Not sure what the BCHL brass has been thinking, but they surely are not fans of any team carrying any momentum through the playoff rounds.
The Prince George Spruce Kings were on quite a roll into the league finals. Vernon Vipers, too, had things going pretty well.
BCHL, “We don’t care, take a week, or more, off, and don’t start until we tell you to, so springtime, golf and the Stanley Cup Playoffs (plus the NBA playoffs, plus the Masters, plus the ramping up of the late rounds of major soccer play-downs in Europe and North America) are around to distract people that might have been following your progress,” or something like that.
Ten days between rounds for Prince George, even though the Vipers have been available for more than a week. Not to mention, of course, the additional support costs of keeping players housed, fed and practiced with limited actual playing time anywhere in the offing.
I am sure there is some official, “reasoning,” behind this type of scheduling, which may lead to a rush for the winner to get ready for the national championships. I just cannot imagine what that, “reasoning,” is.
• Update.
Trevor Rosenthal of the Washington Nationals finally got somebody out in a relief appearance, an opportunity he only got because his team had a 15-run lead in Wednesday’s game. He did walk three more batters (so his on-base-allowed percentage stat is off the charts) and allowed another run to score.
But, progress of a sort. His earned run average has dropped from infinity to only 72.0 runs per game.• On another MLB front, Baltimore Oriole Chris Davis has cruised past a 35 year old batting record by not getting a hit in 61 consecutive official at bat attempts. At $24 million a year, Davis gets about $19,000 for every at bat, so the Oriole’s return on investment is, shall we say, at the low end.
Even less comforting for the Oriole’s may be the fact that, including this season, they are required to pay Davis $96 million more dollars before his contract expires, a number that means they cannot hope to trade him away and benching him is just giving up entirely on that money producing any benefit for the team.
And around here we have truly vociferous critics concerning the spending habits of general managers in such NHL places as Montreal and Edmonton. Granted, there is something to criticize about both those GMs, but the Baltimore situation puts their problems in a much less awkward context - or at least I am sure they hope that’s true.
• Meanwhile, I hope at least a few of you took time on Green Shirt day, or at least some day, to sign up as organ donors. Lots of need, lots of value without much cost, and very easy to do. Whether you credit the Logan Boulet Effect officially or not, I am sure the impact of that push on donor signups provides some comfort, and pride, to the devastated Humboldt Broncos’ family.
• A mildly resurgent minor league baseball organization is under way this weekend. Hooray. Drop by one of the parks, and bring a friend. Just showing up feels supportive to everybody whose energy is expended in maintaining and improving a great sports legacy in this Home of Champions.