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“King for a Day-in Baseball”

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Rob Manfred is the Commissioner of Baseball.

His sport is making money hand over fist, thanks to a rebirth in the interest of the game, the arrival of the next generation of great players, the growth of talent from abroad.

But for every exciting World Series, All Star game, home run from Aaron Judge or dominant pitching performance from Clayton Kershaw, there are always issues.

And Manfred has his hands full right now.

Pace of Play…Are the games too long? Some think that’s what makes the game so enduring is there is no clock. But the TV partners want shorter games, and are demanding a diminish in dead time. Look for new rules to be inserted next season, despite a push back from the union.

Strike Zone…Manfred may unilatterly invoke a different strike zone next year…raising it to the top of the knee to the letters on the jersey. It would mean the end of the low strike, and more hittable balls, and thus more runs in games.

Umpires….When MLB took over control of umpires during the Bud Selig era, it was to deliver more consistency from the umps working in both leagues. That consistency has drifted away over the last two years, with weird strike zones and constant issues about ball and strike calls.

Pitch Clock…It’s working in the minor leagues, the :20 pitch clock. It will be put into place next year despite the objections of the Union. Games lastted (2:56) in 2014…went up to (3:00) last season, and this year are going a full 3-hours and 5-minutes (3:05) in duration.

Visits to the Mound…This won’t happen because it involves strategy. Ditto for limited catchers trips to the mound, or the number of pitching changes a club can make in an inning. That’s too radical.

The Shift…Teams are figuring it out in year two, and there won’t be any ban on that either, for that is basic stragtegy in the game. Batters are going the other way with swins and its impact is less today than a year ago today.

Instant Replay…They have sped up the process and done a better job this year. Stadiums are so very different, that you still have quirky calls.

Mic the Ump…It is a big debate as to whether fans deserve an explanation form the home plate umpire about the decisions made on instant replay. It would help clarify the rules and aid the fans in terms of knowledge.

Batters Box Rules…It’s still an issue even if a rule was put in place to stop hitters from acting as human rain delays. Enforce it. Prevent them from stepping out of the box to adjust their batting gloves between each pitch.

4-Pitch Intentional Walk…The rules change has meant very little since there are just 1-intentional walks per every four games.

September Callups…Lots of debate last winter but nothing was done to limit teams callups from the minors for the final month of the season, when rosters go from 25-to-40. The debate that was proposed, you can have 40, but can suit up only 28-for the final month of the season, makes lots of sense. They haven’t acted on it yet though.

Disabled List…The decision to go from 15-to-a 10-day DL has helped clubs get healthier players on the roster at a quicker pace.

Concussion DL…Superb decision to put players on a 7-day Concussion disabled list for examination-while replacing him on the roster.

Schedules…Look for this next year. A shorter spring training-who needs 35-games in the Cactus League and Grapefruit Circuit. Next up will be to start the season the last week in March, though scheduling games in cold weather cities might be tough. Adding at least 4-off days during the regular season will be huge in terms of resting players. Do not expect doubleheaders to be part of the schedule.

Global Draft…Nice in theory but is not happening, though the new salary cap rules for international signings has produced a way to prevent the wild spending sprees of clubs over recent years. There’s no way to properly invoke a global draft since the sanctioning bodies in Japan-Mexico and Latin America have such different rules about acquiring players.

Expansion…No progress for a decade or so on the Oakland A’s–Tampa Bay Rays Stadium issues. Manfred admits Charlotte, Montreal, Mexico City, maybe even Las Vegas warrant consideration, but those prospective cities have to build Stadiums before anything would be considered.

NL-DH….Would be nice to have uniform rules for both leagues, but there seems to be no interest to balance it out, and that’s hard to understand. Would you rather see a pitcher (Average BA .092) or an a veteran bat in the twilight of his career (.290) hitting in the NL?

You be ‘King for a Day-in Baseball’ and solve the issues.

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“A Mid Summer Night’s Dream”

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The stars come out tonite in Miami. 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 at Marlins Park, the 88th meeting between the two leagues. Only once, in 1945, was the game postponed.

There have been controversies. Games rained out. Played in the rain. 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.

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.

Reggie Jackson, Mr. October, put on a show at Tigers’ Stadium with a 525′ foot home 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 tonight, 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.

The stars will shine over Miami. The real stars will be on the field too. A very special time in baseball.

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“This-That-Some of the Other”

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Goodbye to nice man…Tom Bushman-Old school columnist has left us…quality man..always friendly..in depth knowledge and valid opinions.

Padres…Hard to say they have made progress…but they are winning games…but not so sure they are doing anything but beating up some really bad teams….Yet they were 16 under .500 when I left on vacation and have fought back to get to 10-under .500…Still don’t hit much..though getting better pitching.

Padres…Buyer or seller or builder…remains to be seen heading to trading deadline in a couple of weeks…Brad Hand is part of resurgence..but others want to trade for him.

Dodgers..They are for real…mashing the ball and finding enough pitching to get by when Clayton Kershaw does not start…big question…will they use the erratic Yasiel Puig as trade bait to import another veteran starting pitcher for the rest of the pennant race…(61-29) amazing first half

Angels..Struggling to stay around .500…but the real issues involved the major shoulder-elbow-forearm problems to all their key starting pitchers….No one knows what the future holds for Matt Shoemaker, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney.

Chargers…They are emptying out the building in Mission Valley…this promises to be a very empty experience for Bolts fans left behind in San Diego once camps open the end of this month.

Hall of Fame…A surprise pick for his Hall of Fame presentation, LaDainian Tomlinson chose his fullback Lorenzo Neal to present him…..Not the front office exec who was in part responsible for drafting him (AJ Smith)-who cut him.. ..not the despised owner (Dean Spanos)-who just hired him….not his former coach (Marty Schottenheimer)-health issues…and not his quarterback (Philip Rivers)..nor his offensive lineman (Nick Hardwick). A strange pick for sure.

Soccer City…the insults have been ratcheted up (Sucker City)…and political agendas have stalled the attempts at November vote on the Qualcomm sight issues…and the media is trying to portray than an MLS-NASL expansion franchises or two will replace the NFL team we had taken from us.

Gulls…The AHL honored the team for its business accomplishments over a two year span, as the organization of the year. This will be a different, and much younger roster this coming fall….Coach Dallas Eakins is here after getting notice as a possible NHL coaching candidate after a quick 83-wins over 2-years in San Diego…next year might be his last season here if he puts together another good playoff run.

Lefty…Phil Mickelson continues to put together some great rounds..but hasn’t won a tourney in years..wonder if there is any magic left for him…..surely no magic left in the career nor life of his bitter competitor Tiger Woods..just released from a 30-days rehab stay for addiction to pain-killers…his life and career have gone of track.

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“Shockwave City-New York-Los Angeles”

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In New York, it was like a tidal wave finally arriving and sweeping it all out.

In Los Angeles, it was like an earthquake in the middle of the night.

The New York Knicks got rid of GM-Phil Jackson.

The Clippers dealt away star guard Chris Paul.

Big Chief Triangle, Jackson’s nickname from the glory years with the Bulls and Lakers, never-ever was able to take control of the job and do a good job.

His triangle offense never fit the players he was putting on the roster. His first coaching hire, Derek Fisher, could never make it work, and was taken out in the 2nd season. That came after he axed Mike Woodson. His last coaching hiring, Jeff Hornacek was nothing special.

Sources say he quit working hard, never being consumed like a Jerry Krause nor Jerry West was, when they built the Bulls and Lakers.

He never seemed to recover from the stunning rejection of Steve Kerr, who wanted no part of the New York basketball scene.

The roster was a hodge podge, of what he inherited, Carmelo Anthony and his bloated ego and contract, and then the drafting of soon to be super-star Kristaps Porzingas from Europe.

Jackson reached back to do deals that delivered a limited center Jokim Noah, and aging-past prime guard in Derrick Rose, and a collection of riff raff that didn’t seem to fit,nor play well.

Add in the drafting of French guard Frank Tilikin, whom may or may not get here next year.

Of course it all fits because of misfit owner James Dolan, last seen, arguing with former player Charles Oakley. Nice track record Dolan has put together. Walt Frazier and Willis Reed was a long time ago.

Jackson gets 24M, the final two years of his deal, to walk away. Dolan is left with a rag-tag roster, capped to hell, dragging with it an (80-166) record.

The Mecca, Madison Square Garden is a mess, but we all saw this tidal wave coming.

Out on the Left Coast, Jerry West made the statement, ‘change is painful-but sometimes you have to make changes’.

Goodbye CP3-who gave the Clippers great credibility, leadership, passion and pizzazz.

He was dealt in a sign and trade deal with the Houston Rockets, bringing back to LA, a package of shooting guard Patrick Beverly, fellow guard Lou Williamsk, young center Mont Harrell, 3-point shooter Sam Dekker, and a future first round draft pick.

The chemistry on the floor will change. Blake Griffin must still be re-signed, DeAndre Jordan is here, and maybe style of play will change under Doc Rivers.

Who knows if the Clippers can still be a player for Paul George of Indiana, who wants to come home to LA.

Chris Paul did lots of great things for the Clippers, but he could not do it by himself. In an NBA world, made up of multiple star players, LA is now down a man, and further away from Golden State and the other elite teams, than they were 24-hours ago.

Not sure Jerry West is done dealing. Still possibly a way to rachet up another deal tok be a Pacific Division quality team.

For sure the Knicks are farther away after wasting three years, thinking Phl-Jax could reinvent himself again.

Tidal wave damage pretty significant in New York. Earthquake damage still to be determined in Clipperland.

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“Padres Hitting-MIA-AWOL”

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The numbers aren’t that good..not the team’s stats…nor the individual hitting nor pitching.

That was to be expected for the Padres in phase one of what will be a 3-year rebuilding plan.

But there’s still lots of games to be played, and the slumping stats are stunning. Tuesday night was just another night of struggles. Shutout. 14-more strikeouts, bringing their lead total to (723) and we are not even at the half way mark of the campaign.

Wil Myers, highest paid player on the lowest payroll team in the game, hitting just (.201) since May 17th, with 47-strikeouts in his last 114-at bats. Yes an occasional home run, but lots of K’s too.

Hunter Renfroe, going thru a steep learning curve, hitting just (.179) in June, with strikeouts part of his DNA.

Franchy Cordero, despite a flashy hit here or there, in an (0-23) slump. His fellow rookie teammate, Alan Cordoba, who was in Class A ball at this time last year, (2-24). That’s a combined (2-for-47) from your left and center fielders. Ouch.

Who better to ask for a blunt assessment of what young players go thru, than a guy who went thru lots of that, Tony Gwynn Junior, the son of the Padres icon.

Some pretty candid comments, from a hitter who had good seasons and bad years too.

CORDOBA…He has no experience to lean on. This is all new to him.

CORDERO..Info on scouting reports, what guys cannot handle, travel quickly around baseball.

RENFROE..Still learning the strike zone…takes time and that only comes from seeing pitchers and pitches everyday….needs to get educated and not be guessing.

GRIND…These young players are going to hit a wall in late July, and when they get to August 31st it will dawn on them, there’s still a month more to play. They will be fatigued.

OFF DAYS…You crave them because it allows you to regenerate, if things are going bad. But if you are hot, you hate to lose the edge.

STRIKE ZONE…It’s easy to say, see the ball, hit the ball, but you are dealing with pitchers who can put it where they want. In hitting, are your mechanics tuned in? Do you feel you are in the launch position? Are you in rhythm? Knowing the count, knowing the pitcher, knowing the scouting report.

SLUMPS…When you are in the hole, you are thinking all the time. Where are my hands?Where is my shoulder? Where do I begin my swing? You’re doing everything but hitting the ball because you are worried about everything.

VIDEOS…Some players do a lot, but you have to be worried about mental overload….Look at video with your hitting coach…he can spot things you cannot.

HOT STREAK….When you are in the zone, you can close your eyes and visualize the four quadrants, and where you will hit the ball when it enters the different zones. It’s the most amazing feeling to be locked in.

HITTING COACHES….The biggest intangible is they have to be psychiatrist. They need to use a different language for each of the different players this deal with. Some players cope with adversity better than others. Some handled criticism better than others. They are positive most of the time but need to be tough love too.

FLAWS…Players have to feel the flaw in the swing before they can correct it, and that’s where another set of eyes can come into play.

HITTIING CAGE…Be careful of mental fatigue. Extra hitting does not help if you do not know what you are supposed to be working on.

STRATEGY…The shift impacts hitter’s psyche. The shift forces you to change your approach to hitting. It makes you change your natural swing. Not a lot of players have learned to ‘go the other way’ in hitting against the shift. It’s the hardest thing in baseball.

ELEVATED SWING….Everyone is caught up right now in launch angles, to the detriment. Pitchers have responded by now throwing high and hard, getting you to swing up in the zone. If you are trying to launch all the time, you cannot get to high hard ones. Batters spend too much time now on launching. A-plus-B = C, a home run. You need the A, mechanics, B-recoginizing the pitch, to get to C.

CULTURE…Clubhouses are very different now. We have so many Latin players with different languages. Clubs are doing a great job guiding young players from Latin America. Veterans need to take them under their wing. I played in Venezuela, and felt like a fish out of water. Imagine what it’s like here for 14 of the 25-who do not speak English.

MINOR LEAGUES…When you get sent down, it’s probably because you are not producing. Harder on older players because families are involved. As you got older, you are more prepared for the business of baseball. You know to expect the unexpected too.
When you are sent out, go figure it out, refine it, lock in, and you’ll get called up. Don’t worry about the callup, worry about what they told you to work on. Attack the problem, get your ABs in and just go play.

Tony Gwynn learned under one of the best pure hitters in the game (#19). Interesting to listen to Hitting 101.

Myers-Renfroe-Cordero-Cordova still have lots to learn and still a half season plus to get back on track.

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