By Marc Lawrence — Anybody can get off to a bad start: Statistically, April was the worst month of Babe Ruth’s career. (He’d have been a Hall of Famer on April stats alone, but still: his slugging percentage was 50 points lower in April than it was for his career in total.) Ordinarily, slow starts are no big deal: After all, players usually have a whole five months to make up for a slow start. But, like everything else on the planet, it’s different in 2020. With it, MLB.com examined each player from each team who has had considerable success in his career up to this point but is off to a slow start. A rough first couple of weeks doesn’t ordinarily mean much, but in 2020, it can mean everything. Like Washington Nationals relief pitcher Sean Doolittle who has posed a 15.00 ERA in 5 appearances. Players like him may run out of time before they know it: They best get going, right now. See the player from each team who is on MLB’s perilous bad-start list here.
Trending Today
Another encouraging development has unfolded in the story of Alex Smith. Per NFL.com, the Washington quarterback was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Sunday. The move allows him to participate in football drills for the first time since working his way back from the catastrophic leg injury he suffered in November 2018. After enduring a strenuous and lengthy rehab period, things have progressed rather quickly for Smith since late last month. Second-year QB Dwayne Haskins stated that he was “excited” for Smith as he neared full strength and viewed him as a mentor. The 2019 first-rounder also addressed the possibility of the two competing for reps in camp, saying that if that happens he’s “trying to make sure he gets me better, and I get him better.” To which we say – be careful what you wish for, Dwayne.
Grinding Out The Profits
From the 2020 PLAYBOOK FOOTBALL PREVIEW GUIDE magazine: Meet yet another college football “Mission Team” intent on righting a wrong this season. It’s not often Gary Patterson’s teams take it on the chin suffering losing seasons in successive years – in fact, never to be exact. Look for the Frogs to take a huge leap forward in 2020.
