League Updates Uncategorized

Disquieting Commentary

Ryan and I have a favorite baseball play-by-play call, by former Padre broadcaster Jerry Coleman, on a deep fly ball:

  • “Winfield goes back to the wall, he hits his head on the wall and it rolls off! It’s rolling all the way back to second base. This is a terrible thing for the Padres.”

I always think that one is funny — but I didn’t think this one was as funny when I first read it today on the Rotoballer website: 

  • “Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez head was removed in the second inning of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins.”

This is how I saw it at first glance — and my immediate thought was “this is a terrible thing for the Wolverines!”  But then I noticed “head” was in parentheses, which I eventually determined was a shortcut way of informing me what Eloy hurt leading to the removal of his entire body from the game. 

But that didn’t comfort me completely.  Eloy’s head is not just a decorative accessory. 

And also, there was this, which I am copying for you precisely as it was published: 

“On the play, Jimenez hit his head on the outfield wall. He lied on his back on the warning track while he was looked at by a trainer…”

Eloy injured (or lost) his head in full view of the cameras and all 50 people in the park — and then lied about it to his trainer, who let him stay in the game.  But only for an inning when it became clear Eloy wasn’t 100% on another play in left field.

The Rotoballer writer tries to comfort his readers that “it wasn’t anything too serious” but I know better.  I have a player with an injured head and faulty ethics. Sigh. 


I suspect there were some other shocking and horrifying headlines today.  Like maybe this one from MLB:

  • “Ohtani’s return goes awry: 5 runs, no outs”

I admit I wish I had video of Dave watching that first Ohtani outing (I originally wrote “inning” but it wasn’t even a fraction of an inning, despite facing 5 hitters) of the 2020 season.  I wonder if it will earn its own lament. 


Here’s a blurb about a Drive.

  • “Wieck to IL…”

MLB explained it this way: “Three pitches after giving up a home run to Christian Yelich on Saturday, Cubs lefty Brad Wieck buckled on his follow through and gave his right leg a shake on the mound at Wrigley Field.” 

Take heart, Tom: at least Wieck’s leg is still connected to his body. 


Freddy Peralta is, appropriately, a Pear.   Pear Peralta had a rough outing today:

  • Peralta stumbles: What’s next for rotation?
  • Peralta was charged with four runs on three hits in three-plus innings, with two walks and three strikeouts.

But don’t worry, Phil, Eric Lauer is there to clean up after his Brewers teammate Peralta: 

Of course, Lauer is currently a Wolverine…  


Clint Frazier is also a Pear,  loaned to the Yankees.

  • “Frazier optioned…”

Phil was just complaining this morning about Juan Soto’s COVID diagnosis, and Mitch Haniger’s string of ailments.  Then today he lost Peralta and Frazier to injury and incompetence. Maybe the Pears should go into quarantine for a couple of weeks. 


Billy McKinney is a Rosebud.

  • “McKinney moved to Buffalo”

No, he’s not going to Buffalo to warm up for the Jays’ first home game there Wednesday. 


 

  • “D-backs get to Yates for first win of season.”

Ryan will not particularly like Yates’ line: 2/3 of an inning, 2 earned runs. 


Here’s one I puzzle over, from MLB:

  • “That rally began with a walk by Kyle Schwarber, continued with a double that one-hopped the wall in right-center by Contreras and kept on rolling in the manner Ross hopes to see throughout this short season.”

I mean it’s great that Wolverines Schwarber and Contreras combined to start a rally. But did the ball have to keep rolling like Cubs manager David Ross hopes to see before Contreras could turn it into a double?  


One final piece of broadcast commentary I want to point out:

I was listening to the Braves/Mets game while writing this, and got to hear Wolverine Austin Riley hit a 457′ home run to left, making the score 12-2 for Atlanta.  The Braves announcers were commenting on how the game, only in the 6th inning, was no longer a compelling spectacle.  One of them said:

  • “A lot of the fans have gone home.”

They probably couldn’t stomach watching what happened to Eloy Jimenez’ head.