The annoying extra innings rule, exhausting local fandom, overblown economic fallout, misguided social media "improvements," and exasperating Ponzi schemers.
- I totally don't treat the Mets that way. Though that might be because I never fully expect any given season to amount to much. But maybe also because I don't read or listen to every little thing anyone is saying. I have been treating the Knicks that way because I am now listening to a podcast about that team that drops often, and I figure the more you break down every game, the more you think every game is its own thing.
- I can't say that if everyone who manufactures baseball thinks the runner on second in extra innings is good for the workers, that I will oppose it just because the fans don't like it. Workers should have the right to determine workplace rules. Yes, the game doesn't exist without the fans, but it's not how we make our living.
- Thanks for the link to the particle physics story. Dennis Overbye is the dean of cosmology writers and one of the reasons it's worth having a subscription to the Times. "Who ordered that?" is one of the great one liners in physics history.
Just an addendum to the Mariners-White Sox recap: That seven-run Mariners inning featured White Sox reliever Matt Foster being charged with five earned runs. I can't remember the last time I saw a reliever let up that many runs in the middle of a game, especially since each team is now allowed to carry umpteen relievers (or eight, which is still a lot).
Dallas Keuchel started the inning, and the M's hit two singles off him, ending up with runners on second and third, thanks to a crap throw by right fielder Adam Eaton, who already has three errors this season. I know errors can be subjective, there are other better analytic methods to evaluate defense, etc., but that's still not all that good.
Anyway, Foster then managed to let in three runs by the time there were two outs. And the bases were loaded for lefty Kyle Seager. La Russa had arms ready in the pen, including lefty Aaron Bummer. But Tony LaRussa left righty Foster in, and Seager proceeded to clear the bags with a double. Seager scored on a single off of...Foster. Only after that did the Hall Of Fame manager (I know he's a Hall of Famer...that's what he tells cops when he's pulled over) take Foster out.
After the game, TLR took the blame and said he should have pulled Foster earlier. He didn't explain why he didn't. Ugh.
As someone that lived in New England for 30 years the Boston doom and gloom sports media has been around forever but it really took off in the late 80s, early 90s. It can be game to game for the Red Sox. WEEI really blossomed off it in the early 90s and it’s across all the major sports as well, not just baseball, though they really go all out bashing/praising the Sox on a daily basis.
I'm not a big fan of the extra innings rule, but I can respect the improvement it is for the lives of people in and around baseball.
If you need a laugh, though, pull up the 7th inning of the Twins/Tigers game from yesterday and you can hear the Twins announcers tie themselves in knots whining about it. They essentially assert that the rule can prevent the "better team" from winning because you only have to move a guy 180 feet (they were unhappy the Twins lost to the Tigers the previous day). But then they noted that the team DOES have to execute their gameplan to get that runner to score, just as they would in ANY extra inning regardless of runners, and then immediately had to reassert that doing so still does not mean the better team might win and what a travesty! It was high humor for me from what I still consider to be one of the blandest, whiniest announce teams in regional MLB (yes, I know they have to shill for the team, but still).
First, it's called a reel lawnmower. And I'm in about $20 on maintenance and $0 on gas across about a dozen years. Second, it's my sister who has chickens. I'm just giving getting them some not-too-serious thought.
That’s the way to go. Godspeed, Judi.
- I totally don't treat the Mets that way. Though that might be because I never fully expect any given season to amount to much. But maybe also because I don't read or listen to every little thing anyone is saying. I have been treating the Knicks that way because I am now listening to a podcast about that team that drops often, and I figure the more you break down every game, the more you think every game is its own thing.
- I can't say that if everyone who manufactures baseball thinks the runner on second in extra innings is good for the workers, that I will oppose it just because the fans don't like it. Workers should have the right to determine workplace rules. Yes, the game doesn't exist without the fans, but it's not how we make our living.
- Thanks for the link to the particle physics story. Dennis Overbye is the dean of cosmology writers and one of the reasons it's worth having a subscription to the Times. "Who ordered that?" is one of the great one liners in physics history.
Some beautiful writing from your friend Judi.
That Game 7 had two of the three biggest plays in MLB history. Number 3 is famous, number 1 less so...
https://grantland.com/features/mlb-win-percentage-added-world-series-championship-kirk-gibson-bobby-thomson-david-freese-mariano-rivera-yogi-berra/
Just an addendum to the Mariners-White Sox recap: That seven-run Mariners inning featured White Sox reliever Matt Foster being charged with five earned runs. I can't remember the last time I saw a reliever let up that many runs in the middle of a game, especially since each team is now allowed to carry umpteen relievers (or eight, which is still a lot).
Dallas Keuchel started the inning, and the M's hit two singles off him, ending up with runners on second and third, thanks to a crap throw by right fielder Adam Eaton, who already has three errors this season. I know errors can be subjective, there are other better analytic methods to evaluate defense, etc., but that's still not all that good.
Anyway, Foster then managed to let in three runs by the time there were two outs. And the bases were loaded for lefty Kyle Seager. La Russa had arms ready in the pen, including lefty Aaron Bummer. But Tony LaRussa left righty Foster in, and Seager proceeded to clear the bags with a double. Seager scored on a single off of...Foster. Only after that did the Hall Of Fame manager (I know he's a Hall of Famer...that's what he tells cops when he's pulled over) take Foster out.
After the game, TLR took the blame and said he should have pulled Foster earlier. He didn't explain why he didn't. Ugh.
Craig - It's not in today's issue, but the folks who like to single out one region of the United States and claim it's a country are at it again: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/which-countries-produce-the-most-mlb-players/ (Hint: it's not Florida, California, or Texas, which would actually be hilarious)
"acute chill deficit disorder"
Also, re: “whilst” - whomst among us?
You can do a WPA graph of my emotions as I read your tribute to Judi.
"She even subscribed to this newsletter."
Oh, yeah! I'll get to thank her in the comments.
"...she opened it and read it almost every day through this past Monday morning."
Wait, what. Oh. Oh no.
"Judi passed away unexpectedly on Monday evening."
DAMNIT.
What a gut punch. What a nice tribute.
As someone that lived in New England for 30 years the Boston doom and gloom sports media has been around forever but it really took off in the late 80s, early 90s. It can be game to game for the Red Sox. WEEI really blossomed off it in the early 90s and it’s across all the major sports as well, not just baseball, though they really go all out bashing/praising the Sox on a daily basis.
I actually saw a guy using one of those unpowered push mowers yesterday. But yeah, it was an urban lawn and the guy was probably a hipster.
Assuming they work OK (I've never used one), they probably do make a lot of sense for a small urban lawn though.
The Pirates are ready to get out of Cincinnati, but where are they going to go where they'll like the results any better?
I'm not a big fan of the extra innings rule, but I can respect the improvement it is for the lives of people in and around baseball.
If you need a laugh, though, pull up the 7th inning of the Twins/Tigers game from yesterday and you can hear the Twins announcers tie themselves in knots whining about it. They essentially assert that the rule can prevent the "better team" from winning because you only have to move a guy 180 feet (they were unhappy the Twins lost to the Tigers the previous day). But then they noted that the team DOES have to execute their gameplan to get that runner to score, just as they would in ANY extra inning regardless of runners, and then immediately had to reassert that doing so still does not mean the better team might win and what a travesty! It was high humor for me from what I still consider to be one of the blandest, whiniest announce teams in regional MLB (yes, I know they have to shill for the team, but still).
First, it's called a reel lawnmower. And I'm in about $20 on maintenance and $0 on gas across about a dozen years. Second, it's my sister who has chickens. I'm just giving getting them some not-too-serious thought.