Now Warming Up…Beisbol!

Let's start with the Opener.

***The Sacramento A’s and the Tampa Bay Rays are playing their home games in minor league parks in 2025, due to stadium displacements of different sorts.  The Athletics are temporarily playing in California’s capital while their new palace is built on Las Vegas Boulevard in the desert.  And the former Devil Rays are playing in Tampa, instead of St. Petersburg, due to hurricane damage/stadium issues/possible team for sale.  The home field advantage, though, looks grim with both teams posting losing records at home early on.  Both teams historically do more with less, but 2025 will certainly be challenging.  At least the A’s have a plan; the Rays are in limbo in a way we’ve never seen.  Finding a permanent home in Tampa seems logical, but all options and cities are surely on the table, with an Orlando group now kicking the tires on purchase/relocation.

Now to the Set Up Man.

***The story of the Anaheim Angels being scheduled to play a night game in Pittsburgh and then flying to Minnesota for another evening contest the following night is a problem, but maybe a bit overblown.  Teams should be scheduled with afternoon games for their “getaway” when their next game is in another city.  Of course, afternoon weekday games do not produce the revenue or the quantity fans.  MLB athletes play six out of seven days, at a minimum.  Finding creative ways to make their travel less strenuous is in everyone’s best interest.  But this issue has been going on for years and some teams have been scheduled more of these games than others.  Look for this issue to be dealt with when they get back to discussing the Collective Bargaining Agreement after the 2026 season.

Now the Closer.

***Back to the AL West and the Sacramento A’s who called up the fourth overall pick from last July, Nick Kurtz.  The 22-year-old first baseman, who has been compared to Jim Thome, is expected to bring prolific power.  He had already amassed seven homers and seven doubles in only 20 AAA games before this promotion to the majors.  The hope for Athletics is for Kurtz to hit numerous homers onto that Las Vegas strip when they get there.

 “To succeed in baseball, as in life, you must make adjustments.” -Ken Griffey Jr.