2-17-2024 Passed Ball Show. John titles this show, "You never go full re-build!" as he explains why it does not make sense for MLB teams to completely shut competitive operations down, in spite of examples of success in Houston and Baltimore. John points out that full rebuilds are usually copouts by MLB owners that are trying to get away with paying their players less. He also points to the reason the Houston Astros have had sustained success after their rebuild- they have a payroll that is the highest in franchise history. The same can be said for the Tampa Bay Rays. No excuse in the era of 12 MLB playoff teams (40% of the league!) for any team to not give their players and fans the best shot of competing. John remembers the career of Lefty Driesell, the longtime College Basketball coach who passed away today. During today's #savingsportshistory segment, John honors some of the greatest to ever do it, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, and Buddy Ryan, as they were all born on February 17th. He also talks about Richard Petty, Danny Hamlin, and what Masanori Murakami means for Major League Baseball.
