Why MLB Postseason is Greatest Time of Year

 The playoffs of any major sport are exciting, but undoubtedly the MLB postseason is particularly so.  Though there are several reasons that this is the case, there are a few that stand out.   Generally, in baseball, the playoffs showcase the most elite teams in any given season.  Along with this, the best players are able to display their skills.  Therefore, the best overall teams are able to progress through the playoffs. In many other sports, the hottest squads advance, rather than the most talented ones the league has to offer.

 Although Major League Baseball has expanded its playoffs in recent years, they are still small enough to ensure that only the best teams will face one another.  Right now, all division winners in each league compete in the postseason, as well as, the two top non division winners in each league.  That’s how it should be, the best in baseball should only be permitted to compete for championships.  Unfortunately, the manner that other major sports carry out their playoffs stands in stark contrast to MLB.  The other leagues allow half their clubs to face off in a playoff format.  Therefore the performance in regular season play is diminished.  Just another reason why the MLB postseason is like no other.

Because of the current MLB setup, the greatest players and teams are allowed to exhibit their talent.  In the fall, the greatest athletes are on display competing for a world title.  In addition, due to the pace that baseball is played at, individual play can be highlighted and contemplated by those involved, as well as, observers and fans.  With other sports, analyzing play is much more difficult due to the high speed of competition.  Baseball is a thinking man’s game, something that can’t be said for other contests.

In the MLB postseason, every team that qualifies generally deserves to be there.  They have performed at a high level for most of the season, and  earned their playoff berth.  Very seldom do you see a team “back in” to the playoffs.  The fact is, that in the other professional leagues, many teams have done this very thing, and really haven’t performed at a level to warrant a playoff appearance.  To their detriment, the NBA, NHL, and NFL have all succumbed to embracing the financial benefits of having many teams participate in the postseason.  Without a doubt, this dilutes the importance of regular season play.  Because baseball has kept their playoff relatively minuscule, they have managed to avoid the same fate.  

Every sports enthusiast enjoys an exciting and riveting playoff season.  Though every professional league attempts to accomplish this task, perhaps nobody does it better than MLB.  It’s the best against the best.  Fans are given the time to digest how great the play is, due to pace.  Like no other sport, the top teams are the only clubs likely to win a championship.  Thankfully, MLB is the only entity to conduct its playoffs in the most proper way possible.  Hopefully, that never changes.

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Urban Meyer a Bad Choice to Potentially Take Over at Michigan State.

 Now that the Mel Tucker era has come to an end, the cascade of names to replace him have begun to infiltrate the public sphere.  Though many of those names have no chance of taking the helm of the Michigan State football program, the speculation is bound to continue until a firm candidate is chosen.  One former coach that has appeared to capture some interest, is the former Ohio State head man Urban Meyer.  Although his coaching resume is unquestionably outstanding, his coaching tactics and past behavior should give the MSU brass some pause before letting him steer the troubled, but storied football program.

Due to his arrogance and ego apparently, Meyer has adopted some peculiar coaching methods.  This included repeatedly engaging in abusive behavior toward players.  The most notable instance saw Meyer kick a player’s leg multiple times.  When confronted about the incident by the affected player, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo, Urban said, “He would kick his leg whenever he wanted because he was the head ball coach.”  However, such actions ultimately resulted in Meyer’s demise as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach.  Given this type of behavior, Urban Meyer does not belong on any football field in any capacity, let alone, as a head coach at a major university trying to recover its reputation that was damaged due to multiple scandals.

The recruitment of solid and all around character players seems to be a major weakness of Meyer’s.  In total, 31 of Urban’s players became embroiled in criminal matters.  The severity of those situations ranged from mild to the most severe.  Because of this history, someone other than the former coach must be picked to make sure the football program can redevelop as an elite, well run operation once again.  Picking a head coach with such a checkered past could exacerbate the university’s problems.

From a practical perspective, can simply bringing in a big name coach attract the best and brightest players?  Given the fact that higher profile universities have more resources and facilities, the answer is probably no.  Unfortunately, colleges have to consider the financial benefit it can offer its players.  If financial gain isn’t maximized for athletes, the best coach in the country couldn’t attract elite players.  Without a doubt, this is the scenario that must be taken into consideration when searching for the next head coach.

Is Urban Meyer one of the best coaches to ever coach in the college game?  There’s no question, the answer is yes.  However, from now on, any team that considers hiring him must ask themselves if they can take on his baggage, and the potential consequences of it.  In Michigan State’s case, they cannot afford to deal with what a Urban Meyer hire may bring, when in fact, they may be able to get the same results by bringing in someone less controversial.

Reasons For Hope for Detroit Tigers in 2024

 After a less than stellar 2022 season for the Detroit Tigers, it was hoped that 2023 season would see significantly better results.  Thankfully. due to the consistent pitching and a more than serviceable offense, these hopes came to fruition.  These two facets of the game allowed this team to beat inferior teams for the most part.  If a carry over effect occurs in 2024, along with slight improvement, a division title will not be far off.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this team is the apparent progression of the young talent.  The likes of Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, among others, have made dramatic strides that will be immeasurable in making the Tigers successful well into the future.  In 2023, Spencer Torkelson has smashed 29 homers, and driven in 90 runs.  As for Riley Greene, in his injury shortened campaign, has amassed 109 hits, good for a .288 Batting Average.   It is vital for both of these guys to stay healthy to maintain sustained success going forward.  Furthermore, the young pitching must build on the progress that was accomplished in the 2023 season.  With solid pitching and a continued consistent offense, the things this ball club could achieve are unknown.

Without a doubt, to attain the desired goals for any Major League team, it is imperative to play well away from your home field.  This means playing .500 or better on the road.  For the first time in quite awhile, the Tigers were able to accrue a 41-40 record on the road.  This is a first step to becoming a great team.  However, their downfall was playing 10 games under .500 at Comerica Park.  To be elite, it’s important to play well over the break even mark on home turf.  To compete for a division next season as expected, this team needs a repeat road performance, and an improved home record.  Whether this occurs or not, depends on how well our young corps can play.

Beating division foes is a must when competing for titles of any kind.  No, the Tigers are not a championship caliber team as of now but, they are quite possibly the second best team in the American League Central Division.  This is due to the fact that they have bested every division opponent in each respective season series.  Obviously, the Tigers haven’t done enough to compete with the best teams, but it would appear they have progressed in the right direction to do so in the future.

Though this season hasn’t ended the way many fans would like, the team has taken dramatic steps to meet the goals that everyone would like them to achieve.  To say this team has improved greatly would almost be an understatement.  From 30 games under .500 to at least 10 games under this season, is a much better improvement than anyone expected.  As a result, it’s likely that modest improvement is all that’s needed for the Tigers to be division leaders in 2024.

Is It the Same Old Lions?

 Without a doubt, the Detroit Lions have an illustrious history of poor play and bad luck.  After Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, many are wondering if these issues will continue into this season. Though the Lions appeared to play well enough to win this past weekend, a mixture of poor play and unfortunate occurrences, once again factored into another Lions loss.  Do the Lions have the ability to overcome such instances to parlay it into success on the field.  We shall see.

Needless to say, luck has not exactly been on the Lions side in recent history.  Several bizarre plays have went against this team that added up to several last second and heartbreaking losses.  There’s been the last second loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in 2015, when he threw a 63 yard pass to beat the Lions 27-23.  Next, we have Justin Tucker for the Baltimore Ravens nailing an NFL record 66 yard field goal that bounced off the cross bar and through the uprights to win the game.  Hopefully, the team can tighten up their play to avoid such activities having such great influence over game outcomes.

It is incumbent on the Detroit to acquire a killer instinct during games, and take advantage of every opportunity the opponent gives them.  If they fail to do so, they will continue to be defeated in unusual ways.  With a casual analysis of Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, it was apparent that the Lions were unable to take advantage of the opportunities they were given.  For example, the Lions should have been able to obliterate the Seahawks second string offensive line.  Instead, they were unable to put any pressure on Geno Smith, and he was able to drive down the field at will.  If the Lions want to win championships, they must be able to capitalize on the opponent’s weaknesses.

Though it didn’t get a lot of play, the Lions were once again bitten by the curse of bad calls going against them, which resulted in the Lions going down in defeat.  On the final drive of the game in overtime by the Seahawks, a Lions player was held on a touchdown pass by Geno Smith.  Not only have the Lions had to endure the issue of impossible plays sealing their fate, they’ve also had to deal with some outrageous officiating dooming them.  We have quite a menu of those as well, including, “the complete the process of the catch” rule coming into being.  This came about because Calvin Johnson caught a pass in 2010 in the end zone, but the pass was ruled incomplete because Johnson failed to maintain possession of the ball after hitting the ground.  Clearly, officiating has played much more of a role in Lions games than many would like.

Is the 2023 season destined for the usual fate of a Lions season?  That seems doubtful by all indications.  For one, when the Lions got behind, they weren’t phased and continued to play well and score.  With a few adjustments, they should be able to eliminate the issues exhibited Sunday.  When they have an opportunity to win a game.  Take it.  The offense should have been in hurry up mode on the final drive of the game to give themselves an opportunity to score a touchdown instead of simply getting a field goal.  With a touchdown, you take the lead, give the ball back to other team, and take your chances.  At least you did everything possible to win the game.  That is what good teams do.

What Causes a “Mel Tucker” Like Downfall?

 One of the biggest sports stories in Michigan right now is the sexual harassment allegations against Michigan State Head football Coach Mel Tucker.  The now suspended coach has been under investigation since last December.  Though many discuss the consequences of such events, I don’t think there is enough exploration of why these incidents occur to begin with.  Without a doubt, there are many character flaws that are left unaddressed that come into play.  When there is a lack of correction of these imperfections, these events are bound to happen, and get more severe over time.

Clearly, one of the most prominent reasons such acts take place is due to a lack of moral character.  It is quite likely that individuals such as Tucker engage in harassment activities on a regular basis, and have most of their lives.  Furthermore, they see nothing wrong with it, and simply make excuses when they get caught.  This behavior also results because these types of people have a lack of respect for women and people in general.  In addition, the Mel Tuckers of society, have a blurred set of values that allow them to view what they are doing as acceptable.  As long as we have people in the population with these viewpoints, these abhorrent actions will continue to take place.

People who conduct themselves in a manner that includes devaluing others through unwanted relations, seem to get more bold as they progress through time.  As they advance themselves through the career hierarchy, they become more powerful.  Along with this, their unacceptable actions can become more frequent and severe in nature.  It’s almost as though they are under the impression that their authority inoculates them from consequences.  Therefore, they feel even if they do get caught engaging in questionable deeds, their perceived charisma will protect them from scrutiny.  Unfortunately, this can happen.  Thankfully, in Tucker’s case, he could not escape paying the price for his inexcusable behavior.  For Tucker authority did not equal escapabiliy.

Unfortunately for Tucker and people like him, allow themselves to get in vulnerable situations that involves little to no accountability.  This gives them the opportunity to completely control situations that could lead to devastating and life altering consequences for all involved.  Additionally, in the moment, they allow feelings to cloud the thinking process, which inevitably leads to occurrences that will be regretted in the future.  Having some an accountability and a little sensibility keeps people on the straight and narrow, and for Tucker could have made all the difference in the world.

A little bit of self reflection and self awareness is important for anyone to conduct life successfully.  A lack of it can lead to some unwanted bumps in the road.  Having both of these qualities will lead to a natural respect for your fellow human beings.  Unfortunately, for Tucker, he was woefully low on all of these qualities, which led to his unprofessional, unwanted, and heinous acts toward others.  With proper remorse, he could be forgiven, but the consequences will be with him the rest of his days.

Is Lions Performance Against Kansas City Being Overemphasized?

 On Thursday, the Lions open the NFL season against the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.  Though many see this game as a gauge to measure the quality of the Detroit Lions squad, too much stock may be being placed on how the Lions perform.  If they lose, and don’t turn in a good performance, is this a sign of future lack of success?  If they wipe the floor with the Chiefs, are they Super Bowl Bound?  Likely, neither question can be answered in the affirmative.  The NFL season is a long season, previous success is not necessarily an indicator of future victories.  By the same token, lackluster performances, does not predict future negative outcomes.

In the NFL, all players are playing football at the highest level.  Any NFL player would dominate in lower level football leagues.  For this reason, any team can beat any team on a given week.  Furthermore, a good team can have a bad week, and a bad team can have a good week.  Moreover, Super Bowl Champions are prone to poor output in subsequent seasons.  Consequently, Lions fans should not become to hopeful with a victory over Kansas City, or too disappointed with a loss. 

Following Super Bowl appearances, marquee players generally find it difficult to duplicate multiple excellent campaigns consecutively.  Usually, extenuating circumstances occur to preclude another stellar season.  Case in point, Tight End Travis Kelce may not open the season against the Lions due to a hyperextended knee.  Whether he can dominate as he did in 2023 is highly questionable.  Due to the violent nature of the sport, long stretches of good play is hard to come by.

Though football has the fewest games of any professional sport, one game doesn’t determine the success or failure of any given season.  Despite this, every game does have heightened importance, and weaknesses must be addressed quickly to ensure a team has the best possible season.  Furthermore, it is imperative that teams develop chemistry quickly to minimize the effect adrenaline may have on negative play in games.  On paper, it would appear that the Lions are doing everything possible to ensure success this season, and much is expected from this team.  We must remember that this team has a long history of turning in subpar performances, this would include a weak start to last season, that saw a six game winning streak that allowed the team to salvage the campaign somewhat.  Therefore, this is what is fueling the optimism for the 2023-2024 season.

It is hoped that a victory over Kansas City can act as a projection of things to come.  However, success or failure in one game generally does not dictate long term results.  In fact, the Lions have a tendency to force themselves into having to reel off several wins in a row to salvage a respectable season.  Last year they were able to do so, but in several previous campaigns, this couldn’t be attained when it was needed.  So before we get to giddy about what a victory over the Chiefs could mean, we must temper those expectations by simply looking back at the previous recent history of the Lions.

 

Despite the Tigers’ struggles in 2023, they could see the Playoffs in 2024

 By all accounts, with the Tigers young talent, a playoff berth is not out of the realm of possibility.  Though not a lock by any means, with the solid performances from the likes of Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and Kerry Carpenter, the Tigers could find themselves in the postseason for the first time in awhile.  To further help this occur, the starting rotation must be able to turn in stellar performances, just as they did in 2023.  Though several pieces would have to fall into place, if they do, the Tigers are playoff bound in 2024.

Though the current Detroit Tigers lineup appears promising, a few additions may be needed.  Right now, the middle of the lineup appears potent.  Riley Greene Spencer Torkelson, Parker Meadows, and Kerry Carpenter appear ready to take this team to the next level.  Whether they can or not, remains to be seen.  For this reason, a piece or two may need to be acquired to sure up the offense.  Furthermore, this team needs to find a way to cut down on strikeouts, and find a way to swing at more quality pitches.  In addition, Javy Baez must find a way to perform up to expectations.  If most or all of the above occurs, this team is destined for greatness for years to come.

In order to achieve the ultimate goal in 2024 of making a playoff appearance, it is vital that the starting rotation match or improve on the 2023 campaign.  Tarik Skubal, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Matt Manning must continue to stabilize the pitching staff.  This means they must be able to dominate opponents, and pitch enough innings to allow the bullpen to get enough rest.  Consequently, the bullpen can be more effective in theory. Even though the bullpen has been quite effective in 2023, consistency has been a problem.  Lately, they have cost the squad quite a few victories.  To make a playoff push next season, these occurrences must be few and far between.  To assist with such issues, an established closer must be added.  If this is unable to be addressed, bullpen struggles will continue well into 2024.  Furthermore, a playoff run will be out of the question.

During this season, the Tigers defense has had much difficulty completing fundamental plays.  This includes, dropped balls, not finishing plays in the field, and careless throws.  It’s hoped that the young core of players will minimize lackluster play.  Riley Greene and Parker Meadows appear to be adequate solutions to solidifying outfield play.  On the infield, though Spencer Torkelson seems to be excellent at first base, Baez’s play at shortstop could use some work.  It’s important that shortstop play is buttoned up, in order to accomplish the desired goals.

Though this team as a whole has showed flashes of greatness this season, can it be replicated more consistently in 2024? It’s difficult to tell, since the contributors for this season are unproven.  If most of our young talent cannot perform well year to year, and stay healthy, we are in for a long stretch of disappointment. However, if the core is able to perform as expected, years of excitement are in store.

Will Detroit Lions Live Up to the Hype in 2023?

 Despite their early season struggles in 2022, the Detroit Lions were able to bounce back to accrue a 9-8 record.  Consequently, it resulted in an unexpected run toward the playoffs that excited the Detroit fan base.  Furthermore, that enthusiasm has carried over into 2023.  So much so, that the organization sold all of the season tickets available.  It remains to be seen whether the team can perform up to expectations and get the results they achieved the second half of last season.

In order to repeat the performance of last year, it’s imperative that quarterback Jared Goff build on his lights out numbers from a year ago.  Though his stats were some of the best of his career, is it something he can duplicate, or was it a flash in the pan.  If he reverts back to his performance of 2021, when he only had 19 touchdowns and threw 8 interceptions, the results for this team will be quite underwhelming.  Generating multiple stellar seasons is one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish in professional sports, therefore, the chances of a disappointing season are quite high.  Though another excellent season is possible, it would be prudent to temper expectations.

Another aspect that should give fans pause about how successful this team can be, is the relative inexperience of the receiving corps.  To begin with, wide receiver Chase Cota has had 6 receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown so far this preseason, through 2 games.  In addition, Dylan Drummond only had 4 receptions for 41 yards with no touchdowns in the same time frame.  Perhaps, one of the better performances came from Marvin Jones, who had 46 receptions, but only had 529 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2022.  Obviously, we need to see more from the wide receiver position, in order to attain the desired goal for the 2023 campaign, a playoff appearance.

Defensively in 2023, the Lions need to improve in almost every facet of the game.  Last season saw the team give up 25 points per game, you can’t win many games by simply attempting to out score the opponent.  This team has to do what it takes to stop their foe from putting points on the board.  This means     improving sack numbers, a stat in which they ranked in the middle of pack in 2022.   This means completing every tackle, and pursuing the quarterback more often.  When all of these things occur, more success won’t be far behind.

Is this the year the Lions finally put it all together, and make the playoffs for the first time in years?  The pundits and the fans think so.  It is important to remember we have been here before, only to be sorely disappointed by the end of the year. If the team is to change the fortunes of their lackluster history, all aspects of the game must be executed flawlessly.  Are the Detroit Lions up to the task?  We shall see.

Scott Harris Claims 2023 will be the Detroit Tigers Last Year As “Sellers”

 According to reports, Tigers’ President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, says the team will be more competitive it 2024.  So much so, it is Harris’ contention that the Tigers have most of the pieces in place to compete in the American League Central Division.  He believes the team has improved enough to potentially take over the top spot. As of now, many of the team’s key contributors are performing at a high level, but can they continue that over the long haul next season.  This would mean the likes of Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and Javy Baez would need to remain healthy for an extended period, something they have been unable to do in the past.

In order to be buyers next season, the team would not only have to rely on the current producers of this campaign, but add some firepower to ensure the lineup is as potent as possible.  This would include adding some power hitters, as well as, guys who could hit for average.  Expecting the current roster to put the team over the top is a bit much to ask. Performing at a consistent pace is impossible for this group of players.  How Harris will rectify this problem remains a bit unclear.

Upgrading the team’s hitting prowess needs to be at the top of the priority list.  Not only do we need to add personnel that can hit for power and average, but we need a squad that is more selective at the plate.  This year, hitters swung at way too many pitches out of the strike zone, leading to too many strikeouts and unnecessary outs.  To help alleviate these issues, we can only hope that Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson are able to perform at a high level more consistently.  If this occurs, along with one or two high profile additions, this team will likely be able to take the top spot in the American League Central Division.

Another facet of the game where the Tigers need to vastly improve in 2024, is defense.  This entire season, this team has experienced too many inexcusable errors in the field.  From throwing errors to dropped balls,   all have cost the team dearly this year.  Not being able to execute fundamental plays has likely cost the Tigers several victories this year, maybe enough to prevent them from competing in this lackluster division.  Tolerating errors from elite players like Javy Baez can no longer stand, either he improves early next year or part ways with him.

Though Scott Harris expects to compete next season, if he finds himself unable to acquire the right players in the offseason, the Tigers fate will be similar to this season.  So, hopefully he is able to put some actions to his words, and help this team ascend to greatness.  He needs to begin to annunciate some specific strategies he is using to make this team better.  Thus, this would allow the team and community to develop confidence in his ability to operate this ball club.  So far, his performance has been less than stellar with his inability to deal Eduardo Rodriguez, or any other of our valuable bullpen pieces, for players that could improve our future.

 

Orioles Broadcaster Kevin Brown Suspended for Stating Truths About Team

 As a general rule, a professional team broadcaster’s job is to inform their audience of what is occurring in a particular contest, as well as, give pertinent information relative to that game. In the case of the Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown, he was taken off the air for simply performing his job duties. He was simply giving relevant information regarding the game between the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.  Though it is unclear as to why such actions were taken by the organization, assumptions are being made because the Orioles refuse to comment on the situation.

Until the current season, the Orioles were 0-15-1 in the past 16 series at Tropicana Field.  Verbalizing this fact to his audience is seemingly what led to Brown’s suspension, though the club refuses to publicly use those terms. These actions are even more of a mystery, considering that in the 2023 campaign, Baltimore has a 6-3 record against Tampa Bay.  In an era where cancel culture is so prevalent, inconvenient facts should not rise to that level of punishment.  I think it’s fair to assume that other factors played into the organization’s perceived need to implement such harsh consequences.

By all appearances, it would seems that those above Brown may have some issues with the way he conducts himself.  Maybe they feel criticizing the organization reflects poorly on those in power.  This is evidence of insecurity regarding their ability to run an organization.  Furthermore, they may feel disparaging the team is a signal that you don’t support those in authority.   We must speculate because a move of this nature is still left without explanation.  Why would such an extreme action be taken for such innocuous comments?

For some strange reason, the team contends this action was not a suspension.  Are you kidding me?  They removed their television announcer for a period of time.  What else could it be?  Oh I know.  He did such a great job, he deserves an unpaid vacation in the middle of the season.  A pennant race, no less. It’s obvious, someone knows the reason, but do not want to face the blowback they would get for going public.  This is not fair to the fans, Brown, or the rest of the organization.  Thankfully, there has been plenty of criticism from the sports broadcasting fraternity, which forced the reinstatement of Brown.  However, an explanation is still warranted to put this whole fiasco behind everyone.

Many of those with authority get a thrill up their leg by exerting power.  Unfortunately, we have to assume this may be the case with the Baltimore Orioles brass.  These type of people enjoy making others miserable simply because they question their own abilities.  They feel questioning their philosophies is unacceptable, and those that do must be punished.  It appears that with the reinstatement of Brown, ownership may be trying to regain credibility, but a more fulsome statement is needed to restore the organization’s reputation completely.

What Went Wrong for the Tigers at the Trade Deadline?

 It is that time of year again when every team in MLB tries to improve their team either at the present time, or for future seasons.  Despite the fact that the Detroit Tigers were able to stay within striking distance of the division, it became clear close to the trade deadline what they should do.  Sell.  They had several pieces to deal to entice other teams.  From pitchers to some position players, all could be of some value to other teams.  Players that could be the most attractive included Michael Lorenzen and Eduardo Rodriguez.  Needless to say, on the surface, the trade deadline was less than successful for the Tigers.

With a brief look at what occurred on trade deadline day, one would conclude that the results were quite underwhelming.  Yes, they got a couple prospects through the Micheal Lorenzen trade and the cash transaction with Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Dodgers respectively, but were unable to deal anyone else.  The much anticipated move of Eduardo Rodriguez never came to fruition.  Yes, the deal was in place to move him to the Dodgers, but it was nixed by Rodriguez, as they were one of the 10 MLB teams he refused to go to.  It seems as though President Scott Harris would have had logistics such as these ironed out long before the deadline.  Was it error on his part or did he simply not want to part with one of the team’s best pitchers.  We may never know.  There were also other valuable players that could have been moved to help us get good players for future seasons.  What about Matt Vierling, or some valuable pieces in the bullpen like Jose Cisnero or Tyler Holton, these guys could have been dealt to get assets back that could help us in the near future.  Was Harris unprepared, or was there no deals to be had?  Hopefully, it was the latter.

One question we must explore is, What players were on the trading block? Was it just a couple players? Or was everyone available for the right price?  Everyone should have been available.  We may have gotten someone ready to play right now in the majors, or a few guys that could be ready in a couple years.  In addition, I think Baez should have been dealt for cash considerations, at least we could use the money to acquire players that will be more effective than he’s been.  It’s quite apparent that Javy is severely overrated and we got a raw deal.  We need to find a way to get rid of his dead weight.  He’s simply holding a spot on this roster right now.  Had Harris had a more open minded approach at the deadline, the team could have gotten many more assists for future campaigns.

Had everyone been made available, we could have acquired talent that could have helped us now, as well as, in the future.  Too many times, teams are focused on getting players for the future, when I think getting talent for the present and future can be done simultaneously.  When conducting trades get a player that can help now, as well, as players that will sustain success in the future. If the Tigers had done this, they could have more success in 2023, and continued success in 2024.

Preparation is pivotal when it comes to coming out on top at the trade deadline.  Whether it was true or not , Harris seemed wholly caught off guard when it came to handling issues that can hinder getting the best possible deals in trades.  Yes, this is his first season in Detroit, so maybe he deserves some slack, but at the same time, he is dealing with some of the best baseball minds in the world, so it’s imperative he be at the top of his game.  For Detroit’s sake, hopefully Harris is able to get better results in the future, otherwise we need to anticipate several more dismal seasons as Detroit fans.

Muchigan Coach Jim Harbaugh to Receive Suspension for 2021 NCAA Violation

 Jim Harbaugh, no stranger to controversy, once again finds himself in hot water.  An NCAA investigation found Harbaugh committed some level II violations.  These type of infractions are relatively minor, and result in minimal consequences.  However, due to Harbaugh’s dishonesty with the investigators, a more severe punishment will be put in place.  Harbaugh maintains, he engaged in no wrongdoing.

According to investigators, Harbaugh and his staff initially went against two policies.  Firstly, it was found they were in contact with players during a Covid “dead period” that was in place at the time.  In other words, there was a set time frame in which players and coaches could have no contact.  Next, coaches were in communication with players during workouts and non practice periods.  Engaging in such activities is strictly prohibited.  Due to the fact that Harbaugh misled the NCAA, by denying such activities occurred, when investigators had evidence to contrary, the minor infractions were elevated to level II violations.  Had Harbaugh admitted to the incidents, he would not be looking at such harsh punishments 

Why the NCAA chooses to meddle in team activities to such an extent remains a mystery. Why does it matter when and where players and coaches have contact.  To me, this is an opportunity for a team to perform just that much better.  I mean, honestly, we are now paying college players, and we are going to get our panties in a wad about when coaches and players meet.  Yes, rules are rules, and Harbaugh should have followed those policies and been honest about what occurred, (which he maintains he was.). Why is there not a third party brought in to settle such disputes, and issue rulings.  This way, each side could present their case.  Regardless, the NCAA should loosen their regulations when it comes to team operations.  What is the purpose of monitoring such activities?  Who does it harm?

Though originally contending he was innocent, it’s tough to come out ahead when facing an NCAA investigation.  For this reason, rather than dealing with the consequences of a long drawn out fiasco that could harm his team in the long run, Harbaugh caved, and is in the process of negotiating a scaled down 4 game suspension to be served at the beginning of the 2023 season.  Had he chosen to continue to fight the allegations, it could have resulted in much more severe consequences, even termination.  With the trajectory this Michigan team is now on, it probably was not worth the risk.

Though the NCAA must monitor its clubs to make sure they operate in the most ethical manner possible, how can teams’ basic practicing habits at their core contain untoward elements.  Yes, teams must practice in a manner that puts the safety of all involved first, but that’s all that should be regulated.  Nothing else that occurs on the practice field should be in the NCAA’s purview.  To me, anything else the NCAA involves itself in is micromanagement.

Why are the Tigers so Consistently Inconsistent?

 For a long time now, for years in fact, the Detroit Tigers have struggled to find themselves playing consistent for long periods of time.  Yes, they can play well for 5 or 6 games, but then they fall back on their old habits that create bad play.  While the exact reasons for this remain unclear, there may be some viable suggestions.  Even though these suggestions may not pinpoint the real problems with this team, they are worth discussing.

It appears the largest problem the Tigers have is the inability to execute the fundamentals of baseball on consistent basis.  Almost without exception, teams that win play virtually flawless fundamental baseball.  This means, not being baited into swinging at bad pitches, getting runners in from 3rd base with less than two outs, and playing air tight on the defensive side of the ball.  Furthermore, teams must avoid prolonged low offensive output.  Though the Tigers have had pretty solid pitching lately, consistent defense and offense have been non existent.  Being unable to perform consistently in all aspects of the game is a recipe for a long stretch of unsuccessful seasons.

A very prominent issue the Tigers have had for several years is signing marquee players to long term deals that have ultimately turned out to be unproductive for the most part.  Unfortunately, the list is quite long.  To begin with, Miguel Cabrera has had dismal performances for half of his 10 year contract he signed the the team.  For the past five years, he has been injury prone, which has kept him off the field for much of the time.  In addition, when on the field his power and average numbers have fell far below expectations.  Signings the likes of Jordan Zimmerman and Joe Nathan over the years have not helped matters.  Both had success far below that seen with their previous organizations.  Thanks to his successes with the Washington Nationals, Zimmerman notched himself a five year deal with the Tigers.  Due to injury and inability to get batters out, the team didn’t get much return on their investment.  Similarly, Joe Nathan was unable to find his lights out form he once enjoyed with the Minnesota Twins.  The combination of lackluster performances by once great players, and the fact some highly thought of prospects haven’t panned out has led to a recent history of inconsistency.

Having an offense that cannot find a consistent groove and is prone to long stretches of inactivity, will inevitably lead to many winless nights.  Furthermore, an offense that lacks power on a regular basis makes it more difficult to produce runs at pivotal moments when runners are on base.  It’s imperative that offenses come through at the most opportune times.  Too many times this season, the meat of the lineup has shown an inability to do so.  It’s no wonder this team has not found more success, even in the underperforming American League Central Division 

In order to have even mild success on the baseball field, the offense, defense, and pitching must perform well in unison.  If this doesn’t occur, winning is more difficult to come by.  To ensure it does occur, a team must sign the right talent, and hope those pieces perform to expectations.  In recent history, this team has had trouble finding talent that performs as advertised.  With President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris now at the helm, hopefully those fortunes will change.

Why Are Sports Leagues Implementing Gimmicks to Sell Their Product?

 It appears that the Major Sports Leagues in this nation have determined that it is necessary to incorporate various facets to maintain their sport’s relevancy.  With a generation that needs constant stimulation, apparently these leagues feel the current adjustments being made will lead to greater popularity and continued financial solvency.  But, the question is: Are these choices the ones that will ultimately achieve the desired goals?  Can it be done without watering down what makes each league great?  Obviously, this remains to be seen.

Perhaps, the League that has changed most drastically in the way it conducts itself on the field is Major League Baseball.  To hold a new generation’s attention, games have been sped up through the use of a pitch clock.  To further this effort, rules to increase offense and scoring have been adopted.  This includes bigger bases and limits on throw overs to first base.  Definitely, this has shortened games and increased action, which theoretically increases profits.  But has it been done in a manner that damages athletic and competitive integrity? Perhaps.  If this is the case, some changes are not worth the financial benefit.

Another organization that has put some rather peculiar policies in place to maintain and improve its fan base interest is the NBA.  In the last couple of years, the league has developed a play in tournament during the playoffs. In this scenario the 9th and 10th placed teams in each conference face off to see who will fill the 7th and 8th spot in each conference.  This is what you call expanding the playoffs, without expanding the playoffs.  It satisfies the fan bases and increases cash flow, while maintaining the same amount of teams competing for a championship.  Beginning next year, the league will attempt to further boost its financial intake and visibility by implementing an in season tournament.  Basically, the league is inflating the importance of in season games to pad their bottom line.  It is unclear what lengths the NBA will go to to maximize its profits.

Unfortunately, it appears that professional leagues will do whatever necessary to maximize cash flow.  Any changes that need to me made to increase profits will occur.  Even when damage occurs to the fabric of the game, and it ruffles the feathers of its current fans, it is apparent that finances will reign supreme.  If this trend continues, the characteristics that make sports great will be lost forever.

Should the Detroit Tigers be Buyers or Sellers at Trade Deadline?

 Around this time of year, MLB teams begin to consider whether they should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline that falls at the end of July.  In other words, if they are out of playoff contention, ball clubs generally trade away some of their better talent to obtain players and prospects to improve for the future.  On the other hand, if teams have a good chance of competing for playoff position, they generally add to their already talented roster in hopes of finding themselves in the postseason.  For the Tigers, it is time to add a bit of pitching to sure up the starting rotation, and some bats to make the offense more potent.  If these steps are taken, this club could finally overtake the weak American League Central Division.

Despite the Detroit Tigers being well under .500 at 37-47, the fact is, that the team could still win this division.  A look at the standings shows that every team in the American League Central, minus the Minnesota Twins, does not have a winning record, paving the way for any club to come out on top. Why not the Tigers? To do this, the Tigers should add some solid hitters to support Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and Zach McKinstry.  There is no doubt that these guys would perform even better if some of the pressure was taken of them to carry this team.  We need to add a bat or two that can hit for average and power.  Adding such pieces would make this team demonstrably better than their divisional competition.

Yes, this division is less than stellar.  Even so, many would say that the Tigers should trade some of their key pieces that have contributed to their moderate success this season in an effort to obtain players that will make this team more successful in the future. However, no one team is guaranteed to be competitive from season to season, so when they have the opportunity, it should be taken advantage of.  If this is not done, competitive years could be few and far between.

In order to conquer this division, it is probable that this team must only be marginally better.  To get there, they need the returning starting pitchers in Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, and Eduardo Rodriguez to regain their magical abilities they displayed pre injury.  Additionally, they need to acquire a solid starter or two to bolster this already good rotation.  If the Tigers pull off these moves, they would be capable of obliterating the rest of the division.  Whether they will or not remains to be seen.

Needless to say, Tiger fans are hungry for a winning team.  A squad that is must see TV every night.  For much of the season, they have provided an entertaining product periodically this season.  Now, we are just waiting for a little more consistency that can dominate the competition.  It’s my opinion, that with some slight adjustments, the Tigers could find themselves in playoff contention the rest of the year.

Pistons Look to Become More Competitive Through 2023 NBA Draft

 Even though the Detroit Pistons have received some valuable talent the last few drafts, unfortunately they  have continued to struggle both offensively and defensively.  With the 2023 Draft picks in Marcus Sasser and Ausar Thompson, the team hopes their fortunes will change.  Both players respectively will address issues on both sides of the ball.  If these players perform as expected, which remains to be seen, this team should improve immensely.

One of the most glaring aspects of the game that needs improvement is the Pistons’ offensive output.  In the past, this squad would live or die by the three point shot.  Furthermore, their inside game was non existent.  If they made 3 pointers on a given night, they would probably win, if they didn’t they would lose. With the addition of Marcus Sasser, they hope to make these shots more consistently.  In his college career with Houston, Sasser shot 38.4 percent from the long line, while averaging 6.9 attempts per game. The offense will hopefully be further improved with his propensity to dish out assists.  If these types of performances are translated to the NBA, the Pistons may find the ability to diversify offensively.

With a brief look at the numbers from last season, the Pistons gave up well over 100 points per game, and needless to say, struggled mightily on defense.  They hope to improve on this facet of the game with the signing of Ausar Thompson.  This Draft pick out of the Overtime Elite League averaged 2.4 steals per game, and had 4 steals several times.  Obviously, it remains to be seen whether Thompson can improve the team’s defensive prowess, but with output like this, it certainly looks promising.

Right now, the Pistons are waiting for previous draft picks to perform as expected, and it is hoped that Sasser and Thompson produce immediate results.  If this scenario comes to fruition, this team should become better imminently.  Assists should increase, as well as, Cade Cunningham with others could become exponentially better.  In theory, due to improved offensive strategies, higher percentage shots will present themselves.  If many of these things occur, more victories shouldn’t be far behind.

For years now, we have heard from ownership and other team leadership that we are building a championship culture in the Pistons organization.  We’ve made big moves that haven’t panned out, drafted elite players that did not meet expectations, and hired the best coaches to get this team perform, and nothing has proved to be the right formula so far.  Will these two change our destiny, only time will tell.

Recent Roster Health Coinciding With Tigers’ recent Winning

 It in no secret that the Detroit Tigers have had to deal with plenty of injuries this season, and it has hindered them from competing at their best.  Not only have they been without a majority of their starting rotation this season, but a significant part of their offense has been MIA as well.  Because of these scenarios, it’s proven difficult to stay competitive, even in the weak American League Central Division.  It appears that the Tigers may be on the verge of getting some major pieces back to help the likes of Spencer Torkelson and Matt Vierling build success in Detroit.

Needless to say, when a majority of the starting rotation is on the injured list for most of year, it is nearly impossible to stay competitive in any capacity.  Though all of the rotation consists of unproven talent, all have shown flashes of success.  The time has come when some of those guys are almost ready to return to the field.  If Matt Vierling and others are any indication of what is to come, the pitchers returning to this team will propel this team to many more wins.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Tigers also have had some vital pieces return.  In addition to Matt Vierling, Kerry Carpenter has also returned with a vengeance.  Not only has he produced some much needed defensive help. but has contributed with a desperately needed power spark that has been non existent this year.  There is little doubt that the return of these players, and the Tigers winning fortunes go hand in hand.

Players like Riley Greene and Matt Vierling have kept this team somewhat afloat during their season long struggles.  They have provided much needed offense by getting on base any way they can.  Whether that be hitting a base hit at a vital time, or hitting a homer at the right time.  Though Vierling has already made his way back to the field, it is hoped Greene is not far behind, which means continued success may follow.

Unfortunately, injuries are an unwanted aspect of sports that must be dealt with by every squad.  Sometimes they happen in bunches, as with the Tigers, and sometimes they are few and far between.  The key to having success as a team is how well those injuries are overcome through depth in the organization.     By all accounts, the Tigers have failed in this endeavor.  As a result, they need their starters to be healthy to have any amount of success.  Obviously, this is proving correct, because as their roster becomes healthier, success seems to follow.

Tigers’ Injuries Proving to Be Downfall

 After holding their own for a majority of the season, it seems a rash of injuries to pivotal players have finally caught up to the Tigers.  Yes, their pitching has performed at decent levels, but it has not been enough to continue to compete in the division.  Unfortunately, since the injuries, the offense has become anemic.  Obviously, when this occurs, sustained success is impossible to come by.

With a plethora of injuries to key players, the team has been unable to find the stride they once had earlier in the season.  Along with serviceable pitching across the board, the offense performed at a level that allowed the squad to stay competitive in the less than stellar American League Central Division. Hitters were hitting homers and driving in runs.  Then, injuries occurred in big numbers to needed contributors.  Riley Greene, Matt Vierling, Eduardo Rodriguez, and others all hit the injured list roughly at the same time.  Given this occurrence, it’s no surprise a 9 game losing streak then followed.  With so many important pieces out, winning games has proven to be a difficult task.

Any time most of a team’s starting rotation is out for a significant period of time, that is not a recipe for success.  Among those missing are: Matt Manning, Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize, and Spencer Turnbull.  Never have all of them been healthy enough for any length of time to gauge what types of positive impacts they can have. Each of these pitchers have had flashes of success, but have been unable to stay on the field to help this team win.  If this group of pitchers are able to ever perform in unison, their collective performances could make this team unstoppable.

In MLB, every team deals with multiple injuries, it is then, that good teams have talent on the roster to replace the missing production from the starters.  The Tigers have shown this ability on and off this season, but have been unable to do it consistently enough to put more wins on the board.  Though it is unlikely, it remains to be seen whether the current group of Tigers can put it all together and get over the .500 mark.  If they get there, and remain in that vicinity for the rest of the year, this season could be deemed successful.

  For the last couple years, injuries have been the main hindrance to the Tigers developing a winning culture.  This year seems to be panning out similarly.  Both pitchers and hitters have been decimated by the injury bug.  It is unclear if and when this will change.  If the team is unable to avoid this amount of injuries each year, success may be further away than we think.

Former NBA Coach Floats Sweeping Rule Changes to the Way the Game is Played

  In every professional sport, rule tweaks and changes are a frequent occurrence.  Many changes are proposed, but few are implemented.  Some changes that are made have a profound effect on the way the game is played, some do not.  Perhaps, the adjustments proposed by former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy would be the most jarring in NBA history.  Among the wanted changes by Van Gundy include: eliminating  or shortening halftime, and doing away with free throws until the last 4 minutes of each game. Needless to say, changing regulations in such a manner would have historic implications on the way the game is played.

Though it probably will never be put into practice, one of the most consequential rules Van Gundy proposed was eliminating free throws for a majority of each NBA game.  Unfortunately, this would eliminate one of the most utilized strategies in the game.  If a team has a particularly weak free throw shooter, the opposing team will foul that player in an effort to prevent them from scoring points.  This is especially true if the team is behind in the final minutes of a game.  Poor free throw shooting frequently affects outcomes of games.  Therefore, dumping this facet of the game eliminates the opportunity to win or lose a game at the stripe.  Implementing such a rule would tear away at one of the major tenets of the game while, at the same time, denigrating one of the most exciting parts of it as well.

If the NBA wants to be as successful as possible, it is vital that its players be as effective as they can be.  This means getting plenty of rest before, during, and after games.  Under the former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets Head Coach’s proposal, this opportunity would be severely limited, as he would like to eliminate or shorten halftime.  If this were allowed to occur, quality of play would be enormously hindered, and crispness of play would be affected.  Furthermore, the overall performance on the court would be greatly diminished.

It is the now broadcaster’s contention the NBA games should be played in a 2 hour window, and he feels his suggested changes would accomplish that goal.  However, as in any sports league, the NBA is a business and wants to make money.  Making any of Van Gundy’s adjustments, means less of an opportunity to maximize profits.  In addition, shortening games, gives another nod to a society that is growing more impatient and restless by the minute.  We do not need to ruin the fabric of another sport to satisfy the needs and wants of the younger generation.

By comparison, basketball is one of the shortest of the four major sports.  The average basketball game length is 2 hours and 25 minutes, any shorter, and it’s not worth attending.  Not only would Van Gundy’s NBA affect length of games, but quality and integrity would be irreparably harmed.  Without a doubt, other aspects of the game could be tweaked to maintain continuity and flow of the game.

Is It Finally Time to Get Excited About the Detroit Tigers?

 We’ve been waiting quite awhile now for the Detroit Tigers to put it all together, and compete for Division Titles and Championships.  It appears they have made strides in that direction of late.  They have had some unexpected production from some unlikely sources recently.  Newcomer Zach McKinstry has had some timely hits, and some good defensive play.  Furthermore, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene are finally contributing on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in a manner experts thought they should.  If we continue to see these type of performances by this team, the height of their achievement is unlimited.

As a general rule, for a team to have success, several players must exceed expectations and the Tigers are no exception.  Players like Matthew Boyd, Alex Faedo, and Alex Lange have been pivotal to the Tigers being division contenders for most of the season. In Boyd’s case, he has accumulated 3 wins, and hitters have only accrued a .249 batting average against him.  Moreover, closer Alex Lange has maintained a 1.21 ERA, along with hitters only batting .135 against him.  With a few more contributions from others on the squad, the Tigers could far exceed expectations for this season 

One of the most prominent improvements of this year’s version of the Tigers is their offensive output.  During this campaign, Tigers hitters have featured more homers, hits, and walks.  In fact, in the month of May, the Tigers have led the league in walks.  Up to that point, the team was at the bottom of the pack in that category.   Because the team has been more selective in the pitches they choose to swing at, it has led to a dramatic improvement in overall offensive numbers.  If this type of production is maintained, it’s quite likely that the Tigers rise to success will continue.

A final facet of the game that must be superb in order to achieve as much success as possible is defense.  Without tight defense, the opponent is given extra outs, and thus the opportunity to score unnecessary runs.  Thankfully, this season, the Tigers are averaging less than 1 error per game.  In addition, this squad is usually good for a couple outstanding plays per game, which is necessary to be considered an elite defense.  This is a status that must be attained to play at a championship level.  If the team is able to maintain this level of play, the future looks bright for this ball club.

When emphasis is placed on completing the fundamental tasks of the game, successful outcomes are more likely.  For the first time in several years, team leadership is demanding that the fundamental facets of the game be completed more successfully.  With that being said, it’s no surprise, that the Tigers are experiencing moderate success at the moment.  As long as the current philosophy continues to be implemented, the amount of success for this team should be unlimited.

Politically Charged Issues Should Be Stripped From the Sports World

For years, sports and politics managed to coexist without crossing into each other’s lane.  In fact, sports was one of the subjects that people from either side of the aisle could engage in with little controversy.  That all changed unfortunately, about a decade ago, when various sports leagues decided to give the appearance of promoting certain political movements.  At that point, the separation between sports and politics began to disintegrate.  Along with this, the vehicle that athletic events provided to escape certain realities has vanished.

Needless to say, political issues are amongst the most divisive that permeate society today.  When sports organizations begin to pontificate on those ideas, it’s virtually impossible to leave the divisiveness at the door.  Therefore, fans of any sport begin to discontinue watching or attending the sports they love, thanks to the unnecessary injection of politically charged ideas, that have no place in the discourse of any athletic discussion.  As a further consequence, relationships built through the benign idea of sports are unnecessarily frayed because leagues have chosen to elevate certain political issues of the day.  Because organizations have chosen to dilute the purity of sports with controversial ideas, it’s uniting qualities have been severely damaged.

Many utilize sports to avoid the firestorm that politics can ignite.  People consider sports an avenue of enjoyment that is void of serious controversy and confrontation.  However, with many of the powers at be  choosing to delve into the social and political issues game, they are depriving many of the opportunity to escape the world of politics which surrounds them.  For this reason, the sports arena is failing to provide their patrons with a product that dwells completely on the chosen activity they are engaging in.

The primary issue that has arisen with the sports and politics intersection is that neutrality is difficult to project.  If you promote this issue but not that one, half your base is unhappy.  Therefore, the culture of togetherness that sports promotes becomes non existent.  There are so many other areas of life where political consumption is readily available on a voluntary basis, that it is unnecessary to taint sports with the poison of political rancor.  It’s difficult to determine why the sports world, as a whole, has chosen to damage its integrity in such an overt manner.

There is no doubt that if these sports leagues want to remain relevant for the foreseeable future, they must rid themselves of participating in any and all politically charged activity.  Engaging in such activity provides yet another avenue to divide this country unnecessarily.  Professional sports provides an opportunity for individuals of all political stripes to engage in mutually enjoyable activities.  To ensure that athletics can continue to act as a baum to heal what divides us, politics must be stripped from the sports conversation.

What is Fueling the Tigers’ Winning Ways?

 Has it finally happened?  Are the Tigers on a winning path for the long term?  It appears that this could be the case.  Despite not having a long list of All-Stars on this squad, they have played relatively consistently all season long.  They have avoided the long losing streaks for the most part, something they have been unable to dodge in previous campaigns.  Along with their 15-18 record, they have scored 5 or more runs in  6 of 7 games.  Furthermore, with continued good play in other facets of the game, this team is well on its way to a more successful season than expected.

A good team usually begins its success with solid pitching.  For the most part, the Tigers have gotten that from both the bullpen and the starting rotation.  In fact, the team ERA is 4.50, yes it’s not great, but respectable.  Also fueling the pitching success, is the fact that the pitching staff as a whole has stayed relatively healthy, only having a few injuries as a team.  If this good fortune continues, the team is sure to continue to have good things happen.

Clearly, one of the most improved parts of the team’s game is the offense.  They are getting productive at bats from the likes of Javier Baez and the newly called up Andy Ibanez.  This is in stark contrast from last season, when good at bats were hard to find.  Furthermore, batters seem to be more patient at the plate, which inevitably leads to more positive results. With production from unlikely sources, and being selective in what pitches are offered at, success for the Tigers is likely to continue to occur.

Having a superb defense is a pivotal piece of the game that must be mastered, in order to have sustained success throughout any MLB season  So far this season the Tigers have been able to hold fielding mistakes to a minimum.  Through 33 games, the Tigers have 18 errors, good for a .986 fielding percentage.  This is thanks to consistent play from Jonathan Schoop and Riley Greene, despite some struggles with the bat.  It’s vital that the excellent defensive play continue if they want to progress to a championship caliber team.

To become playoff contenders, clicking on all cylinders must occur on a consistent basis. This means the pitching, offense, and defense must converge to create a well oiled machine that is able to propel an organization to new heights.  Any aspect of the game that struggles to perform for any length of time threatens to derail any championship aspirations.  As of now, with a few tweaks here or there, I see championship play in the near future for the Detroit Tigers.

Great Players Need to Know When to Hang it Up to Cement Their Place in History

 The time comes in every athlete’s career, when they must consider retirement.  To maintain their place in history, it would seem it’s best to leave a chosen sport before skills decline significantly.  Hanging it up is especially difficult for some of the greatest players in sports.  Players like Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Miguel Cabrera have to grapple with the desire to continue play, and the grave realization that they are unable to perform as they once did.  I believe it’s imperative that such players need to retire sooner rather than later, so history will surely reflect on their performances in a positive light.  However, Favre, Brady, and Cabrera may have waited a bit too late.

Though he struggled at the beginning of his career with interceptions and consistent play, Brett Favre became one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL.  Because of this success, however, he probably played a year or two longer than he should have.  Therefore, it’s quite possible he could have done some damage to his overall legacy.  In his final season with the Minnesota Vikings, he accrued a 5-8 record and threw for 2,509 passing yards, the fewest in his career.  Along with this, his final season in 2010 saw him throw only 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.  Why do players of this caliber allow themselves to play well past their prime?  For one, they know the talent they had, and they feel if they just work a little harder, they can regain the magic they once had.  Furthermore, pride and ego will not allow them to give up the ghost on their career.  As a result, the legacy may not be remembered as fondly as it would have, had they retired. 

Perhaps, one of the most well known players who quite possibly damaged his legacy by postponing retirement is quarterback Tom Brady.  Despite having a hall of fame career, in his final two seasons, he retired, changed his mind, and played one more year that was less than stellar.  In that final campaign, he battled consistency, and only averaged 276 passing yards per game.  In addition, Brady was dealing with personal issues off the field, which undoubtedly could have affected performance.  Had Brady called it quits a year earlier as planned, the perception of his legacy could have gone unaffected.

Without question, one player’s legacy that could be diminished due to not retiring at the proper time is Detroit Tigers’ player Miguel Cabrera.  Years ago at the height of his career, he signed a huge multi year contract, based on his previous success and anticipated future success.  Unfortunately, however, he could only adequately produce for half of that contract.  In fact, for the past 5 years, Cabrera has been woefully unproductive.  His power and run production numbers have been less than acceptable for years now.  Yes, some of this was due to injury, but much of the problem stemmed from his lack of physical conditioning, and age.  Undoubtedly, had he retired at the start of his decline, his legacy would not be marred by multiple unsuccessful years.  Furthermore, he would have never been viewed as a hindrance to his team’s success.

Deciding to retire is one of the most difficult decisions a professional athlete has to make.  Facing the fact that they are unable to perform as they once did, is a daunting task.  Therefore, many times, players continue to play despite declining skill.  In an effort to continue to do what they love despite lack of ability, they risk how they are viewed by history. If they want to eliminate such a predicament, it’s imperative they know when to quit.

What are the Implications of the Lions’ Jameson Williams Suspension?

A few years ago, various state legislatures saw fit to make sports gambling legal in their jurisdictions.  Aside from the financial windfall, this brings to many communities, it can also bring unwanted consequences to the sports themselves. A prime example of this occurred this week when 4 NFL players were suspended for engaging in gambling activities that were against NFL policy. Because of these occurrences and other problems that could arise, it would be prudent to ban sports gambling altogether once again.  Though this is the best possible solution to ensuring these issues don’t become more widespread, the chances of it happening are slim and none.

Jameson Williams, an Ohio State alum, was one of four players on the Detroit Lions’ roster disciplined for their role in some league prohibited gambling activities.  It is against League policy to place bets on any NFL happenings.  Moreover, it is considered unacceptable to place money on anything at any team or NFL facility.  To me, the play in this rule is preposterous, either gambling by NFL personnel should be eliminated totally, or bets should be allowed to be placed anywhere, as long as, it doesn’t relate to NFL matters.  As one can see, current rules can be misinterpreted or misunderstood quite easily.

Two of the four Lions suspended were done so indefinitely as a result of gambling on NFL football activities.  However, they will be permitted to apply for reinstatement at the beginning of next season.  It’s likely that their punishment will conclude at that time, as other players have been reinstated to the league after similar offenses.  Because the Lions brass chose to release these two players, they won’t be returning to the NFL in a Lions uniform.  If the current punishment for betting on sports becomes the standard, Pete Rose, former manager for Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds, is owed an apology, along with reinstatement to MLB.  In his case, he claims he bet on baseball, but not his own team.   Similar to Rose, Williams did not bet on team related activities, therefore, he received a greatly reduced penalty of only 6 games.  His infraction arose due to placing bets on team property.  Short of banning gambling altogether, it’s imperative that NFL management create clear guidelines that are easily followed to prevent the need for such discipline in the future.

Needless to say, it’s clear the financial cash flow that sports betting creates is enormous.  At the same time however, it allows for a clear path for corruption and fraudulent activities.  The financial boon to communities and teams isn’t worth the risk of compromising athletic competition.  Yes, there are safeguards in place to prevent such events, but undoubtedly, workarounds can be found, so misconduct can be masked.  Therefore, the best solution is to cease sports gambling.  If this isn’t possible, make sure rules are clear and concise to eliminate fraudulent behavior.

Given the prominence of the NFL, it’s necessary that they have clear and concise regulations in all areas to avoid intentional or unintentional violations of policies.  When it comes to sports betting and NFL players and personnel, it is crucial that clear policies are developed to maintain the integrity of the game.  Because of the actions of Jameson Williams and others, the league still has work to do.  If these issues are not addressed, problems such as these will continue to arise.

Current Version of Pistons Could Determine Tom Gores Ownership Legacy

 When former owner of the Detroit Pistons Bill Davidson passed away in 2009, his widow Karen Davidson made the decision to sell the franchise.  After some brief overtures by the late Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch to buy the organization, it was ultimately sold to Genesee, Michigan native Tom Gores for $325 million.  Obviously, everyone hoped that playoff runs, and championship drives would become a staple under the new boss.  Unfortunately, however, things have not gone as planned under Gores leadership so far.  With some new blood recently in the organization, the owner and Pistons fans hope fortunes will change.

Since taking the helm in 2011, success has been hard to find for Gores.  Despite numerous coaching changes and roster overhauls, the Pistons have only made the playoffs once under the new owner.  Along with this, their record is well under .500.  Marquee signings have not worked out, or have been unable to get the Pistons on the right track on a consistent basis.  It’s difficult to assess whether it is bad luck or a lack of the knowledge that would allow Gores to give the proper attention to the right areas that create a successful basketball organization.

With the hiring of new General Manager Troy Weaver a few years back, it appears Gores is committed to building an organization completely through the draft.  These next few years may cement whether history will deem Gores successful as an owner.  Will he be able to put a consistent winner on the court.  With the additions of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, and others, he and Pistons sure hope so.  Many of these players have shown flashes of success, but can they put it all together to bring a Championship or two to Detroit?

One major flaw in the ownership style of the Michigan Native, is that he appears more focused on facility matters than building a championship team.  For starters, shortly after taking over the franchise, he made the decision to move the team to Little Caesar’s Arena to share the property with the Detroit Red Wings.  In addition, this would include a new practice facility for the Pistons.  What’s the problem with this?  Their former home, the Palace, was only 25 years old and had a state of the art practice facility of its own. Furthermore, it was much more accessible than a downtown arena.  If you have top of the line amenities, but put a poor product on the court, it isn’t a recipe for creating a successful sports organization.  It’s now imperative that Gores concentrate on building a quality product on the court, if he wants to bring Championships to Detroit, as he says he does.

To say Tom Gores ownership has been tumultuous would be an understatement.  This team has woefully underperformed under his leadership.  One of the reasons for this is because Gores is attempting to run a world class organization from his California home.  Yes, that’s right, this owner is trying to operate an NBA organization from afar.  If Tom genuinely wants success in Detroit, he needs to be invested in the day to day operations of the ball club.  This means being present frequently, and knowing first hand what decisions need to be made, and how to make them.  Until he comes to this conclusion, it’s quite possible the Pistons will continue to flounder.

What Did the Tigers See in Javier Baez?

 Beginning in the 2021 season, the Tigers seemed destined for some desperately needed successful seasons.  Therefore, they were ready to add some corner pieces to build a team around.  One of those major pieces was supposed to be Javier Baez.  He was supposed to contribute with his offensive and defensive abilities to this team.  Unfortunately, so far with the Tigers, he has been unable to put it all together to have success on the field.

In studying his career statistics, it’s difficult to determine what the front office of the Tigers saw in him that deemed him deserving of a of a long term contract.  In a brief look, you find that he has never played more than 160 games in one season.  In fact, for most of his career, he’s played well under 100 games per season, while having a mid .200 batting average most of the time.  Furthermore, in his 9 year career, he has never had a .300 batting average.  Obviously, these numbers indicate that Baez should have never been considered a marquee player.

With his lack of playing time, it may be difficult to know how he could perform if he were able to string together years of significant playing time.  Looking at the sample we do have however, we see he has struck out well over 100 times per season, and has been unable to attain 500 plate appearances in any particular season.  In order to be considered an elite player, you must hit close to .300 rather consistently.  In Baez’s case, his highest average in any season was .299.  With these numbers, it’s hard to see why the Tigers wanted to make him a foundational piece of their organization.

Not only do Javier Baez’s offensive performances not meet the standards of what is expected of him, but his defensive statistics even further bolster the premise that he does not deserve to be labeled a great player.  In 2022, he lead MLB in errors, and appeared to struggle throwing the ball accurately. To further display his defensive shortcomings, he ranks 133rd in defensive play in MLB.  Unfortunately, Baez has fell far below what was expected of him by the organization.  It’s difficult to find what the Tigers did, in order to place such high expectations of him.

To develop great teams, you must build around players that have great track records offensively, defensively, or both.  You can’t depend on players who have had brief periods of success here or there to become elite players.  It was quite apparent that this may have been what the team expected Baez to do.  To give him an incentive, they gave him a hefty contract that may come back to bite the organization in their hind quarters.

What Will Be the Long Term Impact of New MLB Rules?

 Ever since Major League Baseball has been in existence, its bedrock rules have remained relatively unchanged, except for minor tweaks here or there.  That all changed at the beginning of the 2020 season, when a ghost runner began being placed on second base in extra innings.  Fast forward to the 2023 campaign, and we now have several other regulations in place to speed the pace of play, and increase the action of the game.  The impacts on the manner in which the game is carried out will be felt for the rest of the game’s existence.

One of the most consequential rules added in 2023, was the implementation of a pitch clock.  As one might surmise, under this regulation, a pitcher has only so much time to deliver a pitch to home plate.  If the time is exceeded, an automatic ball will be assessed to the pitcher. Because of this rule, so far this season, the duration of games have been dramatically shorter.  In fact, games have gone from an average of 3 hours last season, to 2 hours and 38 minutes in 2023.  On the field, a pitch clock enforcement could cause pitchers who take longer to deliver pitches to not perform as well as they normally would.  Therefore, it is likely that more runs could be scored, as a direct result of the pitch clock.  Traditionally, baseball has been an untimed sport, and now a clock addition could directly impact performances.  In my estimation, history will not reflect well on MLB for altering the way the game is played in such a dramatic manner.

Continuing in the vain of accelerating game times and increasing scoring, MLB saw fit to create a “disengagement” limit on pitchers.  In other words, the pitchers can only step off the rubber, or throw to first base twice per batter.  On the 3rd “disengagement,” the pitcher must record an out, or a balk is called.  Inevitably, this will and has led to more stolen bases.  In fact, on opening day alone in 2023, there were 23 attempted stolen bases, 21 of which were stolen.  Compare this to the same day in 2022, when there were only 9 stolen base attempts, 5 of which were stolen.  What changed you ask?  Base runners now know when they can steal, with no threat of a throw over by the pitcher.  To me, this is “sanctioned cheating,” and eliminates an important strategic aspect of the game.  We should never mess with the foundational rules of the game, because it is what makes the game great.

Simultaneously, while tearing at the fabric of the game, MLB reinstated a statute of the sport that has existed for all time.  MLB mandated that two players must be on each side of second base.  In other words, the first baseman and second baseman must stay on the left side of second base, while the shortstop and third baseman must remain on the right side.  Consequently, this will lead to more base hits, and more runs.  In my opinion, implementing this singular rule could increase scoring in an ethical way.  In fact, this is the only change that affects baseball positively.

Making such radical changes to a sport for efficiency and entertainment purposes does irreparable damage to the purity of the sport.  To me, other measures could have been taken that do not so blatantly erode the foundational facets of baseball.  It could have been done in a way that doesn’t alter the strategies of the game. Clearly, all of this was executed because of our society that demands instant gratification.  Sad.

Tigers Look to Improve on Less than Stellar 2022 Campaign

 Every spring, hope springs eternal for every MLB team and their fans that this is the year the team will win a World Series.  All teams are undefeated, and all clubs believe they have made the right changes to the roster to improve on, or continue the success of the previous season.  Logic tells us however, this scenario will not be the case for every team.  For the Detroit Tigers, they are hoping that the numerous roster moves they have made this offseason, combined with Jonathan Schoop, Javy Báez, and Spencer Torkelson being able to substantially improve from their 2022 performances, that this year’s version of the team will evolve into a successful 2023 season.

In order to boast about this upcoming season being a success, I believe the Tigers need to finish with a record around .500.  This means winning ten to twenty more games this season, 10 would be considered good and 20 would be exceptional.  Can the Tigers pull anything like this off? The odds makers say no. They have them winning 69 games.  In order to prove Vegas wrong, our new acquisitions, as well as, the foundation of our team need to perform well.  It is imperative that Javy Báez perform at the level of a guy making $140 million over 6 years should.  No longer can he strike out 147 times and lead the league with 26 errors.  Likewise, Jonathan Schoop needs to return to his 2021 form, when he had 84 RBIs and batted .278 in 156 games.  Along with this, new additions like Nick Maton must duplicate his spring performance, where he accrued a .313 batting average.  If the Tigers are able to get better production from the big guns, and others on the squad are moderately successful, this team is destined to outperform expectations.

To further bolster the team’s chances of improving on a dismal 2022 campaign, the Tigers need to vastly improve their defensive statistics.  When your supposed best defensive player led the league in errors in 2022, that is not exactly a recipe for success.  Not only did Javy Báez have 26 errors, but many times he had difficulty throwing the ball accurately, which could have led to many more miscues. Despite his error prone habits, the Tigers ranked near the middle of the pack in defensive play.  In fact, they happened to rank 12th of 30 teams in defense.   Just a modest improvement in defensive prowess is bound to equate to increased victories.

Unlike last season, the team is hoping that injuries are kept to a minimum this year.  Already, however, new starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen has found his way to the injured list.  Unfortunately, the pitchers were decimated by injuries during last year’s campaign.  Despite this, the compilation of pitchers were able to compile a 4.04 ERA, while notching 38 saves.  The Tigers hope a mostly healthy starting pitching staff this season will help them build on the successes that were seen last year.  If improved play occurs, along with a good performance from a healthy pitching staff, more overall success is not far behind for the Tigers.

The fan base for this team has waited for quite awhile to see this team have sustained success again.  Due to woeful underperformance, multiple rebuild attempts have been undertaken with no success.  Players that were expected to lead this team to success year in and year out have not panned out.  Though Miguel Cabrera had many years of success, for the last several years, he has fell far below expectations.  With the advent of a new General Manager, are the Tigers now on a path to be a perennial winner? This season will go a long way to answer that question.

Michigan State Spartans Advance to the Sweet 16 After Unlikely Victory Against Marquette

 In their 25th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the Michigan State Spartans have earned victories against USC and Marquette.  Despite not playing their best in either contest, the team was able to do just enough to move on in the tournament.  Unfortunately, they have not been able to click on all cylinders against the USC Trojans or the Marquette Golden Eagles.  Against the Trojans, making free throws proved to be a difficult task to tackle.  Conversely, with the Golden Eagles, the Spartans went 2-14 when shooting 3 pointers, while sinking most of their free throws.  Hopefully, as the tournament progresses, the Spartans will find themselves playing more consistently as competition becomes more difficult.

Since Tom Izzo took the head coaching job at Michigan State 28 years ago, his teams have always had the reputation of playing their best basketball in March, as well as, in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  In College Basketball, head coaches put together their team’s non conference schedules each year.  In Izzo’s case, he ensures his squad has one of the toughest schedules in the college game.  Annually playing teams such as Kansas, Duke, and Kentucky, the Hall of Fame coach hopes his team will be playing at its finest by the end of the year.  Though this is not the case this year, they are playing well enough to best their competition.  In their last contest, they beat a number 2 seed in the tournament, while the Spartans were number 7.  Izzo has beaten the higher seeded team 16 times in his career to advance in the tournament.  He’s hoping to do it a few more times in an effort to guide his team to National Championship.  The first one for the Spartans in 23 years.

As throughout the season, the offense has struggled to find itself this postseason.  Generally, if they are hot from the 3 point line, they win, if they aren’t they lose.  In fact, until Sunday the green and white had only won one game this season when they struggled from behind the long line.  Thanks to decent free throw shooting,  tight defense, and some sloppy play from Marquette, the Spartans overcame the lackluster performance on offense, that included missing some high percentage shots.  If the team wants to go much further in the tournament, there are some aspects of their play that need refinement.

To compensate for Michigan State’s poor play at times, the Golden Eagles turned the ball over 16 times.  Furthermore, the Spartans were able to block several shots in an effort to put an end to Marquette’s 9 game winning streak.  The upset of the Golden Eagles adds to a growing list of upsets that have occurred in this year’s tournament, including 16 seeded FDU putting an end to the  number 1 seeded Purdue Boilermakers’ tournament run.  This is only the second time in the history of the tournament that a 16 seed has sent a number 1 seed packing.  If Izzo and the Spartans want to have continued success, they will have to pile up several more of those upsets.

As a rule, March is where the Spartans thrive.  Thanks to their early season tests against some of the best teams in college basketball, they are able to withstand the challenges that the postseason offers.  When March arrives, they seem to perform at the necessary level to beat most of their competition.  One reason for this is that Tom Izzo always strives for his team’s perfection.  Though it will never occur, because this team is expected to play as flawless as possible, success will occur more often than failure for this squad.

Detroit Tigers Sign Pitcher off of Nicaraguan World Baseball Classic (WBC) Roster to Minor League Deal

 In a highly unusual move, the Detroit Tigers have signed pitcher Duque Hebbert to a minor league contract.  Despite Nicaragua’s 6-1 loss on Monday, Hebbert struck out MLB stars Juan Soto, Raphael Devers, and Julio Devers.  After the outstanding performance, Tigers scout Luis Molina sought him out to become a part of their organization.  Will he be able to translate his brief success into a productive professional career?  The Tigers took a gamble and hope the answer is yes.

Generally, a player is a few years into a professional career by the age of 21.  In Hebbert case, his journey is just beginning.  As a result of striking out three of the best players in MLB, Duque’s baseball career may have taken a startling turn in a positive direction.  Though his pitches do not light up the radar gun, as he only features velocity in the mid 80’s to low 90’s, his ability to locate pitches that also have plenty of movement must have been enough for the Tigers to open up their pocket books for him.  Will they get enough bang for their buck? Only time will tell.

It is well known throughout baseball circles that unless a pitcher can throw 95-100 MPH, their chances of cracking the Majors are slim and none, with few exceptions.  If a pitcher can master the art of locating pitches that also feature plenty of movement, they may be able to buck that trend.  For Hebbert, his sinker, slider, and changeup may be just what he needs to accomplish his dream of becoming a Major Leaguer.  All of these pitches, if perfected, can be very difficult to hit, even for the best of hitters.  If Hebbert can extrapolate his success experienced in the WBC into long term positive outcomes, he will be destined to make major contributions in the Major Leagues.

A pitcher of Duque Hebbert’s skill set, as a rule, do not get a second look by Major League personnel.  Generally, there are a baseline set of data points that must be met to get noticed by the right people.  On paper, Dugue met none of those criteria.  However, he was able to blow away some of the best hitters in the game.  For that reason alone, Tigers brass felt he deserved a chance to prove he could make it as a pitcher at the highest level in professional baseball.  Can he master his skills enough to get Major Leaguers out for years to come?  The Tigers think he might.

World Baseball Classic (WBC) Kicks off This Week

 For the first time since 2017, the WBC gets underway this week.  The most recent installment of the Olympic style event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  This baseball extravaganza began in 2006 with 16 countries participating.  Since then, the event has expanded to 20 teams that has included several Major League players.  Such a worldwide event is meant to broaden and expand interest in the game.

The 5th edition of the World Baseball Classic will feature teams from around the Globe, including Japan, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands, Israel, and the USA, among others.   Popular players like Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Paul Goldschmidt, and Mike Trout will be competing for their respective countries.  The 30 man rosters for each ball club can consist of 10 Major League players, or 15 athletes from any MLB organization.  Without a doubt, this tournament will feature some of the greatest baseball talent from around the world.

The 2023 version of the 2023 WBC will feature 4 pools of 5 teams.  The first round of games will be a round robin format, with the top two teams from each division advancing, which eventually devolves into an 8 team single elimination playoff.  At the conclusion of the process a World Baseball Classic Champion is crowned.  This year, Japan, Chinese Tapei, and the United States are among the favorites to come out on top.  Will the prognosticators be proven right, or will another squad emerge victorious.

For the most part, the WBC will use MLB rules to govern its play, with a few exceptions.  Firstly, the tournament will be without the newly implanted Major League pitch clock.  Furthermore, there will be no 6 visit mound visit limit in effect.  Additionally, the newly introduced ban on shifts on the field will not be utilized during these games.  This ban mandated that 2 players remain on the 2nd base side of the bag, and 2 players must be on the shortstop side.  However, rules such as the ghost runner on 2nd base after 9 regulation innings will be a part of the format.  Though the rules may be slightly varied, the foundations of  the game should be on full display.

In an effort to give the game more worldwide exposure, the World Baseball Classic was developed.  To attract the largest audience possible, the greatest players in the world were urged to participate.  This meant that some of the best Major Leaguers had the opportunity to play for their country.  Generally, most players asked jumped at the chance to represent their homeland.  Therefore, baseball had opportunity to become more popular, and participation could increase exponentially.

MLB Adopts New Rules To Shorten Time of Games

 For Major League Baseball’s entire history, it has remained one of the only major sports that remained without a clock to manage its time.  Unfortunately, due to changes in societal operations and a culture that has become impatient and intolerant of the slowness of time, MLB has deemed it necessary to implement policies and rules that expedite the pace of play.  As much as many may not relish the idea of such drastic adjustments to the way baseball conducts itself, MLB must see this as one of the most effective ways of maintaining its financial viability in ever changing society that seems to be operating faster as time goes on.  Can baseball keep its current fan base satisfied, while meeting the needs of future generations?  Only time will tell.

Yes, throughout the years baseball games have gotten steadily lengthened.  In the 1980’s, a game lasted around 2 and a half hours.  Back then, pitchers got the ball and threw it.  You didn’t see batters stepping out multiple times in the same at bat.  Pitchers did not step off the mound as frequently.  For some unknown reason these occurrences have taken place with much more frequency recently.  Maybe because pitchers have added many more pitches to their repitoire?  Maybe because pitchers throw harder?  I don’t think anyone has a solid answer to this question.  In any event, games are about 30 minutes longer than they used to be.  30 minutes!  Is this any reason to add a pitch clock that limits the time a pitcher or batter can take preparing for an at bat? I’m not sure about that.  Especially, when it completely overhauls the way parts of the game are played.

To eliminate the added time, several regulations have been put in place to speed the pace of games.  First of all, pitchers have 15 seconds between pitches to deliver the next pitch with no runners on base.  This time increases to 20 seconds with runners on the base paths.  In addition, a batter can only step out of the box once during each at bat, and must be in the batter’s box looking at the pitcher with 8 seconds on the clock.  When the runner gets on base, the pitcher can only throw over or step off the rubber twice.  If the pitcher steps off the rubber or throws over to first a third time, the runner must be picked off by the pitcher, or a balk will be called.  Is the addition of so many rules that will inevitably cloud players’ minds the appropriate manner to ensure games are played in the most efficient manner possible? This seems highly questionable.  Again, all these adjustments are being made to save 30 minutes.  Why not just tell umpires to continually remind players and coaches to be quick, and then implement rules as a last resort.

Baseball must be relevant to multiple generations to ensure that it is able have a flourishing existence.  Therefore, they have to find ways to adapt to our accelerating cultural needs, ideally without tearing at the tenets of the original game.  For the current powers at be, they failed at this task miserably.  Other adjustments could have been implemented to shorten games without monumentally changing the way the game operates.  What makes baseball great has been damaged to a certain extent, due to the attempt to cater to a population whose patience has run woefully short.