Joe Torosian's Outsiders Sports

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Mike Trout has risen from the grave.

As a Mets fan, I’m in full support of an MLB work stoppage.

The Jerry West doc is a must-see. I knew he had hurts, but in all my time following sports and watching West as a player, coach, and GM, I never did a deep dive on him.

Peterson and I did have a long escalator ride to the floor of the Sports Arena with West. We asked him about the Boston Garden and how Byron Scott and Michael Cooper started hitting their shots.

He was cool, we were respectful, but we were wondering why he was coming to a Clippers game. It was simple–to scout.

Regarding the NBA, a rule is a rule. At least it was until the Association carved out exceptions for Luka Doncic (birth of a child) and Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung) for not making the 65-game threshold for league honors.

End of problem, right?

“What’s the point of having rules if some players suddenly get exemptions? Lol,” said Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards.

Edwards’ business manager Justin Holland said to ESPN, “For me personally, I’m a bit confused at the clemency for Cade, who missed time for something that happened on the court, and not Ant, who missed time for an infection…”

Other players shared as well. I understand the birth of a child or an injury, but playing in 65 games means you missed 17. The birth of a child and a collapsed lung didn’t cost these players 17 games.

Why did they miss those other games?

Exceptions are like snowballs rolling down the hill, so don’t roll a snowball down the hill. Sometimes you just have to be the bad guy.

#27—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…

I appreciated all the Jackie Robinson remembrances.

He probably should be talked about every other month during the baseball season. Not necessarily with special days, but with reminders about all the quiet things he went through that no one knew about.

Robinson was 53 when he passed, nearly blind, hardly able to walk, and suffering from diabetes. I know it’s a negative on the hope Robinson’s story brings…But there was a cost he continued to pay for the rest of his life, and people should be reminded of that.

I’m okay with the Rams jersey adjustments, but…If you’ve got a rival in sports, it means you have a history, and when you play that rival, you’re going to call on that history and tradition…This is why I hate the so-called NFL Rivalry uniforms.

Does anyone remember a big win by the Rams wearing midnight blue back in the day? Neither do I.

Last Add Baseball: The other reason I don’t like the cashless system is that it heightens the pressure to tip. I’m a good tipper, I’ve always been a good tipper, and someone who overpays the babysitter…But I don’t like being strong-armed into a gratuity.

When cash is the exchange, the tip can be given at any time, and the employee continues to work for it. When it’s cashless, they run my card, then turn the machine around so I can tip before the transaction is complete.

…And then you run the risk of getting “The Look” if you don’t tip–as if you’re doing something wrong. If it’s going to be cashless, go the distance, bring in the kiosks…

1,272
Judges 21:25
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

…And I was this close to saying, “Keep an eye on the Clippers.”

First time at Chavez Ravine this season…likely the last.

Trapped among Dodger fans, I was the subject of much abuse during the Mets’ 8-2 loss.

Tacky things like, “Old spaghetti-armed Lindor.”

My response was, “If the Dodgers had any loyalty, Justin Turner wouldn’t be playing in Tijuana.”

Yeah, Turner is in Tijuana. That surprised me, especially since he’d be the Mets’ best hitter if they signed him today.

With that said, The Ravine is gorgeous. Everything about it is first-rate, and I’ve always appreciated the improvement to let fans walk around the entire venue. Gone are the days of being marooned in the left or right field pavilion.

If I were just left alone to talk about the game between innings—and not subjected to ridiculous contests and loud distractions—I’d go more often…If I could make the right kind of friends or get a GoFundMe account off the ground.

For the best team in baseball, clearly…(And yes, it pains me to say the Dodgers are)…The best run team in baseball, clearly…What comes across as the priority is the show and not baseball.

And, it’s always been a show…I know…but the lead in that show used to be baseball. Sometimes the action on the field felt incidental.

Food options are great, I didn’t see one beach ball, and The Wave crashed to a stop every time it was attempted. Cool. Ohtani is unbelievable, and the biggest question about Dalton Rushing is how to get him more at-bats.

It won’t be a shock to see the Dodgers win a third straight World Series. (Hopefully, this statement puts the kibosh on that.)

Officially, the parking lot capacity at Chavez Ravine is 16,000, with estimates—based on attendance—as high as 20,000. The people I was with assumed it was 25,000.

Taking the 20,000 number and multiplying it by the base fee of $45…it comes out to $900,000 per game. The gross income listed for the season is 48-rocks.

Finally…by the visible signage, the ballpark in Chavez Ravine is definitely UNIQLO Field…make no mistake, “Dodger Stadium” is dead.

#26—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…

Last Add Clippers: Do you know the Clippers have had 15 consecutive winning seasons?

I have a little NFL Draft exhaustion. For some reason, the draft is more interesting when the Rams don’t have a first-round pick. The mystery is greater, and the stress is less.

Generally, I’m pleased with the Rams logo and uniform reveal. To be honest, I was never going to be happy.

…And I still haven’t seen a UFL game this season.The Dude abides…

1,271
Colossians 2:8
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

I’m going to The Ravine tonight.

The plan, for now, is to have a meal. Dodger Dog, peanuts, water… the problem is, I don’t have a co-signer…Anyone want to help me out?

…And what sort of pretentious joint doesn’t take cash?

I’m a Mets fan, I’d say, “Go Mets!” if I could, but it doesn’t look like my team’s going anywhere.

Where have you gone, Lucas Duda? The 7-Line turns its lonely eyes to you.

There’s talk about former Raider/Alabama wide receiver, Henry Ruggs, who killed a 23-year-old woman by ramming his car into her while drunk, coming back to the NFL if he makes parole this August.

Call me crazy, but after killing someone by driving 156 mph into the back of a car and burning the driver and her dog to death while massively over the legal limit…and getting released after serving 36 months doesn’t sound much like justice to me.

Staying in the desert, I knew Phoenix would struggle in the play-in game without Walter Davis.

Lost in WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s draft presser—beyond mandated grievance at being asked a question—was her unintended outing of the ‘thousands of women, diverse people, and men’ who help run the WNBA. Run a league that has never made a profit in 29 seasons and loses millions each year.

Good to know.

With that said, how do you expand and give the players more money…unless someone is printing money for you?

Dianna Russini re-signs…and doesn’t fight back…and basically confirms everything the pictures of her and Mike Vrabel implied.

If you’re innocent but accused of an ethical/moral violation, and your reputation is about to be destroyed, you fight and go scorched earth. You don’t rollover.

And, I actually liked her content. Russini presented—no pun intended—as someone who did the work.

If the NFL decides to put Sunday Night Football on Netflix, I won’t follow. The only thing Netflix has is Seinfeld…and it is incapable of doing sports.

I’ll say it again, Elon, Bezos, and a bunch of their billionaire friends with blank-you money need to start a league of their own in direct competition with the NFL.

Then again, Bezos is already in league with the NFL.

The NFL is exercising unchecked tyranny on its fans because there is nothing and no one to hold it accountable.

Looking at LaMelo Ball—after taking down Bam—I have to ask, out of curiosity, not judgment, when does ink become enough ink? Isn’t there a threshold you cross where all the individual tats meld into one blurry tat? Thus losing the intended impact of the statement.

Final Add WNBA: Overs & Unders on how many games into the season before Caitlin Clark is cheap-shotted and sidelined?

I say less than five.

The only thing missing with the Hornets last night was Kelly Tripucka, Rex Chapman, and pleated shorts. But who needs any of those guys when Coby White is going full Lamar Mundane?

#25—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…

Something to remember about the NFL Draft…is that there are always receivers and edge rushers from one year to the next. Yes, there are outliers, but quarterback is the only position outlier you need to win a Super Bowl.

Two players worth trading up for? Jeremiyah Love and Sonny Styles…and if I didn’t have to go to far—because you can always find a receiver—Carnell Tate.

The Dude abides…

1,270
Matthew 9:6
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

The Stanley Cup is approaching, so it’s time for me to slither back to the LA Kings bandwagon.

I love the Kings, I was all over them in my youth, but these days, man, who’s got the time?

As they were beating the Seattle Kraken last night, I’m stunned that Anze Kopitar (20 seasons) and Drew Doughty (18) are still with the franchise.

Is anybody in LA aware of this? Is anybody aware there’s a hockey team in Anaheim?

This is why we need newspapers and sports sections. I’m not going to search online for what I don’t care or know about, but when scanning a sports section way back when, I’d come across an item or two about the Ducks…or the Irvine Anteaters…or Northridge basketball.

Where have you gone, Teemu Selänne?

If LeBron James can lead the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves…his fans will explode…and I will lead the applause.

I acknowledge LeBron is a great player, he’s just not the GOAT…Perhaps he’s the GOAT of accumulation.

Note to Dave Roberts: Give the kid a shot to finish the game. If Justin Wrobleski earned the right to go back out in the ninth, then give him the shot to close it out.

Wrobleski played a huge part in the Dodgers’ World Series win, and he had thrown only 90 pitches over eight innings.

When Tanner Scott came out for the final frame, I can’t tell you how badly I wanted him to torch the thing so everyone would come after Roberts.

Note to Readers: I hate the Dodgers. I know they’re the best team in baseball, so I’m searching high and low for something, anything, to bag on them about. After UNIQLO rants, there’s not much.

Last Add Dodgers: I don’t want to hear they were protecting Wrobleski’s arm…The MLB and baseball as a whole have no clue how to protect a pitcher’s arm.

“Many experts argue the league still falls short of a comprehensive, effective solution. Injuries, particularly to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) requiring Tommy John surgery, continue at high rates despite decades of efforts.”—CBS Sports.

“Elbow and shoulder injuries haven’t declined meaningfully in recent years. MLB’s own 62-page 2024 study on pitching injuries highlighted rising Tommy John rates (dozens per year, far above pre-2010 levels), with no clear fix emerging.”—ESPN.

“Pitch counts alone don’t fully predict injury risk; a 100-pitch outing for one guy isn’t the same as for another due to mechanics, fatigue, or pitch type. Research shows no magic threshold in MLB that guarantees safety, and relievers (who throw far fewer pitches) still get hurt regularly.”—ESPN.

Only Add Mets: You know the season is rapidly turning to toast when 16 games in the Tommy Pham card is being played.

Finally, this isn’t a critique of the WNBA, but its draft last night brought to mind something I’m really sick of seeing.

What I can’t stand, and I’ve seen it up close, is the constant pressure put on young athletes to represent their community, race, gender, or flavor of the month cause currently in vogue.

Let them get established, just let it be without declaration—God, family, country in whatever way they choose to pursue.

But between the ages of 18 and 25, they shouldn’t be burdened with the call to bring social justice, end poverty, build schools, and serve in soup kitchens.

If they want to fine, but the culture, the KBM (Kiss-Butt-Media) should have no say and inflict no coercion of conscience upon them.

Virtue should be a choice, not a mandate.

#24—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…The Dude abides…

1,269
1 Corinthians 16:13-15
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b