MIKE TROUT, not looking thrilled (Angels).

Poor Mike Trout.

No, I’m not being sarcastic here. At a press conference on Monday, he fessed up to what everyone already knew: once the best centerfielder in Major League Baseball, he was being moved over to right.

He looked liked he had eaten a bad clam. His body language suggested something akin to that of a groom at a shotgun wedding.

“I’ll do what’s best for me. Body-wise, keep me on the field,” he said. “I’ll see how it goes.”

You can’t blame Mike for being reluctant to let go of the CF spot. It’s the most glamorous fielding position in baseball and probably the most fun. You get to showcase our speed, your glove and your arm all in a few seconds.

Playing in the deepest part of the outfield, you’re the guy who makes the ESPN highlights, robbing some batter of what seemed to be a sure home run.

But while 33 isn’t yet crutch and walker territory, he’s not only a bit past his prime, but also injury-prone in his past few seasons.

The very term “right field” suggests the boondocks, the wrong side of the tracks. In grade school, the weakest fielder on the team was plunked out there, and when a left-handed batter came up to the plate, there was a switch.
So maybe Mike will “only” be the best right-fielder in baseball. That’s still pretty good. Unless you used to be the best at everything.

The NBA or Not Berry Appealing: The National Basketball Association will be resuming its 2024-25 season shortly and zzzzz … The format of the All-Star Game (s) was almost universally panned. The NFL saved its “all-star” game with a kind of party: skills competition and flag football coached by the the Manning Bros.

My suggestion for pro basketball is to have a coed game with the WNBA to showcase Caitlin Clark, which brings us to her request (or maybe her agent’s request) for more money, which brings us to the women’s league becoming more on par with the men’s league, especially in the greed department.