Review No. 2

Lindy’s comes in at 200 pages, which makes it a little shorter than Athlon’s.  “The Baseball Preview For Smart Fans” doesn’t feel the need for more space.

 

The format for this magazine isn’t all that different from the other, picking the White Sox third with the Cubs second, good enough for a wildcard spot that will not get them into the World Series.  There’s even a “Scout’s Take” on every team.  Oh, but how this scout talks.  (S)he has a bone to pick with both Chicago teams.

 

As for the White Sox, “I don’t like the way [manager] Rick Renteria handles the young players.  It looks like he gives them too much rope.  Yoan Moncada has not improved one bit, and his effort can be terrible.  Moncada needs to be sat down the next time he jogs on a play, but Renteria does not seem to want to do that.  Maybe it’s on orders from above.”  Or maybe this “scout” is making it up as (s)he goes along.    

 

There was a game in Texas last July when Moncada was on third base and Jose Abreu hit a grounder to deep short, and shortstop Elvis Andrus threw out Moncada at home.  Yes, I would’ve pulled Moncada for that, but don’t pretend Renteria is afraid to do that, not after he’s sat Tim Anderson and Avasil Garcia and called out Adam Engel for not laying down a bunt.  Moncada just got lucky.  Orders from above?  More like Renteria was distracted from all the losing.

 

Lindy’s scout is just as hard on the Cubs with “Here’s an idea.  Let [team president] Theo Epstein manage the club, work with the hitters and make the draft choices.  It seems like he is unhappy with the jobs everybody else is doing.”  OK, now tell us how you really feel.  I’ve got Epstein in Cooperstown for breaking curses in Boston and Chicago (and saving two classic ballparks along the way).  That track record merits the benefit of the doubt.

 

One last thing.  Lindy’s rates the Dodgers as one of the three best organizations in baseball.  Anybody over there watch the last two World Series, both lost by LA?