Baseball has a new boss, and it has nothing to do with the late Yankees legend George Steinbrenner, and not much to do with the ex-Commissioner Bud Selig.

 
The new leader is longtime MLB exec Rob Manfred, by way of Rome, New York, and is his plate ever full.

 
The All Star Game voting was one story, but it will not change, so the controversies will not go away.

 
The Pete Rose saga, washed up on the shores of the Ohio River again last night, with the ex-kReds icon awaiting an invitation to talk about his pat, while Manfred saying there was no urgency, and he was not ready to hear whatever Rose wanted to say, yet.

 
Manfred sure has a checklist of things to deal with. His proposed idea of the reduction of the schedule from 162-games to 154, to give players more days off, and open up the prospect for expanded playoffs, is still in the idea stage.

 
Whatever chatter that is taking place about the DH-and the National League, must be going on behind closed doors. Manfred likes uniformity, but not many other people are in favor of watching the DH in the NL.

 
There will be no dicussion of use of instant replays for balls and strikes, so I guess it remains an imperfect subjective science of the guys behind home plate.

 
The new leader is pleased with the pace of the game rules, that have pushed games from 3:05 to 2:58 this season, though there seems to be no policing of the ‘keep your foot in the batters box rule’.

 
The 1-game wild card play-in game was exciting next year, and the new leader does not see any change in that structured immediately. No best of 3-play-in…best of 5-second round..then best of seven after that.

 
There is talk, realistitc or not, about expansion, with Montreal at the forefront, followed by Charlotte, Las Vegas and even the Meadowlands-New Jeresey. But all that is tied to new stadiums which are needed in all those cities.

 
But for the first time in a long time, this All Star break, and its storylines were all about baseball issues. Not bad Bud Selig decisions, not PEDs, not probes or A-Rod lawsuits, not Biogenesis, or Union appeals about discipline of players.

 
Rob Manfred is dealing with lots of interesting issues, all of them about the grand old game. It’s about the game of baseball, not the business of baseball or the legal side of baseball.

Refreshing isn’t it?.

Baseball has a new boss, and it has nothing to do with the late Yankees legend George Steinbrenner, and not much to do with the ex-Commissioner Bud Selig.
The new leader is longtime MLB exec Rob Manfred, by way of Rome, New York, and is his plate ever full.
The All Star Game voting was one story, but it will not change, so the controversies will not go away.
The Pete Rose saga, washed up on the shores of the Ohio River again last night, with the ex-kReds icon awaiting an invitation to talk about his pat, while Manfred saying there was no urgency, and he was not ready to hear whatever Rose wanted to say, yet.
Manfred sure has a checklist of things to deal with. His proposed idea of the reduction of the schedule from 162-games to 154, to give players more days off, and open up the prospect for expanded playoffs, is still in the idea stage.
Whatever chatter that is taking place about the DH-and the National League, must be going on behind closed doors. Manfred likes uniformity, but not many other people are in favor of watching the DH in the NL.
There will be no dicussion of use of instant replays for balls and strikes, so I guess it remains an imperfect subjective science of the guys behind home plate.
The new leader is pleased with the pace of the game rules, that have pushed games from 3:05 to 2:58 this season, though there seems to be no policing of the ‘keep your foot in the batters box rule’.
The 1-game wild card play-in game was exciting next year, and the new leader does not see any change in that structured immediately. No best of 3-play-in…best of 5-second round..then best of seven after that.
There is talk, realistitc or not, about expansion, with Montreal at the forefront, followed by Charlotte, Las Vegas and even the Meadowlands-New Jeresey. But all that is tied to new stadiums which are needed in all those cities.
But for the first time in a long time, this All Star break, and its storylines were all about baseball issues. Not bad Bud Selig decisions, not PEDs, not probes or A-Rod lawsuits, not Biogenesis, or Union appeals about discipline of players.
Rob Manfred is dealing with lots of interesting issues, all of them about the grand old game. Refreshing isn’t it?.
No virus found in this message.

It’s special because maybe the history of the sports is really special.  This mid-summer night’s dream, the All Star game this evening in Cincinnati.

It will be fun to watch the pitching matchup of Zack Greinke, the Dodgers ‘Mr. Zero’, who has thrown 35-straight shutout innings, against the Astros ace Dallas Keuchel.  Fun too, to watch the National League’s home run hitters against all the relievers stacked in the American League bullpen.

The history of this game, and its controversies, is amazing.

It started as a dream of a Chicago newspaper writer, Arch Ward, to bring all the stars together on a given night in mid-season in a showcase of talent.

It brought us Babe Ruth’s 1933-home run blast in the very first game.

Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, hit a mammoth home run off the light towers on top of the roof at old Tigers Stadium.

Ted Williams hit a blast of a home run in 1946 off a Luke Sewell eephus pitch.

The Orioles icon Cal Ripken hit a home run in his first at bat, in his last all start game.

But the game under the lights also brought us magnificent pitching too.  Fernando Valenzuala and Dwight Gooden combined to strike out six in a row one all star evening.

The greatest feat was in 1934, Giants ace King Carl Hubbell whiffing 5-Hall of Famers in a row with his patented screwball.  Take a seat and sit down Ruth-Gehrig-Foxx-Simmons and Cronin.

There was the beautiful sight of baseball’s two greatest pure hitters together on the mound at Fenway in the Ted Williams-Tony Gwynn reunion.

Pete Rose ran over catcher Ray Fosse in 1970-forever changing the image of Rose and the health of Fosse.

The Twins Harmon Killebrew badly tore a groin reaching for a throw at first base.

And there have been fun times too, John Kruk of the Phillies bailing out of the box, not wanting to face Randy Johnson, then of Seattle fame.

And controversies too, the stupidity of a couple of years when they staged two All Star games per season, and of course, Bud Selig suspending the game after 11-innings, in a 7-7 tie, when both teams ran out of pitchers.

What happens tonite is more meaningful than the NFL Pro Bowl flag football game, or the NBA night which is a three point shooting contest, and the NHL shooting gallery game.

Color, pagentry, history, and players wearing their team’s jerseys.  What a night, when the stars come out for tonite’s All Star game.

Remember the great ones gone by, and the new stories to be made this evening.  The stars come out tonite in a great night for baseball across America

Gone for a week on holiday, and lots of things happen that deserve comment.

Wimbledon…Novak Djokovic put on an awesome display of ground strokes and returns in winning his third title at Center Court. He broke Roger Federer’s serve four times in the final round, as the Serb won his 3rd All England title. That after he stomped home town favorite Andy Murray in the semis.

Wimbledon..When healthy she plays the beautiful game. Serena Williams gets another plate on the grass, wins her fourth straight Grand Slam event, and the 21st of her career. The Serena-Slam binge, reeling off four Grand Slams in a row is something to see.

Tour-de-France…Don’t want to wear the yellow jersey these days, and spill blood all over it. Terrible crashes at the front of the pack marred week one of the Tour, including mishaps that sent leaders to the hospital on back to back days, with a broken shoulder and collarbone.

NASCAR…A week after the horrific Austin Dillon flip into the fence at Daytona, the governing body of stock car racing, still doesn’t really have a handle on keep the cars on the ground, on the Super Speedways. Running at Kentucky or Dover is not like Talladega or Dayton.

Indy Car….Ditto the raging controversy of pack racing and getting airborne in that series too. Indy officials socked Will Power, the defending points champ with a 25,000 fine to calling out race leadership and its rules that put drivers at terrible risks. The race at Fontana was too fast, too dangerous.

NBA…Everybody wants to be a ‘max player’ in pro basketball, from the LeMarcus Aldridge’s of the world, to the fringe star like Monta Ellis. The Latrelle Sprewell issue of ‘can’t feed my family on 13M a year”.

Lakers…So much for championship banners, retired uniforms, and shiny trophies, after LA struck out in attempts to sign the big money free agents. Roy Hibbert, Pacers, a difference maker?

Clippers…Unless a signature is on the paper, there is no deal, and so, despite DeAndre Jordan’s verbal committment to sign in Dallas, the Clippers were still there when Jordan had second thoughts, and decided to call his former team back. Mark Cuban had to bite his tongue to avoid another 100,000-fines.

NHL…Much the same in hockey, where guys are getting 8-to-10M a year just because the salary cap has gone up.

Padres…Wow, someone gets excited because San Diego wins two games in a row vs a beat-up Rangers team. Skidding to the All Star break, the Friars are still 10-games behind first place LA, and are 7th in the fite for the two wildcard spots in the NL.

Chargers…Five weeks now since the Mayor unveiled his financing plan for the NFL Stadium at the Q, and not talks at all about the actual financing of who pays what or if money must be shifted around.

NFL…Just asking “‘what if” USC, which runs the Coliseum, says ‘no’ to the NFL request to rent the facility in 2016, where does the NFL go. Dodgers Stadium, Angels Stadium, the 27,000 seat Stub Hub soccer stadium in Carson. The NFL has always been about leverage. Wonder how this tastes to them now, that the Trojans have the edge.

Sports Fans.

Thanks for checking in daily.

On Vacation this week.

Check back on Monday, July 15th

Thanks,

Hacksaw.