Good morning, all. I hope your week is off to a terrific start.
The week is off to a terrific start for the New York Giants, who surprised the football world with a 21-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday afternoon. Giants fans are understandably giddy. In recent seasons this franchise, winners of four Super Bowls and participants in five, has been a laughing stock, running through head coaches the way drivers in my home state of Connecticut run through red lights. But I digress.
They may have hit upon the real deal this time, however, in Brian Daboll, former offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. Now before Giants fans start ordering Super Bowl tickets, they might want to take a step back, like their head coach is doing. That is what makes Daboll so interesting to observe. He is a realist personified. If he can turn this once glorious franchise around, he will own New York City.
Daboll’s media conferences are a must see. He has a certain charisma about him that connects with the media and public without pandering to them. That is tough to do, especially in New York. These days, whether you are a head coach or a baseball manager, dealing with the media has become as major a portion of the job as knowing how to decipher analytics. In New York, if the Giants can win, Daboll’s demeanor, which includes a self-deprecating sense of humor, could be a bigger hit than an Aaron Judge home run. At the very least, he looks like a coach who enjoys being at the podium, unlike recent coaches, who always appeared as if they would rather have a root canal than face an inquisition from the media.
Daboll and the Giants have a long way to go. Many losses will ensue, before New York returns to that much coveted Super Bowl. Daboll has already reminded his audience of that. But the first step is to stop being a laughingstock. And after falling behind 13-0 at the half, the Giants never deviated from their game plan, understood an NFL game lasts 60 minutes not 30, and took a bold step forward, winning on a two-point conversion and catching a break when the Titans missed a last-second field goal. The Giants looked like anything but a laughingstock on Sunday and with Daboll at the helm, they might once again become must see TV.
It will not hurt MLB
Despite player representatives voting against it on the rules committee, MLB has approved changes in how the game will be played, looking to energize pace of play. Starting next season, there will be a pitch clock, reduction of how many times a pitcher can step off the rubber and a batter out of the batter’s box, restrictions on the shift and larger bases.
Fans who have their doubts about theses changes, I believe, will come around. The minor leagues have been operating under these rules for years and it has improved the product. Let’s face it, baseball is in the entertainment business, competing for disposal income against other sports and other entertainment venues. Watching these rules in action, while broadcasting Hartford Yard Goats games, I can tell you they accomplished their objective. It will take some getting used to at first for some of the players - others have played under these rules, while coming up through the minors - but when they adjust, the game will become more enjoyable to watch and play.
Speaking of the minors
Like real estate, location is everything for a minor league baseball franchise. Thus the Hartford Yard Goats, who play in a downtown ballpark that has won AA Ballpark of the Year four times, have benefited being located near three major league ball clubs.
Hartford may be affiliated with the Colorado Rockies, but the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees never hesitate to send their injured players to Hartford on rehabilitation assignments, when their minor league affiliates are in Connecticut.
Earlier this season, Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill started against Hartford, followed by reliever Matt Barnes. Max Scherzer, on a Mets rehab assignment, also started against the Yard Goats. And last week, the oft-injured Yankees sent five players to Hartford, when their AA affiliate Somerset was in town. Pitchers Luis Severino, Aroldis Chapman, Miguel Castro and Zack Britton, along with outfielder Harrison Bader, all rehabbed at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.
When it comes to minor league baseball, sometimes the old line is “come see tomorrow’s stars today.” In the case of Hartford, many times it is “come see today’s stars today.”
Well that is it for this week’s newsletter. As always, thank you for subscribing and have a tremendous week.
SPORTSCASTER DAN