Cup of Coffee: April 14, 2022
Vlad's big bombs, Kershaw's near-perfecto, two coaches making nice, MLB kicking the Bauer can down the road, Saul Goodman, Bulleit bourbon, and a lovely guest post
Good morning! And welcome to Free Thursday!
We had near-history in the Dodgers-Twins game and crazy dominance in the Blue Jays Yankees contest, Antoan Richardson and Mike Shildt made nice, and MLB once again kicked the can down the road in the Trevor Bauer case.
In Other Stuff we have the Oral History of Saul Goodman, trouble at a well-known distillery that feels like déjà vu all over again, and a touching Opening Day guest post from a subscriber.
And That Happened
Here are the scores. Here are the highlights:
Dodgers 7, Twins 0: It’s possible to believe the following two things at once:
That it was lame as hell to pull Clayton Kershaw from an in-progress perfect game in which he had only thrown 80 pitches; and
That’s it’s not something worth getting super worked up about.
I definitely believe (1) but I’m also not gonna lose sleep over it, particularly because Kershaw himself didn’t seem to give a crap. Indeed, he was laughing and smiling and enjoying the attaboys after Dave Roberts told him his day was done. After the game he told reporters that it was “the right decision” to pull him.
“Blame it on the lockout,” he said. “Blame it on my not picking up a ball for three months (during the offseason).” He went on to say that as far as workload goes he had only gotten himself up to 75 pitches in sim games so he was already beyond his current capabilities given the way the runup to the season has gone down. He added, “I would have loved to stay, but bigger things.”
Kersahw’s catcher, Austin Barnes, agreed, saying “Later in the season, when he's a little more built up, I think he goes out there, but I think that's the right call, taking him out there. It was the right move, for sure. I think he was getting a little tired.”
Seems like a no-brainer, and that’s before noting that Kershaw was injured at the end of last season, is no spring chicken, has already been scratched once on the young season, and that it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey in Minneapolis yesterday afternoon. Finally, as Kershaw said did above, one must consider that, while all games count, the games which will truly matter for the Dodgers this year are gonna be the ones in October, not April, that Kershaw missed all of October last year and that, if he was around, perhaps Atlanta doesn’t beat ‘em in the NLCS in six. Walk out on top and don’t tempt fate, right?
Not that it was not something of a drag that we all didn’t get to see a dominant throwback Clayton Kershaw performance result in a perfect game. It absolutely was. But it was merely a drag, not a hill to die on, I don’t think. And I find it rather comical that so many people on the old timeline yesterday — including a lot of baseball writers who should know better — were dying on that hill even after Kershaw said he didn’t give a crap about it, that he was at his limit, and his catcher said he was getting tired. As it was, seven perfect innings in which a dude struck out 13 batters is pretty damn amazing. In this day and age any pitcher going seven seems like a major accomplishment.
Also cool were the back-to-back-to-back dingers from Cody Bellinger, Gavin Lux, and Austin Barnes in the 8th inning that made this one into a laugher.
I watched this game and I was entertained. If you watched it and whatever understandable disappointment you felt at Kershaw getting yanked festered into anything approaching outrage — if it had you lamenting the state of modern baseball and the woeful lack of virtue of Modern Man — eh, chill out, OK? It’s not that big a deal.
Blue Jays 6, Yankees 4: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had himself a damn night. It started with a homer off of Gerrit Cole in the first, but then it took a brief bad turn when Aaron Hicks spiked Guerrero’s hand on a play at first base which caused a deep gash on his ring finger that gushed blood.
Most players would come out of the game at that point, I reckon, but Vlad was quickly stitched up, stayed in, and in the third inning hit another homer off of Cole. For reasons that are not entirely clear to me Aaron Boone let Cole face Guerrero a third time, but hey, at least he kept Vlad in the park, allowing him to only hit a double. Finally, in the eighth, Guerrero bashed homer number three off of Jonathan Loaisiga. All of those homers were necessary, by the way, as the game was otherwise close.
This isn’t the first time Guerrero has hit three bombs in a game. A little less than a year ago he hit three against the Washington Nationals. In that game two of them came off of Max Scherzer. Guess he just has a thing for abusing the best pitchers in baseball, eh?
In other news, this is a call of the year candidate right here:
Red Sox 9, Tigers 7: Jackie Bradley, Kiké Hernández and Rafael Devers hit back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles in the fourth inning. I love it when that happens. I’ll never claim, like some morons, that home runs are rally killers — home runs are, objectively, the absolute best thing a hitter can do — but the whole conga line around the baselines thing that happens with strung-together hits is just more aesthetically pleasing to me than the consecutive bombs like those we saw in the Dodgers game. I think that’s where the erroneous notion of rally-killing homers comes from, actually. In the relative lack of kinetic fun in a solo blast compared to the motion-filled drama of strung-together extra base hits that make it seem like more and better things are happening. In this we’re confusing beauty with virtue, of course, and we probably shouldn’t do that.
God, now I lost my train of thought. Eh, this was just one of 162 games for these guys, I don’t gotta recap ‘em all in any sort of depth. You can read the box score just as well as I can. Let’s just have fun with this one, OK?
Giants 2, Padres 1: Logan Webb did Logan Webb things, pitching eight innings of one-run ball, striking out seven and not walking a batter. Luke Williams plated both of the Giants’ runs on a second inning double. That was the last scoring of any kind in this two hour and eleven minute (!!!) game.
I know a lot of the speed of this one was because it was Getaway Day with both teams hurrying through it as best they can because each of them were getting on planes to play games in the Eastern time zone this weekend — that’s like Getaway Day Supreme — but there’s something to be said about a couple of managers only using a couple of pitchers each to keep the proceedings humming along. Pitch clocks are a great idea, I think, but it’s also the case that clocks won’t help a hell of a lot when you’ve got like 11 pitching changes a game.
Nationals 3, Atlanta 1: Nats starter Josiah Gray allowed only one hit in five scoreless innings and got just enough from some groundouts, sac flies, and an error to give him the W. Washington takes two of three.
Pirates 6, Cubs 2: Ben Gamel hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Ke'Bryan Hayes went 4-for-4, scored twice and drove one in. That came the day after Hayes’ big contract extension became official. The Pirates should give out big contract extensions every day. Maybe they’d win more if they did, ya know?
Guardians 7, Reds 3: José Ramírez homered, doubled and drove in three runs. That came a day after he hit a grand slam with six RBI. Ramírez should hit a grand slam with six RBI every day. Maybe the Guardians’d win more if they did, ya know? Owen Miller hit two home runs. Steven Kwan went 0-for-4, but drew a bases-loaded walk, so even on an off-day he’s doing good things. The Guardians have won four in a row.
Mets 9, Phillies 6: Pete Alonso drove in five runs with a homer and two doubles. Brandon Nimmo hit a solo homer. All nine Mets batters who started the game reached base at least once. Max Scherzer picked up his second win of the year after allowing one run over five and striking out seven.
Diamondbacks 3, Astros 2: It was tied at one after regulation with one run scoring on a bases loaded plunking and another on a sacrifice. In the 10th Alex Bregman hit another sac fly to give Houston the lead but Seth Beer singled home a run in the bottom half to tie it back up and then yet another sacrifice — this a walkoff sac fly from Ketel Marte — ended it.
Thirteen pitchers were used in this game. Three of the five runs came on sac flies. Only five total runs were scored. There were nearly four hours of game time capped with Manfred Man baseball. That sounds like an absolute train wreck to me, but if you paid money to watch this game I hope you enjoyed it somehow.
Athletics 4, Rays 2: Sean Murphy hit a three-run homer in the third and Frankie Montas was solid into the seventh, allowing two runs and five hits.
Brewers 4, Orioles 2: The Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the second and then got seven shutout innings from Corbin Burnes. After Burnes left Baltimore tied it up in the eighth but a ninth inning rally featuring an RBI triple from Kolten Wong and an RBI double from Rowdy Tellez put Milwaukee over.
White Sox 6, Mariners 4: Tim Anderson homered and drove in three as he and the White Sox got to Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to the tune of six runs and 10 hits in six and a third innings. The weather didn’t help Ray — rain poured on him particularly hard in the second inning — but it rained pretty much all night and it’s not like batters enjoy rain either, so it’s not worth crying about. Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert also homered as the Sox won their fourth straight and the M’s dropped their fourth straight.
Royals vs. Cardinals — POSTPONED: Odds are that this was because of rain, but I didn’t check, so I it was at least possible that the scheduled Zack Greinke-Adam Wainwright matchup was banged because a day game interfered with their plans to hit the early bird at Old Country Buffet. These things become important to a person when they reach a certain age.
Anyway:
🎶When a new life turns towards you
And the night becomes the day
We shall remain forever
Everyone who meets this way
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours, ooh oh🎶
The Daily Briefing
Baseball Scrapbook Part 1
It’s amazing the sorts of things you can still learn about this game, even if you’ve immersed yourself in it and its history for decades.
Antoan Richardson and Mike Shildt make nice
On Tuesday night, during the whole Padres-Giants unwritten rules thing, Padres third base coach Mike Shildt stared into the Giants dugout and Giants first base coach Antoan Richardson asked him if he was looking for somebody. At that point Shildt said to Giants manager Gabe Kapler, “you need to control that motherfucker.” Richardson took exception, got up on the top step of the dugout, and was ejected.
After the game Richardson, who is Black and Bahamian, said that he construed Shildt’s words to be racist. Here was Richardson on Tuesday night:
“I think that his words were disproportionately unwarranted and (had) undertones of racism when he referred to me as 'that motherf***er' as if I am to be controlled or a piece of property or enslaved. I think it's just really important that we understand what happened tonight.
Yesterday, before the game, the two of them hugged and then chatted on the field after which they did a joint media session. Richardson:
"I don't believe he's a racist. I think, though, to the important point, he's recognizing that some of his words, our words, are powerful and they're impactful. And we just want to bring awareness to a situation that I think is important for our community."
Shildt:
“I'm grateful for Antoan clearing that up . . . Clearly misinterpreted, and I think he knows this, my value as a human is to love people. That's exactly what I represent. So I appreciate him clearing that up for myself and my family . . . I don't know Antoan's heritage. I can't walk in his shoes. I can only have empathy and love, which I do have, and I've always had in my life.”
I continue to believe that Richardson had a good damn point on Tuesday night and that “sure, I said something insensitive, but I’m actually a good guy” is about as non-compelling a response imaginable in such situations, but I guess this is over now.
The A’s are an embarrassment
Two years ago the Oakland A's had announced that they would be retiring Dave Stewart's number 34. Then the pandemic happened and that got kicked. They did not reschedule it last year, though. And, so far, it’s not on the calendar for this year. On Tuesday someone asked Stewart what was going on with that and he tweeted thusly:
Dude is one of the more important A’s players since the team arrived in Oakland and you leave him hanging like this?
There are two possible explanations here. The first is that the A’s simply do not have their crap together or their priorities straight and cannot manage a simple, fan-friendly, slam dunk promotional night. The second possibility is that Stewart’s status as part of an investment/development group looking to purchase the site of the Oakland Coliseum in competition with the A’s owners has caused them to punt the previously-planned retirement ceremony out of spite.
So, are the A’s incompetent, are they petty, or is this one of those very common cases in which we should not assume mutual exclusivity?
Trevor Bauer’s administrative leave is extended AGAIN
Major League Baseball and the MLBPA have agreed to extend Trevor Bauer’s administrative leave yet again. It had been set to expire on Saturday, and it had been reported by at least a couple of folks that the league was poised to make a decision about his status at that point. Nope: now it has been extended through April 22.
I can only assume that this was a strategic decision aimed at moving the slap on the wrist Rob Manfred plans to give Bauer to a Friday afternoon so it’s easier to bury it in the weekend news cycle. Do not rule out the possibility of another seven-day extension, however, so it occurs both on the weekend AND during the NFL draft for maximum burial.
Or, perhaps, MLB is afraid of getting sued by Bauer’s litigious agents/legal team and figure that, as long as Bauer is drawing a paycheck and has not faced formal discipline, he can’t actually complain about it. Such a strategy will, eventually, cease to be useful as I imagine Bauer could file a grievance claiming that he’s being jerked around — and simply never deciding to punish Bauer would certainly be an act of profound moral cowardice on the part of Rob Manfred — but there is part of me that is a bit amused at that jackass remaining in an uncomfortable limbo for a bit longer.
Other Stuff
The Oral History of Saul Goodman
As I’ve mentioned a few times, I’m stoked to about 120% capacity for the return of “Better Call Saul.” As such, I am gonna share almost anything of substance written about the show for the foreseeable future, so here is an oral history of the creation of the character Saul Goodman from The Ringer.
I suppose we can argue about whether an oral history is “anything of substance,” but I’m fanboying here so cut me some slack.
More trouble at Bulleit
Eboni Major was a blender at the Bulleit distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, which is owned by the spirits conglomerate Diageo. She did her job very well, too, blending an award-winning bourbon at Bulleit called Blender’s Select which won accolades in the industry. But, as the New York Times reports, Major, who is Black, was facing discrimination at the distillery.
A lot of those allegations are, sadly, not surprising sorts of things, especially when it involves a Black employee working in a small Kentucky town that is otherwise staffed with a lot white good ol’ boys (and, yes, I have my fair share of insight into this sort of thing). But there was another angle to it too.
The distillery, Major alleges, was basically using her as good P.R. — a Black public face in an industry trying to slough off its less-than-enlightened heritage — but was otherwise treating her more than shabbily and then cast her aside. She has sued Diageo, alleging constructive termination among other claims.
This wouldn’t be the first time Bulleit has been in the crosshairs of sordid allegations involving a woman who was the public face of the brand who was unceremoniously and unfairly pushed aside with discriminatory intent. Back in 2017 Hollis Bulleit — daughter of label founder Tom Bulleit and then a global brand ambassador for the brand — was fired from the company. Hollis claimed she had been fired and basically exiled from the family business because she is a lesbian and accused Diageo of not providing appropriate protection or safeguards.
There are some important differences as far as the factual and corporate circumstances at play — Diageo did not own the label for much of the time the allegations Hollis Buelleit lodged went down and the company has since pushed out Tom Bulleit — but it’s rather remarkable that the same bourbon brand has now, twice, ridden high on the work and notoriety of a woman from a traditionally marginalized community only to later be accused of illegally tossing them aside.
I rather like the taste of Bulleit bourbon, but after Hollis Bulleit’s case arose I stopped buying it out of principle. Don’t think I’ll be changing my view on that any time soon.
Guest Post: Lou Schiff on Opening Day
Many of you may know subscriber and friend-of-the-newsletter Lou Schiff as the co-author of the Baseball and the Law casebook and the proprietor of the Twitter account of the same name, which provides unique, daily “This day in Baseball History” updates. Each year he sends an Opening Day letter to his family and friends. This year, however, his Opening Day message is different, and he shares it with us today as a guest post.
Today is Opening Day, the first home game of the Marlins season. In a few hours I
will be in Miami two hours before the first pitch. Last year my wife asked me why I
would be at the ballpark two hours before first pitch; I told her that was the earliest
they would let me in. Opening Day is my favorite day of the year, better than my
birthday, because some years there is no home game on June 3.
Opening Day ’22 does not have the same promise and brightness as in past
years. Most of the world is still in a COVID fog. We may be on the brink of a
World War. Millions of people have fled their homes and have become refugees.
How does one justify happiness in such a time?
Today, there is also a personal cloud. For the first time in my life, Opening Day will
be without my father, Mel, born in 1927. As a 17-year-old my dad enlisted in the
United States Coast Guard just as World War II was nearing its end. Dad was a
member of the Greatest Generation. He passed away this past August, leaving
me his legacy of love.
As Craig has written in his book Rethinking Fandom, many of us, and me
included, learned to love baseball through the eyes our dads. My story is no
different, and neither was my dad’s.
Dad “inherited” his love of baseball from his grandfather Sam Schiff. Sam owned a
candy store on Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn. Sam was a New York Giants
season ticket holder who took my dad, my dad’s brother Carl and my dad’s father
Louis to games at the Polo Grounds. Dad would regal me with stories of Carl
Hubble, Mel Ott, Al Dark, Willie Mays, Monte Irvin, and of course Bobby
Thompson. Dad would tell stories of the times he spent with his grandfather, his
dad, and his brother – through the eyes of baseball, but with the love of his family.
Baseball has always brought me a certain joy and comfort, maybe even a
distraction to the stresses of everyday life. Dad took me to my first game, the 1962
Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium. The Old Timers game featured former
Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants playing against former New York Yankees
in a 3-inning exhibition before the regular game. Dad was so excited to see “his”
players who just a few years earlier left New York for California. It was at that
game that dad taught me how to keep score, and he also introduced me to the
greatest ballpark food in the world, a frank with brown mustard and sauerkraut.
My Opening Day is about family. Since 1993 when the Marlins first became a
team, it has become a tradition to take dad and the rest of the family to Opening
Day.
For the past 30 years, Opening Day has been the beginning of a new chapter of
life, fresh with optimism and anticipation. However, this year, Opening Day ends a
wonderful chapter and closes the book on Opening Day with my dad.
By watching and observing my dad, he taught me love (sometimes it was tough
love). He taught me the importance of family. He showed me how much he loved
me, not only by his words, but by his deeds, actions and in his devotion to me. It
was always fun to go to a ballgame with dad. We talked about life, how he and
mom were doing, how my kids were doing and how my wife and I were doing.
Dad was always there for me. Going to a ballgame with him was so special. We
could be in a crowd of thousands, and yet it was only the two of us.
I have two adult children, and I hope I have shown them the same love my dad
showed me. You do not have to tell someone you love him or her by saying, “I
love you.” Simply spending time with children and encouraging them is the best
love a parent can give a child, and it’s the love that has been passed down from
generation to generation in our family. Baseball is not about who wins or loses, it’s
about the love one receives and gives from spending time with family.
Opening Day will not be the same without dad. But when I get to Opening Day
today, I will keep score and I’ll have one of those ballpark franks with brown
mustard and sauerkraut. Here is to you dad!
Thanks for your love.
Lou
Thank you so much, Lou. May your father enjoy Opening Day in Baseball Valhalla, and may his memory be a blessing to you and everyone whose life he touched.
Have a great day, everyone.
Thank you Craig for publishing my Opening Day letter! Here's to all our parents who gave us love! Lou
Craig, as always love the work, but one thing I feel compelled to point out is that in some circles the use of the term "lame" as a derogatory one is considered ableist. Given your very obvious sensitivity to issues of inclusivity, I know it wasn't intended in such a way, and I don't mean to be the pedantic language police, but I think it's somethign worth trying to purge from the vocabulary. I, personally, often go with "wack" as a substitute, although I'm sure Carlo and Anna would roast you for doing so. But maybe that's material for another post, and I'm definitely here for it.