Last week, Major League Baseball (“MLB”) and the MLB Players Association (“MLBPA”) reached an agreement on the framework of a delayed and shortened 2020 amateur draft according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The draft would be pushed back to July, the number of rounds would be drastically reduced to around 5-10, and bonuses would be severely restricted. Meanwhile, the NCAA will permit Division I, Division II, and Division III spring-sport athletes who had their seasons shortened by the Coronavirus pandemic to have an additional year of eligibility. So what does this mean for the future of amateur baseball, and are there any real winners from the aforementioned announcements?
First, the MLB First Year Player Draft has been 40 rounds since 2012. Assuming the 2020 draft is 10 rounds, 900 draft hopefuls will not hear their name called and will have mainly two options: sign as a free agent or go (for some, return) to college.
While the shortening of the 2020 MLB draft is unfortunate news for high school seniors who were hoping to forego collegiate baseball in order to cash in with a major league club, the real losers of this deal are the many college seniors who will most likely not be drafted within these 10 rounds. Now while these seniors are eligible to either sign with a professional club or go back to school there are cons to both. If they choose to sign the professional contract it will be for a lot less money than what has typically been given. Teams will be limited to spending no more than $20,000 to sign any undrafted player. According to Baseball America, of the 960 players who signed professional contracts last year, 680 signed for more than $20,000. This provision severely restricts the bargaining power an undrafted free agent has.
Now say the college senior decides to go back to school. While he may get another shot to prove himself and climb up draft boards, he does it while tacking on another year to his age. On average, college seniors are 22 years old. In 2021, these seniors will be 23 years old. While the 1 year age difference isn’t drastic, scouts and executives could use the player’s age as a bargaining tool during bonus negotiations after the player is drafted. Further, teams may opt to draft players from the high school or junior college ranks given that these players would be on average 3-4 years younger than the 2021 college seniors. Unfortunately, a shortened 2020 MLB draft is negatively affecting this year’s college seniors.
Since the vast majority of 2020 seniors will head back to their respective schools for the 2021 season, there will be an overflow of talent at top Division 1, Division 2 and Division III schools. The beneficiary of this overflow of talent will be Junior College (“JUCO”) teams across the country. While JUCO is a route that is often looked upon with scorn by the average parent, it is a fantastic option for an incoming college freshman who realistically won’t touch the field at a top Division 1 or Division 2 school. Instead of sitting on the pine for a year at a 4-year school, an incoming freshman could go to JUCO and play 30 games in the fall, get in the weight room to get stronger, and then play a 50-60 game schedule in the spring. Not to mention if a player has a fantastic season they could enter the MLB draft after one year, whereas they would have to wait 3 years at a 4-year school. While the JUCO ranks already boast hundreds of elite-level prospects, next year there could be “must-watch” baseball at the local community college. If you are a baseball fan looking for something to do next spring, go check out your local junior college where the field could potentially be flooded by MLB level talent.
Major League Baseball has been hoping for an opportunity to decrease the size and amount of players in the minor leagues. The uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 has given them a chance to act on their wish. The NCAA did the right thing by granting spring athletes another year of eligibility. Next year’s college baseball season will be especially intriguing with an influx of talent that will be caused by a shortened 2020 MLB draft. The 2021 “Road to Omaha” will be fun to watch.
“Our opinion is this didn’t impact the game.” – Astros owner Jim Crane.
Please try telling that to the 3 teams the Astros beat that year in the playoffs: the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers. Lest we forget, in game 1 of the 2017 ALDS at Minute Maid Park the Astros lit up Red Sox starter Chris Sale who finished 2nd in AL Cy Young voting that year. In game 2, also at Minute Maid, they smacked around Drew Pomeranz who was 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA that season. While they won game 3 in Fenway to sweep the series, the Astros offense seemed much more out of a sync and was actually held in check by Sale who was on 3 days rest. But no. The Astros cheating scandal did not impact the game at all.
Everyone knows what happened in the ALCS the next week when the Yankees took the cheating Astros to 7 games. In that series, the Astros didn’t win a game at Yankee Stadium. In fact, in the 3 games in the Bronx the Astros only managed to score 5 runs, whereas in the other 4 games at home they plated 15. But once again, there was no impact on the game. Just take a look at these splits. Absolutely laughable. The Astros organization is a joke and they continue to show their cowardice with each press conference.
From the great @PaulHembo Astros in 2017 postseason
Home 8-1 W-L 51 runs 18 HR 37 extra base hits .273 BA .343 OBP .519 SLG
Road 3-6 W-L 27 runs 9 HR 24 extra base hits .208 BA .284 OBP .347 SLG
After reading Ethan Myer’s absolutely insane article prompting fans to boycott Monday’s College Football National Championship, I have decided to write a satirical piece of my own. However, this time I will be urging fans to boycott the 2020 MLB season. Please remember this is mainly a satirical article and in no way should this be taken seriously. The sport of baseball is one of the most beautiful blends of pure athletic skill and strategy. While there are some teams who like to cheat more than others *cough *cough (the Astros and Red Sox), there are still a vast majority of organizations around the league who operate within the rules of the game. Here are 5 items that must be addressed before I will tune into another MLB game again.
A.J. Hinch, Jeff Luhnow, and Alex Cora should be banned from MLB and subject to 10-20 years in the federal penitentiary.
On Monday, MLB announced that both Hinch and Luhnow would be suspended for one year due to their active involvement in the Astros sign-stealing scandal. Alex Cora is still awaiting his punishment. Meanwhile, all three have been fired from their respective positions.
In my opinion, if you told any person in professional baseball they could cheat profusely to win a coveted World Series title and only be suspended one season, 95% of them would do it in a heartbeat. Heck, I think if you offered the scenario to the team’s janitor they would offer up their own trash cans for the cause. Getting to the summit of MLB by winning a World Series is a grueling task and any and all shortcuts are probably discussed at length before the season. Thus, if MLB really wants to set an example they will ban Hinch, Luhnow and Cora from the game and send them to the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas where they ought never to be heard from again. Pete Rose received a lifetime ban for betting on games which is nothing compared to the unethical actions taken by the three degenerates mentioned above. Rob Manfred, you finally have the chance to make a lasting impact that 100% of true baseball fans will agree upon.*Houston Astros fans are not true baseball fans and therefore, were not included in this tally.
2. 2020 Houston Astros are forced to play every game on the road and each player is subject to use their non-dominant hand in competition.
In all honesty, I stole this from Twitter yet I still believe this is a great idea. In a press conference Monday, Astros owner Jim Crane repeatedly told reporters he had absolutely no idea what was going on in the Astros dugout in 2017. While I respect Crane for immediately firing Hinch and Luhnow upon completion of MLB’s investigation, I find it hard to believe that he hadn’t a clue of what was truly happening behind the scenes. Thus, his ballclub should be punished. Minute Maid Park should be ceased from opening its doors in 2020 and the organization should be barred from selling any merchandise. This punishment should be financially crippling to the Astros. In addition, there are still many players from that 2017 team on the current roster. Thus, any member of the 2017 team that is currently on the Astros must use their non-dominant hand throughout the season. Right-handed hitters such as Alex Bregman and Build-A-Bear Workshop Jose Altuve must bat left-handed. If you thought Verlander was terrible during the playoffs, imagine him now as a southpaw. I suspect the Astros go around 10-152, with 10 wins over the Texas Rangers.
3. MLB revokes the 2017 World Series Title from the Houston Astros.
Now we get to the part which Yankee fans shall relish. Since it is proven that the Astros are lying, disgraceful cheaters, their 2017 WS title should be revoked. Now should the Dodgers just be handed the World Series since they lost to the Astros that year? Since Clayton Kershaw has been deemed the worst playoff pitcher in recent memory, I believe it is only fair that the New York Yankees, the runner-ups in the ALCS to the Astros, get the chance to face the Dodgers for a chance at the title. Thus, the 2017 Yankees and 2017 Dodgers will regroup and play a best of 7 series in the Dominican Republic beginning on February 14. Both Joe Girardi and Didi Gregorious will be summoned from their posts in Philadelphia to take part in the series. Likewise, C.C. Sabathia will come out of retirement to start game 3 which will be turned into a slow-pitch softball game to give the big man a chance.
4. MLB revokes the 2018 World Series Title from the Boston Red Sox.
Since we know Alex Cora was heavily involved in the 2017 Astros scandal, we can only assume he brought his sign-stealing ways to Boston. I highly doubt it was a coincidence the Red Sox won the World Series in his first year at the helm. Thus, it is only reasonable that the Red Sox be stripped of their 2018 World Series title. This time, however, the Dodgers should be crowned champions of baseball.
5. Houston Astros organization is subject to pay off any and all minor league pitchers whose careers they ruined through their deliberate stealing of other teams signs.
Throughout all this corruption, there had to have been several pitchers whose careers were ruined by the Astros’ cheating ways. MLB should do an active investigation into the monetary damage that was caused by the sign-stealing and force the Astros organization to pay any and all pitchers who were victims of such heinous crimes.
If you care about integrity in sports, boycott the 2020 MLB season until the aforementioned items are addressed.
The night was going better than expected. In a bullpen-driven pitching outing the Astros had held the Yankees to just 2 runs through 9 1/3 innings in Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS. However, with one swing, the unstoppable DJ LeMahieu silenced 43,000 fans by launching a sharp line drive just over the right field fence. I had only witnessed a group of people that large go silent once before: 9th Inning, Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS, Cardinals vs. Astros. A hanging slider from Brad Lidge coupled with the MVP-caliber swing of Albert Pujols sent a shockwave throughout the entire city of Houston. Pujols connected for a towering 455 ft blast that cleared the train tracks at Minute Maid Park and paved the way for a Cardinals victory. Although, the Astros would win the series in Game 6, the long term damage had be done.
14 years later when LeMahieu broke Astros’ spirits with his 9th inning shot, Houston fans experienced flashbacks to that fateful night against the Cards. However, if one man could turn the tides, it was the longest tenured Astro on the team, Jose Altuve. Debuting with the team 9 years ago, Altuve had since amassed 6 all star appearances, 3 AL batting titles, and a World Series victory. If the Astros wanted to put anyone up against the dominate Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the 9th, I couldn’t think of anyone better than our 5 ft. 6 in. slugger. On Chapman’s 4th pitch of the at bat, Tuve turned on an 84 mph off speed pitch and launched it to left-center. I originally sank in my seat in disgust because it appeared to be a long fly out, but once I saw Brett Gardner turn toward the wall, I knew it was all over. The perennial savior of Houston had come through AGAIN.
Video by Dodgers Highlights
I’m unsure if it was luck or fate that allowed me to be present at both of these landmark games, but one thing’s for sure, the legacy of Joss Altuve will remain in Houstonians’ hearts forever.
In this series we will examine how every sports market fared in the 2010 decade. I will look at each team in their respective market and compare with other teams within that market. I only used Big 4 sports teams (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) in these rankings.
There are a few rules I followed in my rankings and are as follows:
Each market is divided into a classification (1 team, 2 teams, 3 teams, 4 teams) — similar to how high school sports are divided–in order to make it easier to compare.
MLB and NFL playoff appearances are weighted slightly more because NHL and NBA playoffs have over half of the teams in their leagues in the playoffs.
For the NBA, NHL and NFL, I use the 2009-2010 seasons as the start of the decade, because the champion of each was crowned in 2010. For example, the Saints were Super Bowl champions in 2010.
Markets only include teams in the metro area (for example I did not include Green Bay with Milwaukee and Sacramento with the Bay Area.
1 TEAM CLASS
There are 19 different markets in the United States and Canada with only one Big 4 team. Most of them have not had much success in the 2010’s so instead of mindlessly ranking all 19, I will give you my top 3 for this category
3 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (NBA)
Oklahoma City has been a menace in the NBA since the new decade. They have made the postseason every year but the 2015 season, winning their division four straight years from 2011 through 2014 and another in 2016. The Thunder won a total of 10 playoff series this decade as well as a Western Conference Title in the 2012 season. However, they fell to the Miami Heat in five games, and an NBA title eluded them throughout the decade.
2 Green Bay, Wisconsin (NFL)
Headlined by their Super Bowl XLV title in the 2011 season, the packers were dominant for the first half of the decade. They racked up four division titles from 2012 through 2015, and another in 2016. Adding Wild Card appearances in 2011 and 2016, the Packers were a regular in the NFL playoffs this past decade.
1 San Antonio, Texas (NBA)
I could probably keep the Spurs in this spot since the start of the millennium with how dominant they have been over the last 20 years. However, since the 2009-2010 NBA season, they won the Southwest Division seven times (2011-2014, 2016 & 2017) and they have two western conference titles in 2013 and 2014. In 2014 they beat the Big 3 Miami Heat for their fifth NBA title in franchise history. This was an easy call to have San Antonio at the top.
2 TEAM CLASS
11 Buffalo, New York (NFL, NHL)
Oh boy, where do I start here… Buffalo has some of the most loyal fans with the worst sports teams. Between the Bills and Sabres they have a combined THREE playoff appearances this decade. The Bills in 2018 and the Sabres all the way back in 2010 & 2011. The Sabres did have the lone division title in 2010 for Buffalo. To make things worse, the Bills lost their playoff game and the Sabres did not get out of the first round either year. Things are definitely looking up for the Bills going into the new decade.
10 Cincinnati, Ohio (NFL, MLB)
Without an NBA or NHL team to prop up their playoff appearances, the Reds and Bengals still totaled nine playoff appearances over the last 10 years and four of them coming by way of a division crown. The Bengals did not win a playoff game in six opportunities and the Reds lost in the NLDS in 2010 and 2012. To cap off their last appearance of the decade the Reds lost to Pittsburgh when Pirates fans were able to rattle Johnny Cueto in the 2013 Wild Card game.
9 Milwaukee, Wisconsin (MLB, NBA)
This is where it becomes more difficult to rank each market. It is hard to put Milwaukee this far down considering they have two MVPs in the last two seasons with Christian Yelich and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Most of the success in Milwaukee has been very recently. The first part of the decade was largely a dumpster fire for Milwaukee. The Bucks had five playoff appearances before 2019 and did not have a single series win. Their first division title also came in 2019 as well as an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The Brewers did win their division in 2011 and beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five before falling to St. Louis in the NLCS. They won their division in 2018 and again lost in the NLCS. A wild card loss in 2019 kept Milwaukee out of the World Series and NBA finals for the entire decade and that’s why they’re at #9.
8. Charlotte, North Carolina (NFL, NBA)
Charlotte’s position at #8 is propped up almost entirely by the Carolina Panthers. In particular their appearance in Super Bowl 50 preceded by a 15-1 regular season. The Panthers won three straight division titles from 2014 through 2016 and tacked on a wild card berth in 2018. If Cam Newton was able to stay healthy, Charlotte would be a few spots higher. The most notable thing the Charlotte Hornets did was switch their name from the Bobcats back to the Hornets after 2014 and the team did not seem to do any better; just 3 playoff appearances and not one series win. They have been painfully spaced out and did not string together back-to-back postseason appearances all decade. This team may belong in Buffalo.
7. Nashville, Tennessee (NFL, NHL)
Yet another city propped up by one of their teams, but the Nashville Predators have been dominant the last 10 years. The predators have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs just twice and have a Stanley Cup finals appearance and a Presidents Trophy to show for the 2010’s. If they weren’t snake bitten by the Chicago Blackhawks early in the decade, they would have more than seven playoff series wins. The Tennessee Titans chipped in a playoff appearance in 2018 and a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead, which is not an easy task.
6. Indianapolis, Indiana (NFL, NBA)
Indianapolis comes in as the city with the most playoff appearances between their two teams (14) and the Colts won the AFC to start the decade. The Colts had a total of six playoff appearance and won the AFC South 4 times (2010,2011,2014 & 2015). The transition from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck propelled the Colts through the decade. The Pacers have been a mainstay in the postseason for the last 10 years, only missing the playoffs in 2010 and 2015. Making back to back Eastern Conference Finals appearances in 2013 & 2014 headline the 2010’s but were unable to overcome LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Let’s not forget about Lance Stephenson either.
5. New Orleans, Louisiana (NFL, NBA)
The New Orleans Saints beat the aforementioned Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV netting the city’s first professional sports title. The Saints also appeared in the postseason five more times in addition to 2010 but suffered heart-breaking losses in 2018 to the Minnesota Vikings and in 2019 to the Los Angeles Rams. Both years it was not out of the realm of possibility for another Saints Super Bowl victory. On the other hand, there is the New Orleans Pelicans. This team is notorious for wasting talented players, namely Chris Paul and Anthony Davis. Just three playoff appearances and no division titles, it was not a pretty decade for the Pelicans. They did however pick up a series sweep against Portland in the 2018 playoffs.
4. Seattle, Washington (NFL, MLB)
I can already hear my friends from the greater Seattle metro area tearing me apart for putting the Emerald City this low. The Seahawks have been absolutely phenomenal this decade. A Super Bowl win, another appearance and six total playoff appearances. Four NFC West titles to boot as well. It’s definitely not the Seahawks that is holding Seattle back. It’s the team that plays right across the street. The Seattle Mariners are one of just four MLB teams to not make the postseason in the last 10 seasons (Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres). To rub salt in the wound, they are now the only MLB franchise to never play in a World Series. I think most Seattle fans are content with a perennial contender in the Seahawks though.
3 Baltimore, Maryland (NFL, MLB)
It really is hard to believe that the Orioles used to be a very good baseball team with how horrendous they have been the last two seasons. The O’s made the playoffs in 2012, 2014 and 2016, with the 2014 season being a division title. They did have a Wild Card win in 2012 and an ALDS series win in 2014. The real powerhouse in Baltimore is the Ravens who have three division titles and Super Bowl XLVII under their belt. They add another three playoff appearances in wild card games. An 8-5 postseason record is definitely a sign of a strong decade and the way they have played this season, the 2020’s could be friendly to them as well.
2 Kansas City, Missouri (NFL, MLB)
The Kansas City Royals may have been the worst MLB team from 2000-2009. They had ONE winning season over that span, but the pain and suffering finally came to an end in the 2010’s. The Royals started out the 2014 postseason 8-0 enroute to a World Series appearance before losing to the San Francisco Giants in 7. They came back in 2015 and captured their second World Series title, beating the New York Mets in 5. They have largely gone dormant the last few years again but that’s the price of winning a ring in a smaller market. In the exact same parking lot lies Arrowhead Stadium and home to the Kansas City Chiefs. Amassing five division titles and two more wild card appearances, the Chiefs were regularly featured in the NFL playoffs even though they did not reach the AFC Championship until this past season. Just like the Ravens, the Chiefs will likely be a contender for a long time.
1 ST LOUIS, MISSOURI (NFL, MLB)
*I AM NOT COUNTING THE RAMS*
It is strange how the top two markets lie in the same state of Missouri. St. Louis is the only city on this list to have both teams claim a championship this decade. The Cardinals are one of the most respected MLB organizations and have consistently developed their own players. It has paid dividends for them in the form of a 2011 World Series Championship, a 2013 NL Pennant, and five division titles. The Cardinals have their name written all over postseasons for most of the decade. Finally, in 2019 the Blues raised the cup for the first time in franchise history. The Blues netted six playoff appearances since 2009-2010 before their seventh resulted in the Cup. That journey was nothing short of phenomenal, being in last place as late as January when the playoffs start in April. They missed the playoffs the first two years but have made it six of the last seven and have two division titles in 2012 and 2015. PLAY GLORIA!
The 2013 baseball season in Boston was led by one mantra, “Boston Strong”. That April, two terrorists carried out a deadly attack during the Boston Marathon. They set off bombs, killing and wounding many innocent Americans.
Because the attacks happened at the beginning of the baseball season, the team took it upon themselves to take on the city’s sorrows and be a source of healing. In the first home game after the bombing, World Series MVP, David Ortiz, took the mic and spoke the now famous phrase “This is our f****** city”. His speech was the beginning point of healing for a city that was knocked down hard, but would come back stronger than ever that October.
When I think about the 2013 World Series and the 2013 playoffs in general, I think about a charismatic team that really gelled together and loved each other.
The pitching staff was led by Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Ryan Dempster and Jake Peavy. All five are true veterans and simply knew how to get outs. None of these guys, Lester excluded, were really in the prime of their careers, but all of them battled just like the rest of Boston did. Lackey’s performance in game six in particular stands out to me. He went 6 2/3, and gave up one run while scattering nine hits.
I also think about guys like David Ross, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jonny Gomes, Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Daniel Nava, and Stephen Drew. All didn’t have long tenures in Boston, all were relatively low level free agent signings and mostly on the tail end of their careers. However, all of them found ways to come up clutch and make huge impacts during the 2013 season. Gomes in particular really had no business starting in left field for a MLB team in the World Series. He’s average at best in every metric except for the most important one, heart. Gomes and Napoli led the way with growing beards throughout the season. The beards became a rallying point for everyone associated with the Red Sox. Besides Big Papi, I’m not sure if there was anyone more clutch than Shane Victorino. In game six, Victorino hit the bases clearing three run triple to start the scoring, and he also had another hit to extend the lead. I think the most excited I’ve ever been watching a baseball game was his grand slam in the ALCS that year.
I’d be remiss to not mention the contributions of David Ortiz and Koji Uehara as well. Ortiz hit an absurd .688 in the World Series after having an abysmal ALCS in which he hit .091.
Koji led the way in the bullpen, carving people up with his patented arm side run 81 MPH splitter. He was untouchable. His last pitch in game six to Matt Carpenter will forever be etched in my mind.
In short, all World Series wins are special and mean a lot to the city and the fan base that wins it. But this one just meant more. Boston had been through so much in 2013. This Red Sox team took on all the sorrows of the city and did a damn good job erasing them with winning baseball. Stories like this one is what makes sports so special and I am thankful to have been alive for it.
5. Chicago Cubs win World Series after 108 year drought
Photo by MLB
My Cubs roots run deep. From the moment I was born, I was immersed in the culture and fandom of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. I grew up imitating the Moisės Alou’s cockeyed stance, shaking my head to Carlos Zambrano’s temper tantrums, and living for Sammy Sosa’s homerun leaps. I still remember the gut wrenching 2003 NLCS series. Having a World Series seem like a sure thing with a Cubs game six 3-0 lead in the late innings, only to watch it slip through our fingers with the Florida Marlins eight run eighth inning. And then the absolute devastation of a game seven loss at home. I remember going to sleep in my parent’s bed that night in my Sammy Sosa jersey, crying myself to sleep with my mom. Being a Cubs fan was full of heartbreaks; that was until the 2016 World Series game 7.
I watched game 7 as a sophomore at the College of Wooster, a small college just north of Columbus. Because of the location, I watched that game in a room full of Cleveland Indians fans wanting nothing more than for the Cubs to break my heart once again. But an extra inning Ben Zobrist double and a final out from Kris Bryant to Anthony Rizzo brought me one of the best moments of my life. The room of Indians fans quickly cleared out and there I sat, long after the game was over, wrapped in my W flag, soaking in every moment of the celebration. I took that time to call all my family and friends who had faithfully stood by this team through all the tough times. I remember specifically calling my Grandpa, an 80 year old man who had dedicated his life to the Cubs franchise. He even bought a house in Arizona where he had owned season tickets to Cubs spring training for the past 25 years. He was in tears when I called him, and I couldn’t help from tearing up myself with overwhelming joy. Our lovable losers and finally become champions, a moment that will live on forever.
7. Dee Gordon’s home run against the New York Mets in 2016, one day after the death of teammate Jose Fernandez.
On September 25, 2016, Jose Fernandez, an MLB All-Star and one of the games most well-liked players, passed away due to a boating accident. Players and fans alike around the league were devastated. Fernandez was only 24 years old but had established himself as one of the premier pitchers in the league.
On Monday September 26, 2016, the Miami Marlins played their first game since Fernandez’s passing against the New York Mets. Dee Gordon, the 2B of the Marlins and one of Fernandez’s closest friends, was the leadoff hitter that day. Gordon, typically a left-handed hitter, stepped into the right-handed batters box wearing Fernandez’s helmet. After seeing the first pitch from Mets’ pitcher Bartolo Colon, Gordon proceeded to switch to the left-hand side of the plate. On a 2-0 fastball from Colon, Gordon promptly smacked a homerun to the right-field bleachers and began to weep uncontrollably as he rounded the bases. As he crossed home plate, he pointed to the sky in remembrance of his good friend. It was a moment that will be forever be remembered by baseball fans around the world.
Video by MLB
In the postgame interview, Gordon told a reporter “I don’t have kids, so hitting a homerun for Jose Fernandez is the best moment of my life.” It is in these moments where sports can truly bring everyone together. Dee Gordon’s homerun is one, as a baseball fan, I will never forget.
The 2016 season brought Chicago Cubs fans their biggest triumph in franchise history. After 108 years, the Cubs finally broke through and won a World Series in dramatic fasion, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series. But since this historic night, the Cubs have slowly reverted back to those lovable losers we all hoped were a thing of the past. In 2017, the Cubs were overmatched in a NLCS series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The series was far from competitive as it lasted only five games and saw the Cubs get outscored 28-8. In 2018, the Cubs managed to lose a five game division lead in the month of September, forcing a game 163 against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs lost game 163 as well as the wild card play-in game for an early postseason exit. In 2019, the Cubs were competitive in the division all year long until that dreaded month of September rolled around again. The Cubs went 11-16 in September including a nine game losing streak, all at the hands of division opponents (Baseball Reference). When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, fans were expecting a dynasty with the great core of young talent and the answer to our prayers in Coach Joe Maddon. However, with the progressive drop off since 2016, it may be time to start reevaluating the team and making changes to right the ship for the future.
The 2019 offseason got off to a hot start for Chicago as Joe Maddon was let go and quickly replaced by rookie manager David Ross. Ross was a pivotal part of the Cubs 2016 World Series as a player. His most significant contribution came in game 7 when he smoked a fastball from Andrew Miller over the centerfield wall. But David Ross will now be watching games from the dugout as he transitions into the coaching world. With the coaching staff for 2020 figured out, the Cubs now turn their offseason attention to the roster. The Cubs came into the offseason in need of middle infield and bullpen depth as well as another arm or two in the rotation; however, the offseason has been eerily quiet for the Cubs. This offseason has featured big names coming off the board early with Strausburg, Rendon, and Cole all signing big contracts. Yet the Cubs have not made any sort of competitive move. So how should the quiet offseason thus far be interpreted? I beleive that the Cubs have no intentions of spending big this offseason, but are instead packing it in with what they already have and preparing for the 2020 season. Not to say that they won’t sign a couple lower tier free agents, but fans should not expect big things from the Cubs this offseason, and here is why:
The Chicago Cubs are already among the biggest spenders in the major leagues with a 2019 payroll that was second only behind the Boston Redsox. A majority of their payroll remains in tact going into 2020. They have committed salaries at just over $137 million, estimated arbitration player salaries at $48 million, and pre-arbitration salaries at $5 million. Add in some extra expenses and around $15 million in player benefits and the Cubs are estimated to have a payroll of around $220 million, already over the 208 million luxury tax for 2020 (Andraki). This leaves little room to operate in free agency as the team has already elected to let Cole Hamels walk (signed with the Braves) and have been hesitant in signing back Nick Castellanos to the team. With the payroll already over the luxury tax, I believe the Cubs are setting their sights on the 2020 free agency. By this time, they will have unloaded the overpaid contracts of Jon Lester, $20 million, Tyler Chatwood, $13 million, and Craig Kimbrel, $16 million. So if the Cubs are staying quiet this offseason, what are the goals and expectations of 2020?
Get David Ross comfortable: The 2020 season will be big for the Cubs, not competing for a World Series, but determining where the future of the franchise goes. It will allow first year coach David Ross to get his feet wet managing a team for the first time without large expectations weighing him down. Being a coach at any level is a transition, but this is magnified at the major league level. It’s not just about coaching in the big leagues; it’s about being able to establish a coaching style, creating a comradery amoungst the players, dealing with injuries and players rest, and protecting the arms of your pitching staff. There is so much more that goes into managing a major league baseball team outside of actually coaching the games and practices. 2020 will be a big year for David Ross to learn the ropes and get comfortable in his new role.
Trade or Pay?: The time is soon apporoaching where the young core of the Chicago Cubs is going to get PAID. There isn’t going to be room in the budget to pay everyone the bigger contracts they deserve, so 2020 allows the Cubs time to trade a couple of these players instead of letting the walk in free agency. The guys at the top of this list are Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber. Kris Bryant’s young career has already come with many accolades including a Rookie of the year and MVP award in consecutive years. But since his MVP season in 2016, he’s had some difficulties staying healthy, leading to some drops in power numbers and RBIs. Not to mention, Bryant filed a grievence against the Cubs claiming there was some manipulation in how they handled the beginning of his MLB career. Add in all these factors, and it might be time to part ways with the slugger, if the right packages is obtained in return. Schwarber is coming off his best full season in the bigs and seems destined to play in the American League. Coming up through the organization as a catcher/outfielder, Schwarber has found his home in Left Field for the Cubs. His lack of experience and ahtleticism have led to below average outfield play from Schwarber. Ideally, he is a player that should be penciled in at the DH spot each game. For the right package, Schwarber could be another canidate for the Cubs to trade rather than pay in the next year.
Young Guns: The Cubs featured some players towards the end of last year that had success for the first time in the MLB. These include guys like Alec Mills, Nico Hoerner, and Robel Garcia. Mills made some spot starts for the Cubs late in the season because of an injury to Cole Hamels as well as coming out of the pen and was a bright spot for the Cubs at the end of the year. In four starts and 36 innings pitched, Mills accummulated a 2.75 ERA and had a 10.5 K/9. With the exit of Hamels, Mills could fight for a rotation spot this year, but is also auditioning to be a part of the franchise in the future. Nico Hoerner filled in for the injured Javier Baez last year and shocked everyone with the success he had. In his first big league action, Hoerner hit .282 with 22 hits and 17 RBIs in just 20 games played. With the exit of Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell, infield depth will be a necessity. Hoerner looks to cement his spot on the major league roster with a solid 2020 season. Garcia is another canidate to take on some innings in the infield. With the absence of Zobrist and disaster season of Daniel Descalso, Garcia was thrust into the lineup in the middle of the year. Garcia was up and down throughout the middle of the season showing off some power with a .500 slugging percentage (ESPN). Garcia will have more opportunities in the 2020 season to try and become a more consistent part of the lineup.
Unfortunatley, the frustrations that the Cubs fans have had over the last few years look like they will continue in 2019. The bigger contracts that helped the Cubs win a 2016 World Series are now taking their toll as the Cubs have been unable to be aggressive in free agency. But remain positive Cubs fans. This will be a year for our rookies to step up and get experience, our young stars to emerge, and our first year head coach to gain important experience for future postseason runs. It will be a bump in the road that will allow our franchise to be even more successful in the future. Forever, Go Cubs Go!
The Texas Rangers have traded outfielder Nomar Mazara to the Chicago White Sox for outfield prospect Steele Walker per multiple sources. This news broke shortly after the Gerrit Cole signing, so it will likely go unsung by most of the baseball world outside of the two involved fan bases.
Sources: Rangers have agreed to deal Nomar Mazara to Chicago White Sox. I have a feeling this may get overshadowed in light of Gerrit Cole news.
Mazara debuted for the Rangers in 2016 and showed great promise, slashing .266/.320/.419 and hitting 20 HR while finishing 5th in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, the left-handed 24 year-old has maintained that slightly below average performance, posting a .268/.318/.469 campaign in 2019. He has failed to piece together a single season of at least 1.0 bWAR. For context, Joey Gallo had a bWAR of 3.0 in just 70 games in 2019. Mazara has simply failed to develop on the talent that he clearly possesses and put on display against his new team in June of this year when he unloaded on a 505-foot HR that may have still been on its way up when it hit the seats.
On the return, the Rangers get OF prospect Steele Walker who was the #6 ranked prospect in the White Sox’ system and finished 2019 in high-A ball. Walker is 23, but played 3 years in college at Oklahoma where he actually played in the same outfield as Arizona Cardinals quarterback and Oakland A’s first round draft pick Kyler Murray. He put up better numbers at OU than Murray, who declined a $4.9M signing bonus and chose to play football.
The move makes sense for both teams as the Rangers can clear a log-jam in their outfield that included budding star Joey Gallo, Delino DeShields, Willie Calhoun, and occasional appearances from utility man Danny Santana and Shin-Soo Choo. The White Sox, meanwhile, can take a chance on a low-risk, high-upside player in Mazara, who still has two years of control left before becoming eligible for free agency after the 2021 season.
We already saw a monster home run from Nomar Mazara, so enjoy this video of Steele Walker with an all-time pimp job from his high school days in Prosper, TX:
Grad School Sports™ 