Super Bowl ’23

Did the Chiefs win or did the Eagles lose the Super Bowl? Or did the officials decide it?

By my eyeball test, the Eagles were the better team, and statistically Jalen Hurts was the better quarterback. But the teams were close enough in quality that mistakes made the difference: I count five for the Eagles, only two for the Chiefs, and three points is what separated them. Mistake #1, both in time and impact, was Hurts’s unaided fumble that was picked up and run in for a Chiefs touchdown. At that point, it looked like the Eagles would blow the Chiefs out of the water; the free touchdown kept the Chiefs in striking distance for their second-half comeback. Mistake #2 was the line-drive punt in the 4th quarter that Kadarius Toney returned 67 yards, a Super Bowl record, setting up an easy touchdown drive. In fairness to the punter, the Eagles did have two defenders who could have, and maybe should have, tackled Toney before he got started; but a good punt would have prevented any runback at all. Mistakes #3 and 4 were, shockingly, identical: the man coverage that the Eagles ran when the Chiefs were at the 5-yard line which resulted, both times, in the easiest touchdown completions I saw all year. The Chiefs ran the same play both times, just on opposite sides with different receivers: a “whip” route in which the man-in-motion reversed course and went back toward the sideline, while his defender continued across the field in the other direction. Whether it was the call or the execution, it was extraordinary, and inexcusable, to give away touchdowns so easily. Mistake #5 I’ll get to in a minute.

Although the Chiefs did not play inspired football in the first half, they didn’t give much away. They did miss a routine field goal try (Mistake #1), and we know how important every 3 points turned out to be. Then in the second half they blew coverage on a deep pass from Hurts that covered 47 yards down to the 3-yard line, where Hurts’s quarterback sneak machine was unstoppable.

The Eagles’ Mistake #5 was the defensive hold called on James Bradbery that allowed the Chiefs to run out the clock before kicking the winning field goal. I wish the official hadn’t called it, and given how many minor infractions go unpunished he certainly didn’t have to call it. It was the only “ticky-tack” penalty of the game. It didn’t affect the play, as Mahomes’s pass flew well over the receiver’s head. Without the call, the Chiefs would have kicked the field goal and still taken a 38-35 lead. But the Eagles would have gotten the ball back with more than a minute to play, and we would have seen just what Hurts could do in that desperate situation. That’s pretty much the way we want every NFL game to end. Not with an official’s call.

Vikings ’22

The Minnesota Vikings’ miraculous 2022 season was brought to a merciful close by the New York Giants last Sunday. The 31-24 loss was a respectable score to bow out with, and it saved the Vikings from being utterly humiliated in the next round. Maybe they wouldn’t have lost as badly as the Giants did to the Eagles (38-7), because they would have played the 49ers instead, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. Of the Vikings’ 13 regular-season wins, 11 were by one score or less and almost all of them could have as easily been losses. They were consistently outgained on offense and ended the season giving up more points than they scored. The fact that they won so many games–especially over the Bills and the Giants–was an undeserved pleasure. Early in the season they managed to face a string of backup quarterbacks, which helped, and the schedule was soft. Next year, because they won their division, their schedule will be much tougher, and it is not impossible that their record will go from 13-4 to 4-13.

For as long as I can remember, the Vikings have not had an offensive line that can protect their quarterback. I watch other teams, not just Tom Brady’s, and I see quarterbacks scanning the field before picking out a target to throw to. The Vikings qb has to throw on first look or he’s dead. I’m not a huge fan of Kirk Cousins (more later), but I have to give him credit on two accounts. One, he is as accurate a passer as there is in the game. Second, he is amazingly durable. Almost every other NFL team lost its quarterback to injury at some point in the season; Cousins started and finished every game, despite the porous line in front of him. It’s to Cousins’s credit that Justin Jefferson was able to lead the league in receptions and receiving yards, and T.J. Hockenson set team records for a tight end. Adding to the degree of difficulty was the Vikings’ weak running game, which often left Cousins with difficult third-and-long situations.

The knock against Cousins is two-fold. He is immobile, a style that has gone out of fashion in the era of Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, even Daniel Jones. The next rap is epitomized by his final pass of the season, when, faced with a do-or-die fourth and 8, he threw a 3-yard checkdown pass to Hockenson, effectively ending the game. Bad decision-making, or lack of courage in the clutch was the criticism that came with him from his time in Washington. Not throwing the ball downfield in that situation was inexplicable and inexcusable, especially with Jefferson angling over the middle, regardless of how he was covered. It used to be, “he can’t win on Monday Night Football,” or “he can’t win on national television,” or “he can’t win the big one.” Well, he did pretty darn well in most of those games this year; so it was disappointing, and a little disheartening, to see him regress at the very end.

The Vikings’ big problem this year, however, wasn’t their quarterback or even the outmanned offensive line. It was their defense, statistically the worst (or almost the worst) in the NFL.  They were pretty good, or lucky, in the red zone, but opposing teams had very little trouble marching down the field to get there. Their consistent four-man pass rush never got to the quarterback; any sacks they had were the result of the quarterback holding the ball forever or scrambling. For some reason, they rarely blitzed. Nor was their run defense notable. The defensive backs never played man-to-man and their zone seemed designed to allow completions up to 15 yards in the middle. Maybe they were slow, as the critics complained, or maybe their coverage was too predictable or just too loose. In any event, it is hard to think of a player on defense that I am excited about having come back next year.

And where will the help for next year come from? I believe they have only four draft picks, which doesn’t begin to cover their needs: e.g., offensive linemen, defensive backs, pass rushers, and a quarterback-in-training. They will have to cut at least four of their veterans for salary-cap purposes. And not only will they need new starters: the toll of injuries on every team has shown the need for depth at almost every position. For the Twins, hope springs eternal. For the Vikings, I fear a coming drought.

Twins Wrap-up

After one of the more disappointing seasons for the Minnesota Twins, everyone has thoughts on what needs to be done for 2022; I will offer mine.
First, what were the good signs for the future, developments to build on:
Two rookies emerged as mainstays of the roster, and there is every reason to expect them to continue to develop. Joe Ryan was the Opening Day starter, and unlike every other pitcher he didn’t break down and was going strong at year-end. Jose Miranda came up after the season started and appeared overmatched for about a month. Thereafter he was the Twins’ best clutch hitter, leading the team in RBI. He wasn’t great as a new first baseman, but if the Twins let Gio Urshela go there’s plenty of future for Miranda at third. Reliever Jhoan Duran was the third rookie to provide optimism for the future. In mid-season he seemed dominant, with an unhittable pitch, his “splinker,” to go along with 100 mph fastballs. He slowed down, in effectiveness if not velocity, as the year came to a close; and the jury is out on whether he will be the Twins’ answer as closer.
The next cause for optimism is the potential return of so many players who showed promise but were injured. Alex Kiriloff has long been touted as the Twins’ next pure hitter. Fellow rookie outfielder Trevor Larnach was, for awhile, a doubles machine and looked deserving of taking over Max Kepler’s place before cooling off then being lost for the season. Royce Lewis was briefly exciting as the future at shortstop but won’t see action until next midsummer, at the earliest. Bailey Ober, Tyler Mahle, Chris Paddack, Josh Winder and a returning Kenta Maeda provide potential depth at starting pitcher, behind Ryan and Sonny Gray, but who’s to say the injury bug that struck them all down in 2022 will be any kinder in 2023.
The other clear cause for cheer is the Twins’ cutting ties with strike-out heavy disappointment Miguel Sano and the frustrating one-and-done duo of Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy, who were incapable of pitching more than five innings an outing.
This leads us to causes of concern. Number One, as usual, is Byron Buxton. He was AL Player of the Month in May then a .200 hitter the rest of the year when he wasn’t hurt. Each year the Twins build the team around him; each year he is injured and misses much of the season, leaving the Twins with a patchwork of centerfielders. How many more years of his multi-year contract will he be this black hole in the lineup?
The other “core” members of the squad–Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler and Ryan Jeffers–play well enough most of the time to provide hope, but the hope never materializes into the required impact. Maybe one of last year’s rookies can move Kepler out of the lineup, but with Lewis injured and Carlos Correa gone to free agency, Polanco will have to hold down an infield spot while reminding us of his potential. The Twins don’t even have a backup to Jeffers, so there’s little chance they will get much from the catcher position.
Scanning the infield I realize I have omitted the Twins’ best, most exciting player, Luis Arraez. It may be too much to expect him to lead the league in batting average again, but why not? I quite liked the way he played first base in his first year there, although the Twins may be tempted to sign a more typical power-hitting lug, which will likely only add to their phenomenal strikeout totals.
There’s no point evaluating or predicting the relief corps. A reliever is seldom as good next year as the last, and new arms are constantly being found in the minors or in trades. I do like Caleb Thielbar, though.
My final two thoughts are perhaps the most important. One, there will be rookies I’m not counting on who make the team and surprise everyone. This happens every year. Two, the Cleveland Guardians in the last month raised the level of play in the Twins’ division, and they are young and fast. Even if all goes right for the players discussed above, it may not be enough.

Twins at Quarter Pole

Twenty-nine percent into the 2022 season it’s still impossible to gauge this year’s Twins team. It seems just as possible that they will implode as that they will maintain their five-game hold on first place, although the relative weakness of the other Central Division teams makes the latter the slightly stronger bet. The major takeaways at this point are 1. the starting rotation is much, much better than anyone predicted; 2. the relievers are at least average, often impressive but still inconsistent; 3. the hitters, thanks to Miguel Sano’s absence, can be dangerous up and down the lineup, but 4. their clutch hitting is maddeningly woeful; 5. their defense is solid but baserunning merely average; and 6. the roster’s depth is good, but limited. Finally, I can’t judge team “chemistry,” either its existence or importance, but reports in this regard are favorable.

While the Twins entered spring training with only one surefire starting pitcher, Sonny Gray, at one point last month they had eight (8!) competent choices to give them five or six shutout innings. Chris Paddack is now out for the year (and longer), making the trade that sent Major League save leader Taylor Rogers (and cash) to San Diego one of the most lopsided in team history. Josh Winder showed brilliant flashes in his first starts, and we don’t know how much his subsequent loss of effectiveness was related to the injury that has him sidelined. That leaves six, and since Rocco Baldelli is committed to a five-man rotation, one will be sacrificed once Joe Ryan comes off the Covid list. At the rate that injuries are occurring, I’m sure Rocco is thinking that this decision will be made for him. But if it is not, it is clear to me that the Twins should keep Devin Smeltzer in the rotation and see if Chris Archer can move to long-relief, pending Winder’s return. Archer hasn’t pitched past the 4th inning, he has been hurt or inactive the last two years, and, as the Kansas City announcers commented yesterday, his deliberate pace causes his fielders to fall asleep behind him, hurting their defense. It’s possible that Bailey Ober or Dylan Bundy could prove less reliable than needed, and that is probably what will determine the ultimate success or disappointment of the Twins’ year.

Among relievers, the big story is the emergence of Jhoan Duran as the Twins’ first-ever blow-em’-away reliever, meaning there’s no longer reason to follow the career of Brusdar Graterol. He’s being gradually groomed to become a shut-down closer, and there’s cause for hope that he will get even better. Except for side-arming Joe Smith, who has generally owned the 7th inning, everyone else in the bullpen has had solid stretches only to occasionally falter. I particularly like Caleb Thielbar, who can make lefty batters look foolish, but his role is perforce limited. Tyler Duffey shares late-inning regular duty with Smith, and when Duffey is on, the bridge from the starter to the closer is usually uneventful. The designated closer, more often than not, has been Emilio Pagan, obtained from San Diego for the much better Rogers. Pagan seems incapable of inducing a 1-2-3 inning, which is hard on the nerves. Like all Twins fans, I long for the moment when Duran will be ready to take over the 9th inning and, like Goose Gossage or Mariano Rivera, give us the comfortable feeling that the game is over.

In Gio Urshela and Carlos Correa, both acquired in the offseason, the Twins have a left side of the infield as good as, or better than, any in baseball. Second and first base pose more interesting questions. Jorge Polanco is fine defensively but is hitting about 80 points below his early standard (when on steroids?). Luis Arraez, a natural second-baseman, is hitting 100 points above Polanco and simply has to be a regular in the Twins lineup. So far, he’s been filling in, quite adequately, for Sano at first base; but first basemen are normally power hitters, which Arraez is not, and tall, which the 5’10” Arraez also is not. There is no way the Twins fan base will accept a return by Sano, unless perhaps he earns it by hitting a home run per game with the Saints for a protracted period. But the Twins already have two players on the Saints team who deserve to be in the Majors, Alex Kiriloff and Royce Lewis, who could outperform Sano and should be with the Twins soon in any case. Polanco does have a history of clutch hits, so it won’t happen; but I could see an infield of Urshela-Correa-Arraez-Kiriloff that would make me happy.

Of course, the original plan was for an outfield of Kiriloff-Buxton-Kepler, but Kiriloff’s injury and early scuffling opened the door for Trevor Larnach, who is now the Twins’ best lefthanded power hitter and a great eye. Kyle Garlick has carried over the promise he showed last year as a power threat against lefthanders and thus creates a natural platoon with Larnach, when one is not needed at DH. Fortunately, the Twins’ fortunes don’t rise and fall as much as expected with Buxton, for he has been maddeningly inconsistent, from being player-of-the-month in April to going 0-for-May. How much of this decline was caused by his knee tendinitis, how much by being “rested” every third game to protect his health? Whatever the cause, his confidence has suffered, and he has played centerfield and run the bases more hesitantly than in years past. If this is just a slump and he emerges from it, the Twins will be much stronger, but they are, in the meantime, learning to compete without his contributions. Barring injury–and he underwent an MRI yesterday–Max Kepler will remain a fixture in right field, despite the streaky nature of his hitting. There’s always the chance that he will get hot, in which case he’s a force.

As for their catchers, Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sanchez are both adequate, nothing more. Although both will struggle to hit above .200, they are both capable of the occasional big hit. Based on the success of the pitching staff, they must be doing a competent job behind the plate, although one doesn’t expect to see either throw out a base stealer–fortunately, for the Twins, a lost art.

The Twins reserves are an interesting bunch. Because of injuries and Covid absences, they have played almost as much as some regulars and all have had moments in the sun. Gilberto Celestino has played all outfield positions, and while he doesn’t appear much of an offensive weapon he has maintained his average over .300. Nick Gordon is the most versatile and could probably acquit himself well at all nine positions. Plus, he is apparently the only Twin who knows how to put down a sacrifice bunt. One wonders if there is room for growth and improvement to the extent he replaces Eduardo Escobar as best recent Twins utility player. The third reserve currently is Jose Miranda, who showed great promise as a hitter with the Saints but who is, so far, out of his league at this level. I was among the multitude miffed by the decision to send Royce Lewis back to the minors in favor of Miranda, as Lewis clearly belonged. Long term, I have no doubt this will be corrected. Maybe sooner than long term.

PS: As the Twins approach the three-quarter pole (August 22), the above evaluation hardly needs an edit. Injuries have altered the personnel–Kiriloff, Larnach, Lewis, Ober, Winder, Jeffers and Garlick are missing–but items 1-6 are all on point. Especially “4. their clutch hitting is maddeningly woeful.” The lone improvement has come from Jose Miranda, who has shown he definitely belongs.

 

Timberwolves

In their last three Playoff losses to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves led by double digits in the 4th quarter. All that means is that Memphis was the better team, for as long as I’ve been watching pro basketball, the only quarter that matters is the 4th. You can go further and say, all that matters is the last five minutes–or less. This is in contrast to baseball, where, once the Twins fell behind 5-0 in the first inning last night the game was basically over.

Still, there was much to be cheered about if you were a Minnesota fan. First, of course, was their entry in the Playoffs as the 7th seed, when no one predicted them to be a Playoff team this year. Just as encouraging was the performance of their two youngest players, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, both drafted in 2020. Edwards, amazingly only 20 years old, was the best player on the court in the first half, scoring 20 points on driving layups and long three-pointers. Although not so dominant, he performed credibly the rest of the game. McDaniels, only recently back from injury, scored a season-high 24 p0ints off the bench and was ferocious on defense, as well. Their futures are bright.

The third T’wolf who distinguished himself–and there were really only three–was backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin. D’Angelo Russell bricked his first three shots and did little to ignite the offense. When McLaughlin entered the game the difference was palpable. Everyone moved with more purpose and his deft passes set up his teammates in rhythm for easy baskets. Plus, he shot 4-for-5 himself. Timberwolf coach Chris Finch obviously noticed the difference, as he replaced Russell with McLaughlin in the 4th with the game on the line. What this means for the future is anyone’s guess: I know too little of NBA economics to understand the significance of Russell’s “max” contract, but he has been a disappointment, as he was elsewhere, and if the Wolves could get value in a trade I’ll bet they would take it.

The other “max” contract belongs to Karl-Anthony Towns, who apparently earned his over the course of his best year in the pros. (I hadn’t watched a Timberwolves game before last night, but followed them daily in the paper and on highlights shows.) Towns, however, had a spotty record in these playoffs, turning in a no-show for every good performance. Last night was another clunker. Memphis used a quick double-team to stymie his offense, and you wonder if this will be a recurring problem in years to come. Moreover, he was responsible for two of the three key plays that finally turned the game in the Grizzlies’ favor: a flagrant foul on a sloppy block attempt and a misbegotten three-point effort from far out, the kind of “hero play” that Coach Finch had warned about. (The third dagger was Minnesota-native Tyus Jones’s 24-second-buzzer beater with one minute to play that turned a 1-point lead into 4.)

No one else made a significant contribution, pro or con, and by this I refer to Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly and Jarrod Vanderbilt. Bench players who contributed substantially over the course of the season–Taureen Prince, Jaylen Nowell, Naz Reid–never left the bench, and it remains to be seen how or whether any of them–not to mention Jake Layman, Josh Okogie, Bolsenaro–will figure in the team’s future plans. One hopes that Prince and Nowell, in particular, will develop and create a solid core that can capitalize on the Playoff experience that Edwards, McDaniels and McLaughlin now have. Oh, and one hopes the T’wolves can add a rebounder: Memphis outrebounded Minnesota 56-37, including 17-6 on the offensive boards. That, better three-point shooting, and experience made the difference.

Twins Preview ’22

Hope springs eternal, which is the main reason I’m looking forward to the Twins season. They definitely upgraded themselves in several places, notably adding Carlos Correa from the Astros at shortstop. Gio Urshela from the Yankees will be an improvement over Josh Donaldson at 3rd, if only because expectations won’t be so high. And then, of course, if Byron Buxton doesn’t get hurt, that could be the biggest plus of all.

Pitching is the biggest unknown, because the makeover is almost total. Of 16 pitchers, 13 have been added since last year’s opening day. I happen to like Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, two almost-rookies who throw hard and fearlessly, but they have no track record. Sonny Gray, the new ace, had better be good. Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy have been good, but not recently. The Twins have a record of hopeful signings that don’t work out–Matt Shoemaker last year being the most recent and worst–and management must be aware of this history, for they traded for another starter, Chris Paddack from San Diego, yesterday. The Twins will go with a six-man rotation until they see which one isn’t working. (And they sent Devin Smeltzer to St. Paul, despite a flawless spring, to keep stretched out and ready.)

Jim Souhan’s Opening Day column stressed the importance of having an effective closer, citing the failures of Alex Colome last year as souring the entire 2021 season. In response, later that day the Twins traded their projected closer, Taylor Rogers, their most effective reliever the last three years. The theory must be that you don’t overpay for a “closer,” because you never know who can do the job (until you try them), and Rogers was in his free-agent year. Maybe Tyler Duffey will do the job; maybe one of the young guys will emerge; or maybe the lack of closer will torpedo the year. (Then again, if the Twins don’t get the lead, the lack of a closer is immaterial.)

As for the rest of the squad, I’m excited to see if Alex Kiriloff is the real deal. Max Kepler consistently plays below potential and I expect more of the same. Luis Arraez is a sure .300 hitter; I hope he gets to play. One option is first base, still manned by the perpetually frustrating Miguel Sano, His home runs are great, but are they worth strikeout after strikeout? I worry that putting Sano and Gary Sanchez in the lineup together will produce a black hole.

In sum, there are reasons to be optimistic about the Twins this year: Correa, Gray and Urshela represent bold moves. But when you look around the division, all the other teams seem to have improved themselves, as well, and they finished ahead of Minnesota last year. And the Twins’ Central Division is, far and away, the weak sister of the American League. So much for baseball as a zero-sum game.

Super Bowl ’22

The Rams’ 23-20 win over the Bengals was basically a defensive showcase, with most plays going nowhere. There were, however, about ten plays that stood out and provided all the conversational fodder that was needed, and the game, as had the preceding six playoff contests, came down to the final two-minute drill.

The biggest single play, for me, was the stop by Aaron Donald when the Bengals had third-and-one on the 50-yard line with 30 seconds to play. He reached around a blocker and pulled the running back backward. The officials, in my view, also gave the Bengals a bad spot, but the runner would still have been short. If the Bengals had made the first down, they would have had three cracks at throwing at least a ten-yard pass to get in field goal range. Fourth-and-one was simply too desperate a situation and Donald’s coup de grace was no surprise.

The unwarranted defensive holding call on Logan Wilson, who had just spectacularly knocked down a pass to Cooper Kupp at the 2-yard line on third-and-goal was the next biggest play. To say that it compensated for the officials missing offensive interference on the Bengals’ second touchdown is fair, but in the moment it seemed more decisive. Had the Bengals not committed a helmet-to-helmet hit on the next play in the end zone, the Rams would have had 15 difficult yards instead of 1 to get their winning score. The simultaneous holding by the Rams affected the play in a way the personal foul did not, so they weren’t quite equal.

It’s too bad that an almost penalty-free game ended up with three consecutive penalties costing the Bengals in the final minute, as it inevitably leaves a sour taste in the mouths of Cincinnati fans and somewhat dilutes the greatness of Matthew Stafford’s final drive. But in a way it makes American football comparable to real football, what we call soccer, where fans almost expect a game to be decided by a referee’s call, often bad. That’s part of the game.

The other big plays were the Bengals’ failure to make a 4th-and-1 at midfield, leading to a Rams field goal; while the Rams, specifically Kupp, made their 4th-and-1 to keep the winning drive alive. Conversely, the Bengals one trick play, a halfback pass by Joe Mixon, succeeded, while the Rams’ version of the Philly Special, with Kupp passing to Stafford, failed laughably.

There was only one memorable offensive play all day: Jamari Chase’s one-handed grab of a 45-yard pass from Joe Burrow with Galen Ramsey draped over him. (Again, the officials inexplicably gave the Bengals a bad spot, about four yards further from the goal line, which may have contributed to their inability to convert a touchdown.) Rather, it was the defensive line play that stood out, for both teams. For me, the game ball should go to the Rams’ defensive line, with Aaron Donald in the lead.

Flores v. Goodell

Some sports columnists are lauding ex-Dolphin coach Brian Flores for challenging the NFL for its dearth of Black head coaches, and commissioner Roger Goodell has said he finds it “completely unacceptable” that the roster of Black coaches has been reduced to one. Critics point out that 70% of the NFL players are Black, as if that requires that a larger percentage of coaches be Black, although no one is quite saying that percentage need by 70%. “Lack of diversity” in the head-coaching ranks is tossed about as a self-evident offense.
But in my view, “diversity” in this context is meaningless. Yes, if you have a company or a political body or a committee, it is valuable, even important, that diverse voices and backgrounds be included. The days of ten white males making decisions that affect others are, or should be, over. But the 32 NFL head coaches are not one body. They do not get together and make decisions. Each runs a separate organization. There should be diversity in their staffs, and there is; but that is within an organization. Each owner has the right, and the obligation, to choose the individual he thinks will do the best job running his team, without any consideration of what the other 31 owners are doing. The idea that any team should hire a Black coach because the other teams haven’t is absurd.

Contrast this with the “debate” over whether Biden should name a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Republicans, conveniently overlooking Clarence Thomas (and Amy Coney Barrett), are screaming that Biden must pick based on qualifications for the job, not because of someone’s gender or color. The Supreme Court, however, is precisely the venue where diversity, per se, matters. There is no “best person for the job.” There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of lawyers who are qualified and could handle the job (most third-year law students felt this way). What is important for the Supreme Court, once basic qualifications are established, is that its members reflect the society that will be impacted by its decisions. There are constituencies besides Black females that could claim they should be represented, but this is a good place to start. The over-representation of Catholics cuts the other way.

Flores claims that the “Rooney Rule,” the NFL’s rule that two minority candidates must be interviewed for any head coaching job, is a sham. I’m sure some teams treat it that way. But so what? The Rooney Rule has no legal force. The league can’t make any of its owners hire anyone. All it can do is make them take a look. If a Black coach thinks he is being used, he doesn’t have to agree to the interview. Some interview, somewhere along the line, may open some eyes. It’s better than nothing, which is what existed before. There is a discussion to be had as to why there are so many more white coaches, but that’s for another day and another place.

Baseball’s Future

With the drumbeat for change louder and louder, and with the field of traditionalists shrinking more each year, it seems inevitable that changes, some major, will be made to the sport of baseball in order to increase fan interest and watchability by, among other things, speeding up the game. Indeed, in my youth a two-hour game was seen as the model, with most clocking in around 2:30. Now, anything under three hours is considered unusual, and four-hour marathons are not uncommon. Beyond length, the other common objection is lack of action, as batters try for home runs, pitchers for strikeouts, and fun things like triples, hit-and-runs, bunts and steals have become rarities. Not to be left out of the discussion, therefore, I herewith offer my suggestions, as a long-time traditionalist, of changes I would like to see to save, if not improve, our former national pastime.

1. Electronic Strike Zone. Keep the home plate umpire, but have balls and strikes called by an automatic ball-strike technology. Now that every TV broadcast shows whether and where a pitch actually crosses home plate, it is frustrating for the viewer, let alone the player, when the human umpire calls a bad pitch a strike, and vice versa. It detracts, rather than adds, enjoyment to watching the game.

2. Curtail Shifts. Require a team to keep two infielders on each side of 2nd base. I was hoping that players would end the unfortunate practice of overshifting simply by hitting to the opposite field, or even bunting, but Max Kepler insists on trying to hit a home run every at bat and seeing his average fall toward .200. To the extent that the shift takes away offense, which is its purpose, it takes fun away from the game.

3. Pitch Clock. Experts say this is the surest way to speed up a game, and certainly no one enjoys watching pitchers who dawdle and belabor every delivery. If, say, the pitcher has 20 seconds from receiving the ball to delivering the next pitch, the clock runs until the pitch is thrown, not just the windup or stretch. By eliminating the pitcher’s holding the ball for five seconds to throw off the baserunner’s timing, you will also get rid of the batter’s asking for time, stepping out and starting the whole thing over. A suggestion has been made to have a clock for the batter, as well, but I don’t think that’s necessary. If the pitcher has a 20-second clock, he should be allowed to throw the pitch any time after 15 seconds, regardless of whether the batter is ready.

4. No DH. I’m the last one to come around on this, having grown up a National League follower, but the pitcher’s time at the plate is generally the least interesting part of a game. It also disrupts the action around it, hurting the chances for the number eight hitter to get a good pitch and putting a crimp in one out of every three offensive innings.

5. Eliminate Replay for Oversliding. When a baserunner beats the tag at second or third but his foot separates from the base for a split second, instant replay will show if the fielder maintained the tag and the runner then gets called out. First, this is an injustice: if the runner beats the tag he should be awarded the base. Second, it discourages the safer feet-first slide and rewards the hands-first slide, which results in injuries and is a bad model for kids. Third, it slows the game as it leads to time-consuming instant replay review. Unlike the bang-bang play at first that gets reversed, there is no satisfaction here in “getting the call right.” It’s not a call that, before instant replay, was even a part of the game. My fix: allow replay only when the umpire has called the runner out, which would prevent injustice. If the umpire doesn’t detect any separation in real time, no replay.

Eddie Rosario

Eddie Rosario’s three-run homer off Walker Buehler in the Braves’ clinching NLCS victory over the Dodgers was one of the greatest at-bats I’ve had the pleasure to witness. It reminded me of a classic home run by David Ortiz, the details of which I can’t recall, except that it was in an even more dramatic, climactic point of an even more important game. Both Rosario and Ortiz had the benefit of being charismatic, personal favorites of mine, and both, of course, were famously former members of the Minnesota Twins. I understood why the Twins let Rosario go after he regressed in 2020 from his peak season in 2019. He was maddeningly erratic in his performance: while he was often the Twins’ best clutch player, steadiness was not one of his virtues, and he would go from throwing out a baserunner to throwing to the wrong base. And he was a streaky hitter with little regard for the strike zone when he swung. Furthermore, the Twins had three young outfielders in the minors, at least one of whom could replace Rosario at a much lower salary. (While the play of Kiriloff, Rooker and Larnach, when not injured, probably justified this decision, the subpar year of Max Kepler made one wish he had been jettisoned instead.)
Nevertheless, I enjoyed Rosario’s style of play and I was sorry that he showed little in the first half of 2021 when he played for the Indians, except to the extent I rooted against Cleveland as a Twins division rival. I hadn’t focused much on Rosario’s time with the Atlanta Braves until the playoffs began and he started getting game-winning hits. By the time he faced Buehler in the 4th inning of Game 6 Rosario had established himself as the hitting star of the NLCS. His hits had been timely and plentiful: with two 4-hit games he set a record, and with 13 hits he was one short of the single-series playoff record, which had been reached only in full seven-game series. The setting, albeit in only the 4th inning, was packed with early drama. The game was tied 1-1; runs had been in short supply all series; and both sides could believe that an early lead would be decisive.
The rally started with two outs. Buehler, the Dodger ace pitching on three-days’ rest, had light-hitting catcher Travis D’Arnaud 1-and-2. A strikeout for out three seemed to be in the cards. But D’Arnaud worked a walk, bringing up the pitcher’s spot. To the amazement of the TV announcers, manager Brian Snitker sent up a pinch-hitter for Braves pitcher Ian Anderson, one of their best pitchers who had been effective over three innings. The pinch-hitter was Ehire Adrianza, another former Twin. Not only was Snitker taking out one of his best pitchers, he was using his primary reserve–in only the 4th inning! With a slow runner on first and two outs, it hardly seemed much of a rally or decisive moment in the game. Yet somehow,  Adrianza, who had made outs in all his previous pinch-hitting appearances in the series, fisted a broken-bat double to rightfield. It was suddenly a moment of drama for Rosario, already 1-for-2 against Buehler.
The at-bat itself was full of drama. Rosario swung and missed at the first two pitches, sinking into an 0-and-2 hole. He fouled off the next offering from Buehler. He didn’t bite on an outside pitch. Then he fouled off two more pitches, barely staying alive. But you sensed, the more pitches he saw, the better chance he would have. With each pitch, the tension racheted up a notch. On Buehler’s seventh pitch, an inside fastball, Rosario turned and drove it down the rightfield line, inside the foul pole, a half-dozen rows into the stands.
There was one moment of drama still to come, when Luke Jackson gave up a single, walk and double to the only three Dodgers he faced in the seventh and Tyler Matzek had to strike out three in a row to maintain a two-run lead, but Rosario’s home run effectively decided the game and gave the National League pennant to the Braves.