The baseball thread

[Penguin]

Here is a nice story about Maddy Freking. She is the only girl playing in this year's Little League World Series.

https://www.espn.com/llws/story/_/id...e-world-series

[Rewind]

Attention, Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde: Keep your cellphone close by.

Cubs fire manager Joe Maddon

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cubs-...-5-seasons-mlb

Pirates fire manager Clint Hurdle

https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/MLB/...6121569803206/

Angels fire manager Brad Ausmus

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story...nterest-in-job

[Rewind]

The Orioles haven't – yet – fired their manager as I expected but they would. The Mets, however.......

Mets fire manager Mickey Callaway after two disappointing seasons

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb...ons/ar-AAIebY5

[Rewind]

Despite his poor management of pitchers in do-or-die playoff games – Yu Darvish vs. Houston in 2017, Rich Hill vs. Boston in 2018, Clayton Kershaw vs. Washington in 2019 – Dave Roberts will return as Dodgers manager in 2020. The Phillies' manager, however.......

Gabe Kaplan fired as Phillies manager after 2 seasons

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...fter-2-seasons

[Penguin]

The Nationals swept the Cardinals in the NLCS and they will be going to their first World Series. They will be playing against the Astros or the Yankees. It will be the first World Series played in Washington DC since 1933. Congratulations to the Nationals!

[Penguin]

The Nationals just won the World Series. Congratulations to them! They won the first two games and I thought they would have an easy time winning the series but then Houston won three of the next four. Tonight was game 7 and the Nationals won 6 to 2. Stephen Strasburg got the MVP award.

[Rewind]

The M in MVP must stand for Mercenary. A majority of MLB players have no loyalty to the teams they play for. They want many millions of dollars a year just to play a game and they'll gladly go to whatever team offers the most money. Strasburg earned around $36,000,000 this season and apparently it isn't enough for him. By contrast, the highest-paid player a century ago was Ty Cobb. His salary: $20,000. In 1921, he got a raise to $25,000.

World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg to opt out of contract, hit free agency

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb...ncy/ar-AAJL4CF

[Rewind]

Last month, MLB announced plans to get rid of minor league teams in Erie, Ogden, Billings, Missoula, Chattanooga, Staten Island and 36 other cities and move several teams to other leagues. Thousands of people would lose their jobs. Yesterday, MLB released a list of the teams slated for elimination:

https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/11/1...town-baseball/

Today, 104 members of Congress are urging Commissioner Rob Manfred to call a halt to the majorly mean, massively malevolent minor-league massacre.

Congress urges MLB to scrap minor league overhaul in bipartisan letter

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb...ter/ar-BBX14Q4

[Penguin]

The Astros fired their manager and general manager over sign stealing but I do not think that is fair because neither of them had anything to do with it.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...-sign-stealing

[Rewind]

Nakken's former softball coaches and classmates at Sacramento State are happy for her. Former Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff is not happy. He wrote on Twitter, "Couldn't imagine taking baseball instruction from an ex female softball player. I got in trouble for wearing a thong in my own clubhouse when female reporters were present. Can’t imagine how it will play out with a full time female coach running around." Well, then it's a good thing you're retired now, isn't it, Aubrey?

San Francisco Giants' Alyssa Nakken becomes first female full-time coach in MLB history

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/16/us/sa...rnd/index.html