Is Matt Harvey in the Hall of Fame yet? Can anyone catch the Houston Astros? There are only 108 games left. Here’s a safe bet: it won’t be the Azusa Angels. Mike Scioscia was looking so smart and his team was so good just four seasons ago, and it’s not his fault that Mike Trout got hurt, but can we all stop pretending that those head (and hands) first slides are a good idea? Especially into first base, it’s a bad idea. It’s been proven that continuing to run is faster, and the idea of Brandon Belt‘s huge foot meeting the hands you need to bat, throw, and scratch yourself with  is unpleasant.

Is Hunter Strickland a brain dead heaver? I realize that many pseudo-sports fans only are interested in anything that culminates in bloodshed and histrionics and I also realize that Bryce Harper has the look of an extra in Deliverance but that was as childish a  display of temper mixed with clueless selfishness as ever I have witnessed . Of course, a peacemaker got injured. Happens every time.

What’s the matter with Andrew McCutchen? My theory was that his results dropped off in conjunction with the loss  of his dreadlocks but since teammate John Jaso isn’t doing so hot with  his dreads it is possible that I’m wrong. That Pirates team needs to start playing defense and loosen up, so maybe Clint Hurdle should grow dreads.

Did you see this coming? At the end of May, Manny Machado was batting .210 and the Baltimore Orioles were falling out of contention. Meanwhile,  the defending champion Chicago Cubs were going 0-for-California  with a very, very quiet offense. And, the Diamondbacks and Rockies had just quietly been passed by the now first place Dodgers with the Giants, apparently still living in the past, struggling to stay ahead of the Padres, a dozen games behind.

Why did Jeb Bush drop out of the bidding to buy the Marlins from the loathsome Jeffrey Loria?  Was it because MLB wouldn’t let the turnstiles be operated by his vote counting buddies?

Do people really still follow basketball in June? It’s bad enough that the men are still playing but to have  the WNBA  just starting its season is a travesty and an insult to the players who truly have a superior game to the male version but are forced to compete against outdoor sports in the summer. They should all quit and go play where they are actually appreciated.