Quote of the Week
“ Sorry if I didn't respond to your text or tweet, I was jumping up and down on the bed, blasting "All Star" by Smash Mouth. ”
– Sean Doolittle, after getting named to the NL All-Star team
This Week in Baseball
Hey Now! You're an All-Star...
President Donald Trump isn't the only one who gets to arbitrarily choose someone to come to Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, July 17, Major League Baseball will present the 89th annual All-Star Game Mid-Summer Exhibition Extravaganza at Nationals Park. The rosters for both teams feature the some of the biggest names and brightest young stars in the sport—and J.A. Happ.
Phillies in Phirst...
In between a series in New York and Miami, the Phillies made a one-game stop in Baltimore on Thursday night for a make up game against the Orioles. The game was close, but the Phillies came away with the win, putting them in first place in the National League East. The Phillies' success this season is a confluence of solid all-around player performances and Gabe Kapler's unorthodox management style. For clarification, "Unorthodox" is what you call it when things go well that are otherwise "odd," "confusing" and "freaking nuts."
Mariners Extend Jerry Dipoto...
The contract of Executive VP & GM Jerry Dipoto was extended by the Seattle Mariners for several years, due to the team’s success on the field. This season, Seattle boasts the fourth-best record in baseball. He has made over 60 trades with over 20 different teams while with the Mariners. So, even if he didn't get the contract extension, he was probably going to trade for himself anyway.
Rays of Hope...
The Tampa Bay Rays unveiled plans for a new domed stadium that would take them across Tampa Bay to the Ybor City section of Tampa at a cost of nearly a billion dollars. The 32,000-seat stadium would be the smallest in MLB and would be covered by a fully enclosed and translucent roof, not a retractable dome. This way it will be easier for scientists to observe the Rays fan in their natural habitat.
Reinstated and It Feels So Good...
After receiving a lifetime ban in 2016 for failing three drug tests for PEDs, Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia has been conditionally reinstated. He can return to baseball activities during Spring Training 2019. Mejia met with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, and after expressing contrition, was reinstated. He promised he won't ever do it again and that those other PEDs didn't mean anything.
On the Air
“ If he was choking during the game, they just would've thought he was one of the Mets' players. ”
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Episode 71: All-Star Selections; Phillies Reach First; M’s Extend Dipoto; Mark Reynolds Hits & Pitches; Rays New Stadium; World Cup; LeBron James
First and foremost, the All-Star selections are in! Who’s worthy and who isn’t? Episode 71—the Josh Hader episode—of Foul Territory: A Baseball Podcast is in the books, and hosts Jed Rigney and Jon Sumple talk Tour de France and World …
Going Deep
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Sorry, Blake Snell, But You Weren’t Snubbed
First, I should disclose: I like Blake Snell. I think he’s good, man. He checks nearly all of the boxes for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. Good fastball? Above average velocity for a left-hander at 96 MPH: check. Nasty off-speed pitches? Elite curveball and …
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No AL Wild Card Race This Year
The wild card is one of those things that probably drives baseball purists mad. After all, if a team can’t win its divisional title, why should it make it into the postseason? When the creation of a wild card was …
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What Teams Need Manny Machado?
We’re coming up to Major League Baseball’s trade deadline and while there is sure to be a flurry of activity, the one player that’s drawing the most attention is the Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado. He’s in line to make a …
Off Base
