When Will Caitlyn See the Phillies Win In Person?

On July 20, the family ventured to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in the hopes of seeing Caitlyn’s beloved Phillies win a ball game. It marked our third trip as a family to the Bank with this trip the first time we saw them play an American League team, in this case the Los Angeles Angels. Hopes were high that the Phillies would win for the first time in Caitlyn’s presence. Both teams won one game each in the series, making Sunday’s contest the rubber matchup. Could Philadelphia send us back home with smiles on our faces?

In a word, no.

A beautiful stadium, an ugly game. Credit: My picture

The Angels romped on that sunny, hot Sunday by a score of 8-2. It felt more like 15-2 as Los Angeles had multiple base runners seemingly every inning. We should have known something was up when the game was delayed for a half hour by rain. Luckily for us, a nice couple allowed us to use their towel to wipe down our seats. It quickly went downhill from there. Zach Neto belted the first pitch of the game from Ranger Suarez to the deepest part of the park only to have Brandon Marsh make a great catch. At that point, I knew it was trouble. Suarez simply didn’t have it. Los Angeles did not score in the first inning despite heavy traffic. They effectively ended the game in the following inning by scoring five runs. The only highlights from the Phillies on this day were two great catches from Marsh and a solo home run by Otto Kemp. Not even the antics of the Phillie Phantic could save us. At least I got to see Mike Trout bat six times. Max Kepler and Jordan Romano both received boos, though Romano pitched a scoreless eighth inning. The bright sun and lack of sunscreen gave all of us different colors. And of course, the cheesesteak was golden.

The Phillies are now 0-5 when Caitlyn is in attendance. That comprises three games at the Bank and two games at Citi Field. 2026 has to be different, no? She deserves better than to see her favorite team lose repeatedly with her in attendance. What would make her feel better? A Phillies World Series Championship in 2025.

New York Yankees and Their New House of Horrors

Maybe it has to do with the timing of our trips to Lake George. Maybe it’s because they are spending too much time on South Beach in August. Whatever it is, the New York Yankees have a new house of horrors and it is the most unlikely of places. Loan Depot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, has turned into a graveyard for the Yankees as their last two trips down to South Florida can attest. These games have resulted in a couple of hard to believe defeats and overall lackluster play. How can this be, since 65% of the building is filled with Yankee fans? Their journey down in 2023 was during a rare playoff miss for New York and a rare playoff appearance for Miami. 2025 can’t be a repeat, can it?

The Marlins have made Loan Depot Park a nightmare for the Yankees. Credit: USA Today

On Sunday, August 13, 2023, we were driving home from Lake George. The Yanks and Marlins split the first two games, as New York won Friday night by a score of 9-4. Sandy Alcantara tossed a complete game on Saturday for a 3-1 victory, setting up the rubber game on Sunday. The Yankees amazingly blew a 7-1 on that drive home, as a Clay Holmes throwing error allowed two runs to score before a Jake Burger single drove in the winning run with a single. Fast forward to this past Friday night. The Bombers surrendered leads of 6-0 and 9-4 but managed to push across two runs for a 12-10, 9th inning lead. Incredibly, another error, this one by Jose Caballero, helped the Fish score three times for a stunning 13-12 victory. Ironically, the Saturday game was another gem thrown by the Miami’s pitching staff (much like 2023) as three pitchers held New York to only two hits for a 2-0 victory. The drive home Sunday was much less dramatic than two years ago, but no less infuriating as the Marlins swept the Yankees into the Atlantic Ocean by a score of 7-3.

After the game, there was this stat thrown about how the Marlins are the only team with a winning record against the Yankees. More insults. Perhaps in 2027 when we again go to Lake George, we schedule it around the Yankees’ trip to Loan Dept Park. Maybe Major League Baseball can do us a solid favor and make that series in April.

MLB Trading Deadline: We Are Lucky

With the Trading Deadline almost over, I decided to have the “talk” with the three kids. Namely, I had to remind them that they are lucky that each of their teams spend most trading deadlines as buyers as opposed to sellers. This indicates that the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are in it to win a World Series year after year. This, as opposed to teams I highlighted earlier in the week that, despite having good, controllable players, are willing to move them, punting on this season and potentially next season.

Ryan McMahon, now a Yankee. Credit: Sports Illustrated

For most of this decade, all three of our teams have decided to make moves to try and enhance their playoff chances. The one exception was the Mets in 2023 when they dealt David Robertson, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander among others at the deadline during a lost season. It is an exciting time for all of us, as we each discuss what our teams need and what players we would be willing to give up. We scour mlbtraderumors.com for the latest news and potential deals. I get asked sometimes how certain deals sound as they are pitched to me. Most of the time, they are lopsided in favor of their teams. In Matthew’s opinion, what the Mets gave up for Tyler Rogers earlier this week was fair, even though Drew Gilbert was included. He was the outfielder that came to New York for Verlander two years ago.

In addition to Rogers, the Mets added fellow relievers Gregory Soto and Ryan Helsley. The Yankees have acquired Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario and Austin Slater. The Phillies got on the board by adding Jhoan Duran. See, all three teams are active. Whether they contribute to a World Series Championship or not remains to be seen. At least all their teams are giving them reasons to be excited.

MLB Trading Deadline: The Things That Annoy Me

I like the MLB trading deadline as much as the next. The speculation, the potential deals and the names discussed make for great conversation. However, I do get annoyed, perturbed, bothered, name the adjective when I hear certain names and teams mentioned. This usually involves teams that are deemed as “sellers” and players that are viewed as “available”. Now, there is a good chance that all three of our teams will benefit from these conditions. As a fan of the game, these situations still bother me because we have fan bases involved that have been repeatedly kicked at this time of year.

Here are my three items for this deadline that really make me frown. Keep in mind I don’t speak for the fans of the teams involved so maybe they don’t have an issue with what is going on. I speak from an outsider’s perspective.

Enough of the Mitch Keller trade talk. Credit: Forbes

Pittsburgh Pirates

The first domino fell with third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes being sent to the Cincinnati Reds earlier today. The name that has been talked about seemingly since May is pitcher Mitch Keller. Why, Pittsburgh, why? Keller does not become a free agent until 2029, so yes, he theoretically can bring back a great return. But again, why? Do Pirates’ fans trust that the players coming back will actually pan out? Even more of a problem for me is the Bucs have assembled a solid rotation with Keller, Paul Skenes and Bailey Falter. If they can manage to put a decent lineup around this trio, then we are talking about a team that contend in 2026. That also means keeping closer David Bednar, also mentioned in trade discussions and is controlled through next season. Fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates deserve much better than seeing their team raided year after year at the deadline.

Miami Marlins

Maybe it is just a rumor but the Marlins did make the playoffs in 2023. They took a giant step backwards last season because their entire starting rotation landed on the injured list. Pitcher Sandy Alcantara has been seemingly been talked about in trade rumors for the last four years. You would think that with Miami going 28-22 since June 1 to crawl their way to the fringes of a playoff spot that any talk of Alcantara being moved would die down. You would be wrong. It is the Marlins so nothing is off the table when it comes to player movement. I don’t expect them to become buyers which is fine. However, it would be a big disappointment to trade the former Cy Young Award winner just as his team is turning things around.

Cleveland Guardians

Did we forget that it was just last year that the Guardians reached the American League Championship Series? So a semi lost season later, there is this need to tear the thing down? I get it, outfielder Steven Kwan may command a significant return with him being under control until 2028. But this team still has Jose Ramirez, one of the best players in baseball. Perhaps the investigation into Emmanuel Clase‘s alleged gambling activities, himself the subject of trade rumors, has forced Cleveland into the possibility of selling. However, with Ramirez at 33 years old, the Guardians should be doing everything in their power to add help for him, particularly since he signed the most club friendly contract in baseball history. Suck it up, Guardians, keep Kwan, hope Clase gets cleared and take a run at 2026.

Brian Cashman and the Meaning of Going to Town

Brian Cashman, the longtime General Manager of the New York Yankees, recently used a phrase that is sure to be remembered for a long time. When asked about his plans for the upcoming trade deadline, Cashman declared, “We’re going to town”. The implication is that the Yankees are ready to make a significant move or moves to try and return to the World Series. With the Yanks now 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays after their third consecutive defeat today and with Aaron Judge now on the injured list, Cashman has to make good on those words.

Brian Cashman hope to “go to town” We shall see. Credit: Sports Illustrated

Let’s look at the first trade made and determine if it was “going to town”.

On Thursday, the Yankees made a deal for Colorado Rockies’ third basemen Ryan McMahon. He has an excellent glove but his bat is suspect. He was hitting .217 while striking out at a clip in excess of 33%. Part of that can be attributed to being part of a Rockies’ franchise that has been arguably the worst over the past two seasons. That being said, McMahon was not the top third baseman that is rumored to be on the move. That would be Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks who has hit 36 home runs. Now, it’s true that the D’backs may not actually trade Suarez until the right offer comes along. But did Cashman seriously engage in talks?

If Arizona asked for Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr., the organization’s top two prospects, then of course trading for just Suarez is out of the question. However, would it be worth it to trade Jones or Lombard for Suarez and Merrill Kelly, Arizona’s best starting pitcher? I would strongly consider that. If the D’backs starting point was Ben Rice for Suarez straight up and Cashman said no, is that really “going to town”? Not even close. Again, this is hypothetical and we have no knowledge at the moment of what, if anything was discussed or even if a conversation took place. If Cashman didn’t even pick up the phone to find out what it would take to get Suarez, then he didn’t go to town, he didn’t even get in his car.

I am willing to give it until Thursday to determine the merits of Brian Cashman’s “going to town” quote. The early return is not promising. At least McMahon shores up the infield defense. If Cashman is not willing to part with Ben Rice to land a big piece, then this trade deadline will be a failure. We have five days to find out.

I Have Never Seen a Play Like Cody Bellinger’s Catch and Throw

The New York Yankees salvaged the finale of their Subway Series on Sunday, defeating the New York Mets by a score of 6-4. The Yanks jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Mets started to fight their way back. The most important play occurred in the bottom of the 7th inning and the Mets threatening. With Francisco Lindor on first base, Juan Soto hit a sinking shot to left field toward Cody Bellinger. What followed was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen on a baseball diamond.

Cody Bellinger’s great double play helped out the Yanks. Credit: Yahoo Sports

Bellinger managed to catch the ball on his shoetips. As if this catch wasn’t amazing enough, Bellinger managed to keep his feet and uncork a strike to double Lindor off first. It was the play of the game. Any momentum the Mets had was snuffed out by Bellinger and allowed the Yankees to win their first game in the month of July.

As for the play itself, I have never witnessed anything like that. It should easily land as the Play of the Week when the next edition is shown on MLB Network. In fact, it should be the Play of the Year. This is not to disparage any of the other gems we have seen so far this year such as Denzel Clarke scaling the wall. We have seen the home run robbery, the backhand in the hole and the crashing into the stands. Many times. However, have we ever seen a left fielder charge a ball, catch it literally an inch from the ground, compose himself and then fire a bullet to first to complete a double play? I mean, have you ever seen a 7-3 double play? And if you have, was it as spectacularly executed as it was by Cody Bellinger? I would say the answer to that is a hard no.

If you haven’t seen the catch and throw, please click on the video below. See for yourself. I’ll bet you have never seen a play like this in your life. It is worthy of being the 2025 MLB Play of the Year, in this humble fan’s opinion.

New York Baseball Is Short on Fireworks

As I sit here on this lovely Fourth of July, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are facing off in the second Subway Series of 2025. The Yanks are currently ahead 5-4 but given how these two teams have played lately, no lead is safe. Both the Yanks and Mets started today out of first place, something that has not occurred in almost three months. The Mets have seemingly placed a pitcher on the injured list every day this week while the Yankees did nothing right in getting swept out of first place by the Toronto Blue Jays. July 4th represents celebrations, fireworks and good times. Unfortunately, our New York baseball teams are in short supply of all three.

Aaron Boone is looking for anything to spark the Yankees. Credit: Yahoo Sports

The MLB season is more than halfway complete. In the course of an entire season or even a half, bad baseball is going to happen for a period of time to all teams, no matter how good they are. The Yankees and Mets just happen to be going through their rough patches at the same time. Right now, it feels like neither team is going to return to the playoffs. The Blue Jays have surpassed the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays have pulled even with them. The Philadelphia Phillies’ lead over the Mets feels a lot larger than just one game. The Yankees arguably suffered their worst loss of the season Wednesday night, getting behind 8-0, tying it at 9 and then losing 11-9 with Aaron Judge in the on deck circle. The Mets have won two games in a row but the last time that happened, they were blasted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in their next series. Anthony Volpe can’t stop making mistakes in the field, Mark Vientos looks lost since he returned from the IL. The rotations (minus Max Fried) can’t go past five innings, the bullpen can’t hold leads. Mental mistakes are happening all over the diamond and the managers can’t stop the bleeding. Other than these “minor” issues, everything is just swell with the Yankees and Mets.

There are still another three months left in the season. Both teams desperately need to get to the All Star Break. Management has to evaluate the greatest need for each of their respective organizations. The good vibes that existed all of last Summer for the Yankees and Mets have evaporated on this special day. The array of fireworks that began the season have turned out to be duds. It’s not too late to turn them back into Roman Candles.

Dave Parker Helped My Love of Baseball

The world knows by now that Hall of Famer Dave Parker has died at age 74 from Parkinson’s disease. If you watched the excellent 2019 documentary by MLB Network, “The Cobra at Twilight”, you know that he had been battling the disease for a long time. While it is tremendous that Parker was able to field the call that granted him induction into Cooperstown, it is tragic that he will not be there in person next month for enshrinement. I can honestly say that although most of his best seasons came before I turned 10, he was an influential player that grew my love for the game of baseball.

Hall of Famer Dave Parker. Credit: USA Today

You see, my earliest baseball memory was that of the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series Championship team. Dave Parker (or Willie Stargell, take your pick)was the best player on that team. I love the song, “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, which was the Pirates’ theme song for that season. To this day, whenever I hear that song, all I can think of his PArker, STargell and one heck of a baseball team. In the summer of 1980, I attended the Paul Blair Baseball Camp and I remember watching the video of that World Series. Parker was the guy with the big arm in right field and who was an intimidating player to face when he was at the plate. Growing up, it just FELT like he was the best right fielder in the game, and not only that, the best player in all of baseball. He did everything well, hit, hit for power, play Gold Glove defense and steal bases. I know there was a little bit of a gap in production those final years in Pittsburgh. However, when he joined the Cincinnati Reds, he looked like the old Cobra, finishing second in the MVP voting in 1985 and then fifth in 1986. Parker won a second World Series championship as a member of the Oakland A’s. He was a big time player throughout my childhood and into high school. I always supported his candidacy for the Hall of Fame.

So why did it take over 30 years after his retirement for Dave Parker to get into the Hall of Fame? I think the first reason was his admission of both his use of cocaine and his introducing of a drug dealer in the Pirates’ clubhouse. This shocking testimony came during the infamous Pittsburgh Drug Trials of 1985, a scandal that rocked baseball as much as the steroid testimony did two decades later. The second was his overall numbers. He did not reach any of the milestone numbers needed for a 19 year playing career. Although he was unquestionably one of the five best players of his era, his “dominance” was not for a long enough period of time for the voters. I think Parker would have been inducted sooner had he decided to stop playing after winning his second championship ring. Short periods of dominance has to count for something; so does championships with two different teams. Parker’s induction may pave the way for another favorite of mine rowing up, Dale Murphy.

I am happy Dave Parker left this Earth knowing he made the Hall of Fame. It’s a shame he will not get his plaque in person. I will always remember him as an important of my baseball upbringing. Rest in peace, Cobra.

Heavy Questions for the New York Mets

It only seems like the sky is falling for the New York Mets. They have been stuck in a rut for over a week, having lost eight of their last nine contests. I still believe this team is playoff bound and this is one of those stretches that even the best teams go through during the course of a long season. However, there are still some things that are developing that can derail the club as they seek to return to the World Series for the first time since 2015. After last season’s run to the National League Championship Series, just making the playoffs isn’t good enough. So what are some things that are a bit concerning to me? Here are some questions I have regarding the current state of the Mets.

Sean Manaea needs to resemble 2024 when he comes back. Credit: Sports Illustrated

Has the pitching lab hit a snafu?

Much of the rotation acquisitions the Mets have made over the last two offseasons were met with skepticism. The performances of Sean Manaea and Luis Severino, along with improvements of Tylor Megill and David Peterson in 2024 showed that David Stearns, Carlos Mendoza and Jeremey Hefner knew their talent and played to their strengths. 2025 started off the same. Griffin Canning and Clay Holmes exceeded expectations through the first eight weeks of the season. Their starts as of late are concerning. Canning is close reverting back to seasons past and it’s hard to tell if Holmes can last the entire season in the rotation. Kodai Sanga is hurt again. Manea is on his way back as is Frankie Montas. The rotation to me is officially a worry.

What’s up with Francisco Alvarez?

Alvarez’s injury last April coincided with the Mets slide and his activation was in line with the team’s turnaround in June. He missed the first month of this season and has struggled since coming off the injured list. He has struck out 38 times in just 138 plate appearances with only three home runs. Defensively, he still throws out would be base stealers but other aspects, such as framing and blocking pitches, have regressed. Part of the issue stems from the fact that Luis Torrens did a tremendous job while Alvarez was out. Without regular playing time, Alvarez has had issues getting on track. This resulted in him getting sent to Triple A Syracuse on Sunday. I feel like since Torrens has been so good, the Mets will be OK at catcher, just like the Yankees in 2022 when Jose Trevino got an opportunity and ran with it. Alvarez is still only 24 and not far removed from being the organization’s #1 prospect. It’s still early to say he will not work out long term. Moderate worry on this situation.

How much trust do you have in the bullpen?

To be fair, 75% of baseball fans are skeptical of their team’s bullpen. When it comes to the Mets, I feel like the only guy to trust is Edwin Diaz, despite the overall numbers. Huascar Brazobán was the most reliable reliever after Diaz early on but he has struggled in his last ten appearances. The loss of A.J. Minter for the season was a crushing blow. Perhaps the long term role for Jose Butto is that of a setup guy as opposed to a long man. Last year, Stearns filled out the bullpen as the year went on with Brazoban, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek. That strategy paid off with an NLCS appearance. Perhaps with Brazoban and Butto, more internal options exist and lessens the need for a big trade. I would still like to see a setup weapon such as Jake Bird. Bullpens are always a worry, but on this year’s Mets, the rotation worries me more.

My MLB All Star Ballot is Complete

The family and I submitted our All Star ballots this weekend. We try our best not to get wrapped up in electing the players from our favorite teams but some of us (ahem, Caitlyn) couldn’t help ourselves. In conversing with Matthew, I realized I erred by leaving off Pete Crow-Armstrong. Well, we get four other chances to vote and I could rectify that by voting for PCA as well as others I overlooked (Manny Machado and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. come to mind). I miss voting in person at the ballpark with the hanging chads. But nothing beats voting with the family and discussing our choices afterwards.

My MLB All Star ballot.

The first thing to stand out is the fact I selected three players from the A’s. Jacob Wilson is a no brainer with his .349 batting average. I felt Lawrence Butler did enough both at the plate and in the field to merit inclusion. I realize that Steven Kwan might be more deserving and if I were to cast a second ballot, he would be included. Brent Rooker to me is the best designated hitter in the American League, plus he gets a couple of extra points for being on my fantasy team. On the National League side, PCA will easily make my second potential selection ahead of Kyle Tucker and or/Corbin Carroll. James Wood is having a phenomenal season, one that would be garnering more notice if the Washington Nationals weren’t in fourth place in the National League East. Machado is an intriguing alternative to Eugenio Suarez, however, Suarez does lead the NL in both home runs and RBI’s. Will Smith probably will be the NL catcher but Hunter Goodman has proven to be quite the bright light for the dreadful Colorado Rockies. Smith would get my vote the second time around.

The All Star Game is truly the Midsummer Classic for our family. We vote together and we watch the game together. Take a look at my selections. How much do you agree with them?