The view from the cheap seats, with this fourth of July weekend in the rear view mirror, takes a look at the MLB’s future. America’s game has a bright one, so slap some shades on. While the NFL continues to deal with with drug, alcohol and domestic abuse scandals, and NBA stars are signing with small market franchises this off-season, major-league baseball seen an infusion of talented youth that will lead the way for the next several years.
Love him or hate him, LeBron James is the NBA’s calling card and only a few years remain for him at the top. Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and Dwyane Wade are in major markets, but on the backside of 30. Stephen Curry isn’t polarizing enough to draw national viewers on a regular basis, and Carmelo Anthony just isn’t good enough. The NBA is in big trouble, and outlawing defense and personalities hasn’t helped one bit. Call us when Larry, Magic, Michael, and the Bad Boys resurface.
The NFL is getting more difficult to defend with every felony charge. Brady and Manning will be gone soon and there’s no good face to replace them as the representative of the shield. When I say “NFL offseason”, The first thing that comes to mind is suspensions, hearings, and two hand touch OTA’s.
The game has changed from a gladiator-like competition to ‘who can keep the cleanest jersey?’ The money grab in San Francisco, by players who barely broke in their pads, is disgusting. Retiring after receiving your signing bonuses should be a crime. Here’s hoping the 49ers organization gets every dime back!
Major-league baseball is in the news every day as well, but for things like minor league call-ups who have exploded onto the scene. The sport has an excitement to it that, in any sport, I cannot recall seeing in recent years. Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, Joc Pederson and George Springer look to be potential perennial All-Stars and Hall of Famer’s. The Mets have Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard , Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz. That has the potential to make Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz look like a lightweight rotation. Next spring they’ll get Wheeler back to form an unreal starting five in the Big Apple.
Other young guns like Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Shelby Miller, Michael Wacha, and Gerrit Cole are established stars, and yet are still only in their early-to-mid-twenties. The are already so well known that they seem to be grizzled veterans, but in actuality baseball simply has an embarrassment of riches in terms of youth.
Not only are they young and talented, but their extreme athleticism shines on defense every night. You can keep a lame breakaway dunk and receivers untouched for long passes; an Andrelton Simmons play in the hole is a sheer thing of beauty. Once thought of as a dying sport, MLB’s future of bright young stars is only rivaled by the PGA’s Jordan Spieth, Ricky Fowler and Rory McIlroy. Yes, America’s pastime is in great shape nowadays, and we didn’t just lose an Anthony Rizzo or Brock Holt because they were out kicking a soccer ball around right before a major.
