HotCuts & Bridges

These are my ranks for the Top 13 Baseball podcasts as of June 30, 2017.  Most of these are "fantasy" focused but nonetheless sate my baseball appetite.  Only a few don't mention fantasy baseball at all.  The list is fantasy heavy because there aren't that many eclectic-minded, team-agnostic baseball podcasts.  I enumerate my list running from the thirteenth-ranked podcast on down to the top.  I will eventually include capsules with my summation and exposition of each podcast: what it is, who does it, what I like about it, etc. 13.  MLB.com Fantasy Baseball 411. 12.  There is No Offseason. 11.  Effectively Wild:  A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast. 10.  Fantasy Focus Baseball, ESPN. 9.  Friends with Fantasy Benefits—Baseball Podcast. 8.  Flags Fly Forever Fantasy Baseball. 7.  RotoWire Fantasy Baseball Podcast. 6.  Baseballholics Anonymous. 5.  In This League Fantasy Baseball. 4.  Short Hops Podcast. ...

It was a minute shy of 8:00 central daylight when I got word: D'Back HotCut.  And then you busted out:  GrayRayallDay.  I thought you were trying to text something about the Royals.  Then I thought about auto racing a la Bobby Rahal .  But it wasn't a typo and after puzzling over it for a few more seconds it dawned on me that you were giving me the pitchers for this HotCut tonight in the desert.  It will be Jon Gray in his return to the field for the Rockies against Robby Ray at 20:40 central daylight. Gray, an Oklahoma native, has not pitched since April 13th, a HotCut featuring Gray opposite San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner.  Gray went three innings in that outing, allowing one hit and two walks against one strikeout, no runs, 34 pitches.  He left in the fourth after aggravating a left toe injury.  (Incidentally, Bumgarner would make just one more start after that 'Cut before derailing his season on a motorbike.)  This will be Gray'...

A couple of games are underway, I haven't gotten word on today's HotCut yet. * Seven minutes ago I received a message via text:  I guess it's another CapitolCut The question that partains:  will the StraZzle dazzle? It's Strasburg-Lackey in The District at 18:05 central daylight time. Both day games are 4-3, one in the top of the eighth; one in the bottom of the seventh.  It's 17:14 central daylight.  I need another fifty-one minutes out of one of these games for a bridge.

At 8:56 central daylight you sent word:  CapitolCut.  It's ScherZer-Arrieta in the District of Columbia. * I have Oakland at Houston on MLB.TV, top 6, A's with the bases loaded, James Hoyt on in favor of Mike Fiers, two out, full count!  The runners all belong to Fiers; Healy bats.  He fouls the seventh pitch.  Lifted deep ... grand slam, holy moly.  A's lead 5-1.  Pretty opposite field, toss-your-hands at the pitch swing from Ryon Healy.  He thought he'd fouled that seventh into McCann's glove; he took off his helmet, dropped his bat, but then he realized the ball had scooted away.  Manaea will work the bottom of the sixth with a four-run lead. I have poured a vodka, my first drink of the day.  I am running the sprinkler out front.  Night has fallen, it is 21:20.  I haven't been writing much.  Though I've been quit of my desk job for two months now I've been—I've kept—busy.  But the reason I was not sitting her...

Today at 8:54 central daylight the steady drumbeat of the 'Cut started up again:  Cleveland HotCut.  It's a Sunday and I'm sitting at my little desk listening to Tom Hamilton relay the action.  It's the top of the second and Josh Tomlin is in a spot.  The Twins have pushed across two in this inning already and they have two men on, one out.  It's Dozier.  Ervin Santana allowed one hit in the first —.  There it is, a double play, Tomlin lives. I have a couple of notes from the first inning.  Hamilton said that Jose Ramírez leads the A.L. in triples.  Not quite.  Charlie Blackmon leads all of baseball with ten triples.  Zack Cozart and Billy Hamilton each have five.  Then there's a gaggle of guys all with four triples: Arenado, Bogaerts, Broxton, Castellanos, Fowler, Galvis, Dee Gordon, Peraza, the aforementioned Ramírez, Yolmer Sanchez, and Trea Turner.  Blackmon is one of a kind in today's game. Hamilton stated the Ram...