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Hacksaw’s GREAT SPORTS WEEKEND Podcast
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“BASEBALL-1 MONTH IN”
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We’re into May so we know have an understanding, who is good, who is not so good in baseball.

Spraying hits to lots of places in MLB:

DODGERS..Best team that money can buy, yes, but what a job done to be 13-games over .500, having had 11-pitchers on the DL in the first month of the season

PADRES…This lineup will hit and Luis Arraez will be a table setter.  But this team has health issues, be it Joe Musgrove or Yu Darvish, and virtually no pitching help in the minors.  It’s a .500-team right now.

ANGELS..You are what your record says you are.  Last place, a roster full of utilitymen, and your top two stars on long term disabled list.  It’s a disaster.

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WHO IS HOT..

YANKEES..Booming bats most every night.  And even with the loss of Gerritt Cole, yet to pitch, this has been an impressive start for Juan Soto-Aaron Judge-Ginacarlo Stanton and friends.

ORIOLES…A young home grown roster via the draft and the farm system, is in first place for a 2nd year in a row.  They have no fear and now they are getting injured pitching back.

CLEVELAND..You lose Shane Bieber for the year with elbow surgery, and you are in first place.  Jose Ramirez and a host of players you can’t name, are having a really good season on the Lakefront

PHILLIES…Fans can quit beefing the team did nothing in the off season.  Sure they did, they signed Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola to big money extensions to stay.  Now you have a super staff and a bunch of batting order bombers.

TEXAS…A surprise start with all the pitching issues they have.  Lots of games left.

BRAVES..Hanging tough with bats despite the loss of top arm Spencer Strider.

OAKLAND…Somehow with little on the roster, and no fans in the stands, they are playing almost .500-ball after last year’s messy season.

DETROIT-KANSAS CITY…Rented some vets to go with a cross section of young kids learning on the job, so bobbing and weaving with the .500-mark.

ARIZONA..Slow start but lots of games to be played.  But they are in the Dodgers division aren’t they?

BOSTON…Outside of Raf Devers, can you name anyone else in the lineup.  They are spending lots less now than the World Series years.  Maybe they will be good, but maybe not.

MINNESOTA…A 12-game win streak, that is unique.  Didn’t see that pitching staff being that good.  Time will tell.

CUBS..A team of guys who can hit home runs at Wrigley Field.  Surprise Japanese free agent Shoto Imanaga has been dominant.  Maybe their rebuild is ahead of schedule.  Most wins in their division so far.

SEATTLE..Good young pitching but a GM-Jerry DiPoto who keeps changing the roster.  Good but not a great team yet.

TAMPA BAY…A struggle, pitchers hurt, not alot of hitters, and few fans and an unresolved stadium situation.

MILWAUKEE…Patch work roster, having lost 2-starters and their big bat, they are in first place a month into the season.  Not sure how long that keeps up.
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WHO IS NOT

MIAMI..What a disgrace.  Derek Jeter out as CEO, Kim Ng exited as GM.  Then a siege of injuries to their entire pitching staff.  They might threaten the 120-loss record of the Mets of the 1960s.

COLORADO…Lots of young players learning on the job but a pitching staff riddled by injuries.  Wonder if this team will ever win again in a tough division, and will ever draw 4M as they did once upon a time.

WHITE SOX…How could anything Jerry Reinsdorf owns be so bad?  Hard to believe how far away they are talent-wise, after dealing away Dylan Cease.  Not doing a major league job for fans on the south side.

CARDINALS..Seem to be wasting the final years of the Arenado-Goldschmidt era. Just not enough pitching.

WASHINGTON…Long rebuild after the Juan Soto-Stephen Strasburg era.

REDS-PIRATES..Have not taken the next step after last summer’s surprise stretch of success.  Injuries have hit Cincinnati.  Pittsburgh does not have enough pitching, though 1st round pick Paul Skenes-LSU has arrived.

GIANTS.  A month in, and Blake Snell is on the DL and Jorge Soler is now hurt.  Just not enough marquee pitching.

TORONTO..Big bats, but slow out of the gate.  Not enough pitching in Toronto.

HOUSTON..Not sure what is a bigger shocker, Alex Bregman-Jose Abreu have stopped hitting, or 6-starting pitchers have spent most of the month on the DL.

METS..Peter Alonso is not hitting, and when you don’t have ace Kodai Senga back off the DL, you have problems, especially if Jose Quintana is your number 1-starter.  Overhaul coming.  Next winter will be interesting.

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