The Rundown: Rizzo Learns Hard Things are Hard, Swisher Retires, Rays Interested in Brian Wilson
Not a whole lot going on around the baseball world on Friday, so we’re going rapid fire and getting straight to the point.
- Anthony Rizzo took a lesson away from the Cubs’ trip to the White House, which is that hard things are hard. Less about the solidarity of mass than the actuality of life, the message came from a plaque on President Obama’s desk. I had considered putting the phrase on a shirt and hawking it in our shop, but thought better of it once I’d sobered up.
- Nick Swisher, lord high king of dude-bros, has officially announced his retirement via a post at The Player’s Tribune titled, “The Dream Is Over, Baby!” True to form, the word “bro” gets dropped a couple times as he opens with a story about playing softball with his dudes and bros. Despite his wacky persona and the fact that his tongue seems to perpetually loll from his mouth, I might actually like this guy a little.
- Former closer and massive black beard-haver Brian Wilson is drawing interest from the Rays, according to Marc Topkin and Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times. I want this to happen in a bad way, though I’d rather an NL team take a flier on Wilson so I can see him pitch against the Cubs. Oh well, beggars make for really poor choosers, both literally and figuratively.
- The Myrtle Beach Pelicans have some pretty cool gear and they’re pretty much trying to give it away during Spring Training. Okay, you still have to buy it, but you can at least get 30% off. Just use code ALTMANST and you’re all good.
- Addison Russell may have changed his batting stance a little bit, if what Brendan Miller saw in recent video from BP is accurate.
