With the balance of an all important Royals-Marlins series hanging over the abyss, the Royals should feel nothing but fortuity to have Brian Bannister (3-3, 2.91 ERA) taking the pill against an all too proud of himself Scott Olsen (5-5 4.81 ERA).
So lemme guess, he likes driving SUVs through mud, drinking beer and chasing skanks at Hooters. A delightful and well-rounded young man.
One of the more remarkable stories of the past month has been Banny's inspired ascension to the heights of the American League pitching hierarchy. Since his run began fortuitiously on June 1, Banny's got to be considered a viable candidate for AL Pitcher of the Month:
Something So Strong, Could Carry Banny Away
-Bannister in June: 55.2 IP, 3-0, 14Ks, 2BBs, 0.41 ERA
-ERA on May 27th: 4.54, ERA on June 17th: 2.91
Bannister now has generated a VORP of 13.7, good for 38th best amongst AL Pitchers, and second on the team behind Meche's 24.5 (8th in the AL).
Baseball fans across the country and around the world eagerly await today's game, which we'll surely form on of the most intractable memories of our lifes.