Quote of the Week
“ My birthday wish? We win a championship! ”
– Tommy Lasorda, when asked on his 91st birthday
This Week in Baseball
Down the Stretch They Come...
With only two days left in the regular season, the American League is set and ready to begin, but the National League still has some maneuvering. The Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Rockies and Dodgers are all fighting it out for the four coveted playoff spots. Anything can happen over the weekend, and it's sure to be an exciting one. Or it might not be.
Record Scratch...
The Sox secured Victory No. 106 on Monday thanks to Mookie Betts and a dominant combined outing from Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez. Boston defeated the woeful Orioles to establish a new team record for wins in a season. So, a silver lining for Baltimore's season to be able to be part of history.
Giant Movement...
In a move that surprises no one, the Giants have asked Bobby Evans to step down as General Manager of the Giants after two losing seasons while carrying the second highest payroll in the league. The organization is expected to ask Evans to stay in the organization, but it’s not clear if he would stay or seek employment elsewhere—maybe a job where spending insane amounts of money for little or no result will be overlooked. Watch out, Washington, D.C., here comes Senator Bobby Evans.
The Sho Must Go on...
The Los Angeles Angels announced Tuesday that due to a torn ligament in his elbow, Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for the Angels in 2019. Ohtani has opted to have Tommy John surgery after the regular season ends. However, the two-way star will still be able to swing the bat next season. (Neil deGrasse Tyson: That makes him a one-way star.)
Spit Take...
A 20-year-old food service worker at Comerica Park in Detroit has been charged with a felony count of food law violations after a video was posted online that appeared to show him spitting on a pizza intended for customers during a Tigers game. In other words, he made it a Papa John’s Pizza.
On the Air
“ There's a certain mediocrity to it all. But it's an exciting mediocrity. ”
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Episode 80: NL Pennant Races; Red Sox Records; Roberto Asuna; A.J. Hinch vs. Ken Giles; David Wright; Barry Larkin; Pizza Spit
First and foremost, how much fun have the the NL pennant races been this past week? Episode 80 of Foul Territory: A Baseball Podcast focuses on the nail-biting NL pennant races: Who’s in? Who’s out? Who cares, it’s great baseball! …
Going Deep
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Baseball’s Best of the Worst Awards 2018
What an incredible season for Major League Baseball! There were so many great moments throughout the year and if I could remember any one of them specifically I might not be secretly terrified that I have early-onset dementia. Okay, so, …
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He Gone! A Cubs Fan Says Goodbye to Hawk Harrelson
Several years ago, I wrote a list of 101 reasons why Chicago is the best baseball town in America; but I can boil all the reasons down to one statement: Chicago is divided into two warring factions, the Cubs and …
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Ferocious Uppercuts (Part I): In the Beginning, Babe Ruth Swatted, Loudly
Sometimes I don’t understand MLB. It seems to be unable to see the timelessness and beauty of its game being despoiled by the unprincipled, ferocious uppercuts. Uppercuts that either result in a fly ball soaring over the wall, or more …
Off Base
