Early July was a busy time — Independence Day, summer vacations, Uni Watch moving from the blog to Substack. So it’s possible, maybe even likely, that you missed a major uni-related development that took place on July 11. In fact, I initially missed it myself.
That’s the day that MLB pitcher Chris Paddack, having been released by three teams over the previous two months, essentially gave up on his MLB career and signed a contract to pitch in Korea. That was very bad news because, as longtime readers are well aware, Paddack had been a Uni Watch favorite due to his impeccable stirrup stylings since arriving in the big leagues in 2019. In 2022 I even interviewed him about his stirrup practice.
Unfortunately, two Tommy John surgeries and other physical maladies took their toll on Paddack’s pitching. But while his mound game faltered (his record this season was 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA), he remained a true stirrup stalwart to the end, continuing to wear the old-school look during his short 2026 stints with the Marlins, Reds, and Rangers. (Sadly, he’s been wearing socks, not stirrups, for his new Korean team, the Samsung Lions.)
But as so often happens in this world, when one door closes, another one opens. In this case, Paddack’s departure from the big leagues has cleared the runway for the emergence of a new hosiery hero. Ladies and gents, I give you Guardians pitcher Parker Messick.