Did you see this?
Our weekly look at some of the best and most interesting things I've seen over the last 7 days
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Tonight, Patrick Mahomes starts his 4th Super Bowl and looks to lead the Chiefs to their 3rd championship in the last 5 years. But, as MLB.com’s Bill Ladson writes, there was a time many around the New York Mets were convinced he would one day star on a major league diamond.
HOW THE DODGERS LANDED AN ACE
From The Athletic, an excerpt from Andy McCullough’s upcoming book “The Last of his Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness.” How the Dodgers were able to draft the future Hall of Famer in 2006.
Of note in this piece, had Kershaw not fallen to the Dodgers at #7, they were prepared to draft a junior college pitcher who would one day go on to play for the Marlins.
BENDIX MAY NEED A PARENT TO SIGN HIS REPORT CARD
The Athletic gave every major league team a letter grade for its offseason, based on who they added, who they lost and how they addressed their most glaring weaknesses at the end of 2023.
The Orioles and Dodgers received A’s. The Marlins and Rockies…well, they were at the other end of the spectrum.
From the Marlins summary:
“How do you build momentum after a surprise postseason appearance? Go all-in on some bigger names than usual? Run it back with the same cast, supplemented at the fringes? Or watch the general manager resign and then sit out the offseason? Well, give the Marlins points for novelty, again.
“Miami entered the offseason coming off an 84-win playoff season but with significant questions to answer about its chances of replicating that success, especially with Sandy Alcantara out for the season. Then Kim Ng left rather than be demoted, and the Marlins hired Peter Bendix away from the Rays — pretty much the only addition they’ve made all winter.
Sounds like someone’s been reading VIEW FROM THE BLEACHERS.
Of course, this could all change if the Marlins sign Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger or Matt Chapman in the days or weeks ahead.
LONG BEFORE TAYLOR AND TRAVIS…
Frederic J. Frommer of the Washington Post reminds us that before there was Taylor Swift and Travis Kelse, there was Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.
THE HITS AND THE MISSES
With MLB Pipeline celebrating the 20th anniversary of their prospect rankings Jonathan Mayo looked back at their All-Prospect team and also their all-time prospect misses.
Marlins draft picks Tyler Kolek and Jeremy Hermida were included on the list you’d rather not be on.
“YOU’LL MISS SPORTS JOURNALISM WHEN IT’S GONE”
Not a baseball piece per se, but The Atlantic’s Keith O’Brien rightly laments the demise of sports journalism as we once knew it.
Fans lose out when newspapers and magazines go away entirely or, in some cases, employ beat writers and columnists who have a fraction of the experience and wisdom as those upon whom we used to depend for information and insight.
But, hey, providing an inferior product is cheaper.
THE ROYAL TREATMENT
Ken Rosenthal writes that the Royals’ $288.7 million deal with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. shows that small-market teams can and should make big moves.
SEY HEY
Last Sunday, 2/4/24, was dubbed “Willie Mays Day” in honor of the iconic Giants #24. How about the glove Mays used to make “The Catch” against Vic Wertz in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series?
ICYMI
In case you didn’t check out VFTB this week, you missed our 3-part series ranking the best players in Marlins history who wore every uniform number, 1-99.
And Saturday, I posted a notebook with several Marlins and MLB notes in the days before the start of Spring Training.
While you’re here…
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Learn more about one-on-one play-by-play coaching from Glenn Geffner via Zoom at glenngeffner.com.
I predict they will sign some cheap free agent at some point. They’d like to remove the talking point that they’re the only team to not sign anyone.
Still no free agent acquisitions by the Marlins. Hoping for a miracle. The Jeter
- Sherman criticism of the previous owners
poor drafting is a joke. Jeffrey and his group produced a good number of excellent home grown players such as
Fernandez, Ozuna, Stanton, Realmuto,
Yellich and more that were young exciting
players. I have yet to see home grown talent rise within the system with the exception of the current young pitchers.
Let’s see if this will change. So far the Sherman group hasn’t delivered what was
promised.