I don't like this plan
Baseball back on NBC. It's Phil Linz Day. No Rodgers 'till Week 1.
Good morning, all! It’s hump day…
As expected, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has unleashed a blogosphere lalapalooza with his interview on ESPN Sunday night. The commissioner hinted at the possible addition of two more franchises and a realignment. Well, not only have I issued the Dan Plan, but others have issued their plans too.
The website The Athletic has a plan of its own and to be frank, I do not like it.
In a nutshell, there are too many divisions in their proposal.
Here are some other stories that caught my eye for Aug. 20, 2025:
Kendall Baker of Yahoo Sports is reporting NBC is back in the baseball business. He’s reporting the network will carry Sunday Night Baseball and take the Friday night baseball game away from Apple TV.
If you followed the Yankees back in the 1960s, today’s date should evoke a memory of what happened in 1964. The Yankees, under first year manager Yogi Berra, were floundering and just finished being swept a four-game series by the Chicago White Sox. Winner of four straight A.L. Pennants, the club had slipped to 4 1/2 games out of first and everything seemed to be blowing up on Yogi. On the bus ride from Comiskey Park to the airport, reserve infielder Phil Linz pulled out a harmonica he had purchased on the road trip and all hell broke lose. Below is NY Daily News beat writer Joe Trimble’s story on the incident and his obituary on the 1964 Yankees.
Turned out Trimble’s report of the Yankees death was premature. New York went to Boston and lost the first two games of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Berra fined Linz $200 and GM Ralph Houk decided the Yankees would need a new manager in 1965. However, something happened on the road to oblivion. New York caught fire and was practically unbeatable in the month of September. The Yankees went on to win their fifth straight pennant and lost in seven games to the Cardinals in an exciting World Series.
Houk, however, stuck to his plan, fired Berra and hired the Cardinals manager Johnny Keane. Mel Allen, the “Voice of the Yankees,” was also dismissed, although the Yankees did not have the guts to announce Allen’s removal, leaving the public to discern Allen was out, when they introduced new Yankees voice Joe Garagiola at a news conference in December at the popular Toots Shor restaurant.
As for Linz, the harmonica incident landed him a lucrative - at the time - $5,000 deal to advertise harmonicas and the ad even made the back cover of the Yankees 1965 yearbook:
Who knew, Aug. 20, 1964 would be a significant date in the storied history of the New York Yankees?
Anybody who thinks the Baltimore Orioles are going to be a cakewalk the rest of this season are not paying attention. Before last night’s game at Boston, Baltimore was 42-33 since late May. That is a much better record than the New York Yankees, since that period.
After winning the Masters, Rory McIlroy took 1,100 pin flags from Augusta and plans to sign every one of them.
Robinhood, the online app that allows you to buy and trade stocks, is now going to permit you to trade on the outcome of pro and college football games. It never ends.
If you’re looking for Aaron Rodgers to play in the Steelers exhibition finale this week, forget about it. Rodgers has not taken a snap in the preseason and it is going to stay that way. His first appearance will be in Week 1.
By the way, the Colts have named Daniel Jones their starting QB. Remember him, Giants fans? Of course, you do.
Sportico is reporting the Yankees sold $282.2M worth of tickets and luxury suites through June 30. And you thought manager Aaron Boone’s and GM Brian Cashman’s jobs were in jeopardy.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you so much for subscribing and have a great day!
DAN