MLB Week in Review (April 2-6)
The MLB season is underway and it is time for overreaction as happens every year at the start of the season.
Team struggle and other teams play well, leading analysts and fans to begin celebrating or dreading the season to come.
The thing is that the MLB season lasts 162 games and so these games could be good in the future but they don’t mean a whole lot.
Yes getting out to a good start can give a team a cushion and a bad start could put them in a bit of a tough situation later in the season.
With only a few games being done the margin for error is a lot bigger than in the first week of the season.
Things that happen right now have a small chance of affecting the team when it comes to September.
So although some fans and analysts look for something to talk about this early in the season the struggles and successes in the first week don’t amount to much.
As the season began though another story rose to prominence in the first week and that was about the sale of the Miami Marlins.
For many, the sale was simply a big story because of the names attached to the potential buyer’s list.
Two of the biggest names attached to the sale of the Marlins have been former presidential candidate Jeb Bush and former Yankees great Derek Jeter.
The two names are very familiar to plenty of people and of course, the major focus for everyone is Jeter.
The future hall of famer did everything he could on the field as one of the greatest players in a generation.
Since retiring he has stayed mainly out of the spotlight but his time in baseball was never going to be entirely done.
Everyone wondered if he would decide to manage teams or become an executive but most knew he would get back into the MLB in some way.
It turns out that way might be through team ownership as Jeter is one of the main names floating around the purchase of the Marlins.
He likely will be a visible owner but not a majority owner as he would need other investors alongside him to help him buy a team that is valued at around $1 billion.
Although the names involved in the potential purchase are the big story for most there is something bigger happening.
The owner looking to cash in on the Marlins has had a long history in the league and is not a big favourite in the cities in which he has served as franchise owner.
Jeffery Loria originally got involved in the league with the Montreal Expos in 1999 and worked his way from a minority to a majority owner.
In only three seasons as an owner of the Expos, Loria threatened to take the Expos out of Montreal and in 2002 he did exactly that.
Montreal has never forgiven him for that but after his sale of the Expos, he bought the Florida Marlins.
He changed the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins and moved the team to a brand new facility.
That facility has been a massive point of controversy as the city of Miami was on the line for a lot of the cost and received no compensation for the stadium.
Despite paying money for the brand new facility they received no revenue but for them, it was more about the team bringing some sense of unity and tourist dollars to the city.
Then the Marlins traded away some of their best players in 2013 and the city was not very happy, and still isn’t happy with them.
Now after paying $158.2 million to buy the Marlins in 2003, he is set to get out of the league altogether by selling the team for around $1 billion.
Whoever buys the team, whether it be Jeter or Bush or some other group or person, they will have a lot of work to do.
The Marlins are not a team that inspires a lot of confidence for future success and they have struggled in business and on the field.
To turn those things around will take someone very committed owners, which might be a change from the past few years.
It might not be the ideal situation for a lot of people as Loria will come out on top in this sale and won’t have to deal with the issues of the Marlins any longer.
Then again for some, Loria leaving the league is a good thing both for the Marlins and for the league.
Getting someone like Jeter, who doesn’t take to losing very well could change the attitude of the team and create another competitive team.
Which also means that a massive market could finally get some excitement for the first time in years.
It is a story that is sure to dominate headlines most of the year as Loria looks for a buyer for his team while names continue to fly around the sale.
Extra Innings
Tebowtime in Single-A
Tim Tebow made a lot of headlines when he decided to take his special brand of celebrity to the baseball diamond and so far things are going at a normal pace as he attended Spring Training with the Mets and was sent to Low-A ball as he tries to work his way up the ladder. He took a step this week when he hit a home run in his first Single-A game bringing some hope to those that want to see him in the majors.
Reds Prospect in Trouble
The Cincinnati Reds are getting a little concerned about a pitching prospect in their system who is currently serving a 50-game suspension in rookie league for violating the league’s drug-abuse policy. The suspension came out of a video shared on social media where pitcher Ian Kahaloa seemed like he was snorting cocaine and filmed it on Snapchat.
Historical First Week
The MLB started out well for some players including Madison Bumgarner who kicked off the season with his name in the record books. It wasn’t anything entirely unexpected as he stepped up to the plate and hit two home runs on opening day becoming the first pitcher to ever hit two home runs on opening day and solidifying himself as the best hitting pitcher in baseball.
The Sport Addiction 