Tag: Baseball

  • Zack Wheeler Faces Reality Check

    Zack Wheeler Faces Reality Check

    Last night, the Philadelphia Phillies snapped a nine game winning streak due to Zack Wheeler’s poor performance on the mound in Seattle. The Seattle Mariners gained huge contributions out of Cole Young and Cal Raleigh but it was ultimately Wheeler who struggled.

    Wheeler became the first pitcher in Phillies history to allow 4 home runs and 5 walks in a single outing. Wheeler said he is fully healthy but seems to be talking things out and working through the ebbs and flows.

    Wheeler is not the pitcher he once was, facing a reality check. His ERA is 8.50 in recent outings and many wonder if he will make or break the postseason.

    Wheeler has not done a bad job considering his arm surgery construed in August of last year. Philly fans just need to see more of Wheeler.

    The Phillies are currently 3.5 games back of the NL East division lead. Wheeler has the lowest MLB career playoff W.H.I.P. (0.73) in at least 50 innings pitched.

  • Philadelphia Phillies Win 9th Consecutive Game

    Philadelphia Phillies Win 9th Consecutive Game

  • Seattle Mariners Promote Kade Anderson to the Majors

    Seattle Mariners Promote Kade Anderson to the Majors

    Kade Anderson is not the type of pitcher to mess around and so are not the Seattle Mariners. After placing in first of the AL West division, the Mariners slowly trotted back.

    They currently are several games back from the AL Wild Card and need a savior. That credible man is none other than pitcher Cade Anderson from LSU.

    Now, do not forget. Anderson came from the same university as Paul Skenes and won a national championship. Anderson has been able to handle the pressures of the minor leagues as he posted a 1.06 ERA throughout AA. The lowest the Texas League has seen.

    His whiff rate (50%) stands out the most in a fascinating changeup that predicts to be one of the best in due time. Due time, however, will wait on the recovery of the Mariners going forward.

    With more than 30 games to go, it will be tough to pull off a miraculous comeback as the Mariners run differential has dropped to -46. Anderson was rated the No.1 pitching prospect and should not have a rough time adjusting.

  • The First and Last Time Andrew Friedman Was Denied as Part of The Tampa Bay Rays

    The First and Last Time Andrew Friedman Was Denied as Part of The Tampa Bay Rays

    Andrew Friedman has been a long-standing executive for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays since 2004. He was voted MLB Executive of the Year in 2020 and became Sporting News Executive of the Year during 2008.

    Friedman has been a man of his word.

    He won and took the Dodgers to the World Series three times even when considering the COVID era. He has gotten the best out of baseball players such as Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, and Evan Longoria.

    While everything appears to bloom for the Dodgers except for Jacob Misiorowski facing Shohei Ohtani at the plate, there is one churlish result that incentivizes Friedman.

    The 2008 MLB World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies when Brad Lidge struck out Longoria on a hanger. That is a stark reminder that Friedman was denied of his hopes in bringing a championship to the Rays. The Rays eventually made it back to the same World Series as the 2020 Dodgers but lost.

    Friedman has been shuffled in fame, achievement, and misdeed that he needs to deliver the Dodgers a third straight World Series.

    The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies did what not many other teams could do which is outwit Friedman. They were led by smart, experienced management, Charlie Manuel, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and so on.

    What is different about this year’s Phillies to the 2026 Dodgers is that Friedman has MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani still in the wings, coming off two World Series, and they are getting the most out of their pitching staff from the likes of Tarik Skubal, Roki Sasaki, and Tyler Glasnow.

    The only thing that has haunted the Dodgers and Anaheim Angels for many years is Ohtani’s status on the mound. It is difficult to pull off two positions.

    During Ohtani’s time on the mound, he averages 10 strikeouts per nine innings and goes to show as a testament for his hard work. Last year, it was one measly trade for Miguel Rojas from the Miami Marlins to pull off the World Series dagger. This time, can it be three?

    The other times Friedman lost as part of the Dodgers in the World Series was 2017 and 2018 to the sign stealing Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.

  • Are the New York Yankees a Viable Playoff Contender?

    Are the New York Yankees a Viable Playoff Contender?

    The New York Yankees sit six games back from the Tampa Bay Rays for the first place spot in the AL East and Aaron Judge is starting to throw again from rehab assignment. Are the New York Yankees a viable playoff contender?

    When motion picture was not as descriptive back in the day with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig rounding the bases, the recorder would press pause and play. Same applies for Judge.

    He just had a knack for finding the right pitch in the zone and there it is. Cya! Good night folks!

    The main problem with Judge has been his throwing arm going back to 2025 when he won the MVP award. The main question will be how he and his other teammates can round into postseason form right before it.

    The easy answer. The Yankees offense has been poor since June.

    But Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole and Max Fried have rallied a storm expected to marvel the universe. The emergence of Luis Garcia Jr. and George Lombard has been signs for praise but this team on paper looks a lot better healthier than it does rusty.

    I have the Yankees finishing in the ALCS like they tend to typically do and make a signs of an effort to meet for next year’s postseason. If there is one..

  • The Rally Monkey

    The Rally Monkey

    The Rally Monkey was the unofficial mascot of the Anaheim Angels. Created in 2000, the Angels scoreboard use to present the Rally Monkey to the home crowd and get a kick out of watching Anaheim baseball.

    Following a couple years, the Angels would win the 2002 MLB World Series not thanks to the Rally Monkey but the hopes it had. That hope does not have to go away.

    Reintroduce the Rally Monkey and rally up the troops as Anaheim has found poor success since exiting the interesting concept of a Rally Monkey.

    From Mike Scioscia to Ron Washington to Kurt Suzuki, the franchise has had to ditch each manager and move onto the next. The Tyler Skaggs situation was far off in less spirit of him.

    Anaheim Angels owner Arte Moreno has faced critical issues. Mike Trout does not win enough games for a playoff shot.

    Why not bring some spirit back. Let the scoreboard reintroduce the Rally Monkey because what else does Anaheim have to lose besides Perry Minasian and Jo Adell.

  • The Appreciation for Tommy John

    The Appreciation for Tommy John

    Tommy John is passing along to those close to him that he is feeling tremendously ill these days and that he wanted to post a letter to the New York Yankees data thanking those that contributed to his career including Dr. Frank Jobe that extended his career through the way.

    Tommy John became known famous after the success of Tommy John surgery in 1974. He played 26 seasons as a standout pitcher for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Guardians, and West Sacramento Athletics.

    Long-time Yankee Bucky Dent has spent considerable time with Tommy John lately and paid his heart to the former Yank.

    He pitched a long time, and had a surgery named after him,” Dent said. “He’s a guy that went out there and did the job. … My heart goes out to him.”

    One of the more touching nuances in John’s letter was when he posted about his father.

    “‘The day I left for my first job as a pitcher,” John wrote in his letter, “my father looked at me and said, ‘Good luck, Tommy. Just remember one thing: whether you make it in the big leagues or you don’t, you’ll always just be Tommy John from Terre Haute, Indiana.

  • The Sports Kingdom Podcast #6

    The Sports Kingdom Podcast #6

  • Welcome Tarik Skubal to the $25M Club

    Welcome Tarik Skubal to the $25M Club

    Millionaires are growing on trees in Los Angeles.

    Last night, Tarik Skubal was welcomed with open arms by the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse. Finally, the wait had been over and Skubal became an official Dodger.

    Skubal is a former Cy Young winner but does not have familiar ties with a team like L.A. L.A. has been to the World Series twice in the past two seasons and does not plan on slowing down. Shohei Ohtani was a factor in acquiring Skukal.

    Ohtani had been dealing with injuries and the Dodgers saw it fitting to trade away injury riddled River Ryan. They also traded 30 for 30 Zyhir Hope with a nice personality and Brady Smith.

    Skubal will begin his next start Tuesday on the north side of Chicago.

  • Where Does Tarik Skubal Land?

    Where Does Tarik Skubal Land?

    Tarik Skubal signed a one year contract worth $32 million to make a deep run with the Detroit Tigers. Turns out those odds are undefined.

    What we do know about Skubal is he won the Cy Young many times in his early illustrious career and has a season 2.79 ERA. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers are rumored to cash in on the big stud out of Hayward, CA, due to their sizable farm systems.

    Teams like the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies could use him but both teams are in dire straits. Skubal has learned that his time is most likely winding down in Detroit.

    Jeff Passan of ESPN said out of the aforementioned teams, the Dodgers are the lead suitor to acquire Skubal and how could that be fair? The Dodgers just continue to take advantage of not the system but their assets and that is what really separates themselves from the pack.

    These Dodgers are not going away and so is not Skubal trade rumors as the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline looms.