Did you see this?
Our weekly look at some of the best and most interesting things I've seen over the last 7 days
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BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
Adam Wainwright was saluted by Cardinals fans last weekend as he closed out his distinguished 18-year career. When it was all over, he took to Twitter to recognize his wife Jenny for all the sacrifices she’s made over the years. Friends and family wore T-shirts celebrating Jenny for her retirement.
“I HAD TO FIGHT FOR THIS ONE”
10 years of major league service is a significant milestone celebrated by big league players. Jerry Crasnick has an interesting look at what Kole Calhoun endured to hit the decade mark.
“SOUL-SUCKING SUSTAINABILITY”
An interesting look at “MLB’s obsession with sustainability” by Evan Drellich of The Athletic. A thought-provoking perspective about the drawbacks of teams trying to be good every year instead of ever trying to be great.
IN CHARGE FROM START TO FINISH
Tyler Kepner of The Athletic profiles Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde, a former Marlins minor league manager and big league coach. Hyde is the rare manager who has been given the opportunity to see his team through a rebuild and remain on the job when the club comes out on the other side.
A PARTING GIFT FROM MIGGY
Miguel Cabrera closed out his Hall of Fame career Sunday, after 21 seasons, 2 MVP Awards, a Triple Crown, 12 All-Star selections, 7 Silver Sluggers and 4 batting titles. Cabrera, who broke in with 5 seasons as a Marlin before spending the last 16 years with the Tigers, retires with a .306/.382/.518/.901 slashline, 627 doubles, 511 home runs and 1,881 RBI. Cabrera, who had DH’d exclusively this season, was inserted defensively at first base to start the 8th inning in his final game. Not having a first baseman’s glove, he borrowed one from teammate Spencer Torkelson. After the game, Cabrera returned the glove with a special inscription.
ICYMI
In case you didn’t check out VFTB daily, here’s what you missed this past week:
A playoff notebook with the 4 league Division Series getting started yesterday.
***THE WEEK’S MOST-SHARED READ***
In the part 2 of out 10 Burning Questions series, how will the Marlins address their rotation depth issues, especially after the news that Tommy John surgery will cost Sandy Alcantara all of 2024.
In part one of out 10 Burning Questions series, will the Marlins lock up Kim Ng with a long-term extension?
The Marlins’ dreams are swept away in Philadelphia.
A look at Braxton Garrett ahead of his Game 2 start against the Phillies.
***THE WEEK’S TOP READ***
Spending big was no guarantee in 2023.
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Lastly, I believe I have already expressed my thoughts about Miguel Cabrera, in particular, and the absurdity of a contract extension like he received in 2015-16. Is there anyone who doubts the Tigers' ownership immensely regrets that horrendous extension. Under sodium pentathol, they'd dump Cabrera after 2016 at this peak, HOF cap be damned, and save $250 million. Or, alternatively, forget the extension entirely. I find it ludicrous that Cabrera "earned" the last SEVEN ridiculously unproductive years because he was highly productive before. He was also paid millions to be so. If I figured correctly, he was paid over $35 million PER WIN over replacement (approximately 5 WAR) TOTAL over those last SEVEN seasons. Not my money, of course, but his Tiger fan celebrants appear incoherently deluded to me since they won no championships with Cabrera. This is a perfect segue to Drellich's lament about striving for excellence over sustainability. The owners never learn and so the baseball minds seek the soft middle to hide the truth that winning it all is embarrassingly random.
I dig Drellich's points. Aiming for greatness, sure, but the template of professional sports is the mechanical rabbit at a greyhound track (sorry for the Boomer reference to this erstwhile activity). We fans dare dream of a championship for our fleeting roster of glorified carnies, knowing it means little in the real world. Yet the diversionary entertainment and vicariously-applied self-value affirmations are powerful. The sustainability quotient equates to sanity because those in the professional sports world must simultaneously delude themselves like the greyhounds and manage the improbabilities of even being around for the next race.