TWiB Notes -- April 22 - 28

[Frayed Knot]

A couple of bits of tid to kick off the new week whilst we wait for games to start on the far side of the country.


-- The Chicago White Sox are 3-18 to date and have scored a total of 45 runs in those 21 games which higher math tells me
is 2.14 per game or less than half what is average in a typical season for the sport as a whole [2023 = 4.62 RS/G/Team]
Oakland is the only team also under 3.0/G (2.86) and the only one not at least a full R/G ahead of CHW (MIN is 28th at 3.35)
So the team in 28th place is scoring at nearly a 60% higher clip!!!
But at least their pitching suxx. They currently sit 2nd worst in RA/G and the worst is Colorado so that barely counts.
Makes one wonder how they won those three games [3-2 v ATL; 7-5 v CLE; 2-1 v KCR]

- Jack Leiter got sent down after getting hit hard in his ML debut, but he's not the only prospect off to a tough start, or even the
only ML scion, or even the only Jack(son). Baltimore's Jackson Holliday is rampaging through the league at .033/.096/.033
That's 1-fer-30 (a single) w/2 BBs and 16 Ks. Hang with 'em, kid.

- There certainly didn't appear to be many teams wanting to go multiple years on 2x CY winning FA Blake Snell over the winter.
And now there probably aren't many who are sorry about their caution. After three starts Snell has allowed 15 ER on 18 hits over
11-2/3 innings for SFG [11.57 ERA; 1.97 WHIP]. If SF sticks with a straight rotation we could see him in the day game on Wed.

- This week starts out with the Braves hosting the Marlins for three while the Phils will be in Cincinnati for four, both starting tonight.

- And finally the week is already off to a good start as Oakland blanked the Yanx 2-0. Not quite sure why Game One of a four-game
series on a Monday was scheduled for 1:00 (10 AM for A's fans) but it was. It was also the Yanx second 2-0 loss in three days.
They got 4-hit over 10 innings by TOR on Saturday (and couldn't even score the Manfred Man runner) and 3-hit today.
Most thought (including me) that, particularly without Gerritt Cole, the Yanx pitching would be a bigger issue than their run
scoring but they're currently 3rd best in RA/G but right around ML average in RS/G

[MFS62]

Not quite sure why Game One of a four-game series on a Monday was scheduled for 1:00 (10 AM for A's fans) but it was.

The game was scheduled to start at 1PM because tonight is the first night of Passover.
Later

[Frayed Knot]

Not quite sure why Game One of a four-game series on a Monday was scheduled for 1:00 (10 AM for A's fans) but it was.

The game was scheduled to start at 1PM because tonight is the first night of Passover.

I'm sure starter Carlos Rodon was particularly grateful for that decision.

[Frayed Knot]

Oh yeah, and Aaron Boone got tossed after the 5th pitch of the game.
After arguing a check-swing/HBP call in top 1st, HP ump Hunter Wildelstadt told Boone he had heard enough and if he
heard any more he was throwing him out. But he did hear more before the next pitch was thrown and Boone got an
early shower. But TV cameras (and a very quiet ballpark w/the early start time) combined to show Boone not uttering
a peep after the warning. But apparently a fan sitting just behind the MFY dugout did add in a few choice words and
that's what Windelstadt heard.

No word as to whether stadium security spent the next half hour working over the fan underneath the stands ... or
maybe they save that treatment only for those who try to go to the bathroom during the 7th inning GBA playing.

[Edgy MD]

Hunter always struck me as thin-skinned.

[Frayed Knot]

Hunter Windelstadt apparently got a 'minor discipline' for the Boone ejection.


And speaking of the Bronx, I figured the rout was on tonight when the Yanx loaded the bases in the bottom of the 1st
vs Oakland ... except they didn't score (K, GiDP). A couple innings later they loaded 'em up with one out ... and yet
again failed to score. Your final was A's 3 - Yanx 1 (309 ft solo HR) which gave the A's a split of the four game series.
Two wins while in NYC was about three wins more than I thought they'd get.

[Frayed Knot]

Pete Crow-Armstrong's first ML hit (he was 0-14 last year and 0-1 this season) ... a 2R HR in what would
go on to be a 3-1 Cubs win.

[Frayed Knot]

#1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday was optioned bak to AAA after starting his ML career 2-for-34

[Frayed Knot]

This, btw, reminds me of Art Schallock.
Who, you might ask? He was the guy the Yanx brought up when they sent down a struggling 19 y/o by the name of Mantle in mid-1951. Schallock was in the news recently as he turned 100 y/o yesterday (the 25th) making him the oldest living major leaguer.