MLB Bullets Beat All The Odds

If you're the type of person who loves underdog stories, you're probably eating up the story of Leicester City winning the Premier League. There's really no American equivalent to that--at 5000 to 1, they were ten times less likely to win the Premier League than the Atlanta Braves are to win this year's World Series, who are currently listed at 500 to 1. This is nothing like the '69 Mets or the '87 Twins. If you can imagine a school like Knox College winning the BCS Football Championship, that's pretty much the best American equivalent, assuming Knox College were allowed to work their way up from Division III. It would be more like the indy league Schaumburg Boomers winning the World Series.

If you're the type of person who just hates all soccer stories on a matter of principle that soccer sucks, sorry. It's my column and I can write what I want. There will be lots of baseball links coming up in a second. Plus, I like the idea of a team in blue that has won nothing in well over 100 years celebrating a championship.

• Speaking of the Braves, Cameron DaSilva explains why he thinks the Braves could be one of the worst teams in major league history.
• But as Joe Posnanski points out, still nowhere near as big of a longshot as Leicester City.
• Michael Clair thinks all baseball fans should appreciate Leicester City.
• Anthony Castrovince calls the 2016 Cubs the MLB equivalent of Leicester City. Well, only in the sense that the Cubs may be even better than we thought and neither one had won a title in a long time. Obviously the Cubs didn't enter the season as 5000 to 1 underdogs and obviously the Cubs have a lot more payroll than the Foxes.
• While they do have three fewer losses, the fabled New York Yankees only have one more win than the woeful Braves do right now. Dan McCarthy argues that there are a lot of problems with the Yankees right now.
• GM Brian Cashman says that major changes will be coming to the Bronx soon unless the team improves quickly.
• Tom Verducci says it doesn't matter: The Yankees look doomed.
• Steven Goldman writes that the Yankees problems go deep and attacks the idea that none of this would happen if George Steinbrenner were still alive. In fact, he has a pretty good summation of "The Madness of King George."
• One piece of good news for the Yankees is that the suspension of Aroldis Chapman ends on Monday.
• And Alex Rodriguez's house was featured in Architectural Digest.
• Now that it's May, Jayson Stark has a look back at the best and worst of April. The Cubs are featured prominently in one of those categories.
• Ken Rosenthal also looks at the trends of the first month.
• Jonah Keri looks at some unlikely statistical leaders after one month of play.
• Andrew Simon notes some veteran players who are having comeback seasons so far in 2016.
• MLB may end up cancelling their two-game series in Puerto Rico this year because of fears of the Zika virus. The problem with this is that the Zika virus is expected to hit South Florida later this year. Are we going to cancel the Marlins whole season? Actually, maybe that's what Jeffrey Loria is counting on.
• The White Sox have designated John Danks for assignment. Only the second-most shocking DFA for the Pale Hose this season, a distant second to the DFA of former team MVP Drake LaRoche.
• Pablo Sandoval underwent season-ending shoulder surgery.
• Bob Nightengale thinks this is actually a good development for the Red Sox, who don't need the distraction of Sandoval.
• Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy will miss six-to-eight weeks.
• At least temporarily, the O's are going to move Manny Machado to shortstop.
• Padres reliever Robbie Erlin will undergo Tommy John surgery.
• Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco hits the DL with a torn labrum.
• Mike Piellucci documents Jurickson Profar's long road to the majors. Twice.
• The Reds set a bad record when their bullpen allowed a run in their 21st straight game.
• Mark Simon shows how the Pirates are benefitting from Francisco Cervelli's pitch framing abilities.
• David Schoenfield declares the Rangers Nomar Mazara "baseball's next big star."
• Chris Cwik looks at the most likely landing spots for free agent pitcher Tim Lincecum.
• Bryce Harper has signed the biggest endorsement deal in MLB history. Why would someone give him that much money? "Clown question, bro."
• Russell Carleton makes that case that teams are not gaining any significant benefit from defensive shifts. As always with an article by Carleton, "gory mathematical details ahead."
• Jay Jaffe has another appreciation of the greatness that is Bartolo Colon.
• Jerry Crasnick claim that better days have arrived early for the Phillies.
• Paul Hagen has a profile of former Red Sox manager Butch Hobson, who has been managing in independent baseball for 20 years now. And he still hasn't won the Premier League.
• The Potomac Nationals and the Lynchburg Hillcats are playing a triple-header today. Let's play three!
• Trace Thompson hit a home run in the Trop that never came down. Thus violating the law of gravity and earning an 80 game suspension.
• Actually, that was his teammate, pitcher Josh Ravin, who tested positive for a PED. This got a lot less attention than Dee Gordon got.
• How not to write a baseball headline, courtesy Philly.com.
• Angels first baseman Ji-Man Choi is the latest player to insist that the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee is haunted.
• And finally, lots of hearts were broken on Monday when it was officially announced that Justin Verlander and Kate Upton are engaged. I don't think anyone really doubted that Kate would get a ring long before Justin would.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. The Cubs are off to their best start in 109 years. And Leicester City proved that good things come to those who wait.