Looking Forward to upcoming Baseball season

April 11, 2018

Baseball always has compelling plot lines and people to take notice of, even this early. Here in no particular order are what we should keep an eye on.

Warm weather. Baseball in frigid climates is not fun for players or fans. Living in Chicago, I have a steadfast rule of not attending a game until June. Not only is it a better atmosphere but you have a pretty idea of who your team is.

I expected to see homers galore from the Yankee trio, Judge, Sanchez and newly acquired Giancarlo Stanton. Weather could be part of the problem. Stanton seems to be struggling. Just wondering if he is another great National League player that can’t adjust to the American League.

There is no better rivalry in baseball better than Yankees vs. Red Sox. It gets better when both teams are good. They should be fighting it out to see who wins the division and who will be a wild card. ESPN will give you plenty of coverage.
   

I don’t see any holes in the Houston Astros. Excellent pitching, hitting and the best double play combination in baseball. They are poised to win it all again. However, once the post season starts you never know what may happen. This is one of the things that make baseball so enjoyable.

In my previous post I mentioned the National League East is a joke.  However, the N.Y. Mets pitching staff is off the charts. They could cause the Nationals problems if they stay healthy. That’s a big if since Met pitchers seem to get hurt with regularity. The Braves rebuild looks better but still not good enough to contend.

Bryce Harper may be playing his last season in Washington and is on his way to an MVP type year. If you are watching, you stop what you’re doing when he comes up to bat. One reason why I love the MLB Network highlights. Wherever he goes he will be that team’s best player. He will also be the highest paid player in baseball.

I love to watch Kyle Hendricks pitch. He may not be flashy, he just retires batters. He reminds me of Greg Maddox in his Atlanta years. With an ERA in the lower 2’s he should win more games than he has in the past. The only thing standing in his way is run support.

In an attempt to speed up the game teams are allowed only six mound visits a game. What is the penalty for going over the limit? I see umpires calling the high strike. Do that with the low strike zone and you’ll speed up the game.

In the what was I thinking department, my evaluation of Shohei Ohtani was based on spring training which means nothing. Is he a hitter or a pitcher? Is it a desert topping or a floor wax? The answer is he is both. He already has three home runs and his average is about .370.despite the fact he is not in the line up every game. As a pitcher he is 2-0. In his last game he was perfect into the seventh inning. and struck out 12. Watching highlights he had a Sandy Koufax fastball and a splitter that drops off the end of a table. He’s not Babe Ruth yet, but he will fill up stadiums and be the story of the year.

Annie Savoy. When baseball rolls around they show Bull Durham. Susan Sarandon is delightful as a baseball groupie. At one point she asks Luke “don’t you think I’m pretty?  Yes she is.