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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast..1:30pm
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot Topics on the Table-Stay for Fans Forum
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“BASEBALL NOTEBOOK”
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While I was off last week, the baseball world kept churning. Some topics, some opinions.
ALL STAR GAME..The votes are in and there will be 19-first time players in this summer’s game, and the country gets to see the vibrancy of Peter Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs and the velocity of Paul Skenes, and the power displays of Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge.
GREAT STORIES..They should get a standing ovation for perseverance, Matt Boyd of the Cubs and Jacob deGrom of Texas. They both spent more than two years getting off the operating table and the disabled list, and now both are all stars. The Rangers don’t have a healthy team, but yet deGrom has been dominant when he starts. Boyd, once seen in Detroit and Cleveland scuffling in his comeback, is one of the reasons the Cubs are where they are in the standings. These guys deserve this.
WHY THEM..Fernando Tatis, an all star reserve, voted by the players, who obviously don’t read box scores or follow other games. El Nino at the plate is hitting (.212) since early May and yet he gets players’ votes to show up? And Julio Rodriguez, who has hit in the (.220s) two years in a row gets to play representing Seattle? That is weak.
SALUTE THEM…Jason Adam gets the bid to go to the All Star game based on his 1-inning stints as a setup man. He is on pace for 90-appearances this year. Still think Nick Pivetta deserves accolades, and he might be an injury replacement. Bit surprised Robert Suarez’s 34-saves did not get him a berth.
DODGERS…Are they running on fumes as we get to midseason? Tanner Scott and Anthony Banda have had alot of bad innings over the last three weeks. Add in the shortage of starting pitchers and the need for more bullpen days, and you get blowouts. And the Dodgers have been booed really badly at home twice the last two weeks. Getting beat (18-1) at home by hated Houston really enraged the fans.
ANGELS..You can say they are making progress, this nearly .500-season for the Halos. Anything is better than last year’s 99-loss season. But they are still short of big season batting stats from Mike Trout; still short of starting pitching; And have a bullpen that has withered because of injuries. Add to that the season ending loss of Manager Ron Washington with serious health problems. The Angels just cannot overcome all their problems can they?
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