AL sprint
The defending World Series champs played their 81st game Tuesday.
The Houston Astros are 53-28 and have a staggering margin of victory of +173. Want some powerful perspective on how impressive that number is historically?
Try this: That is the sixth best run differential in the history of baseball at the halfway point, and the best since 1939. The other five marks ahead of the Astros’ stunning number belonged to four Yankees teams that featured either some dudes named Ruth or Gehrig or some cats named Berra and DiMaggio.
Of those five teams – the A’s in 1929 were the other – all five won the World Series.
So as the Yankees get a ton of ink because they are hitting a ton of homers and they are the Yankees, and no one should sleep on the Red Sox or or the Mariners, the Astros are playing at an elite level.
And that statement is made even more impressive when you look at the numbers of some of their bona fide stars.
The rotation has been historically good and should have at least three AL all-stars, but the lineup has been Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel and lots of head-scratching.
Alex Bregman is hitting .272. Carlos Correa, one of the game’s best young shortstops, is at .268, and George Springer is at .263.
Here are the numbers from last year on those three dudes: Bregman hit .284, Correa hit .315 and Springer was at .285.
Starting left-fielder Marwin Gonzalez is at .238 and is 0-for-his-last-18. (He hit .303 last year.) Evan Gattis is at .248 and Brian McCann is at .209.
All of this is to say that the Astros are historically good and we have not even seen them at their best.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ J.R. Smith, left, shoots as his teammate LeBron James watches during an NBA basketball practice, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. The Cavaliers face the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday in Oakland. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)That time of year
OK, we all know the sports calendar is a little slow right now.
OK, it’s a lot slow right now. We could all try to discuss where LeBron James is headed, but, well, so be it. (And as I said on Press Row, if James goes to the Warriors, I am turning in my original LeBron James fan club card.)
There’s not a lot else, though. In fact, the Law & Order reruns are on and in full effect around the 5-at-10 compound.
That said, how about the overlap of the reruns and the online sports headlines this morning.
Here were the three first three headlines on CBSsports.com as of 9 a.m. Wednesday:
BIG3 to allow cannabinoid treatment for pain.
Body found in freezer at Braves’ home ballpark.
Report: Friend found dead at Janoris Jenkins’ home.
Someone get Jack McCoy on the blower and get Lenny Briscoe on the case. Drug use and two dead bodies? That’s headline news on Oct. 27 nevermind June 27.
Here’s betting we’re not going to get these wrapped up nice and neat in less than an hour.
For all the knuckleheads
I’ve written about Pop on A2 a couple of times recently.
Some of you know the story. Some may not.
But I got a very kind email from 5-at-10 regular Ernie earlier this week and it included this great phrase: “Do you know the number of knuckleheads like me that read (the 5-at-10)?” The numbers are pretty impressive and very consistent.
We’re almost back to the peak place of 5-at-10 readership we had before we enacted the paywall, which is cool. And it’s the regulars – you know who you are – as well as the newcomers that make this as much fun as it is and have me keep on keeping on.
For that reason – and for the comedy value of course – I wanted to share some personal stuff among us knuckleheads.
Pop is not well. He’s got the brain cancer and well, as I have written cancer is like LaVar Ball. No not loud and obnoxious; “Undefeated; never lost.”
I’ve moved in with him (Pop, not LaVar Ball) because he needs 24-hour care. And in truth, part of the brain cancer and the surgery he had in the spring has removed some of the normal filter that most of us have and try to use.
Pop: “That thing you said on the radio today.” Me: “Yeah?” Pop: “That was dumb.”
Pop: “Have you been working out?” Me: “No.” Pop: “I can tell.”
Know this: We are Day Plus-12; meaning that they gave him three months after the surgery and we are 12 days beyond that three-month threshold.
Every day – and every one-liner – has to be viewed as a blessing. For all of us.
Last night he said he looks forward to each morning because of the way I make breakfast. (Bacon chewy rather than crispy; my version of “Southern Scrambled” eggs which is eggs and pimiento cheese; cheese grits; either toast or biscuits and gravy if I have time.)
That made me smile and realize that I look forward to each morning for the blessing of the day.
Now excuse me knuckleheads, I need to get to the gym.
This and that
– The hatred among us is staggering. And buckets, a college student berating an older woman like this – regardless of the reason or her position or her husband – needs a chat from his parents.
– Arkansas beat Oregon State in Game 1 of the College World Series on Tuesday. Man, SEC has had a pretty strong sports season, no?
– Reports have Kevin Durant opting out of his deal with Warriors. Reports also have him resigning with the Warriors. Man, the back and forth of the NBA free agency has to give GMs heartburn and headaches, no?
Today’s questions
Well, on a which way Wednesday, we’ll go the following ways:
Which side are you backing as the AL favorite at the halfway point: Yankees, Red Sox or Astros?
On this day in 1967, the first ATM was installed. Fun fact: The 5-at-10 does not have an ATM card. Never have and likely never will. Cash is good.
Khloe Kardashian is 33 today. Tobey Maguire is 43. J.J. Abrams is 52. Helen Heller would have been 138.
Wow, Jack Lemmon died on this day all the way back in 2001.
Today is National Sunglasses Day. If we started with Risky Business and Top Gun, what rounds out the Rushmore of most famous scenes with sunglasses in movie history?
Discuss.