SUPER BOWL FUNDAY
TOMORROW IS THE FIRST FULL DAY OF 2026 BASEBALL
THE TIGERS’ ROTATION IS FORMIDABLE
I don’t know whether the Tigers’ five starters are the best in the AL, but I don’t think you will find a better top two in the rotation than Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez. Backed by Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, and Casey Mize, the Tigers’ rotation might not be of the depth and quality of Boston’s or the Yankees’ (when healthy), but no one will want to face the uber-ace (Skubal) or the ace (Valdez) in a series of any length.
The addition of Valdez, in a three-year, $115 million deal, was announced almost concurrently with the arbitration board awarding Skubal, the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner, a $32 million salary in 2026. As Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic so accurately stated, “Pick a fight with your biggest star, roll the dice against one of the best pitchers in the game, and you get what you deserve. And make no mistake, the Tigers and LRD (Major League Baseball’s Labor Relations Department) suffered a major blow when the panel ruled in Skubal’s favor.” Kenny added, “They asked for trouble. And they got what they deserved.”
SPEAKING OF GREAT TIGERS PITCHERS
Mickey Lolich, who pitched from 1963 until 1979, almost entirely for the Tigers, died this past Wednesday. He was 85.
Mickey was a three-time All-Star and won at least 14 games every year from 1964 through 1974, striking out at least 200 batters seven times. He was the MVP of the 1968 World Series, winning three complete games. In Game 2 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, he hit a solo homer off the Cardinals’ Nelson Briles. It was the only homer of his 16‑year big‑league career.
REST IN SPEED
Terrance Gore has passed away from complications of a routine surgery. He was just 34 years old. Gore played eight MLB seasons from 2014 to 2022 for the Royals, Cubs, Dodgers, Braves, and Mets. When he was a member of the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals in his second season, he had not yet recorded his first major league hit. It wasn’t until his fifth major league season in 2018 with the Cubs that he picked up his first hit, a single off Max Scherzer. He ended his career with one RBI and two World Series rings.
The outfielder and pinch-running specialist stole 43 bases in 52 regular-season attempts and was 5-6 in the postseason.
GOLDY RETURNS
The Yankees re-signed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million contract. In 2025, he hit .274 with 10 HR, 45 RBI, and 76 runs in 146 games. But the key split for the Yankees is that against lefties, he slashed .336/.411/.570. Chris Kirshner wrote in The Athletic, “Few players are as hailed for their leadership as Goldschmidt.”
However, the Yankees’ obsession with bringing back the 2025 roster is almost unfathomable. I await the return of Jayvien Sandridge, who pitched in one game for the Yanks last season. He’s now with the Angels, but I await a deal. 2026 Mets bullpenners, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, are the only two players from the Yankees’ 2025 ALDS roster who are no longer with the organization
A HALL OF FAME QUIZ
Carlos Beltran, the recently voted-in new member of baseball’s Hall of Fame, will be wearing a Mets cap on his plaque. Remember, he played with the Mets from 2005 to 2011, which was before he cheated baseball with the Astros in 2017.
Beltran will be one of three Mets to sport their logo in the Hall.
Who are the other two?
A BOOK RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CZAR OF ENTERTAINMENT (that’s me)
I just finished “The Church of Baseball: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit,” written by the film’s screenwriter and director, Ron Shelton. I listened to the audiobook read by Mr. Shelton. The book was published in 2022 about the movie that came out in 1988.
If you love baseball, if you love movies, if you love great writing, you will love this book.
Now I’m going to watch the movie again.
Coming up…this week’s Wordle, another quiz, and banned Super Bowl ads.
