Minority Report

I was never a fan of Vin Sculley, the longtime Dodgers’ broadcaster who died yesterday at the age of 94. For me, the stories Sculley was so fond of telling tended to get in the way of the game he was supposed to be calling. And the one story I wanted him to tell, how and why the Dodgers abandoned Brooklyn for Los Angeles, he never seemed to get around to. I also seem to be in the minority over the relative lack of action on the part of White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, who did nothing more before yesterday’s trade deadline than pick up lefty reliever Jake Diekman. What, he should’ve made another big deal a la Craig Kimbrel? No thanks. So, the Padres stripped their minor-league system to get outfielder Juan Soto from the Nationals. That’s nice. How will he transform a team 11-1/2 games back of Los Angeles? Soto is one player of nine in the starting lineup. Unlike basketball or hockey, baseball doesn’t allow for a superstar to carry his team. Ernie Banks won back-to-back MVP awards with the Cubs, totaling 92 homeruns and 272 RBIs in 1958-1959; the Cubs went 72-82 in ’58, 74-80 in ’59. It’s a cautionary tale only for those who know who Banks was, and I wouldn’t put members of the Padres’ front office in that category. But, hey, if making the postseason via the wildcard is so important, more power to them. And even if Hahn had managed to acquire a talent like Soto without paying a king’s ransom, then what? Tony La Russa would be his manager; Soto would see the dysfunction; and he’d be headed out the door, sans World Series’ rings, as a free agent after 2024. For Hahn, it would be (James) Shields, 2.0. Better to hope this team can take baby steps, like last night’s 9-2 win over the Royals. Jose Abreu and Gavin Sheets both homered; Eloy Jimenez had three hits to go with three RBIs; and Lucas Giolito survived a forty-one pitch third inning. That’s all I can ask for, other than Lance Lynn actually showing up to pitch today.