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    • While I would have enjoyed the Astros playing in a third straight World Series, I believe a Texas and Arizona matchup is great for baseball. It shows rebuilding (along with some $$$ and luck) work. Helps give every fan hope.

      Last year I thought the most interesting matchup would be the Phillies and Indians. Beer league softball team bashing homeruns against pitching, speed, defense, and very little power.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Astro ().

    • Astro wrote:

      While I would have enjoyed the Astros playing in a third straight World Series, I believe a Texas and Arizona matchup is great for baseball. It shows rebuilding (along with some $$$ and luck) work. Helps give every fan hope.

      Last year I thought the most interesting matchup would be the Phillies and Indians. Beer league softball team bashing homeruns against pitching, speed, defense, and very little power.
      Great for baseball. Maybe. But not for me.

      I think its ridiculous to play 162 games and then have the "champion" decided by the teams that were 5 and 6 seeds. I wouldn't watch this game if it was a regular season game so I'm not going to watch it now just becasue they put some lipstick on these teams and call it the World Series. Getting the highlights on Sports Center is all I need for this year. Not picking on just baseball as all the major sports do it but baseball plays the most games so they have the least justification for letting (almost) everyone in the playoffs. Regular season should mean more than just seeding.

      Reminds me of what Bill Russell said years ago...We play an 82 game season just to eliminate Philadelphia from the playoffs.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      While I would have enjoyed the Astros playing in a third straight World Series, I believe a Texas and Arizona matchup is great for baseball. It shows rebuilding (along with some $$$ and luck) work. Helps give every fan hope.

      Last year I thought the most interesting matchup would be the Phillies and Indians. Beer league softball team bashing homeruns against pitching, speed, defense, and very little power.
      Great for baseball. Maybe. But not for me.
      I think its ridiculous to play 162 games and then have the "champion" decided by the teams that were 5 and 6 seeds. I wouldn't watch this game if it was a regular season game so I'm not going to watch it now just becasue they put some lipstick on these teams and call it the World Series. Getting the highlights on Sports Center is all I need for this year. Not picking on just baseball as all the major sports do it but baseball plays the most games so they have the least justification for letting (almost) everyone in the playoffs. Regular season should mean more than just seeding.

      Reminds me of what Bill Russell said years ago...We play an 82 game season just to eliminate Philadelphia from the playoffs.
      Was trying to look at the bright side. Old School side of me liked it when pre-1969 you had to win the league. Was fine with post-1969 when you had 2 division winners playing each other. But now it is more like March Madness. Exciting and a lot more $$$. But it does reward "being hot at the right time" over "best for the entire season".
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Earlier in the week Chris "Mad Dog" Russo said if Arizona won the last 2 games and made it to the World Series he would retire on the spot.

      We'll see.

      ETA: I like his show even though (or perhaps because of) he strays off topic more than we do here. If he picks the talent -- it's his channel -- then it might be time to retire as he has totally whiffed IMO on his last 2 attempts to fill the noon time slot.

      ETA: He showed up 12 minutes late; I guess to keep the suspense going for a while.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 3 times, last by max.patch ().

    • Warren Giles struck out. :(

      “We don’t believe in a playoff system because of the tradition and history of baseball,” NL president Warren Giles blustered to the Associated Press in May 1968. “A playoff system would be in contradiction to these traditions. You can have teams finishing fourth or fifth percentage-wise and then playing the champion of the other league in the World Series. We do not believe the public will accept this. The World Series is the greatest event in sports, and it is dangerous to tamper with it.”
      2,000 miler
    • odd man out wrote:

      I had to look it.

      % of teams that make the playoffs
      MLB 40%
      NFL 44%
      NHL 50%
      NBA 53%
      Yeah, but it used to be only 10% up until 1969, and then it was just 16.7% for my "formative} and early adult years (1969-1993). So over half my life being a MLB playoff team really meant something, compared to the other sports.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Can't disagree with anything The Athlete has to say (behind a paywall; no sense in posting a link):

      Baseball’s overlords actually made out great in ’62. The Giants faced the New York Yankees. It was best on best. Willie Mays versus Mickey Mantle. MLB didn’t get that this year. It got Rangers versus Diamondbacks. This doesn’t scream best on best. It screams Monday-in-August day game when the home team is promoting $1 hot dogs and half-priced beer to juice ticket sales — and you still leave full and drunk after the fifth inning.

      Nothing against the Rangers and Diamondbacks, or their fans and moms and wives or girlfriends, all of whom will be in attendance, just like in little league days. It’s just not appealing to the masses. The television ratings likely will be disastrous, which is a bad sign for baseball’s centerpiece event.

      Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, which tracks broadcast ratings, said Tuesday, “There’s no debating that baseball has lost its cache, just like every sport has, except for the NFL.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 2 times, last by max.patch ().

    • max.patch wrote:



      I think its ridiculous to play 162 games and then have the "champion" decided by the teams that were 5 and 6 seeds. I wouldn't watch this game if it was a regular season game so I'm not going to watch it now just becasue they put some lipstick on these teams and call it the World Series.
      I guess I wasn't the only person who felt this way. Just read that game 1 of the WS was the least watched game 1 in history.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      I think its ridiculous to play 162 games and then have the "champion" decided by the teams that were 5 and 6 seeds. I wouldn't watch this game if it was a regular season game so I'm not going to watch it now just becasue they put some lipstick on these teams and call it the World Series.
      I guess I wasn't the only person who felt this way. Just read that game 1 of the WS was the least watched game 1 in history.
      MLB looks like have chosen make their $$$ off quantity of playoff games instead of quality.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      I think its ridiculous to play 162 games and then have the "champion" decided by the teams that were 5 and 6 seeds. I wouldn't watch this game if it was a regular season game so I'm not going to watch it now just becasue they put some lipstick on these teams and call it the World Series.
      I guess I wasn't the only person who felt this way. Just read that game 1 of the WS was the least watched game 1 in history.
      MLB looks like have chosen make their $$$ off quantity of playoff games instead of quality.
      And there is always the chance they could hit the jackpot and have both if the Braves/Dodgers go against Orioles/Astros.

      BTW, attended conference in Atlanta last week and was hoping for Astros / Braves rematch and catch a game, but obviously that didn't happen.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • One of those weird oddities; he was 3-7 with the Braves, 0-2 with the Astros, and 2-7 with the Rangers. Right place, right time. (I assume these are regular season stats.)

      <snip>

      Now we know where the Braves went wrong. They did not have Will Smith on their roster.

      The Newnan native became the first player in baseball history to win a World Series ring with three different teams in three straight years.

      Smith pitched for the 2021 Braves in their World Series run, then joined the Houston Astros roster for the 2022 World Series but did not pitch. He has appeared in three postseason games this year for Texas, two in the World Series.

      ETA: This guy has 3 rings and Mike Trout has a total of 3 postseason games in his career. Some things are just weird.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • If you want game used dirt from all 30 MLB ballparks Costco has ya covered.

      Limited edition of 250. $379.99. I'll pass.

      <snip>

      Enhance your MLB collection while showing off your pride with this Framed 20" x 32" MLB Parks Map Collage. It features game-used dirt from all 30 stadiums in a ready-to-hang frame to make it the perfect collectible to display your baseball fandom.

      images.costco-static.com/Image…794995-847&recipeName=680
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • max.patch wrote:

      If you want game used dirt from all 30 MLB ballparks Costco has ya covered.

      Limited edition of 250. $379.99. I'll pass.

      <snip>

      Enhance your MLB collection while showing off your pride with this Framed 20" x 32" MLB Parks Map Collage. It features game-used dirt from all 30 stadiums in a ready-to-hang frame to make it the perfect collectible to display your baseball fandom.

      images.costco-static.com/Image…794995-847&recipeName=680
      Interesting, but at that price I will pass too.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • $700m is a lot of money for a player who gets injured a lot. Dodgers solidifying themselves as the Yankees of the West Coast. Paying a lot money to not win (except the COVID abbreviated season).

      At least Ohtani should not have to move. But at $700m I am sure he could afford to.

      mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-con…Cz7O5&bt_ts=1702157666295
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • I know the Hall Of Fame voters as a whole do not do very good job, but if they pass a 10th time on the second greatest reliever of all time time, something drastic needs to change. 5'10" lefty and threw over 100 mph. I guess you could blame him for retiring at the top of the game when he could have rolled up another 100 to 200 saves, but I totally respect a guy leaving on top to coach his sons in high school. Will be even worse than leaving Curt Schilling out.
      *********

      Comparing Wagner to his peers only cements his Hall of Fame resume: his 2.31 ERA as a reliever is lower than Trevor Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers and Hoyt Wilhelm -- all of whom are Hall of Famers. Wagner ended his career with an ERA+ of 187. Only Mariano Rivera had a higher number, with a 205 ERA+.
      What’s more, his 11.92 strikeouts per nine innings and .187 opponents’ batting average are tops for any pitcher -- starter or reliever -- in AL/NL history in those categories (minimum 900 innings). His 0.997 career WHIP is second-best all-time among all pitchers (min. 900 innings).
      Here’s where Wagner ranks among pitchers all-time (minimum 900 innings pitched):
      Opponents’ batting average: .187 (1st)
      Strikeouts per nine innings: 11.92 (1st)
      Hits per nine innings: 5.99 (1st)
      WHIP: 0.997 (2nd)
      Opponents’ OPS: .558 (2nd, based on STATS rankings of pitchers with complete OPS data)
      FIP: 2.46 (5th)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Interesting article. I am personally a team first guy. But the reason for the old "Hader Rules" was because of how arbitration works. Now that he got his big payday looks like he is willing to work the 8th if that is when the tough left handed hitters are due up.

      fansided.com/posts/josh-hader-…er-after-all-01hnenvjb2mg
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • New

      max.patch wrote:

      The Bananas are coming to Atlanta for 3 games next March in the Braves AAA stadium.

      Tickets start at $35 and "meet and greet" tickets start at $100. Wow! The Bananas are making bank!

      Can't just buy a ticket either. They have a lottery and you have to get lucky.
      They play this weekend and the Atlanta newspaper had an article (behind a paywall) on the game. Here's what they said about tickets:


      Where can I get tickets?

      Resellers. The Bananas are the toughest ticket in baseball no matter where they play, and all 30,000 seats for the three-game series at Coolray Field sold via a preseason ticket lottery. The face value is $25, but the cheapest seats were going for $338 on March 11, with an average price of nearly $600.
      Even at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, a stadium twice the size of Coolray Field, the lowest-price ticket was $121.

      Elsewhere in the article they said that Roger Clemens pitched for 1/3 of inning in the Houston game. Roy Oswalt also played.
      2,000 miler
    • New

      Ohtani should be hooked up to a lie detecter when he speaks to the media today.

      This reminds me of the picture released by Kate Middleton -- there's more to come.

      ETA: Just read that he's not going to "speak" to the media -- he's going to read a prepared statement and take no q uestions.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • New

      max.patch wrote:

      Ohtani should be hooked up to a lie detecter when he speaks to the media today.

      This reminds me of the picture released by Kate Middleton -- there's more to come.

      ETA: Just read that he's not going to "speak" to the media -- he's going to read a prepared statement and take no q uestions.
      Good thing (for him) he plays for the Dodgers. If he was in Houston or some other non-elite coast team you would never hear the end of it.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • New

      Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Ohtani should be hooked up to a lie detecter when he speaks to the media today.

      This reminds me of the picture released by Kate Middleton -- there's more to come.

      ETA: Just read that he's not going to "speak" to the media -- he's going to read a prepared statement and take no q uestions.
      Good thing (for him) he plays for the Dodgers. If he was in Houston or some other non-elite coast team you would never hear the end of it.
      And as the most popular figure in MLB there is no doubt that Manfred et al will give him every benefit of the doubt.
      2,000 miler
    • New

      max.patch wrote:

      I want to know what Pete has to say about this mess. :)
      What Rose did was wrong. But over time MLB has given up a lot of the high ground. I remember when they would not allow Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle back on the field until thay gave up their jobs as Casino host. :rolleyes:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • New

      I was watching 60 minutes back in 2017 when they ran a segment on someone I had never heard of before -- a 22 year old pitcher from Japan who both pitched and hit and apparently wasn't going to be interested in coming to MLB unless a team allowed him to do both. Found it on YouTube.

      2,000 miler