The National League’s two worst teams are slogging their way through lost seasons on philosophically divergent tacksOne of the happiest moments of this lost summer for the New York Mets came last week, when Jeff McNeil made his major-league debut as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres and lined a single to center field.McNeil, a 12th-round draft pick in 2013, grinded his way through the farm system to get to the majors, but even his success in making it to the top could not be a universally feel-good story because of the way the Mets handled him, claiming publicly through manager Mickey Callaway that he was “purely a second baseman”. McNeil...
David Lengel puts MLB’s 30 local telecasts to the test as he takes a tour round baseball’s broadcast boothsWith baseball’s lengthy regular season stretching from April to October, it’s not uncommon for fans to have the game on every night. Naturally, with 162 games, the broadcasters themselves become an enormous part of the fan experience.The hyper-local model which defines Major League Baseball also means that most fans have little idea what other local broadcasts are like outside their baseball bubble. Luckily MLB Advanced Media are the owners of what is probably the most comprehensive live streaming service on the planet, and I took a tour of all 30 commentary teams. Related: What's wrong with the Cubs? A backslide to mediocrity...
MLB experienced both celebratory and tragic goodbyes this week with the retirement of legendary broadcaster Vin Scully and the death of pitcher José Fernández. Plus, a review of Major League Baseball’s have notsOn Friday night in Los Angeles, I sat next to my father inside Dodger Stadium. My dad, Mike Lengel, is a 75-year-old lifelong fan of the Dodgers, who grew up in New York city watching Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider and the team of his childhood play in Brooklyn: until that night, he had never been been to LA or visited Dodger Stadium, where the team landed after leaving in 1957. Related: José Fernández: a smiling star whose death leaves baseball bereft Continue reading...