Jayson Stark
@jaysonst
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Baseball writer at @TheAthleticMLB. Starkville pod. MLB Net. Winner of 2019 BBWAA Career Excellence Award. Launched hot dogs with the Phanatic. Now on Blue Sky
Philadelphia
Joined January 2009
It's that time again. Time to reveal my 2025 Hall of Fame ballot. Plus here's that column I write every year explaining why I voted the way I did. Thanks as always for agreeing with every one of these picks!.
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For 17 yrs I've had a dream job covering baseball for ESPN. Today is my last day. Thanks to all the great people at ESPN, MLB & all of you!.
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They'll never stop being the Team People Love to Hate. But only 5 players remain from 2017. They've changed managers & GMs. And baseball changed the rules because of them. So face it, America. The Houston Astros are one of the great teams of modern times.
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Your 2019 leaders in WHIP:.1-Justin Verlander 0.81.2-Zack Greinke 0.94.5-Gerrit Cole 1.00. That's your Game 1-2-3 starters in Houston. Scary.
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Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado:.$1.32 billion worth of contracts just for four guys. Tampa Bay Rays total payroll in franchise history:.$1.01 billion worth of contracts - for 21 seasons!. Fascinating times in baseball.
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How strange is baseball?. The Orioles:. Go through an entire season and don't get swept in any series. Get back to October . and get swept. Only one other team has ever done that: the 1998 Padres, who were managed by. Bruce Bochy. (@SlangsOnSports was on this, of course!).
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The NLCS MVP hoists the trophy. But it’s the look on Eddie Rosario’s son’s face that tells this story. Incredible.
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The Rob Manfred answer on buzzers was revealing in several ways:.1) MLB was "aware" of this "before the investigation.".2) Since he felt players were honest about 2017 & '18, it was "hard to figure out" why they'd lie about '19.3) Is he "100% sure" there were no buzzers? He's not.
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Time for a free-agent signing I'm particularly excited about - me!. I, too, am joining the Athletic, as of April 1. Really thrilled to be joining one of the greatest baseball-writing rosters ever assembled!. Stay tuned. I'll be tweeting a link on how you can subscribe.
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Those smiles on the faces of the Freeman family. That’s what winning looks like.
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This is what championship ecstasy looks like. Freddie and Charlie Freeman sharing that first hug.
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It's been a day I'll never forget. Thanks to my friends in the @officialBBWAA for choosing me as this year's Spink Award winner. I've been through the Spink exhibit many times. To imagine my name in that gallery is a humbling & overwhelming thought. And thx to all who've tweeted!.
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If you're a baseball fan, welcome to one of the great days of the year. There will be baseball games. There will be box scores. Next time we won't be able to say that: The all-star break. Almost 5 months from now. Let's get this started!.
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What a shame that Bill Buckner is only remembered for his worst moment as a baseball player. What he really was, was a pure hitter. The only 5 players with a .300+ AVG from 1972-82 (5500+ AB):. Rod Carew .340.Al Oliver .312.Pete Rose .308.Steve Garvey .304.Bill Buckner .300.
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The Astros traded for Justin Verlander at 11:59 EDT 8/31. They won the World Series at 11:59 EDT tonight. Some things are just meant to be.
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Roy Halladay was one of the special people in this world. A beautiful man, driven by the pursuit of excellence. A HOF player & human being.
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On May 23, the Nationals were 12 games under .500 - the same as the Tigers. The Tigers went on to lose 114 games. The Nationals went on to win the World Series. What. A. Story.
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More news about, well, me!. Thrilled to announce that I'll be joining the great crew at @MLBNetwork next month, in addition to my new writing gig at @TheAthleticMLB . My MLB Network debut will be Friday, April 6, on MLB Central. Can't wait!.
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There had been 17 extra-inning HRs in World Series history before tonight. There have been 4 in the last half-hour.
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The bad news: Salvy Perez hit by pitch and has to leave the game. The good news: Zack Greinke is now hitting third for the Royals. And I’m all in on that.
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The St. Louis Cardinals. 140 seasons. Over 21,000 games. And this is the first 15-game winning streak in the history of their franchise. Special.
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Longtime Phillies ace Michael Lorenzen throws a no-hitter. It’s his FIRST start as a Phillie in Philadelphia. It’s also the Phillies’ first no-hitter since Cole Hamels’ LAST start as a Phillie in 2015. Baseball. Amazing.
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Ponce de Leon trending on Twitter for the first time since 1493!.
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This literally means that over 1,000 kids who thought they would get drafted now won’t. A thousand.
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Brett Phillips had driven in one run since July 27. And he just won a World Series game with 2 outs in the 9th. Who writes these scripts?.
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Joe Girardi on how seriously everyone in baseball needs to take the protocols:. "I was in an elevator today & someone stepped in without a mask and I just said no. I don’t want to be rude, but I have a responsibility to the game to not contract (the virus) and spread it around.".
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Andy Reid is a Hall of Fame coach. But this photo tells you what kind of human being he is. In November, he coached practice in KC, then flew to Philly for the induction of Donovan McNabb & Troy Vincent in the Phila. Sports HOF. Special. Thrilled he’s heading for Super Bowl LIV
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Bryce Harper’s uneventful homecoming:.Booed during Nationals’ thanks-for-everything video.Strikeout .Strikeout.RBI double .Single.458-foot HR.Emphatic bat flip.Fist pump to Phillies fans in RF.Other than that, not much happened.
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Javy Baez just scored the winning run for the Mets - on April (suspended) 11. He also scored the only run for the Cubs - on April 11. Baseball!.
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How amazing is baseball?. The first hitter in history to have back-to-back multihomer games in the postseason is . Nick Castellanos . A guy who has never had back-to-back multi-homer games in the regular season. Because of course he is!.
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The Shohei Ohtani watch:. 3 HR in last 3 games as a hitter.2 extra-base hits allowed all year as a pitcher. This is really happening. On the planet you live on.
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You'll never see a guy lose a no-hitter in more classy style than Anibal Sanchez. Turned and pointed at Jose Martinez, the man who broke it up, on his way off the mound. Then made sure to point and nod at the plate ump, Mike Muchlinski, before he reached the dugout. Very cool.
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Phillies have traded Mickey Moniak and a second prospect to the Angels for Noah Syndergaard, sources tell @TheAthleticMLB.
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Max Scherzer, predictably, had a lot to say. But he specifically pointed a finger at the commissioner:. "These are Manfred Rules. Go ask him what he wants to do about this. I've said enough.".
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Complete list of every manager in history to take over a team at least 7 games under .500 in midseason and go on to win a postseason series:. Rob Thomson, 2022 Phillies. End of list.
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Bryce Harper’s 1st game back: 0 for 4, 3 strikeouts. Since then:. He’s gone to the plate 37 times. He’s reached base 18 times. He’s hitting .406. He had Tommy John surgery 5 months and 20 days ago. This should not be possible.
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These are the 8 teams known to be in on Max Scherzer, via multiple sources:. Dodgers.Giants.Padres.Red Sox.Rays.Blue Jays.Astros.Mets. Also heard Yankees checked in & were told he was unlikely to OK a trade there. Mets could be a long shot for the same reason.
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Here's every player in history with at least 3,166 hits, 477 HR, .819 OPS & 5 Gold Gloves:. Willie Mays.Adrian Beltre. That's all, folks!.
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#Phillies in serious pursuit of Nick Castellanos, sources tell @TheAthleticMLB. Castellanos would put Phillies well over tax threshold. But they appear to view him as a big enough difference maker to justify that. Castellanos could push Kyle Schwarber to DH. @jonmorosi was on it.
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Remember Ken Giles?. He hasn't pitched in the big leagues in four years. But he just faced Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm in his first appearance as a Brave this spring . And struck out all three of them . On unhittable sliders. Definitely a guy to watch.
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With all due respect to Pat Venditte, what Vince Velasquez did here was the most ambidextrous feat I’ve ever seen on a baseball field
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Josh Hader faced 66 LH hitters this year. He gave up a single to one of them. He hadn’t allowed 2 singles in the same appearance since May 27. But. That. Just. Happened.
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Bryce Harper’s last 162 games before tonight:. 42 HR.55 doubles .99 extra base hits. 324/.420/.643/1.063.290 times reaching base.17 stolen bases.6.0 Win Probability Added. There’s no replacing that.
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Hunter Renfroe: First Angel with a 5-hit game in 5 years. Mickey Moniak: First Angel with a 5-hit game since 2 hitters ago.
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Jacob deGrom’s batting average this year: .667. Average of hitters facing deGrom this year: .158. He’s just way too good for the league he’s playing in.
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Trying to make my brain understand that Shohei Ohtani has 40 HR. How ‘bout this:. The Angels’ starting pitcher tonight has more HR than Mookie Betts & Bryce Harper combined.
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The Blue Jays went 18-0 this year when scoring 9+ runs. They'd won their last 54 games in a row when scoring 9+ runs. But they just lost a 10-9 game that sent them home for the winter. after leading by 7 in the sixth. Wow.
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I ran Larry Walker's career thru the baseball-reference Stat Neutralizer today, filtered for a neutral 2019 NL park. This is where his final numbers wound up:. 305/.390/.547/.937, with just 14 fewer hits & 11 fewer HR. That's in a "neutral" park, not Coors. Get the picture?.
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Remember that the #BlueJays won more games this year than the team that won the World Series and already had a dynamic position-player core in place. They now have Gausman, Berrios, Manoah and Pearson under control thru at least 2026, plus Ryu thru 2023. Dangerous team.
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Henry Aaron never hit 50 HR for the Braves. Neither did:.Chipper Jones.Freddie Freeman.Dale Murphy.Eddie Mathews.or Gary Sheffield. But Matt Olson is at 50 with 16 games to play. What a season he's had.
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Imagine the 2005 White Sox getting the band back together and winning the World Series. That’s how long it’s been since Tiger won the Masters. What. A. Moment.
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Some details emerging on how the expanded playoffs will work:. * No more Game 163 tiebreakers. All playoff spots will be determined through NFL-type tiebreaker formulas. * No re-seeding for the LDS. 1st seed plays winner of 4 vs. 5 Wild Card Series. 2nd seed plays 3 vs 6 winner.
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Remember this quote from Rob Manfred:'. "I consider missing games as a disastrous outcome for this industry.".
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The tragic death of Jose Fernandez is one of the saddest sports stories I can ever remember. A vibrant upbeat guy with a special talent. RIP.
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R.I.P. to the great Darren Daulton. A tremendous player and a special person. Epitomized leadership with his smile, work ethic & toughness.
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Max Scherzer just raised his batting average for the year to .306. The only pitcher who ever hit .300 and won a Cy Young in the same season?. A guy named Bob Gibson (.303) in 1970.
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The Braves’ last 20 games:. W.W.W.W.W.W.W.W.L*.W.W.W.W.W.W.W.W.W.L***.W. * The Elly De La Cruz cycle game. Led 5-0 in first. *** Lost in extra innings after tying game in 9th. Led by 2 early. Amazing how close they’ve come to winning 20 in a row.
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Christian Yelich in the last calendar year:.52 HR.91 XBH.35 SB.120 RBIs.121 runs. 338./445/.700/1.145. If that had been one actual season, you know how many players have ever had one like it?. That would be nobody!.
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Heartbroken for all my friends at ESPN who lost their dream jobs today. Many people out there don’t know your names. But those of us who know you know how much you’ve meant to all of us whose lives and jobs wouldn’t have been the same without you. Thinking of you all tonight.
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A cool thing happening in Clearwater today. Garrett Stubbs and his brother C.J. will play a game on the same field for the first time in their lives. Baseball is beautiful sometimes.
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Cleveland Guardians opening day payroll in 2021:. $43.2 million. Max Scherzer annual salary in 2022-23-24:. $43.3 million.
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A lockout means:. A freeze on trades & signings of major league players. No communication between teams and players on their major league rosters. No winter meetings . It doesn’t mean games are canceled. The pressure won’t mount until mid-to-late January. It’ll get real then.
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Shohei Ohtani the batter: 49 extra-base hits. Hitters who have faced Ohtani the pitcher: only 39 HITS. This is really happening. On the same planet you live on.
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How great was Roy Halladay in his prime (2002-11)? Here's how great:. His teams' record when he started: 87 games over .500 (195-108). His teams' record when anyone else started: 24 UNDER .500 (646-670)!. Difference in win percentage: 153 points. Incredible.
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#Phillies deal with Kyle Schwarber, pending physical, is a 4-year agreement with an AAV just under $20 million per year, sources tell The Athletic. @JSalisburyNBCS was on this.
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One of the most emotional stories I’ve ever worked on:. The José Fernández free agency that never was. 11 years, $400 million? That’s the deal Scott Boras believes he would have negotiated for this man. Instead, he died with none of the above.
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No-hitters since June 2022:. Astros 4.The other 29 teams 3.
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I’ve been waiting for this. Jose Bautista’s place in future trivia history:. Who’s the only player ever to HR for 3 teams in one division in the same season?. Yessir. Joey Bats.
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Opening Day payroll of the 5 AL Central teams in '23:.$638.8 million. Shohei's contract:.$700 million.
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So here’s the absurdity of this no no-hitter. Zac Gallen threw a one hitter in the first game and that counts as a one hitter. But the no hitter doesn’t count as a no hitter because baseball!.
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Mike Shildt on whether he’s looking forward to the universal DH: “I’m looking forward to the American League adopting the National League rules. That would be so fun. I’m going to start a petition for that. Just a better game — plus our pitchers can hit.”
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The sadness across baseball, over the passing of one of its most beloved citizens, Phillies chairman David Montgomery, is almost indescribable. Baseball has never had a classier, more dignified, more respected, more upbeat ambassador than him. RIP, David. We’ll miss you every day.
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Pete Rose was the most mesmerizing baseball figure I ever covered. Just as we couldn't stop watching him when he played, we couldn't stop talking about him all these years since. It saddens me that he never had his Hall of Fame induction day. But so much of that is on him. He.
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Fun with numbers:. The Cardinals are 11 games over .500. They can thank Miles Mikolas. They're 18-7 when he starts and 50-50 when anyone else starts. The Reds are 14 games under .500. They can thank Homer Bailey. They're 1-15 in his starts - and 54-54 in everyone else's starts!.
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Shohei Ohtani's week:. * Faced 34 hitters in a row (over 2 starts) without allowing a hit! (one BB in there). * Threw 4 pitches clocked at 100 mph. * Hit a HR off Cy Young (Corey Kluber). * Hit a HR 3 games in a row (in which he batted). Seriously!.
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Free agents who got 9+ years & changed teams, last 20 years:.Harper (13-$330M).Machado (10-$300M).A-Rod (10-$252M).Pujols (10-$240M).Cano (10-$240M).Prince (9-$214M).And now Gerrit Cole (9-$324M). How many of those deals would their teams sign if they had it to do over?.
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Congratulations to the 3 newest Hall of Famers:. Adrian Beltre.Joe Mauer.Todd Helton. But it’s hard not to feel for Billy Wagner, who fell just short again.
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I don't think I've ever seen a player score from 2nd on a walk until tonight. But Trea Turner remains one of the fastest players alive.
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Only one LH hitter in baseball has hit 2 home runs off Josh Hader. Freddie Freeman.
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I'm officially proclaiming Carlos Correa the wildest free-agent saga ever. One team scheduled a press conference. A second team's owner talked about why they needed him - on the record. And he didn't end up signing with either team!. There's never been anything quite like it.
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Mike Trout's career through 250 HR:. 306/.418/.574/.992.250 HR.195 SB. Everyone else in history who had that career:.(Nobody). (Did it with even 100+ SB: Ruth/Gehrig/Hornsby).
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You just witnessed history. Alec Bohm just hit the 1,000th HR in World Series history.
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Kyle Schwarber with a box-score line you don’t see much!. 6 AB 4 R 5 H 6 RBI 3 HR. The only other time we’ve seen it in the modern era:. Dave Winfield, on April 13, 1991!.
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That Phillies bullpen has now blown 6 saves just in their last 4 games. That seems like a lot.
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See where Francisco Lindor was playing, right behind the 2B bag?. That’s not legal now with these shift rules. So why was he there? Because the Mets thought the Rays were also positioned illegally the inning before. So Lindor decided to make a point. Baseball! (In 2023!)
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This is my favorite moment of the whole season. Freddie Frederick Freeman was 4 for 4 vs the Cubs’ real pitchers. Then Anthony Rizzo took the mound. And this happened. Because baseball!.
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The scenario the Braves and Mets both dreaded has happened - rainouts today & tomorrow. If playoff spots haven't been decided, they have to play a doubleheader Monday afternoon. Think of all the pitchers they'll have to use in that DH, with possible playoff games the next 3 days.
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Your Max Chaos scenario:. Mets play Sunday in Milwaukee. Then a doubleheader Monday in Atlanta. Then a wild-card game Tuesday in San Diego?. That's 4 games in maybe 56 hours in 3 time zones!. Yikes!.
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Kyle Schwarber history alert! He's the first position player ever to get no hits all season but then get one in a World Series game.
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I'll argue 24/7 that this remains the most famous defensive play in baseball history.
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