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Well, friends, it’s finally Friday, and even though this was a shortened week for me (we love those sneaky midsummer holidays in Canada), I personally can’t wait to kick off my shoes, grab a cold drink, and enjoy my weekend.
There were plenty of news stories filling up the final days of the week, but nothing with the heavy headline-grabbing gravitas of Rob Manfred issuing ultimatums, or ARod trying to team up with Viagra to buy the Mets.
Let’s take a look at what stories were making waves in baseball since Wednesday.
- A whopping seven MLB pitchers are showing off new pitches this season, writes Eno Sarris. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Emma Baccellieri looks at what weird records and feats we might witness in a 60-game season.
- Nick Markakis opted out of the season, then back in, and now he belted his first home run of the year.
- Speaking of home runs, Shohei Ohtani seems just fine in that department.
- Who are 2020’s most irreplaceable players? asks Dan Szymborski.
- Is it possible that 2020 and 2021 might produce the first-ever two-time Rookie of the Year winner? Jayson Stark looks into the possibility. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Jorge Castillo shares the story of Connor Joe’s return to baseball after a battle with testicular cancer.
- The Buffalo stadium is beginning to look more and more like Rogers Centre south for the Blue Jays, story shared by WBEN radio’s A New Morning with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski.
- Ben Clemens would like people to know that you can’t put Yu Darvish in a pitch-type box.
- Everything about the game experience is unsettling and different for players, write Alden Gonzales and Jesse Rogers.
- On the same note, Doug Glanville writes about why it’s so hard for players to give up on high fives and spitting seeds. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Tom Verducci would love to know what has become of superstar first basemen? (I think Cubs fans would beg to differ that they’re a dying specialty)
- Dustin May is looking pretty darned good for the Dodgers, writes Jay Jaffe.
- In a moment of total brilliance, the Royals decided to hide Marlins Man’s cutout at their game.
OMG! Royals not having the Marlins Man thing pic.twitter.com/VrtWSblJC6
— Sara Sanchez (@BCB_Sara) August 6, 2020
That wasn’t the only cheeky cutout move at the Royals game, though, as this Weekend at Bernies cutout was also spoted.
A little Easter egg at the K #kc #royals #weekendatbernies pic.twitter.com/TO3UXYw3Gg
— HopkinsKC (@HopkinsKC1) August 7, 2020
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.