By Ken Napzok The sounds we love are silent. The dugouts are bare. The fields are empty. There is no crack of the bat, the smack of ball hitting glove, no roar of the crowd. Baseball, like most of the world, has been put on hold. As the worldwide situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic exploded around all of us, baseball followed the NBA and NHL … Continue reading The Fields are empty
by Ken Napzok It’s time again to start ranking the week that was in baseball in our own special way. 5 – Kolten Wong’s Glove With all the chaos and drama of this offseason, it’s just nice to see the simple game of baseball played at a superhuman level. It’s a reminder of the game’s inherent beauty and all of our desires to get back … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | The First Power Rankings of the Season
by Ken Napzok No one should take joy in the injury of a player, so there is no suggestion here that these young Yankee arms are. However, the sad tale of Luis Severino’s struggle to get back to top pitching form took a turn for the worse this week when it was discovered that he needed Tommy John surgery and would miss all of 2020. … Continue reading The Future Could Be Now In New York
by Ken Napzok “I’m out it for a little while and everybody gets delusions of grandeur.” – Han Solo, hero and scoundrel. My apologies. I was a little out of sync and finished the month’s third column a little later than planned due to an illness and a car accident. I’m fine. My 2004 Camry is not. I returned to the fold having missed most … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | Punishment Time
by Ken Napzok Ha. I mean, really now. Haha. The most bizarre and troubling baseball offseason in most recent memory has finally come to a close. Pitchers and catchers have reported to camps. Yasiel Puig is still looking for work. And it’s time to not just look ahead — but move ahead. But… yeah…. wow. The crown jewel trade of Mookie Betts and David Price … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | What The Forkball?
by Ken Napzok Have you ever heard that ole’ proverb about the two bulls standing on a hill? You know the one. The two bulls are staring down into a pretty green pasture full of beautiful cows. So, like, the young bull says to the old bull… what does he say… oh yeah… I want to run down this hill and f**k one of them … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | Dodgers Win the Offseason
One vote. One. Vote. Derek Jeter is going into the Hall of Fame one vote short of being the second player ever unanimously sent into immortality. He would have joined his teammate Mariano Rivera. Yet one person decided to make a statement about Jeter. A protest? Maybe. An oversight? Nah. A Red Sox fan? Possibly. Right now, we don’t know because Major League Baseball hasn’t … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | Derek Jeter… One Vote.
by Ken Napzok “That escalated quickly.” – Ron Burgundy, legendary newsman. We all saw this storm forming far off the coast, but we just didn’t know how hard it was going to smack the shoreline. Then it hit and the winds of scandal, drama, gossip, and good ole fashion conspiracy theories slammed into the sport with the speed and ferocity of Pete Rose breaking Ray … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | So Much for a Quiet Offseason
Rob Manfred has spoken. Houston Astro General Manager Jeff Luhnow and Field Manager AJ Hinch have been suspended for a year without pay. The club had their 1st and 2nd round picks in the next two amateur drafts (or whenever they next have those picks) whisked away. And a five-million-dollar fine will be collected. This is the official cost for an unprecedented sign stealing operation … Continue reading Houston Astros Penalized in Cheating Scandal but was it Enough?
Cody Bellinger signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers for 11.5 million dollars, avoiding arbitration, and setting a record for first year arbitration eligible players. Mookie Betts signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox for 27 million dollars, avoiding arbitration, and setting a record for arbitration eligible players. Kris Bryant signed a one-year deal with the Cubs for 18.6 million dollars, avoiding arbitration, and … Continue reading THE BIG HIT | Offseason Moves
