Happy Thursday, folks. Hope you're doing well.
Let's get right to it.
Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE CHICAGO CUBS AND THE CINCINNATI REDS
Tonight's game between the Cubs and the Reds doesn't have any playoff implications; those hopes died long ago. The pitching matchup isn't particularly notable, and neither team has a high-powered offense.
But it will be the best game you can watch, because it's the Field of Dreams Game, and the Field of Dreams Game is awesome.
The teams will meet at 7:15 p.m. in Dyersville, Iowa, on a field that pays homage to the classic 1989 film. They're wearing throwback uniforms and hoping to put on a game half as entertaining as last year's Field of Dreams Game, when the White Sox beat the Yankees, 9-8 thanks to Tim Anderson's walk-off home run into the corn.
That game was watched by nearly six million viewers, making it the most-watched MLB game on any network since 1998. This year's game will again have plenty of cool features, and you should make sure to watch, as it may be the last Field of Dreams Game for a bit: the stadium is set to undergo construction, and a 2023 game appears unlikely.
Honorable mentions
And not such a good morning for...
Getty ImagesAL AVILA
The Tigers' seemingly endless rebuild has finally cost executive vice president and general manager Al Avila his job. Avila, who's been with the club since 2002 and GM since 2015, was fired as the Tigers sport the third-worst record in baseball.
Detroit has the worst record in MLB since Avila became GM and hasn't made the playoffs over that span.This stretch follows Detroit winning the AL Central every year from 2011-2014.This year, Detroit has one of MLB's worst offenses despite adding Javier Báez and Austin Meadows this offseason.It's not hard to see why it was time for Avila to go, notes our MLB guru Matt Snyder.
Snyder: "Under Avila, the Tigers have traded the likes of Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton and Nick Castellanos. They've also had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft twice and had very high selections most other seasons. Still, the farm system has consistently ranked toward the bottom third of the league by most outlets."Tigers chairman Christopher Ilitch will oversee the hiring process of a new GM.
Not so honorable mentions
Deshaun Watson expected to start preseason game, even though Roger Goodell says he deserves full-season ban
The Browns plan to start Deshaun Watson in tomorrow's preseason opener at Jacksonville, even as the possibility of a suspension hangs over the quarterback.
The NFL is currently appealing Watson's six-game suspension issued by former U.S. Judge Sue L. Robinson. Former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey will oversee the appeal hearing.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that Watson deserves a full-season suspension due to multiple "egregious" violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy as well as "predatory behavior."Watson faced 24 civil lawsuits that accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions when he was with the Texans. He has settled 23 of the 24 lawsuits and denied any wrongdoing. He also was not indicted on criminal charges by two Texas grand juries earlier this offseason.There is no timetable for Harvey's decision, according to Goodell, though the Browns' plan to start Watson tomorrow could change that. Under the collective bargaining agreement, Harvey's decision constitutes a "full, final and complete disposition of the dispute" that cannot be appealed.
Should Watson be unable to play, the Browns will likely turn to Jacoby Brissett. Overall, Cleveland plans to play "most of their starters" tomorrow.
