Yesterday’s slate, originally set for six games, was reduced to five when the Padres @ Rockies game was postponed due to weather. That meant a lot of teams were off and, in turn, so were many players. Like Juan Soto:
Off day vibes! ๐ด๐ด๐ด pic.twitter.com/CNzKBcarSE
— Juan Josรฉ Soto Pacheco (@JuanSoto25_) May 11, 2021
We also had time to learn this tidbit about Nolan Arenado playing against his former team, the Colorado Rockies, on Friday night (which is relevant here because we learned about it yesterday):
The Rockies Paid Nolan Arenado $216,049.38 To Play AGAINST Them On Friday Nighthttps://t.co/wDCLQCtiY9 pic.twitter.com/OTIpQ5O6cT
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) May 10, 2021
You don’t need an MBA to unwrap the idea that this is #notgood baseball economics. You may need to pass your O.W.L. in spells for this one though:
Conforto said that Hugh Quattlebaum, the Mets new hitting coach, brought to the attention of the group that they were chasing pitches out of the zone at a high clip, so they have just been trying to shrink the zone.
— Rob Piersall (@RTPiersall) May 9, 2021
Perhaps Quattlebaum could just save us all some time with a quick, “Reducio Strike Zone!” and be done with it.
For those of you of a certain age, you’ll recognize the set in this next clip, but I do warn you, the rest of it is super weird, difficult to explain, and will likely be impossible to get out of your brain-holes for quite some time. It’s creepy and, to be honest, confusing. I mean, why are the two Chicago mascots, thankfully masked, meeting up in NYC?
How you doinโ? @Southpaw @FriendsTheExp pic.twitter.com/DfdgEyBVi9
— Clark the Cub (@ClarktheCub) May 10, 2021
There was this new reason to love Dane Dunning…
Most importantly, 10 strikeouts means funds going towards the @mssociety. Through @bigleagueimpact, I've pledged $25 per each strikeout I throw and $50 per each team win this season. Follow along the @rangers and pledge to "strikeout" MS! #ALLWINTX https://t.co/I1vwy7bxiP https://t.co/selkBXvL2K
— Dane Dunning (@Ddunning33) May 10, 2021
…this new reason to love Eugenio Suarez…
You really just never know what you're gonna get during Reds pregame Zoom interviews. ๐ pic.twitter.com/avNTu4H18K
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 10, 2021
…and lest we forget, this double-downed reason to love Alex Fast:
Slider usage is at a league high but these two hitters don't seem to care.
That & Victor Wooten's cover of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" in this week's….
Bass Hits pic.twitter.com/t8yHiRtb3U
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) May 11, 2021
Finally, before we get to the goods for yesterday, here’s a list of players drafted outside the top 300 that are good as brought to you by the incomparable Nick Pollack himself:
It's May 10th and here's a list of pitchers who were drafted past pick #300 and have already helped your 12-teamers:
– Trevor Rogers
– Huascar Ynoa
– Carlos Rodon
– Danny Duffy
– JT Brubaker
– Kyle Gibson
– Tyler Anderson
– Alex Wood
– DeSclafani
– Cease
– Waino
– McClanahan— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) May 10, 2021
I should have bet somebody I couldn’t seamlessly work in Tweets from both Fast and Pollack in the same recap article. I’d have, like, $5 right now.
Kelenic Call-Up
So, we don’t have a specific day or time yet, but we have this bit of exciting news:
OF Jarred Kelenic, the No. 3 prospect in baseball, is expected to be called up by the Mariners on Thursday, sources familiar with the situation tell ESPN.
While things can obviously change, the plan is to promote Kelenic for the first game of Seattle's home series vs. Cleveland.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 11, 2021
In business, specifically market trading, there are people who employ a strategy that is, basically, to do everything the opposite of what day-traders do because day-traders are either dumb or unlucky a lot and in the long run the “house” usually wins. I would like to suggest that people begin to use a similar strategy in making fantasy baseball decisions using me as the “day-trader” because I literally finally dropped Kelenic in three different leagues yesterday. If you do the math, this means that there was roughly a 100% chance that this news would break today.
I am not the only one struggling though:
As a Mets fan, this is my reaction to Kelenic being called up. pic.twitter.com/IOJfpQ5bSF
— Michael Simione (@SPStreamer) May 11, 2021
The Reds and the Pirates Standoffs
This video speaks for itself but I will warn you: It gets uncomfortable:
cue up the old west duel music because weโve got a good ole fashioned showdown in pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/PfVHkRt2a6
— Cut4 (@Cut4) May 10, 2021
This was not the only showdown in town last night. The social media teams got into it here with some light, passive-aggressive trolling:
You know the vibes. pic.twitter.com/yydGmdMTh9
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 10, 2021
We do know the vibes. pic.twitter.com/QIjPhXwMar
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 10, 2021
But do you ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ know the vibes? pic.twitter.com/2dVatknYkn
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 11, 2021
The Reds are up 14-1 and everyone in the starting 9 has a hit. pic.twitter.com/Fai63brHNZ
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 11, 2021
Burn.
Nick Solak, Carlton Fisk Connection
So Nick Solak is named after a bar. The story is actually kind of sweet and starts at (00:35):
Named for a sports bar? @Nick_Solak explains!#MLBTonight | NTT #BallparkCam | @Rangers pic.twitter.com/5fJiHl91GW
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 10, 2021
Pretty lucky break for him, to be honest. That could have gone lots of different ways depending upon which establishment his parents had chosen that night.
A Totally Normal Triple
Triples don’t happen all the time. Things have to go just right or the hitter has to be super fast. Often there is some sort of misplay or bungle. And then there’s this from the Baltimore vs. Boston game:
Still trying to figure out how Cedric Mullins turned this into a triple ๐คฏ
(via @Orioles) pic.twitter.com/SrRmGGT9c1
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 11, 2021
So to recap: the shift, combined with the ball not being caught and third base not being covered resulted in a flare off the end of the bat being a triple. Just like you learn in Little League.
Back-to-Back in Houston
Home runs are fun. Back-to-back home runs are more fun. Back-to-back home runs against the Astros in Houston? Well that’s just a gift from the heavens:
[insert our "how to hit dingers: be Jared Walsh" meme here] pic.twitter.com/N5kCvSpKnx
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 11, 2021
back-to-back ๐ฃ pic.twitter.com/gZw3UMYs7s
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 11, 2021
What can I say? Watching Trey Mancini come back is glorious. Not sure how you avoid rooting for him, even if you want the team to lose. Here’s a great interview with a quote that really puts things in perspective:
"Any day can be the most amazing day ever." @TreyMancini makes us ๐#MLBTonight | NTT #BallparkCam | @Orioles pic.twitter.com/RB7n1fU56A
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 11, 2021
So there you have it: Monday. And if that wasn’t quite enough for you, then here is a Pierogi Race complete with “track announcer” and the incorrect spelling of pierogi.
Dowwnnn the stretch they come!!! @Plesac19 is available to call The Great Pierogy Race, @Pirates! pic.twitter.com/xv9o04dOHF
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 11, 2021
Check us out tomorrow for more of the Best MLB Moments!
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)