Monday Miscellany

 

In no particular order, managers Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre were elected to the Hall of Fame; Robinson Cano didn’t feel the love, which could only be expressed by a ten-year, $310 million contract from the Yankees; and we went hitting at the batting cages.

I’m not sure how Cox amassed 2504 wins with the Braves and Blue Jays; he always seemed to be dozing off in the dugout.  As for LaRussa and Torre, they were both astute, up to a point.  A balk or a missed call at a hundred feet, and they were up on their feet screaming, but their own players using steroids in the clubhouse, not so much.  LaRussa in particular never saw anything fishy about Jose Canseco or Mark McGwire.  Mark was just cursed with adult acne that followed him (as he trooped after LaRussa) from Oakland to St. Louis, I guess.

Which brings us to Robinson Cano, who signed with the Mariners for ten years at $240 million.  Fans will love watching their 40-year old second baseman try to field a ball in 2022, I’ll bet.  It’s all about love for Cano, and respect.  Apparently, his former team didn’t have any.  “I didn’t get respect from them, and I didn’t see any effort.”  Remember, that’s respect as in “I want a $310 million contract from you guys.”  The Mariners, though, “They showed me love,” or at least a lot of money.  Here’s my prediction:  Ticket prices won’t be going down in New York, but they will be going up in Seattle, probably a good deal more than the team winning percentage.

           Back in the real world, this father showed his love by taking his daughter to the batting cages.  Everything was gray and cold and slow.  The balls came in slow, no matter what speed Clare hit at, and they went out slow, no matter how hard she hit them.  It’s the middle of December, and spring seems years, not months, away.  People ought to be rewarded for showing such dedication as Clare did today.  Not Cano money-love, but something.  Oh, wait, the White Sox just traded closer Addison (Watch ‘Em Hit a Walk-off) Reed to the Diamondbacks for a third base prospect.  That will have to do.