Soul In The Hole Back Knight Roundup | What’s Up Black?

Soul In The Hole Back Knight Roundup | What’s Up Black?

by | Jun 3, 2021 | THE LEAD OFF

All Betts Are Off For LA Outfielder As Slump Continues 

Mookie Betts’ numbers do not resemble those from years past, and his struggles are becoming more noticeable. This season through 45 games, Betts is batting .247 with 44 hits, 18 RBIs, and 27 runs. 

 Seems like good numbers, right?

Well not if you are familiar with the back of this former MVP’s baseball card.

Betts led the Dodgers to their first World Series Championship in 32 years during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, where he batted .292 with 64 hits, 47 runs, and 39 RBIs in only 55 games.

His success garnered him a second-place finish in the National League MVP race, while also earning him a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award. Don’t forget his elite performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, where he homered to open the series in Game 1 and to close the series in Game 6.

 

 

It’s still early in the season, but Betts is moving past the slow start zone into “down year” territory.

What Happened?

Fans point to his new vegan diet as the culprit to his struggles.

WATCH: MOOKIE BETTS PROMOTES A VEGAN LIFESTYLE

For those clamoring for an explanation, blame it on father time. 

Betts appeared in 145 or more games in four of his previous five seasons. That’s called wear and tear on the body. Adding insult to injury is just that, injuries! 

In April, he missed four games due to back discomfort. Then he took an upper 90s mile per hour fastball to the inside of his elbow, which left him writhing in pain.

 

 

Don’t forget about the unfortunate two-ball tag that left men cringing across the globe.

 

Over the weekend, Betts missed two of three games due to discomfort in his left shoulder, which he later confirmed after telling the media that the injury has been bothering him throughout the month of May, but that is not the reason for his poor performance as sometimes you do not play well. 


He told the Los Angeles Times, “I have shown that I can play at those high expectations and live by them. I am not mad at it by any means, as I do not mind expectations. It does not scare me at all.”

 

Billy Hamilton Showing That His Wheels & Wood Are Still Active

 

Billy The Slid put on a show this past weekend as he hit home runs in consecutive games to help his Chicago White Sox sweep the Baltimore Orioles.

After flexing his newfound power, the grizzled young veteran displayed his wheels in childlike fashion Tuesday night, with an inside-the-park home run.

 

His double off the wall tied the game at 2-2, and then Hamilton turned on the jets to take the lead with a headfirst slide. The catcher for Cleveland lost the ball when trying to apply the tag.

Later, the play got penciled in as a double and an advance to third base on a bad throw and a run scored on an error. It was electrifying nonetheless.

However, you word the play, it was still impressive.

The guy has always been the prototypical centerfielder whose speed can cover all sorts of range while also going from base to base in a millisecond. Problem is, he couldn’t reach base.

Baseball insiders have always created the narrative that if Hamilton could figure it out at the plate and get on base more, he would take his current team to the next level and his performance is proving everyone right as the Chicago White Sox are leading the American League Central Division at 33-22. 

Hamilton’s resurgence has contributed to his changed persona as he is going from “Billy the blur” to “Billy bats” through two months of play. If he can keep this production up, then those dreams of bringing another World Series Championship to the Southside of Chicago will soon come to fruition.

 

Roman Quinn Out For The Season With Ruptured Achilles 

 

Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder Roman Quinn will undergo surgery this week on his left Achilles tendon. His expected recovery time ranges from nine to 12 months per source.

 

 It seems the 28-year-old suffered the apparent injury as he was rounding third base. After falling to the ground, he showed the heart of a champion by hopping on one leg to score the tying run on May 29 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. 

With a skillset predicated on speed and agility, seeing him go down in that manner is heartbreaking as this is the second time he has suffered an Achilles tear, with the first tear taking place on his right side back in 2013.

His injury history, including both Achilles, reads like a laundry list. 

 He had a torn quad, a torn ligament in his middle finger, a finger contusion, a strained ligament in his elbow, an oblique strain, a groin strain, a broken toe, and a concussion, to name a few.

 The speedy switch hitter through 28 games was averaging .173 with four stolen bases and two RBIs. In 512 career plate appearances, he is batting.228/,306/.355.

 While wishing you a speedy recovery, we at MLBbro.com look forward to seeing Quinn back on the diamond in no time.

Soul In The Hole Back Knight Roundup | What’s Up Black?

Mookie Betts Is Finding His Zone With His First Multiple RBI Game Of The Season

by | Apr 29, 2021 | THE TWO HOLE

Mookie Betts hasn’t been his usual dominant baseball self so far this season. Mookie is batting just .250 and he missed a couple of reps after getting beaned on the forearm with some hot cheese a week ago. 

 

 

Betts has been one of the most productive players in the game over the past five seasons, so the concern is minimal. He hits for average, power, steals bases (last 30-30 players in MLB) and his glove is space-ship special. 

If there was any real cause for alarm…meaning if we had to nitpick, the only alarming statistic (other than a batting average that sits 50 points below his career clip) was Betts’ paltry three RBI in 80 official plate appearances coming into Wednesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. 

We know he’s the party starter in the Dodgers’ lineup and to keep 100, the entire lineup had been slumping during a recent 1-5 stretch, despite the franchise’s impressive collection of offensive powerhouses.

Good thing they play everyday in baseball because an 8-0 win behind seven strong innings from Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday cured those “batter blues” real quick. 

It was inevitable that the 2018 AL MVP would get it going sooner than later. Betts’ leadoff double on Tuesday was an Omen of things to come. 

 

 

 

 

Then, on Wednesday, Betts lined a pitch to centerfield for his second hit of the game, driving in two runs and putting the finishing touches on a win that broke a three-game skid. It was the distinguished Black Knight’s first multiple-RBI game of the young season.

Expect many more to follow. 

 

 

A player as multifaceted as Mookie is always impactful. Even if he isn’t wielding a hot stick, Betts does so many other things. Smells like Mookie is cooking up one of his infamous hit streaks, where he doesn’t strike out in like 40 or 50 at-bats. 

You can’t keep a good brother down for long, especially if his name is Markus Lynn Betts.