“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2016): I don’t know anything about the Padres

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post (of varying amounts of seriousness) about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to (and aftermath of) the beginning of the 2016 season. Earlier installments can be found here. This is the Padres entry.

I know nothing about the Padres. Okay, not nothing, but they are probably one of my biggest weak-spots. I… basically know nothing about them. Oh, I know Matt Kemp is still pretty good, and both Tyson Ross and James Shields are not bad pitchers, despite the beating the Dodgers gave Ross on Monday. Oh, and Will Myers is still a guy!

But…. yeah, I really don’t know much about them. And I won’t insult you by claiming otherwise.

So instead, let’s talk about how awesome the logo is:

I mean, look at that. It combines the best portions of previous Padres graphical identities into a nice combo.

And that’s cool.

Wisdom and Links now up at @HOVG

Aside

Hey, hey! It’s time for some links over at Hall of Very Good! Check it out!

MVP of Yesterday (April 4, 2016): Clayton Kershaw

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Uh oh, Kershaw has learned how to throw a change-up. This is very bad for opposing hitters but very good for him and his odds at getting the MVP of Yesterday, like he did… yesterday, when he allowed only one hit and struck out nine as the Dodgers ran amuck on the Padres.

Standings:

Francisco Liriano: 1

Clayton Kershaw: 1

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2016): The Best Unofficial Tigers T-Shirts

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post (of varying amounts of seriousness) about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2016 season. Earlier installments can be found here. This is the Tigers’ entry.

Some of the best T-shirts for baseball teams aren’t from the teams themselves, but rather from fans and artists! Here are some of the best unofficial Detroit Tiger shirts!

For example, here’s a shirt that combined the Tigers with the Lions, creating a…. Liger, I guess. Tigon?

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.30.19 PMOr, hey, why not do ALL FOUR Detroit teams in one t-shirt?

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.41.50 PMWant a pixel-art shirt of the Tigers mascot? Because that totally exists:

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.43.24 PMI may have featured this in a previous round-up of unofficial shirts, but it’s a good one… CRUSH-IT CABRERA:

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.45.23 PMBane and the Detroit Tigers logo go together way better than you would think:

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.47.28 PMHere’s a cool-looking Justin Verlander shirt:

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.52.55 PMOr, you can go classic and pay tribute to baseball’s greatest battery:

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.55.35 PMYou can also pay tribute to the late, great, Ernie Harwell:

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.57.43 PMOr, finally, you could salute the Tigers teams of the 1980s with this Kirk Gibson minor league shirsey:

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 1.04.23 PM

Pretty cool, huh?

MVP of Yesterday (4-3-2016): Francisco Liriano

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It’s time once again for MVP of Yesterday! The first MVP of Yesterday of 2016 is Francisco Liriano, who struck out 10 and gave up just three hits in six innings of work (although he did walk five), while also batting in a run!

Standings:

Francisco Liriano: 1

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2016): Will the Cardinals finally miss the playoffs?

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post (of varying amounts of seriousness) about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2016 season. Earlier installments can be found here. This is the Cardinals’ entry.

In 2010, the St. Louis Cardinals went 86-76, and missed the playoffs.

They have made it every year since then. They are now the playoff constant that the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees once were. And yet, in the tough NL Central, it’s entirely possible that this season may see them finally miss the postseason for the first time since that 2010 team.

It’s not that the Cardinals will be bad, so much as that they are in the NL Central, with the Cubs and the Pirates. They also are, slowly, getting older. Matt Holliday is 36. Adam Wainwright is 34. Yadier Molina is 33 and those catching legs can’t be in the best shape. The Cubs and Pirates are younger, the Brewers are on their way up (although it’s doubtful they will be a threat this season). The window maybe, just maybe, could be closing.

On the other hand, these are the Cardinals. They excel at beating expectations. The “Devil Magic” may never stop.

Or will it?

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2016): Cleveland should change it’s logo to Louis Sockalexis

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post (of varying amounts of seriousness) about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2016 season (and in some cases the aftermath). Earlier installments can be found here. Now, the Indians.

The Cleveland Indians, have, wisely, decided to demote Chief Wahoo. It’d be even better if they banished him entirely, or at least relegated him only to throwback uniform days, but it’s a start. Instead, they’ll be going with the block-C logo.

But… why not actually pay tribute to the person who Cleveland has claimed was the inspiration of the name? Louis Sockalexis. Oh, whether or not Cleveland is actually called the Indians because of Sockalexis is… complicated, the fact remains, as the great Joe Posnanski said in that article:

“I don’t believe the Indians were named to honor Louis Sockalexis, not exactly. But I do believe the Indians name could honor him. That choice is ours.”

So… why not honor him? Change the logo to show him or acknowledge him. Perhaps the logo can BE Louis Sockalexis. oh, sure, he wasn’t the most handsome guy, but to honor him would be a much better logo than the hyper-racist Chief Wahoo.

So do it, Cleveland. Make Louis Sockalexis the icon and logo of your team.

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2016): The Nationals are no longer the hot pick, so they might as well win the NL

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post (of varying amounts of seriousness) about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to (and in some cases the aftermath of) the beginning of the 2016 season. Earlier installments can be found here. This is the Nationals entry.

Last season, the Nationals were the trendy pick to win the World Series. This year, they are not.

Which probably means they’ll go and win the NL because baseball history is full of teams going on to win after everyone else has moved on to a new pick. The best Cardinals team of this century (2004) didn’t win the World Series, but two years later (2006) a 83-76 team won it, for example. Plenty of people probably picked the Cardinals in 2004. I doubt as many picked them in 2006, at least once the playoffs started and they only had a 83-win season.

So… why not the the Nationals? They still have Bryce Harper, they still have Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. Jonathan Papelbon is…well…. Jonathan Papelbon, for better and for worse. Maybe Daniel Murphy will be even half as good as he was in the postseason last year. Are they as good on paper as some previous Nationals teams? No. But, well, these games aren’t played on paper.

So… why not the Nationals?

 

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2016): The Brewers Beer Barrel Man is a robot

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post (of varying amounts of seriousness) about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to (and in some cases the aftermath of) the beginning of the 2016 season. Earlier installments can be found here. This is the Brewers entry.

 

Let’s look at the Milwaukee Brewers’ “Beer Barrel Man” logo of the 1970s and their time in the minor leagues:

What does that look like to you?

To me, it looks like a robot. You are never going to convince me otherwise, so don’t even try.

(For more substantial Brewers talk, listen to my conversation with Travis Sarandos of Brew Crew Ball in the most recent Continuucast.)

CONTINUUCAST 7: 2016 Season Opening EXTRAVAGANZA!

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It’s time for another Baseball Continuum CONTINUUCAST! This time with Eric Stephen, Travis Sarandos, and Michael Clair! In addition, Dan reveals his picks for the season! Hit play above, download by right-clicking here, follow the RSS feed here or follow on iTunes here or Stitcher here (if the latest episode isn’t up yet, it will be shortly).

 

Dan Glickman opens up the 2016 MLB Regular Season with a Continuucast with a record THREE guests, and also gives his season predictions!

 

First (at 3:10 in the podcast), Dan talks to Eric Stephen of True Blue LA about the Dodgers, covering their spring injury bug, Corey Seager, Vin Scully, and several other topics.
Then (at 23:24), Dan welcomes Travis Sarandos of Brew Crew Ball, BP Milwaukee and the “Dingers, Doubles and Drunks” podcast. They talk about the Brewers, whether Braun and/or Lucroy will be traded, the NL Central in general, the many excellent prospects on the way to Milwaukee, and whether Travis had any idea that his article theorizing that Hank the Ballpark Pup had been replaced would end up becoming so big.

 

The final guest (at 42:55) is Michael Clair of MLB.com’s Cut4 and formerly of Old Time Family Baseball! The two talk the MLB season, how awesome Opening Day is, Michael’s beloved Pittsburgh Pirates (and how he fell in love with them), give their championship predictions, and complain about how disappointing the Batman vs.  Superman movie was (SPOILER ALERT!).

 

Finally (at 1:18:19), Dan gives his season predictions for Major League Baseball in 2016! They will almost certainly be wrong, but now you have a recording to keep him from claiming otherwise.

 

Music/Sounds Featured:

 

“The National Game” by John Phillip Sousa

“The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy

“The D-O-D-G-E-R-S Song” by Danny Kaye

“I Love LA” by Randy Newman

“Beer Barrel Polka AKA Roll out the Barrel” by Frankie Yankovic

The Theme Song from Happy Days

“Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa

“You Gotta Believe” (The early 1990s Pirates theme song)

“Bugler’s Dream/Olympic Anthem”

Excerpt of “Pennant Fever” from the Major League soundtrack

 

All sound and music used is either public domain or is a short snippet that falls under fair use.