-0-“A Bad Night Here & There”
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It was a bad night, in San Diego, and in Indianapolis.

The Padres suffered a traumatic loss at home plate, and on the field against the Giants.

Gonzaga suffered a brutal blowout loss to Baylor in the NCAA tournament game, a stunning one side affair.

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At Petco Park, the air came out of the stadium in the 3rd inning, and maybe for much of the season, when Fernando Tatis went down in the batters box, with a violent swing and miss on a pitch, dislocating his left shoulder.

He collapsed in pain and was down for 2-minutes, then helped the clubhouse.

It is a serious injury, one likely to bring on surgery and an extensive rehab.  More alarming is that this is the 3rd incident in 3-weeks with his left shoulder.

He apparently injured the shoulder in spring training with a very hard head-first slide, landing and extending that shoulder.

A week later, he tweaked the left shoulder making a back hand stab at a hard hit ball, coming out of the game with what appeared to be an impingement.

And then last night, the horrors of a violent swing, his left shoulder fully extended with the swing, and to see him collapse on the ground in agony.

The shoulder subluxation is a mini-dislocation but if the shoulder keeps popping out, surgery becomes a necessity to tighten it.

The neon light star of the team, has struggled this spring, hitting (.167) with 5-errors in the first 5-games of the season.

They lost to the lowly Giants on top ot the loss of Tatis.

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In Indianapolis, it was a bad night from start to finish for unbeaten Gonzaga.  It happened to Indiana State, the Larry Bird led team, that was unbeaten but got bashed by Michigan State in 1979’s finals..

Last night, the Zags were overwhelmed out of the gate.  Outscored (9-0) at the start..trailed (16-4) and then (29-10).  They looked fatigued from their Thursday night win over UCLA.

Baylor’s guards buried threes at one end, stole passes and mugged the Bulldog guards at the other end.

Twice Mark Few’s team rallied from huge deficits, and you thought, they are climbing back in it.  They whillted the lead to 12-but 2-trips down the floor later, the lead was back to 17.  Then in the 2nd half, they cut it to 9-but next thing you knew, it was at 20-points.

Game over, hope for history gone.

They never were able to flip the switch to find their offense, or to short-circuit what Baylor was doing.

In the 86-70 thrashing, that was a season low 70-points, coming from a team that averaged 91 on the year.  That was a 23-point deficit late in the second half, the worst hole of the season.  They hit only 5-three point baskets, again a season worst effort..

Jalen Suggs had foul trouble early, and big men Drew Timme and Corey Kispert had foul trouble late.

And in between the Bears guards went crazy.  The backcourt wound up with 78-points in the game.

Their worst outing came in their last game of the season.  As Few said ‘we got busted’….the ‘game went sideways’…’we just were not the same team’.

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And so it ends badly, the team in town-Padres…team out of town-Gonzaga.

The Padres were in first place for all of 3-days.  It may be hard to keep up with the Dodgers if there is no Tatis in the lineup.

Gonzaga’s great run now gives way to the next story, how many of these gifted young players can Few convince to return to Spokane.

Monday night mayhem in our sports world.

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0-“March Madness-Championship Game”
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Can you top that, that heart stopping, heart throbbing, take-your-breath away Gonzaga overtime win over UCLA on Saturday night.

The tiny Jesuit school from Spokane beating the mega university from Los Angeles in a game for your scrapbook.

What a night of college basketball between the unbeaten and top ranked Zags and the rags-to-riches Bruins, playing from the First Four of the tourney, into the 45th minute of the final Saturday night, and nearly pulling off the upset.

They ran the plays, pick and rolls, ball screens, back door cutters all night till you were exhausted watching.  They hit jumpers from all over the arena, including the last second 45′ heave with 7/10th of a second left in overtime, before it was settled.  It might have been the bank shot of all time in college hoops.

They pounded the ball inside in the paint.  They rocked each other rebounding.  They both shot 58% from the floor.  It was no place for the timid.

19-lead changes…14-ties and the final bank-shot basket from near center court for the Zags to push that record to (31-0) and give themselves the chance to win the title the next time they play.

A frantic first half, matching three point shots.  A rugged second half, driving to the paint, taking fouls, drawing fouls, and making amazing shots in traffic.

The first half was a ‘take no prisoners’ opening half.  The second half was to see who would be ‘the last man standing’.

How many heroes can you have in a game?

UCLA’s Johnny Jurzang hit the putback of his missed layup with (1.0) left in overtime to tie it.  Jalen Suggs, the fabulous Bulldogs freshman proceeded to launch the rocket that banked off the glass to win it.

There was UCLA’s Tyger Campbell banging home three point shots in the first half.  There was Jaime Jaquez critical late game shots that kept his team in it.  There was Chris Riley drilling threes from way out, shots he would never take in a game.

Heroes everywhere for the Zags too.  Drew Timme, fighting thru four fouls, to make key baskets, and key rebounds.  Corey Kispert muscling for balls at both ends, baskets and blocks, especially when Timme sat with fouls.  And Suggs pulling off miraculous shots, a fade away jumper and blocking one late in the game to make sure they played into overtime.  And little known Joel Ayayi burying threes early when UCLA actually pulled to a 7-point lead.

There was Mick Cronin, the Bruins coach, preaching-screaming-calling plays.  Not bad for a guy who just a group of years ago was head coach at Murray State.

And Mark Few, matching Xs and Os, his team challenged for all 40-minutes, for the first time all season.  His career record (630-124).

A remarkable run for UCLA considering how badly the season started, how badly it ended, to be where they were on Saturday night.

And for Gonzaga, think about the production line of great players who have worn their colors and then left for the NBA, only to see Few keep bringing in great talent, enroute to this (31-0) season after the (31-2) campaign a year ago.

For the record, Timme had (25)..Suggs (16)..Kispert (15) and Ayaui (22).  The scorebook showed Jurzang and Jaquez with a combined (48) and Campbell adding (17)

So the Zags avoided the loss.  Larry Bird and Indiana State had a perfect season but lost to Magic Johnson-Michigan State in 1979.  Gonzaga is now where Indiana was in 1976, Kent Benson and the boys, who went (32-0), the last time it ever happened in college hoops.

When the last shot went in, I yelled so loud, it scared my Golden Retriever.

You come this way in life only once, and these two teams played the game of their lives.  They left it all on the floor.

Can you top this, I doubt it.

It flashed back memories of Christian Laettner and Duke, or Jim Valvano and North Carolina State from decades ago.

It felt like a championship game.  It was a classic for sure.

And what a place to see this, in the home of basketball, Indiana, the movie ‘Hoosiers’ and all that.

Oh by the way.  There is another game to be played on Monday night,  Gonzaga goes for the ring, the record, and the win against Baylor.

All seems anti-climatic after what we witnessed on Saturday night.  That looked like the real championship game.

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“Chargers Football–Bad Problems & More”
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What we saw as a potential issue in 2017…is apparently coming true in 2020.

At least I thought this was the game plan all along for the Chargers and owner Dean Spanos.

As the Chargers feuded with anyone-everyone about a new Stadium, it dawned on me, they would never agree to help build a new Stadium-because Dean Spanos’ game plan all along was to move to Los Angeles.

As far back as 2010-when the Chargers hired a firm to seek out an LA based investor, it dawned on me the Spanos family had financial issues, and were possibly looking to move the franchise to LA where the Rams and Raiders had left..

And now 10-years later, comes the story in the spotlight.  The Spanos move to Los Angeles has been fraught with problem after problem.  Now the family’s business has spilled into public, with the 156-page lawsuit filed by Dea Spanos, the oldest sister and head of the Spanos Foundation.

She has gone to court demanding a judge order Dean to put the franchise up for sale, because of bad business decisions, the loss of enormous amounts of money triggered by the move to Los Angeles, and Dean’s lack of plan to work out the financial distress that exists today.

Key items in the lawsuit:
..The franchise debt is 353M.
..The Chargers losses are 11M per year since the move to Los Angeles.
..The Chargers have defaulted on 22M in charity donations
..The Spanos family owes 75M in Estate taxes
..The Chargers owe the NFL 650M in territorial fees beginning this year
..Spanos has no financial plan to eradicate the losses
..Spanos goes to one back to get loans to pay off past bank loans

The teams ownership breaks down this way:
..The Spanos foundation owns 36% control
..Dean-Michael-Alexi-Dea own 15% control each (60%) total
..The Pernicarno Family owns the final 4% from San Diego days

Spanos took over day to day operation of the team in 1994…ten years after his father Alex bought the team from Gene Klien in 1984.

The franchise pleaded for a new Stadium, but historically asked the city or county to pay the entire cost and then turn the keys over to them.

They made a proposal they would build a new stadium themselves, if the city gave them all 87-acres of land at the Qualcomm site to develop themselves.

Then when the City-County consortium finally developed a plan to build a 1.2B new stadium on the Mission Valley land, after the CSAG consortium brought all parties together, Spanos refused to negotiate.

He created a sham stadium idea at the Tailgate Park next to the Padres Stadium, a plan that had no chance of passing.

The end result, he watched as the proposals were voted down, and then announced he was moving to LA in 2017.

Now 3-years later we find out, he has huge money problems.  The NFL has banned the Chargers and the Rams from being put up for sale after they moved to LA and the valuation of the teams went up.

And in the midst of the suit, comes a letter that Dean told his family he would hire an investor group to help sell the team in 2024…when the NFL ban ends.

But in the interim, the franchise has staggered financially.  44M in losses in 4-years after the owner turned his back on profits and sellouts in San Diego, walking away from 55-years of loyalty from Chargers fans.

Now the NFL, the nation, everyone knows the serious problems that exist, not just on the field, but behind closed doors where the team is drowning in red ink.

Spanos says he is willing to buy out the sister, but where is that money coming from.  Daniel Snyder had to come up with 450M to buy out 40% of his feuding minority shareholders.  That would mean Spanos would have to  get that much financing to buy out his older sister and the foundations shares.  Where is that money coming from?

The old business axiom, ‘you are not in bankruptcy, but if word gets out you are close to bankruptcy, you will wind up in bankruptcy.

Only time tells if the NFL does an intervention.  Only time tells if Spanos gets to his goal, selling the team and going off into the sunset with some types of profits.

San Diego wants to see him suffer for what he did.  They’d hate to have him profit from his legacy of screwing the community.  They root for him to lose.

If Dean Spanos has struggled with the image of being a loser, 14-winning seasons in 36-years of ownership, think of how he is struggling now with this lawsuit publicity everywhere, that says he is a bad business person..

He’s been mocked everywhere, starting from Day 1-when the LA Times lead columnist headlined “You are not welcome here”]

Then the Union Tribune columnist started calling him ‘Fredo’ Spanos after the son Fredo in the movie the ‘Godfather’.  Remembering Fredo in the movie yelling at his brother Michael Corleone “I’m not stupid like everyone says…I’m smart and I deserve respect:

So here we are today, the franchise, the owner, the decisions, and now a bitter lawsuit.

Chargers football.  Bad seasons.  Bad Problems.  Bad Owner.

Nothing good comes out of any of this, not for the Chargers in LA..not for Spanos..and surely nothing for a franchise that had its heart ripped out when he walked away from San Diego.

Can’t say I am surprised.  But that does not change where our community is right now, with a hole in our angry heart, no stadium, no team.

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“Baseball Opening Day-Welcome Back Old Friend”

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Baseball is back – 2021-style. It’s green grass, blue sky, baseball under the sun, domed stadiums and designated hitters. Remembering all the history and records of the games, the stars and years gone by.

Baseball is the personality on the field.

Teddy Ballgame (Williams)…Stan-the-Man (Musial)…Duke of Flatbush (Snider). It’s the M & M Boys, (Mantle and Maris), Sey Hey (Mays), Jackie (Robinson) and Charley Hustle. (Rose). It’s the Bambino (Ruth) and the Iron Man (Gehrig), the Georgia Peach (Cobb), Reggie Bar (Jackson) and the Wild Horse of the Osage (Pepper Martin.)

Baseball is all about the teams. Murderer’s Row (Yankees)…the Gashouse Gang (Cardinals), the Gints (Giants) and D’em Bums (Dodgers). It’s the Lumber Company (Pirates), the Big Red Machine (Cincinnati), the Running Redbirds (Cardinals), and those Fightin Phils (Phillies). Its “1st in War-1st in Peace-Last in the American League (Senators), the Bronx Bombers (Yankees) and the Amazing’s (Mets.)

Baseball is places too. The House that Ruth Built (Yankees Stadium)….the Green Monster (Fenway)….the 8th Wonder of the World (Astrodome)….the Stick (San Francisco)…Coogan’s Bluff (Polo Grounds)…Ivy covered walls (Wrigley Field) and the Fans in Flatbush (Ebbets Field.)

Baseball is also about owners. The Boss (Steinbrenner)….Charley O (Finley)…The Mahatma (Branch Rickey)… Veeck as in Wreck (Bill Veeck) and Cornelius McGillacuddy (Connie Mack).

Baseball is about managers. The Major (Ralph Houk)….Smokey (Walter Alston)….Casey at the Bat (Stengel)…Billy-the-Kid (Martin.)

Baseball is about the broadcasters too, Vin Scully, Mel Allen, Jerry Coleman, Jack Buck, Bob Prince and Harry Caray.

Baseball is about opening day, when Bob Feller of the Indians threw a no-hitter; Ted Williams hit .446 in career opening days and they threw snowballs not fastballs at CNE Stadium in Toronto.

Baseball is teams of days gone by, the St. Louis Browns, the Washington Senators, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia & Kansas City A’s, the Boston Braves, and Seattle Pilots.

Baseball is numbers: 60 (Ruth-HRs)…61 (Maris-HRs)…714 (Aaron-HRs)…254 (Hack Wilson-RBIs)…76 (Barry Bonds HRs)…401 (Ted Williams batting average)…4,256 (Pete Rose hit total).

Baseball is bubble gum and trading cards. Father’s taking sons to their first game. Foul Balls, hot dogs and autographs. Rainouts and beanballs and out of town scoreboards. It’s lying under the covers late at night listening on a transistor radio. It’s learning to keep score. Playing catch with your dad, grand dad or uncle. It’s the smell of the ball park, the crack of the bat, the cheering of the crowd.

Baseball is back, and every team, every fan, starts on opening day, feeling good about itself. It’s the new look at Dodgers Stadium, Angels Stadium or the gem that is Petco Park.

Angels, Dodgers, Padres, great to see you.

Baseball is back. Welcome back old friend.

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“Play Ball–Baseball is Back”

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The 2021 season is about to begin…a look at the Divisional Races.

(NL West)

DODGERS…Until you beat them they are the team to beat and nobody has knocked them off the top spot in eight years in the divisional race.  Trevor Bauer and David Price join a very deep 7-man pitching rotation.  Can Kenley Jansen hold up for an entire season, or do they have enough depth to survive there? Justin Turner returned in tremendous shape.  Corey Seager is in a contract year.  There is Mookie Betts and the hope Cody Bellinger can bounce back from shoulder surgery.  Their only loss was home run hitting-strikeout artist Joc Pederson.  Number one in payroll too at 254M on opening day.  Might be a 100-win year.

PADRES..Yu Darvish-Blake Snell-Joe Musgrove put them in the conversation for first place, but now there are issues with Chris Paddack-Dinelson Lamet.  It means Adrian Morejon and Ryan Weathers will have to step into the rotation.  The bullpen is deep but overuse of Drew Pomeranz will be a concern as closer.  Fernando Tatis-Manny Machado-Wil Myers-Eric Hosmer provide a superb middle of the order.  Staying healthy and lack of proven everyday depth might be an issue.  An all time team high 160M payroll.  A strong 90-win season.

ARIZONA…They have a healthy Madison Bumgarner, but do they have enough pitching after that? Losing bright young starter Zac Gallen hurts, and the bullpen seems shaky after off season losses and injuries.  Do they have enough bats to support David Peralta?

GIANTS…A real hodge-podge roster. Buster Posey comes off an injury season and Mike Yastrzemski became a star last year.  This rent-an-arm pitching staff with names like Glausman-Wood-DeSclafani-Sanchez-Wisler-does not bode well for the season.

ROCKIES…Management has dumped or ran off so many veterans, there is no hope for Bud Black.  Goodbye Nelson Aronado after dispatching DJ LeMahieu-Troy Tulowitzki has ruined a good franchise.  Who’s left-Charley Blackmon and Trevor Story? Very young pitching and some injuries to Kyle Freeland-John Gray make the job even harder for Black. This could be a 100-loss summer.
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(NL Central)

CARDINALS..The best of a weak division.  Injuries have threatened the pitching staff. but what they don’t have on the mound they do have in the lineup.  That is Nolan Arenado joining Paul Goldschmidt and Yadier Molina.  Keeping Carlos Martinez-Adam Wainwright healthy in the rotation will be critical.  A group of live arms round out the rotation.

BREWERS…Slugger Christian Yelich is back, Lorenzo Cain is healthy, Ryan Braun is likely retired but starting pitching beyond Brandon Woodruff is suspect.  Josh Hader, the relief ace, might still be trade bait.

CUBS…Might this be the final go round for Anthony Rizzo-Kris Bryant-Javy Baez, all on the final year of contracts, with a team now trimming its budget.  Yu Darvish-Jon Lester departed, so it will be up to Kyle Hendricks-Zach Davies to carry this pitching staff.  Storm clouds on the horizon-bad management decisions at Wrigley Field on the budget and the roster.

REDS…They can hit but can they pitch?  They have completely gutted the pitching staff, leaving Luis Castillo by himself till Sonny Gray gets back healthy.  There is Joey Votto-Eugenio Suarez and Nick Castellanos in the lineup.  A long summer coming.

PIRATES..Might be as bad a team as there is in baseball, and its ex-Red Sox exec Ben Cherrington’s turn to fix the Buccos.  Very young pitching staff.  Power hitters who have battled injuries.  Beautiful stadium but bad franchise.  110-losses very possible.  Doesn’t the fan in Pittsburgh deserve better?
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(NL East)

METS..New owner, Steve Cohen, new leader, Sandy Alderson, and alot of new pieces on the roster.  Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndegaard, Marcus Stroman and Joey Luchessi anchor a good rotation.  SS-Francisco Lindor joins Robbie Cano-Mike Conforto and Peter Alonso in a strong batting order.  This could be a pretty good turnaround season.

WASHINGTON…It all rides on the health of Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer on the mound, and they are no longer this side of 30-years of age.  Interesting array of news names, Jon Lester, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Bell and Brad Hand arrive.  Of course Juan Soto and Trea Turner are anchors.  Seem to have a black hole at 3rd base.

BRAVES…Some season a year ago with Freddie Freeman cementing his star status to go with the young bucks like Ron Acuna and the veteran Marcel Ozuna.  Getting Mike Soroka back totally healthy makes this a good pitching staff with  Max Fried and the rearrival of Charley Morton.

PHILLIES…David Dombrowski arrives as President, and I guarantee you he will fix the pitching staff, having added 5-arms in the offseason.  Bryce Harper had a bounce back season and JT Realmuto stayed for big money.  If they get pitching, to help Aaron Nola and Zach Elfin, they make big noise.

MIAMI…Year three of Derek Jeter’s ownership group as they continue to bring up young players to support Starlin Marte and a very young pitching staff.  Just too many young prospects in the everday lineup and it won’t be a 60-game schedule this year.
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(AL East)

YANKEES..Lots of bats, lots of question marks on the pitching staff.  What a lineup-Giancarlo Stanton-Aaron Judge-DJ LeMahieu-Gary Sanchez-Luke Voit and more.  Gerrit Cole headlines what could be a really good staff, but there is no Masahiro Tanaka-JA Happ-James Paxton.  Domingo German comes off the suspension, and the health of Corey Kluber-Jameson Taillon will be the difference between 100-wins or being a shade above .500.

TAMPA BAY…The names keep changing yearly for this small market gem of a franchise, but they keep winning with a low payroll and a prosperous farm system.  Dealing off Blake Snell and Charley Morton takes away aces on the mound but Ryan Yarbrough was spectacular. The kids Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena will be the next in the assembly line of young talent in the lineup.  Importing veteran pitchers like Mike Wacha-Chris Archer will be the difference maker.

BLUE JAYS…What a collection of young talent they have stockpiled, and now you add George Springer-Marcus Semien to the lineup that includes Guerrero-Bichette-Biggio.  Hyun Jin-Ryu headlines the pitching staff but some kid arms have to get healthy if this is to be a good season, that starts in Dunedin, could move to Buffalo, before getting to play in Toronto.

RED SOX..What the hell is wrong in Boston?  That’s what the headlines used to read back in the day.  Will likely again this year with the slashing of the Sox payroll. Banking your season on the return-to-health of Chris Sale-Eduardo Rodriguez-Alex Verdugo is a huge gamble, as is importing all these aging free agents.  Fenway Park will not be a happy place this year.

ORIOLES…Rebuilding is painful, especially in this division so Baltimore’s slow fix, will take another long hot summer.  Maybe the youngest pitching staff in baseball, too many kids in the lineup, another 100 loss season likely.  This could be two years away till the draft picks get good.
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(AL Central)

TWINS…Their division to lose, and they won’t.  Josh Donaldson-Andrellton Simmons add more power to the Nelson Cruz-Byron Buxton-Eddie Rosario lineup.  Kenta Maeda is the lead arm on the staff and more arms are coming.

INDIANS..They’ve traded away so many arms, and yet Shane Bieber heads up a still strong pitching staff.  They’ve added young talent in deals, Andres Giminez and Ahmed Rosario, but how do you face your fans when you have let go the likes of Trevor Bauer-Mike Clevinger and Corey Kluber and dealt away Francisco Lindor?  Cleveland fans deserve better, in what could be a great regional franchise rather than a small market team.

WHITE SOX…They’ve been building and now Tony LaRussa has been chosen to lead them over the top of the hill. Lance Lynn joins Dallas Keuchel and Liam Hendricks anchors the bullpen.  Old war horse Jose Abreu is back with young star Tim Anderson and a group of young bats growing together.  An interesting summer ahead.

TIGERS…AJ Hinch takes over the dugout and he inherits the ageless Miguel Cabrera and a host of farm system products led by pitcher Casey Mize, Spencer Turnbull, and minor league hotshot Spencer Torkelson.  The health of Mike Fulmer on the mound could be a key.  Four last place finishes might be about to end.

ROYALS…Sal Perez is back and is joined by a host of proven players like Andrew Benitendi, Carlos Santana and Mike Taylor-all seeking bounce back seasons.  Brad Keller needs a breakout season on the mound.  Will be competitive, just not sure they have enough.
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(AL West)

ASTROS…The times are changing in Houston where the team is loved despite being hated around baseball for the sign stealing scandals.  Free agency took George Springer, age and injury have bothered Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.  Justin Verlander is out till late season with surgery.  Zack Grienke and Lance McCullers will have to stay healthy on the mound.  This could the summer they topple.

ANGELS..They have the bats, with superstar Mike Trout flanked by Justin Upton, Albert Pujols, Anthony Rendon, Dexter Fowler and the re-emergence of DH-Shohei Ohtani.  An off season of trying to find the right starters to put into the rotation has brought them Dylan Bundy-Alex Cobb-Jose Quintana, relievers Alex Claudio-Raul Iglesias.  Getting Ohtani back is like adding 2-All Stars, a big time hitter and a once a week starter.  This could be-should be the surprise team in baseball.

A’s…..Constant change on the roster is their Moneyball formula, but Matt Chapman-Matt Olson are anchors in the batting order.  Elvis Andrus comes from Texas to glue the infield together but they lost a number of veteran relievers.  Do they have enough starting pitching and can Trevor Rosenthal be the closer he used to be in St Louis?

SEATTLE..GM-Jerry DiPoto keeps wheeling and dealing, bringing back pitcher James Paxton, adding closer Ken Giles, and trying to find the right mix in the order to surround slugger Kyle Seager.  Keeping kids like Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic and the arrival of prospect Julio Rodriguez from getting overwhelmed will be important.

TEXAS..Five veterans are gone, including Lance Lynn-Corey Kluber-Elvis Andrus-Rougned Odor.  It’s just not the same franchise anymore.  The pitching staff is young.  The lineup needs alot of help for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Khris Davis.  Looks like a 90-loss season for sure.

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