“This-That-The Other”

Jumping around the checkerboard in sports:

The Padres conducting batting practice against the sad-sack Chicago Cubs pitching staff.  Amazing, not that Manny Machado and friends posted a (19-5) hammering of the Cubs, but that Cubs ownership would put such a shabby product on the field.  The Friars have outscored the Cubs (35-11) in the three games at Wrigley this week, heading into the Thursday afternoon likely beatdown.  What a disgrace owner Tom Ricketts has turned the franchise into.  You do remember just a few short years ago, a lineup of Javy Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jason Hayward and others, all traded away.

The Dodgers don’t have Walker Beuhler, don’t know how much Clayton Kershaw has left, are wafer-thin in the rotation, and have a very shaky Craig Kimbrel in the bullpen.  They haven’t given up first place yet, because they keep winning, like the Padres, because both have played the bottom feeders in the standings.

The Angels are a disaster.  Losers of 18-of-20, beset by constant injuries, a weak rotation.  Joe Maddon let it get away from him.  His replacement Phil Nevin has yet to find hits in his batting order.  This is a pretty bad slide.

Boy there is a lot of bad baseball out there.

The A’s, playing before mid week crowds of 2900…that’s right 2900 ,traded away all their established players and have now lost 16-of-18.  What did lousy ownership think would happen to fan support.

Pittsburgh had a 9-game losing streak, filling their lineup with AA-callups from Altoona.

Detroit is (24-38), their rebuilding drive derailed by injuries to 3-starting pitchers including prized right-hander Casey Mize, who had elbow surgery this week.

Washington is now (23-42), having lost Stephen Strasburg after just one start after blood clot surgery.  There will be a new owner by the off season, and probably a new President, GM and manager.  What was a great franchise was allowed to leave.

Wonder if they will ever win again in Kansas City.  The Royals are now (21-41).  Go back more than a decade and you can count winning seasons on your left hand only.

The Reds shiny new ballpark is stained by their ownership too.  Moved out all their power hitters, dealt away pitching, and you can find them in last place at (23-40).

We will just wait and see what happens in two weeks.  That’s when the Dodgers-Padres renew their fight for place, when they meet with 16-games between them still on the schedule.

And yes there are some good teams trying to create pennant races now, the Mets-the Phillies-TampaBay-maybe Houston and Atlanta with its 14-game win streak.

But let’s be honest, as of right now, does anybody really think the Padres-or-Dodgers are equal to the (46-16) New York Yankees, a new updated version of the Bronx Bombers?

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