Memorial Day - lest we forget

Don’t you wish you had a job in baseball?

It happens only in baseball. Last weekend, the Atlanta Braves swept a three-game series in Miami against the Marlins who then fired their manager Mike Redmond and replaced him with GM Dan Jennings – a move that makes the Rays hiring of a bullpen coach to manage look like a stroke of genius. So now they are paying three managers - Jennings (although he may work for the same money), Redmond and Ozzie Guillen who they fired three years ago and still has a year on his contract. Meanwhile, the Braves, just ahead of the Marlins in the standings, are still paying the bumbling outfielder formerly known as B.J. (now Melvin) Upton now with the Padres and equally inept second baseman Dan Uggla who, ironically, hit a three run homer earlier this month to cap an eight run comeback against the Braves while playing for the Nationals. Both were signed to their awful deals by former Braves GM Frank Wren who also is still on the payroll of the Atlanta ball club.

Around the bay:

1. Some weeks, it’s harder to write this 800 word opus than others. The legislature won’t be in special session for another week or so; the city of Clearwater hasn’t purchased any extravagant pieces of “art” this week and Waldo, Inglis and the others are now cities without traffic ticket quotas thanks to our Tallahassee lawmakers.

2. That being said, isn’t it fun watching the rodents of the left scurrying about trying to decide who is the GOP candidate they most need to attack – Jeb? Marco? Carson? Walker?

3. Maybe, when you would be 86 years old when you began your next term, it might be time to think about retirement and the grandkids. But Democratic Hillsborough County Clerk Pat Frank insists she will run again in 2016.

4. Don’t know about you, but there wasn’t a dry eye in your HB (Humble Blogger’s) home during last week’s send off for Gayle Sierens. What a class act.

5. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you did a lap or two around the REM go-cart track on Coachman Road.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. Remember when the History Channel actually showed historical programs rather than shows about pawn shops and garage sale shoppers?

7. In a related note – one show we would like to see on one of the history or “oldies” channels would be Silent Service – a classic from the mid-fifties.

8. Our Rants and Raves focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) says “right on” to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s hint that the MLB schedule might be reduced back to 154 games. They also suggest MLB return to two, eight-team leagues. (Margin of error 50 per cent or so).

9. We were in error last week in reporting that the New Yankees are baseball’s number one road draw – at least this year. A Yankee telecast of last week reported their road attendance was among the lowest in the league – because of too many away games with the Rays – nice tribute to the local nine. And thanks to the brighter sibling in the family for correcting this misconception.

10. Our crack sports prognosticator Achmed Walled (pronounced wall-ED) says American Pharaoh will tire out at Belmont – making it 37 years since a thoroughbred (Affirmed) captured the Triple Crown.

Speeding up and strengthening the game of baseball, final installment

(Editor’s note: in this series by one of our valued readers, we’ve explored a three pitcher limit per game; a home run derby to decide extra innings games and last week, a sort of flagrant foul situation involving pitchers deliberately throwing at hitters)

Baseball Standings Points

Make regular season series really count, with three-game and five-game series where teams that win the series are awarded points in the standings. This way regular season games become more meaningful with teams knowing each series something is at stake. Overall records will still count, but winning a three-game series is worth one point and a five-game series is worth two points. Most points in the standings at the end of the regular season determine division winners and wildcards.