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MLB starting up
So we’re here. Yes, we’re far from the “er” months, when baseball becomes juicy.
But the “arch” month brings hope.
The hope of spring.
The hope of everything green.
The hope delivered by our savior. (True or false, ham is the only true option for Easter lunch? And true or false, if you are going to do ham, Honeybaked is the only option? Side question on our T or F opener: Does any brand dominate its market the way Honeybaked Ham dominates the ham reality?)
The hope of opening day.
We all believe in our team right now. We search for ways to believe. That’s part of the exchange of being a sports fan.
Yes, growing up a Dodgers fan, finding reasons to be hopeful for the L.A. juggernaut is not overly difficult. Heck, win the World Series and then add arguably the best position player (Kyle Tucker) and closer (Edwin Diaz) in free agency.
Big Blue is bleeding big bucks. Life is good.
That said, with opening day right around the corner, let’s roll out some MLB predictions, shall we? I think we shall.
In the NL East, I have the Phillies over the Mets and the Braves. This is the big one for most of us.
Caveat: The healthiest of these three teams will win the division. And that’s a huge caveat.
The Phillies — while aging — have the best lineup in a league that features a slew of MVP candidates. Bryce Harper, to the championship courtesy phone, please. Mr. Harper to the courtesy phone.
Side question: If he retired today, is Bryce Harper a Hall of Famer? Discuss.
The Braves are loaded atop the lineup but desperate for healthy starting pitchers. The Braves’ bullpen is strong — a sentence and a sentiment I have seldom offered — but with the news that Spencer Strider and his tight pants will start the season on the IL, Atlanta will be meaningful in the “er” months if it finds a pitcher or three.
Be that in the minors or the market, Atlanta needs arms.
Elsewhere, we’ll take the Cubs in the Central and you know who in the West.
In the AL, let’s go Toronto, Detroit and Seattle.
Couple of fun stories to follow: The perennially stinky A’s and Pirates have assembled an impressive collection of young talent and could be ready to win now. Also, Pirates ace Paul Skenes is an absolute must-watch athlete when he gets the ball.
We’ll do individual stuff tomorrow. Deal? Deal.
As for the playoffs, well, it’s the Dodgers’ world, and everyone knows it.
Women’s Madness
So, there was actually an upset in the women’s draw. No. 10-seed Virginia toppled No. 2 seed Iowa at Iowa. It was fun and went into double overtime.
Yeah.
Almost everything else was outlined in chalk like a shooting victim.
Including in that art work were landslide wins for perennial powers UConn and South Carolina.
That brings us to our talking points for this morning in the women’s game.
Juggernauts are good for any sport. But JUGGERNAUTS like this make it predictable and rather blah-tastic.
Yes, UConn chasing perfection is a cool story, and it will be more fun when the competition escalates.
But, dang. UConn made the Sweet 16 for the 32nd consecutive season.
Read that again.
And forget the laments of the Syracuse coach, who blasted the committee for “always” putting Syracuse in UConn’s bracket and for having to play at UConn, where the Huskies are ruthlessly efficient.
That is impressive. Even if it’s somewhat boring.
Side question: Did we ever think we’d be listing the women’s hoops power players, and the Lady Vols are a total afterthought?
Method to the Madness
While the women’s game is a hierarchy of a small group of super powers, the men’s game is morphing toward domination by the super wealthy.
The power conferences are like Mohawk, the rival camp that Bill Murray rails against in his Knute Rockne-like pregame speech in “Meatballs.”
“If we win, even if we play so far above our heads that our noses bleeds for a week to 10 days, even if God comes down from heaven above and points his hand at our side of the field, even if every man, woman and child, held hands together and prayed for us to win, it just wouldn’t matter. Because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from Mohawk ’cause they got all the money.”
True or false, “Meatballs” is underrated?
True or false, you went away to summer camp as a youth?
Anywell, all the money is all that will matter moving forward.
How about this wrinkle for college hoops, which more than any other product has benefited from NIL in terms of actual game action. Players staying longer in college for the most part allows better play and more familiarity. Anywell, to the idea.
The low-to-mid-level mid-majors are going to lose their top dudes every year. Whether that is to go somewhere and be the guy or to go somewhere to just be a guy with an extra digit in his check, it will continue to happen.
So, reward the mid-majors for finding and developing these players. Have the Dukes or the UKs or the UTs (both of them) and every power conference school pay a finder’s fee to the school and the programs that develop the next stars of the sport.
Will it happen? Almost assuredly not.
But it’s an idea. Thoughts?
This and that
> Loved this clip of a mic’ed up home-plate ump begging he got the call right as it goes to the ABS system recently.
> Rules, people. Here’s Paschall with some UT football goodness.
> Speaking of football, here’s TFP UTC beat ace Gene Henley with some critical questions about the Mocs starting spring practice. Feels like a pretty big season for Rusty Wright and Co., no?
> Getting stoked for the draft. Wanna know who loves the draft? I’ll give you two guesses. Here’s a draft board that has Arvell Reese as the top prospect and Fernando Mendoza at 2. I think safety Caleb Downs — who is three on that list — is the best football player in the draft. Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling is the top-ranked SEC player at 8.
> Tiger Woods will play in tonight’s virtual golf thingy. Will you watch?
Today’s question
True or false, it’s Tuesday. Morning, Ernie.
We have several above that start the T or F.
True or false, Tiger needs to retire?
True or false, the Braves will make the playoffs?
True or false, you would take the Dodgers over the rest of MLB to win it all.
True or false, Rusty Wright is on the hot seat entering 2026?
You know the drill, answer some Ts or Fs, ask some Ts or Fs.
As for today, March 24, let’s review.
Steve Balmer is 70 today.
Wow, Peyton Manning is 50 today.
Again, wow. We’ve had so many Rushmores that include Peyton, no?
Rushmore of renowned fans of UT? Manning is there, right?
(And if you want to do your school, feel free.)