Over the past few days, the game of baseball has endured quite a bit. From two intense tie-breakers in the National League to exciting Wild Card games to further developments in a player’s domestic violence case, it has been a rollercoaster of a week in Major League Baseball.
Naturally, I couldn’t choose just one topic to focus on. Instead, in classic The Boston Globe, Dan Shaughnessy style, here are some picked-up pieces from around baseball.
- As Billy Beane said in “Moneyball” (and possibly in real life, who knows), “It’s hard not to be romantic about baseball.” This past week, it was hard not to be emotional when it came to the New York Mets and retiring third baseman and captain, David Wright. After 14 seasons, all in New York, Wright is walking away from the game he loves, and more importantly, from the game that loves him.
Wright’s retirement is sad for several reasons. First, his is the perfect example of how quickly a remarkable career can sour. From 2005 to 2014, Wright averaged 144 games per season while making seven All-Star teams. Then the injury bug bit, and Wright played only 38 and 37 games in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and none in 2017. Then after 854 days without starting a baseball game, Wright returned Saturday for his final goodbye. After a career of ups and downs, the 35-year-old Wright was ready to give in to Father Time.Wright was one of my favorite players growing up. For anyone whose love of baseball developed in the mid-to-late 2000s, Wright was the real deal. An All-Star from 2006 through 2011, he was one of the best, nicest, most lovable players in the game. The only non-Red Sox shirt I owned as a child was his. Baseball fans should take a moment to appreciate the heart, talent, and love that David Wright gave us over the past decade and a half. He’ll be missed.
- Tuesday’s Wild Card game effectively showed why the current one game, win-or-go-home format is perfect. Wednesday’s Wild Card game effectively showed why it isn’t. In the NL game, which lasted just under five hours, we saw a fantastic pitchers’ duel, clutch hitting, strong bullpens, and a 2004 Dave Roberts-esque stolen base to set up a key run. The Colorado Rockies topped the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in 13 innings. It was exciting, intense October baseball. It was captivating from the first pitch through the winning run hours later. You couldn’t ask for much more. The AL game, however, failed to excite. Sure, there were moments of intrigue. In the eighth inning, the A’s challenged the call on a double play, causing the umpires to reverse and reward Jed Lowrie first base. The next batter, Oakland Athletics slugger and MLB home run leader Khris Davis, hit a two-run bomb to bring the Yankees’ lead down to 4. But it wasn’t enough. From Aaron Judge’s two-run homer in the first inning on, it was clear who was dominating this game. It was 6-0 prior to Davis’ home run, and the Yankees scored again in the eighth to return to the lead to five. It was never close, and never that intense. Instead, the A’s, despite their magical second half and underdog status, will return home after one bad game. These are the games that make me yearn for a three-game Wild Card format. Nonetheless, it’s time for that Yankees/Red Sox matchup!
- Major League Baseball does a lot of things right. Under the guidance of Commissioner Rob Manfred, the league has made important changes to improve many aspects of the game. In one area, however, baseball seems just as clueless as the other professional sports: domestic violence. On Wednesday, Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was suspended 40 games for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Earlier this season, Seattle’s Robinson Canó received an 80-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. I could go into the specifics of each case, examine the severity of Russell’s alleged actions, and so on. But the bottom line is this: if a league punishes players twice as much for steroids as it does for domestic violence, we’ve got a big problem.
- Is anybody else concerned about Chris Sale? After an elite first half of the season, Sale pitched only once in August and did not last more than 4.2 innings in a single game in any of his four September starts. His velocity has dipped, his command has wavered, and he has not seemed himself. Álex Cora and the Red Sox supposedly do have a plan. By resting Sale more in the latter half of the season, he will hopefully be more fresh in October. Their pitching program is unique, and it remains to be seen if Sale not pitching normally since July will backfire. All I know, especially after watching these Wild Card games, is that pitching is absolutely critical in the postseason. After consecutive disappointing playoff performances from Boston in 2016 and 2017, Sale and his teammates have quite a bit to prove. Also, letting Jon Lester go remains perhaps the biggest mistake the Sox have made in my lifetime.
- Baseball’s disturbing process for integrating international free agents into the sport has long been a source of controversy, but it’s getting to the point that the game’s higher-ups cannot ignore it any longer. Sports Illustrated reported this week that the U.S. Department of Justice is looking into MLB’s international recruitment processes for possible corruption. Corruption? How about human trafficking? Baseball has many shady practices when it comes to handling young talent, from international prospects to its own minor leaguers, who the league treats as quasi-indentured servants. I’m no lawyer, but none of that sounds good.
- As I’ve remarked in this space before, Alex Cora is in the midst of an incredibly impressive rookie season as a manager. The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 games, and much of the team’s success can be attributed to its skipper. This past week, Cora’s success has been put into even more perspective. Since the regular season ended just days ago, Cora’s fellow AL East managers Buck Showalter, of the 115-loss Baltimore Orioles, and John Gibbons, of the fourth-place Toronto Blue Jays, were dismissed. Even the Minnesota Twins, a second-place team, announced that Paul Molitor will not return as manager. With Gibbons and Showalter out, and New York’s Aaron Boone remaining unimpressive in my book, Cora is far and away the best manager in a pretty competitive division. And this is just year one.
Baseball is a sport that seems to never disappoint. After an exciting, albeit emotional, week of news in Major League Baseball, the fun is just beginning. The National League Division Series kicked off Thursday, and the American League Division Series between the Sox and Yankees opens Friday. October baseball is finally here.
