=======

‘BASEBALL-OFF THE FIELD–BIG ISSUES’
=======

The All Star game was fun.
The Baseball Trading deadline is just ahead.
The Rumor mill will be working overtime.
The Wildcard Playoff race will be electric.
The World Series will be worth watching.

Baseball has record TV ratings, all time attendance records, and record revenue.

It also has problems all over the place.

Here’s a scorecard worth paying attention too:

BASEBALL VS IMMIGRATION…Your President has allowed ICE officials to enter schools, churches, workplaces, court rooms to round up immigrants.  Just asking this:  What happens if they show up in a baseball clubhouse?  In El Paso?  In the Arizona complex league?  MLB has issued a memo that all players, born outside the US, carry their legal documents with them at all times.  As of opening day, (28%) of all major leaguers were born outside the US.  The minor league prospect list might be as high as (40%) of the players from outside the US border.  Are we awaiting something bad because of Trump-ICE?

THE CBA…The war of words has already erupted.  The Commissioner saying a Salary Cap could make baseball profitable for players, as well as owners.  Union Chief Tony Clark emphatically says ‘not on my watch’.  Terms like collusion, bloodbath, and profiteering are now part of every question-answer session with the leaders of the game.  The next phrases you will hear will be ‘lockout’

BALLS & STRIKES…The game has technology and the move to fix the problems at home plate are coming.  The experiments are over, and the ABS computer system will be implemented on opening day next year.  It got positive reviews in the experiment phase in spring training.  69% of the fans surveyed after the Cactus League-Grapefruit Circuit liked its use.  72% said they wanted to see it on opening day next year.  Still to be determined, how many challenges for each team, who makes the call, will it be managers, or just the batter’s-catchers-pitchers who can ask for reviews?  But it’s coming because of the poor work by home plate umpires over recent years.

SALARY DISPARITY…The Dodgers-Yankees-Mets all have payrolls that range from (350M-to-383M) as of opening day.  Miami has the lowest payroll (85M) and 16-teams cut payroll last winter, despite record revenues going to virtually everyone.  Yes, the TV landscape has changed.  Yes market size has something to do with revenue streams.  But MLB and its Union have not been able to copy the Blueprint the NFL-NBA-NHL have implemented, where everyone makes money.  The Luxury Tax is in place, but there is no floor to spending, and that is what the other three sports have in place.  And everyone is making money.  Baseball’s financial plan must change.

Enjoy what is just ahead in baseball, games, trades, the post season, but understand how many other problems that are out there that have to be dealt with.

================

========
“AN ALL STAR NIGHT”
========

 

-0-

“A Mid Summer Night’s Dream”

-0-

 

 

The stars come out tonite in Atlanta.  It’s baseball’s iconic All Star Game.

Color, history, electricity.

The best face the best, in what is really more than just an exhibition game.

It’s flair, dynamics, passion.

It started in 1933 as a charity game in Chicago, to raise funds.  It marked a beginning of a tradition that no one could derail…not World War II…..Baseball Labor strife…nor even Commissioner Bud Selig.

They play tonite , the annual meeting between the two leagues.  Only once, in 1945, was the game postponed.

There have been controversies.  Games rained out.  Played in the rain.  Tie games.  Beanballs, ejections, and All Star game shutdown when they ran out of pitchers in the 2002-Selig era.

Even the most absurd, when baseball sponsored two All Star Games from 1959-to-1962.

Then more recently, the Selig driven rule, that the league that won the All Star Game, would have home field advantage for the World Series.  Glad that’s gone now.

We remember individual accomplishments, but also the sense of honoring the past, like Tony Gwynn did, escorting Ted Williams, in a wheelchair, to the mound at Fenway Park.

Big days and big plays are what we remember, whether we were a kid, or a 70-year old fan.

Babe Ruth won the first ever game with a home run in that 1933-debut.  No one really knew what baseball had stumbled upon with this so-called charity game, that became a treat every summer for fans and players alike.

Big bombs have highlited what we have seen in past July’s.

Tony Perez hit a 15th inning homer in 1967.

Stan Musial of the Cardinals won the game with a blast in 1955

Cal Ripken’s farewell season with the Orioles included an All Star home run forever remembered.

Jackie Robinson became the first colored player to be in the game in 1949, joined by his Brooklyn teammates Don Newcombe, Roy Campanella and the Indians’ Larry Doby.

But it’s the drama, and the accomplishment that forever lives on.

The best moments of all time?

Ted Williams 1946 outing when he went (4-4) coming back from war.

Or Teddy Ballgame’s 3-run home run in the 9th inning, just before baseball went off to war in 1941.

Reggie Jackson, Mr. October, put on a show at Tigers’ Stadium with a 525′ foot homer into the light towers, atop the roof in Detroit.

We have video of Pete Rose’s Charley Hustle head first dive, burying Indians catcher Ray Fosse at home plate in 1970.

And you can find the grainy black and white video of King Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants, striking out 5-Hall of Famers in a row, in 1934.  Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmuy Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin all went down swinging at that impossible to hit screwball in the Polo Grounds..

Baseball has made this a week of Mardi-Gras like festivals during the All Star Break.  Home Run Derby, the Futures Game, the Fan Fest, and then the game itself.

Sit back, relax, remember, and then enjoy all things baseball, what was done in the past, what we have to look forward to, tonite.

A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream….that keeps recurring every July.  A very special time in baseball.
 

========

Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast..1:30pm
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot Topics on Table..Stay for Fans Forum
========
Baseball gets to the All Star break in Atlanta.

We take a look at who is hot-who is not..at midseason in baseball.

American League:

BLUE JAYS..A strong middle third of the season from Vlad Guerrero-Bo Bichette-George Springer and a solid rotation has them in first place.  Will the Vlad-man keep slugging is the key?

YANKEES..Bit of a first half surprise considering all the losses of a ton of frontline pitching.  Questions remain-can Aaron Judge continue to carry the order?  Can Max Fried continue his dominance?  Will Carlos Rodon not wilt in the second half?  Do they have a legitimate closer?

DETROIT…Doing it with alot of home grown talent that has grown up together…Tarik Skubal remains as good as anyone on the mound but the back of the rotation seems to be fading right now.

HOUSTON..Look where they are post-Alex Bregman-Kyle Tucker?  Young players from a deep farm system, and Hunter Brown-Ronel Blanco have stepped into the rotation.  Josh Hader has had an electric season as closer too.

BALTIMORE..Lack of pitching has devastated them
CLEVELAND..Can hit but not enough arms
TEXAS..Poor seasons at bat and lots of nagging injuries.
———
National League:

METS..Equally as surprising as to what is happening cross town with the Yankees…Putting together this first half record without 5-starting pitchers in the rotation is impressive…Now Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea are rejoining the roster.  And all this despite a lousy first half from Juan Soto.

DODGERS..Big wins, big streaks, big hits, big injury problems.  All this without Blake Snell-Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki on the mound.  All this with a battered bullpen.  All this with some Ohtani slumps, Mookie Betts illness, and injuries to Freddie Freeman-Max Muncy.  Their best baseball may still be ahead of them.

PHILLIES…Not hitting homers like they have in the past, and yet a good first half with Aaron Nola and Bryce Harper having been hurt.  Waiting to see what a full roster does the final 3-months of the season.  Bullpen looks shaky though.

PADRES..Real Jekyl-Hyde team…Gold star bullpen…Red Flag batting order, aside from Machado, a beat up rotation, and yet hanging around staying in the wildcard race.  Starting to hit coming off this Phillies series.  Add Darvish-King to Pivetta and this could be a dangerous team if they can stay close to the Dodgers.  Best-deepest bullpen in baseball.

CUBS…Not even sure the people at Wrigley Field expected this group to be this good.  Shoto Imanaga and Matt Boyd make a good rotation.  Peter Crow-Armstrong is must see TV when at bat.  Role players having good seasons.

MILWAUKEE…This might be a stunner of a season, with kids like Jackson Chourio helping Christian Yelich and a rotation aiding Freddy Peralta.  And now this flamethrower Jacob Misiowicz shows up on the mound.

GIANTS…A good start, but starting to fade a bit.  Power in the lineup.  Not hitting for average as team.  Logan Webb leads a solid rotation.  A feisty bullpen.  And all this while Justin Verlander has gone (0-7) to start.

ATLANTA..Started bad-got worse..Acuna-Strider-Schwellenbach-Sale and more-injuries.
ARIZONA..Can hit-but you lose 4-starters with surgeries-you do not win.  Alot of money on the DL.

 

Bring on the All Star Game-then the trading deadline.  We will wait to see if the first half leaders can finish the second half of the season strong.
==================

=======

Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Look-Listen-Share-Subscribe

=======
“NBA SUMMER LEAGUE-NOT MUCH TO SEE”
=======

It was an overhyped debut game in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The country wanted to see what Cooper Flagg would look like in his first NBA action, even if it was a meaningless game between the Lakers and Mavericks.

West Coast fans wanted to see the difference between rookie Bronnie James, last year, and the difference with a full off season of weight-nutrition work.

The nation probably came away impressed with the top pick in the draft from Duke.  Lakers fans probably have the same sentiment now as they did last year about LeBron James’ son.

Flagg showed alot of his tools in his 10-point debut.  Thundering drives to the basket.  Turn around jump shots.  Drives, bank shots, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.

He also learned alot.  He had a fistful of shots deflected and blocked by jumping jack big men, the so called rim protectors.

But he showed alot of power, played with no fear, and ran up alot of on the floor minutes for someone who had just a couple of practices with the other Dallas rookies.

He finished (5-21) shooting in the Mavs win.  There were 6-rebounds, 4-assists, 3-steals and 2-blocks.  Not bad for the first time out.

For Bronny boy, he hit 2-quick jump shots to excite the crowd and then disappeared.

Sat a bunch in the lst quarter, played in the second, a bit in the 3rd stanza and a bunch of minutes in the final quarter, and did nothing.  He finished (2-8), there were turnovers, fouls,  and signs he was overwhelmed by the talent level on the floor.

Considering he was (6-33) shooting in the California Classic games, it is hard to imagine he is any closer to being a trustworthy NBA player in year two than he was as a lost rookie last year.

Flagg’s credentials flashed at both ends of the floor, and the first game will be a learning curve as to what to expect on defense.

For Bronny , is he anything more than a legacy draft pick, who should still be playing for the USC Trojans, instead of taking up the final active roster spot, because he is LeBron’s kid.

Opening night, NBA Summer League, the number 1-pick worth seeing.  The rest on the floor, nah.
=======================

=======Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast..1-30pm
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot Topics on Table..Stay for Fans Forum
=========
“HAVE YOU SEEN ENOUGH?”
=========

Random sports questions I want you to answer.

DODGERS..Is Dave Roberts on the hot seat for this wildly erratic season?  Sure seems to be unpopular from some LA fans despite the World Series rings.

DODGERS..Payroll at (338M) and in need of a 3B..Would you be offended if they traded for Nolan Arrenado of St Louis and his big time salary?

PADRES..Sophomore slump-scouting reports figured out Jackson Merrill in middle of a (3-33) slump?

PADRES..Is Fernando Tatis getting by just on athleticism, and where is his baseball IQ these days in the midst of a (.209) average since May 3rd?  Can’t fix his mechanical flaws

ANGELS..Have a very high draft pick come Sunday in the Baseball Amateur draft and likely to take a college pitching star, Liam Doyle-Tennessee.  Do you know since Perry Manasian took over as GM-the Halos have not developed a front line start pitcher yet?  Do you see any of the 21-pitchers they drafted in one draft a couple of years back, doing anything on the major league roster?

Your turn with your answers-now.
=============