By Tim Clark / July 14, 2024 / Baseball, Column, Tim's Two Cents
Two

The Major League Baseball all star break allows teams and fans alike to relax, review the first half of the season, and hit the reset button to charge into the final 10 weeks of the season. Or in the case of White Sox fans, to sober up, try and figure out what happened to their major league team, and restock the liquor cabinet.

Relaxing will be easy since the all star game has become useless. And please, for the love of God, let the players wear their team jerseys like the good old days. And those hats are horrific.I will admit that I am going to watch Paul Skenes pitch, but then I am going back to relaxing with no baseball. Four days without meaningful baseball. Well, that’s not entirely true. Trade talk will keep me dialed in, but otherwise just chill until Friday.~

Okay, so let’s review.

Before I review the actual teams and standings and performances, let me review things I realize I like and dislike about baseball.

I mentioned on my Musings podcast how much I like the dugout cam. It is super interesting to watch the players interact with one another. It isn’t so much for home run celebrations, but the baseball conversations that clearly go on. It is also cool to see who sits with who. I think dugout cam gives fans a really neat look at team dynamics.

I also love the K Zone box on my television screen. Sometimes I think we are overly harsh on modern day umpires, but the box gives a great look at just how many times the umpires are missing calls by rather large margins. The ineptitude of umpires is probably leading us to some type of computerized strike zones or robo home plate umpires. I will hate that, but the strike zone has become far too inconsistent.

I continue to love the pitch clock. I play a lot of golf solo. One of the best benefits is I get done in 2-3 hours. I love golf but not 5-6 hours of it. Same with baseball. I love baseball but not 4 hour games. The pitch clock has certainly got the game on a much better pace. 2 1/2-3 hour games are far more appealing.

Okay, so what do I hate about baseball?

I hate two rules.

First is the fact that pitchers are limited to only two throws to first to hold runners on is unfair. I know they wanted to increase stolen bases, but this ain’t it. How about base runners get better at running the bases instead of handcuffing the pitcher.

The other rule that I hate even more is the extra inning rule where each team starts with a runner on second. It was intended to speed extra inning games up and prevent 15, 16, 17 inning games. Most of the time both teams either score or don’t score together. Regardless, it is a contrived rule that changes how the game is played. Honestly, both rules I despise change the way baseball was intended to be played.

Next, I absolutely deplore these pitch com thingamajigs. Catchers have given pitchers signs for over 100 years. Teams found ways to make sure other teams couldn’t steal their signs. It wasn’t difficult. Certainly it could be done within the timeframe of the pitch clock. Of course, baseball came up with a new piece of technology that would make it quicker and easier for pitchers to “get the sign”. The problem is that nearly every game —literally— pitch com breaks down and the game is stopped until someone runs a new device out to the pitcher or catcher. If it ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it.

I continue to hate replay. Teams get a challenge and if they lose they are out for the remainder of the game. Unless they ask the umpires really nicely. Plays that should be reviewed aren’t, while plays that shouldn’t be replayed are. Finally, despite having 400 angles of every play, the call still gets missed. It is a waste of time.

Enough complaining, let me give you a two cent review of the season to date.

American League

This review starts with the Cleveland Guardians, the team that got the first pick in the draft Sunday night.

Cleveland is a fantastic story, having the best record in the American League while having the fourth lowest payroll. Jose Ramirez is top 5 in the MVP race, Josh Naylor is becoming a basher, and Steven Kwan may be the best hitter nobody has heard of. Starting pitching could eventually be a roadblock for this very small market team.

The Twins and Royals will battle for a playoff spot out of the Central Division. The Twins continue to do more with less. Kansas City is probably a year away. Cole Ragans is a future Cy Young winner and Bobby Witt is a future MVP. Even though I picked the Royals to win the division, I look for them to fade after the all star break.

We have a heated rivalry brewing in the American League East. Baltimore and New York have been battling all season for the top spot, and emotions spilled over after yet another Orioles batter got plunked by a Yankees pitcher.

 

 


Baseball is always better when we have these types of rivalries. Baltimore has a better overall roster right now. The young guns for the O’s are going to win a lot of games over the next half decade. The offense has hit 147 home runs so far. Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez are a dominant 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Craig Kimbrel even seems to be leveling out as the O’s closer.

The Yankees are riding the bat of Aaron Judge. With 34 home runs, Judge is the front runner for the MVP award. The rest of his team is dysfunctional to put it mildly. Here is how they lost to Baltimore on Sunday.

 

 

The Yankees usual rival, the Boston Red Sox, just keep coming. They would be the last wildcard team right now. Tanner Houdini and Kutter Crawford have been excellent at the top,of the rotation and Rafael Devers is a star.

Tampa is trying to stay in it, but at .500 right now I can’t see the Rays getting much closer.

Out West, my World Series pick from the American League is trying to hold off the hard charging Astros. Seattle has been solid, if not spectacular. Pitching is carrying the Mariners, with four pitchers under 4 ERA. If Julio Rodriguez can find his all star form, the Mariners may be able to hang on.

The Astros were my most disappointing team in baseball as recently as a month ago. Then they fairly caught fire. The offense is loaded, and the pitching staff isn’t chopped liver. Plus, Justin Verlander will be back some time after the break. This is a very dangerous team.

Detroit is getting closer. Toronto is getting further away. Texas is trying to get in the mix but are too far out and will most likely be sellers with the Blue Jays, Angels, A’s, and White Sox.

The White Sox are challenging the ‘62 Mets for most losses in a 162 game season. The ‘62 Mets loss 120 games. Chicago is on pace for 117 or 118 losses. After getting to see them for three games this weekend against the Pirates, I can attest they are the worst team I have seen in a long, long time. 120 losses is not out of the question.

My Picks Reset

Playoff seeds:

  1. Orioles
  2. Guardians
  3. Astros
  4. Yankees
  5. Twins
  6. Mariners

AL Championship: Orioles over Astros

MVP: Aaron Judge over Gunnar Henderson

Cy Young: Tarik Skubal over Corbin Burnes

National League

Have you caught it?

Phillies Fever, that is.

The best team in baseball all season resides in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Bryce Harper is having a fantastic season, but I would argue Alec Bohm has been the Phillies best hitter. Bohm only has 11 home runs, but he has 33 doubles and 70 RBI. The Phillies may look to add a center fielder with a bigger bat at the trade deadline.

If you are looking for even the smallest chink in the Phillies armor it would be that they can’t seem to keep fifth starters healthy. The bullpen is led by the two headed closer monster that is Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman, proof that you can win without a solo closer.

The Phillies are connected and show no sign of letting up. They will clinch the division early and will have to stay interested until the playoffs roll around. Sometimes clinching early isn’t a good thing.

The Braves were my World Series choice, but then injuries and a slow start by some of their best hitters put the Braves in wildcard mode early. This is a team I would try and get this year because Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna will be back next year, and I would bet on the Braves adding some pitching for next season.

The Mets are in wildcard contention. They have some good bats in that lineup, specifically Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and Pete Alonso. Will they have enough pitching?

Moving to the Central Division we find my biggest National League surprise, the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brew Crew just finds ways to win. Their pitching certainly doesn’t knock your socks off. The offense is solid, led by the reemergence of Christian Yelich, but not spectacular. The bullpen is okay. I think it would be fair to expect a slide back to the pack at some point this season.

The Cardinals have risen to second place and are in the second wildcard position. Everything I just said about the Brewers goes double for the Cardinals. The Cards could expect better second halves from Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. The Cards have a -38 run differential, and I think that explains my doubt in this team.

The Pirates have reached .500, but they can’t play the White Sox all year. I advocated the Pirates being sellers again this year, but then they went 5-1. The schedule is tough coming out of the break, which will tell Pirates management whether this team should be taken seriously.

The Dodgers are going to win the West.

They are susceptible right now with all of their injuries, but nobody is going to catch them. Shohei Ohtani, barring injury, will be the MVP and Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith are all stars. The problem is that the Dodgers don’t have much after that. The pitching is only adequate without injured Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Glasnow is in the Cy Young conversation. Again, they will win the West but better get healthy before the playoffs.

The Diamondbacks are currently on a mini heater, winning 4 of 5. Arizona has a very solid offense, but the pitching leaves something to be desired. They are above .500 for the first time this year.

The Padres have also creeped above .500. The offense is not being led by Manny Machado or Fernando Tatis, but rather Jurickson Profar. The pitching has been pretty solid in San Diego.

The Giants, Reds, and Cubs are fading out of the race. The Nats, Marlins, and Rockies are already looking ahead to next season.

My Picks Reset

Playoff seeds:

  1. Phillies
  2. Dodgers
  3. Brewers
  4. Braves
  5. Diamondbacks
  6. Padres

NL Championship: Phillies over Dodgers

MVP: Ohtani over Harper

Cy Young: Chris Sale over Paul Skenes

World Series: Phillies over Orioles

The all star break is a great time for all involved to relax and take a four day break from meaningful baseball. It is a great time to review what has happened between the white lines so far this season. Finally, it allows everyone a chance to reset.

It turns out my original picks weren’t that horrible, but a reset seemed wise. My pick of the Pirates winning 85 games is still in play.

I’ve got relaxing down to a science. I have done my season review, including my likes and dislikes. I have reset my picks.

That’s it. That’s all. On with the second half. Drink responsibly White Sox fan.

Two Cent Takes

~This is such a fantastic explanation from Elly De La Cruz.

 

 

I have said for years that I think players from non-English speaking countries should learn the language. Cruz explains it perfectly. It takes an already endearing player to a whole new level.

~The MLB draft is still the most difficult when it comes to predictability. Baseball is the most difficult sport to grow in. It has specialized skills, and it isn’t just about speed and strength. Here is Connor Griffin getting word he is the Pirates first round selection.

 

 

Griffin was the first high school player selected with pick 9. High school players are really hard to predict, but the experts seem to think Griffin has the highest ceiling in this year’s draft.

~I’m in.

 

 

~Thank you to Paul Skenes for backing up my Final Thought from last week’s column. 7 no-hit innings and then named starter for the all star game. Just the beginning for this guy.


Golf

~The last major happens this week at Royal Toronto in Scotland. The Open Championship is always interesting since we don’t see much links golf here in America. Surprise, surprise, Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at 5-1, followed by Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, and Xander Schauffele.

Can DeChambeau overpower a links course? There is different kinds of trouble for DeChambeau on am links, course. Is there a dark horse to watch out for? Will Tiger finally make another cut?

I abhor betting against Scheffler because he is so steady. Ut I am going with the sentimental favorite, Rory McIlroy. It would be fitting for him to silence the critics after his meltdown at the U.S. Open. I don’t know what to think of DeChambeau’s chances. Could he hit some shots too far? I think he will finish top 5. A long shot at, 80-1 is Max Homa. I throw his name out because he is due to play well. Tiger will make the cut. A links course should fit his current game a bit better, and the greens won’t be like lightning.

The Weekly Shiny Penny

My column is Tim’s TWO Cents, so you are getting two shiny Pennie’s this week. They both come from the same event, the ESPY’s.

First, a great message from Nick Saban. Saban has given us a lot of great messages over the years.

 

 

The second shiny penny is a heart wrenching, yet powerful message from Steve Gleason. Gleason has also delivered more than his share of powerful words over the years.

 

 

A Penny For My Final Thought…

I give credit to MLB for putting on the home run derby the night before the actual all star game. The NHL has the skills contest, the NBA has the dunk and three point contests, and the NFL has a skills event.

The home run derby is the best choice for baseball. Remember, chicks dig the long ball and so do kids.

Unfortunately, much like the other sports, this contest is worn out.

This year we had them added benefit of listening to this dumpster fire of a national anthem.

 

 

My rule is if I can sing it better than you, give up singing.

Then we were treated to three damn hours of Karl Ravech, Todd Frazier, and Eduardo Perez.

I want to like Ravech, who started his career right here in Central PA. But I can’t. I just can’t. I mean, he is okay in limited spurts, but not for three damn hours.

Frazier was just there. I may not sure, other than being a former derby winner, what his purpose was last night. Because I don’t watch Sunday night baseball, or as I like to call it Yankees and Red Sox, I have no idea if Frazier is part of the regular coverage. Don’t bother telling me because I just don’t care.

Perez is just flat out annoying. He is that guy that thinks he is smart, thinks he is clever, and thinks he is funny. I am pretty sure he is none of the above. An hour and a half into the derby, Ravech had to explain the rules to him. He has been covering this event for years. How does he not know the rules?

And then there is Buster Olney, who aged about 20 years in the last three and is not suited to be a sideline reporter.

As for the event itself. Boring.

Did I mention that it took three hours?

In addition, they are digging too deep to find contestants. There was no Shohei. There was no Judge. There was no Harper. The big, big stars aren’t interested in stressing over the event.

They were lucky to get young stars like Bobby Witt, Alec Bohm, and Gunnar Henderson.

Henderson was a good get, if for no other reason than this.

 

 

That was Eduardo Perez’s only good moment of the night.

Again, I don’t fault MLB for putting on this event. They sell out the stadium and lots of people watch on TV. I watched so I could write my thoughts, of course, not because my nights are super boring.

The home run derby will continue, and I don’t blame MLB. That doesn’t mean the event isn’t played out. What harm would there be in just playing the actual all star game? Oh, and go back to when they played it like a real game.

Just my two cents…