Cup of Coffee: September 7, 2022

The NL East is tied, the NL Wild Card race got wild, a playoff team may want to tank, there's more on the special master ruling, I texted Biden, and we talk Seinfeld, thrill rides, Bowie and NFTs

Good morning!

There were big doings in the NL East last night as the Mets lost and Atlanta won, creating a tie atop the division for the first time since those two teams were 0-0 on Opening Day. There were big doings in NL Wild Card land too, as the Phillies won in a walkoff, the Padres came back from five-run deficit and won in a walkoff, and the Brewers blew a five-run lead — and a 10th-inning lead — and lost in a walkoff.

Elsewhere, more than 50% of minor leaguers have returned union cards with “yes” votes, putting Rob Manfred on the spot, a couple of smart people point out that there may be an incentive for a playoff team to tank, at least a little bit, home run records do not care if you believe in them, they just are, and Joe Maddon sounds off on the very thing that gave him a viable managerial career to begin with.

In Other Stuff, someone is mad about that special master ruling, someone else is mad about college football polls, I reach out to President Biden, Jerry Seinfeld sports an unfortunate look, a thrill ride goes the way of the dodo, and David Bowie’s estate gets into NFTs for some reason (it’s money; the reason is money).

That’s a lot! Let’s get to it, shall we?