Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber / Nick Castellanos signings made possible courtesy of the DH in the National League.

When Nick Castellanos was a Detroit Tiger a few years ago there was talk of trading him to a playoff contender. Allegedly the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) were considered interested in Castellanos.   

My memory of Castellanos back then was he was a poor defensive outfielder and any marginal advantage he would provide offensively would be offset by poor fielding and limited defensive range in right field.

What was even more troubling was the Tigers had offered Castellanos a chance to play first base, a position Castellanos could probably handle effectively, and Castellanos refused.

To Castellanos's credit he has improved his outfield defense from a few years back while his offense has improved by an even more remarkable amount.

However, the DH being added to the National League basically makes the Castellanos signing of 5 years for 100 million dollars somewhat of a no brainer for the Philadelphia Phillies. Should Castellanos falter or start to diminish on the defensive side of the field, the Phillies now have the DH where Castellanos can still flourish.

Not only is 20 million dollars a year an interesting number for both sides, the DH probably allowed Philadelphia to agree to a five year deal. If there was no DH in the National League, I wonder if Philadelphia would have gone more than 3 years.

Having just turned 30 during 2022 spring training, and having had his best offensive year last season, the Castellanos signing by Philadelphia most likely pleases Bryce Howard, who had asked for another big bat in the line-up and the Phillies complied by getting both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos

However there is a DH X-Factor to consider. Bryce Harper has been known to rough himself up playing defense and having the DH available allows Howard to both heal and still DH, a situation that most likely will come up in 2022. Can Philly remain competitive with both Schwarber and Castellanos playing in the field at the same time whenever another player needs a defensive day off by hitting DH?

The Revenge of the DH occurs when average to below average defenders end up playing the field so other regulars can have a defensive day off at DH, the result being that the regular DH has to play the field and doesn't make plays better defenders would make, thus extending the inning and the pitcher's pitch count. It is this DH X factor which could prove meddlesome for the Philadelphia Phillies in the coming years since both Schwarber's and Castellanos's best position may be DH.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

MLB needs to optimize the Extra Innings Ghost Runner rule for the 2022 season, here's how MLB can do it.

What a difference 90 feet makes in the game of baseball. As Major League Baseball contemplates whether they will add the Ghost Runner second base rule at the start of extra innings for the 2022 year, they miss the most ideal scenario of all.

Why won't MLB place the ghost runner at first base instead of second base? A ghost runner at first creates a chance for fans to see successful small ball from first base. Some teams will of course try to move the runner to second base via a steal or sacrifice, while other teams will hit away hoping to avoid the dreaded double play.

Starting an extra base inning with a Ghost Runner at First Base creates so much more drama that is not based on the "sudden death" mantra that is created with a Ghost Runner on Second base. 

Look at all the options available to the manager that makes the game so much more interesting for the fan when the Ghost Runner is at first base instead of second...Hit and Run, Attempting a Stolen base, Sacrifice bunt, First to third on a single but having to challenge the arm of the right fielder, a pick-off play, the dreaded double play unless it is the opposing team up to bat.  Trying to score from first on a double, 

All of that is basically reduced to nothing more than one hit and will the runner try to score from second when the Ghost Runner starts extra innings at second base.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

Katie Meyer's "Suicide" may actually be the direct result of Stanford College not providing a competent legal advocate to Katie Meyers regarding an upcoming disciplinary hearing.

Successful Athlete, Role Model, approaching graduation and a possible future in Professional Women's Soccer, Katie Meyers Suicide may may have been caused by the College Nanny Brigade repeatedly harassing Ms. Meyers for an alleged college infraction while possibly not providing Ms. Meyers with a competent legal advocate. 

The same Nanny mentality that seems to pervade the pseudo intellectual world of College and those who administer College protocol, may be responsible for Katie Myers suicide.

Now is not the time to imply Katie Holmes needed mental counseling. Katie Meyers required competent legal representation provided for by the same college that was charging her with some type of infraction serious enough that the college was preparing a disciplinary hearing that may have caused her to commit suicide when they sent her one or more letters about her upcoming hearing.

Now is the time for protesting the cruel mistreatment Katie Holmes received from college protocol that apparently felt it was ok to send a menacing letter or letters to Ms. Holmes about a future college hearing without providing her with the proper legal representation to help guide her through the process. Ms. Holmes may have been treated worse than if she had committed a serious crime against another person when one considers Ms. Holmes was most likely not assigned a legal advocate. The lack of competent free legal representation that should have been provided for by the college may be the very reason Ms. Holmes committed suicide. 

Not only can a prestigious college financially bleed some of their student's families dry with no guarantee their son or daughter will have a successful career, apparently a college can isolate a student while preparing that student for some type of "trial" that may not have supplied basic safeguards guaranteed to the common criminal, a public defender to represent the accused.

I plead for the Holmes family to seek out answers as to why Katie Holmes may have bore the entire weight of a future disciplinary trial without the college also offering a competent legal advocate to ensure she was mentally, legally and publicly protected by the same nanny brigade that constantly tries to guilt the world into bowing at the feet of the educated and scientific communities.

The mere insinuation that Katie Holmes should have gotten mental health assistance may be nothing more than a method for covering up what could be the College's pretentious method of disciplining students without free, fair and competent legal representation to interpret the letters the college sends out to vulnerable college students.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.