The exciting final days of the Longball League are here. There are just 13 days left in the regular season. Pennant fever is in the air. Here's what's up in the league this week.
Roster Moves
8/12/2013
The Tatooine Womp Rats Dropped P. Fielder DET and added C. Davis BAL
Who's Hot and Who's Not This Week
Hitters
Hot: The Yankees Alfonso Soriano checked in with a 6 HR 19 RBI week.
Not: Houston's Brandon Barnes struck out 11 times and hit a blistering .120 this week.
Pitchers
Hot: The Dodgers Clayton Kershaw went 2-0, struck out 16, with an ERA and WHIP of .056 for the week.
Not: The Angels Joe Blanton gave up 10 earned runs in just 4.1 innings with three home runs allowed to go with a WHIP of 3.23 and and ERA of 20.77 this week.
This Week's Three Trivial Things
1. The run the Dodgers are on is historic. I would love to quote some numbers on their winning ways, but with each new win, they are putting themselves in place for one of the greatest worst to first runs in the history of the game.
2. Anaheim's Joe Blanton sucks in the bullpen too. After giving up back-to-back dingers in the 9th inning of an 8-2 loss to the Astros, yours truly, the commissioner, actually looked down into the Astros bullpen and asked Houston bullpen coach Dennis "El Presidente" Martinez if he could come out of retirement and pitch for the Angels. He laughed and and politely declined my appeal.
3. Could old Olympic Stadium be coming back to the majors? The Montreal Baseball Project has started a feasibility study on the return of baseball to Montreal. They actually believe Olympic Stadium could house another MLB team. Somewhere, Rusty Staub must be smiling.
Cool Baseball Card News of the Week: As apart of a look ahead to 2014 Topps Baseball, the company announced that 50 of the best rookie cards the company has ever produced will be given away through redemption cards in 2014 first series packs. I may finally get that '52 Mantle or the '56 Clemente. Ahh, to open packs, per chance to dream of greatness.
Cool Baseball Sticker Card of the Week: 1980 Fleer World Series/Team Logo Sticker Cards.
Back in 1980, Fleer produced a set of cartoon cards featuring World Series from 1940-1979 along with stickers on the other side. You got five cards and stickers for a nickel. They were pretty popular with the kids back 33 years ago. Here's what two of the card sides look like.
Now, the stickers...
When I was 11, I they were pretty cool. They still look cool today. Don't you love that old Mariners logo? I personally dig the old Swinging Friar logo for the Padres.
Until next week folks remember that wild card races do make baseball more exciting.
-The Commissioner
