- Let’s be fair to Kevin Cash. Without his managerial creativity and analytical acumen, the Rays may not have made the post-season, let alone the World Series. He’s also a nice guy and well-liked by the players. His Rays came up short against a really good Dodger team. Unfortunately, all that well-deserved, Cash cache was seemingly canceled by his controversial decision to take Blake Snell out in the sixth inning of game six of the World Series. There’s no dodging this one. In fact, Snell’s “F-Bomb” reaction said it all.
It was a game that Snell had been dominating. The reason he was pulled had nothing to do with that moment in time—Snell was at his very best–but everything to do with analytics that the Rays rely on. In this case, statistics didn’t favor going through a line-up—that he had been overwhelming—for a third time. But the alternative was replacing him with Nick Anderson, who had been underwhelming throughout the post-season.
The response of Dodgers star Mookie Betts, who had struck out twice and was not looking forward to facing Snell again, was illustrative. “That’s the Cy Young Snell that came tonight,” said Betts, who welcomed Anderson with a game-changing, Series-altering double. “Once he came out, it was a breath of fresh air.”
- The response of media and fans to Cash taking out Snell was largely: “WTF!” The response of the Los Angeles Dodgers was unanimously: “Thank you.”
- “Champa”: The Lightning won it all. The Rays came really, really close. The Bucs could have a Super season.
- The Bucs brought in high-profile, high-risk, recently-suspended, wide receiver Antonio Brown to shore up the receiving corps for Tom Brady. Too bad they had to settle for this guy. Or maybe personal conduct, including arrests for assault and felony burglary and allegations of sexual assault, is just not much of an NFL priority anymore. BTW, head coach Bruce Arians—way back in March—said, of Brown, “There’s no room. … It’s just not a fit here.” But stuff, like injuries and NFL pragmatics, happens.
- “Trump’s policies will bring the American Dream to many families across the nation.” That was anti-socialist golf legend and Trump-voter Jack Nicklaus, who may be spending too much time on the 19th hole.
- Former NFL QB Brett Favre endorsed Trump. Call it a pick-six.