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Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend PODCAST

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“BASEBALL TOPICS ON THE TABLE”

Love the opening of spring training, a truly breath of fresh air.

I grew up in a baseball family on Long Island.  I loved watching spring training games as a kid, the Yankees and Mets from Florida, on TV back to my house where we were always coming out of a snowy-cold winter.

My first trip to spring training was when I worked in Cleveland, went to Tucson to cover the Indians.  You know winter weather in Cleveland.  And then you land in Arizona, cactus, sunshine, and games at Hi Corbett Field.

Loved my first Yuma experience with the Padres, and then when they moved to Peoria.

The best however was my first trip to cover the Dodgers at Vero Beach.  Dodgertown, the fields where Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax worked out.  Holman Stadium.  Meeting Tommy LaSorda, Vin Scully and taking in the heritage of Dodgers Blue baseball, where they trained as far back as 1948.

So cool.

What I saw, what I think after day one of exhibition baseball.

PADRES..Bad flashback, giving up 8-runs in the 1st inning and six more after that in a (14-1) opening day loss to the Dodgers in the Cactus League.  Reminded me of Andy Green’s regular season debut against the Dodgers, a (15-0) thrashing in a regular season opener.  In fact LA swept the 3-game series.

PITCHING..The only thing that counts is how Joe Musgrove feels the next four days after his 1-inning struggle, 24-pitches, 4-runs allowed, no outs recorded.  This is work in progress coming off a winter of rehab for the shoulder capsule issue.

HOT…Yuki Matsui came from Japan with quite a reputation as a closer.  First outing for the Padres, 1-inning, no hits, 3-strikeouts.  That was impressive.

DODGERS…Not wanting to tip their hand, they change their mind and do not start Yosh Yomamoto.  Hide him till regular season opener in South Korea.

THE LINEUP…A 14-run outburst and the Dodgers did this without Ohtani-Freeman-Muncie-Smith in their batting order.  Of course virtually all the damage was done against minor league pitcheres.

YOUNG ARMS…Impressive start from last year’s rookies who were overwhelmed  when they were pushed onto the mound.  Gavin Stone and Michael Grove were dominant against the Padres.

ESPN..Spring training for them too.  All the excitement of opening day in the Cactus League was wiped out by technical problems on the field.  Their sideline reporter had mic problems right at the start.  And they had hot-micd Fernando Tatis, but he has mic problems, his answers sounded muddied, and who wants to listen to his 6-word answers for all 26-minutes of the top of the first.  Would rather have had a sideline reporter to quick dugout interviews during the game with a wide variety of both Dodgers-Padres players and the managers.

On we go with the rest of the Cactus League-Grapefruit Circuit games coming this weekend.

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“PADRES-SO IT BEGINS”

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The Cactus League opening game on Thursday at noon vs the Dodgers starts the spring training season.

The Padres open the season with more question marks than answers.

They’ve lost their owner, run off their manager, traded an MVP-candidate, let the Cy Young Award winner and top closer walk as free agents.

The Peter Seidler passing, the departure of Bob Melvin, the Juan Soto trade,and the defections of Blake Snell and Josh Hader are all negatives.

Starters 1-2 in the rotation are both coming off health issues, and durability becomes a question for both Yu Darvish-Joe Musgrove.  Do they have 30-starts in them?

The Yankees may have liked Michael King, may have used Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez alot, but they dealt them all away to the Friars.

Yuki Matsui and Woo Suk-Go come with credentials, but that is in Japan-Korea, and this level of baseball is really different, from the mound, to the ball, to training methods in the US.

There are no legitimate stars in CF-or-LF.  Can you tell me who is your real first baseman?  Is there a true DH on the roster?

Will the rookie Jackson Merrill hit enough to warrant staying on the roster?

Can Robert Suarez stay healthy after last year’s elbow ailing season?

Have scouting reports figured out Jake Cronenworth?
Can Manny Machado hold up post elbow surgery?
Is young C-Luis Campusano ready to do it with the glove and the bat?

Who is starter 4-and-5 if Brito-Vasquez cannot be whom the Padres hope they are?

Does the phrase ‘bullpen day’ come up once a week with a 9-man deep relief core?

Will Adrian Morejon ever become anything beyond a prospect always hurt?

Will it be Mike Schildt’s clubhouse and dugout or will the meddling of AJ Preller and his people still exist?

Will fans feel Padres baseball is ‘bait and switch’, buy the season tickets at high prices, but sorry our payroll is 101M lower than last year?

So you can be excited what’s infront of you at 12 noon when they open against the Dodgers?

But you cannot ignore all the points I just raised?

A year ago, the expectations were thru the roof.  A year later I sense much less excitement about Padres baseball, almost a cloud of resignation, because of the loss of Seidler’s leadership and money.

And one final question, if this season isn’t the season, how much longer will fans keep coming to games and how much longer is AJ Preller allowed to the decision maker?

You tell me baseball fans.  You are allowed to have an opinion.

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“Scott Boras-Love Him-Hate Him”
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Which street corner do you stand on?

The one that likes super agent Scott Boras?
The one that detests Scott Boras?

As always, baseball’s mega agent is always in the spotlight in season and in the off season.

Here we are on the eve of the opening of the popular Cactus League and Grapefruit Circuit, and 4-of the biggest named free agents, all whom he represents, are not in camp.

A Cy Young Award winner, a former MVP, a World Series arm and a premiere DH.

And the conversations are not just about who is out of camp, but the next record setting free agent whom he reps too.

He’s not doing anything wrong, just doing his job.  His job is to get the best contract, whether that is length of deal, or average salary, for his clients.

If you are willing to pay, then he will send you the 60-page statistical brochure, about the client you are interested in.  He will spend the off season playing your offer against whatever other offers he can dig up.

Not his job to care whether he puts a club in Luxury Tax hell.  Not his concern if he is going to force your favorite team to trade a star player he reps, who is about to become a free agent next off season.  Not caring if people paint him for holding teams ‘hostage’ in free agent talks.

Just doing the job that’s all.

So Blake Snell, exiting the Padres, remains unsigned.  As does Texas Rangers frontliner Jordan Montgomery.  As does the Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. Plus well travelled but productive DH-JD Martinez, all unsigned for a wide variety of reasons.

Some people like Boras and his bravado style of hammering deals thru.
Some dislike him because he sales pitches every client as the next best deserving megabucks

It must be hard being a team owner knowing what is ahead and how it might impact your franchise.

So here we are wondering about the big names still out there.

BLAKE SNELL..A most unique talent, a double Cy Young Award winner, who put up Bob Gibson type numbers in 2023 for the Padres (1.20-ERA), dominating like he did the year he won the same award with the Tampa Bay Rays.  Asking price according to MLB sources (7Y-210M).  That is alot of money for a 5-inning per start pitcher, who leads the world in walks, yet has high octane stuff pitching out of trouble.  But 7-years long is alot for a power pitcher, who has had 1-elbow surgery already.  I tend to think 30M a year is what he deserves, considering the market place for quality arms.  What works against him is the 7-year length.  The Angels should make a pitch (3Y-150M) pitch, for they still have Ohtani dollars to spend and a critical need.  Arte Moreno needs to set aside his dislike for Boras, and do what is right, get an ace for an in-need pitching staff.  Boras drives a hard bargain.  Does Snell blink and take the best offer now for the next 3-years or stand strong and wait for his terms?

JORDAN MONTGOMERY…He reinvented himself in Texas, end result a strong season, a World Series ring too.  But 30M a year for a second tier starter seems excessive.  The Cardinals and Yankees both had him, but both let him go.  He is a different pitcher now, just  refer to page 20-on Boras’ brochure on the hurler.  But Texas is really up against the luxury tax and has spent a ton over 3-years to build this winner.  Maybe he winds up going back there on maybe 1Y plus an option.  Not many other people seem willing to do a big deal for him, considering whom he was, despite whom he became.

CODY BELLINGER…Some superb season-recapturing the magic he once had with the Dodgers, in his MVP type season.  He’s healthy.  Who knows if the long rehab from shoulder issues impacted his two final lousy seasons at Dodgers Stadium.  He had a huge bounceback season with the Cubs, maybe should have been ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ with that (.306-26HR) season.  The Boras price tag, (8Y-200M) package seems over the top.  Wonder what playing at Wrigley Field had to do with the big 2023 summer of baseball?  But he is young, now healthy, and ready to be a multi position player.   Maybe he should consider staying at Wrigleyville, on a shorter big money deal the Cubs could afford.  Win-win, hit for average and hit homers in Chicago and become an icon.

JD MARTINEZ…Pretty good years for the often moved DH, first with the Red Sox and the Dodgers.  But as a 1-position guy, DH, the offers come with a lower price tag.  But cannot see someone willing to write an 8M check for an aging DH.  Also cannot see him taking a veteran’s minimum 1M package with incentives.  Somewhere in between there should be a good deal for him, maybe with a pennant contender.  Maybe he waits to see if spring training shows a club short of the right guy to designate hit.  Maybe somebody has an injury.  Sure Boras’ phone will ring in Newport Beach.

JUAN SOTO..The next name to watch.  Don’t think they speak highly of Boras there in Washington after rejected something like a (440M) package from the Nationals, forcing his early trade to the Padres.  Now that all has happened in San Diego, we see Soto moved to the Yankees.  And now NY-GM Brian Cashman says Soto-in-pinstripes is a one year situation before he goes to free agency.  They don’t hate Boras in San Diego, yet, but if the players the Padres get in the Soto trade don’t work out, they will be taking numbers to stand in line and fire criticism at the agent.

Fascinating to watch the machinations of clubs who have to deal with Boras.  Some MLB execs compare him with the hostage taking tactics of former NFL agent Howard Slusher, or Alan Eagleson-NHL or some people in the NBA, who have turned that league into a players league, give me my money, screw the GM, the owner, the league, pay me.

Love him or hate him, the super agent is just doing his job.

Will see where the next couple of weeks take us with the big names-seeking big dollars, still on the board.

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“All Star Games-Not What They’re Supposed to Be”

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“All Star Games”

I guess if you like French Pastry, the NBA All Star is all about scoring and nothing else, it was alright..

If you wanted to see something of credibility, that was 3-hours of your life you will never get back.  You paid alot of money to be there, wasted alot of time to watch it on TV.

Recapping: the NBA East blew out the West (211-186).  Yes 211-points.

The East hit 42-3 point shots.  Guys were heaving shots from mid-court, even canned one.  There was no defense.  No attempt to really play.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was so incensed he didn’t congratulate the East when he gave them the trophy, just said East-you outscored the-West.

LeBron James said things had to change.  So did lifetime hoops junkie Larry Bird.

The national media panned the entire game.  So did the columnists.  The fans stayed there for the entire night, though after awhile you’d think you’d get sick of eating too much French pastry.

It’s a problem the NBA has, but so does the NFL and the NHL.  You’re asking these players to risk injury in a showboat All Star game, when they have the playoffs up-ahead and the real NBA championship trophy.

The NFL has gotten rid of its Pro Bowl, which had deteriorated into nothing more than pitch and catch ‘flag football’.

The NHL changed it’s All Star game because it was nothing more than slapshots and breakaways on goaltenders.

The MLB All Star game has color-pagentry-history and real effort still.

Someone said put a pot of big money up as the Grand Prize.  Why?

The NBA just did that, awarding 500,000 per player for the NBA Cup in November, they tried to hype, but was nothing more than a bunch of weekend games that only counted one win in the standings.

And why would anyone want to see LeBron James making (45M) this year earn another 500,000- to put in his pocket for something meaningless.

Do something, like donate all the prize money to Ukraine-Gaza relief if you want to do something special.

Once upon a time the concept was pretty cool, but that was before every network had games on most every night and on weekends.  Back then you could see Walt Frazier-Oscar Robertston-Jerry West, stars vs stars.  Now there are so many games to watch, you seem great matchups all the time.

Even the slam dunk contest and the 3-point shooting event have lost their luster.

The only thing worth watching on the weekend was Steph-vs-Sabrina, the NBA-WNBA 3-Point shootout.  That was fun.  Now they need to build on that stage.

The NBA has a problem now.  No one wants to watch this any longer.  Just like no one wants to see any NBA games that don’t involve the Super Power Teams.

Three hours of my life I won’t get back.  At least I did not pay to attend it.

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“My Thoughts-The Team”
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What I see-what I think.

PADRES…New CEO-Eric Kutsenda held his first press conference taking over  for the departed Peter Seidler, giving a vote of confidence to GM-AJ  Preller.  He may be the only one speaking like that.  The Padres are preaching patience, saying all the pitching they got from the Yankees, will make a difference.  I don’t see any Blake Snell types there, nor any proven veterans like the Michael Wacha-Seth Lugo.  From Michael King going to the back of the rotation, alot to prove going towards the opening of the season.  Prellar’s contract runs thru 2026 so I don’t think he is in jeopardy of losing his job, yet.  But Kutsenda used the word ‘accountability’ three times in one sentence.

TV DEAL…President Erick Greupner says the TV deal rules are being set by MLB and he trusts they get the distribution packages done by the start of the season.  Have a hard time believing though the loss of 60M in annual TV revenue has not played a part in the fact the team has spent 101M-less in payroll this year than last year.  Greupner praised the fans, the season ticket holders, and saying they have put a quality product on the field for the 3-years in a row.  Excuse me, a 2021 season they tanked, a 2022 season run into the playoffs was fun, a 2023 season of underachievement.  I’m not sure that qualifies as quality.  And now the owner is gone, the manager fired, an MVP player traded, and a payroll a 100M less than last year.  Anybody like the direction they are going?

INFIELD..Xander Bogaerts to 2nd, Jake Cronenworth stays at 1st, Ha Seong-Kim at short, and hopefully not setbacks with the elbow for Manny Machado.  Think that group will be okay.

OUTFIELD..Is Jackson Merrill a true outfielder, and can he hit MLB pitching?  Sugar Azocar has to show he can hit?  Why all the excitement over the re-signing of Jurickson Profar-a super utilityman at best?  Until any of these guys show they can hit well, they are suspect prospects right now.  Big hole out there right now.  Big depth issues too.

CATCHER..Luis Campusano looks like has arrived.  If he gets hurt, they might have a black hole behind him.

DH..Looking for volunteers.  Why not bring Garrett Cooper back, he is still out there?  JD Martinez wants too much money.  Awful lot of fringe guys out there.  We don’t want a Ji Man Choi type acquisition, do we?

The spring training schedule opens end of the week.  Time to prove themselves.  Then we can make real judgements as to whether this team can be good, or will be in trouble.

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