Josh Norris – Baseball America ($): The majority of people have been clamoring for an automated strike zone in Major League Baseball for a while now. It will happen eventually, but I don’t think all the people shouting “robo umps now” quite realize the issues that still plague any automated system. A delay in the time to call a ball or strike, system malfunctions, strike zone inaccuracies, and more are still issues that need to be worked out. If the Arizona Fall League and Atlantic League moving to an automated zone have shown us anything it’s that we still have a ways to go before an automated zone is ready for the big leagues.
Jason Foster – Sporting News: I’m a sucker for a great forgotten season. When that forgotten season came out of seemingly nowhere, you might say I’m fully on board. Lonnie Smith was a good baseball player, but he was never best in his league good. Until 1989 when Smith was possibly the best player in baseball. He had a monster season for Atlanta that year, and while Smith would go back to being good and then eventually out of baseball his 1989 remains one of the best great forgotten seasons.
Clinton Yates – The Undefeated: The Washington Nationals players who decided to go to the White House following their World Series victory knew what they were getting into. They knew that most of their fans hated the current President. They knew that it was their job to keep the event as non-political as possible. Most of all they knew that last bit was virtually impossible. When they leaned into the President’s politics they handwaved all that he and his administration have done to hurt our country and ultimately the Nationals knew the reaction they would receive. Much like their President, they simply didn’t give a shit.
Lead photo courtesy of Julio Cortez – Associated Press
