A bat man sighting in D.C.
Is Bryce Harper the hero baseball needs?
Yes, 'Dro, that's a direct rip from our beloved Dark Knight.
But, if Harper, as a Phillies slugger is going to bat flip and belt 460-foot homers against his former club, is the baseball Dark Knight, well, it could be very good for the game.
Even if it makes Brian McCann's eyes bleed.
Harper went 3-for-5 with a monster shot into right center. He had three RBIs, and the blast into the stands was followed by a bat flip that was every bit as noteworthy.
And, I got to tell you, it was fun. Yes, Harper is not going to return to Washington every game. And yes, he's not going to hit tape-measure homers every game.
Sure, the unwritten rules and act like you've been there before. Sportsmanship and all that.
Harper was jeered from the start, and the boos and taunts reached a crescendo when Harper fanned with two on and no out in the first. There were fans with T-shirts that spelled out 'Traitor' and all that jazz.
So the home run and the flip was emotionally charged for everyone. But it could be the spring board of a fun run through spring and summer for baseball.
Every sport needs a hook. Golf had Tiger - and people watched to root for him or against him. NASCAR had Dale Sr. - and people watched to cheer him or boo him, even if their driver was behind the wall. The Cowboys. Duke. The Patriots. LeBron.
The real needle movers are players and teams who stir the emotions - good and bad, cheering or jeering - to the point that casual fans are intrigued.
And Harper and these Phillies - who are 4-0, unveiled a basketball celebration among Harper and his outfield mates in the field and have more choreographed moves than a Broadway musical - have a distinct feel that they could be that.
And baseball the sport should embrace that and realize it would be lucky to have it.
From left, Atlanta Braves players Ronald Acuna Jr., Josh Donaldson and Freddie Freeman wait their turns in the batting cage during the team's first full-squad workout of spring training on Thursday.A win-win proposition
Hey, I think most of us have at least a causal connection the Braves, right?
Well, if you are even close to a baseball fan, you have to appreciate the skills and abilities of Ronald Acuna Jr.
Dude has it all. And now he has a nine-figure banks account to go with it.
Yes, only in today's sports world would a $100 million extension be described as value and team-friendly.
But it is.
Acuna's deal - which according to Dave O'Brien of The Athletic - is eight years for $100 million and could be 10 years for $124 million with team options.
And it may be the future of baseball contracts, especially with the looming labor negotiations.
As the big-ticket free agents such as Harper and Manny Machado eventually got monster deals, Acuna took less now.
And it behooves each side. (And now that the Braves have their two best hitters signed through 2022 on what looks to be very team friendly deals, there should be no excuse about them getting into the spending pool for some pitching help.)
The saving for the Braves is clear. Acuna has the skill set to be one of THOSE dudes. A guy who could be right behind Trout as the bets in the league. And for comparison, Trout just got $400-plus million extension. Five years from now, Acuna at $12 million a year will be right behind Nick Saban (at any price) for the best bargains in sports.
For Acuna, well, it's life-changing money now. Right now. He's worth nine-figures. Think about that. What happens if he slumps or battles injuries or fill-in-the-blank. And, at 31 when the contract runs its course, he will still have marketable skills.
You have to think teams will try to do this more frequently moving forward, right?
Acuna was bound on his rookie contract through 2024, so the Braves added two figures to his salary over the next couple of years. He was set to make $560,000 this year. Now he has an average salary of $12.5 million.
Money now to save a lot of money later makes sense for the teams, unless there are injuries.
And that's a wrap
I feel a little used.
I got my hopes up for the AAF. They said all the right things. They had some real football people atop the organizational charts. They had Spurrier.
I watched more than most the first month, and the product was not terrible.
The product was ended Tuesday. Shuttered before the playoffs of the first season.
(That said, Steve Spurrier claiming the title because his Orlando team had the best record is almost the most perfect Spurrier move ever. But, Spurrier calling Rick Neuheisel to congratulate him on finishing second in the AAF is the most perfect Spurrier move ever.)
There is no sadness here. There was not enough of a connection to feel personal sadness. It's hard not to have some sympathy for the players who had to feel like they had one more chance to chase the dream and now, according to reports, had to pay for their own plane tickets home.
In the end, I feel a little like a sucker. For some reason - maybe it was the preseason interviews in which credible people said all the right things - I thought this had a chance.
Spring football. A possible connection to the NFL. A last final chance for the Johnny Footballs or Tommy Whoshishelmet.
And done.
I should have known. This was the only way it could have ended right? Also of note, after my 1-3 showing last week, the AAF picks ended 20-20 all-time.
I wish my vision for the future of this league was that.
This and that
- Speaking of the AAF, I love the theories out there that Tom Dundon, the investor who stepped in after week 1, is trying to go Gordon Gekko on the league and is shutting it down with plans of keeping the in-game gambling and stats technology that was being developed for the AAF. Greed is good.
- Sometimes the little things can mean everything. Tip of the visor to Aaron Judge, who made the season for this young fan by playing catch for 60 seconds. Cool video. Cool move.
- As if the SEC needed another basketball coach with buzz Sorry. Not really. Texas A&M hired Buzz Williams, a dude who had four straight 20-win seasons at Virginia Tech. With the Aggies deep pockets and resources, that program could be a sleeping giant gang. Especially if Williams works similar magic in College Station as he did in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech was 11-22 and 2-16 in the ACC in Williams first year. Four years later, he led the Hokies to a 26-9 mark (12-6 in an ACC that had three 1 seeds) and the Sweet 16.
- Are we undervaluing the accomplishments of Russell Westbrook? Seriously. Dude went 20-20-20 last night. It's the second time it has ever happened in NBA history. The other dude to do it was some dude named Wilt. Russell is averaging a triple-double (23.0-11.1-10.5) for the third straight season. Wow.
- Should Phil Mickelson have more majors? Yes. Should Phil Mickelson have a career Grand Slam? Yes. Phil has left a lot of success on the course and his place in the game - considering his talent - should be much higher in the pantheon. But make no mistake, Phil is Tiger of trash talk. Believe that. Here's another round. After Jake Owen heckled Phil and asked for his $29.99 back for the pay-per-view match with Tiger in what Owen described as the "poop)-iest golf ever." Mickelson pulled out a $100 bill waved it in Owen's face and said, "I just made 90,000 of these yesterday. Take a hundred and go (bleep) yourself." All is well, though. Mickelson and Owen played together in January in a Pro-Am in Phoenix.
Today's question
Which way Wednesday. Let's go this way.
Which legendary name is the best to be on a sports list with? Like above with Russell Westbrook, who is on a list with Wilt, which list would you want to be on You and Wilt, You and Babe or You and Jack?
Which side made out better, Braves or Acuna?
Hey, April 3 is a strong birthday day. Eddie Murphy is 58. Marlon Brando would have been 95. Alec Baldwin is 61. Wayne Newton is 77. Wayne Mother Bleepin' Newton people. (And if you have not heard the Wayne Newton Johnny Carson story Newton told on the LeBatard Show a couple of years ago, well, here you go. You're welcome.)
Eddie Murphy is right there among the funniest dudes ever and is far left on my Rushmore of best SNL cast members.
On this day in 1953, TV Guide made it's debut with Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Desi Jr. Man, the TV Guide and the Phone Book are not exactly in a growth spurt are they?
Jesse James was killed on this day in 1882.
We could roll out some SNL or Godfather Rushmore, but that feels like already tilled ground around these parts.
Did you know on this day in 1937, Petunia Pig, Porky's romantic interest debuted. So, in honor of Petunia turning 72, what is the Rushmore of female cartoon characters?
Go and remember the mailbag.