This Week In Baseball – Cano Suspension, Legalized Gambling, Buchholz Returns, Yankees Sleeping, Dodgers Sweeping
Danger Will Robinson …
Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano was suspended for 80 games on Tuesday after testing positive for furosemide, a diuretic sometimes used to hide the presence of other banned substances. An eight-time All-Star, Cano is the most well-known baseball player to be suspended for the use of a banned substance since his former teammate Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees in 2013. Boy, it’s a real mystery how Cano could have gotten into this stuff.
What Happens in the United States, Stays in the United States …
The Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for states to legalize sports betting, striking down a 1992 federal law that had prohibited most states from authorizing sports betting. The 6-3 ruling is a victory for New Jersey and other states that have considered allowing sports gambling as a way to encourage tourism and tax revenue. Finally, there will be places to gamble on sports for people who don’t live in Las Vegas. Or who have never heard of “The Internet.”
Snake-Bitten …
The Diamondbacks started the season impressively but have been decimated by injuries. The Diamondbacks added Clay Buchholz to their roster Sunday so the right-hander could start the series finale at Citi Field. How bad have the injuries been? Well, I don’t know if you heard, but they had to use Clay Buchholz to start a game.
It’s Raining, Men …
Weather was not on the Yankees’ side during their planned two-game series in Washington, D.C., against the Nationals. Their game on Tuesday was cut short by rain and the nightcap on Wednesday was rained out. They had to sleep at Dulles International Airport because of a combination of miserable weather and mechanical problems with the plane, which never took off. Not surprising to see a group of highly paid people unable to get off the ground in Washington.
Back from the Dead …
The reigning National League champions are finally back to playing winning baseball. Kike Hernandez and Yasiel Puig each hit two-run homers and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep. The Dodgers had been in a tailspin of underperformance and rampant injuries. Fortunately for them, the Nationals were under-underperforming and had even more rampantly rampant injuries.
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