Good to see Japhet playing. He was too far behind trying to play catch up, to challenge for a ML roster. Plus I didn’t realize he’s already 31.
Yep. A couple of seasons in the Japanese leagues is probably life-changing money for a Mexican leaguer.
Watching him come out and watching the rest of the players try to stop him while the pitcher backpedals nonstop is like a real-life adult version of "How many 5 year olds can you take in a fight?"
Japhet was brought directly into AAA, and he sank his chances almost immediately. He was not in the proper shape or had the necessary functional athleticism to play in the Majors. So he quickly went back to being a big fish in a small pond. But I think it served as a visual reminder to the prospects and players, that in the Astros organization you had to perform to stay in board. Hype meant little, performance was the key. I remember all the hoopla about how Luhnow who lived in Mexico City when he was little was going to call up all the top talent from the Mexican Leagues.
Checking in on Bud Norris, Dexter Fowler & the Cardinals... https://sports.yahoo.com/report-bud...-manager-doesnt-seem-care-much-234600367.html https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/07/1...and-badgering-cardinals-pitcher-jordan-hicks/ http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...nals-downplays-locker-room-tension-bud-norris [From early July] https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...calls-out-dexter-fowler-for-his-effort-level/ https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/07/08/report-dexter-fowler-mike-matheny-barely-talk/
Mozeliak did that interview and called him out publicly while Fowler was on paternity leave. Stay classy, Cardinals. And they owe Fowler $50M over the next 3 seasons.
Wasn't "self-appointed", Matheney asked Bud to report back to him about things in the clubhouse. “I get regular updates,” Matheny told reporter Mark Saxon. “But that’s good. I invited him into that. We need leadership with each subculture of the team, including the bullpen, and he’s keeping an eye. He’s a stickler for what we established early on.” Matheny apparently enjoyed having Norris as a one-man police force and complained “the game has progressively gotten a little softer” over the years. “Man, it had some teeth not that long ago,” Matheny said. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ubhouse-police-mlb-notes-20180714-story.html# I'm sure the players looooved that.
Went to a Norfolk Tides game last night; they were playing the Braves AAA affiliate. Rio Ruiz was playing 1st base but did not look that great. He had a couple soft IF groundouts and a strike out. I believe he was batting around .260. Carl Yastrzemski's grandson playing for the tides was about the only other interesting note of the game.
the internet never forgets https://www.totalprosports.com/2018...ts-are-unearthed-during-all-star-game-tweets/ shameful
For all that talk about the Astros giving away Hader, I keep saying we got a no-hitter and solid year out of Fiers. Hader's a great player, but boy did we dodge that.