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100 MPH IN, 106 MPH OUT

Here is the video of Yonder Alonso's center field shot off "The Missile."  The M's site gives this as the 3rd left-on-left home run ever hit off Aroldis Chapman.  It was right back up the middle on a line.

Lately the 'Frame had swayed beatifically to the sound of 305's thumping bat off 95-99 MPH fastballs.  That, however, is the kind of shot that changes scouting reports, or it would be if Alonso were anything new this year.  Personally I'll be watching to see just how often Alonso even gets challenged the next several weeks.

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On trade day, we quipped that Mr. 305 -- here's the cool backstory on his nickname -- immediately became the M's best hitter, since his OPS+ easily exceeded that of Boomstick and Cano.  I ain't laughing any more.  Right now Alonso is the M's second-best offensive player after Boomstick.

Alonso had four slow games when he first got here, mostly just hitting into outs.  In the 11 games since, he's raking .384 with a 5:8 EYE, two homers and three doubles.  And that's really what he's looked like.

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For those who follow locker room sports, it's also a condition of locker rooms that if you're a new transfer, and then personally win your team the homecoming game against West Dallas High, you're invited to the parties after that.  :- )

In fact you begin to wonder what the M's plans are for him in 2018.  They will take the microdata on his new flyball rate, especially to see where it goes the last six weeks, as will his agent.  Two years ago his grounder/flyball ratio was 1.8, last year it was 1.3, this year it's 0.7, and against Aroldis Chapman it was infinity.

Jerry Dipoto gave up a lot to get this 1B platoon into the game.  Mitch Haniger's playing CF to accommodate it, and you remember when Leonys Martin was the be-all and end-all of the roster strategy?

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ART APPRECIATION MOMENT

It's one thing to clash Blue and Orange, like the Broncos do.  But to truly clash you've got to look like your designer honestly has a few rods and cones missing in the back of his eye.  The M's jerseys featured a McGregor-Mayweather squareoff between "Sky Blue" and what is that shade of green, "Duck's Neck Green"?  And we're not talking trim here.  We're talking toe-to-toe in the center of the ring, no idea which color has the upper hand.

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It was all the worse because the Yankees had a gorgeous take on Mike Tyson black.  Or maybe it's Dior L'Homme.  That's okay, Billy, it is better to feel good than to look good.

BABVA,

Dr D