Here’s what to expect over the next few days here:
- Tuesday: Former team names, part 1
- Thursday: Former team names, part 2
- TBD: A World Baseball Classic article
And, as always, this is subject to change due to inspiration/life events that pop up.
Author Archives: danglickman
While we slept, Roki Sasaki nearly did it again
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Today was going to be about former team names, but I’m (to use a football term) calling an audible.
Just days after Roki Sasaki threw perhaps the greatest perfect game in the history of professional baseball, he almost did it again. Striking out 14, the 20-year-old only stopped because he was pulled from the tied game after eight perfect innings. The Chiba Lotte Marines would end up losing in 10, but that doesn’t change the fact that Sasaki may well be in the best hot streak in the history of professional baseball pitching. You can see some highlights below:
With his performance today, Sasaki has now had 17 straight perfect innings and has retired 52 hitters in a row. Just to give an example of how remarkable that is, the MLB record for consecutive hitters faced without a walk, hit, or error is 46 by Yusmeiro Petit.
In other words, Roki Sasaki is amazing, and is doing things nobody else has ever done. It’s entirely possible even more history will be made when he makes his next start.
GLICK ON GAMING: Everything you need to know about Kirby and the Forgotten Land
In Glick on Gaming, Dan Glickman leaves baseball (mostly) behind to talk video gaming. This time: Kirby and the Forgotten Land for the Nintendo Switch. The following includes spoilers for that game.
There are some important things you need to know about the Kirby series.
- They are infamously easy. One of the design concepts of the series is that these are games that people of any experience can beat. The first video game I ever beat without any help was the original Kirby game for the Game Boy, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
- They are also notoriously hard to master. To beat a Kirby game is easy, to get high scores or win in additional modes is harder.
- It is incredibly cute. Even in a company with Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and Mario, it is Kirby that reigns supreme in the cuteness department.
- It is incredibly dark. Okay, maybe not incredibly dark, but far darker than you’d expect. The last few games have had a hidden behind-the-scenes storyline about some sort of war between magic and science, there are dark gods and demons about, and on at least two occasions it’s been implied that humanity has been wiped off the face of the Earth.
With those four facts in mind, I want to share the one thing you need to know about his latest game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land:
THE MAIN CAMPAIGN ENDS WITH KIRBY POSSESSING A SEMI-TRUCK TO DEFEAT A ELF-ANGEL-GOD-THING BY RUNNING INTO IT, CRASHING THROUGH PIECES OF PLANETARY DEBRIS WHILE DOING SO.
So remember, kids: if a elf-angel-god-thing attacks you, just run over it with a truck.
Thank you.
This weekend on the Continuum
Aside
On Saturday, we’ll have a short-but-sweet “Glick on Gaming.”
On Sunday, I’ll have a look at the best former name or identity for every MLB team’s city (Cleveland Spiders, for example).
There might also be another Red Wings Report. That’s TBD.
Rochester Red Wings Report: Four good innings of Cade Cavalli
During the 2022 season, I’ll have occasional reports on games I’ve attended of the Rochester Red Wings, the AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals.
Cade Cavalli is the top pitching prospect of the Washington Nationals. Some lists have him as top prospect for the Nationals overall. For four innings on Thursday, he showed why. Working in the high 90s with off-speeds in the 80s, Cavalli struck out seven Buffalo Bisons while walking only one and giving up an earned run on four hits.
That Cavalli would rack up K’s (including three in the 3rd) isn’t surprising. He led the Minors in 2021 with 175 across three different levels while also being chosen for the Futures Game. However, he has struggled in AAA and didn’t have a good spring with the Nationals this year, including one game where he gave up 10 earned runs to the Cardinals.
The Cavalli of the first four innings on Thursday appeared to have put that behind him. The problem for Cavalli, though, is that he didn’t stop pitching in the 4th inning. He also came out in the 5th. There, the Bisons jumped on him for four straight hits. He was taken from the game after 82 pitches. A few batters later, Samad Taylor hit a grand slam off Jace Fry to put Buffalo up for good. Cavalli’s final line: 4+ IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, season ERA after two starts: 9.00. The final score would ultimately be 10-1 Buffalo as the Wings fell to .500 on the year.
Despite how the game ended, however, Thursday spoke well of Cavalli and his future. He’s only had a small sample size of two starts this year, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio has improved (last season across three levels: 2.92 strikeouts for every walk, this season so far: 5.50 strikeouts for every walk). Plus, he certainly seemed more comfortable and less “raw” on the mound, although admittedly that is an intangible thing that is in the eye of the beholder. Doubtless he and the Nationals are hoping that he’ll be MLB-ready by mid-year. Until then, though, he’ll be in Rochester.
The Red Wings continue their series with Buffalo through the weekend.
Rochester Red Wings Report: It’s good to be back, shame about the ending
During the 2022 season, I’ll have occasional reports on games I’ve attended of the Rochester Red Wings, the AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals.
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The last few years have, frankly, stunk for Minor League Baseball. MLB was able to succeed in a plan (which some fear is not yet over) to decrease the minors, eliminate teams and entire leagues, forcibly shift surviving teams from long-held positions in the hierarchy, and impose certain scheduling restrictions that are a mixed bag for players, front offices, and fans. Add in COVID, which eliminated the 2020 season in its entirety and caused the 2021 season to have a hodgepodge of various restrictions and generally depressed attendance, and it has been a total bummer.
Which is part of the reason why last night in Rochester was so special. It still wasn’t as big of a crowd as it could have been (it was, after all, a school night), but the crowd of 8,170 was still larger than any crowd from 2021. And it was loud, into the game, and ready to cheer.
And the thing is, as an advertisement for Minor League Baseball, last night’s game was better than most. A back and forth game took place. The Bisons would pull ahead, the Red Wings would pull back even, and then it’d happen again. The promotions, as always, were on point, most notably an appearance by very good boy Milo the Bat Dog. He is, after all, a very good boy. I’m still waiting for an MLB team to have a bat dog. It needs to happen eventually, right? The dog would instantly go viral, would put butts in stands, and no doubt there’d be some great moments pre-game when players give the dog much-deserved head-pats. Make it happen, Major League Baseball.
Alas, the only thing that went wrong was the end of the game, as Buffalo took a 6-4 lead that the Red Wings couldn’t make up in the bottom of the 9th.
Other than that, though, it was perhaps the best night at the ballpark in Rochester since 2019.
Clippard not long for AAA
One highlight last night was the performance of Tyler Clippard. As I mentioned back in my one-line-look, the reason why the two-time All-Star with 803 MLB game appearances under his belt is in Rochester to begin with is largely because he signed late. He’s just in AAA for now to build up his arm.
If his performance last night was anything to go on, it won’t be too long. In the top of the 8th, Clippard sent down the Bisons with ease in order, including no-doubt strikeouts of Joshua Fuentes and Cullen Large.
So if you live in Rochester and want to see Tyler Clippard, make sure to head to Frontier Field soon, since he won’t be there long.
The Red Wings continue their long series against the Bisons through Sunday.
Coming up on the Baseball Continuum…
Aside
Coming up on the Baseball Continuum:
- A report from the first Rochester Red Wings game of the season.
- A short-but-sweet “Glick on Gaming.”
- An article in which I choose the best former name or identity for every MLB team’s city (Cleveland Spiders, for example).
While we slept, a 20-year-old in Japan may have pitched the greatest game in history
While we all slept, history was made in Japan, as Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines threw the first NPB perfect game since 1994. What’s more, the 20-year-old struck out 19 while doing it. Oh, and his catcher was a rookie named Ko (or Koh) Matsukawa… who is only 18.
To declare anything the greatest game ever pitched regardless of level is likely a fool’s errand, but there is a thing called Game Score. The highest game score in a 9-inning game in MLB history was Kerry Wood‘s famous 20 strikeout game in 1998, which scored a 105. The second-highest was Max Scherzer‘s 17-K no-hitter in 2015, which was 104.
Now, I’m not great at math, but it appears that Sasaki’s game score is 106. The only game I can think of off the top of my head that has that beat is Ron Necciai‘s Class-D 27 strikeout no-hitter back in 1952, which had a 112 game score (the maximum 114 minus a walk and a HBP).
Regardless of era, league, level, or country, however, Sasaki’s performance against the Orix Buffaloes will no doubt stand for all time as one of the greatest pitching performances ever.
Random assorted predictions for the 2022 MLB season
- The Los Angeles Dodgers will defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series.
- Related to the above, the Blue Jays will win the AL East.
- Also related to number one, the Dodgers will win the NL West.
- The Braves will win the NL East.
- The White Sox will win the AL Central.
- The Brewers will win the NL Central.
- The Astros will win the AL West.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be AL MVP.
- Juan Soto will be NL MVP.
- Robbie Ray will repeat as AL Cy Young Award winner.
- Logan Webb will be the mildly-surprising NL Cy Young Award winner, unless deGrom gets back sooner than expected.
- Bobby Witt Jr. will be AL Rookie of the Year.
- Seiya Suzuki will be NL Rookie of the Year.
- The Mariners will break their postseason drought, reaching as a wild card.
- The other two wild cards in the AL will be the Red Sox and Rays.
- Aaron Boone will be fired after failing to make the postseason.
- The NL wild cards will be the Mets, Giants, and Padres.
- Shohei Ohtani will NOT pitch in the All-Star Game, but will be voted in as a hitter.
- LEAST-BOLD PREDICTION: The Orioles will stink.
- BOLDEST PREDICTION: The Miami Marlins will actually be pretty good and remain truly in the playoff hunt into the final week or two of the season.
One line each on every member of the 2022 Rochester Red Wings opening day roster
One line (or at least a sentence- it could be longer than a line depending on your screen) on every member of the opening day roster of my hometown Rochester Red Wings. They range from statistics to trivia and everything in between. Of course, it’s possible that this roster will change drastically in just a few days once MLB begins its season.
- Alberto Baldonado made his first MLB appearance late last season, striking out Bryce Harper during his debut.
- Cade Cavalli is considered the Nationals’ top pitching prospect and should be the top man in the Rochester starting staff to begin the season.
- Tyler Clippard was a two-time All-Star for the Nationals earlier in his career and will begin in Rochester primarily due to the fact he was signed late and needs more time to build his arm up.
- Carl Edwards Jr. won a World Series title in 2016 with the Chicago Cubs.
- Jace Fry played in the 2006 Little League World Series for Oregon.
- Reed Garrett returns to North America after pitching two seasons in Japan for the Seibu Lions.
- Hunter Harvey has pitched in 26 career games with the Orioles and joined the Nationals organization in late March.
- Gabe Klobosits had a 2.45 ERA in 18.1 innings last season for the Wings while also spending time in Harrisburg and Washington.
- Francisco Perez made his MLB debut last season for Cleveland.
- Erasmo Ramirez has pitched in 216 career MLB games, primarily for Seattle and Tampa.
- Luis Reyes was signed by the Nationals in Aug. 2012, when he was just 17.
- Jefry Rodriguez split time between Rochester and Washington last season.
- Seth Romero missed time this spring with a stiff back, hampering an attempt to start the season with the big club.
- Aaron Sanchez was the 2016 AL ERA leader and made the All-Star Game that season for Toronto.
- Curtis Taylor was acquired off waivers from the Toronto organization in December.
- Lefty Carson Teel primarily played with Harrisburg in 2021 but did make five appearances for the Wings.
- Jackson Tetreault threw all six innings in the Wings’ 4-0 rain-shortened loss to end the 2021 season.
- Logan Verrett has pitched in 57 career games in MLB and has also had time in Korea and the independent leagues.
- Jordan Weems split last season between the Oakland and Arizona organizations, including seven games in MLB.
- Tres Barrera split time between Rochester and Washington last season, and actually hit better in MLB than he did in AAA!
- Although he reportedly retired, longtime MLB catcher Welington Castillo is listed on the team’s roster, albeit not listed as not being with the team.
- Chris Herrmann is no stranger to Rochester, having played here for parts of three seasons during the Twins era.
- Wilmer Perez played some winter ball during the off-season in his native Venezuela.
- Luis Garcia is once again the youngest member of the Red Wings (born: 5/16/00), and is considered one of the top prospects in the Nationals organization.
- Bahamas-born Lucius Fox may be the fastest man on the team with 142 stolen bags during his minor league career so far.
- Joey Meneses was the IL MVP in 2018 and played for Team Mexico in the Olympics last season.
- Jake Noll was last season’s team MVP and was named to the league’s All-Star Team at the end of the season.
- Adrian Sanchez hit well in Rochester last season while splitting time between here and Washington.
- Richard Urena was with the Buffalo Bisons the last several years and so is likely familiar to many Red Wings fans.
- Andrew Young played in 58 games for Arizona last season before being selected in the MiLB Rule 5 draft by the Nationals.
- Nick Banks is from Chris Herrmann’s hometown of Tomball, Texas.
- Donovan Casey was one of the player acquired in the Max Scherzer trade last season.
- Matt Lipka hit .291/.352/.449 between AA and AAA in the Arizona and Milwaukee organizations in 2021.
- Cole Freeman has twice been named to Washington’s organization All-Star Team by MiLB.com, but this will be his first season in AAA.
- Andrew Stevenson has played 248 career MLB games, all with Washington.
- Princeton grad Alec Keller is said to have retired according to MiLB.com, but is still listed on the team’s roster- albeit not with the team.
- Manager Matt LeCroy returns for his second year as manager and third overall (he played for the 2007 team).
- Hitting Coach Brian Daubach hit 20 or more HRs for four straight seasons in Boston from 1999 through 2002.
- Pitching Coach Rafael Chaves has MLB pitching coach experience, as he held the Mariners job in 2006 and 2007.
- Development Coach Billy McMillon was the skipper of the Worcester Red Sox last season
The Baseball Continuum 