was watching
Watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Baseball Purgatory
There are only a handful of teams in baseball worse than the Angels, but none of those bummer-squads are quite as dreary, doomed, and limbo-bound.
Watching Kris Bryant And Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Bedrock
The Chicago Cubs have done everything to build a seamless, thoroughly contemporary World Series contender. But they still rely on a pair of old-school mashers.
The Forgettable Career and Memorable Triumphs of Kyle Lohse
Kyle Lohse was never a great pitcher, and needed St. Louis Cardinals magic to become a good one. But he did a lot with nothing much for years. That's something.
Watching Steven Wright, Who Is For Real, And Really Weird
Steven Wright has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. He's also a knuckleballer, which adds a satisfying edge of weirdness to his success.
Watching Yu Darvish, An Ace At Play
The Texas Rangers are getting Yu Darvish back at exactly the right moment. It's not just that he steadies a shaky rotation. He brings an element of magic to it, too.
Watching Manny Machado, Thermonuclear Metronome
The Baltimore Orioles have been the first half's biggest surprise. But Manny Machado has been as great as predicted, in all the understated ways that made him a star.
The Oklahoma City Thunder Were Wild, Loud, And Still Echoing
Bad luck, historically tough competition, and some stubborn personality kinks kept the Durant/Westbrook Thunder from being great, but they were always memorable.
Watching Wil Myers, Who Is Finally Becoming The Player He Was Supposed To Be
Two teams ago, Wil Myers was one of baseball's true can't-miss prospects. The former Rookie of the Year has missed a lot since then, but now he's easing into stardom.
Watching the Boston Red Sox, While They're Still Weird
Right now, the Red Sox are a dazzling offense yoked to a miserable pitching staff. They'll improve at the trade deadline, but let's savor the oddity until then.
Watching the Detroit Tigers, Who Are Trying to Drag the Past into the Present
The Tigers owe a lot of money to players whose best seasons are behind them. In the moment, though, they're still in the mix, thanks to Detroit stalwarts Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera.
Watching Kyrie Irving, as Imperfect as Perfect Can Get
The Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving can do things no other NBA point guard can do. What gets him into trouble is doing them all at once. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, however, it all worked.
Watching Eric Hosmer, First Baseman of the Future and the Present
Over the last generation or so, first basemen have been beefy swing-and-miss types. The Kansas City Royals' Eric Hosmer isn't like that, but he's as good a first baseman as we've got.