Category: Sports News

Shohei Ohtani couldn’t make it through an entire season as a two-way player as a 32-year-old.

Chances are, he won’t be able to do it next season as a 33-year-old.

Which is why Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s responses to a couple of questions he fielded on Wednesday were particularly alarming.

In retrospect, could Ohtani have been healthier in the playoffs if the Dodgers had managed him differently earlier in the season?

“I don’t know the answer to that,” Friedman said

Considering where Ohtani is age-wise, is it still possible for him to play both ways for a full season?

“I don’t know the answer to that,” Friedman said.

Friedman better have been playing coy when speaking at the Dodgers’ end-of-the-season news conference.

Because if he wasn’t, that would signal a major problem – specifically, that the Dodgers are detached from reality.

Before they decide how aggressively they will pursue Tarik Skubal or how quickly they want to  turn over their geriatric roster, the Dodgers must have an honest conversation with Ohtani about how he can return to being a two-way player without condemning himself to another October in which he looks as if he crawled from a nearby infirmary into the batter’s box.

But how can the Dodgers do that if they can’t even acknowledge what’s obvious?

Such as how them acquiescening to his wish to play through knee and arm injuries was a major reason why he was physically compromised when the games mattered most.

Or how him setting out to be a designated-hitter-slash-pitcher for an entire season is a suicide mission at this stage of his career.

The Dodgers’ relationship with Ohtani isn’t a typical employer-employee relationship, nor should it be. But the way the team prioritized Ohtani’s desires over common sense this year pointed to there being an imbalance in power that was counterproductive. Friedman’s reluctance to acknowledge Ohtani’s limitations didn’t dispel this notion.

Friedman said the Dodgers’ braintrust would work with Ohtani to come up with a plan to improve his chances of being healthy in the playoffs, but he sounded as if he would be counting on the player’s team-first mentality to resolve the team’s concerns.

“He is awesome about saying, ‘Hey, whatever it takes to help the team win,’” Friedman said. “He means it. Private conversations, public conversations.”

Of course, in Ohtani’s mind, that means him taking on as much as humanly possible. 

In the wake of the Dodgers’ elimination, Ohtani was asked what he envisioned doing next season.

“I intend on doing everything,” he said in Japanese.

If Ohtani insists on shouldering the same workload he had early this season, will the Dodgers be able to stand their ground?

If he is convinced a new offseason training regimen will allow him to go wire-to-wire as a two-way player, will the Dodgers be able to convince him the risks outweigh the potential rewards?

The Dodgers should know by now that Ohtani won’t place any limits on himself.

That’s worked for Ohtani for the most part, as his physical gifts have made it possible for him to overcome the majority of obstacles placed in front of him.

But no athlete has ever defeated the calendar, and this season provided the tangible evidence that Ohtani won’t be an exception to the rule. 

By mid-July, Ohtani was shut down as a pitcher because of problems with his left knee and right arm. By mid-August, he was finished as an MVP-caliber hitter.

In the playoffs, he was more of an imagined threat than an actual one, as he batted just .192 and struck out 10 times in 32 plate appearances. He didn’t homer until the night the Dodgers were eliminated.

Friedman sounded as if he knew what had to be done. 

“Whether we start a little late …” Friedman said at one point, likely in reference to the idea that Ohtani could delay the start of his season as a pitcher.

And if Ohtani is playing both ways from the start of the season, Friedman raised the question about how the Dodgers are “going to manage that in the first month and then assess things.”

Whatever their thoughts are, the Dodgers have to share them with Ohtani.

They have to be direct.

If Ohtani is as open-minded as Friedman described him, he should understand that they want not only what’s best for the team but also what’s best for him.

Ohtani isn’t 20-something anymore. He has to adjust. The Dodgers have to guide him there, and that starts with them providing him with a candid evaluation of his newfound limitations.

Today’s Reflections

Good morning, everyone. I hope you are recharging in preparation of the upcoming World Series.

I appreciate your reading.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Trade/Free Agency Stories:

• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): 5 Pitchers Who Could Address Cubs’ Shortfall of Pure Stuff This Winter. “In the age of ABS, you can’t nibble and dot your way to glory on the mound. The Cubs need much better raw stuff than they had in 2026. Let’s consider some potential sources thereof.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Will the Cubs Make Another Trade Push for Reid Detmers This Offseason? “A new report suggested that the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels almost had a deal done for Reid Detmers this trade deadline.”
• Michael Canter (Cubs Insider): The Rundown: Cubs Trade Speculation Escalates, Kwan Checks Several Boxes, Banner Heads to Orioles, Rays Win AL Pennant. “Harper doesn’t get the Cubs any closer to catching the Brewers than keeping Happ, Suzuki, or both will.”
• Doug Schwamb (Chicago Cubs On SI): 3 Young Cubs Players Who Could Land in a Trade This Offseason. “There are numerous guys that can be deemed trade bait, so let’s take a look at three players the Cubs can trade away this winter.”

Pitching Stories:

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Here’s why pitching is Cubs’ top priority this offseason. “Chicago’s front office may make a push to bring back at least one arm from that group, but the whole cast might very well hit free agency.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Expected to Retain Pitching Coaches, Which Should Not Surprise Anyone. “So unless you believe Hottovy was sneaking into players’ homes in the dead of night to place their arms at awkward angles, thus leading to issues when they threw the next day, it’s hard to blame him for the issues.”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN.com): Biggest offseason questions for teams eliminated from MLB playoffs. “But what does that staff look like with Justin Steele and eventually Cade Horton returning from injury?”

Hitting Stories:

• Jason Ross (North Side Baseball): Cubs Don’t Need to React Harshly to Nico Hoerner’s Ugly 2026 Season. “The Cubs extended their homegrown second baseman ahead of the season for six years. Then, he seemingly struggled in 2026. Is this a sign of things to come? Or was bad luck to blame?”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): The Rays Should Thank Pete Crow-Armstrong for Their World Series Trip and I’m Gonna Tell You Why. “So where does PCA come into this thing?”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Mentioned as Fit if Guardians Look to Trade Steven Kwan. “Those who’ve wished fervently for the end of Happ’s Cubs tenure will surely love the idea of Kwan replacing him because it looks like a huge upgrade to them on paper.”

Minors/Fall League Stories:

• Jesse Borek (MLB.com): Cubs’ 2025 third-rounder Reid running with six-pitch arsenal in Fall League. “When the Cubs selected right-hander Dominick Reid in the third round of the 2025 Draft out of Abilene Christian, he was largely a two-pitch hurler.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): Cubs Top Prospects Who Could Make an Impact in 2027. “Technically, a prospect could shoot up the ranks and debut every year, so this will focus on a few of their major league-ready players.”

Assorted Stories:

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Anthony Rizzo Tells the Tale of the Time He Lost His Glove Right Before a Game. “I enjoyed the heck out of this story from Anthony Rizzo on the podcast he does with David Ross.”
• Noah Wright (LastWordOnSports): Three Prime Rebound Free Agents That Should Be on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Radar. “Plenty of players will be coming off down years and heading into free agency this offseason, but the Pirates need to find the right ones to sign.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Rockies Plan to Build Their Roster “As If We’re Not Going to Have” Kris Bryant. “It’s obviously a reasonable approach by an organization, but it still bums me out to hear.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): A Decade After 2016, the Goodwill Clock Has Run Out. “This has been one full DECADE of near-futility.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Juuuust In Case There Were Any Questions About Owners Having a Consensus on the Salary Cap. “We have to remember that the league’s desire for a salary cap – and a more centralized approach to revenue overall – is as much about franchise equity as anything else.”

Food For Thought:

Celso Salim is an exciting emerging talent in the blues-rock scene, making waves with his remarkable musicianship and electrifying performances. Known for his distinctive guitar style and outstanding slide guitar skills, Celso captivates audiences with exciting compositions and a soulful voice. Influenced by traditional blues and the iconic sound of the 1960s and ’70s, Celso began playing at age 6 and made his stage debut at 14, setting him on an unwavering path. Originally from Brasilia, Brazil, he moved to Los Angeles in 2014, where he swiftly became a highly sought-after guitarist in Southern California’s music scene, establishing himself as one of the region’s most respected artists.

Celso has shared the stage with blues greats Magic Slim, Larry McCray, and Jimmy Hall, and opened for legends such as B.B. King, Deep Purple and Joe Bonamassa. With six solo albums, he earned 3rd place at the 2019 International Blues Challenge and received 5 Independent Music Awards including one for best blues album. Recently, he has toured with Bull Y Los Bufalos and collaborated with guitarists Johnny Stachela and Artur Menezes. His album with Darryl Carriere, “About Time”, was named one of The Big Blues Chart’s Top 100 Albums of 2024. In Brazil, he has developed a robust solo career since 2001 and is also known for his acoustic duo with bassist Rodrigo Mantovani, in addition to collaborating with prominent Brazilian blues groups such as the Ari Borger Quartet and the Sergio Duarte Blues Band.

Lime says its e-bikes are ‘not for jousting’

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Jac Caglianone had an impressive offensive season in 2026, but the focus is, what’s the next step?

Jac Caglianone spent much of the 2026 season making his mark at the plate for the Royals. But after establishing himself as one of Kansas City’s most productive hitters, his defensive future presents an interesting consideration heading into 2027 and beyond.

With much of the Royals’ lineup expected to return next season, Caglianone’s ability to play both right field and first base could provide some flexibility as Kansas City explores ways to improve its roster.

The 2026 season marked a significant turnaround for the 23-year-old, who struggled in his first taste of the Majors in 2025, battling just .157 with a .532 OPS across 62 games. This season, he led the Royals in batting average (.289), slugging percentage (.494) and OPS (.834), while finishing among the team’s top three in runs (72), hits (148), home runs (23) and RBIs (75).

Zion Rose was named the Royals top performer from the 2026 draft by MLB Pipeline.

A surprise pick to many at No. 6 overall, Rose was assigned to High-A Quad Cities out of the gate and was a part of the River Bandits’ Midwest League championship squad, hitting .241/.367/.299 with one homer and an 18/17 K/BB ratio over 23 total games between the regular season and playoffs. His 2026 isn’t done yet, however, and that’s why he’s the pick here. The Royals sent the former Louisville outfielder to the Arizona Fall League to make up for some of the at-bats he missed due to ankle and hamstring injuries in the spring, and entering Wednesday, he’s gone 7-for-23 (.304) with a homer, a triple, six walks through his first six games for Surprise.

Angeibel Gomez was named the 3rd best 17-year-old MLB prospect, by MLB Pipeline

Baseball fans rejoiced when the Royals challenged Gomez, who signed for $2.9 million as the No. 4 international prospect this year, with an Arizona Fall League assignment. Despite being the second-youngest player ever at the circuit, he’s held his own against much older competition and already looks much stronger than his listed 6-foot-2, 173-pound size. The Venezuela native could be a five-tool player down the line with plus plus speed, if he’s able to grow into more right-handed power, as scouts expect. His 1.119 OPS and .653 slugging percentage in the DSL both ranked third among qualified Minor Leaguers.

David Lesky put out part two of what he would do if he was JJ Picollo for a day.

Matthew Swigonski of Kings of Kauffman passed out starting rotation grades for the Royals.

Philip Ruo of Royals Keep points out why the Royals should keep Daniel Lynch IV.

Here is a breakdown on the Rays and Brewers bullpens, on how they are so effective, yet so different.

The story behind the Rays signing Jonathan Aranda.

No surgeries for Shohei Ohtani

Here is your song of the day: Killer Queen by Queen

The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are set to play the smallest-market World Series in two decades.

According to a USA TODAY analysis of Nielsen’s 2026-27 designated market area estimates, the two teams’ home markets combine for just 3.24 million television households.

That total is slightly larger than the 2006 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, whose markets combined for 3.22 million television households. The 2006 matchup itself is the smallest since the Cardinals faced the Minnesota Twins in 1987.

The upcoming matchup has already raised concerns about television ratings. USA TODAY Sports columnist Bob Nightengale warned that the two small-market teams could produce one of the least-watched World Series in history.

“Obviously, on the margins, that hurts, right?” Victor Matheson, a professor at Holy Cross who studies sports economics, told USA TODAY. “Because again, you're likely to have bigger viewership numbers in the towns that are playing.”

After the 2006 and 2026 matchups, the next-smallest in that 20-year span was the 2014 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants. That series had a combined market of 3.67 million.

Every other series between 2006 and 2026 has featured larger combined markets, the biggest being the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees that had a combined television household total of 13.8 million.

How small are the Brewers' and Rays' TV markets?

The Rays’ previous World Series against the Dodgers in 2020 was the seventh largest since 2006. But pairing Tampa Bay with Milwaukee – the smallest MLB market – produces one of the smallest combined markets in decades.

The Brewers last reached the World Series in 1982, when they faced the Cardinals. With St. Louis having a television market of 1.28 million, that series barely eclipsed 2 million households by 2026 figures.

Milwaukee ranks as the 39th largest television market in the U.S. by Nielsen with an estimated 960,000 homes having a TV.

The Rays’ Tampa-St. Petersburg market, meanwhile, is over twice as large at 2.28 million and is 11th nationwide.

But Matheson said smaller markets can have an advantage of their own: pent-up demand. While fans in Los Angeles have enjoyed several recent World Series appearances, the Brewers haven’t reached the Fall Classic since their seven-game loss to St. Louis in 1982.

For fans in Milwaukee, Matheson said, the chance to see their team win its first championship could feel like a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” which could potentially drive greater local interest despite the city’s small population.

That logic could apply to the Rays as well, as Tampa Bay is also searching for their first title, although it has made the World Series three times now in the past 20 years.

Other factors can come into play, too. For instance, star power like Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski could draw eyeballs that might otherwise tune out.

Do bigger markets mean more World Series viewers?

Yet despite natural concerns about a small-market World Series, the size of the participating teams' television markets has shown little relationship with how many people watch.

Indeed, the most-viewed World Series since 2000 had fewer than 4 million combined households – when the Boston Red Sox ended its 86-year curse by sweeping St. Louis in 2004.

A tighter correlation may be found when the series was played; World Series viewership has generally declined since 2000, meaning that modern editions have a tougher hill to climb.

“There's a million things people can do now that they couldn't a generation or two ago,” Matheson said. “In the old days, we only had three channels on TV when I was growing up.”

The 2023 matchup between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, which averaged just over nine million viewers per game – the lowest in World Series history – highlights that decline.

Matheson cautioned that if this year’s edition draws a similarly small audience, the Brewers’ and Rays’ home markets wouldn’t necessarily be the only reason. The increasingly fragmented television landscape could also play a role.

Regardless, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay can’t increase the size of their markets. But they do have something a ratings projection can’t measure: the chance to give baseball fans a championship story worth watching.

Methodology: USA TODAY obtained estimated television households for MLB markets from Nielsen Media Research. Toronto's market size came from Canadian audience measurement organization Numeris, which estimated 3.23 million households with TV access in the Toronto/Hamilton market for 2026-27.  World Series viewership averages for 2000-25 were compiled by Nielsen and obtained via Baseball Almanac. For consistency, the same 2026-27 market estimates were applied to every historical matchup.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The World Series is getting a small-market showdown. Does size matter?

Do you think whoever runs the social media graphics team at the Phillies knew exactly what they were doing with this post for the start of the Sixers season?

If so, that is some tremendous trolling, you have to admit.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• No matter the circumstances for how it happened, Don Mattingly is appreciative of being back in the dugout and credits Philadelphia for reigniting his desire to manage.
• Matt Winkelman provides a detailed a thorough look at Andrew Painter’s season and what it means going forward for the once prized prospect.

MLB news:

• Kurt Suzuki is out as manager of the Angels after just one season, the first with 100 losses in franchise history, in Anaheim.
• Speaking of embattled managers, Aaron Boone is pushing back on calls for a clubhouse culture change after it was announced he would be staying on the job with the Yankees.
• Yandy Diaz may not be a household name, but he is the most complete hitter in the World Series. ($)
• Should a World Series featuring two low payrolls team put other such light spenders on notice? ($)

For the first time since 1980, we have a World Series matchup of two teams without a title. While plenty of teams have claimed their first title since that time (the 2023 Rangers were the most recent), this is the first time in 46 years that we’re heading into a World Series where we are guaranteed to see a franchise claim its first title.

Let’s take a quick look at how both teams got here, starting with the American League’s Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays

While the Rays are in their 29th season, they’ve already claimed three AL pennants, though they haven’t yet captured their first championship. Their previous appearances in the World Series came in 2008, when they beat the Red Sox in seven games in the ALCS before losing to the Phillies in five games, and in 2020, when they took down the Astros in another seven-game ALCS before losing in a neutral World Series in Texas, as the Dodgers won 4-2.

After spending the entire 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field — the Yankees’ spring training home — due to Hurricane Milton’s damage to Tropicana Field, they returned home this year and turned in the best record in the American League, going 98-64. They’re back in the World Series after sweeping the Yankees in the ALDS and claiming the ALCS in six games over the Guardians.

Led by manager Kevin Cash, who won back-to-back AL Manager of the Year Awards in 2020 and 2021, the Rays outperformed preseason expectations behind one of the strongest pitching staffs in baseball and an above-average offense.

There isn’t much homegrown talent in Tampa, but they’ve done an incredible job of scouting under-the-radar players from across the league. The ALCS roster was constructed as follows:

• MLB Draft (3): LHP Ian Seymour, OF Chandler Simpson, SS Taylor Walls
• International Signing (1): 1B Jonathan Aranda
• Trade (16): RHP Bryan Baker (2025 trade deadline), 3B Junior Caminero (2021-22 offseason), OF Jonny DeLuca (2023-24 offseason), DH Yandy Díaz (2018-19 offseason), C Nick Fortes (2025 trade deadline), C Liam Hicks (2026 trade deadline), RHP Brody Hopkins (2024 trade deadline), RHP Griffin Jax (2025 trade deadline), OF Victor Mesa Jr. (2025-26 offseason), INF Richie Palacios (2023-24 offseason), RHP Freddy Peralta (2026 trade deadline), RHP Drew Rasmussen (2021 midseason), RHP Cole Sulser (2024 trade deadline), OF Ryan Vilade (2025-26 offseason), RHP Tyler Wells (2026 trade deadline), 2B Ben Williamson (2025-26 offseason)
• Free agency (5): LHP Cam Booser, RHP Nick Martinez, INF Jorge Mateo, LHP Steven Matz, OF Cedric Mullins
• Rule 5 Draft (1): RHP Kevin Kelly

As I said, just look at how good some of those trade acquisitions look in retrospect. Bryan Baker is one of the best closers in baseball, and they got him for the No. 37 draft pick in last year’s draft. Junior Caminero is an MVP candidate who they picked up from the Guardians for Tobias Myers. Yandy Díaz was also acquired from the Guardians in a three-team deal, where Tampa Bay departed with Jake Bauers and cash. More recent deadline acquisitions in Griffin Jax, Freddy Peralta, and Liam Hicks cost them Taj Bradley and six prospects (none of them in MLB’s top 100).

That’s what most in the industry would probably define as “fleecing.”

How has that roster fared?

On the mound, they’re led by starters Drew Rasmussen and Peralta — both former Brewers — as well as Nick Martinez, a familiar foe for Milwaukee from his time with the Reds. The aforementioned Baker led the majors with 41 saves and hasn’t blown a save since May 13, spanning 30 regular season and five postseason saves. In fact, all four of those arms have been great this postseason:

• Drew Rasmussen: 3 GS, 21 IP, 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 23 K
• Freddy Peralta: 4 G, 3 GS, 16 2/3 IP, 2-0, 1.08 ERA, 12 K (ALCS MVP)
• Nick Martinez: 2 GS, 9 IP, 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 6 K
• Bryan Baker: 7 G, 7 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 K

The rest of the bullpen — which includes Kevin Kelly, Tyler Wells, Cam Booser, Brody Hopkins, Steven Matz, Cole Sulser, and Jax and Ian Seymour in starter-reliever roles — has been good, not great, this postseason, with a 3.60 bullpen ERA and 32 strikeouts across 30 innings.

Offensively, they’re led by Caminero, Díaz, Hicks, Jonathan Aranda, and speedster Chandler Simpson, who gives Billy Hamilton vibes. Díaz has been the best hitter in the postseason, slashing .308/.341/.564 with 12 hits, including a pair of homers and four doubles. Caminero and Aranda have also homered, while Simpson has led a steal-happy squad (perfect 11-for-11 this postseason) with three steals. Other regulars include Victor Mesa Jr., Jonny DeLuca, Taylor Walls, and Richie Palacios, with Ben Williamson, Ryan Vilade, Cedric Mullins, and Nick Fortes rounding out the bench.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers had another great season under Matt Arnold & Pat Murphy, winning their fourth consecutive NL Central title and becoming the first team in the division to do so. They also won 103 games, breaking their previous franchise record of 97 wins set in 2025.

To get here, they had to go through two of the hottest teams in baseball down the stretch in the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres swept the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series and put up quite the fight against Milwaukee, as the Brewers eked out three wins in a 3-1 series victory. The Dodgers, who took three of four from the Braves in the NLDS, were the Goliath to Milwaukee’s David after sweeping the Crew in the 2025 NLCS. This time, the Brewers flipped the script, sweeping the Dodgers en route to their first World Series since 1982 and marking the first time they’ve made it as a National League team.

Per MLB.com, the Brewers got more out of the MLB Draft than every other playoff team with the exception of Cleveland. That includes first-round picks Brice Turang (2018), Garrett Mitchell (2020), and Sal Frelick (2021), as well as junior college finds in Jacob Misiorowski (2022), Logan Henderson (2021), and Aaron Ashby (2017). They also picked up starting shortstop Cooper Pratt in the sixth round back in 2023, pulling him away from a college commitment.

They have three international signees — Jackson Chourio (2021) and Luis Lara (2022) out of Venezuela, and Abner Uribe (2018) out of the Dominican Republic.

Shockingly, the only free agent on this team is catcher Gary Sánchez, who signed a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027 back in February.

The other 15 projected players on the team came via trade. This group includes Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, David Hamilton, Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, Kyle Harrison, Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Antonio Senzatela, Andrew Vaughn, and Christian Yelich.

I should note that if Brandon Woodruff somehow miraculously makes the roster, he would add one more to the draft group, as he was taken in the 11th round out of Mississippi State back in 2014. He’d likely take the spot of either Harrison or Patrick, neither of whom has pitched this postseason.

The offense is anchored by Turang, Contreras, and Chourio, but the supporting pieces are solid too — Murphy has seemingly found the right mix this postseason, with Pratt, Bauers, and Mitchell joining those three as everyday players while Hamilton and Ortiz split duties at third base, Lara and Frelick split duties in right, and Vaughn and Yelich split duties at designated hitter.

On the mound, the Misiorowski-Henderson-Gasser combo has worked well atop the rotation, with May and Drohan next in line, though neither of them has been given all that long of a leash here in the playoffs. For the bullpen, the back end combination of Megill, Uribe, and Ashby has been fantastic; Hall has also been solid, and deadline acquisitions Romero and Senzatela have been better in the postseason than they were down the stretch.

Probable Pitchers

Note: Pitching matchups will be filled in as they’re announced

Game 1 (Milwaukee): Friday, October 23 @ 7:00 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (2 GS, 0-0, 3.24 ERA, 1.90 FIP) vs. TBD

Misiorowski is slated to get the ball in Friday’s series opener, and while he hasn’t been quite as sharp as he was in the regular season, he’s still been a solid presence atop the rotation. He’s made two starts thus far, totaling just 8 1/3 innings as he’s allowed three runs on nine hits and four walks, striking out 11. The likely NL Cy Young winner after a league-leading 1.80 ERA, 2.17 FIP, and 252 strikeouts, Miz went six innings in a no-decision against the Rays back in April, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven. You can certainly expect him to come out the gates with the high heat on Friday night.

Game 2 (Milwaukee): Saturday, October 24 @ 7:00 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD

Game 3 (Tampa Bay): Monday, October 26 @ 7:00 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD

Game 4 (Tampa Bay): Tuesday, October 27 @ 7:00 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD

Game 5 (if necessary) (Tampa Bay): Wednesday, October 28 @ 7:00 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD

Game 6 (if necessary) (Milwaukee): Friday, October 30 @ 7:00 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD

Game 7 (if necessary) (Milwaukee): Saturday, October 31 @ 7:00 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD

How to watch and listen

Friday, October 23: Nationally televised on FOX & FOX One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, October 24: Nationally televised on FOX & FOX One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Monday, October 26: Nationally televised on FOX & FOX One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Tuesday, October 27: Nationally televised on FOX & FOX One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Wednesday, October 28: Nationally televised on FOX & FOX One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Friday, October 30: Nationally televised on FOX & FOX One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, October 31: Nationally televised on FOX & FOX One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

This is probably the most excited, but also the most anxious I’ve ever been as a Brewers fan. These are obviously two fantastic teams, and they match up pretty evenly on paper. It certainly won’t be a cakewalk for either side. Give me the Brewers to claim their first title in six games.

Hello, friends.

There are now 153 days remaining until the next scheduled Orioles game. You know the drill by now.

On the other hand, the World Series starts tomorrow. It will be over by, at the latest, Halloween. Between the Rays and the Brewers, there will be a first-time winner crowned. I think that’s fun. If all else is equal, I like to root for long droughts being broken. I think it’s good to put that kind of energy out there. Some day, maybe, it will be the Orioles turn to try to break a long drought, and it would be nice to be a sympathetic favorite at that time.

I know not every Orioles fan agrees, with some people preferring that teams ahead of the Orioles on the list not get scratched off to push the O’s closer to the top of the list of failure. It is not fun to be on those lists. Only five teams have gone longer than the Orioles without winning a title. If the Brewers win this World Series, that will be four.

The Padres and Mariners have also never won it, the Guardians last title was in 1948, and the Pirates haven’t won since (sigh) 1979. I wasn’t alive for that one, but I’ve heard enough about it, and I don’t think my “root for the longest drought to end” philosophy would ever apply to Pittsburgh. Wasn’t a whole lot of danger of having to think about that this year. Any of the other teams ahead of the O’s would probably be about as sympathetic as the Brewers, especially if they were facing another AL East team in the postseason.

The Orioles have not won the World Series as long as I have been alive, and I’m turning 43 next month. It’s a long time. Unless fortunes rapidly turn around, the O’s title drought is going to hit “get a colonoscopy” age pretty soon. It is not great that after two years in the postseason and zero postseason wins, that things stink again with no certainty of whether the people in charge can figure out how to stop that from happening. But there is quite a while yet before we will start to have any idea of whether their offseason turnaround plan is going to get results.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

All the ways new Orioles GM Jared Banner can make an early impact (The Baltimore Banner)
How GM Jared Banner’s ‘relentless’ approach can shake up the Orioles (The Baltimore Sun)
The local papers are digging in on the new guy. At The Banner – yeah, it’s funny – Jon Meoli suggests that one thing Banner could help the Orioles do is be the first in speculative technology rather than just playing catch-up copying everyone else. Yeah, that would be a nice way to get an edge.

A look at a few Orioles that might not be back next year (Steve on Baseball)
Trevor Rogers is the only name on the list that is going to make large numbers of Birdland fans sad in the strong likelihood that he does not return.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

Nothing of particular interest has ever happened on this day in Orioles history. This is not likely to change until the team makes it back to a World Series, or at least deep in an ALCS series.

There are several former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2024 pitcher Corbin Burnes, 2012-18 pitcher Darren O’Day, 2005 catcher Eli Whiteside, 2003 pitcher Héctor Carrasco, 2004 catcher Keith Osik, and 1989 catcher Jamie Quirk.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: composer Franz Liszt (1811), baseball Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (1907), author Doris Lessing (1919), actor Christopher Lloyd (1938), gold medal figure skater Brian Boitano (1963), and baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki (1973).

On this day in history…

In 2137 BC, a solar eclipse was recorded by Chinese astronomers. There were also reports that two astronomers who failed to predict the eclipse were executed. It wasn’t until 585 BC that an eclipse is known to have occurred as predicted.

In 1721 AD, following the Russian defeat of Sweden in the decades-long Great Northern War, Russia’s ruler Peter I proclaimed a Russian Empire, with himself as the tsar.

In 1883, New York’s Metropolitan Opera House opened. The first performance was an opera called Faust, by Charles Gounod, which had debuted in Paris in 1859.

In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy announced a naval blockade of the island of Cuba.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on October 22. Have a safe Thursday.