AP File Photo: Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell reaches for the ball against the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Sunday, July 9, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
By Jerry Feitelberg
OAKLAND–With powerful Cleveland coming to Oakland on Friday night the A’s face a Cleveland team on top with a leading 47-40 record in the AL Central. The A’s bring a new crop of players a group of young players who can make a difference in the Cleveland series and in this second half of the season, Ryon Healy who came up least season, Jaycob Brugman, Matt Chapman, Bruce Maxwell, Chad Pinder, Franklin Barreto and Matt Olson.
The A’s have decided to use their own formula and the A’s used some of the veterans this season to see if they could get any mileage out of them with Matt Joyce, Raiai Davis, and Trevor Plouffe and these guys didn’t perform. Then to everyone’s surprise catcher Stephen Vogt was cut and the A’s wanted to bring in Bruce Maxwell as the starting catcher.
Maxwell was in the minors but he’s come up and he’s hitting about .290 since he’s been back and he’s been playing very well. With Healy the A’s needed to find a spot for him and they put him at third base with Matt Chapman and they have Yonder Alonso at first base. Healy is also the DH and a lot of young guys don’t like to DH but like to play in the field as well but Healy is good of a defensive player as Chapman.
AP File Photo: JULY 08: Cleveland Indians left fielder Michael Brantley (23) doubles to drive in a run during the fifth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians on July 8, 2017, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
by Jerry Feitelberg
OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s with a record of 39-50 resume play against the AL Central leader, the Cleveland Indians. The Indians, manager by former A’s bench coach, Terry Francona, are the defending American League champions and came within a whisker of winning the World Series last year. The Indians, as mentioned above, are in first place in the AL Central division with a record of 49-40 and are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins and 3 and 1/2 of the Kansas City Royals. Most of the starters are back with the Tribe this year. They cut center fielder Rajai Davis, and he signed on with the A’s. The reason for that was the return of Michael Brantley. Brantley is back, and he is joined in the outfield by Lonnie Chisenhall and Bradley Zimmer. The Indians made a big splash when they signed former Toronto Blue Jay, the power-hitting Edwin Encarnacion. Encarnacion started slowly but is now hitting .263 with 18 bombs and 48 RBIs.
The Indians infield is manned by Jose Ramirez at third base, Francisco Lindor at shortstop, Jason Kipnis at second, and Carlos Santana at first base. Ramirez and Lindor made the All-Star team this year and Kipnis has been there in the past. Kipnis, unfortunately, is on the 10-day DL with a hamstring injury and probably will not play in the series against the A’s. The catching chores are handled by Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez.
The Indians’ have a decent starting rotation. Carlos Carasco leads the staff with 10 wins and just 3 losses. He owns a 3.44 ERA Righty Corey Kluber, a former Cy Young Award winner, has a record of 7-3 and his ERA is just 2.80. When Kluber is on his game, the opposing team usually loses. Other members of the rotation are Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevenger. The Indians have a strong bullpen. The setup guys are Bryan Shaw, Zach McAlister, lefty Boone Logan, and former Oakland A’s reliever, Dan Otero. The Indians rely on the big lefty Andrew Miller to shut down the opponents in the eighth inning and he has delivered s he has recorded 18 holds this season. The closer is Cody Allen, and he has notched 16 saves up to now.
The three games this weekend will feature three extremely tantalizing matchups. On Friday the A’s will send their ace Sonny Gray to the hill. The Indians will counter will Carlos Carasco. On Saturday, Plack Blackburn will pitch for Oakland, and he will be opposed by Corey Kluber. Blackburn is 1-0 in his first three starts in the Majors, and his ERA is just a minuscule 0.66. Kluber is a former Cy Young winner and is one tough cookie. On Sunday, the A’s Sean Manaea, who leads the staff with seven wins, will take on the Indians’ Trevor Bauer. Bauer beat the A’s earlier this season, but his overall record is just 7-7.
After the A’s conclude the series with Cleveland, the A’s face the very tough Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are currently tied for second place with the New York Yankees in the AL East just 3 and 1/2 games behind the Red Sox. The A’s would love to upset their apple carts. The next six games should be fun.
AP File Photo: Will the Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray be traded before the end of this month? Here Gray throws to the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 5, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
by Jerry Feitelberg
OAKLAND–The A’s resume play this Friday. There are lots of questions and rumors swirling around the Coliseum regarding the trade deadline of July 31st. Will the A’s be sellers? They were buyers three years ago when they mad the trade with Boston for Jon Lester. In that deal, Yoenis Cespedes went to Beantown and the A’s, who had the best record in the AL at the time of the trade, went straight downhill. They barely made the playoffs in 2014 and were eliminated by the Kansas City Royals. Since that time the A’s have been cellar dwellers, and it looks like that is where they will finish again this year.
They have decided to rebuild the team and have brought in several young players in the hope of getting back to the playoffs. There is hope for the future, but many are wondering about if several key players will remain with the team. Will Sonny Gray who is probably their best pitcher, be part of the nucleus? Will Yonder Alonso be traded? The word on the street is that the A’s are actively shopping Alonso. Yonder is having a breakout season. He made the All-Star team and proved himself with two hits and a stolen base in the game. Yes, Alonso is making 4 million per year, and he will be a free agent. However, keeping him would signal to the fans that the A’s are serious about getting better. Alonso is also a solid defensive player and defense is not currently the A’s strong suit. These are just two examples of players that should stay with the team but probably will be gone.
The A’s, believe it or not, have a solid fan base. They may be small in numbers, but they show their support and enthusiasm for the team at every home game. They are frustrated as the A’s continue to trade away players because of salary. The A’s used to receive about 35 million dollars a year from the luxury tax money paid by the teams that exceeded the salary limits.
That subsidy was cut by 25% this year and will be gone in another three years. The A’s know they have to put a better product on the field as this major source of revenue will be gone. The best way to make up the loss of the money will be a new stadium. A’s president Dave Kaval has repeatedly said that the A’s will announce the location of the stadium by the end of the season.
They are considering three sites, and all three have drawbacks. They are looking at Howard Terminal, Laney College, and the current location in Oakland. Howard Terminal is on the Estuary, and reports have said that conditions there at night are similar to Candlestick Park as it could be cold and windy. Public transportation to the location does not exist, and people are not going to walk there from the 12th Street BART station.
AC Transit or some other kind of shuttle service probably will be needed. Laney College is a possibility but getting there from the Lake Merritt Bart station is also problematical. There is good transportation at the Coliseum but would the existing stadium have to be demolished first? What about the Raider problem? The Raiders are leaving in two or three years. Will the A’s have to wait until they leave before they can start construction? Is it possible to start construction on a new stadium without destroying the current facility? All these questions have to be answered. Hopefully, the A’s will have the resolve to sort all this out and send a message to the fans that the team will be more competitive and that they will be playing baseball in a new state-of-the-art facility. There is a lot of competition for the public’s entertainment dollar, and the fans of the Oakland A’s have paid their dues and deserve a better team and a better facility.
AP File Photo: Seattle Mariners’ Kyle Seager dives safely back to first base as Oakland Athletics first baseman Yonder Alonso waits for the ball on a pick-off attempt in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 9, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
On the Oakland A’s Podcast with Charlie O:
1) before the All-Star game tonight Commissioner Rob Manfred said if the Oakland & Tampa Bay Stadium situations are resolved, it may be time to talk expansion to Montreal, Charlotte and possibly Mexico City… your thoughts?
2) Major League Baseball Players Association chief Tony Clark told the media “We’ve done what we can where we can” in helping minor leaguers in their dispute with MLB teams over a minimum wage. Has MLBPA done enough?
3) Let’s talk A’s: are they buyers or sellers?
4) who’s on the trading block? Let’s start with pitchers? What about position players?
For the second straight year, the Oakland Athletics have just one All-Star participating in the festivities in Miami—first baseman Yonder Alonso.
Now, he hopes not to be part of what could be another firesale in Oakland.
“I feel like the guys here are hungry and they are very aware that I can do good things for this club,” Alonso said to the San Jose Mercury News. “It would be great to be a leader, not so much with my voice, but by setting an example, just going out every day and grinding with the guys and helping them get better.”
A former top prospect that failed to settle in with the San Diego Padres, Alonso has found his stride with the Athletics, setting career highs in home runs and wRC+ in just 79 games. Alonso had never hit double-digit homers in the big leagues, but already has 20 long balls this season.
Alonso is just one of many Athletics who could be moving on to new clubs this summer before the August 1st trade deadline, including starting pitcher Sonny Gray, relief pitcher Sean Doolittle and infielder Jed Lowrie, among others. Twenty-one games back of the first-place Astros in the AL West, Oakland hasn’t had a winning season since 2015 and has lost 237 games since—general manager Billy Beane is likely going to hit reset and try to build for the future.
That could open the door for younger players to see more playing time, including Franklin Barreto, the A’s top prospect and 21-year old second baseman who could fill Lowrie’s spot. Barreto struggled at the plate in his first taste of big league ball this summer, hitting just .190 in 46 at-bats, but did launch two home runs, including one in his debut June 24 against the White Sox.
Other young players have stepped up their game for Oakland this season, including second-year pitcher Sean Manaea, who has led the team with a 3.76 ERA after a rocky rookie campaign. Acquired from Kansas City in 2015 in a trade that sent Ben Zobrist to the Royals, Manaea has struck out just shy of a batter an inning this season, up from his 7.71 K/9 mark last season.
Ryon Healy has also continued his success from last season in his second year, clubbing 19 home runs before the break and posting a .804 OPS.
Cover Image: Oakland Athletics’ Yonder Alonso is greeted by Ryon Healy after hitting a solo home run o a pitch from Seattle Mariners’ Andrew Moore during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 8, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Oakland Athletics’ Rajai Davis hits a single against the Seattle Mariners during a baseball game, Saturday, July 8, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
by Jerry Feitelberg
OAKLAND– Well, here we are at the annual All-Star break, and it’s time to take a look at the first half of the season for the A’s. The A’s continue to adhere to their business model which is to trade away valuable assets, i.e., players that are good and near the end of their contracts and will be in line to make more money and to insert young prospects who earn the Major League minimum salary plus hire some veterans that are considered undervalued. The veterans are hoping to get a chance to redeem themselves and have the opportunity to sign for more money elsewhere. The A’s front office hopes that will catch lightning in a bottle with this approach, but it does not work out that way more often than not.
The 2017 edition of the Oakland A’s was crafted in that manner. They signed the veteran third baseman Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe was adequate on defense, but he slumped at the plate, and the A’s had to release him as they embarked on a youth movement They also brought in Rajai Davis and Matt Joyce to fill two holes in the outfield. Rajai played for the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians and had a huge home run for them in gave seven of the World Series last year. Cleveland chose not to resign Davis, and he came back to Oakland. However, Rajai has not had a good year as he is batting slightly over .200. He still has speed and can cause turmoil for opposing pitchers as he demonstrated last week when he stole four bases in one game. The other veteran, Matt Joyce, also got off to a slow start. Joyce has picked up his game, but he still leaves a lot to be desired.
The A’s shocked everyone when they designated Stephen Vogt for assignment. Vogt was a team leader and one of the best guys in the game. He is now with the Milwaukee Brewers and has made several contributions to his new team.
Two other veterans having great seasons for Oakland are Yonder Alonso and Jed Lowrie. Alonso is having a career year as he is hitting for average and power and is an excellent defensive first baseman. Alonso was the only Athletic to be named to the AL All-Star team. There is speculation that Alonso will be traded as he is a free agent at the end of the year and we all know what that means in Oakland. The other veteran, Jed Lowrie, is having a comeback year after suffering a foot injury that impaired his performance last season. Lowrie is 33 years old and could be attractive to a contending team. The chances are that he will be gone by the trade deadline. Sonny Gray has also rumored to be traded as scouts from various clubs have been seen checking him at the Coliseum
The A’s Are now using Bruce Maxwell and Josh Phegley as the catching tandem. Ryon Healy is having a solid season and has been used at third, first, and as the designated hitter. Marcus Semien missed about half the season with a broken bone in his wrist, but he is off the disabled list and back in the lineup. Matt Chapman is at third, Chad Pinder, currently, on the DL, has played second base and been in right field for the A’s. Young Franklin Barreto, perhaps the second baseman of the future, can play second or short. Jaycob Brugman is in center, and Matt Olson hopes to be able to break through and rejoin the big club soon.
The A’s starting rotation has seen virtually all of the starters land on the DL at some point so far this season. Kendall Graveman, Jharel Cotton, Ryan Dull, and Andrew Triggs are on the DL now. Sean Manaea and Sonny Gray were on the DL earlier this year. The bullpen has been relatively free of injury, but both veterans John Axford and Sean Doolittle made the DL, too. The A’s starting rotation now includes Sonny Gray, Sean Manaea, Paul Blackburn, Daniel Gossett, and Chris Smith. Manaea has been fairly consistent this season and Gray is getting back to form. A’s manager Bob Melvin has had his hands full trying to concoct a rotation that will stay healthy. The bullpen hasn’t been all that bad, but John Axford is struggling to get the job done. His velocity has not dipped, but he seems to not be able to put the ball where he wants, and he has not been able to do the job.Doolittle, Ryan Madson, Daniel Coulombe, Santiago Casilla all have more good moments that bad. Casilla is also rumored to be available to be moved.
The ugly has been the A’s defense. The A’s continue to play poorly on defense. They lead the Majors in errors and have allowed the most unearned runs by any team. They know they have to play better as sloppy fielding can wreck a pitcher’s outing. One of the cardinal rules of baseball is to not beat yourself. Making errors helps the team beat themselves. Bob Melvin and his coaching staff have to figure out ways to make the team get better fielding, and the sooner they fix the problem, the better it will be for the organization.
The A’s are currently 39-50 and are in fifth place in the AL West. It appears they are committed to the youth movement. The young guys on the roster are giving hope that the A’s are going to get better very soon shortly. They need to shore up the pitching rotation and find out why so many pitchers have gone on the DL. The second-half of the season will be the time for the youngster showcase their talents. The A’s need to get the fan base excited once more. The fans are hoping that the A’s will announce the location of the new stadium soon and that they are building a team that will be in the playoffs to fill the stadium with people.
June 29, 2017 AP File Photo: Oakland Athletics shortstop Franklin Barreto (1) smiles in the dugout prior to a Major League Baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX. The Astros won the game 6-1…Trask Smith/CSM (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)
By Amaury Pi Gonzalez
OAKLAND–How many predicted than arriving at the 2017 All Star break the Oakland Athletics would have a better record than the San Francisco Giants? So is the case. Although, it really doesn’t matter, they are both last place teams.
The A’s at this time are a much more exciting team to watch than the Giants. Their influx of young talent makes their fans fill with hope of Ryan Chapman, Franklin Barreto, and Matt Olson and all the young and talented players they have come up from the minors.
Also the Athletics have home run power, Khris Davis, Yonder Alonso, Ryon Healy; they can all hit dingers with the best of them. The Giants cannot say the same. Not that they had much power during their three World Series titles 2010-12-14 because they were never a power driven team, but they had pitching, a great bullpen, which they still do not have even though they did signed Mark Melancon, plus they had very good defense and enough hitting to make them winners.
So we are now at the All Star break. The Athletics are in last place in the AL West with a 39-50 record, and 21 games out of first place, occupied by the Houston Astros who are running away with the division.
The Giants are also in the cellar, in the NL West with a 34-56 record, 27 games out of first place; the Giants won-lost record is the second worst in the major leagues, only Philadelphia 29-58 are below the Giants. The bad news for the Giants doesn’t stop there. We all know for years and years if the Giants do not win the pennant their fans are happy that the Dodgers also do not make it. But not this season. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best record in all of baseball at the break with an incredible 61-29 cruising in first place with a 7.5 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. So this could be a season where the Dodgers win the World Series and the Giants finish last in their division.
With 530 consecutive sellouts the Giants fans are flocking to AT&T Park, and enjoying the painful games. Some fans are in denial, some do not want to see reality, and they want to live in the past during the good years of three World Series titles. And that is all good, fans pay good money to see their team so they can enjoy even a terrible season.
What are the A’s and Giants going to do before the 31st of this month (deadline for trades)? We know that the Athletics are always active before, during and after July each season, so Sonny Gray, Yonder Alonso, Jed Lowry, Santiago Casilla and others that have value could be Adios very soon.
How about the Giants? Cueto is probably going to pack and move to an American League team, Hunter Pence could be gone as well as Eduardo Nunez, or there could be some surprises. There could be a few players that are Adios Pelota!! The Giants need people that can hit the ball out of the park and drive in lots of runs. The crew they currently have is not getting any younger. We know that ATT Park is not a home run hitting paradise, but visiting teams have no problem hitting home runs there, but not the team that plays 81 games there, Would the Giants trade a “healthy” Madison Bumgarner? I think all is possible. The Giants also have the money to load up again, trade and sign some big names if they wish to do so. The chemistry they enjoyed with this bunch is not there anymore. And if it is broken you must fix it.
Finally. There is one piece of news that might be the most positive for the Oakland Athletics and it has nothing to do with trading or signing players. That will be when they announce the location of their new “baseball only” new ballpark in Oakland.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Angels TV Spanish talent, the A’s radio Spanish talent, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez turns and lets out a yell after striking out Oakland Athletics’ Jed Lowrie to end the top of the sixth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 9, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
By Morris Phillips
One of the worst pre-All Star break runs in Oakland A’s history wouldn’t be complete without a contribution from King Felix.
Consider the A’s first half complete.
The 31-year old Felix Hernandez has maintained a hex on the A’s for more than a decade, winning 24 times in 45 career starts, a roll that continued on Sunday with the Mariners 4-0 win in which Hernandez and four relievers shut down the A’s, allowing just two hits.
The A’s concluded the first half with a 39-50 record, the ninth-worst record at the break in the team’s Oakland history. Despite winning four of five coming in, and Hernandez attempting to reinvent himself after a string of injuries, the A’s and their nemesis experienced deja vu once Hernandez took the mound on Sunday.
Hernandez walked three, struck out a season-best eight, and threw 100 pitches in subduing the A’s for six innings. It mattered little that Hernandez has struggled this season, spending nearly two months inactive due to shoulder bursitis. In just his fourth start since coming off the disabled list, Hernandez pitched as if it were old times.
“That’s absolutely the best we’ve seen him all year,” Mariners’ manager Scott Servais said. “He was locked in, had all his pitches working. He just had a different look about him today and that’s what guys that have had the career he’s had, they can turn up the dial a little bit.”
The A’s were limited to Matt Joyce’s double in the third inning, and Jaycob Brugman’s single in the fifth while facing Hernandez. The quartet of relievers following the King were even more stingy, gifting the A’s with a pair of walks, and no hits.
The A’s came into the first half finale, hitting just .197 in their previous 10 games, a stretch hardly masked by the perfume of four wins in their previous five games.
Oakland puts it together in the top of the ninth inning
Healy hits game winning RBI-double
In the top of the ninth inning on Saturday night, the game between the A’s and Mariners was tied 3-3. Seattle replaced Nick Vincent with Edwin Diaz on the mound.
Rajai Davis led the inning off by legging out an infield single on a ball hit to third baseman Kyle Seager. That brought a visit from the Mariners’ pitching coach but Diaz remained in the game.
Matt Joyce went down on strikes but Davis moved up by stealing second base on the strike three pitch. Marcus Semien then flied out to left field for the second out of the inning.
Seattle then decided they did not want to pitch to All-Star first baseman Yonder Alonso who had hit his 20th home run of the year earlier in the game so they intentionally walked him.
That brought A’s DH Ryon Healy to the plate. With a count of 0-2, Healy hit a line drive into right-center field that bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double. Davis scored but Alonso — who would have scored easily — by rule had to hold at third.
Jed Lowrie grounded out to first to end the inning and the A’s took a 4-3 into the bottom of the ninth.
The Athletics called in Santiago Casilla from the bullpen
Casilla induced Kyle Seager to fly out to left field for the first out and then struck out former Athletic Danny Valencia for second out of the inning.
Just when it looked like it would be an easy close for Casilla, Mitch Haniger hit a double to center field and the M’s had the tying run just 180-feet away from home plate.
After a coaching visit, Casilla was able to get Jarrod Dyson to fly out to left field for the final out of the game.
For Casilla, it was save number 15 of the season.
Chris Smith made his first MLB start for the A’s (BTW he is 36-years old)
The A’s pitching staff is literally the walking wounded. Pitchers have moved on and off the disabled list on a regular basis. On Saturday night, the A’s had to turn to a 36-year old pitcher who had made 63 appearances in the major leagues but had never started a game.
Chris Smith made the start and even though he did not figure into the decision, Smith did the job he was asked to do by the Athletics. He worked 6.0-innings giving up three runs (all earned) on three hits. Smith struck out four Mariners and walked just one. He did allow one home run while throwing 97 pitches (55 strikes).
The A’s bullpen gave Smith the support he needed. Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle and Santiago Casilla worked one-inning apiece and allowed no runs on one hit combined over those three innings. Doolittle picked up the win as he was pitcher of record in the top of the ninth when the A’s took the lead.
Top performers for the Athletics
Ryon Healy — had a 2-for-4 game including what proved to be the game-winning RBI-double in the top of the ninth inning. It was his 19th double of the year and his 52nd RBI. Healy also scored a run in the game.
Yonder Alonso — the All-Star first baseman hit his 20th home run of the season in the third inning off Seattle starter Andrew Moore. Alonso also lifted his RBI total to 43.
Marcus Semien — continued to show he is ready to be back on the field and be productive for the A’s. Semien hit his first home run of the season in the fifth inning off Moore. He 3-for-13 in the series with three RBI.
The A’s can win the series on Sunday and move up in the Wild Card Standings
Oakland (39-49) has won two of the three games in series in Seattle with the victory on Saturday night. A win of Sunday would give a series victory to Oakland and give them their 40th win of the season. That would be a very nice way to into the All-Star Break.
The A’s are currently just 6.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League. In fact, no team in the AL in more than 6.5 games out of Wild Card contention. That should serve as motivation to this young A’s team.
Mariners stars at the plate
OF Jarrod Dyson — did everything he could to give his team a victory on Saturday night. He went 2-for-3 at the plate including a home run (5) in the fifth inning off Smith. Dyson also hit a double and upped his RBI total to 22.
Jean Segura — continued to be hot in the leadoff spot. He went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored. His batting average stands at .355 after the game on Saturday.
Seattle on the hill
Andrew Moore — struggled over his 6.0 innings on the mound. He gave up three runs (all earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out two. Moore also issued two home runs which really was his undoing.
James Pazos — made his 35th appearance of the season working one inning of perfect baseball from the mound striking out one Oakland hitter.
Nick Vincent — worked the eighth inning for the M’s giving up one hit, one walk and striking out two.
Edwin Diaz — worked the disastrous ninth for Seattle and was hung with the loss.
Up next
The final game of the series and the final game before the All-Star Break will played on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. PDT.
The A’s will send rookie Daniel Gossett to mound to face the Mariners. He has a record of 1-3 with a 6.23 ERA in his five starts this season. The home run has been a problem for Gossett who has given up seven round-trippers in 26 innings.
Seattle will counter by sending the willey veteran King Felix Hernandez out to make the 368th start of his career. The King is 3-3 this season with a 5.04 ERA in nine starts. He had a no-decision in his last start versus the Royals when gave up five earned runs in five innings.
Cleveland Indians fans sign a ‘Get Well” card for Indians manager Terry Francona before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Indians, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Cleveland. Francona underwent a procedure Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat that sidelined him for a few games and will prevent him from managing in the All-Star Game next week. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
On the MLB Podcast with Matt:
1 Cleveland manager Terry Francona who spent part of last week in a Cleveland Clinic monitoring Francona’s heart was released Friday night after suffering what was determined from the heart monitor that Francona was wearing as abnormal readings. Francona 58 was admitted to the hospital Tuesday after suffering from dizziness and doctors said that he was having an irregular heart beat that was accelerated. Cleveland bench coach Brad Mills is filling in for Francona. Mills said that the two have been communicating and Mills has told Francona jokingly to “hurry up and come back.”
2 ESPN play by play announcer Don Shulman is stepping away from the mic from doing ESPN Sunday Night Baseball for personal reasons. Shulman said, “I certainly have mixed emotions about it, but at the end of the day, I chose to strike a better balance between my personal life and professional life. I’m grateful to ESPN for giving me this opportunity.”
3 Friday night was a thriller at Yankee Stadium as Yankees rookie star sensation Aaron Judge whose looking like he’s swinging like another Aaron, Hank Aaron broke Joe DiMaggio’s all time Yankee rookie home run record a record that stood the test of time since 1936. He hit a Bronx Bomber for his 30th home run of the season eclipsing the Yankee Clipper to amazement of the fans, teammates, and the media who got to interview him after the game. The blast was Mickey Mantle-esq a 432 foot blast.
