So Baseball!

This was a popular column for this blog a couple years back, so let’s give it a go once more, and see what’s changed.

Arizona Diamondbacks: I wished them well back in 2022, and in 2023, they went to the World Series. And you know what? I sort of still wish them well, although not as much as before. The D-backs are a real contender now, and a rival to my Padres, so I’m not nuts about the Snakes.

Atlanta Braves: Still kind of a gross team. Some likable players, some problematic players, and now sort of in a tailspin without Acuña, so I’m fine for them to settle into temporary mediocrity.

Baltimore Orioles: I wished them well in 2022, and I still do. They have proven that they do not suck, and now they just need to win a playoff series to prove they have grit.

Boston Red Sox: As a Yankees fan, I actually really like the Red Sox, specifically Raffy Devers and Triston Casas, plus a few other folks. I wish them well.

Chicago White Sox: It’s super depressing how their competitive window already closed, with all the talent they had. I still wish them well.

Chicago Cubs: I wish them very well. A super likable team even before the addition of the most exciting player in baseball, Shota Imanaga. “Hey Chicago, whaddya say? Cubs gonna win today”.

Cincinnati Reds: They must be cursed, but I still wish them sorta well. No hard feelings, but they may be the next White Sox in terms of squandering.

Cleveland Guardians: Ambivalent. I love the Naylor brothers, especially Josh.

Colorado Rockies: I like the fans, but this team is all kinds of boring. Don’t wish them well, but don’t hate.

Detroit Tigers: I wish them well in 2025 and beyond. They’re not doing anything for me at the moment.

Houston Astros: I don’t wish them well.

Kansas City Royals: They are playing the Padres as I type this, but after today’s game, I wish them well. I traded Vinnie P. for Dylan Crews in a keeper league, so I’m less invested than I was.

Los Angeles Angels: I don’t wish them well. Kind of a garbage franchise.

Los Angeles Dodgers: I don’t wish them well. Kind of a garbage franchise. jkjkjkjk. They’re a great team, with some excellent players, but I just don’t buy into the experience. It’s for someone else, not for me.

Miami Marlins: Less wishing of well than seasons past. Just a major snoozefest.

Milwaukee Brewers: Not wishing them well. Still a Yelich fan, but don’t really care for the other guys.

Minnesota Twins: ROYCE LEWIS. Wishing him all kinds of well, and health!!! I also just like the team in general.

New York Yankees: Two years further from the last time I’ve been to Yankee Stadium, my well-wishing is still there, but fading. Feels like my Yankee batteries need recharging. I’m not as excited about them as I should be.

New York Mets: They’re a total mess. Not wishing well.

[Sacramento] Athletics: No.

Philadelphia Phillies: We just saw them up close. I like a few of the guys. Schwarber is just delightful. Everybody else, nah.

Pittsburgh Pirates: If Oneil Cruz refuses to hit over .211, I have no reason to wish this team well.

San Diego Padres: WISHING THEM WELL! Let’s go Pads! Let’s make the playoffs and go on a run!

San Francisco Giants: Not wishing them unwell, but they are the Padres direct competition for a Wild Card spot, so it’s better if they lose. Sorry Kevin.

Seattle Mariners: Not hearing much from the Pacific Northwest. Apathetic.

St. Louis Cardinals: I tried, but I can’t. No wish well.

Tampa Bay Rays: Wake me up when Junior Caminero gets there. Not wishing well.

Texas Rangers: It ain’t my thing, but I like a few players. Didn’t hate that they won. Wishing them just what they got. A hangover.

Toronto Blue Jays: Everyone hates them, but maybe I wish them well? Nahhhh.

Washington Nationals: I am heavily invested in James Wood and Dylan Crews. I wish them well, very soon!

It’s a real odd time. Twitter is on fire. Canada is on fire. The world feels really…close to breaking. Sliding toward fascism and all that. And yet we have baseball. I heard the 1941 baseball season was one of the best. How did people manage to enjoy it with war raging across Europe? Like maybe the United States just wanted a little more sleep, so they were hitting the snooze.

Anyhow, we’re not in an election year yet, but we know it’s coming. Who knows how that’ll go and who will win. Remembering back to the Cubs’ historic World Series win in 2016? Literally days before the election. Champagne was not even dry on the Cubs’ parade. Sorry, let’s not even revisit 2016/2017.

But back to 2023, the baseball season rolls on. We have some exciting stories. So what are the the exciting stories?

• Arizona Diamondbacks: If the Padres can’t win the NL West, and it’s becoming very clear that they will not, then it should be the D-backs. I like watching this team play. Corbin Carroll! Fuggetaboutit! The guy can fly!
• Cincinatti Reds: So much talent, so much excitement. Please win the NL Central. I wish the Padres had homegrown talent like this, rather than a bunch of bloated old-guy contracts.
• Pittsburgh Pirates: Again, this is a fun, exciting team. Watch their games and you’ll see. Cutch is back baby!
• Baltimore Orioles: let’s check the boxes: they’re bringing up prospects, more help on the way (Colton Cowser), fun city, fun fanbase. And they’re winning. This is a feel-good story!
• Texas Rangers: Playing really good baseball. The Bruce Bochy factor is real. This team hasn’t been good for a while. Check ’em out!
• Cleveland Guardians: this is a fun team. Josh Naylor and his little brother, Bo. Terry Francona battling health issues and his team fights on. A good story, and I like their brand of baseball. It’s like a National League team almost.

Okay, that’s all I got. Good night!

Arizona Diamondbacks: Yes, I wish them well. As long as they don’t win too many games against the Padres, they’re okay in my book.

Atlanta Braves: No, I do not wish them well. They’re still doing that “tomahawk chop” thing. I wanted them to win the World Series last year, just so the Astros would not win it.

Baltimore Orioles: Yes, I wish them well. They’ve had some tough breaks recently, but I really want them to rise again. I prefer them winning the AL East over the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Rays.

Boston Red Sox: I wish them well. I actually like some of the Red Sox players. I want them to lose to the Yankees, but they’re not annoying like in years past.

Chicago White Sox: Of course I wish them well. The White Sox were my dad’s team growing up and I have a lot of good will towards them. I don’t think they can ever become “my team”, since they’ll constantly be going up against the Yankees. But I’m on Tim Anderson’s side in the Josh Donaldson fiasco.

Chicago Cubs: I wish them well. The team is a bit of a wasteland, but they still have a certain charm. And Seiya Suzuki is just cool.

Cincinnati Reds: I wish them well. I don’t understand what the heck they’re up to, trading great players to Seattle, but they have some promising young players, and should be good again soon if they don’t screw it up.

Cleveland Guardians: I wish them well. Like the Reds above, their behavior is somewhat ponderous and disappointing, but I love their energy and grit. (see Josh Naylor home run celebrations).

Colorado Rockies: I wish them….pretty well. My cousin Gayle was a huge fan. 😥 Again, don’t beat up on my Padres too much, but feel free to beat the Dodgers as often as possible. Also, love Kris Bryant and Connor Joe.

Detroit Tigers: I….don’t wish them well, for now. Not really a fan of anyone on their team. Check back again when Riley Greene debuts. I might be wishing them well.

Houston Astros: I don’t wish them well. (Jeremy Peña excluded).

Kansas City Royals: I wish them well. They’re bringing up all their rookies (Bobby Witt, MJ Melendez) and that’s a good thing. Also, Brady Singer once won me a fantasy league on the last day of the season in 2020.

Los Angeles Angels: I wish them very well. They’re a really fun team and should make the postseason this year. Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, Shohei Othani, Anthony Rendon, Jared Walsh, Noah Syndergaard, Andrew Velazquez, Tyler Wade, and so on and so on. And David Fletcher, when healthy. Lot to like here. And only 40 minutes away, sans traffic.

Los Angeles Dodgers: I don’t wish them well. As a Padres fan, I need them to lose. I do wish Mookie well, and if they ever promote Miguel Vargas, him too. And Bellinger. And Lux. Yeah, I guess I like some of these guys.

Miami Marlins: I wish Jazz Chisholm and Miggy Rojas well. And Alcantara and Jesus Aguilar. You know what…I like this team.

Milwaukee Brewers: They have enough likable players that I really don’t mind this team. (Yelich, McCutchen, Rowdy). I wish them well.

Minnesota Twins: Typically, I wish them well, but I am angry with the Twins right now. Royce Lewis did not need to be sent down to the minors. 😡

New York Yankees: Of course I wish the Yankees well. This is my team. I love the stadium, the history, the fans, the Bronx, the culture. And I really want Aaron Judge to get a ring.

New York Mets: I’ve wished them well in the past, and I may again in the future. I find this particular Mets team to be un-well-wishable. Don’t ask me why. I just don’t like them. Love their broadcast team tho!

Oakland Athletics: No.

Philadelphia Phillies: Yes, I wish them well. They’ve done everything right, and it hasn’t worked. This team should be winning more. What the heck?

Pittsburgh Pirates: I used to wish them well, when they had Andrew McCutchen. Now, I’m really bored. Wake me up when they promote Oneil Cruz.

San Diego Padres: I grew up watching Tony Gwynn. A Padres World Series win would be the greatest thing ever. I wish them extremely well. Go Friars!

San Francisco Giants: I supported the Giants when I lived there. They’re an historic franchise. I like them, I like their manager. I wish them semi-well, for my friends who support them. I’m getting a little sick of all the platooning, roster maneuvers, Rays-like behavior. Pick a lineup and stick with it.

Seattle Mariners: Love the M’s. Wish them well. This may not be their year. This is the Angel’s year!!

St. Louis Cardinals: I probably shouldn’t, but I wish them well. I like the history, I like the loyalty of the fanbase, love their current players. They should try and win the NL Central again soon. Just don’t beat the Padres in the playoffs and I’ll wish you well.

Tampa Bay Rays: Do NOT wish them well. Hate the stadium, hate all the weird lineups. They seem to have a cool vibe, but I am not down with it.

Texas Rangers: Not a fan this year. When is Jack Leiter due to arrive? (Honorable mention: Jonah Heim).

Toronto Blue Jays: This is a feel-good team. For somebody. Not me. I do not wish them well. Please go .500 on the season.

Washington Nationals. Nope.

Here’s the chart we discuss in today’s episode of the So Baseball podcast.

So, my wave of upward momentum appears to have crested. I hit a ceiling, or something similar. But that’s fine. I’ll keep trying.

But wait,

Update, I pulled back into fifth place!

I still think I could win this thing. Or come in second at least! Let’s look at what is driving this push. First of all, I picked up Yasmani Grandal and he’s been mashing. I bet most fantasy folks are doing a fantasy football draft today. Not me! I’m still all-in on fantasy baseball.

Secondly, a couple pitchers have gone off super hard for me. Two wins from Zach Plesac and Mark Melancon had a win and two saves.

FAAB is about to run for this week, so we’ll see who come up big for me next!

Yes, it’s been rough. Rough stuff. I have climbed up to seventh place in the vaunted TGFBI fantasy tournament, and 219th overall. (Please note that the eighth place team behind of me is ahead of me in the overall by nine spots). This season has been brutal for the injuries, the demotions, the overall suckitude of some of my draft picks.

Let’s take a quick look at my Opening Day roster and see who’s still with us, and who isn’t:

So, I dropped Luis Robert when he got hurt, boy would I like to have him back, although he’s not exactly hitting the cover off the ball. I think the duo that did me in on the hitting side were Keston Hiura and Andres Giminez. Complete disappointment, especially given how high they were drafted. On the pitching side, Jesus Lizard and Pablo Lopez were busts, as were Zach Davies and Brad Keller. Plesac has also been injured and underachieved.

But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Honestly, if Huascar Ynoa hadn’t punched that wall, I might actually be in this thing, but who knows. With six weeks left in the regular season, I will keep fighting. I’m glad that I’ve crawled back from 13th to 7th place. I’d love to crack the Top 5, but who knows…..