Hit Hard, Run Fast, Turn Left. The 2022 Baseball Thread

[Guard Dog]

A little early this year but all is gloom and doom in peanut and crackerjack land. The owners have locked out the players. The two sides are not even talking. Spring Training is (supposed to be) 40 days away. Not good. The national pastime is past it's time and games lost due to work stoppage might well put it in the dirt for good. 

But there is some news that is interesting. New York Yankees name Rachel Balkovec to manage Tampa Tarpons. She will be the first woman to manage in affiliated baseball so congrats to her. 

[Hurlshort]

I hope they get it worked out soon. I can't imagine either side thinks it would be good to miss more games after the pandemic losses. 

I haven't read up on the negotiations, but I am willing to accept the DH in the National League. I was opposed to it for years, but after watching it during the short season, I got comfortable with it quickly enough.

[Guard Dog]

Apple TV bidding on MLB mid-week games

[Guard Dog]

MLB lockout: New proposal leaves locked-out players underwhelmed

Strike one

One of the big hang ups appears to be the PA wanting to stop "tanking". Teams deliberately sucking to get better draft position. Kudos to them on that count. If you are a Baltimore Orioles fan why even watch the past two seasons? The problem with tanking is it works. Just as the Astros, Rays and, in a season or two, the Marlins. 

One way they might want to go is a "minimum salary cap". This might boost payrolls but it won't disincentivize cellar dwelling. A draft lottery isn't a terrible idea and that is what they are looking at now. But it hasn't prevented tanking in the NBA so it likely won't help.  

But there is an idea I just LOVE. At the end of the regular season rank all teams by runs scored. Eliminate the playoff teams and take the top six to eight remaining clubs and THAT is your draft order. That system does not punish losses and it does not reward wins. It rewards SCORING. That is what the MLB says they want. More action on the field. Teams are managed from a standpoint of risk aversion. Managers are afraid of squeeze plays, hit and runs, etc. They prefer the tried and true bloop, bunt, blast sequence. But more often than not it goes bloop, bunt, strikeout. And it isn't interesting to watch. Baseball has always been about scoring runs, not power and exit velocity. Tweaking the rules like they do every season isn't helping and it's bastardizing the game. Incentivize teams to score runs might well be the cure all.

[Guard Dog]

MLBPA to present counter offer during in person bargaining session today

[Guard Dog]

Looks like Spring Training will be delayed. In a week exhibition games will be cancelled. The two sides are not very far apart on the issue of arbitration. The players want arbitration after two seasons. The owners want it after three except for the "super twos".  Each has apparently decided this was a hill worth dying for, 

[Guard Dog]

Not a lot of good news in the baseball world these days. But we can always remember better days.

 

[Guard Dog]

Me right now

[Amentep]

3 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

Not a lot of good news in the baseball world these days. But we can always remember better days.

 

IIRC, Honus passed away the next year (about a year and a half after this letter was wrote).

 

[Guard Dog]

Weeghman Field under construction in 1912. It was built for a Federal League team. Obviously that didn't work out well.

 

But ultimately it was used by another team that made it famous. And it's still in use today 110 years later! This is what it look like today:

[Amentep]

Federal League had some fun team names.  Chicago Whales? Newark Peppers? St. Louis Terriers?

I'd include the Pittsburg Stogies, but they were named after the Union Association team in the 1884.

I never thought about it before, but as Wrigley Field was originally a Federal League stadium, then that makes Dodger Stadium (of 1962) the oldest stadium built specifically for use in the National League that is also still in use. 

 

[Guard Dog]

35 minutes ago, Amentep said:

Federal League had some fun team names.  Chicago Whales? Newark Peppers? St. Louis Terriers?

I'd include the Pittsburg Stogies, but they were named after the Union Association team in the 1884.

I never thought about it before, but as Wrigley Field was originally a Federal League stadium, then that makes Dodger Stadium (of 1962) the oldest stadium built specifically for use in the National League that is also still in use. 

 

That's true. Dodger stadium still looks a lot like it did in in the Sixties too. Wrigley has had a LOT of structural upgrades over the years. Dodger stadium too but it looks a lot more like it's original self than Wrigley. The old ballyard in Chavez Ravine has really aged gracefully. 

My favorite FED name was Pittsburgh Rebels because it was based on such an obscure historical event. But one I've always been fascinated by. 

[Amentep]

Since its Pittsburgh, I'm guessing the name is from the Whiskey Rebellion?

Yeah Dodger Stadium still looks like a 60s stadium which wasn't a great era for park design.  I gotta confess, though, I like it existing since I think its cool to have a park with history rather than making a new one every few years (even if some of the modern throwback designs look nicer).  But then again, if Atlanta had been forced to use its existing park when the Braves came to town, there'd be a magnolia tree in center field (Babe Ruth hit a home run into it in exhibition play, IIRC). 

[Guard Dog]

James "Cool Papa" Bell was on of those great Negro League players that never got to play in the MLB. Which is a shame because he was likely BETTER than Jackie Robinson. Satchel Paige once said Bell was so fast he could turn off the lights and be under the covers before the room got dark. In an exhibition game against MLB all-stars he once scored from first on a bunt. Or so his legend goes. Bell's career ended before Robinson made his first start. I would have loved to have seen what he could have done for a team like the Cubs or Pirates in the late 30's. 

After his playing career ended he went on to be a scout for the St. Louis Browns and was inducted into Cooperstown in 1974. After he passed away in '91 the street he lived on in St. Louis was renamed for him. 

[Amentep]

MLB Lockout Ends As Owners & Players Agree To Tentative Deal; Opening Day Set – Update

[Hurlshort]

Hah, gotta love that the owners gave two hard deadlines that would lead to cancelled games, and the players waited out both and we still will get a full season. 

I'm interested in seeing how the pitch clock works. I'm comfortable with the DH now. I'm ok with banning the shift, although I would have rather seen hitters figure it out and adjust their games to exploit it.

[Guard Dog]

I hate the pitch clock. Hate it. I am happy the stupid "man on second" and bush league 7 inning doubleheaders is going into the trash bin. Very happy to see draft pick compensation go away. The MLBPA never should have agreed with that in the 90's. Also happy to see teams incentivized not to tank but I don't think the draft lottery went far enough. I liked my idea better. I hate the DH too but at this point it's like the stage coach driver cursing the train. It was always going to happen eventually. 

[Amentep]

I kinda haven't ever gotten the DH rule.  Either go full football-US and have an offensive/defensive line up (batters don't field, fielders don't bat) or go full football-every-where-else (if you're on offense, you're also on defense).  I've never understood the "let's not make the pitcher bat" angle.  Why not the catcher, too?  Most of them might appreciate being able to spend half an inning relaxing their knees.  I get that it ended up being a way to distinguish AL from NL, but I much preferred the game without it.

Not really a fan of the shift, but its been used for ~100 years, so it was just part of the game as I saw it.  I always thought the 7 inning doulble-header / man on second was a COVID thing.

The pitch clock doesn't sound like a good idea from what little I've read on it.

[Hurlshort]

In essence, there is a pretty clear delineation between pitching and position players, much like with football and their offense and defensive lineups. 

[Amentep]

1 hour ago, Hurlsnot said:

In essence, there is a pretty clear delineation between pitching and position players, much like with football and their offense and defensive lineups. 

You could make an argument that the delineation is between pitching/fielding (defense) vs batting (offense) anyhow.  I dunno, its just me, I was never a fan of the DH.

[ShadySands]

I'd be interesting in seeing something like that as a test but I wonder if it would it drive salaries down as rosters go up to have players specialize like the NFL where you hardly ever see two way players.

[Guard Dog]

Keeping a pitch clock in the minors isn't a terrible idea. It did serve the purpose of getting young and upcoming pitchers into the habit of working quickly. Habits that would likely continue into their MLB careers. 

[Guard Dog]

I bought six Diamond Box tickets to see the Marlins play the Brewers in Milwaukee in September. Three for each game. It's likely the only two I'll get to see this year so I got us good seats. Neither G nor B has ever been to a MLB game. Time to rectify that.

[Hurlshort]

The Giants won 107 games last year but have an over/under of 85.5 this season. I'm not a betting man, but I still see that as a head scratcher. Honestly though, I do have tempered expectations. They really only lost 2 players of note, but one is Buster Posey, so that is a huge hole. But I'm just excited to have baseball back.

[Guard Dog]

 

Your boys are going down today @Hurlshot