High N Tight

⚾ Baseball’s Offbeat Newsletter — Delivering Chaos, Curveballs & WTF Moments Every Saturday

🔥 FIRST PITCH — The Second Half Sprint

The All-Star break’s in the rearview, and now it’s pedal to the metal. Next stop? The Trade Deadline on July 31.

Cue the nonsense.

Brace yourself for two weeks of wall-to-wall, brain-numbing trade rumors. Baseball’s favorite rabbit hole is open for business.

Case in point? Some have floated the idea that Paul Skenes might get traded.

Seriously? Are we that desperate for clicks?

Let me save you the suspense—Skenes isn’t going anywhere. Period. He’s the one reason Pirates fans bother showing up every fifth day.

And hey, Pittsburgh? Little free advice: Spend some damn money. Your $89 million payroll is embarrassing.

You’ve got a gem of a ballpark… and a payroll straight out of Dollar Tree. Instead of dangling your generational ace, try surrounding him with actual talent.

Wake me when the deadline’s over.

Now… about that All-Star Game.

Rob Manfred takes plenty of heat—but even the commissioner deserves a little credit here. The 95th Midsummer Classic actually brought it. Unless you’re old school… then you probably hated it.

Couple highlights:
— Kershaw, mic’d up and chatting with the booth… while pitching. Outstanding!
— ABS challenge system overturning three calls. 2026 is gonna be fun!
— Joe Torre—84 years old—strolling out for a mound visit like it’s 2009.

And the swing-off? Nailed it.

I say bring it back for the World Series. Imagine… Game 7… Ohtani vs. Judge… winner takes all.

OK, I’m joking!

But for the All-Star Game, it was perfect. MLB embracing the obvious—it’s an exhibition game. Make it fun. Make it memorable.

😓 THE BAD — Misiorowski? An All-Star?

Sorry, Mr. Commissioner… this one’s a hard no.

Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski? Electric arm. Triple-digit gas. Filthy stuff. Skenes-level sizzle. We get it.

But… five total big-league starts.

That’s not an All-Star résumé — that’s a TikTok reel.

It’s a slap in the face to guys who’ve busted it for years, only to watch a flavor-of-the-month fastball steal their spot.

Hype’s cool. Respecting the game? Cooler.

Bad call, Commish. Real bad.

🙈 THE UGLY — Big League Game, Bush League Setup

This is what happens when you try to pass off a minor-league park as a big-league stadium.

Last weekend in West Sacramento, the former Oakland A’s reminded everyone why this setup is a bad look for baseball.

Toronto’s Davis Schneider launched what looked like a no-doubt home run—except the umps called it foul.

The ball cleared the fence… and sailed over a foul pole shorter than MLB standards—one of the quirks of playing in a minor league stadium. Worse? The broadcast angle was terrible, and from the A’s dugout, the left-field corner is basically a blind spot.

Third base ump Brian Walsh called it foul—and even after replay, the call stood.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider challenged… lost.

Major league game. Minor league sight lines. Welcome to Oakland’s “temporary” home—where even the foul poles are a foul-up.

And if that’s not embarrassing enough? MLB says Tampa Bay—also playing in a minor league park—could host a playoff game there.

Two franchises. Two minor-league parks. One giant insult to baseball fans. Period.

🦅 Bird Watch — Duck! Bird in the Box

You gotta see this.

Dodgers vs. Giants last weekend… San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee steps into the box.

Next pitch? A bird swoops right across home plate—mid-delivery. Lee jumps out to avoid a midair collision.

The broadcasters? Stunned. “That’s a first… are you kidding me?”

Lee? Probably wondering if the baseball gods were trolling him.

Baseball—just when you think you’ve seen it all.

Bird strikes? Yep… baseball’s got those too.

👉 [Watch the bird dodge here]

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Pitching is the art of instilling fear."
— Sandy Koufax

🐾 ONE FOR THE ROAD — Matilda Works the Carpet

Where was Joan Rivers when we needed her?

Back to the All-Star Game for the finale… because apparently, nothing says “Midsummer Classic” like a red carpet. MLB stars strutting in designer fits, accessorized with well-dressed wives or girlfriends—it’s basically the Oscars with cleats.

“Oh, Mr. Ohtani… who are you wearing this year?”

But forget the All-Stars—Matilda Muñoz stole the show.

Matilda is the 14-year-old Persian cat of Seattle All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz. Andrés brought her to Atlanta for the All-Star festivities.

She nearly made it to the actual red carpet… until cooler heads (and common sense) stepped in.

Didn’t matter. Andrés rolled out a rug of her own—where Matilda got a private “cat-walk” at the team hotel, a cameo on Mariners social, and a custom glove embroidered with her face.

Full diva treatment. Matilda lapped it up like a queen on a comeback tour.

A rescue cat turned social media star. That grumpy glare stitched on a big-league glove. And a closer with a soft spot for a Persian with attitude.

We’ve seen chains, shades, even SpongeBob cleats.

But a red-carpet cat?

A closer with ice in his veins… and a Persian in his carry-on. Matilda, you’re a legend.

Thats all for this week. Enjoy the Weekend!

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