Outside The Confines: A clash of titans

There are days like this when I really don’t feel like showing up for work. Or in this case, whatever it is that I’m doing here. But then I can look back at that Dodgers/Padres series over the weekend and think that everything isn’t terrible. Some things are actually pretty darn cool.

I’m still wondering which of those two teams will announce that they will “Release the Kraken!” first.

This is not what Chico Escuela was talking about when he wrote Bad Stuff ‘Bout The Mets all those years ago, unfortunately.

• Katie Strang and Brittany Ghiroli have another story about the toxic work environment for women in the Mets organization. (The Athletic sub. req., but here’s a summary outside of a paywall.) Strang and Ghiroli make clear that the problems with the Mets organization go way beyond former manager Mickey Callaway and former general manager Jared Porter. (One man defended his harassment of a female subordinate by texting her “At least I’m not as creepy as Mickey. #goals”) On top of that, when confronted with these new allegations, team president Sandy Alderson responded “Not every instance involving men, women in the workplace is a capital offense, OK?” and asked “Is there ever a statute of limitations on coverage of some of this stuff?”
• In a special edition of his newsletter, Craig Calcaterra wrote that the Mets need to fire Alderson.
• For those who argue that baseball should keep out of politics, Peter Dreier points out that throughout its history, baseball has always been political.
• Here’s some good news in baseball on those fronts. Richard Lapchick writes that The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport report that MLB has made some progress in hiring a more diverse workforce. This refers to the executives and front office staff, not the players. The report card says MLB still has a ways to go, but they are moving in the right direction.
• OK, let’s now talk about what everyone should want to be talking about, that incredible series between the Dodgers and Padres at Petco Park where the Dodgers took two of three games. Alden Gonzalez has a breakdown of the series and the lessons learned over the weekend.
• Bob Nightengale has a look at “baseball’s newest, loudest and gnarliest rivalry.” Nightengale does a good job on this piece (really!) and talks with both sides about how excited they are to be playing these games.
• Molly Knight writes that this new rivalry is the gift that baseball fans needed. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Zach Crizer argues that positional flexibility is one of the big edges that the Dodgers have developed over their rivals.
• Katherine Acquavella presents the winners and losers from the weekend. The big loser? The Yankees.
• David Schoenfield wonders how much trouble the Yankees are in, if any.
• Lindsey Adler reports that Yankee fans (and manager Aaron Boone!) are not a happy lot at the moment. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Yankees outfielder Jay Bruce announced his retirement on Sunday. Bruce made the team out of Spring Training, but he said his play so far this season was not up to the level that he considers acceptable.
• As you know if you watched Saturday’s Cubs game or read Al’s recap, Braves infielder Sean Kazmar Jr. played in his first major league game since 2008. Andrew Simon has a list of things that have happened in baseball between Kazmar’s major league appearances. For one, the Astros were still in the National League.
• Some great pitchers, like Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, are made, not born, argues Michael Baumann. So he has two candidates to be the next pitcher who learned to be great, rather than arrive in the game with great stuff.
• Peter Gammons believes that MLB is going to have to address the elephant on the pitching mound: almost every pitcher is currently putting some foreign substance on the ball. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Will Leitch has eight players who, to everyone’s surprise, is the best player on their team at the moment. There’s a Cubs player on his list.
• Time for some defensive highlights. Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman made an incredible behind-the-back catch and a “throw” to first for an out that could only be described as “interesting.”
• And “the most interesting man in baseball,” Reds first baseman Joey Votto, turned a rare 3-5 triple play on Saturday.
• Now it’s time for the butcher’s bill. Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg went on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
• Adding to the bad news for the Nats, Washington reliever Luis Avilán has a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Usually, that means Tommy John surgery.
• White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn went on the IL with a strained right trapezius.
• Diamondbacks outfielder Tim Locastro was thrown out stealing for the first time in his career and dislocated his left pinky finger on the same play. He’s going on the IL as well. Locastro’s MLB record of 29 steals without getting caught to start a career has come to an end.
• Monday’s Twins/Athletics game has been postponed because of the COVID outbreak in the Twins organization. Just a reminder that this thing isn’t over. Get vaccinated or this thing will never end.
• Kiley McDaniel has a report on what was probably the biggest high school baseball game of the year, (ESPN+ sub. req.) featuring two players expected to go near the top of the upcoming next two drafts.
• The estate of Red Sox great Ted Williams is releasing a series of nine non-fungible token cards featuring Williams. I really don’t get NFTs. I understand what they are, I just can’t understand why anyone would buy one other than on the “greater fool” theory.
• MLB has made the season of every minor league official scorer by ruling that the decisions of the official scorer cannot be challenged by the coaches, players or anyone in the organizations. This is a COVID-related rule, but we’ll have to see if it becomes permanent.
• Padres pitcher and San Diego native Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in Padres history earlier this month. That’s a 52-year streak. So local San Diego brewer Ballast Point Brewing Co. have awarded Musgrove a lifetime supply of their beer. Musgrove said “It will get well used, I promise.”
• And finally, Zach Buchanan has a fun article about the clubhouse culture of crossword puzzles. (The Athletic sub. req.)

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Let’s get back on track tomorrow.