The one seemed easy enough. Find a few notable players coming off injury or poor performance who had something to prove in 2018 and explain what they had to prove and why. It didn’t take long for me to put together a list of more than 50 players, but it took a lot longer for me to whittle it down. So, if you think someone’s missing from the six names I wound up with . . . you’re right!
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to try to update this site more often, even it is just to catalog my output. Here, then, is my latest appearance on The Infinite Inning podcast. Steve leads with a personal remembrance of the late Oscar Gamble, then digs in on the Mets’ decision to draft Steve Chilcott ahead of Reggie Jackson in 1966. I then join for a conversation that includes some behind-the-scenes experiences at the MLB Network, including surprise meetings with Bill James and Jim Thome, the quasi-retirement of former number-one pick Mark Appel, the excessive depth of modern prospect lists, the importance of developmental age, Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, the Dodgers’ rotation, Julio Urias, and the retirement of Davey Lopes.
//percolate.blogtalkradio.com/offsiteplayer?hostId=1083355&episodeId=10568441
Also, I will be back on MLB Now on Monday, live at 2pm ET on the MLB Network. Set your DVR!
I made my first appearance on MLB Now’s new set in Studio 21 on Thursday in an abbreviated installment of the show (due to day games being broadcast on the Network). From the roughly 20 minutes of show we did, MLB has posted this clip discussing what was then the still-unofficial promotion of Kris Bryant on Friday.
For more depth on Bryant, here are the things I have written about him this spring at SI.com:
Preaching patience for talented Cubs trio of Soler, Baez and Bryant (March 11)
Don’t blame Cubs for taking advantage of rules with Kris Bryant (March 18)
For Cubs, there’s no longer a reason not to call up top prospect Kris Bryant (April 16)
What debuts of former top prospects can teach us for Kris Byrant (April 17)
Swing and a miss: Cubs’ Bryant suffers rough day at plate in debut (April 17)
