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🔥 FIRST PITCH — The End of NL vs. AL?
Happy Saturday!
Baseball purists, grab your smelling salts. Commissioner Rob Manfred says if MLB expands to 32 teams—with Salt Lake City and Nashville leading the charge—the sport might toss one of its most sacred heirlooms into the shredder: the American and National Leagues.
No more National. No more American. Just… divisions.
The pitch: eight divisions of four teams. Cleaner travel. Juicier TV windows. Rivalries preserved. On paper, it works. But baseball isn’t built on paper—it’s built on bloodlines.
For generations, the AL and NL weren’t just letters. They were loyalties. If you bled Dodger Blue, you were National League. If you wore pinstripes, you were American League. The pennant wasn’t just a flag—it was identity, passed down like a family keepsake.
Sure, Manfred’s spreadsheet might love it. But fans? Them are fightin’ words. Trimming travel is one thing. Cutting out the game’s DNA? That’s another.
And speaking of smelling salts… the Orioles just called up Samuel Basallo less than a week ago—and by Friday he was locked into an 8-year, $67 million deal. The kid’s barely old enough to rent a car, yet he’s sitting on more guaranteed money than the entire Baltimore rotation combined.
This coming on the heels of Boston locking up its own young phenom, 21-year-old Roman Anthony, on an 8-year, $130 million extension.
Damn. Forget being a seasoned vet—the real payday these days is being a prospect with potential.
👍 THE GOOD — League of Their Own?
We all remember A League of Their Own — Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna — the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that thrived during WWII before folding in 1954.
Now, more than 70 years later, women’s pro baseball might be making a comeback.
This weekend, 600+ players descended on Washington chasing the dream. The four-day showcase, run by the Women’s Pro Baseball League, wraps with a live game at Nationals Park.
From there, 150 players move on to the league’s first draft — with Opening Day set for 2026.
Here’s hoping it’s the start of something bigger than a box score. And if they need a motto? Still no crying in baseball.
👎 THE BAD — The Zombie Giants
What the hell happened to the San Francisco Giants???
When Buster Posey slid into the front office, there was hope. Add in Willy Adames, then the blockbuster Rafael Devers deal — it looked like San Fran was finally ready to swing with the Dodgers.
But after a flicker of promise, the wheels have fallen off. After dropping 6 of 7 to the Padres, their season is circling the drain — with Milwaukee looming next.
Yahoo Sports called the Giants, a ‘Zombie Team.’ And they look it — staggering toward October with no real pulse.
🙈 THE UGLY — Victor Robles Suspended
The video is wild.
On a rehab stint, Mariners’ Victor Robles took a pitch to the chest — his fourth hit-by-pitch in five games. This time he snapped, hurling his bat toward the pitcher and charged the mound. Fortunately, teammates jumped in and steered him off before things really exploded.
MLB didn’t wait around, handing down a 10-game suspension that won’t even start until his rehab is finished.
The irony? Robles was supposed to be rehabbing a fractured shoulder — and judging by the way he launched that bat, the shoulder looks just fine. Anger management, though? That’s a whole different rehab assignment.
Robles later apologized, citing the recent passing of his mother and the frustration of rehab. But he said it was no excuse.
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🙉 THE WILD — Bronx Zoo meets Bronx Squirrel.
Forget Yankees–Red Sox — Friday night in the Bronx was Squirrel vs. Fried.
Top of the 4th, a two-pound daredevil stormed the batter’s box, hip-checked Sox rookie Jhostynxon Garcia, then locked eyes with Yankees ace Max Fried.
Fried wasn’t amused. “OK buddy, let’s go.” The squirrel inspected the mound divot, then bolted for the stands.
Clearly rattled, Fried’s next pitch went straight to the backstop.
First baseman Ben Rice wanted no part: “I didn’t want to touch that thing.”
Game was finally played. Final score: Yankees 0, Red Sox 1, Squirrel 1.
⚾️ ONE FOR THE ROAD — ‘I’m Human, Too’
Pro athletes are easy targets. The cars, the homes, the money. Heckling can feel like fair game. But sometimes it gets disgusting.
Earlier this year, a fan heckled Arizona’s Ketel Marte about his late mother. In Boston last week, they went after Miami’s Dane Myers.
He took it all game in right field. Finally, Myers had enough — walked over, jawed back, and let security handle the ejection.
Then in the 9th, he answered the hecklers the best way possible: with a game-tying homer. Scoreboard!
Afterward Myers kept it simple: “I’m a human, too, so I want some respect as well.”
Message received. Trash talk if you must — just remember, these guys swing bats for a living.
How’d We Do This Week? |
Quick heads-up: We’re adding The Brushback to the lineup — a midweek rant where we swing hard at one hot topic. Catch it Wednesdays at 8 a.m.
Let us know what you think, and as always — enjoy the weekend!
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John Boxley - High N Tight
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