Good morning, all and happy Tuesday!
It is a busy week in sports coming up. So why is the NFL the dominant subject? I break it down in the above video/podcast.
Here’s my five cents worth on some other subjects:
The Athletic has a superb story about the splitter, the pitch of the 1980s that is making a comeback. The piece - behind a paywall - also explains why very few left handed pitchers throw the splitter. I can speak from first hand experience that more pitchers in the minor leagues are now throwing the splitter. Who can blame them? It is a nasty pitch that baffles the hitter, as the pitch dives at the last instant, just as it reaches the plate.
The Preakness Stakes will be this Saturday, and as previously announced, Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not compete. There has been talk the Preakness should be held three weeks after the Derby and not two. This is a good idea. More and more, Kentucky Derby winners are not racing in the Preakness because it is so soon after the Derby. I’m in favor of a three-week interval to increase the chances of having a Triple Crown winner. Here’s hoping it happens.
There was always the prevailing thought one of the reasons Joe Girardi was let go as Yankees manager after the 2017 season, was he looked as if he was about to have a root canal, when dealing with the media. That is a no-no in media-centric New York. So why is he so good as an analyst on Yankees telecasts? It amazes me the number of athletes, managers, etc. - Yes, Michael Strahan, I’m looking at you too - who want nothing to do with the media, until they come over to the other side and collect big money as members of the media. It’s the world in which we live, I guess.
It would not surprise me if the New York Yankees engineer a trade for a closer and a catcher. David Begnar is not the answer, when the game is on the line, and defensively, catcher Austin Wells is suspect, while his offense has disappeared faster than someone avoiding a bill collector.
It’s not hyperbole to say this week’s four-game series in Los Angeles between the rival Giants and Dodgers is huge for San Francisco. If the Dodgers sweep or take three-of-four, the Giants could blow the entire thing up early and start trading away what stars they have. Stay tuned.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. I have a week of baseball broadcasts coming up, so I may not be as consistant with the newsletter this week. I will try to pump out as much content as time permits. Thank you for your understanding and for being a subscriber!
DAN
