Post: #151

I feel a great disturbance in the force. As if thousands of Nats fan cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.

Post: #152

Yesterday's Nats Dodgers game was one of the most tactical chess matches I remember in recent memory.

Dave Roberts took LOTS of gambles, and fortunately for the LAD faithful they paid off. However, going forward its awfully concerning that Roberts trusts no one besides Jansen from the pen to come in during a critical situation. There's no way Jansen can be run out more than 1 inning each time he makes an appearance. Maybe in non do or die games he won't have to exhaust Blanton and Urias so early.

I feel the only way Dodgers beat the Cubs is if Utley and Seager get hot. Also I'll be interested to see if Roberts plays Kendrick against Lester to avoid the L vs. L matchup. On paper this series looks good, but I unfortunately see the Cubs winning in 5.

Post: #153

(10-13-2016 09:41 PM)NilNisiOptimum Wrote:  I feel a great disturbance in the force. As if thousands of Nats fan cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.

Looking objectively, the team needed to play small ball at some crucial times when they tried to be homer heroes. Lobaton struck out with 1 out and a runner on 3rd once and Werth did the same twice. That's 3 potential runs that only required a sacrifice to score.

The 3rd base coach sending Werth home when the left fielder was already picking up the ball to throw home before Werth had tagged 3rd was also very ill-advised.

It's just baseball though. Every game has to have a loser.

Post: #154

It's miserable being a Halos fan and seeing the Dodgers win.

I hope the Cubs break that fucking miserable Billy goat curse. They're the only team in baseball I have a soft spot for.

Post: #155

(10-13-2016 09:41 PM)NilNisiOptimum Wrote:  I feel a great disturbance in the force. As if thousands of Nats fan cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.

I found out last night that Washington DC has not had a team win a postseason series since 1924. The history of failure and DC baseball is epic. None of my grandparents were born yet and two of my great grandparents weren't alive for that either.

At least the city of Chicago has won a recent World Series (White Sox) although the Cubs are pretty damn tortured too.

Post: #156

Yes, it's been 94 years since DC won a postseason series, but at least the city has won a title more recently than the Cubs

Post: #157

I hope its a Indians vs Cubs World Series.

Post: #158

(10-14-2016 08:59 PM)Chowder Head Wrote:  I hope its a Indians vs Cubs World Series.

Me too.

Post: #159

(10-14-2016 08:59 PM)Chowder Head Wrote:  I hope its a Indians vs Cubs World Series.

Post: #160

Did he say "funky butt loving"?


Rookie of the Year was the best movie ever when I was 12.

Post: #161

Andrew Miller is the best reliever in baseball. His slider is untouchable and even the best bats in the league can't touch it when they're sitting on it.

Post: #162

Just saw my first grand slam! Obviously I've seen them in replays, but this is the first I've seen in a game as I was watching.

Dodgers had just tied up the game in the top of the 8th. Cubs come up at the bottom of the 8th. First batter gets a double. Then two outs, plus two walks. Pinch hitter comes up and hits a home run! My first grand slam locking in a winning score for the Cubbies in post season!

The next Cubs batter got another homer just for good measure!

Post: #163

(10-15-2016 10:38 PM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:  Dodgers had just tied up the game in the top of the 8th. Cubs come up at the bottom of the 8th. First batter gets a double. Then two outs, plus two walks. Pinch hitter comes up and hits a home run! My first grand slam locking in a winning score for the Cubbies in post season!

The next Cubs batter got another homer just for good measure!

For a split second I thought that was a replay of the Grand Slam, instead it was back to back home runs!

Post: #164

I just looked it up, and a grand slam is hit on average every 18 games. I'm surprised at this. I only started watching baseball a 5-6 years ago, and I often don't have time to watch, or only watch part of a game. Still, I've probably watched 100 games on TV, and have been to the ballpark to see a game 10-12 times. I must have previously watched games where a grand slam occurred, but either I wasn't specifically paying attention at the time the hit occurred, or only saw part of the game. In fact, I remember tuning in and finding out that one had already happened before.

I've been actively hoping to see one live for a little over a year. I actually mentioned to somebody last night earlier in the game that I'd like to see one.

Post: #165

(10-16-2016 09:59 AM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:  I just looked it up, and a grand slam is hit on average every 18 games. I'm surprised at this. I only started watching baseball a 5-6 years ago, and I often don't have time to watch, or only watch part of a game. Still, I've probably watched 100 games on TV, and have been to the ballpark to see a game 10-12 times. I must have previously watched games where a grand slam occurred, but either I wasn't specifically paying attention at the time the hit occurred, or only saw part of the game. In fact, I remember tuning in and finding out that one had already happened before.

I've been actively hoping to see one live for a little over a year. I actually mentioned to somebody last night earlier in the game that I'd like to see one.

I live in Detroit so if there is a Cleveland/Chicago series I'm only a few hours away from both places. I really want to check out a World Series game to see what it's like, because my teams aren't going to be in it any time soon anyhow.

Live baseball games are fun but in a different way than say football or hockey. I used to enjoy going to Orioles games during the summertime, even when they were bad, because it was a place I could go drink and hang out with friends.

Post: #166

I played baseball as a kid, and I was also into watching it on TV. I remember in 2001 (when I was 9), I was a big Arizona fan and liked Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, and I remember watching them win the world series year. Very memorable series. In 2010 I became a big Yankees fan (having grown up in New York). I would sit through entire games on TV, and I was pissed when they lost in the playoffs in 2010, 11, and 12.

However, I have not watched baseball since the 2012 season. It has been cucked just like the NFL (albeit in a slightly less obvious way). Prior to the 2012 season, Major League Baseball introduced a new collective bargaining agreement, an that is essentially what ruined the league.

First of all, the one-game wild card is absolutely RIDICULOUS. One-game playoffs are for football, where the entire season is only 16 games long. Baseball has a 162-game season. You don't decide a 162-game season with ONE GAME. Especially since the 2 teams playing in that one-game playoff may have completely different win-loss records. For example, in 2012, the Atlanta Braves won 94 games. Although they lost their division to the Washington Nationals, who won a league-best 98 games that year, the Braves were the clear winner in the wild card race, with 2nd place going to St. Louis, who only won 88 games. In any of the previous 17 seasons (since the wild-card concept was introduced), Atlanta would have been in the playoffs. But since 2012 featured 2 wild card teams (Atlanta and St. Louis), all St. Louis had to do was win one game, and that erased the fact that Atlanta was 6 games ahead of them in the standings.

Not to mention, Atlanta had gotten fucked over by St. Louis the previous year (2011) when Atlanta collapsed at the end of the season and St. Louis caught up to them and won the wild card. in 2012, Atlanta avoided a late-season collapse and finished 6 games ahead of St. Louis, and still got fucked due to the rule change.

Remember when we would see division rivals face off in the NLCS or ALCS series? Remember when Boston and the Yankees faced each other in the ALCS in both 2003 and 2004? Remember how exciting that was? Well, now that cannot happen unless one of the two teams first wins the one-game wild card playoff. Additionally, even if they do win, the division rivals will likely play each other in the LDS (first round, best-of-5) rather than the LCS, which could not happen under the old system.

Additionally, there is a reason why baseball playoffs have always been a series and not just a single game. Baseball teams have a pitching rotation consisting of 5 starting pitchers. A team with a rotation of one great pitcher and 4 shitty ones is going to be inferior to a team with 5 solid (but not great) starting pitchers. However, in a one game playoff, the team with the one great pitcher is going to have an unfair advantage that they would not have if they were playing a 5- or 7-game series. To be honest, I always thought the best-of-5 ALDS/NLDS series were too short. You need it to be at least best-of-7 to really decide who is the better team.

Aside from the one-game playoff (which in itself was enough to get me to stop watching baseball), the rest of the 2012 collective bargaining agreement was also shit. I am no lawyer and I don't know the details, but I do know that prior to 2012, the Yankees were always a great team because they had the money to buy the best players. Free market competition, just like they have in European soccer leagues. No salary cap or any of that bullshit. And then as soon as the new CBA was passed in 2012, there were immediately reports of "the Yankees will be cutting some of their highest-paid players before next season, in order to avoid paying a penalty for having too big a payroll." And since then, the Yankees have gotten successively worse each year, while small-market teams who never used to be relevant are now winning the world series each year. That might work in football, but baseball was never like that. Maybe I'm being biased because I'm a Yankees fan, but it's depressing to know that the Yankees will never be great again, and will always be mediocre just like every other team. Every team needs to have their "turn" to win the world series. Otherwise, it's "unfaaaaaiir."

Also, the amount of Hispanics in the Majors, many of whom do not even speak English, has always pissed me off. There were always Hispanic players, but it has been increasing every year. Now, close to 30% of players are Hispanic, and they are certainly not American-born Hispanics. The vast majority of them are fresh off the boat from Dominican Republic.

Just last year, we had baseball's new commissioner, Rob Manfred, talking about instituting a pitch clock. They even tested it out in minor league games. Although the proposed clock would only be used when there were no runners on base, it is still a total perversion of the game of baseball. I'm someone who considers even the DH rule to be a perversion of the game. The reason for the proposed pitch clock? "Games are taking too long, and therefore people aren't staying up late enough to watch them." So, money. That's the reason.

Bud Selig, the old commissioner, was a communist and friends with Castro. Now his replacement wants to pervert the game for a few extra bucks. Oh, the hypocrisy.

Sorry for the rant. I just hate to see something I loved as a kid being cucked and perverted to the point where I haven't watched it in 4 years.

Post: #167

(10-16-2016 12:25 PM)Rob Banks Wrote:  Also, the amount of Hispanics in the Majors, many of whom do not even speak English, has always pissed me off. There were always Hispanic players, but it has been increasing every year. Now, close to 30% of players are Hispanic, and they are certainly not American-born Hispanics. The vast majority of them are fresh off the boat from Dominican Republic.

The only thing keeping the NFL from this is that it has little to no appeal beyond the United States and some parts of Canada, or else it would be just as cucked if not more in that regard. Goodell is DYING to spread the sport to other countries, which is good for the bottom line I guess, but like with feminism and all-male spaces, the NFL is one of the last true American pastimes not affected by globalism. Our beer, cars, phones, clothes, NBA, and MLB players are increasingly foreign made, and a lot of things that used to be uniquely American are having too much foreign influence.

But to get back on topic, that number is going to increase and I wouldn't be surprised if it's 50% in the not so distant future. A lot of American kids, especially Black Americans, are losing interest in playing baseball, although that number could reverse somewhat due to parents taking their kids out of football due to the concussion issue.

Post: #168

(10-16-2016 01:44 PM)MdWanderer Wrote:  

(10-16-2016 12:25 PM)Rob Banks Wrote:  Also, the amount of Hispanics in the Majors, many of whom do not even speak English, has always pissed me off. There were always Hispanic players, but it has been increasing every year. Now, close to 30% of players are Hispanic, and they are certainly not American-born Hispanics. The vast majority of them are fresh off the boat from Dominican Republic.

The only thing keeping the NFL from this is that it has little to no appeal beyond the United States and some parts of Canada, or else it would be just as cucked if not more in that regard. Goodell is DYING to spread the sport to other countries, which is good for the bottom line I guess, but like with feminism and all-male spaces, the NFL is one of the last true American pastimes not affected by globalism. Our beer, cars, phones, clothes, NBA, and MLB players are increasingly foreign made, and a lot of things that used to be uniquely American are having too much foreign influence.

But to get back on topic, that number is going to increase and I wouldn't be surprised if it's 50% in the not so distant future. A lot of American kids, especially Black Americans, are losing interest in playing baseball, although that number could reverse somewhat due to parents taking their kids out of football due to the concussion issue.

Well, most of the foreign NBA players are European, which frankly I don't mind. The NBA basically has no white American players.

There aren't too many NBA players with the last name Rodriguez.

I have notices that as the amount of Hispanic MLB players goes up, the amount of black players has decreased greatly. In the 80s, 90s, and even 2000s, there were more black players. Now, there's almost none. Almost all the dark-skinned players with African ancestry are Cuban or Dominican blacks, not American blacks.

Post: #169

(10-16-2016 12:25 PM)Rob Banks Wrote:  Aside from the one-game playoff (which in itself was enough to get me to stop watching baseball), the rest of the 2012 collective bargaining agreement was also shit. I am no lawyer and I don't know the details, but I do know that prior to 2012, the Yankees were always a great team because they had the money to buy the best players. Free market competition, just like they have in European soccer leagues. No salary cap or any of that bullshit. And then as soon as the new CBA was passed in 2012, there were immediately reports of "the Yankees will be cutting some of their highest-paid players before next season, in order to avoid paying a penalty for having too big a payroll." And since then, the Yankees have gotten successively worse each year, while small-market teams who never used to be relevant are now winning the world series each year. That might work in football, but baseball was never like that. Maybe I'm being biased because I'm a Yankees fan, but it's depressing to know that the Yankees will never be great again, and will always be mediocre just like every other team. Every team needs to have their "turn" to win the world series. Otherwise, it's "unfaaaaaiir."

Also, the amount of Hispanics in the Majors, many of whom do not even speak English, has always pissed me off. There were always Hispanic players, but it has been increasing every year. Now, close to 30% of players are Hispanic, and they are certainly not American-born Hispanics. The vast majority of them are fresh off the boat from Dominican Republic.

Your CBA analysis is severely misguided and off the mark. The luxury tax is nearly a moot point, as baseball has changed significantly in the past years, shaving costs not for tax purposes but to increase their efficiencies. So many terrible free agent contracts have been signed in the past years (Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Hamilton, etc.) [Pujols, Cano, and Cabrera will suck in 3-5 years too] that teams are wising up to the fact that spending as much as possible is not a recipe for winning. Player's peak seasons are coming earlier and earlier, making it much more important for teams to draft and develop players effectively, so you can maximize player value while they are still signed under friendly contracts during their first 6 years of service time.

I don't think the Rays ever complained to anyone about how unfair lopsided budgets are. Instead they found efficiencies that exceeded their deficiencies. Look at the pitchers they've developed and then traded away for new prospects to develop: Scott Kazmir, James Shields, David Price, Matt Garza, Matt Moore, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson. They know how to retool, and are smart enough to not offer bloated back heavy contracts to aging super stars, except for their one face of the franchise, Evan Longoria who has had an exceptionally long peak and career.

Even the Yankees and Red Sox have learned. The Yankees future is incredibly bright with Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier, Gleybar Torres, Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, etc. all from tactical decisions that had nothing to do with free agent signings (except as bargaining chips with regards to Torres and Frazier being traded for Chapman and Miller respectively.)

The Red Sox future is already hear with the killer B's, Travis Shaw, Ed-Rod, and Yoan Moncada. Front office and player development tactics now are so much more interesting than they were even 5 years ago. Baseball is a business, and teams are finally learning how to run it in a lean and nimble manner.

And what the fuck with the cheap shot at the Latin ballplayers

The game is so much better with the likes of Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Adrian Beltre, etc. Plus I can't wait for the young superstars like Lindor, Correa, de Leon, and Urias to take the reigns.

Its a shame you're bitter about baseball. The game has positively evolved from the steroid era, and there's excitement for all types of fans if their willing to take off their blinders. Tonight's game was fantastic, a nailbiter down to the end, that either team could have won until the last out was recorded.

Post: #170

Cano wasting his best years doing nothing for the Mariners. Would be better to see that skill on a team that has something going.

I think lots of teams just playing cheap to blow big time money on big money players like Harper and Machado.

You will the the Red Sox and Yankess go back to their spending ways, it is all they know how to do well. Look at how the Red Sox will fleece the Blue Jays for Enacarcion this off season. They will pay him whatever he wants to be the bat to replace Big Papi.

With pitchers still being a premium you will always see big money chase questionable arms which will always destroy the market, plus with young kids being unloaded for good arms that also throws the wrench into the staggered system where you should see rotation of good players come up, some leave, some stay, some get moved. It is still very volatile where one year 3 teams could blow up and completely change.

Cheap ball with a steady approach to developing talent got KC a ring but they fell of the face of the earth with not being able to keep it going. Tampa Bay never got its wring despite being the smartest with money, neither did Oakland. You gotta pay to play. Only team that does it well year after year is St Louis.

Post: #171

(10-16-2016 11:18 PM)Chunnel Wrote:  

(10-16-2016 12:25 PM)Rob Banks Wrote:  Aside from the one-game playoff (which in itself was enough to get me to stop watching baseball), the rest of the 2012 collective bargaining agreement was also shit. I am no lawyer and I don't know the details, but I do know that prior to 2012, the Yankees were always a great team because they had the money to buy the best players. Free market competition, just like they have in European soccer leagues. No salary cap or any of that bullshit. And then as soon as the new CBA was passed in 2012, there were immediately reports of "the Yankees will be cutting some of their highest-paid players before next season, in order to avoid paying a penalty for having too big a payroll." And since then, the Yankees have gotten successively worse each year, while small-market teams who never used to be relevant are now winning the world series each year. That might work in football, but baseball was never like that. Maybe I'm being biased because I'm a Yankees fan, but it's depressing to know that the Yankees will never be great again, and will always be mediocre just like every other team. Every team needs to have their "turn" to win the world series. Otherwise, it's "unfaaaaaiir."

Also, the amount of Hispanics in the Majors, many of whom do not even speak English, has always pissed me off. There were always Hispanic players, but it has been increasing every year. Now, close to 30% of players are Hispanic, and they are certainly not American-born Hispanics. The vast majority of them are fresh off the boat from Dominican Republic.

Your CBA analysis is severely misguided and off the mark. The luxury tax is nearly a moot point, as baseball has changed significantly in the past years, shaving costs not for tax purposes but to increase their efficiencies. So many terrible free agent contracts have been signed in the past years (Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Hamilton, etc.) [Pujols, Cano, and Cabrera will suck in 3-5 years too] that teams are wising up to the fact that spending as much as possible is not a recipe for winning. Player's peak seasons are coming earlier and earlier, making it much more important for teams to draft and develop players effectively, so you can maximize player value while they are still signed under friendly contracts during their first 6 years of service time.

I don't think the Rays ever complained to anyone about how unfair lopsided budgets are. Instead they found efficiencies that exceeded their deficiencies. Look at the pitchers they've developed and then traded away for new prospects to develop: Scott Kazmir, James Shields, David Price, Matt Garza, Matt Moore, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson. They know how to retool, and are smart enough to not offer bloated back heavy contracts to aging super stars, except for their one face of the franchise, Evan Longoria who has had an exceptionally long peak and career.

Even the Yankees and Red Sox have learned. The Yankees future is incredibly bright with Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier, Gleybar Torres, Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, etc. all from tactical decisions that had nothing to do with free agent signings (except as bargaining chips with regards to Torres and Frazier being traded for Chapman and Miller respectively.)

The Red Sox future is already hear with the killer B's, Travis Shaw, Ed-Rod, and Yoan Moncada. Front office and player development tactics now are so much more interesting than they were even 5 years ago. Baseball is a business, and teams are finally learning how to run it in a lean and nimble manner.

And what the fuck with the cheap shot at the Latin ballplayers

The game is so much better with the likes of Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Adrian Beltre, etc. Plus I can't wait for the young superstars like Lindor, Correa, de Leon, and Urias to take the reigns.

Its a shame you're bitter about baseball. The game has positively evolved from the steroid era, and there's excitement for all types of fans if their willing to take off their blinders. Tonight's game was fantastic, a nailbiter down to the end, that either team could have won until the last out was recorded.

I don't think he minds Latin players, but as long as they are Americans.

But I do agree with you about the overall state of baseball. I find it way more exciting than it was in the late 90s/early 2000s when it was basically the same teams competitive year in and year out and the game was tainted by steroids. Even though we've had the San Francisco Giants even-year run dynasty, you're also seeing a lot of smaller market teams (Royals, Pirates, Indians, A's, Orioles) who were perennial doormats a decade ago making recent playoff runs, and one of them even won a World Series recently. Baseball has finally caught up to football in the fact that no matter where you live, you have the feeling that your team can make a run.

(10-17-2016 12:34 AM)kosko Wrote:  I think lots of teams just playing cheap to blow big time money on big money players like Harper and Machado.

You will the the Red Sox and Yankess go back to their spending ways, it is all they know how to do well. Look at how the Red Sox will fleece the Blue Jays for Enacarcion this off season. They will pay him whatever he wants to be the bat to replace Big Papi.

And the Yankees are going to spend big money to get Harper there to New York. If the Nationals weren't hampered by their cable deal with the Orioles, they could probably afford to keep him.

Post: #172

(10-16-2016 11:18 PM)Chunnel Wrote:  Your CBA analysis is severely misguided and off the mark. The luxury tax is nearly a moot point

I was not referring to the so-called "luxury tax." That has been around since 1997, and did not prevent big-market teams from spending as much as they wanted. Teams like the Yankees and other big-market teams would just pay the luxury tax every year in order to continue spending big.

However, prior to the 2012 season, there was a new collective bargaining agreement. I'm not familiar with the details, but all I know is that around the time it was passed, there was lots of talk about "making small-market teams more competitive." And sure enough, starting with the 2012 season, the big-market teams started doing worse and worse, and tons of small-market teams that have traditionally been bad started getting good. There is no way this was a coincidence.

(10-16-2016 11:18 PM)Chunnel Wrote:  baseball has changed significantly in the past years

Largely due to the new CBA.

(10-16-2016 11:18 PM)Chunnel Wrote:  teams are wising up to the fact that spending as much as possible is not a recipe for winning.

BS. Up until the 2011 season, teams like the Yankees and Red Sox were spending as much as possible and doing quite well. In fact, in 2011 (the last season before the new CBA) the Yankees, Phillies and Red Sox had the three highest payrolls in the leage. The Phillies and Yankees finished with the two best records in the league, and the Red Sox would have had one of the best records had it not been for a late-season collapse.

If teams have "wised up" and decided that spending big is not a recipe for winning, it has everything to do with the new CBA.

By the way, big-market teams are still spending big. It's just that they're not winning anymore. I believe the new CBA included an agreement that smaller-market teams get extra draft picks, in addition to other things to help small-market teams. Again, I'm not a lawyer and I haven't read the entire CBA. I just know that it's no coincidence that baseball changed so much as soon as the new CBA went into effect.

(10-16-2016 11:18 PM)Chunnel Wrote:  I don't think the Rays ever complained to anyone about how unfair lopsided budgets are.

You're absolutely right. The Rays, however, got good before the new CBA went into effect. They made the playoffs in 2010 and 2011.

(10-16-2016 11:18 PM)Chunnel Wrote:  And what the fuck with the cheap shot at the Latin ballplayers
The game is so much better with the likes of Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Adrian Beltre, etc.

And if it was just those three, I wouldn't have a problem. In fact, if 10% of the league was Hispanic, I probably wouldn't care. But it's 30%. And I wouldn't be surprised if it surpassed 50% within the next 10 years.

Close to 1 out of 3 players is Hispanic now, and most of those Hispanic players barely speak any English (or just straight up don't speak English at all). Bartolo Colon, for example, speaks no English at all. And he's certainly not the only one.

Also, if these were Hispanics that grew up in America, I wouldn't mind at all. What bothers me is that we're importing all these players from Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Major League Baseball is an American league. I want most of the players to be American and speak English. And it's not like there's a shortage of American players. I think you should have to live in America for at least 5 years before playing in the Majors.

Lots of English soccer fans are pissed about the Premier League for the same reason. Only 31% of players in that league are English! And England has some kind of anti-discrimination law that prohibits the league from establishing a minimum percentage of English players.

Post: #173

(10-15-2016 09:09 PM)hoops330 Wrote:  Andrew Miller is the best reliever in baseball. His slider is untouchable and even the best bats in the league can't touch it when they're sitting on it.

His slider kind of reminds me of Randy Johnson's. The break on it is unbelievable. His appearances have been my favorite part of the ALCS so far.

(10-16-2016 09:59 AM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:  I just looked it up, and a grand slam is hit on average every 18 games. I'm surprised at this. I only started watching baseball a 5-6 years ago, and I often don't have time to watch, or only watch part of a game. Still, I've probably watched 100 games on TV, and have been to the ballpark to see a game 10-12 times. I must have previously watched games where a grand slam occurred, but either I wasn't specifically paying attention at the time the hit occurred, or only saw part of the game. In fact, I remember tuning in and finding out that one had already happened before.

I've been actively hoping to see one live for a little over a year. I actually mentioned to somebody last night earlier in the game that I'd like to see one.

Now keep in mind there are 15 games per day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Monday and Thursdays are typical off days when teams get them. Baseball can be exciting since only the most hardcore of fans could actually keep track of everything happening with every team. You're likely to see someone who surprises you when a team you follow plays outside their division.

I really want to avoid the race discussion going on in the last few posts, but the teams have overwhelming incentive to accommodate Spanish-speaking players. They can be drafted and introduced to the minor leagues before American players due to the way our education system works, so the teams get to shape them and develop them much more before their physical peak. The game is moving toward capturing the peak physical years of younger stars to keep down payroll costs and reduce injury risk.

If Jose Fernandez was still alive, I think he'd be the posterboy for why these guys should learn some English. His situation is different since he was a Cuban defector who was discovered in the US, but he would have shown the financial boon of speaking decent English. He was going to be a superstar rather than just a star, not only because of his rare talent but also because his English allowed him to be incredibly charming to a wide audience. Bartolo Colon would be raking in money for TV appearances and funny commercials if he could sound natural in English.

Post: #174

(10-13-2016 09:41 PM)NilNisiOptimum Wrote:  I feel a great disturbance in the force. As if thousands of Nats fan cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.

I was one of them....

Post: #175

As an Orioles fan, hearing about Miller being used so much in the playoffs, I hope to one day not be salty as fuck about Britton.

That day is not today.