New Thursday Feature: Riffs & Whiffs
I'm writing this on two days' rest, so I should be fresh.
Here's a new weekly feature (every Thursday) on "WHYGJG": Riffs & Whiffs. These are random baseball observations, categorized as Solid Contact (ups) and Swing & A Miss (downs).
Solid Contact
The Florida Marlins. This was a team that was supposed to be putrid, and was for the first two months of the season. But Joe Girardi, the former catcher turned manager, whipped his players into shape, and before a recent slide, the Marlins had made an amazing run toward .500.
Swing & A Miss
The Cubs. Former Tiger Jim Northrup told me the Cubbies are "a Triple A ballclub with a Double A manager." What has Dusty Baker won?, Northrup says. Well, not much this season. Despite injuries, there are rumors swirling -- appropriate for the Windy City -- that Baker will get the ziggy, maybe as soon as next week. His coaches are in trouble, too.
Solid Contact
Julio Franco. God bless him. He's going to be 48 in August, yet still is a serviceable first baseman for the Mets -- no DH for him. I caught the Mets on TV recently, and when they showed a shot of the dugout, I said, "Who's that coach?" It was Franco.
Swing & A Miss
Jeff Weaver. The former Tiger -- he was going to be the best thing since Jack Morris, remember? -- was just traded by the Angels to the Cardinals for a minor league outfielder. The Cards are Weaver's fifth big league team. No matter where he's gone since leaving Detroit -- Yankees, Dodgers, Angels -- Weaver has been getting knocked around like a pinball.
Solid Contact
The Minnesota Twins (unfortunately). The Twinkies have flown even more under the radar than the Tigers, compiling baseball's best record in the past 25 days. They're still miles behind the Tigers, and since the Wild Card may come from the Central, they picked a bad year to get off to a bad start. Still, they're going to be a force to be reckoned with by the Tigers in the second half, with all those intradivisional games.
Swing & A Miss
The NL Central. It got its butt absolutely kicked by the AL Central, which is suddenly becoming the second-best division in baseball, right behind the AL East.
Solid Contact
Ozzie Guillen. I gotta give him his props, begrudgingly, after he invited former White Sox star Magglio Ordonez of the Tigers to the AL All-Star team, replacing Manny Ramirez. Ozzie has obviously gotten over any anger he had for Maggs' signing with Detroit.
Swing & A Miss
Jose Canseco. Need I say more?
Here's a new weekly feature (every Thursday) on "WHYGJG": Riffs & Whiffs. These are random baseball observations, categorized as Solid Contact (ups) and Swing & A Miss (downs).
Solid Contact
The Florida Marlins. This was a team that was supposed to be putrid, and was for the first two months of the season. But Joe Girardi, the former catcher turned manager, whipped his players into shape, and before a recent slide, the Marlins had made an amazing run toward .500.
Swing & A Miss
The Cubs. Former Tiger Jim Northrup told me the Cubbies are "a Triple A ballclub with a Double A manager." What has Dusty Baker won?, Northrup says. Well, not much this season. Despite injuries, there are rumors swirling -- appropriate for the Windy City -- that Baker will get the ziggy, maybe as soon as next week. His coaches are in trouble, too.
Solid Contact
Julio Franco. God bless him. He's going to be 48 in August, yet still is a serviceable first baseman for the Mets -- no DH for him. I caught the Mets on TV recently, and when they showed a shot of the dugout, I said, "Who's that coach?" It was Franco.
Swing & A Miss
Jeff Weaver. The former Tiger -- he was going to be the best thing since Jack Morris, remember? -- was just traded by the Angels to the Cardinals for a minor league outfielder. The Cards are Weaver's fifth big league team. No matter where he's gone since leaving Detroit -- Yankees, Dodgers, Angels -- Weaver has been getting knocked around like a pinball.
Solid Contact
The Minnesota Twins (unfortunately). The Twinkies have flown even more under the radar than the Tigers, compiling baseball's best record in the past 25 days. They're still miles behind the Tigers, and since the Wild Card may come from the Central, they picked a bad year to get off to a bad start. Still, they're going to be a force to be reckoned with by the Tigers in the second half, with all those intradivisional games.
Swing & A Miss
The NL Central. It got its butt absolutely kicked by the AL Central, which is suddenly becoming the second-best division in baseball, right behind the AL East.
Solid Contact
Ozzie Guillen. I gotta give him his props, begrudgingly, after he invited former White Sox star Magglio Ordonez of the Tigers to the AL All-Star team, replacing Manny Ramirez. Ozzie has obviously gotten over any anger he had for Maggs' signing with Detroit.
Swing & A Miss
Jose Canseco. Need I say more?
posted by Greg Eno at 3:03 PM
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