to address the safety of the fans at ball parks and potentially adding nets to protect the fans have been discussed at this time. MLB plans to meet to address these concerns but no changes, if any, will be implemented before 2016. Around that same time the Commissioner’s domestic abuse policy should be finalized and ready to roll out as well.

• Teams will not have medical information released about players before the MLB Draft. The fans aren’t likely to see any postseason expansion in MLB any time soon either according to Manfred. Manfred is, however, open to expanding MLB at some point in the future if the opportunity presented itself and mentioned bringing a team like the Montreal Expos back to Canada in specific.

2015 MLB All-Star Game Preview

Tonight on FOX the 86^th annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game will take place inside the home of the Cincinnati Reds. In just a few short hours the Great American Ball Park, which saw some of the league’s best home run hitters display their power last night and which saw the future of the sport showcasing their talents on Sunday, will see 76 of the best MLB players facing off head-to-head for bragging rights for their respected leagues and home field advantage in the World Series. The game will be played at 8:05 pm ET and can be seen on FOX as Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros starts for the American League and will face off against Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League.

Here are the rosters for both teams tonight:

American League:

C: Salvador Perez

1B: Albert Pujols

2B: Jose Altuve

SS: Alcides Escobar

3B: Josh Donaldson

LF: Adam Jones

CF: Mike Trout

RF: Lorenzo Cain

DH: Nelson Cruz

Catchers: Russell Martin and Stephen Vogt.

Infielders: Mark Teixeira, Jason Kipnis, Brock Holt, Brian Dozier, Manny Machado, Mike Moustakas, Jose Iglesias, Prince Fielder.

Outfielders: Brett Gardner, JD Martinez.

Pitchers: Chris Archer, Dellin Betances, Brad Boxberger, Zach Britton, Wade Davis, Hector Santiago, Kelvin Herrera, Felix Hernandez, Dallas Keuchel, Darren O’Day, Glen Perkins, David Price, Chris Sale.

IR: Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera, Kansas City LF Alex Gordon

Sonny Gray replaced due to pitching on Sunday.

National League:

C. Buster Posey

1B: Paul Goldschmidt

2B: DJ LeMahieu

SS: Jhonny Peralta

3B: Todd Frazier

LF: Joc Pederson

CF: Andrew McCutchen

RF: Bryce Harper

Catchers: Yasmani Grandal, Yadier Molina.

Infielders: Adrian Gonzalez, Anthony Rizzo, Joe Panik, Troy Tulowitzki, Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant, Brandon Crawford.

Outfielders: Ryan Braun, AJ Pollock, Justin Upton.

Pitchers: Madison Bumgarner, AJ Burnett, Clayton Kershaw, Aroldis Chapman, Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, Zack Greinke, Carlos Martinez, Mark Melancon, Shelby Miller, Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, Trevor Rosenthal, Michael Wacha.

IR: Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton, St. Louis RF Matt Holliday, Miami 2B Dee Gordon.

Max Scherzer ineligible after pitching Sunday.

This should be a fun game with all the rookies and first-timers attending and whether you feel like the game should count or not I think you should watch it. Let the debates about changing the game happen when we have nothing to watch on Wednesday and Thursday, tonight Major League Baseball’s best and brightest stars take center stage in the All-Star Game. Go Teixeira, go Betances and go Gardner! Pete Rose, just go away. 

Pete Rose Officially Grasping At Straws

“One thing I never did was cheat the fans.” – Pete Rose in an interview with the USA Today.

What a way to start an article, a Pete Rose quote that will likely anger some, shock others and make most of us just shake our heads at how delusional the hit king was become. I have been one of the biggest supporters of Rose when everyone thought that the betting on baseball that ended up getting him permanently banned from the game of Major League Baseball happened solely as his time as a manager. When new news broke that there was evidence Rose bet on games as a player I completely washed my hands of him, I had to. Now Rose is still hoping to meet Commissioner Rob Manfred and still has hopes of getting reinstated, even if he’s simply grasping at straws.

Rose said in that same interview that he was “open to almost anything” to get his lifetime ban thrown out and open to almost anything to get back into the game and potentially into the Hall of Fame. Rose is hoping that he can meet with Manfred face-to-face when the game turns its eyes and attention to Cincinnati next week when the Reds host the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. Rose, who has been working as an analyst for Fox Sports and Fox Sports One, has long had his application for reinstatement in and was basically ignored by Commissioner Bud Selig but now has high hopes now that Manfred has taken over.

Rose was banned in 1989, a mere four years after he set the Major League Baseball record for hits in a career, after denying that he bet on baseball. It wasn’t until his autobiography came out in 2004 that he finally admitted to betting on baseball but only as a manager. New evidence revealed to us by ESPN’s Outside the Lines proved that Rose bet as a manager and as a player which seemingly put the nail in his coffin for reinstatement but Rose is still grasping at straws and hopes for the sit down meeting with Manfred.

Whether Rose is really grasping at straws or whether Manfred is ready to forgive and forget remains to be seen but things should get very interesting next week in the Great American Ball Park. Stay tuned. 

A-Rod and the magic number

Oh, A-Rod. Just think what could have been!

Despite the proven allegations of A-Rod’s PED use, the euphoria surrounding the chase for his 3,000 struck a similar tone to when Derek Jeter was chasing his 3,000 hit. Both Jeter and A-Rod hit homeruns to achieve the milestone. Yet Jeter is a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer while A-Rod must settle for his season of redemption.

It’s a shame that his need to artificially supplement his natural talents will prevent A-Rod from having a Hall of Fame career. He will undoubtedly go down as one of the best players to ever play the game. However, after his playing career is finished, A-Rod will be ostracized by the game in a similar manner to Pete Rose. Pete Rose’s accomplishments are certainly historic, but his actions during his playing and managerial career got himself blacklisted from the MLB.

As a result of suing the MLBPA, A-Rod — whether he wants to acknowledge it or not —alienated his peers in the game. While he is saying all the right things now, it is too little too late. With that being said, 3,000 hits is still 3,000 hits. The accomplishment may be tainted, but from where I sit, it does not take away from the hard work required to achieve this milestone.

Only if A-Rod did it the right way…

My Disappointment in Pete Rose Cannot Be Put Into Words

As many of you know I tend to side with the minority on a lot of subjects, and definitely not always on purpose or just to be different, regarding Major League Baseball. I supported all the steroid users, especially Alex Rodriguez, and I supported adding Pete Rose not only back into baseball but I supported putting Rose into the MLB Hall of Fame. You can imagine the disappointment I feel today when I read the new Outside the Lines posts on ESPN stating that the league now has proof that Rose bet on games while playing in them, not just as a manager of the Cincinnati Reds. My ultimate argument was that Rose only bet on the Reds to win games, so technically he did what he was being paid to do anyway, and that Rose’s Hall of Fame induction should judge him as a player and not as a manager. Both of those theories are now out the window and I have to say I’m pretty heartbroken about it.

If Rose had any shot of getting back into Major League Baseball now that Rob Manfred is the Commissioner of MLB that shot went out the window with Mike Bertolini’s long-lost notebook. The Hit King’s quest for reinstatement is over and so is my defense of Mr. Rose. I hate to end a day that started out as a celebration of 1,000,000 views with such a somber tone but I have to, I don’t have the energy to post anything else tonight, I feel like I lost and I didn’t really have a horse in the race in this matter.

Oh well, try and enjoy your night Yankees family and we’ll be back to good spirits tomorrow!