The NHL playoffs are finally back as 16 teams will be going into the postseason with aspirations to win the coveted Stanley Cup. 15 will go home empty handed, while one will be crowned champions. With that being said, lets preview each team:

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins

The Bruins “perfection” line or their first line made up of David Pastrnak-Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand was elite both offensively and defensively this season as each player posted over 30 goals.  There was a stretch earlier in the season where the trio’s stingy defensive game didn’t even relinquish an even strength goal for more than a month. They have been in a funk the past 5 games both offensively and defensively in which the Bruins have gone 1-3-1

The top defensive pairing of Zdeno Chara/Charlie McAvoy was absent most of April as both were nursing injuries that kept them out of the line-up for a couple weeks.  McAvoy was visibly rusty and cautious in his first few games back, but the last few games he has been noticeably assertive in his transition/offensive game.  Looking for a big series from him.  When it comes to Chara it will be interesting to see how the 41-year-old blueliner handles himself against the speed of forwards such as Matthews, and Marner in their matchup with Toronto. 

The goalie battle between Tuukka Rask and Frederik Andersen will be an absolute focal point of both clubs as each of the netminders have shown stretches of dominance, as well as sheer mediocrity.  It will be a major deciding factor to see which goaltender can step up under the bright lights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Things seemed bleak for the squad for the past month or so, but turned things around nabbing a wild card spot. Led by goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and up and coming young star Artemi Panarin, this is a dangerous team that any club should be on the look out for. They are also great defensively so they will be difficult for any team, even the high powered offenses.

New Jersey Devils

Nabbing the final playoff spot and playing in the difficult Metropolitan Division, don’t take these guys lightly as people have argued. With Brian Boyle leading the offense, and having support from Kyle Palmieri and Patrick Maroon, their offense is sneaky good. Plus they are a fast team.

Philadelphia Flyers

With an improved defense and goaltending, the Flyers could make a deep run in the playoffs. Claude Giroux leads the squad with help from defenseman Johnny Oduya and Wayne Simmonds, this team could have had a better record had it not played in such a tough division.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The reigning Stanley Cup Champions will be looking to make it a three peat as they are experienced, talented, and really fast. Sidney Crosby, arguably the best player in the NHL, leads this team with studs like Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist, and rising star Jake Guentzel (who shined in the playoffs last year), they are one of the favorites to win a Cup.

Tampa Bay Lightning

After a disappointing 2016-17 season, this juggernaut is back and are looking to win the Stanley Cup. Steven Stamkos, their best goal scorer, leads this dynamic offense with the help of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, and Victor Hedman and with Andrei Vasilevskiy minding the net. This squad is dangerously good.

Toronto Maple Leafs

A young, talented, and exciting team to watch, they could be the team to watch in these playoffs. With youngsters in Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, and Nazem Kadri and having seasoned veterans of Patrick Marleau and Tomas Plekanec playing along side, this team could be a dark horse pick.

Washington Capitals

After coming off to back to back seasons losing in the second round of the playoffs despite high hopes, the Capitals are back as the one seed in the Metropolitan Division with hopes they can finally break through. With the greatest goal scorer of our generation Alex Ovechkin leading the way with support from Niklas Backstrom, John Carlson, T.J. Oshie, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The biggest question will be the goalie situation with Braden Holtby’s struggles and Phillipp Grubauer’s awesome performance of late. That is their biggest question mark and it could cost them.

Eastern Conference Matchups

Tampa Bay vs New Jersey

New Jersey may have played in a tough division, but they will be playing a juggernaut in Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay have a high powered offense that may be too much for New Jersey, but the Devils did win all three matchups during the regular season

Predictions:

James Rowe: Tampa Bay. Regular season means nothing now and the Lightning are just too freaking good.

Tali Raphael: Lightning. Just a bit more playoff experience and success with Tampa Bay. Also, Keith Kincaid is the starter for the Devils-not someone I’m trusting at the moment.

Ryan Corbin:  The New Jersey Devils are more than capable of pulling out 1-2 wins against this Lightning squad due to both the Hart Trophy caliber of play from winger Taylor Hall on top of the struggles of Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.  However, NJ is dealing with goalie issues themselves.  Corey Schneider recently lost his job to Keith Kinkaid, and they don’t necessarily have the greatest blue-line.  It’s hard to imagine the Devils being able to squeak out more than that with a team as potent as the Bolts.

Boston vs. Toronto

The Maple Leafs have seemingly skated circles around the Bruins this season with a 3-1-1 record, 2 of those wins were without star forward Auston Matthews.  However, most of their perceived dominance over the B’s were either at a time when the team was riddled with injuries, or before their ascent to one of the best hockey clubs in the NHL from mid-November until their recent skid in their previous 5. They have yet to face the current best version of this Bruins team with a full line-up.  With Rick Nash finally recovered from a concussion, the Bruins are as close to full-strength as they have been in months.  Expect both teams to put it all on the line in what could be an all-time great series.

Predictions:

James: Boston. Bruins seemingly played their best hockey in the second half and I thought they were the best team in the Eastern Conference in the last month.

Tali: Bruins. I’d love for Toronto to make it deep into the playoffs, but I don’t see it happening this year. Tuuka Rask is also a reliable playoff netminder.

Ryan: This series is the Bruins to lose.  Ever since winning games at an absolute torrid pace for the majority of the season, the Bruins fell into a slump in their final 5 games going 1-3-1, throwing a way a golden opportunity to claim the Eastern Conference’s number-1 seed and home ice.  On paper the Bruins have as good a chance as any to win not just this round but the Stanley Cup.  It all depends on which team shows up against a tough Leafs opponent.  The Bruins have the edge in puck possession and play-making, but the Leafs have the edge in speed and skill.  Goaltending is a wash between Andersen and Rask.  On paper Rask is a former Vezina trophy winner who should be able to steal some games for the Bruins, but tends to wilt in the spotlight.  Ultimately, I think the Bruins step up their game and take this series.

Washington vs Columbus

The Blue Jackets may have played well down the stretch, but the Capitals have been incredibly consistent for the almost the entirety of the season. The Capitals took three of four games this season.

Predictions:

James: Washington. Columbus has played well of late, but I just can’t seem them being able to beat the Capitals.

Tali: Columbus. There is no sense in trusting Washington to make it happen in the playoffs. The question is whether it is a first round exit or second round exit.

Ryan: Columbus has been playing some fantastic hockey since the trade deadline, receiving significant contributions from mercenary-for-hire Thomas Vanek.  They have a good deal of firepower led by former Chicago phenom Artemi Panarin.  I imagine that Chicago would like a re-do on that trade given their current playoff position.  With that being said I simply don’t think its going to be enough to overcome Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals.  They are simply a more complete team with a heavy on the puck, hard hiitting style that should translate well to the playoffs.  Although we say that every year… Capitals for this round.

Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia

The Penguins and Flyers will reignite a rivalry and bad blood could be on full display. Both squads play at a fast pace, which could mean it could be high scoring in this series. However, the Penguins have swept all four games this season.

Predictions

James: Pittsburgh. The Penguins know how to win and experience means everything in the playoffs.

Tali: Penguins. It hurts me to say it, but it’s going to take a massive effort to defeat the two time defending champions. Just a loaded team.

Ryan: Claude Giroux has put the team on his back this season notching over 100 points and putting himself squarely in the Hart conversation.  A surprisingly strong season from Petr Mrazek has also aided the Flyers surprising efforts this season.  With that being said, the Flyers have little chance of overcoming a squad as talented and deep as the Penguins.  The Penguins biggest question mark has to be the health of netminder Matt Murray who has spent time out with a concussion this year.  Other than that, I think we’ve seen this story before.  Penguins.

Western Conference

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks play tough, but they also score a lot of goals. Although, not one player on the Ducks scored more than 35, meaning that they distribute the puck well enough. One question mark is their goaltending, with John Gibson playing 60 games this season, and ye olde Ryan Miller picking up 28 in his own right.

Colorado Avalanche

This team went from worst to the playoffs and look to pull off a cinderella story like Nashville last season. They are led by a youngster named Nathan MacKinnon who has been the talk of the league and might be a future star.

Los Angeles Kings

They are an experienced squad who have won two Stanley Cups. Led by seasoned veterans Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty and with Jonathan Quick in net, this team is still incredibly dangerous.

Minnesota Wild

This team always seems to be on the cusp of breaking out and going on a deep playoff run, but never amounting to anything. Could this be the year? Playing in a tough Central Division, Zach Parise leads this team into battle and with their speed, could finally break out and go on a deep run.

Nashville Predators

What a defense on this squad! Pekka Rinne and PK Subban are obviously the headliners, but the team is a holistic unit in keeping things tight. They are the defending Western Conference champions and this season’s President’s Trophy winners, and they look to build on those successes with an eye toward a championship.

San Jose Sharks

This could be the last hurrah for an aging Sharks team with seasoned veterans Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Logan Couture on the team, but they are also still very talented to go on a deep run especially with Martin Jones minding the net.

Vegas Golden Knights

The ultimate rookie franchise story is now looking for a deep playoff run. The draft has provided Vegas with depth nearly unparalleled in the league. Look to William Karlsson to lead the attack for this squad. However, the question will be whether the defence can scaffold Marc Andre Fleury as the competition gets harder. Can they ensure clear sight lines for Fleury against strong opposition, especially in a first round netminder duel against Jonathan Quick and the Kings?

Winnipeg Jets

Quite a balanced trio between Dustin Byfuglien, Patrick Laine, and Blake Wheeler. And they racked up the points during the regular season. Can the third and fourth lines support playoff untested Connor Hellebuyck into the playoffs? If he’s hot, it won’t matter, but his play over the past few weeks implies an inconsistency in defensive play.

Western Conference Matchups

Nashville vs. Colorado

Two Central Division rivals going at it, so it could be a lot of drama. However, the Predators have been in this position before so they are more experienced than the Avalanche. Nashville won all four games this season.

Predictions

James: Nashville. I just think they are the class of the entire Conference.

Tali: Nashville.

Ryan: Nashville has a Presidents Trophy under their belt and has played fantastic hockey all season.  Fueled by last years loss to the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final, believe this team is on a mission to succeed where they previously failed.  The late addition of former captain Mike Fisher should serve as a shot in the arm for a team who didn’t even need one.  Predators take this one.

Winnipeg vs. Minnesota

This could be the most interesting matchup as Minnesota is looking to finally break through and the Jets will look to finally prove themselves. Winnipeg won three of the four contests this season.

Predictions

James: Minnesota. More playoff experience in the Wild.

Tali: Winnipeg.

Ryan: Winnipeg is a big, fast, and skilled team that will be a force in the Western Conference bracket.  I expect them not only to win this round, but to make a deep run.  With superstar talent like 19 year Patrik Laine (44 goals in only his second season) and stud blue liners such as Dustin Byfuglien, its going to be hard for an injury stricken Minnesota Wild team to keep pace.  Winnipeg.

Vegas vs. Los Angeles

A really incredible story as the Golden Knights, an expansion franchise, made the playoffs in their first season, but they will have to take on an experienced Kings team that are looking for their third Stanley Cup.

Predictions

James: Vegas. Why not?

Tali: Los Angeles.

Ryan: There hasnt been a better story in the NHL this season than the Cinderella story of the Vegas Golden Knights, but the story ends here.  The Knights are made up of a host of gritty, over-achievers seemingly cast off by other teams during the expansion draft.  Regular season success was a surprise, but the playoffs are a different animal, and an animal that the core of the LA Kings have tamed in the recent past.  Anze Kopitar his having another great year, and you can never sleep on a team with a franchise defenseman like Drew Doughty who is arguably the top D-Man in the league.  The goalie battle between Quick and Fleury will be compelling, but I have to give the Kings the edge in this one.

Anaheim vs. San Jose

The battle of two Californian teams as they are both on a collision course, literally, with how physical both squads are. Also, both teams will be trying to erase years of playoff heart break for their fans.

Predictions

James: Anaheim. I just think they are more well rounded

Tali: Anaheim.

Ryan: Anaheim

 

Major League Rugby will begin later this month, but it will only have seven clubs to begin their inaugural season in cities of Glendale (an enclave of Denver), Austin, Houston, New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle, and Salt Lake City (will be known as the Utah Warriors). Expansion is obviously inevitable and probably will happen next year, but the question is where should a team go. One thing I think the league should consider is making it a 16 team league with two divisions (eight in each division). With that said, let’s look at the nine other candidates that MLR should consider expanding to:

New York City

I think there is team that is already being considered for the city and it’s being start up very soon. Aside from that though, New York should absolutely get an MLR franchise as it’s the biggest market in the country and there is a lot rugby played there. This is a no brainer.

Boston

Another place that is a hot bed for American rugby. Maybe it’s because of the Irish culture in the city, but lot’s of colleges play rugby there and there are good numbers of players in the city. Also, it’s a great sports market.

Chicago

Chicago has hosted a few matches including Ireland vs New Zealand, but this is a big market that has a lot of rugby going on here. Plus there is a huge Irish population here as that could be catered to them as well.

Charlotte

I had a hard time deciding between Raleigh and Charlotte, but I thought the city with the biggest market should get it. When I lived in North Carolina I saw what the rugby culture was like there as I even got playing. Lots of tournaments of the South play there, so this would be a perfect city for a club.

Washington D.C.

I might be a little biased here as this is my hometown, but after I came back to live there I finally saw what the rugby culture was like there. There are so many bars there showing the Six Nations and even ones dedicated just to rugby. The citizens are also sports crazed, so they would probably love having a professional rugby team there.

Atlanta

Ever hear of Life University? No? Neither did I until I started playing rugby and watched college rugby tournaments as Life was a rugby powerhouse. Plus Atlanta is a huge market. This should be a no brainer

Philadelphia

The Mid-Atlantic loves their rugby, but it’s also big in the City of Brotherly Love so this would be a perfect place for a club. And it would also develop rivalry with D.C. which is only a two hour trip down South.

Columbus

I’ve been living in Cincinnati for the past two years, I’ve noticed that the state really likes rugby. And the perfect place for it? Columbus. The city is a college town with Ohio State there and with college kids around, the league can strike gold there.

Toronto

The last spot was a difficult one as I had a lot of other cities I thought were deserving, but Canada shouldn’t be left out as that’s a country that loves rugby too. And with that, the fourth biggest city in the continent should be a great spot for a club. With a big market and in another country that is starting to really love rugby, you bet they need a team.

Other considerations

Nashville: It’s a college town, a great night life, and hosts tournaments there all the time. This would have been a good spot.

Tucson: Surprisingly, Arizona plays lots of rugby especially with the success of the University of Arizona rugby program there. I thought this city should have gotten it over New Orleans.

Los Angeles: The second biggest city in the country, yeah it’s a great place to put a team financially. Also with UCLA being a top program in College Rugby, you bet this city would embrace rugby.

San Francisco: They had a club here when PRO Rugby was a thing, but they do play rugby a lot in California including San Francisco, so this would be a compelling place to put a team.

Dallas: I’m only putting them here because there is a strong possibility that they will get an expansion club in the upcoming seasons.

Vancouver: Another great spot for rugby as, like I said, Canada is really embracing rugby too. The Pacific Northwest plays lots of rugby so Vancouver is a good spot.

Minneapolis: They were supposed to get a club according a press release last May, but it seems like there won’t be. I could also see this being a good fit with all the rugby played there.

Kansas City: See Minneapolis above. Same exact thing.

With Major League Rugby about to begin later this month, many fans of the sport are wondering all the same thing; “Will it work?” God I hope so. In 2016, a professional rugby league, PRO Rugby, launched and most of us rugby fans exclaimed “Finally!” It folded after the season. There was even talk about Pro14 expanding into the United States, which is arguably one of the best rugby leagues in the world. Those talks have seemed to stall though. With MLR, hopefully it could be a success.

Rugby is the fastest growing team sport in the United States, so it’s time to have a professional league in our country. Exposure is incredibly important (along with educating the United States about the sport), so to see rugby played on our home soil is the best way to get people engaged. Sure, they could watch it at the college level, but that doesn’t get enough recognition. In a country of 325 million, there are bound to be enough athletes that could become rugby players and if that is the case, the U.S. could actually become good at the sport. Also with the concussion issue with American Football, some people would be willing to play a contact sport that is a lot safer (and for any of my compatriots reading that sentence, yes it is safer than football). Plus, there are a lot of football players who will never make it in college or in the NFL, and those players could take the chance of playing a contact sport still especially with the athleticism they have. The opportunities are there, they just need to be exercised.

So how can this model work? Well for starters, television. There’s already a strong start with that as CBS Sports will be airing most of the matches with ESPN showing the ones CBS Sports doesn’t. That is absolutely huge for the league as they are already getting more exposure than PRO Rugby ever had. I think CBS Sports and ESPN are already seeing the opportunity and they are going to try and take it.

Another way is engage with people who are interested in learning about the sport on social media. They need to make as many videos that would be “cool” to watch and share it on platforms like Twitter and Facebook which might intrigue people to possibly watch their league.

And lastly, for casual fans or just to get any person to the match, use promotions as reasons to get people to come. I know this is kind of bad to promote this, but considering how drinking alcohol and rugby kind of go hand in hand, use some sort of promotions with beer or margaritas or whatever type of alcohol. Then you could maybe do some sort of fun family outing type of thing or even something for college students. That will certainly get some people to come and that could hopefully pique some interest in citizens of this nation.

Outside of those things, to get people to watch rugby, you have to teach it to them.

There is some encouraging signs that this league could work as the other day the Utah Warriors had an attendance figure that was more than 9,000 fans. And that was an exhibition match. If all the clubs can market their team well, I can see this being a success.

One other thing that will entice people to come out is how competitive the league is. I was looking at the schedule and teams will be playing eight matches. That isn’t much at all. There are seven clubs in the league, so you have to expand the amount of matches played. Now, lots of other leagues across the world play 22 matches and then have a postseason, but that is too early for MLR to do that. While I would prefer to have 20 matches played for the season, I think if you play the six other clubs in your league twice in a season, theres twelve matches right there. More money for the clubs and more money for sponsors and networks. More money also means it will be successful. Playoffs is a different matter which I could go into further down the road.

What I don’t like about the league in it’s current stage is that the furthest East the clubs are is in New Orleans. Admittedly, its hard to get a league going when the teams are so spread out in the country, but having no teams on the East Coast I think is ludicrous. However, the league apparently are starting teams in “historic rugby communities.” Not quite sure that’s the best way of approaching that as you can do that with a few cities like San Diego and also install a club in a big market like New York where a lot of the money lies.

So the back to the original question: Will Major League Rugby succeed? I hope so, but I don’t know. While the league is off to a much better start than PRO Rugby, I get this gut feeling than it won’t. I am so happy that the television contracts that were made happened, but that doesn’t mean it will be successful. I already see the league playing at least two more seasons, but interest will be key. With that, it will be hard as the U.S. already has the four top sports in baseball, basketball, football, and hockey with also soccer rising in popularity, it’s going to be hard to see rugby gain popularity unless there is more exposure (which has been evident with NBC Sports Network showing this past Six Nations Tournament).

However, I hope this league works out as rugby is truly a great sport and I can see it working in the country if it’s done right, but there are a lot of other factors to incorporate here. Exposure will be the ultimate challenge here as that is the only way to get people interested and they will have to find a way to do that especially with how many sports that dominate here already.

It’s still too early to see whether there will be any success, but if it is one, it will be great for the growth of the sport here in the United States.

Sources:

http://the1014.com/major-league-rugby-success-story-2018/

 

Whenever anyone writes about The Masters golf tournament, it is thrust upon that writer a cosmic obligation to write the following words:

“A tradition unlike any other…. The Masters.” -Jim Nantz

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I can talk about the tournament itself. This is the most hyped golf tournament in around a decade, and it’s not hard to see why. Tiger is back! It’s only one of the most dominant athletes of all time, plugging away at a fourth comeback attempt. Will he succeed this time around? Probably not. But no athlete is probably so much a part of my childhood as Tiger Woods. And seeing him play, and play well, is no small thing. He has not yet won on tour this year, but he has been in contention. In no sport are the margins between winning and not winning so small as in golf.

Continuing with the more advanced in age, Phil Mickelson won an event (WGC-Mexico) for the first time since the 2013 British Open. He is a three-time Masters winner, and will be in the conversation for contenders this week, partly for nostalgia, partly for his geniality, and partly because he’s playing pretty well.

Next we have the American youths: Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler chief among them. Justin Thomas is last season’s player of the year and PGA Champions, Spieth already has 3 majors to his name, and Fowler, well, Fowler is a Player’s Champion. Which is a darn good tournament, but have always underwhelmed in the majors, especially on Sunday.

The major factor in the hype for this year’s Masters is simple: it has been a long time since golf has seen this much talent, with this many exceptional players of different generations playing well. Last year’s winner, Sergio Garcia, was on very few people’s radars going into the week, yet he came out with the green jacket, and his first major. In a field of 87 contenders, the odds of predicting this year’s tournament are low. So let’s do exactly that, because it is far more fun than bemoaning the fact nobody gets it right.

10. Tiger Woods: Tiger knows this course better than any human alive, with the possible exception of Jack Nicklaus. That counts for a lot in Augusta. And I think he is physically as good as he is ever going to be. But sometimes that is not enough. This field is stacked, and all phases of the game have to be in line to win this tournament. Tiger’s iron play is close, but not there yet. Let’s hope it will be ready in time for the US Open.

9. Rory McIlroy: Rory and the Masters is quite a sad tale. Not on the level of A Little Life, but the luck has just not been with Rory at this tournament. He comes off a thrilling win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which helps greatly. I look for him to have a similar Sunday charge, but only to a top-10 finish, not to the top of the leaderboard.

8. Jordan Spieth: Already an all time great at the age of 24, Jordan Spieth needs no introduction for the golf fan. Two legendary turns have already involved Spieth at Augusta: Winner here in 2015, utter shambles on Sunday in 2016. His play, however, has not been this year at the level of his work from 2015-2017. His best finish is T-3 at the Houston Open, leading me to believe he has some small adjustments to do on his game and mentality before getting back to winning ways.

7.  Kevin Kisner: Kisner has a tendency to play well for 2-3 days in majors, and fade as Sunday wears along. He doesn’t have the driving length of many on this list, and that hurts going into Augusta. But he is an able competitor, and playing well this season, with 2 top-5 finishes. A top 10 at Augusta is nothing to slouch at, should it come to fruition.

6. Dustin Johnson: A lot of Americans on this list, eh? Well, there happen to be a lot of great golfers playing well, who just so happen to be American right now. DJ is high among them. The man is the number one player in the world still, with one win and 4 top-10 finished this year. He’s playing well, but, as theme here, so are many others.

5. Louis Oosthuizen: No matter the year, season, course, or weather, Louis just manages to find a way to put himself in contention on Sunday at a major. He’s a reliable face near the top of any major leaderboard, and I fully expect him to be up there on Sunday.

4. Justin Rose: last year’s runner up seems primed for another stab at a green jacket. A win at the WGC-HSBC, a 3rd place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and a T-5 at the Valspar indicate another likely good showing for Justin.  A consummate professional and gentleman, US Open Winner and Olympic Gold Medalist, Rose would be a fine addition to the ranks of Masters champions. But I don’t think it is happening this year.

3. Bubba Watson: The 2 time winner of this event has had a brilliant 2018, with wins at the Genesis Open and WGC-Match Play. Bubba always has his length and his putting, two key assets for Augusta. He seems primed for a third win at Augusta, but I think two men stand in his way. Two men who are trending toward the title just slightly more than Bubba.

2. Justin Thomas: I feel like Mugatu (a character in the movie Zoolander) saying this, but, “JT, so hot right now.” Last year, he was player of the year, won five times, won the PGA Championship, and the FedEx Cup. This year, he has won twice: the CJ Cup and the Honda Classic. These winning ways are here for Mr. Thomas, but I think he falls just short this week.

1. Jason Day: I feel as though Jason Day has been in contention at the Masters since time immemorial. In any case, he has never won it. This season, he won the Farmers Insurance Open, and finished T-2 at Pebble Beach. He is playing well, to be sure. But what makes me think Jason Day is finally going to win at Augusta? Well, like Sergio last year, sometimes everything comes together at the right time, in a huge moment of catharsis. I think that Day is ready for his moment of catharsis, but more importantly, he’s in a good position with his play. Let’s just hope his back holds out.

Some honorable mentions, and other names I feel could also put in a shift for Sunday: Henrik Stenson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia

Loyola-Chicago has had an unbelievable run to the Final Four as they were an 11 seed coming into the tournament and not many gave them a chance to win. One thing that should be noted is that they are a really good team, so it shouldn’t come too much as a shock with their run, but it certainly wasn’t expected. The team, in the first three games, won by a combined four points as they played their competition really close, but won comfortably in their Elite 8 game against Kansas State. Loyola-Chicago plays fundamentally sound basketball and play as a team while not having a “star” player on their squad to rely on. This was more than deserving for the school and it’s been fun to watch them play.

However, it does remind me of something that I will always remember, George Mason’s run to the Final Four in 2006. Not many people gave George Mason a chance during the tournament and even some people thought they didn’t even deserve a berth after losing in their conference tournament in the semi-finals. However, they got one and that’s all that mattered. One thing many people forget is that they were even in the Top 25 at one point that season. George Mason was a good team, so when people made their predictions, they forgot how talented they were. In the first round, they beat a very good Michigan State team, but what was more impressive was their contest against North Carolina, the defending champions. After falling into a deep hole early in the game, George Mason stuck to their game plan and came from behind to beat UNC. Their next game was against Wichita State, but George Mason shot extremely well and didn’t look back as they defeated Wichita State comfortably. However, their next game was going to be a test as they faced off against the one seed in their region, UConn. What transpired was probably one of the greatest games in the history of the tournament. Neither team had all that big of a lead in the game as it was played close. Maybe because of the stakes, so many were tuned into watching the contest especially around the D.C. area. George Mason played hard and played like a team, like Loyola-Chicago, by not depending on a “star” player to lead them to victory. Despite the intensity of the game and how talented UConn was, George Mason won, sending everyone into a frenzy. If you ever get a chance, watch that game. It was the most incredible games I have ever watched. The jubilation I experienced was as if they had just won National Championship. And at that time, it was one of the most remarkable accomplishments in the history of the tournament. George Mason is a commuter school and a mid-major, so to see the program even accomplish that is way more incredible than people may realize.

Loyola-Chicago is in that same boat. Right now, their run is not quite as remarkable as George Mason’s, but if they can beat Michigan in the Final Four (heck, even becoming National Champions) then it would be more incredible. However, watching their run has been giving me flashbacks of George Mason’s. It’s been a lot of fun and it has been exciting to watch. That being said, to all the fans of Loyola-Chicago, enjoy this moment. It was so much fun when George Mason did it and I know exactly how it feels to be in the position you all are in. Soak it all in. While it didn’t quite go the way I wanted to see the season end, I kept smiling.

I hope your team can accomplish more.

Boomer Dangel

Advancing to Championship: Villanova and Michigan

National Champion: Villanova

 

Malikah French

Advancing to Championship: Loyola-Chicago and Villanova

National Champion: Villanova

 

Dan Nicotera

Advancing to Championship: Villanova and Michigan

National Champion: Villanova

 

James Rowe

Advancing to Championship: Villanova and Michigan

National Champion: Villanova

 

Here is the third episode of The Unlucky Irishman podcast. Music is A Taste Of Silver by Until The Ribbon Breaks. The Stats of the Day are provided by ESPN Stats & Info Twitter feed. Produced by Ashley Maciag and Boomer Dangel. Host is James “Preacher” Rowe.

Baseball is finally back as one team, the Houston Astros, will be looking to repeat as champions while 29 other clubs will be looking to dethrone them. It may be too early to make predictions as you can only assess teams by looking at them on paper, but it doesn’t hurt to do it. Last season was a very mediocre year, but this season looks to be a great one. With that being said, lets look at the teams

American League

East Division

Baltimore Orioles: After a strong start last season, the Birds suddenly fell flat and finished with a losing record. The starting pitching was their achilles heel, but over the offseason, the club added Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb to strengthen the rotation and with a bullpen that has been fantastic for the last several years, the pitching is suddenly strong. Offensively there is no question they crush the ball, but some players like Chris Davis will need to step up after a disappointing 2017. An interesting story line will be Manny Machado switching his position from third base to shortstop (which is what he was before playing at third base when reaching the majors). He’s a gifted fielder so it could be fun to see him play his natural position. I truly believe this was the most improved team in the league.

Boston Red Sox: After getting a new manager, Alex Cora, and picking up the best hitter on the free agent market, J.D. Martinez, the Red Sox may be even better than they were last year when they won their second consecutive. They finally might have the bonafide designated hitter in Martinez that they needed to replace the legendary David Ortiz who retired after 2016. With a great rotation led by Chris Sale and 2016 Cy Young Winner Rick Porcello, a dominant bullpen featuring the best closer in the game Craig Kimbrel, and an offense that is led by an MVP candidate, Mookie Betts, this club is a strong contender for World Series glory.

New York Yankees: A club that is technically rebuilding, they are a very talented team that came within one win of being in the World Series last season. However, they added more fire power to an already powerful lineup by acquiring outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, the 2017 NL MVP and most prolific power hitter in MLB. Team up him and his 59 home runs from last year with Aaron Judge, 2017 AL Rookie of the Year, and his 52 home runs, which was a MLB rookie record and home runs are going to be flying out of Yankee Stadium like crazy. They already have a pretty good rotation with youngster Luis Severino, a future star, and Sonny Gray, plus a dominant bullpen with probably the hardest throwing pitcher in the league, Aroldis Chapman, as their closer. They could very well beat out the Red Sox for the division. Plus with a rookie manager in Aaron Boone, this could be an interesting season for the Bronx Bombers.

Tampa Bay Rays: The team was trending up every season in their rebuild, but then they suddenly decided this past offseason to trade some key players in Evan Longoria, Steven Souza, and Corey Dickerson. However, the future is bright for the team as they arguably have a very talented farm system, but this year, they probably will struggle. They still boast a talented rotation with Chris Archer, a Cy Young candidate, Blake Snell, and Jacob Faria. The bullpen will feature Alex Colome, but he should get some help with the veteran Sergio Romo joining the team. The offense might struggle this year as they are young and unproven, so it looks there will be some growing pains.

Toronto Blue Jays: While they are not yet there yet, this club could soon be in a rebuild, however, they have lots of talent in the farm system with Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette who will be coming up soon. The rotation is the best part of this team as they are led by Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, and Marco Estrada, plus the bullpen isn’t too shabby with the closer Roberto Osuna, but he will get even more help with the signings of Seung Hwan-Oh, John Axford, and Tyler Clippard. The offense, while not as powerful as it used to be, will still score a lot of runs as Josh Donaldson will lead the team in the lineup, but after seeing Justin Smoak have a breakout season in 2017, the team should still be somewhat competitive this year.

Division champion:

James Rowe: Red Sox. I think it will be a three way race for the division between them, Yankees, and Orioles, but I feel like Boston is the more experienced and more complete team here.

Boomer Dangel: New York Yankees

Central Division

Chicago White Sox: This team is in the midst of a rebuild, but after last year with how they played down the stretch, this team will play hard. With the motto of “Ricky’s Boys Don’t Quit,” manager Rick Renteria and the Pale Hose will not be denied of a win as they will make any team work harder to get a victory. The young rotation is developing as they hope Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Carson Fulmer blossom this year, but with more help coming in the farm system and with the hope that team ace Carlos Rodon recovers from an injury, this rotation could be sneaky good. The offense is led by Jose Abreu, 2014 AL Rookie of the Year and a valuable slugger, but will have some help from Avisail Garcia and two youngsters in Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada. With Welington Castillo brought in to help with the pitchers and bring solid defense, the White Sox might compete despite what their record suggests.

Cleveland Indians: After coming off a 102 win season, including having a 22-game winning streak which was a record, the Indians should have no problem winning this division for a third straight season. The rotation will look to be dominant as ever with 2014 AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, this is a top five rotation in the league. The bullpen, which was very strong in 2016 and 2017, lost key pieces in Bryan Shaw and Joe Smith, but should still be dominant as they are led by Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. The offense lost a key player in Carlos Santana, but they still should be productive with Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis, and Edwin Encarnacion being the main source of productivity.

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers are now in rebuild mode after what feels like an era of contending every year, which is now over. Miguel Cabrera, arguably one of the best right handed hitters in the last decade, will lead this young team, but he doesn’t have much help on offense. There is some talent like Jeimer Candelario and Mikie Mathtook, but they are all unproven. The rotation should be good with Jordan Zimmermann and Michael Fulmer anchoring it, but there are lots of question marks with most of the pitching staff. This will be a long season in Motown.

Kansas City Royals: How that 2014-15 run seems so long ago, the Royals will have to go young again and seemingly restart all over again. They are not quite a rebuilding team, but they will be soon. However, with some assets, they could get a nice package back in prospects. Their best hitter, Salvador Perez, will start the season on the disabled list, so their offense will struggle this year. The pitching is not quite as good as it was before, but they still have Danny Duffy, who had a breakout year in 2017, anchoring their rotation and Kelvin Herrera as their closer.

Minnesota Twins: Surprising every one last year, the Twins made the playoffs nabbing a Wild Card. The club has a young, but powerful lineup with Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, and Miguel Sano being the main source of productivity. The lineup should score lots of runs. Pitching was a problem last year, but over the offseason they acquired Jake Odorizzi, Lance Lynn, and Michael Pineda to strengthen their rotation and Fernando Rodney, Addison Reed, and Zach Duke to make their bullpen even better. They had a great offseason and I fully expect them to have a good year.

Division champion:

James: Cleveland Indians. This year will be more competitive for the Tribe, but they still are the class of division.

Boomer: Cleveland Indians

West Division

Houston Astros: They are the defending champions, so there is going to be a lot of pressure on them, but believe it or not, the team they assembled in the offseason might be even better than last year. The rotation is arguably the best in all of baseball led by Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel, but they also added Gerrit Cole in a trade with Pittsburgh. Plus they acquired bullpen depth in Joe Smith and Hector Rondon to compliment closer Ken Giles and Will Harris. The offense is unbelievably good as they hit for average, power, and are speedy as I feel like this is the most complete lineup I’ve ever seen as they are led by AL MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and World Series MVP George Springer. They are the favorite to even win the World Series again as this squad is really special to watch.

Los Angeles Angels: This team might have won the offseason as they acquired numerous amount of talented players by getting Ian Kinsler, Justin Upton, Zack Cozart, and the Japanese two-way player phenom Shohei Ohtani (two-way meaning he can hit and pitch). The rotation could be sneaky good as they have Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, and Garrett Richards while the bullpen is strong with pitchers like Cam Bedrosian and Jim Johnson. In terms of offense, they are going to slug with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout leading the lineup. They could contend for a Wild Card this year.

Oakland Athletics: This team is young, but they also could surprise every one as they are very talented. The rotation, like the White Sox, could be really good as they are anchored by Kendall Graveman. The bullpen will be good this year as they have the underrated Blake Treinen as their closer. While the offense will undoubtedly go through some growing pains, they could be really good as the season goes on as they are led by slugger Khris Davis and have a future gold glover in Matt Chapman. Don’t be shocked if they make a run at a Wild Card.

Seattle Mariners: It seems like every year this club has high hopes, but can’t seem to put it together. They are very talented and if they could finally click, this club could be very dangerous. The rotation has staff ace Felix Hernandez anchoring it, but after adding Mike Leake and Marco Gonzales, it’s significantly stronger. The bullpen is very good as Edwin Diaz is a talent everyone should watch for. The offense will be really good as they are led by Nelson Cruz, but will be complimented with Ryon Healy, Dee Gordon, Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano, Jean Segura, and yes, even the legend himself Ichiro Suzuki at the ripe ole’ age of 44 (you read that right). Keep an eye on them

Texas Rangers: A talented club that disappointed last season, they might make some noise this year as they helpled bolster their roster. They picked up pitcher Matt Moore to improve their rotation that is anchored by their ace Cole Hamels, so that will help them significantly. The bullpen is a question mark, but they have lots of guys who can throw very hard. Offensively, expect them to hit lots of home runs as Joey Gallo can slug somewhere between 40-50 home runs, but they also have future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Nomar Mazara, and Rougned Odor in the lineup.

Division champion:

James: Houston Astros. The West won’t quite be as uncompetitive as last year, but the Astros are really freaking good and are one of my favorites to win the title.

Boomer: Houston Astros

National League

East Division

Atlanta Braves: This team is still rebuilding, but they could take a lot of step forwards this season. And soon they will be very good, but for now, it’s all about progress. The rotation is very young as they are anchored by Julio Teheran, but with a plethora of prospects coming up, the rotation could be very good soon. The bullpen is also young so there is some uncertainty. The offense is led by Freddie Freeman, but the rest of team is very young and are talented which could become a good lineup very soon.

Miami Marlins: Story of this franchise: another fire sale. Trying to rebuild, once again, new ownership that includes the legendary Derek Jeter are going to basically start from scratch. The rotation will be led by José Ureña and Dan Straily, but outside of that, it will be a project and the same goes for the bullpen. The offense still has a few pieces in J.T. Realmuto, Justin Bour, Starlin Castro, and Martin Prado, but expect them to be traded. This will be a long year in Miami.

New York Mets: After a disappointing 2017, the team looked on improving the team and got some nice pieces, but there are still some question marks. The rotation would be the strength of the club with Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Steve Matz, but the question is whether those guys can stay healthy. The bullpen will be really good with closer Jeurys Familia who will have help in Anthony Swarzak, AJ Ramos, and Jerry Blevins. The offense will have some question marks, but if every one lives up to their potential, they will produce as they took a chance on a declining Adrian Gonzalez, but also have Todd Frazier, Yoenis Cespedes, and Michael Conforto helping out. Plus they will be counting on youngster Ahmed Rosario to live up to the hype.

Philadelphia Phillies: In what has seemed like an eternity after deciding to rebuild, the Phillies might actually make some noise this year after they acquired Jake Arrieta, Carlos Santana, Tommy Hunter, and Pat Neshek to boost their rotation, lineup, and bullpen. The team also has a lot of youngsters on the team that have a ton of potential like starter Aaron Nola, catcher Jorge Alfaro, infielders Maikel Franco, Scott Kingery, and J.P. Crawford and outfielders Rhys Hoskins and Odubel Herrera. These guys could be good really soon.

Washington Nationals: No question is the class of the division, but there is still some question marks as it’s more just uncertainty than anything else. New manager Dave Martinez, who is a first time manager, will be tasked with a talented club that seemingly can’t get over the postseason hump. The rotation might be the best in baseball as they have Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez leading the way. The bullpen is incredibly good as they have Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler. The offense is stacked as Bryce Harper is the main guy, but has help from Daniel Murphy, Adam Eaton, and Anthony Rendon. Oh yeah and a bench consisting of Matt Adams, Howie Kendrick, and Wilmer Difo is just incredible. This has to be the year, especially with it being Harper’s last year of his contract, to finally win the World Series.

Division champion:

James: Washington Nationals. This is a very weak division so the Nationals should have no problem. My intrigue will be how they fare against teams that are not in their division.

Boomer: Washington Nationals

Central Division

Chicago Cubs: Still the best team in the division, but whats scary is that they may now be even better than the team that won the World Series in 2016. The rotation will be led by Jose Quintana and Jon Lester, but they also added Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood, plus they already have quietly great pitcher in Kyle Hendricks. The bullpen is awesome as Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson, Brandon Morrow, and Steve Cishek will be more than likely just very dominant even without a distinguished closer. The offense might be the best in baseball as they have Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, and Ben Zobrist who can absolutely slug the ball.

Cincinnati Reds: This team does not get quite enough respect as they deserve, but they are a rebuilding team with a lot of uncertainty. Young, but very talented, this club could surprise this year if every thing goes right for them. The rotation will likely feature some young arms in Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle who lots of people in the organization have high hopes for. The bullpen will be really solid with Raisel Iglesias as the closer, but also some veteran arms in Michael Lorenzen, David Hernandez, and Jared Hughes. There is no question that their offense will produce with the “should-have-been” 2017 MVP of the NL Joey Votto, but he should get some help from the underrated Eugenio Suarez, Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, and Tucker Barnhart. The question mark will be whether Scooter Gennett is the real deal after having a break out season in 2017. And another question mark will be when will top hitting prospect Nick Senzel make his debut. If every thing clicks, watch them be a surprise team this year.

Milwaukee Brewers: While technically in a rebuild after contending a year ahead of schedule, these guys will surely make some noise this year as they could be a top-ten club this year. After grabbing a lot of great players like Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich, and Jhoulys Chacin over the offseason, this franchise feels like they can compete in 2018. The rotation is sneaky good with their ace Jimmy Nelson getting some help from Chacin. The bullpen is great as they have Jeremy Jeffress, Jacob Barnes, and Josh Hader setting up for closer Corey Knebel. The offense will be awesome with Cain and Yelich joining Ryan Braun, Travis Shaw, and Domingo Santana plus they have Eric Thames. Watch out for them this year.

Pittsburgh Pirates: What a fall from grace for this team as they have declined significantly after that 98-win season in 2015 and are now in rebuild mode. They traded their best player in Andrew McCutchen over the offseason so this team will struggle a lot this year. The rotation will be interesting as there is talent behind the now ace of Ivan Nova as he will get some help from promising Jameson Taillon, but the hope is that prospects Mitch Keller, Joe Musgrove, and Tyler Glasnow develop into a great five man tandem. The bullpen will have some questions, but overall they have assets in it that could help them nab more prospects like closer Felipe Rivero and George Kontos. The hope is that Kyle Crick and Michael Feliz, who they both picked up in the offseason, will help the bullpen. The offense still has some talent with Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco, Corey Dickerson, Jordy Mercer, Francisco Cervelli, and Josh Bell leading the way and the hope that prospects Austin Meadows and Bryan Reynolds can help make the team better soon.

St. Louis Cardinals: Believe it or not, this club improved a lot during the offseason with the acquisitions of outfielder Marcell Ozuna and reliever Luke Gregerson as they could make a run at the Wild Card. The rotation is really good with Carlos Martinez, Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha and youngster Luke Weaver, but they also have options in Jack Flaherty and Alex Reyes who are youngsters like Weaver with tremendous amounts of talent. The bullpen is also great with Gregerson, Bud Norris, Tyler Lyons, Greg Holland, and Brett Cecil. The offense will be solid with Ozuna, Tommy Pham (a potential MVP), Paul DeJong, Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, and Dexter Fowler.

Division champion:

James: Chicago Cubs. They are even better than the 2016 club. I like their chances.

Boomer: Chicago Cubs

West Division

Arizona Diamondbacks: Coming out of nowhere last year, the Diamondbacks had a very strong club that might have been the best team in the National League after the Los Angeles Dodgers, but unfortunately got stuck with playing the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs. The rotation is fantastic as it’s led by Zack Greinke and Robby Ray, but the other three starters are fantastic. However, they are backed up by a great bullpen that features Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger. The lineup will be thumping a lot of pitching staffs this year even without J.D. Martinez as they do have Paul Goldschmidt who is a perennial MVP and they also have A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, Ketel Marte, Jake Lamb, and Steven Souza. Expect them to compete this year.

Colorado Rockies: What’s crazy about this team this year is that they are even better than last year’s club which was really good. The rotation is young, but super talented as they are led by Jon Gray. The bullpen should be great with pitchers like Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw, Jake McGee and Mike Dunn as this could be the best bullpen in baseball, even pitching in a ballpark where lots of runs are scored. The offense will be expected to slug with players like Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, D.J. LeMahieu, Carlos Gonzalez leading the way.

Los Angeles Dodgers: This team was expected to win more games in the history of the game when they seemingly could not lose before a mid-season swoon. However, this team is still the club to beat in the National League as they are super talented. The rotation boasts the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, but behind him he has some great comrades with Kenta Maeda and Alex Wood, however there are questions about whether Hyun-Jin Ryu or Julio Urias can stay healthy. The bullpen features the best closer in Kenley Jansen, but who will set him up will be a question. The offense is expected to produce again as they are led by Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner (who will start the season on the disabled list), Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig, and Joc Pederson. The road to win a pennant will go through Los Angeles if any other teams want to go to the World Series.

San Diego Padres: This team is in rebuild mode, but it’s still a long process for them as the prospects for this team are still developing. The ace of the rotation is Clayton Richard, who is at best the fifth guy in any other rotation. But if some pitchers like Anderson Espinoza and Cal Quantrill develop, the rotation in the near future could be really good. The bullpen is surprisingly strong with pitchers like Brad Hand and Craig Stammen in it. The offense is a question mark, but adding Eric Hosmer should help as it takes a load off the shoulders of Wil Myers.

San Francisco Giants: The most improved team in the National League, these guys are hoping to compete for a playoff spot this year after making a slew of moves. The rotation of Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, and Johnny Cueto is great, however, Bumgarner and Samardzija will begin the season on the disabled list so that could hurt their chances. The bullpen should be good with closer Mark Melancon and help from Tony Watson, Hunter Strickland, Sam Dyson, Cody Gearrin, and Josh Osich. The offense should be great with the best catcher in the game in Buster Posey getting help from Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Joe Panik alongside newly acquired Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria.

Division champion:

James: Los Angeles Dodgers. Until someone else proves otherwise, this is still the best team in the division. But also, I see them going back to the World Series again.

Boomer: Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Wild Cards:

American League

James: New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. Yankees are really freaking good so I find it hard to not see them in the playoffs, but the Orioles I think are sneaky good.

Boomer: Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels

National League

James: Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants. Arizona should continue to be really good as I love their roster. I just think the Giants are going to be good despite all the question marks. The West is just going to be filthy sick to watch.

Boomer: Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves.

 

 

The other day I saw some of my former co-workers, colleagues, and bosses complaining about the new Minor League Baseball rule that was made the other day and I couldn’t understand the outrage. What the new rule is that once a game goes into extra innings, a runner will start at second base for the batting team per each half inning played. Yeah, it’s not true baseball, but the minor leagues are about development, not wins and losses. I may not agree that the runner should start at second base (rather I think they should start at first base as I feel like that would be more helpful to the development of a player), but I am not fretting over it as wins or losses don’t really matter. However, there were many people who were upset about it including some I used to work with or worked in the same industry as many exclaimed that it was “stupid.”

Here is the thing, I would understand if Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred had tried to implement that rule into the Majors and people being upset about it. It’s not real baseball. However, if Manfred did try to implement it, he would be laughed out of the room for even thinking of such a thing. What I’m trying to say here is that it would never ever happen at the Major League level. It wouldn’t even be taken serious. I know some people are upset with what Manfred has done with rule changes as I am one of them, especially with the new intentional walk rule, and think there are better ways of speeding up the game, but c’mon on! Do you really think Manfred would really dumb down the game? Absolutely not! He would know there would be people outside his door with pitchforks if that was to ever happen.

The other day, ESPN baseball insider Keith Law posted on Twitter about his outrage about it. He is not happy at all with the new rule. I tweeted at him saying that the minor leagues was about development, not wins and losses, but when he responded, I don’t think he appreciated that I was offering another narrative. I think the way he reacted to my tweet was just out of passion and because he was so mad about the rule change. I wasn’t even trying to argue or to debate, just opening up dialogue as I felt like there is another side to it that should be discussed. Well I was met with an interesting tweet from him when I said it would never happen: “No, it’s reality. To think you know more than people who work in the industry is…you know the rest.” For your information, I worked three years in minor league ball before coming to the majors in 2016 and have become friendly with the likes of Marty Brennaman, John Rooney, Pat Hughes, and even current Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price. Heck, if Kris Bryant was to walk down the street and come across me, he would say hi as I worked for the Tennessee Smokies at the time he was playing there. I know many other executives, broadcasters, and writers in the industry. So I am not some Joe Schmo. However, it seems like bringing up another narrative compromised Law’s and he didn’t like it. He also did tweet at me a few other childish things, but that’s aside the point

But that gives you an idea of how upset some people have become about it. After talking to one of my friends who is a broadcaster in the Minor Leagues, he said he was okay with the rules because of the same reasons I explained earlier (development, not wins and losses), but the one thing he thought was good about it was that it could also protect players health as there are constant player transactions in the Minors and typically extra inning games are meant to protect the players’ health (what that means is you have to use more pitchers when games go long, therefore you have to move pitchers on and off the disabled list after long games to space out their rest time appropriately which means that it creates more and more roster transactions). He also brought up that there is already an adjusted innings format for doubleheaders (seven innings in each game), so why should extra innings be off limits? And my favorite thing said about it was that no one ever pauses to consider the nuances involved in decisions and brought up that the international game seems to do fine with it.

People need to calm down about this, it’s not going to be implemented into the majors. The Minor Leagues are about development, not wins and losses. If Manfred tries to, you should absolutely bark back, but luckily you won’t have to as it will never happen. Just enjoy the game as it is in the minors. While I think there is a better way, no one should be this upset about it.