Is the new commissioner of major league baseball really serious about his stated desire to speed up the pace of games?  If he is, doesn’t it seem strange that we were able to count four minutes of commercial breaks between each half inning of the recent All Star game?  Why not just admit that this is a non-issue and that this is how all of the large bills get paid and then quit pretending?  All of those young fans he says he aims to please can just continue to use the time to Instagram each other photos of the snacks they are enjoying during the pause, pop another cold one, and use the toilet without rushing to get back to Fox announcers interviewing some participant rather than describing the action.

Why is Buster Posey batting over .400 in the last month or so?  Could it be because he finally has Hunter Pence batting behind him?  The Giants are 29-11 with Pence in the lineup and 30-38 without him.

Which team has surprised us the most with their consistent winning ways, the Cardinals or the Yankees?  The Cardinals were always expected to contend, but did you think they would without key figures such as Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, or Matt Holliday for much of the time?  Mark Reynolds, are you kidding me?  Quite remarkable.  As for the Yankees, I have to stand up straight and face the world and say it: they are much better than I ever thought they would be this season and, not only is it not a fluke but also it has to be said that one of the big reasons for their success is the contribution by Alex Rodriguez, who has proven himself to be an exceptional 40-year old athlete.  Now excuse me while I go barf.

Okay, I’m back.  Couldn’t the Tigers have replaced Dave Dombrowski before he rid them of David Price and Yoenis Cespedes?  Perhaps there is more to that story than I’m seeing but the Avila in the front office had better outperform the Avila behind the plate or Detroit fans will not be amused.

Is it possible that the Los Angeles Dodgers have improved themselves, at least on paper, over last year’s division winning team without improving their chances of repeating?  They cling to the lead for now but several players are underperforming,as the management types say, particularly the enigmatic Yasiel Puig.  Could there still be troubles in the clubhouse?  Will Kershaw and Greinke remain enough to make it not matter?

These and other important questions will be with us in the weeks to come.  Don’t step out of the batters’ box; you might get quick pitched.