I hope fans temper their expectations as more and more of the Royals’ prospects make their way to the major league team. Who knows how unrealistic expectations hindered the development of Alex Gordon and Billy Butler over the past four seasons. There is a learning curve for these youngsters and they have to be given a chance to adjust and develop.
When are the White Sox going to show Ozzie Guillen the door? He is a fiery guy who has had some good success in the past but his abrasive, and sometimes abusive, managerial style seems to have lost its effectiveness in the Windy City.
I can’t be the only guy growing tired of the labor situation in the NFL. The NFL has a terrific product and a lengthy work stoppage could be devastating. Ask MLB how fans accepted the strike in the 1990s. I have little patience for either side and see only dollar signs feeding the agendas for both owners and players. Whether or not that is the case, it is what a lot of fans will see.
How good is Timothy Olyphant in the F/X program Justified? The show is gritty and tense. The cast is brilliant but Olyphant is mesmerizing. Walter Goggins isn’t far behind. Olyphant has often played the bad guy but I love his soft spoken, not always so good, good guy. As his boss told him on the show, he really is the “hillbilly whisperer”.
For all of the Jayhawks out there – is it just me or are you getting a little nervous about Kansas’ recruiting class? I like what coach Self has put together thus far but I would sure like to see a couple more of the top prospects who haven’t signed yet decide to come to Kansas. At this point, we have to trust that Self knows what he is doing. He has certainly earned that.
Now that HBO is airing the Game of Thrones, based on the brilliant fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, I have to voice my discontent about the author. While this is one of the finest fantasy series I have ever read, Martin has only released the first four books of the series since 1996, and only one in the last ten years, and hasn’t released any in the past six years. It is a terrible disservice to his fans to take so long between books. With only three books left, get them done. Martin tends to work on several projects at once – finish what you have started and stop taking your fans for granted.
It finally seems as if MLB has cleaned up the game. Offensive numbers seem to be returning to pre-PED levels. Many believe steroids started in 1987. It isn’t just coincidence that this was toward the beginning of Jose Canseco’s career. I am not saying he was the first use to PEDs but I have little doubt he made them more common place. The game is so much different now that it was 24 years ago. Pitching is more specialized now and the parks are smaller so maybe a nice balance will develop between pitching and hitting.
How long can Cleveland and Kansas City hold out in the present positions of first and second place in the AL Central? Both have been pleasant surprises and have shown few signs of fading. Cleveland’s pitching has been terrific and the Royals have been much better at the plate than anyone could have expected. I can’t speak with much authority about the readiness of the Indians’ minor league system in supplying Cleveland with help in the future but it is nice the Royals don’t feel the need to rush their prospects. Kila Ka’aihue struggled mightily but Hosmer forced his way to Kansas City by batting .439 in AAA. There are no other players, outside an inconsistent rotation, who have played their way off the team. This only helps the development of those young players. Hopefully, these two small market teams can continue their solid play and challenge for the division title. I wouldn’t mind if the Twins and White Six continue to play poorly.
All right, all right, enough of my ramblings. I am working on a post about Jackie Robinson and hopefully I can get it finished sooner rather than later. Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment