I am tired of reading about contract holdouts, and it doesn't matter if it's veterans or rookies, either way, they're listening to bad advice from their agents, who themselves are looking to leverage a bigger payday by stalling on negotiations until they get what they want.
Jets rookie QB Sam Darnold, fresh from USC, retains Jimmy Sexton as his agent. Sexton, the way the press refers to him, is supposedly football's answer to baseball's #1 pain in the tuchis, Scott "20 Mule Team" Boras. At least Boras made an honest attempt at playing baseball before an injury steered him toward a law practice and a license to fleece baseball owners. Sexton? I don't know if he ever played the game himself, but he's replaced Drew Rosenhaus as the #1 agent for NFL players. It sounds to me like Sexton was haggling over certain contract language for Darnold, and, presumably also, another rookie QB, Josh Allen. Pages from the Boras playbook? Sure seems like it.
Very few agents in any sport came off the field to move into their new careers. One rare example is former New England Patriots running back Randy Vataha, who isn't getting the client list you'd think. Then again, Vataha played at a time when the Patriots weren't among the elite teams in the NFL. I'd rather that agents were never seen nor heard.....
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While the Mets stood pat at the trade deadline, everyone else seemed to be making moves. For example, Boston got some infield insurance by getting veteran Ian Kinsler to fill in at second base with Dustin Pedroia out. Kinsler started the season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Washington dealt reliever Brandon Kintzler to the Cubs. The other LA club, the Dodgers, bagged infielder Brian Dozier from Minnesota. Milwaukee acquired third baseman Mike Moustakas from Kansas City. You'll recall at the beginning of the season, Moustakas was practically forced to re-up with the Royals, and will try the free agent waters again in the off-season, if but because Scott Boras is his agent.
The Yankees and Mets are also finding out that adults can contract hand, foot, & mouth disease just as easily as kids.
Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard will return to the mound today vs. Washington after being placed on the DL for the disease, but the Yankees are in no hurry to put newly acquired pitcher J. A. Happ, who came over from Toronto last week, on the DL. I wonder who got it right.....
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33 years ago, Philadelphia laid a 26-7 beatdown on the Mets. I remember it well, because I was on a camping trip at the time with some friends, and heard about it from a friend on the radio broadcast.
Blowouts are common in baseball, from Little League all the way to the bigs, where there is no such thing as a mercy rule. Tuesday night, Washington laid the smack down on the Mets worse than anyone ever had, even the Phillies. The Nationals dropped 7 in the first inning, and never let up, en route to a 25-4 win. It was so bad (How bad was it?) that Jose Reyes, once a beloved fan favorite, went to the mound to pitch the 8th inning, and poured gasoline on the fire, giving up 6 runs, including homers by Matt Adams & Mark Reynolds.
While Washington manager Dave Martinez began pulling his starters early---Washington led, 19-0, after 5 innings---he left starting pitcher Tanner Roark in to pitch 7 innings, when 5 was enough on this particular night. Roark helped his own cause in the 1st with a 3-run double, and scored a run in the same frame. While Reyes was on the mound, he hit Ryan Zimmerman with a pitch that was so soft, he could've wadded up a roll of toilet paper and gotten the same effect. Zimmerman, knowing the game was well over, teased charging the mound, but then backed off and headed to first base.
I listened to the first inning and change on the radio. Mets starter Steven Matz had his worst outing in the bigs, going just 2/3 of an inning, and I wondered if he was tipping his pitches. That couldn't be the case, as Washington teed off on the Met bullpen until the 6th, then took advantage of Reyes in the 8th. Hmmmmm........
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Have to get this in before I forget again. El Cheapo Media changed sports editors for the 2nd time in a year last month, as Mike (Cheese) Gwizdala left to take a New York State government job. Joe Boyle is the new sports editor, and unlike Gwizdala, is making an effort to cover the Tri-City Valleycats. It'd help if there were additional reporters to cover the hometown's other summer sports team, the semi-pro Troy Fighting Irish. Aside from a season preview, El Cheapo refuses to do game coverage for the Irish. They can claim financial constraints until the cows come home, but the truth is, El Cheapo's corporate parent is only interested in the bottom line, and unwilling to research the markets they serve. Their loss.
Now, Boyle can be a hero if he can convince Troy school superintendent John Carmello to lift his media blackout on El Cheapo Media when it comes to covering Troy High sports.
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