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Today’s Headlines
A Maggical Moment
It’s only April and it already feels like this is one of those Year Of The Rookie seasons. We had plenty of big names make their Opening Day rosters (more on one a little farther down) but not all rookies are kids, as Drew Maggi illustrated yesterday:
Welcome to the Show, Drew. pic.twitter.com/eUUVv5XH2k
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 27, 2023
Maggi’s not a heralded prospect. He’s not a prospect at all, actually, he was picked in the 15th round in 2010. He’s nearly 34 and he’s spent the last 13 years playing for six different teams, never making it past AAA…until yesterday:
Drew Maggi receives a standing ovation during his MLB debut for the @Pirates after 1,155 minor league games! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/aJXSsO7urf
— MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2023
What it's all about 💛 pic.twitter.com/PXTpWeYPRU
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 27, 2023
During the WBC, I often got all dramatic about how great I thought Team Czech Republic was. Here’s a bunch of dudes who literally play baseball part-time when they’re done with their day jobs, for each other and because they love it, and they were out there competing against the national teams from Japan and Korea. It was incredible.
He certainly wasn’t a part-timer, as Maggi spent thirteen years being wildly underpaid, grinding away, playing a baseball game on average every fourth day (obviously that’s not how baseball seasons work, but hopefully the point still stands) for over a decade just to get the chance to put on a big league uniform even for a single night. In all seriousness, how can you not be romantic about baseball?
“Anything is possible. Never give up.”
Drew Maggi will forever be a Major Leaguer. pic.twitter.com/8qQxQsPKso
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 27, 2023
Reynolds Wrapped
And speaking of good stuff out of Pittsburgh, a dramatic and seemingly tumultuous chapter has come to a somewhat surprising, and for Bucs fans very satisfying conclusion, as Bryan Reynolds officially signed an eight-year extension worth more than $106 million.
Here to stay. 💛 pic.twitter.com/qtA0TiDtE3
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 26, 2023
Mere weeks ago we were hearing nothing but trade rumors around Reynolds, and to go from that, to extension talks seemingly breaking down completely, to this news while the Pirates sit atop the NL Central with a 17-8 record? Hey, that’s pretty cool.
Making It Count
Graham Ashcraft is pitching in honor of his grandma, Theresa Ann, who passed away on Monday ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wROnpLpuOd
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 26, 2023
Graham Ashcraft pitched to a line of 6.0 IP 3 H 2 ER 4 BB 3 K and while he didn’t get the win, Nick Senzel’s first career walk-off did end the day in the Reds’ favor.
Slow Walking
In news that has fantasy managers howling, the Cardinals optioned Jordan Walker down to AAA.
OF Jordan Walker has been optioned to Memphis (AAA).
INF Taylor Motter cleared waivers and has been signed to a Major League free agent contract. pic.twitter.com/5BggQMZA1J
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 26, 2023
I’m not going to pretend I understand this. Walker has put up a 101 wRC+ while striking out a respectable 25.6% of the time (the NL average is currently 23.1%.) It’s been a weird time in the St. Louis OF when it comes to playing time here in the early going. I guess the argument is that Walker is better off playing every day, but it seems like he might as well be doing that at the MLB level? I dunno, I’m not a GM.
Hollywood Cleveland Baby Bibee
You guys like 100 Gecs, right?
We liked what we saw from Tanner Bibee today. Hbu?#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/hdW9kzp8ho
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 26, 2023
To continue today’s rookie-related theming, we all got to see Guardians prospect Tanner Bibee make his debut yesterday, putting up an impressive 5.2 IP 6 H 1 ER 0 BB 8 K line, and if you still can’t get enough, Ben Palmer has your GIF breakdown right here.
Hat’s Off To Ya
And in HR bummer news:
The Atlanta Braves big hat is no longer. New Era has called and shut it down. They are the exclusive on field hat for Major League Baseball.. #bighat #rip
— More Than Sports (@MTSMorethanspor) April 26, 2023
Apparently, New Era threw a little tantrum because they’re the official hat of Major League Baseball, and The Big Hat isn’t made by New Era. Which is a stupid reason to take away something fun that almost assuredly would only lead to people buying more of your product since they, uh, can’t buy the big hat because they’re all bespoke pieces.
Cue up some Sarah McLachlan while you gaze upon these photos:
The busiest Brave at the ballpark tonight is the homer hat.#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/aLYjGd7Sv2
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 15, 2023
Best Moments From Yesterday
21 Savages
My musical references are absolutely on point today, I love it, I’m so hip and with it. Anyway, we have two different 21-game on-base streaks going currently, belonging to Nico Hoerner and Eugenio Suárez:
Nico knocks in a run! 💥@nico_hoerner extends his on-base streak to 21 consecutive games! pic.twitter.com/YCsLAkTU8G
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 27, 2023
Eugenio Suárez extends his career-high on-base streak to 21 consecutive games dating back to April 2.
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) April 26, 2023
And in other 20-something related news, Mauricio Dubón has a 20-game hit streak going, the longest by an Astro since 2011 when checks notes Hunter Pence had a 23-gamer(?!)
But it’s not just the bats that are within the arbitrary band I’ve picked to write about here, local favorite Zac Gallen is also working on a pretty impressive streak himself:
28 consecutive scoreless innings.
He's a bad, bad man. 😤 pic.twitter.com/xuTqXfuKa1
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 26, 2023
Tearing The Cover Off The Ball
I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve seen this happen and I’m always in awe of how underwhelming it is when the cover literally gets torn off the ball during an AB.
Looks like this ball needs … stitches. pic.twitter.com/tv4pmEsySd
— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 26, 2023
Always just a little squibber of a groundball it seems like. I want to see somebody hit a fly ball so hard the entire cover unstitches itself, then the internals of the ball begin to unspool and only the cork core makes it into the seats, and we all have to witness a truly existential argument about what counts as a “ball” when it comes to determining when a home run has occurred.
Hidden In Plain Sight
There’s kind of a lot going on here:
This inadvertent "hidden ball trick" on a single by @RedSox No. 1 prospect Marcelo Mayer led to a pair of runs scoring for the @GreenvilleDrive 🤯https://t.co/7fXQu26ELh pic.twitter.com/nDahnRgItq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 26, 2023
I’m kind of amazed that the catcher couldn’t see the ball, but also there were two other Hudson Valley players within five feet of the ball just pointing when they could have seemingly…grabbed it? I dunno, this is almost assuredly aided by hindsight but hey, sometimes you gotta be the change you wish to see in the world, guys.
The Rabbit Ball Is Back!
they brought a bunny to a baseball game and gave it a little bunny hat 🥹 pic.twitter.com/gQ3IUvfjK9
— Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) April 27, 2023
Get it?!
Injuries
Robbie Ray is out for the remainder of 2023 due to flexor tendon surgery.
Kenta Maeda reported elbow pain following his start and is being sent for an MRI.
Mike Yastrzemski was a late scratch with “side tightness.”
Taijuan Walker left his start with right forearm tightness.
In good news: Tim Anderson should be starting a rehab assignment soon and could be back next week.
Articles You Should Read
New Stat Identifies Which Backstops Are Elite At Preventing Steals – Mike Petriello, MLB.com
The Reds Have (Ash)Crafted a Secret Weapon – Jake Crumpler
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
Reliever Ranks (Closers) (Holds)
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
Hollywood Baby is a certified banger
A thousand times yes, I love it so much.
This was a fine writeup