Here goes another installment of Touch ’em All for your reading enjoyment. With the MLB trade deadline just days away, there’s a lot of action on the trade front as well as plenty of news aside from possible wheeling-and-dealing.
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- The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves were sure thinking it would have been great to get right-handed pitcher Brandon Beachy back in the rotation Monday night against the Colorado Rockies. Until he actually went out and pitched in a big league game for the first time in over a year (thanks to elbow ligament surgery). Beachy was roughed up for seven runs on eight hits in just 3.2 innings. You might know his name thanks to a stellar 2012 season cut short by the elbow injury–Beachy was 5-5 with a 2.00 ERA in 13 starts. The Braves now trail 7-6 in the fourth inning after taking the lead with a six-run bottom of the third before surrendering the lead. Things can only get better for Atlanta and Beachy.
- The Yankees might need to make a move as the trade deadline approaches and the one name that keeps popping up is Phil Hughes’, the once-promising righty who can’t seem to get it together. At 4-9 with a 4.58 ERA, there isn’t much market for flyball pitchers who are prone to the long ball. I’m not sure how much longer they can stick with Hughes though, but in his defense, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte aren’t much better. Soon enough Alex Rodriguez will ease the burden for all the struggling Yankees though.
- David Ortiz will not be suspended for his massacre of the bullpen phone the other night, according to the Associated Press, but I’m guessing he’ll be footing the bill for the replacement phone.
- How about those Oakland Athletics. This is a team that most casual fans typically forget about, partially thanks to the East Coast bias, but they’re for real. They’re 6.5 games up of the second place Rangers out in the AL West thanks to the best team ERA in the American League (3.60). Bartolo Colon is the anchor of the staff–literally, the guy is so big he could anchor a twenty-foot SeaRay. Despite a .243 team batting average, the A’s are 7th in the AL in runs scored (470), 4th in doubles (192) and 6th in OBP (.321). They’ve got All-Star Grant Balfour and his rage closing out games and all seems to be well for the A’s.
- The Detroit Tigers hope that by trading for Houston Astros closer Jose Veras, they can bolster a bullpen that has been a revolving door at closer all season. Joaquin Benoit has been perfect (10/10) in save opportunities and looks to remain the closer, but the acquisition of Veras gives manager Jim Leyland the luxury of having another solid closer should Benoit implode. Veras will serve as set-up man for the time being.
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In unrelated news, Nolan made around 15% of his shots this afternoon on his Little Tikes basketball hoop. The kid just loves going out there and “ooting oops,” which I’ll never complain about. He also loves Thomas and Friends and Chuggington in the morning just after waking up and while he eats breakfast, but once he’s wide awake and raring to go, it’s all outdoors for the kid. He’ll kick a ball down the driveway and chase it, he’ll chase bubbles all over the yard, he pulls his basketball-loaded wagon around, he helps me mow the lawn. Staying at home and taking care of him sure is cool.
The gnats and mosquitos are absolutely terrible up here though, so once we start sweating, they swarm to us, which leads us directly inside to cool down, chug water and review colors, numbers and letters.
Lindsay is up in Foxboro meeting up with some friends for the night, so what do I have on tap? Kicking back and taking in some baseball games.
Home-Field Dad 