It has been a great 7 months here at Baseball Now and Then, but all good things must end. Starting now , Baseball Now and Then will combine with Hoops Now and Then to form 4 Sports Now and Then. The 4 stands for the 4 major sports that I will follow, and the fact that the blog is for sports. So here is my last post. things are not looking good for the Mets. They are 8-11 and losing 5-0 to the Braves right now. Things are going good for Eric Thames, who is taking the Majors by storm and leads MLB in homers so far. Another player gaining publicity is Chris Coghlan, but for another reason. Coughlan made an incredible play, leaping over Yadier Molina to score. If you haven't already seen it, then see it here. http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/11493214/v1322600683/must-c-crafty-coghlan-leaps-over-molina-to-score/?affiliateId=clubMEGAMENU
 I will keep Baseball Now and Then up so that you can see older posts. I will continue to follow Baseball in 4 Sports Now and Then. Here is the link to my new page. Enjoy! http://4sportsnowandthen.blogspot.com/

RIP Tal's Hill: 2000-2017

 Starting last October, the Houston Astros decided that it would be best to destroy Tal's Hill. Tal's Hill was a man-made hill at Houston's Minute Maid Park. It has a random pole on it, and has tortured outfielders and hitters alike. It has produced incredible catches,(http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/73497276/v121753283/outfielders-climb-tals-hill-to-make-dazzling-catches) and memories for fans, but it takes up to much space. It was nice to see another stadium quirk, but this is for the best. In its place will be a nice fan concourse with food and murals. Minute Maid's outfield area was terrible, with no room for fans, but now they have more seating. I think the new area look's great, but Rest In Peace Tal's Hill. Thanks for the Memories. We will never forget you.

    Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the signing of Jackie Robinson's contract. To honor this American hero, to which every non-white player owes his or her career to, the Dodgers erected a statue of him. Here is the unveiling ceremony.
http://m.mlb.com/video/v1289555483/arilad-dodgers-unveil-jackie-robinson-statue






Also, MLB unveiled its 2017 special event uniforms. In my opinion, they look too much like last year's. My favorites are the Home Run Derby jerseys. I always like to see how MLB incorporates the host's logo in the Home Run Derby jerseys. Here's more on the jerseys.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/222837370/mlb-special-event-uniforms-for-2017/

The defending American League Champions have a surprising threat that no one saw coming, and it's the Twins. The Twins swept the Royals and beat the White Sox to reach a 4-0 record, and it doesn't look like they're going to lose to one of the weakest teams in baseball. Another surprise is that the Cincinnati Reds are in first in the NL Central. Also, the Arizona Diamondbacks are leading theirs. I think all of these will change. Keep in mind, we have 158 games left, and anything can happen.

The Cubs at .500, Madison Bumgarner leading the National League in home runs, the Blue Jays in last, this does not sound like the predictions for the 2017 season. It is obviously too early for this, but their have been interesting stories to start the season, like Madison Bumgarner's two home runs in one game, and the Cardinals walk off win against the Cardinals. Their will be an interesting story tonight when former Met Bartolo Colon takes the mound against his old team for the first time as a Brave to face Jacob deGrom. The Mets beat Atlanta 6-0 on Monday, and look to make Bart regret leaving. Maybe he'll want to come back. Please Bartolo, come back!!!

It's finally baseball season. The Yankees, Rays, Diamondbacks, Giants, Cardinals, and Cubs will all play today. I am going to finish my predictions with my playoff and award predictions.

National League

Wild Card Game: Nationals over Rockies
Division Series: Cubs over Nationals, Mets over Dodgers
Championship Series: Mets over Cubs

MVP: Kris Bryant
Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard
Rookie of the Year: Dansby Swanson
Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon


American League

Wild Card Game: Astros over Blue Jays
Division Series: Red Sox over Astros, Indians over Rangers
Championship: Red Sox over Indians

MVP: Mike Trout
Cy Young:  Chris Sale
Rookie of the Year: Andrew Benintendi
Manager of the Year: John Farrel

World Series: Mets over Red Sox in 7

This seems really biased, but I'm not the only one picking it. The Mets are healthier, and their pitching staff is strong. The Sox will put up a fight, going the distance to Game 7. The Dodgers, Nationals, Blue Jays, and Rangers will return to October, and fail to produce, which is nothing new.



What is new in MLB is Sun Trust Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves From the pictures and videos that I've seen, it looks very nice.  Its exterior is very modern, and the Monument Garden is incredible. In the picture to the side, you can see the Hank Aaron statue with bats forming the number 755. It also has retired jerseys, autographs, and even the champagne from after the 1995 World Series. However, the inside is bland, and reminds me too much of Turner Field. It does not have have an original quirk that makes it different, like the green monster, of the bridges at PNC Park. However, the scoreboard is nice, and restaurants will be added near the park, unlike Turner Field. Overall, it is a beautiful modern stadium that the Braves should be proud of.