The biggest day of the 2023-24 NFL schedule is over, Superbowl LVIII went to overtime and the Chiefs have solidified themselves as a Dynasty team, winning three championships in the last five years, and having grabbed back-to-back trophies (2019, 2022, 2023) while losing in the 2020 Superbowl. But, you know that’s not what Between The Chalk Lines is all about! It’s “All baseball talk, all the time!” here with me! So let’s get talking about some baseball.
Pitchers and Catchers start reporting to most teams in a week! The Dodgers and Padres have an early start, with a lot of their main roster already in camp, getting ready for the March 20th and 21st games to open the season in Seoul, South Korea. The last time the Dodgers and Padres faced off to begin the season out of the States was in 2018, in Monterrey, Mexico. Last year, it was the Giants against the Padres in Mexico City, Mexico, in April to kick things off.
Speaking of Dynasty teams, MLB doesn’t have anyone who’s taking the World Series Championship left and right. The Houston Astros had to wait five years after their 2017 World Series Championship, which was riddled with doubters and haters after it was found that they had been cheating during the Championship Series. The next four Champions were all different teams, and then the Astros won again in 2022, only to have their Division and home state rivals in the Texas Rangers winning the following World Series Championship! The Dodgers have gone to the playoffs in 11 consecutive seasons going into the 2024 season, 10 of those by virtue of winning the NL West title; but, they have only their COVID year, 60-game World Series Championship to show for it. Since joining the American League West Division in 2013, the Houston Astros have reached the playoffs seven times, and won the World Series Championship twice, but they don’t have a playoff streak even close to what the Dodgers have. But do they have a good team? I’d say yeah, they do.
Who will it be in 2024? Do you like your teams roster going into Spring Training? What trades or Free Agent acquisitions could be made, because there will be some moves as 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, 2023 World Series winner Jordan Montgomery, and All Star Cody Bellinger among other big names are all still on the market! Tune in every Saturday morning to hear baseball news, opinions, and interviews on Between The Chalk Lines!
