Monday’s 6-pack
Active leaders in most sacrifice bunts, career:
108— Clayton Kershaw
100— Elvis Andrus
85— Johnny Cueto
67— Julio Teheran
64— Brett Gardner
60— Adam Wainwright
Americans who have died from COVID-19: 554,522
PLEASE wear a mask (over your nose/mouth) when you go out.
Quote of the Day
“Experience is something you don’t get until just after you needed it.’’
Steven Wright
Monday’s quiz
Who was manager of the Cincinnati Reds, last time they won a playoff game?
Sunday’s quiz
2017 was the last time two #1-seeds faced off for the national championship.
Saturday’s quiz
Fernando Tatis Sr hit two grand slams in one inning in a major league game in the late 90’s, against the Dodgers. Oddly, he hit both of them off the same pitcher.
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Monday’s Den: Random thoughts on a spring day…….
13) First thing today is a survey question; you know how the guy who wins the Masters picks the menu for the champions’ dinner the next year? He can choose anything he likes.
If you won the Masters, what food would you serve at the champions’ dinner?
E-mail me at
ffib13@gmail.com or text me, if you know my cell number. We’ll post the results later on.
12) Tony LaRussa manages the White Sox now; he is 76 years old; there he was Sunday night, barking at 28-year old umpire Edwin Moscoso, who was working the plate. LaRussa probably has lot of clothes that are older than Moscoso.
Chicago has a 3rd-string catcher/DH Yermin Mercedes, who got hits in his first eight AB’s this season, making him the first player since 1933 to do that. He is apparently a bad defensive catcher, but he can also hit. With Eloy Jimenez hurt, White Sox need another hitter.
11) White Sox also have OF Billy Hamilton, who runs very fast but can’t hit; the guy has a career on-base %age of .296, a career OPS of .621- this is over nine years.
Every time I see Hamilton bat, I hear my dad’s voice, what he always said about light hitters who ran very fast: “You can’t steal first base!!!”
10) My A’s are off to a terrible start; they’re the first team in last 100 years to lose their first four games of the season to the same team, all by 4+ runs. Houston is a good team, but Brantley got hurt and missed Sunday’s game. A’s host the Dodgers next— yikes.
9) Red Sox got swept at home by Baltimore, first time since 1948 that they lost their first three games of a season that were all at Fenway Park. Orioles led Sunday’s game 10-0 in third inning; the few fans that were there were not happy.
8) Colorado Rockies have a pitcher named Tyler Kinley who apparently is a descendent of the former President William McKinley.
On September 6, 1901, President McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo- he died eight days after he was shot. Fearing that anarchists might target the rest of the family, the Secret Service suggested that the family change their name a little, and that’s what happened.
7) Speaking of pitchers in Colorado, if you’re a high school/college pitcher and the Rockies draft you, you have to get queasy, yes? Who succeeds pitching in such high altitude?
6) Extra innings in the major leagues start with a runner on second base; there are a couple of baseball guys on TV who advocate intentionally walking the first hitter, saying it is easier to get out of a jam with a force play in effect, instead of just a guy on second.
Don’t think any big league managers have tried that one yet; it conceivably could happen in the bottom half of the inning, if the score was tied. No one is going to put the winning run on base.
5) Back to Colorado for a second; Saturday night, a Rockies runner steals second with two out, and a 1-2 count on Corey Seager. Rockies walk Seager intentionally to set up a force and bring Chris Taylor up, facing a righty pitcher. Can’t remember ever seeing an intentional walk when they count was 1-2.
Taylor crossed up the strategy by banging a double off the leftfield wall.
4) White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito was miked in the dugout for a half inning of a game this weekend; he seemed at ease with a mike, which makes sense, since his grandfather was an actor named Warren Frost, who played George Costanza’s father-in-law on Seinfeld.
Mr Frost had 36 acting credits, ranging from Death Valley Days to Matlock to Seinfeld; in 10-12 days, when Giolito’s playing days are done, he’ll make a good broadcaster.
3) Maryland Terrapins have already poached transfers from Georgetown/Rhode Island this spring, as the new way to restock rosters isn’t so much recruiting high school kids as it is pillaging players from other schools. Georgetown has lost three starters the last two years.
2) Last year, Mac MacClung bolted from Georgetown to Texas Tech, to play for coach Chris Beard, a very good coach. Imagine MacClung’s surprise last week when Beard bolted himself, from Lubbock to the Texas Longhorns. Transfer market goes both ways.
1) QB Chase Daniel recently signed on as a backup with the LA Chargers; the guy is one of my heroes. He’s started five games in 11 years (five games!!!) but he’s banked $37.8M, plus the most popular guy on the team is usually the backup QB.
261 career passes, $37.1M, plus he’ll be all set for a career as a coach or broadcaster when he retires. Thats a career you can get behind.
Don’t forget to answer our survey question:
If you won the Masters, what food would you serve at the champions’ dinner?
