Out of left field is my semi-regular posting about matters that may not require 1,000 words of analysis, but are definitely worth noting with a snarky comment or three.  In no particular order of importance: Dusty Baker…wow. Last night in a win or go home Game 5, trailing by one run entering the bottom of … Continue reading Out of left field

All due respect to Luis Severino, Justin Verlander, Carlos Carrasco and Marcus Stroman, the AL CY Young is either Chris Sale or Corey Kluber.  (Keep in mind, the voting was done prior to Sale’s awful game 1 start in the ALDS.  Hopefully, Kluber will have a similar start against the Yankees today…) Before getting to … Continue reading 2017 AL Cy Young

Yankee manager Joe Girardi decided that Sonny Gray should get the game 1 start in the ALDS tonight. This is classic Joe: Pick the wrong pitcher for the wrong situation.  It’s not a coincidence that the Yankees had the 2nd best run differential in baseball in 2017 but the 8th best record.  It’s not a … Continue reading Say it ain’t so Joe. No way Sonny Gray.

You know how it’s said that managers’ decisions are usually canceled out by how the players perform over 162 games, but managerial decisions can win or lose a playoff series?  Or in tonight’s case, a play in game? I agree with the sentiment.  Remember Terry Francona in game 7 of the World Series last season?  … Continue reading What to watch for tonight (AL wild card)

For my AL MVP pick, I thought it really could’ve come down to one of three guys: Aaron Judge, Chris Sale or Corey Kluber.  I wouldn’t quibble with any of those three, although I know for sure Jose Altuve was not the most valuable player in the AL this season. The National League has even … Continue reading 2017 NL MVP

We’re going to do this elimination style today – i.e., if player "A" provided more value to his team in 2017 than player "B" did, then player "B" is eliminated.  There’s no need going into player "B"’s resume as great as it may be if he wasn’t more valuable than player A. Secondly, I need … Continue reading 2017 AL MVP

I wrote this on June 15th of this season: "On June 13th and 14th, the NY Yankees, one of the best teams in baseball in one of the best divisions in baseball (i.e., they aren’t going to run away and hide from the rest of their division, like the Washington Nationals will – these games count) … Continue reading My magic 8 ball told you so

I must begin with the obvious: “Value” is a very subjective term.  As a result, any discussion about who is more valuable than whom is going to be at the mercy of our individual subjectivities.  Truth be told though, it’s fun to debate our subjectivities, prejudices and opinions when it comes to the matter of … Continue reading MLB MVPs Part I:

I know the post season doesn't start for another week, but what I need to say isn’t too dependent on team vs. team matchups, so here we go with your need to know about the 2017 MLB post season: I started this blog earlier this season and I’ve learned a lot on the fly.  One … Continue reading Post Season Preview

Here’s what you need to know about the surprising Twin Cities team: Currently the Twins are 78-71, which puts them two games ahead of the LA Trouts for the 2nd Wild Card spot.  They were four games under .500 on August 5th but have gone a red hot 26-15 since.  Baseball Reference, according to their … Continue reading Yankees – Twins Preview