Today is one of the biggest days of the entire year on the baseball calendar. No, don’t worry, it’s not the trade deadline. That’s still Monday — you didn’t sleep through an entire day. No, today is the day the newest class will be inducted at Cooperstown. Every winter (and really, all year long) we debate who deserves to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. These debates get intense and everyone firmly believes that their opinion is obviously correct, but after all of that arguing only a few actually make the cut each year. This year, Jeff Bagwell, Ivan Rodriguez and Tim Raines will be joining the ranks in Cooperstown.
This is a special day for all of baseball, but this year’s class is particularly special for those in Houston, Dallas and Montreal. For a time, it seemed as if Bagwell may never get in, despite obvious credentials, due to bogus and baseless steroid accusations. Raines, of course, has been one of the more controversial Hall of Fame choices in recent memory and finally got in on his last try. Rodriguez always seemed like a no-brainer.
Joining the players on stage for induction on Sunday will be a couple of executives in Bud Selig and John Schuerholz. The former was the longtime commissioner who has a mixed bag that includes expansion and the Wild Card on the positive side of things and that whole steroid era thing on the negative side, among others. Schuerholz was a longtime general manager in the league with the 90s Braves being his greatest achievement. Still, it’ll be the players who hog the spotlight today, as it should be. Coverage from Cooperstown will start at noon on MLB Network.
- Yu Darvish was awful in his last start against the Marlins, and it turns out there’s a legitimate reason for it. He’s just glad a writer pointed it out for him.
- Yoan Moncada decided it wasn’t enough to make one amazing play, so he had to make two in a row.
- All signs are pointing toward a deal sending Sonny Gray to the Yankees before Monday’s deadline.
- Justin Verlander has joined Darvish and Gray as one of the hottest commodities potentially available before Monday’s trade deadline. Now, it appears he’ll be staying in Detroit.
- There haven’t really been many exciting trades so far this month, but Viva El Birdos has an idea for a big one between St. Louis and Washington.
- The Red Sox placed David Price on the disabled list on Friday, and some fans and media in Boston think it was just a way for the lefty to avoid some boos. This, of course, is preposterous.
- On Friday, the Orioles acquired Jeremy Hellickson in a very strange trade. Apparently, that is not stopping them from shopping their elite relievers. Wh… what are you doing, Orioles?
- Zack Cozart should have been one of the best position players available at the deadline, but an ill-timed injury will keep him in Cincinnati.
- At one point, the Cubs seemed like the most likely destination for Alex Avila. Now that they appear to be out of his market, where will the Tigers catcher land?
- The Indians have been inconsistent all year long, but it’s not easy to find ways to boost the roster before the deadline.
