MLB Thread

[MyAimIsTrue]

I was sad to hear of the passing yesterday of long time Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren.  During the TBS heydays he was my favorite of the core group of Braves announcers (he was usually paired with Skip Caray) and he brought an intelligent insight to the game, the perfect counterpoint to Caray's occasional buffoonery.  Pete retired in 2008, I think, and was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter.

 

It's been a number of years since TBS dropped its exclusive Braves coverage so I rarely get to see their games anymore but there will never be another like Pete Van Wieren in that both.  RIP, good sir.

 

ETA:  Kudos to the San Diego Padres organization for having a moment of silence before the Braves vs. Padres game last night.  Classy move.

Edited August 3, 2014 by MyAimIsTrue

[mojoween]

So the Yankees need new strength and conditioning coaches or what?

[xaxat]

Tex is out with dizzy spells? I hate to make light of player injury/illness, but with his recent history, the jokes write themselves.

[King of Birds]

Awwww. It's twu love.

[RedheadZombie]

Awwww. It's twu love.

 

Ugh.  Not a fan.  She was just whining about how "inconvenient" it was to grow up so pretty on a farm.  She couldn't get her sister to do her chores!

[RedheadZombie]

Maybe I'll go next year for John Smoltz.  I loved how both Maddux and Glavine gave digs toward him in their speeches and can't wait to see what he'll have to say in return.

 

My cousin's children attended the same school as Smoltz's kid.  She's not a baseball fan but knows who he is.  She sat next to him at an event and said he was a nice guy.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by RedheadZombie

[MyAimIsTrue]

Ugh.  Not a fan.  She was just whining about how "inconvenient" it was to grow up so pretty on a farm.  She couldn't get her sister to do her chores!

 

Seriously?  I don't find Kate Upton to be any prettier than the next girl.  Now Justin Verlander, on the other hand?  He's hot!

[RedheadZombie]

Seriously?  I don't find Kate Upton to be any prettier than the next girl.  Now Justin Verlander, on the other hand?  He's hot!

 

I think it's harder for a woman to appreciate Kate Upton's particular appeal.  I have a pair of DD's myself - hers don't impress me.

 

And yes - baseball players do appeal to me, unlike any other professional athlete.

Edited August 7, 2014 by RedheadZombie

[MyAimIsTrue]

And yes - baseball players do appeal to me, unlike any other professional athlete.

 

About 15 years ago I compiled my own All Hottie baseball team (made up of current players only) position by position and leading the way was Brad Ausmus.  If I ever found that list I would expand the criteria to include managers just so he could still be on it.

[RedheadZombie]

About 15 years ago I compiled my own All Hottie baseball team (made up of current players only) position by position and leading the way was Brad Ausmus.  If I ever found that list I would expand the criteria to include managers just so he could still be on it.

 

If we're including managers, I vote for Mike Matheny.

[mojoween]

First baseball player I ever loved was Bobby Ojeda.

I hope I don't get kicked out the of the Yankee fan club, but while I think he comes across as a great person and is a great player, I've never found Derek Jeter to be all that hot. Now A-Rod, on the other hand? Purrrrrr.

Right now I love when they trot Adam Jones out onto the various baseball shows. He is so pretty.

I really am a true sports fan, but I'm also incredibly shallow.

[King of Birds]

Aim, you should post your All-Hottie team.  As a man, I promise not to laugh too much at it. Think of it as a mod-duty. BTW is that recent, I don't recall the shield thing next to your name before.

 

You can even have managers, coaches and TV announcers on your list.

 

eta: Redhead Zombie and mojoween can be your co-conspirators.

Edited August 7, 2014 by King of Birds

[MyAimIsTrue]

The shield is new and I'm not officially official just yet.  And I must be crazy for doing this!

 

As for my All Hottie team I think I put it together in 1998, so 16 years ago, and I wish I could remember everyone who was on it position by position.  Definitely had Brad Ausmus as my starting catcher with Javy Lopez as his backup.  Ron Gant was probably on it (the man is GORGEOUS and so very nice in person) and no doubt my baseball boyfriend Greg Maddux was the starting pitcher.  I'll try to think of more possible players tonight.

[Rick Kitchen]

I am a huge A's fan, but I have to say, watching Josh Donaldson whine and complain about every pitch is getting really annoying.  Jesus, man up!

[rippleintime17]

Seeing as he's my favorite player, I am loving the random absurdity of the Hunter Pence signs. Especially that Hunter himself is now in on it, since he is the best ever.

[mojoween]

The Hunter Pence signs are brilliant.

I mean, putting ketchup in a hot dog is just wrong.

[RedheadZombie]

First baseball player I ever loved was Bobby Ojeda

 

 

Tommy Herr.  #28.  Second baseman for St. Louis Cardinals.  I've never gotten over him. 

[mojoween]

I was just listening to Michael Kay telling us that the Yankees game tomorrow is on FOX Sports 1 which we have in this market and it made me wonder something. Now I could not imagine turning on the TV on any given night the Yankees are playing and not being able to watch the game.

But is this true in every market? Like are Indians games on throughout Ohio? Padres games in greater San Diego every day? Or is this because of YES? Actually, I think Mets games have a home on Verizon but I've never checked.

[ebk57]

I would guess that most markets have a local sports network.  Here in DC/Baltimore, we have MASN and can watch the O's and the Nats every night.  

 

Speaking of which, the O's just had a 60th anniversary ceremony after the game (in which they trounced the Cards!) and MASN broadcast the whole thing.  Which is good since I was dumb enough not to think it was going to be that big of a deal and so I didn't get tickets.  It really was lovely.  Tons of O's vets showed up, including my favorite ever, Brooks Robinson.  He looks...old...but he seems to have recovered from his recent illness, thank goodness.  Lots of highlights shown on the screen and the side of the warehouse, then fireworks.  Nicely done all around.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Tommy Herr.  #28.  Second baseman for St. Louis Cardinals.  I've never gotten over him. 

 

I used to have so much fun with his name, especially when the announcers would say something like "Herr is batting" and I'd correct them with "SHE is batting."

 

Yeah, I'm a geek.

[RedheadZombie]

I was just listening to Michael Kay telling us that the Yankees game tomorrow is on FOX Sports 1 which we have in this market and it made me wonder something. Now I could not imagine turning on the TV on any given night the Yankees are playing and not being able to watch the game.

But is this true in every market? Like are Indians games on throughout Ohio? Padres games in greater San Diego every day? Or is this because of YES? Actually, I think Mets games have a home on Verizon but I've never checked.

 

I have the highest level of AT&T U-verse, which is supposed to include Fox Sports Mid-West, which covers all St. Louis Cardinals games.  Due to an issue between ATT, the network, and/or the baseball franchise, all of the games are blocked here in the Atlanta area.  I can get every Cardinals pre-game, then it shuts off.  It's so frustrating!  I pay an arm and a leg for this level of cable, yet still can't get the games.  I also should get all of the Reds games - but that's blocked too - I just don't care about that one.  I think it's a stupid call if the franchises are involved.  Due to TBS and WGN, many people across the country became Cubs and Braves fans.  Of course that's ended for the most part.

 

I know that's not your specific question - just wanted to vent.

 

@MyAim - I'm so glad you know who he is.  I had the best picture of Tommy Herr - he spontaneously posed for me - and my cousin stole it.  I've never forgiven her.

[Rick Kitchen]

From what I understand, very very few of the Dodgers games can be seen in the Los Angeles area.

[MyAimIsTrue]

MyAim - I'm so glad you know who he is.  I had the best picture of Tommy Herr - he spontaneously posed for me - and my cousin stole it.  I've never forgiven her.

 

Oh yes, I remember him.  And you have every right to still be angry at your cousin.

[smittykins]

Actually, I think Mets games have a home on Verizon but I've never checked.

 

Can't speak for Verizon(I have Time Warner), but the non-SNY Mets games(at least the ones not on FOX or ESPN)are usually on TW's sports channel.

Edited August 9, 2014 by smittykins

[DXD526]

Just relocated to the NY-metro area, and since I have Dish, I can't get any local sports. Dish doesn't carry either SNY, the Mets channel, or YES, the Yankees network. I'm not happy about it, to say the least. I've also noticed in many areas the WNBA is a stealth league. You might have a local team but the local TV affiliate only televises a handful of its games, so you'll only get to see a fraction of the schedule. It can make it tough to follow a team. 

[xaxat]

From what I understand, very very few of the Dodgers games can be seen in the Los Angeles area.

 

Time Warner Cable signed a huge deal with the Dodgers to carry their games. The only way they can make their money back is to be on a regular tier of cable that everybody pays for, and not a sports tier. Right now the other cable companies and dish networks serving LA are refusing to pay what Time Warner is asking for, over 4 bucks a subscriber, and refusing to put them on basic cable. Something similar is also happening in Houston, where a large percentage of the few people who actually want to watch the Astros can't.

Edited August 9, 2014 by xaxat

[King of Birds]

From what I understand, very very few of the Dodgers games can be seen in the Los Angeles area.

What xaxat says is all true. I actually caught part of the Dodgers in the last week since they had their "Freeway Series" with Anaheim and it was the first time all year to see them live, via the Angels broadcast.

 

What TRULY blows is - no Vin Scully.  Fuck TimeWarner/ Sportsnet LA for being such shitheads. How they can deprive us of Vin Scully is deplorable. (I don't even want to give an "exemption" to the radio broadcast since we only get Vin for the 1st three innings via radio)

[Rick Kitchen]

And Vin only goes on road games to California and Arizona teams.

[Rick Kitchen]

The Twins started a pitcher against the A's who has never started an MLB game before.  In two innings, he has seven walks.  But the A's only have 4 runs.

[ratgirlagogo]

 

the non-SNY Mets games(at least the ones not on FOX or ESPN)are usually on TW's sports channel.

Boy, you threw me with that one until I realized that TW's sports channel is not an NYC thing for TW.  I kept wondering why I'd never seen it on my grid.

[rippleintime17]

Yankees and Mets usually have a game a week on local network channels as well, either My9 (Yankees) or WPIX (Mets). In this case, the YES or SNY broadcast team is used but the game isn't available on either of those networks. I don't have cable of any kind in my apartment but do have a digital converter box, so enjoy being able to watch the games on those nights since I am blacked out on MLB.TV.

[King of Birds]

It seems like the next Commissioner is just gonna be a stooge of the owners, but I wish the New Guy would realize just how many baseball fans cannot even watch baseball due to the asinine rules from the 1950s- 1960s that plague the game.  I just don't see how blackout rules have any place in the game anymore.

 

ETA: Oh God please don't make Tom Werner the Commish. 

Edited August 11, 2014 by King of Birds

[King of Birds]

I don't think too highly of Buck Showalter -- but please please please ... this needs to happen

[DXD526]

I like the final sentence of that article - "I suppose that quip will make some Orioles fans happy. I suppose Jeter giving Showalter replicas of the five World Series rings he won since Showalter was fired as Yankees manager would make Jeter happy."

 

Some think Buck's remark was all in good fun, but it sounds to me like he's still pissed off about something that happened nearly 20 years ago. Let it go, Buck! 

[MarkHB]

As a Red Sox fan, I can wholeheartedly say that I have no desire to have Tom Werner as the Commissioner.  Beyond that, I don't know.... I've never been a Selig fan, either; I'm a traditionalist who doesn't like the current interleague play situation or the way MLB has concentrated so much power in the Commissioner's office during his tenure.

[MarkHB]

It's Tom Manfred, Selig's man.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Well shit, does this mean Manfred will govern (for lack of a better word) in the same mold as Selig?  If so I'm not happy with this choice.

[MarkHB]

My hunch is that it's likely.  None of the choices (Manfred, Werner, or Tim Brosnan, MLB's EVP for Business who was a would-be compromise candidate) was particularly inspiring.... certainly no one was suggesting George Mitchell this time around.  And Manfred apparently jumped at his first chance to prove he was, indeed, uninspiring.

Edited August 15, 2014 by MarkHB

[xaxat]

I'm just glad that the hawks didn't win. It sounds like Riensdorf is really not happy with the current CBA. Had he prevailed, it would not have surprised me if their history of labor peace went right down the toilet.

[Rick Kitchen]

So I'm watching the Giants/Cubs game at Wrigley Field, and all of a sudden, a downpour hits, and the tarp crew is unable to get the tarp laid out right.  They had to try three times before they got it right, and in the meantime, the rain is turning the field into a swamp.  It will be interesting to see if they can get the game under way again when the rain stops, or if the field is wrecked.

[rippleintime17]

That game ended up getting called over four hours after it stopped raining. Ridiculous. 

[ketchuplover]

The Hunter Pence signs are brilliant.

I mean, putting ketchup in a hot dog is just wrong.

I hope on a hot dog is okay :)

[King of Birds]

Hey Aim-- did you see Cutch's ALS Ice bucket challenge?  Linkeroo unfortunately also includes Capt Intangibles too.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Hey Aim-- did you see Cutch's ALS Ice bucket challenge?  Linkeroo unfortunately also includes Capt Intangibles too.

 

No, and I wasn't aware he did one!  Thanks for letting me know as I shall watch the clip when I get home from work. (damn firewall here at work prevents me from having fun like that)

 

ETA:  I watched the video and two things stuck out to me.  First of all the challenge is for a good cause and, second, I got to see Cutch shirtless.  Win win!

[RedheadZombie]

Tom Verducci was talking about the changes that are necessary in baseball, on MLB last night.  He said the commissioner really needs to address three issues.

 

1. Pace of game - Suggestions:  Enforce the twelve second rule (The pitcher has to deliver a pitch within twelve seconds if no one is on base).  Limit the number of time outs (Baseball is the only sport in which timeouts can be called without limit, and for any reason). 
2. Engage children - Research shows that the younger kids get engaged in baseball, and even the earlier in the season - they tend to stick with baseball and attend more games.  Suggestions:  Give away tickets to children early in the season, when attendance tends to be lower.  Also, hire former MLB players to run instructional and informational games for kids that are non-competitive (Just for fun).
3. Rule Changes - Suggestions:  Limit the number of pitchers each team can carry (Managers tend to like a lot of pitcher switches in the later innings, which wastes time).  Increase the minimum numbers that a batter faces against a relief pitcher (Right now, relief pitchers only have to face one batter before being pulled.  Bumping that up to three would decrease wasted down time).  Create a "bonus batter", which would allow the manager to, once a game, pick anyone he wants to take an at bat (Including a player whose turn it's not yet, or even someone who's on base).

 

I really like these suggestion, except the bonus batter (Bob Costas agrees with me).  When I talk to people who don't like baseball, the slow pace is their number one complaint.  It drives me crazy to watch a batter spend fifteen minutes hitting foul balls - I wish that could be limited.  The pace works when you go to a game, because the environment is part of the experience.  The slow pace has become so excruciating to me, I tend to DVR a game and fast forward through the slumps. 

 

 

 

[Rick Kitchen]

The league upheld the Giants' protest about the Cubs' tarp crew screwing up the field, and the game will be resumed tomorrow before the regularly scheduled game.

[King of Birds]

Ruling in favor to the Giants totally makes sense. That's what is so shocking about the ruling. 

[MyAimIsTrue]

Tom Verducci was talking about the changes that are necessary in baseball, on MLB last night.  He said the commissioner really needs to address three issues.

 

1. Pace of game - Suggestions:  Enforce the twelve second rule (The pitcher has to deliver a pitch within twelve seconds if no one is on base).  Limit the number of time outs (Baseball is the only sport in which timeouts can be called without limit, and for any reason). 
2. Engage children - Research shows that the younger kids get engaged in baseball, and even the earlier in the season - they tend to stick with baseball and attend more games.  Suggestions:  Give away tickets to children early in the season, when attendance tends to be lower.  Also, hire former MLB players to run instructional and informational games for kids that are non-competitive (Just for fun).
3. Rule Changes - Suggestions:  Limit the number of pitchers each team can carry (Managers tend to like a lot of pitcher switches in the later innings, which wastes time).  Increase the minimum numbers that a batter faces against a relief pitcher (Right now, relief pitchers only have to face one batter before being pulled.  Bumping that up to three would decrease wasted down time).  Create a "bonus batter", which would allow the manager to, once a game, pick anyone he wants to take an at bat (Including a player whose turn it's not yet, or even someone who's on base).

 

I really like these suggestion, except the bonus batter (Bob Costas agrees with me).  When I talk to people who don't like baseball, the slow pace is their number one complaint.  It drives me crazy to watch a batter spend fifteen minutes hitting foul balls - I wish that could be limited.  The pace works when you go to a game, because the environment is part of the experience.  The slow pace has become so excruciating to me, I tend to DVR a game and fast forward through the slumps. 

 

I normally agree with just about everything Tom Verducci says but I don't like the idea of making changes to the pace of the game.  I guess it's just me but a slow pace doesn't bother me and I don't think a pitcher should have to rush his delivery.  Twelve seconds is not a lot of time at all.

[attica]

Enforce the twelve second rule

 

Oh, would that it were so!  Because I am sometimes the cause of my own misery, one night I stop-watched Josh Beckett on the mound. 30 seconds was his minimum. His max was 50 seconds. At least I could focus on the seconds ticking by; otherwise I'd've been clawing my eyes out waiting for him to throw the fucking ball. (Not a JB fan: apologies for offending anybody who is.)

 

If you ever get the chance to watch the Don Larsen perfecto, you will be struck out how zippy the pace is. Nobody steps out of the batter's box, nobody circles the mound like a puppy looking for a place to pee.

 

But playing devil's advocate, there is probably some significant financial incentive for slow games. The networks get more ad times with all the pitching changes, the stadia get extra concession sales. Whether the slow pace encourages people to bail who might otherwise be (or become fans) is something maybe Science could look at. I'm unconvinced by listening to talking heads whine about it, since it usually feels akin to people complaining about the weather. And geez, watch a soccer game on tv sometime if you want an example of time stopping completely. :)

[MyAimIsTrue]

Why ask only the pitchers to pick up the pace?  What about forcing batters (the forever gorgeous Nomar Garciaparra comes to mind) to stop with their pre-batters box routines?