Williams on Wednesday threw 54 pitches for the Nats in the first inning, the highest such count for a pitcher in the opening frame in almost a decade, per Codify

Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” has jumped into the Top 30 on the U.S. iTunes Song Chart, the 41st consecutive year of people not listening to the lyrics.

🟥 Winning the Weekend 🟥 Kreidler’s Consistency 🟥 Unleashing Lee milb.com/toledo/news/to…

Robot* umps! At the All-Star Game!** Danger!*** (* not really robots) (** one night) (*** only danger = bad call gets fixed) markkreidler.substack.com/p/the-bots-are…

RIP Lee Elia and his misunderstood rant. (Well, some of it didn't really need explaining.) Elia ultimately had his players' backs, a wonderful epitaph for a baseball lifer. Free read. markkreidler.substack.com/p/all-hail-thi…

“Name Game: Did Los Angeles Businesses Use Bait and Switch Tactics to Push a Petition?” by Mark Kreidler for capitalandmain.com has been selected for this week's #PowerAtWork Weekly Download. Subscribe and have it delivered directly to your inbox, every week. poweratwork.us/theweeklydownl…

Kid from 504 population town draws No. 1 MLB draft! (Not that simple.) Small towns unite! (If you've got connections.) Oklahoma stand up! (It did -- check the comments after the story.) markkreidler.substack.com/p/if-youre-goo…

With its 'ghost runner on second' rule, MLB declared some time ago that extra innings aren't real baseball -- so why stop there? They used a home run derby to decide the All-Star Game in the 10th. That'd work all the time, right? Are you not entertained? markkreidler.substack.com/p/we-could-liv…

Ryan Kreidler 👏👏👏

An MLB player did something really cool Monday night. Like, career-defining cool. Historic company cool. Don't worry, you barely know him. markkreidler.substack.com/p/joses-almost…

That wasn't so hard.

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the Pirates are the first team to sweep the best team in a league (Tigers) and get swept by the worst team in a league (White Sox) in back-to-back series since the 1980 Padres. It’s been that kind of year.

Rengifo has to wear this strikeout on his batting record. Forever. #ABS

California has joined 22 other states in suing the Trump administration for what state Attorney General Rob Bonta calls "punishment for Planned Parenthood’s constitutionally protected advocacy for abortion." Column by Mark Kreidler capitalandmain.com/unplanned-pare…

Here's to the teams in mid-level hell, close enough to that third wild-card to want to stay in, but ultimately deciding they can't. These are the MLB trade deadline surprises -- teams with talent that nevertheless pull the plug. markkreidler.substack.com/p/the-dark-art…

Thirty bucks for an ESPN app that contains everything they own, including (now) the NFL Network. Thirty bucks to see sports and nothing but, with none of that pesky news or current events to distract you. Pay up. markkreidler.substack.com/p/coming-to-an…

The number of confirmed measles cases so far this year marks the worst spread of the disease in the U.S. in more than three decades. Even still, public health experts say the total is an undercount — perhaps a severe one. Mark Kreidler reports capitalandmain.com/measles-is-mak…

Measles Coming Back — and California Isn’t Immune f.mtr.cool/bawgrspfjg Vaccination gaps in 16 counties leave some communities exposed as children return to school. Mark Kreidler #measles instagr.am/p/DNiemxwxGdp/

Auburn deciding to retroactively claim seven football titles might strike you as a little...stupid. But we're in the post-intelligence era! The truth is what I say it is! Who are you to deny me my truth? So...yeah. Stupid. markkreidler.substack.com/p/how-to-win-w…