NEW YORK, NY – We finally get back to baseball tonight after the All-Star break doldrums. It’s an awful week and I’m glad it’s behind us. It is always the Worst Sports Week of the Year.
Monday night kicked off Worst Sports Week of the Year with the Home Run Derby on Monday night. An event that hasn’t been interesting since Griffey Jr. was hitting balls off of the warehouse at Camden Yards. And while I appreciate that they’ve tried to speed things up by adding a time limit for each batter and making them swing at every pitch, the event still takes too long. I watched about five minutes of the Home Run Derby before switching to more exciting television (reruns of Maude), which featured David Wright, Masahiro Tanaka, Matt Harvey and Alex Rodriguez… Bet you didn’t know that.
Here’s Junoir… Junior.
Tuesday night had the All-Star Game, which is marginally more entertaining than the Derby. The fact that this game still decides home-field advantage in the World Series baffles me. The decision to do this was a knee-jerk reaction to a fluke occurrence in an All-Star Game a decade and a half ago. We’re now apparently stuck with this scheme. I think they should go back to the old system of alternating home-field advantage between the National and American Leagues. That way the Senior Circuit can get custody every once in awhile. The American League has won 16 of the last 20 All-Star Games.
Wednesday night brought us The ESPYS. That’s all I have to say about that.
Last night there was absolutely nothing going on. There used to be at least a few MLB games on the Thursday after the All-Star “extravaganza.” But a couple of seasons ago the league decided to give everybody an extra day off and condemn the nation to another excruciating night of boredom. There was absolutely nothing to watch last night. There weren’t even any MLS or WNBA games on. What a dreadful sports night.
Let’s go back to Junoir… Junior – Senior – for more entertainment…
https://youtu.be/vCk1UY5Afus
Tonight, we’re finally resuming normal service, with a full slate of MLB action. Look for teams like the Yankees to be selling as the August 1st trade deadline looms. The Cubs have been widely reported to be interested in the big arms in the Yankee bullpen. The Mets may also be interested in giving Jeurys Familia some backup in their relieving core. Look for both Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller to be on the move before the August 1st trade deadline. The Yankees won’t be bringing up Aaron Judge any time soon. The prospect is out indefinitely with a knee injury. So it seems unlikely that the youngster will get much big league experience this season. Wait till next year, kid.
Carlos Beltran could also be on the move. The veteran outfielder is having a stellar year at the plate and could move to bolster the lineup of a playoff-bound team. Could Beltran return to the Mets, who need help with their lineup? Time will tell. Beltran would be a boost to the Mets lineup and would provide some cover for the ailing Yoenis Cespedes. And as long as he avoided Adam Wainwright in the playoffs, the Los Mutts would be in good shape. Look for the Metsies to go on a run with Reyes hitting well and Cespedes returning to health.
That’s all for me today. But first… Here’s even more of Junior – not Junoir – who couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.
Please feel free to vent/lobby/comment below and come back tomorrow for Big Ben Whitney – not the NFL’s [alleged] rapist Big Ben… And please follow us on Twitter – @Different_Matt & @MeetTheMatts and like our Facebook page, Meet The Matts. Thank you.
