Happy Saturday!

The numbers are in.

Average MLB salary: $5.34 million. Not bad.

Juan Soto leads the way at $61M. Cody Bellinger next at $42.5M.

Now get this.

Mets payroll: $352 million. The Cleveland Guardians? $62 million. Not a typo.

AL Central champs… $62 million payroll.

How is that even possible?

The Dodgers are at $319M on paper — closer to $400M when you factor in deferred money. Hello, Shohei Ohtani.

Two worlds.

And with the CBA clock ticking… is anyone surprised we’re heading toward a work stoppage?

Don’t look now… but here come the Rockies.

Yes — the Colorado Rockies.

Baseball’s punching bag in ’25. One of the worst teams ever. 119 losses.

This week? They rolled into San Diego on a 4-game winning streak.

They brought in Paul DePodesta — the original Moneyball guy to clean up the mess.

Young roster. New energy.

And now? New money.

Denver Broncos ownership has bought roughly 40% of the team. Debt wiped out. Fresh backing. Real change.

No one’s laughing anymore.

And honestly… it’s good to see.

And..

we all saw the highlights from the bench-clearing brawl this week.

Angels and Braves. Haymakers. Jorge Soler and Reynaldo López both suspended. Whatever.

But the moment everyone’s talking about?

Walt Weiss.

Braves manager. 62 years old.

Tried to play peacemaker… and ended up tackling the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Soler.

To the ground.

A 62-year-old delivering the biggest hit of the night.

From all of us old guys…

we see you. We salute you, Walt.

Watch the video

Imagine this.

You’re getting a statue…

and it breaks during the ceremony. 😂

Friday in Seattle — big day for Ichiro Suzuki.

The Hall of Famer honored with a bronze statue.

Countdown on.

“3… 2… 1…”

Curtain drops.

And—

SNAP.

The bat… on the statue… breaks.

Not a joke.

A bronze bat.

Snapped the second curtain came down.

Confetti flying.
Music playing.

And a broken bat.

Ichiro?

Took it in stride.

Laughing.

Later joked it was Mariano Rivera getting him one final time.

Of course it was.

The Sandman loved to break bats.

Bronze, huh?

Guess they don’t make ’em like they used to.

Watch video

Ok. Blame it on the weather.

This was brutal.

Double-A in Maine.
New Hampshire vs. Portland.

35 degrees.
Snow cleared off the field before first pitch.

And then… this.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats scored 8 runs before their first hit.

Eight runs.
No hits.

They finished the second inning with 10 runs… on one hit.

If you’re keeping score at home:

Walk.
Walk.
Wild pitch.
Hit batter.

Again. And again. And again.

The damage:

8 walks
4 wild pitches
2 hit batters
1 sacrifice fly
1 hit

14 batters.
31-minute inning.

Ouch.

Just a miserable night in Maine.

Yeah… blame it on the weather.

For 50 years, Errol Segal has been a Dodgers season ticket holder.

Fifty.

Through good years, bad years… and everything in between.

Now?

He can’t get in.

The Dodgers have gone all-in on digital tickets.

No paper.

No exceptions.

Segal is 81.

He uses a flip phone.

Doesn’t own a computer.

And the message is clear: adapt… or don’t come.

They offered to buy back his seats.

He said no.

After 50 years?

That’s not the point.

The Dodgers say it’s about security.

Scalping. Fraud. Efficiency.

All true.

Baseball is getting smarter.

Faster.

More digital.

And less forgiving.

But at some point, it’s not about a ticket policy.

It’s about who the game is still for.

50 years in the seat… and now you need an app to keep it.

Last week’s poll:
Would you be OK with a World Series ending on an ABS challenge?

75% of you said yes.

Appreciate the vote.

Tuesday night in Toronto.

World Series rematch. Dodgers and Blue Jays.

Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia comes in… bases loaded, no outs.

Gets out of it.

Pure adrenaline.

Big moment.

But that’s not the story.

Last October, Vesia and his wife, Kayla, lost their newborn daughter, Sterling Sol.

He missed the World Series.

Baseball stopped.

This week… the team was back in Toronto.

Same stage. Different moment.

Kayla in the stands.

Watching.

After the final out in the 7th, Vesia jumped off the mound in celebration and looked up at her.

An important moment.

For his team, yes.

But more importantly…

for her.

For Sterling.

On his glove… Sterling Sol’s name and birthday stitched into the leather.

A celebration… and a reminder.

Thanks for reading.

If you liked it… pass it on.

John Boxley
High N Tight