BRONX, NY – The MLB Trade Deadline is, mercifully, over. The Mets traded everyone from their bullpen that wasn’t handcuffed to a urinal and offloaded Freddy Peralta to Tampa Bay. However, they failed to address their biggest need, and that need was/is giving David Stearns a one-way ticket on the midnight train going anywhere. So now, what’s left of the Mets gets to stick around Flushing playing to empty houses for the rest of the summer, looking at one another like the remaining inmates at Shawshank after Andy Dufresne busted out and Red got pardoned. Fun times! What else can we talk about?
Women’s Pro Baseball League. Not sure if this was on anyone’s radar but a women’s pro baseball league (the WPBL) launched its inaugural season this past weekend. The league (perhaps taking a page out of how smart small businesses operate) is starting small, with only four teams—New York, San Fran, Boston, LA) who will play all of their games at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. I caught a few highlights and, predictably, a few lowlights as well. There will be many detractors with snide comments, but who says “no” to anyone wanting to play baseball? I only wish we had more minor league clubs closer to NYC. In so many ways, going to those games is more fun that the pros, and infinitely more affordable. I hope people give the WPBL a fighting chance. I’ll say this, some of their logos/merch is pretty cool. But whoever is running their marketing/merchandising arm may need to take that train with David Stearns. They have been sold out of almost all of their team jerseys, caps, and t-shirts (for every team!) for at least a couple of weeks now. How do you let this happen? As Short Matt would say, “fumble.” For the record, I’m gonna put my considerably sports rooting juju behind the Boston Hunters. I’ll buy a shirt when they finally restock. Let’s go!
George Lombard Jr. Homers in Yankees Debut. Last night, 20-year-old Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. homered in his first game in pinstripes in the Bronx. I’m sure this phenom is yet another “can’t miss kid” from a Yankees system that seemingly produces an endless parade of them. My point is, for once let’s try to see one of these prospects play at least one full season in the bigs before anointing them “the next big thing.” I’m tired of that show already.
Mets Beat Guardians 6-2. It doesn’t matter.
Y’know, I think that’s about it for me today. Come on back tomorrow for a guy Meet The Matts acquired for “a player to be named later,” the legend known as Buddy Diaz.
