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Orioles Describer Spits on Baseball IQ of Canadiens Fans

Sometimes, commentators talk too much and miss the point.

Is it because they’ve got time to fill, and sometimes it’s possible to see some unfortunate language coming out of a baseball man’s mouth? Yes.

That said, sometimes it’s just… weird.

During a game between the Orioles and Blue Jays, an Orioles describer decided, for no reason at all, to criticize Canadian baseball fans. Why would he do that? Because… because.

Nothing to help Canadiens love Americans….

Basically, the describer said he had to be “really careful” about what he was going to say, but that sometimes, he might have big questions about the baseball IQ of Canada’s ball fans.

Sometimes you think they know more about hockey than baseball.

Yes, Canada’s fans are hockey fans. Seeing the Bell Centre full in September for rookie games is a prime example.

But what’s wrong with the ball fans here? After all, there are plenty of Blue Jays fans – and fans of many other teams – across Canada, and people know their baseball.

There’s a great atmosphere in the Rogers Centre, and the Blue Jays, who are well ahead of the Orioles in the standings, are excellent. The support is good, and the guys in the clubhouse have been emphasizing it a lot over the past few weeks, in the run-up to the playoffs.

In defense of their fans, the Blue Jays tweeted that they would be “really careful” what they said, but that the fans’ baseball IQ is one reason for the club’s home success so far this season. That was clearly a direct arrow.

At least when Buck Martinez criticized the Yankees, he criticized the club and the way the guys play. Because to forward the fans, for no reason, is really a low blow to Baltimore.

Not strong, chief.

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“We’re the best team in the league” – Jazz Chisholm Jr

The New York Yankees recorded a big 5-3 victory last night over their eternal foes, the Boston Red Sox, putting the series against the latter firmly in their grasp.

What’s more, the Bombardiers finally solved the Bryan Bello enigma, who, prior to the game, had a 1.95 earned-run average against New York in ten appearances on the mound.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. joined in the fun with a long ball that turned out to be Bello’s fourth earned run of the day, and only the second time he’d allowed so many against his division rival.

And after the match, Chisholm made a bold statement, which is nothing new in his case.

We’re the best team in the league. We’ve been saying it all year, that we’ve been playing at everyone else’s level rather than our own. We let games slip away with mistakes, bad at-bats, and things like that. So, at the end of the day, we finally looked in the mirror and realized we were the team to beat, and that’s how we’ve stepped on the field over the last two weeks.

Toronto Blue Jays commentator Buck Martinez makes it clear he disagrees.

But we have to admit that confidence is back in the Bronx. Indeed, the Yankees have had a reputation for being unable to beat their direct rivals this season. But with their season on the line, they had to face the American League’s top teams – the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox – emerging with a record of seven wins against four losses during that stretch.

The magic number for the Yankees to secure a playoff spot is currently nine. It now remains to be seen whether they will win the American League’s East Division title or enter the fall dance as a drafted team.

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Trey Yesavage recalled by the Blue Jays

This is it.

The Toronto Blue Jays have made the decision to recall Trey Yesavage in preparation for what’s to come. The club’s top prospect will now have his chance in the playoff race.

Ben Nicholson-Smith reports that the youngster may not be active for tomorrow’s game. However, going forward, he should be available in the bullpen.

Yesavage has played at four levels in the minors this year, and his progress has been meteoric. He has 160 strikeouts in 98 innings (that’s been managed all year to prepare for a potential recall) this year.

There’s a wave of young pitchers being recalled these days in Major League Baseball, and he’s one of them.

It’s worth remembering that at every level of the minors, Yesavage struggled early on. So recalling him now was the right thing to do if the club wants him playoff-ready. He’ll have a learning curve.

Yesavage isn’t on the 40-man roster (that’s going to take a personnel move, by the way) and he wasn’t on it on September 1. However, the Blue Jays should manage to get him into the heart of the playoff lineup regardless.

The playoff bullpen could look something like this:

If all goes well, let’s say Yesavage is a game-changer. He has incredible talent and is a machine for pulling players on strikes. Still, it’s a tall order.

To be continued…

PMLB
  • Will Smith injured.

  • A machine.

  • The Brewers are in the playoffs.

  • Giants control their destiny against the Mets, who lost again.

  • Salvador Perez: 300 home runs, 1000 runs scored.

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Wrigley Field: Anthony Rizzo celebrated his retirement by coming close to catching a home run

This afternoon, Anthony Rizzo was honored at Wrigley Field. The new retiree signed a one-day contract to leave baseball as a member of the Cubs.

It makes sense: he was so important there.

He appeared on the field with a Cubs jersey signed by cancer patients in Chicago. It was a nice gesture from a cancer survivor himself, when he was younger.

Clearly, he was warmly welcomed by the fans on hand. #WithRaison

During the match, Rizzo chose to sit in the popular stands at Wrigley Field. So he was with the fans, which made for some really interesting footage under the circumstances.

He almost caught the first home run of Moises Ballesteros’ career, but dropped it. He still celebrated with the fans in the bleachers, which was cool to see.

It’s also worth noting that Rizzo handed out cards allowing fans in his section to get a free beer, on his arm. So he really made the fans in his section happy.

What a man.

PMLB
  • Jazz Chisholm Jr. has 26 more home runs than at the contest.

  • A fine Pirates product.

  • Dramatic victory for the Blue Jays.

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MLB in brief: Tarik Skubal is fine | Season over for Liam Hendriks

Tarik Skubal is fine

He is expected to make his next start.

Season over for Liam Hendriks

He’s too injured to return.

Praise Andres Gimenez

He’s the best outfield (defensive) player, according to John Schneider.

Bowden Francis makes progress

But he should run out of time to return to the Majors.

Nick Sandlin, on the other hand, is likely to return.

Crazy statistics

Jacob deGrom never had as much offensive support at Citi Field as he did yesterday.

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Josh Naylor: Mariners would like to keep him beyond 2025

At the last trade deadline, the Mariners were aggressive. The club wanted to get some offense, and in particular repatriated Eugenio Suarez, the big fish on the market.

That said, the club also got their hands on another hitter who started the year with the Diamondbacks in Josh Naylor. The first baseman, who is just a few months away from free agency, was doing good work in Arizona, and they wanted to add him to a lineup that needed some offensive punch.

And since arriving in Seattle, Naylor has been doing an excellent job. In 42 games with the Mariners, the Canadiens player has a .260/.306/.460 batting line, and has also hit eight long balls.

And all this while playing his home games in a stadium renowned for making life hard for hitters.

It makes sense, then, that the Mariners would probably like to keep Naylor beyond this season… and as a matter of fact, GM Jerry Dipoto has confirmed that he is interested in retaining Naylor’s services.

The Canadiens will be eligible for full autonomy this winter, and his big performances since arriving in Seattle could make him a coveted hitter on the market. He won’t be as much in demand as guys like Kyle Tucker and Eugenio Suarez, but he’s still a very interesting player.

And seeing him be solid in Seattle is worth points, too.

Naylor has been an extremely consistent hitter for several years, capable of hitting for a good average and excellent at producing runs. He doesn’t necessarily have the typical power of a first baseman (although he did hit 31 home runs last year), but he’s an extremely interesting player for a team that wants a sure thing in the lineup.

And in Seattle, where finding hitters who can excel at T-Mobile Park is a near-impossible mission, keeping a guy with a proven track record (in a small sample size) might be of interest to the club. Let’s see if they can work out a deal.

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Series: managing Shohei Ohtani (the pitcher) won’t be easy

For the sake of argument, let’s assume the Dodgers are in the playoffs. It’s very likely… but not assured, the way they’re playing.

Once the Dodgers get to October, they’ll have to ask themselves a rather important question: how can they maximize Shohei Ohtani’s talent on the mound and at bat?

Why do I say this? Because the fatigue of playing both roles has always existed, but never in the playoffs. Last year, Ohtani made the playoffs for the first time in his career, but he wasn’t pitching.

The guys on the Foul Territory podcast were right to mention that Shohei Ohtani pitches one day and hits less well the next. That’s something to bear in mind for the playoffs.

The Dodgers want him on the mound – especially if there are injuries. The star also wants to pitch.

But is the club better off giving him fewer innings, to limit the fatigue of someone who does everything on a ball field? It’s also a question that needs to be asked in order to maximize his offensive talent.

Last year, Ohtani seemed to lack gas in the playoffs. Will this be even more obvious now that he’s pitching? Is he now used to the playoffs and will things be better for him?

Who knows.

Remember that the Dodgers don’t really have the option of using Ohtani in relief, given the rules for a player like him. They do have the option of giving him fewer innings, but as a starter.

It’s an issue in which the Dodgers can’t really go wrong. After all, expectations are high in 2025, and that includes the $700-million man.

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Braves manager: David Ross, Mark DeRosa and Skip Schumaker to watch

Will Brian Snitker retire as manager in the next few weeks? It’s looking increasingly likely at this point.

If that happens, it’s clear that the Atlanta Braves will have an important decision to make. Who’s going to try to bring this talent-filled club to the promised land?

There could be some big names in town. After all, it’s a good club that can bounce back, Alex Anthopoulos has both hands on the wheel and 2025 could really be seen as an anomaly.

Speaking of which, in a piece on the subject, Buster Olney (ESPN) raised several names to keep an eye on… including Walt Weiss, the bench coach. I’ve seen his name come up a few times now.

David Ross was named in the text. He’s had calls to take bench-coaching jobs for the past two years, but it hasn’t happened. Is this his second chance as manager, it will take place in Atlanta? Who knows.

I could see him in Baltimore, if the job ever opens up.

Mark DeRosa is the Americans’ man at the World Baseball Classic, but will a Major League club go after him even if he works on TV? And if so, would it be a big club like the Braves?

At the same time, if the Yankees did it with Aaron Boone…

Skip Schumaker would be perfect for a club like Atlanta. If the Rangers keep Bruce Bochy and the Cardinals keep Oliver Marmol, I can see the Braves having a good chance of convincing Skip to come to town.

He’s got a Manager of the Year award behind his tie and he deserves it. He’ll get another chance somewhere…

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MLB in brief: More talk of Albert Pujols in Anaheim | Red Sox to hire GM

More talk of Albert Pujols in Anaheim

Albert Pujols as Angels manager: the rumor that just won’t die.

An offer for Kyle Schwarber

Phillies don’t waste time, but player wants to wait.

Speaking of the Phillies: Bryce Harper doesn’t care about his role. He just wants to win.

Red Sox to hire GM this winter

He will work under Craig Breslow.

The Alejandro Kirk Story

Read more.

Ernie Clement the warrior

Playing through injuries is his strength.

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Yankees call Pirates for Paul Skenes

Paul Skenes probably won’t end his career in Pittsburgh. But his stay in Pennsylvania could have been much shorter than expected.

In fact, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees called the Pirates about a deal involving the star pitcher this summer.

The Yankees were one of the few teams to inquire about Paul Skenes even after rumors circulated that the Pirates had no intention of trading him. This is the only case where the Yankees were willing to discuss Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. But the talks went nowhere. They just figured a phone call couldn’t hurt.

To acquire Skenes’ services, the Yankees would have had to give up a lot more than Jones and Lombard Jr. because those two might not even have been enough to land Mason Miller in the Bronx, based on the last trade deadline.

However, the fact that the Yankees attempted to open negotiations with the Pirates is perhaps an indicator of what could happen in the future. In fact, the two franchises have recently agreed on transactions, including David Bednar this year.

Should Skenes become available, the Yankees have already begun laying the groundwork for a trade, stating loud and clear that they would be willing to part with their top prospects to get their hands on the Cy Young Trophy voting favorite.

A player of Skenes’ calibre doesn’t usually become available at such a young age, but in Pittsburgh, you can expect anything.

And the speculation will continue this winter, right up until the 23-year-old officially puts down the markers.

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