Good morning, all! I hope your Tuesday is off to a great start!
The Toronto Blue Jays came within a whisker of winning an epic World Series. As I explain in the video, that might be the most frustrating part of all.
Here are some other thoughts as I count the days till the New York Giants fire another head coach:
The NFL announced it plans to go high tech and emphasize influencers in the week-long celebration in San Francisco, leading up to the Super Bowl game. It is all in the name of appealing to the social media/You Tube crowd, which leads me to believe, when will they ask Mr. Beast to sing the National Anthem?
The NFL’s trade deadline is at 4 p.m. ET today. It might not have the sizzle of the MLB trade deadline, but it is still fun to follow. The Philadelphia Eagles are already trying to position themselves to be repeat Super Bowl champs.
Preliminary numbers show this was the most watched World Series in years, and remember the Nielsen ratings do not include Canada, where reportedly half the country was tuned in to Game Seven. In the U.S. the numbers show almost 26M viewed Game Seven with a peak number at 11:30 p.m. at more than 31M. To say MLB is ecstatic is an understatement.
The latest baseball Hall of Fame nominees have been revealed with the ballot results to be released on Dec. 7:
I’m sure Red Sox fans are not happy that Dwight Evans did not make the cut. I think the fact that both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are on the ballot shows a softening toward players who performed in the steroids era. It would also not surprise me if Don Mattingly and/or Dale Murphy get in. In order to gain admission to the hall, a player needs to be listed on at least three-quarters of the 16 ballots.
Alex Bregman said he really loved playing for the Red Sox in 2025. Cody Bellinger equally stated he loved playing for the Yankees in 2025. Both those players loved playing with their respective teams so much, they have exercised opt-outs and will become free agents. In the end, it is all about the money and with labor strife looming, look for the free agents to try and land multi-year contracts. Can you blame them?
I have to admit, I am a bit surprised with the hiring of Walt Weiss as the new manager of the Atlanta Braves. That said, I wish him well, as he gets a second chance. The former MLB infielder once managed the Colorado Rockies.
Entering the off season, there were nine managerial vacancies. Seven positions have been filled and not one of them has gone to a minority candidate. Are you kidding me? Nine managerial openings and not one person of color can be found to fill a position? Former big league manager Bo Porter has made it known publicly he wants another chance to manage. You mean to tell me he is not qualified? The Padres and Rockies still have to fill their managerial openings. This is not a DEI issue. These are jobs requiring the utmost in qualifications and there are numerous candidates of color who qualify. I can give you some names right now who are more than capable of managing in the big leagues. If criticism comes baseball’s way for lack of a minority hire, it deserves the heat!
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing and have a terrific day!
DAN
