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I think I qualified my statement well enough.

I don’t disagree on principle, but rule 5.06(b)(3)(C) is pretty clear that when a fielder tumbles into the stands after a catch, the batter is out, the ball is dead, and all runners advance one base, and the rule does not draw a distinction between fair and foul. There were no runners on base here this time, but imagine Adell making that catch in a tie game on the road in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on third a one out. The winning run would get to trot home, the game would be lost for the Angels, and the catch would be good only for his stats and his reel. And if he makes the catch in that situation while going into foul territory, then he would be 100% at fault for losing the game by making the catch at all instead of letting it go.

And promoting it properly. Chris Ilitch is definitely born-again hard as a team owner.

So … replacement surgery? 😉

Just how NBC planned it! 😝

I don’t think we need to litigate this in a court of law or anything. Based on my own experience in similar contexts, I’m willing to accept that the brain can effectively map out the difference. YMMV.

I will say this about the Benetti hire: I think he has done as much as anyone to rekindle interest in the Tigers among the non-diehard part of the fan base. Most people regard it as a pleasure to tune him in, and I can’t help but conclude that he is a key reason the Tigers more than doubled their TV ratings in 2025 over 2024, as more causal Tiger fans discovered him. From that standpoint, it was a genius hire to bring him on.

This is all defensible, and consistent with some of what I’ve posted about Benetti as well. I get why he is so popular, and I do like him on balance, but he can be grating on me when he lets his cultural muse get the most of him, especially when Dirks is feeding it with his own. That said, when Benetti stays on point, he is objectively one of the best in the business, especially from a local guy standpoint. I actually wouldn’t mind if Benetti stayed permanently—god knows we can and have done much worse than him, and almost certainly will after he goes—but I don’t think he’s going to be here for much longer, because it seems pretty obvious to me his goal is Al Michaels’ career, which is 100% national on major networks.

Not only that, but if you play each position enough, your brain can map out the difference between needing a certain-sized glove at one position versus a different-size glove at another, even if the difference is a fraction of an inch, basically because of the thousands and thousands of balls you have fielded at each.

experts are dubious

This is one of the things I couldn’t wait to stop having to race with the rats. The idea that they would even try to manipulate employees in this way, smiling at them while stabling them in the backs, is simply an evil one. It’s so slimy.

This is one step removed from his forcing Catholics to show up anyway and actively participate in an evangelical Protestant service, as a way of proving how much power he has over them.

This among other reasons is why the Trumpublicans are not going to just sit around and allow anything as stupid as a free and fair election to boot them out of power.

No way Trump will try to get the guy back. Trump will probably be all like, “Do your worst to him, Ayatollah Assahollah, you can’t make him talk …”

Ask and ye shall receive! At least this time.

Dillon Dingler is for real!

All the projections suggest that the rest of the NL Central won’t have much to worry about from the Cardinals.

That’s fair, although Baez should have been sliding like there was going to be a tag play.

I have been repeatedly assured that empty seats behind the plate means nothing in terms of optics.

Of course, give credit to the right fielder on the throw, and credit to the catcher on the catch and tag. Also, debit to Baez for not sliding head first and slapping the plate with his hand, which, had he done, he would totally have been safe. Because remember, this is the guy who basically invented the swim move. There’s no excuse that can exonerate him here.

Why did he use his pitching hand to try to catch that toss from Tork? Not only did he endanger the fingers, which we see right now, but it’s objectively harder to catch a ball while moving with two hands than with one glove, even having to cross over with the glove hand to catch it. It was an asinine decision in the moment.

I promise you those people will get a total pass going forward. One of the things Trump loves to do is give special dispensation in exchange for obvious consideration. It’s one of the reasons he wants tariffs so bad.

For as good a slider as Baez is, that was one of the worst slide decisions I think I have made him see as a Tiger.

I can tell you with certainty they do not, because at some point last year after one of our softball games, I name-checked Bozo for its comic value during some repartee with my much younger teammates, and their vacant stares and/or rolling eyes told me that they had no idea. Then I asked them, do you even know who Bozo the Clown is? And one guy, I’ll never forget this, he replied, uhhhhh, nooooo—is “Bozo the Clown” in the room with us now, Grandpa? You know, like I was hallucinating. And I had to laugh at that, because it was really pretty funny in the moment.