Pablo Sandoval Pitches?

Last Saturday, pigs must have flown somewhere because Pablo Sandoval took the mound to pitch during a major league game. AND PITCHED A PERFECT INNING.

WHAT.

He hit an 88 mph fastball. And didn’t snap his belt like he did that one time he still played for the Sox. Apparently, the Panda is ambidextrous, as he pitched with both hands during youth games.

So yeah. Who knew. I surely didn’t know he was still playing professional baseball.

Joe Kelly’s View of the Game

If you all remember, Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly got suspended for his actions in the brawl against the Yankees a few weeks ago. Kelly received a six game suspension and lost his appeal. So he did what anyone else who got suspended for fighting in a professional baseball game did.

Sat in the bleachers at Fenway.

To be honest, I didn’t know that suspended players were even allowed near the ballpark. But Joe Kelly is a man of the people.

Kyle’s Brother is Getting Tommy John

It was announced Tuesday that Corey Seager of the Dodgers will have Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season. Because it makes sense for shortstops to be getting a surgery that pitchers get. (I understand that TJ isn’t just a pitchers only surgery, and it more so has to do with the tendon in the arm. But it is a little weird when positions players get it.)

The surgery will repair a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm, which is his throwing arm. The Dodgers will call up a player from triple-A to replace Seager.

Daniel Murphy Feels Discomfort When He Runs

(This was a real headline from ESPN.)

Murphy is trying to come back from knee surgery, so once you know that, it makes sense that he feels discomfort.

But my first thought was, “Same, dude, same.”

Pulling Double Duty?

Ichiro Suzuki has momentarily hung up his cleats but isn’t officially retiring. After playing for the Mariners for a month, he’s transitioning into a position in the M’s front office. His new title is special assistant advisor and could play next season, especially since the Mariners are opening the season playing two games in Japan against the A’s.

According to MLB.com, Ichiro will

continue suiting up for pregame work, taking batting practice, talking with players in the clubhouse and meetings. The only difference, according to general manager Jerry Dipoto, is he won’t be on the active roster for the remainder of this season.

So modern-day player-manager? It is a strange move to make, and I’m interested to see how this plays out for the Mariners. Maybe it’s a gentle way to ease Ichiro into retirement. I mean, he’s 44 years old—he eventually has to leave the game, right?

Young Managers

This is just a short bit about how my mom keeps saying Alex Cora and Kevin Cash look too young to be managers. Cora is 42 years old, and Cash is 40. I get what she’s saying, because I mean, Jim Leyland and Buck Showalter aren’t spring chickens anymore. (I’m fully aware Leyland retired a few years ago and was replaced by the beautiful Brad Asmus, who was then replaced by Ron “Gardy” Gardenhire, who used to manage the Twins.)

I think younger managers are good for the game, especially if they’re former players. They can connect better to the players because they are closer in age and have new ideas on how to do things, compared to the older managers.