HBT Weekend Wrap - MLB

There’s a lot that goes on during the weekend of a baseball season. And a lot of you, for reasons that must make some sort of sense, but like, whatever, choose to only read HBT during the week while you’re at work. I guess that’s OK. I’m sure your family is nice. But you really are missing out.

In case you decided to live your life this weekend rather than read HardballTalk, here’s some of what went down:

Josh Hamilton didn’t do too well in his return to Texas. And the boos gave him a sad. And the general scene gave his family cause for concern. And really, his whole first week was kind of a train wreck.
Chris Davis homered in his fourth straight game to open the season.
Ryan Braun’s super awesome drugs apparently don’t work on neck spasms. Maybe he’s not a cyborg after all?
Why did the Phillies give up 13 runs to the Royals?
Awesome job, kid! Now go back to Sacramento.
Still convinced I’m gonna find one of these under the seat of an old Model A in a junkyard or something. Better odds of that, anyway, than of me successfully managing my 401K plan until I’m 62.
If you haven’t cried today, this will fix that right up quick.
Don’t do drugs, kids.
But if you do, when you come back you’ll bump some promising kid to the minors and get a start even though you’re career is probably toast.
There was a trade between the Rockies and the Dodgers.
John Lackey’s bicep is not in The Best Shape of its Life.
Aramis Ramirez went on the DL.
FATHER OF THE YEAR.
Bill Hall’s career cannot be killed.
Next on “Upton to Upton …“
Carlos Marmol lost his job.
Fewer Phillies fans show up when the team’s no good? Unpossible. I was told that they are die hards who support the team through thick and thin. And that those attendance totals from pre-2007 or so were aberrations.
Freddie Freeman hit the DL.
Albert Pujols will walk away from millions if he one day can’t play anymore. He says now.
Welcome back to Columbus, Trevor Bauer! Let me show you around my fair town! Can we walk? I heard you love walks.
Stephen Drew will be back soon.
The Brewers are a hot mess at the moment.
Silver and gold … [insert Bono asking if he’s bugging you, because he didn’t mean to BUG ya].

Alright, Edge. Play the blues.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred were fired by the Kansas Cty Royals on Wednesday night, shortly after the struggling franchise finished the season 65-97 with a listless 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

The Royals had exercised their option on Matheny’s contract for 2023 during spring training, when the club hoped it was turning the corner from also-ran to contender again. But plagued by poor pitching, struggles from young position players and failed experiments with veterans, the Royals were largely out of playoff contention by the middle of summer.

The disappointing product led owner John Sherman last month to fire longtime front office executive Dayton Moore, the architect of back-to-back American League champions and the 2015 World Series title team. Moore was replaced by one of his longtime understudies, J.J. Picollo, who made the decision to fire Matheny hours after the season ended.

Matheny became the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.

Philadelphia’s Joe Girardi was replaced on June 3 by Rob Thomson, who engineered a miraculous turnaround to get the Phillies into the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Angels replaced Joe Maddon with Phil Nevin four days later, Toronto’s Charlie Montoyo was succeeded by John Schneider on July 13 and the Rangers’ Chris Woodward by Tony Beasley on Aug. 15.

In addition, Miami’s Don Mattingly said late last month that he will not return next season.