The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

Meanwhile, Gunnar Henderson is fast becoming a monster. 446-foot home run today, his third of the year longer than 435.

 

But … but … what about Anthony Volpe? Or someone on the Sox? There’s gotta be someone.

 

Actually, I missed this one while out at the pool. Holy crap.

 

I know it could have never happened, because when they originated in 1961 they played at Wrigley Field, but how cool would it have been for the 1961 AL expansion team to be named the Hollywood Stars instead of the Los Angeles Angels?

 

The Lords of Baseball circa 1961 didn't think in terms of cool. They didn't even allow bat-flipping.

 

The Hollywood Stars played at Gilmore Field, now home of the CBS studios and the farmers market.

 

Hell of a win for Baltimore, taking a tight opener in Philly without the back end of the bullpen. Sets them up nicely for the rest of the series.

To hear the Phillies fans, the best thing that happened tonight was Turner getting ejected in the sixth inning for going nuts over a called third strike. He is really scuffling ... two bad Es tonight.

 

McCann's sweep tag on Harper at home plate was incredible, and game saving.

 

Added bonus: I just LOVE that the Mets are still paying James McCann $11M this year.

 

I'm reading a book about Shirley Povich, the longtime Washington Post baseball writer. It contains a 1927 column on "Walter Johnson Day" at Griffith Stadium in which Povich constantly refers to Johnson's "speedball," specifically noting that Johnson can no longer throw his speedball past anyone anymore.

I doubt Bruce Springsteen's father read Shirley Povich. But mayhaps he was from an era when people called a fastball a speedball and he called it that in front of his child. Who knows.

Anyway, if one of the greatest baseball writers in US history can call it a speedball, I'm more apt to give Bruce the benefit of the doubt.

 

Fred McGriff on MLB Network literally just thanked Tom Emansky for helping to fix his swing, without irony or joking. I love it. Excellent speeches today.


EDIT: I should note, McGriff didn't thank Emansky during the speech, just during an on-air interview afterward.

 

A portion of Kansas City Chairman and CEO John Sherman's statement today:

Many of you have expressed that you would like to hear more information on our new ballpark district vision. In the next 30 days, we plan to share an overview of the ballpark district, including the broad benefits of the two sites under consideration -- one in Jackson County and one in Clay County.
We are putting both sites through an equally rigorous process. We look forward to unveiling detailed renderings and many other components that will help us compare the broad benefits of both sites.