Is this a Seattle Mariners newsletter now? This is the third edition in its short existence that I have had the Mariners as one of the main topics. It's the second time already where they are the lead story.
I guess that's what happens when there's an Etsy witch and a player called "Big Dumper."
Today
- A big series in the AL West
- One guy who obviously does a better backflip than another guy
- Bidding a not-so-fond farewell to Clayton Kershaw
Keep it up, Cal
The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros kick off a crucial three game series tonight. They enter their game Friday night tied for first place in the American League West. It's a crucial series. It's also a fun series, exactly the kind of thing baseball fans look forward to in September.
Both teams enter the series playing well. The Astros have won three straight games, bouncing back after Seattle took over first place earlier in the week. The Mariners had their winning streak snapped, but they are still 9-1 in their last 10 games.
The Mariners have a lot going for them entering tonight's opener. For one thing, they appear to have a witch on their side. They also have Cal Raleigh, the slugging catcher known as the "Big Dumper," who continues to make his case as the American League MVP in 2025.
When it comes to MVP voting, the data is one thing. And the data will likely favor New York Yankees robot/superstar Aaron Judge. For example, he is worth a full two wins more than Raleigh by bWAR standards (8.7 to 6.7 WAR).
The other factor, however, is the narrative power of each guy's story. If we're all being honest, we are amenable to the sway of the narrative on a case-by-case basis. And that all depends on our own biases and preferences.
For example, I think Mike Trout should have been the MVP like eight seasons in a row. That's a data thing. But now I think Raleigh should win MVP over Judge. That's more of a narrative thing.
Winning a division title is a big deal for the Mariners. Any kind of playoff run will be distinct and unique in their franchise's frustrating history. It all makes them an easy team to root for, especially for those of us whose home teams are long out of contention.
Raleigh is the heartbeat of this team. He is one of the big stories in baseball this season. He made history by passing Mickey Mantle for the most home runs by a switch hitter in a season, and he is poised for more accomplishments if he continues to play well.
It is such a fun story. And it would be so much more fun for him to win MVP than Judge.
These kinds of narratives can gain momentum during stretches or series that receive more mainstream attention. This weekend's showdown for control of the AL West will be one of those series. Here's hoping Raleigh comes up big and keeps the momentum for his MVP case.
Ozzie did it better
Tyreek Hill should be such a joyful player to watch. The Miami Dolphins wide receiver is water-bug quick side to side and the fastest player you have ever seen sprinting in a straight line. In a league full of world class athletes, he can simply run past anybody.
There are incredible highlights of Hill flying past NFL defenders. He will catch a pass standing still, with the safeties and cornerbacks in his vicinity with a theoretical advantage. Hill will be up to full speed in one step and gone.
I would share a highlight, but this isn't meant to be a celebration of Tyreek Hill. And that's because, despite his incredible physical talent, Hill is not a joyful player to watch. At least I don't think so.
The reason for my feelings, if you aren't familiar with Hill's background, is his long history of domestic abuse. I don't have the bandwidth or interest to go into too much detail, but this history includes incidents and allegations of abuse towards women and children.
Suffice it to say, he's one of those guys where the "Personal Life" section of his Wikipedia page is pretty lengthy.
There's another thing about Tyreek Hill that should be fun. He often celebrates touchdowns by doing a cartwheel into a full backflip.
When Hill busted out that celebration after a touchdown last night, I had a thought: Ozzie did it better.
All-time great shortstop Ozzie Smith brought people joy. I've been checking out the occasional highlights of "the Wizard" in the time since I put him on my dream team from the last 30 years (I wrote about that earlier this month). I dare you to watch an Ozzie highlight and not smile.
Ozzie made people happy because he made amazing defensive plays. He also made people happy when he did a cartwheel into a backflip of his own, something he would do when he took the field at the beginning of a game.
Ozzie did it better. All of it.
Don't let the door hit you
There is a big thing happening at Dodgers Stadium this weekend. Clayton Kershaw will pitch his final regular season game at home as a Dodger, having announced his retirement at the end of the season.
There is no questioning Kershaw's greatness. There are fair questions, however, about how much he's the kind of guy I want to root for. Over the last couple years, Kershaw tried to be clever in how he described his mixed feelings about Pride Night or the support of LGBTQIA+ people in general. But he's not clever.
It's obvious what he thinks, and he uses his platform to make it obvious.
People will be right to acknowledge the incredible accomplishments of Kershaw's career. They will also be right to have mixed feelings about celebrating the guy.
Odds and ends
- These are dark and weird times. In response to a question about whether he would address recent world events, Tommy Tomlinson wrote a lovely post about the importance of just having a place for people to connect. I highly recommend his Substack (The Writing Shed).
- One of my favorite things I have read in a while came from Patrick Dubuque over at Baseball Prospectus. It's their daily "Box Score Banter," which is free. This one answers important questions. For example: what does Roald Dahl have to do with the Colorado Rockies? (Baseball Prospectus).
- I'm woefully behind on most television shows, and therefore I am typically an unreliable source for recommendations that are current. This is an exception, as I have actually finished a (relatively) new show. I watched Stick. You should too (Apple TV+).
Let's wrap up with the trailer for that show. It made me happy.
