Baseball 2023

[Qs Laptop]

Unintended effect of the new pitch clock rule is that baseball games are flying by faster which means less beer and alcohol sales. As you may know, beer and alcohol sales are a tremendous money maker for ballparks.

Previously, beer sales were suspended after the 7th inning, the reason given is to create time separation between the point where someone has their last beer and the point where they are driving home after the game.

Four teams--the Diamondbacks, the Twins, the Brewers, and the Rangers have changed their ballpark rules and will now serve beer through the end of the 8th inning.

Looks like the almighty dollar has won out over common sense.

 

[Beststash]

The rule is that the pitcher must begin his motion before the pitch count reaches zero. So long as Garcia starts his "rock the baby" motion before zero, he will not get an infraction.

This should not be an issue for him whatsoever. Maybe his ERA is up because he's not pitching very well at this point in the season?

Thanks for the explanation - I didn't realize that. Maybe he is just trying to change? No, he is not pitching well but like you say it is early.

The Stros didn't start well last year either - no doubt they miss Altuve (read he got his cast off yesterday) and Gurriel and not sure about the pitching staff this year. I turn the sound down when they play the Rangers because I don't care for their announcers so I didn't hear any commentary.

 

[Kings over Queens]

ETA: And now Adam Wainwright, a star pitcher, is singing the National Anthem to start his last year in baseball.

That was pretty cool. I like when things like that happen. It's good for the game.

 

[Kings over Queens]

Mets fans here, both me and wife, life long.

Big baseball fans too, were blessed our son played through college. Great memories.

 

[Qs Laptop]

The Diamondbacks "designated for assignment" Madison Baumgartner yesterday. He's guaranteed $14M a season for the next two years. Turns out he didn't see eye-to-eye with D-Backs pitching coach Brent Strom (one of the best in the game) and also did not execute the game plan given to him by the coaching staff.

Will any team pick him up?

Will the Cardinals? They have a history of picking up aging veterans, especially lefties (Jon Lester, J.A. Happ, Stephen Matz, etc.)

 

[CardsFan]

That was pretty cool. I like when things like that happen. It's good for the game.

Yeah. The Cardinals know how to make opening day an "event". That's how you average over 3 million a year attendance, with many millions watching on TV. Good baseball helps (though their current record is not so good).

 

[steelyman]

It’s fun to see this year’s London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals broadcast widely (today FOX, Sunday ESPN).

Never mind the standings, it’s baseball!

 

[Koolau]

The rule is that the pitcher must begin his motion before the pitch count reaches zero. So long as Garcia starts his "rock the baby" motion before zero, he will not get an infraction.

This just might make the game more interesting watching how the players adjust to the new rule.

 

[youbet]

Unintended effect of the new pitch clock rule is that baseball games are flying by faster which means less beer and alcohol sales. As you may know, beer and alcohol sales are a tremendous money maker for ballparks.

Previously, beer sales were suspended after the 7th inning, the reason given is to create time separation between the point where someone has their last beer and the point where they are driving home after the game.

Four teams--the Diamondbacks, the Twins, the Brewers, and the Rangers have changed their ballpark rules and will now serve beer through the end of the 8th inning.

Looks like the almighty dollar has won out over common sense.

I would think that with the new rules making games shorter, they would be serving beer "to go."

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Giants are doing well.

 

[easysurfer]

El Perfecto ... guess it's fitting his number is 0 as in no hits, no runners allowed.

The New York Yankees have been mired in a stretch of disappointing baseball of late, but Domingo Germán helped turn things around in dramatic fashion Wednesday.

The right-hander pitched a perfect game in his team's 11-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

Germán struck out nine and didn't allow a baserunner while throwing 99 pitches in a performance he will never forget. It is the first perfect game in Major League Baseball since Félix Hernández accomplished the task in August 2012 during a win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...om&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

[aja8888]

El Perfecto ... guess it's fitting his number is 0 as in no hits, no runners allowed.



https://bleacherreport.com/articles...om&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

His outing before this game was not so stellar as he gave up something like 10 runs..

 

[Koolau]

El Perfecto ... guess it's fitting his number is 0 as in no hits, no runners allowed.



https://bleacherreport.com/articles...om&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

What an impressive performance! Reminds me of that movie with Kevin Costner. "For Love of the Game." Of course, instead of thinking about his girlfriend, I'm guessing Germán was wondering "How did I get here?"

 

[easysurfer]

His outing before this game was not so stellar as he gave up something like 10 runs..

That's what makes the performance even more incredible I guess.

 

[Qs Laptop]

It couldn't have happened to a worse person. Domingo German was suspended by MLB for 81 games in 2019 for slapping around his girlfriend and getting violent. It (allegedly) got so bad his girlfriend hid in a closet while teammates tried to calm him down.

He also has been accused of cheating by using sticky substances while pitching. In a game vs. the Twins on April 15th of this year, umpires instructed him to clean his hands of the sticky stuff before he went out to pitch the next inning. This is a questionable response by the umpires, to say the least.

A month later, on May 16th German was ejected from the game for having sticky stuff on his hands and received a 10 game suspension. After this game umpire crew chief James Hoye said Germán’s was the “stickiest hand I’ve ever felt.”

So, let's see--woman batterer, a violent person, a cheater, and now will be forever remembered for pitching a perfect game.

 

[Kings over Queens]

That was the first thing my son said, "Couldn't have happened to a worse person."

 

[Kings over Queens]

We are doing the "See a game in every stadium" thing and checked Globe Life (Arlington) and Minute Maid (Houston) off our lists last week. Saw Ohtani pitch and hit a monster home run. Amazing.

Fun stadiums.

 

[Montecfo]

We are doing the "See a game in every stadium" thing and checked Globe Life (Arlington) and Minute Maid (Houston) off our lists last week. Saw Ohtani pitch and hit a monster home run. Amazing.

Fun stadiums.

I was at Globe Life recently too. Saw Ohtani go deep twice.

Very nice stadium!

 

[Qs Laptop]

We are doing the "See a game in every stadium" thing and checked Globe Life (Arlington) and Minute Maid (Houston) off our lists last week. Saw Ohtani pitch and hit a monster home run. Amazing.

Fun stadiums.

Seeing a game in every stadium sounds like a worthy endeavour. Is this a planned activity with an itinerary or is it kind of a "let's do this one next" sort of a thing?

 

[easysurfer]

Ohtani is everything as advertised and then some. As a bonus, he might even pass Qs Laptop's good guy test .

Fans of Major League Baseball are blessed right now, because we continue to witness something special. In fact, the most special month of this run just concluded. And, well, we'll get to all of this in a second. First, though, a highlight to help illustrate the matter.

On Friday night, Angels super-duper, two-way star Shohei Ohtani hit a colossal home run. It checked in at 493 feet.

That was Ohtani's 30th home run of the season. He leads the majors in home runs. He also leads the majors in triples, RBI, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, total bases and is, unsurprisingly, lapping the field in WAR. The latter is due, obviously, in part to Ohtani's exploits on the mound.

Perhaps the most amazing stat of all: Ohtani leads the majors in games played. He's the only player pulling double duty and he hasn't taken a single day off.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...n-mlb-history-yes-even-better-than-babe-ruth/

 

[Kings over Queens]

Seeing a game in every stadium sounds like a worthy endeavour. Is this a planned activity with an itinerary or is it kind of a "let's do this one next" sort of a thing?

More of a pre-planned thing, but we're open to just jumping on a plane or in the car if/when it makes sense.

I try to plan at least 2 stadiums in or around week's time, and when possible, include at least one Met's game. We're Mets fans. I know, I know...we all have our crosses to bear.

I like to fill time in between the games in different city's.

Oh, it helps if I can find games where the weather is good. My wife does not like the heat. That's actually an understatement. She turns, literally, into the hulk, when she overheats.

Next trip is a 3 or 4 day, weather permitting, to Boston and then Yankee Stadium. That we'll drive.

August is 5 days, Kansas City ending in St. Louis.

September is Florida, starting in Miami, then St. Pete for the Ray's, then Orlando to see her parents.

 

[Aerides]

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day to all those who celebrate

 

[Montecfo]

Wow you guys are doing this pretty aggressively. Good for you!

 

[Beststash]

Glad to see the Astros kick the Rangers butt - and fitting that McCormick knocked in the go ahead run after that bad call against him for his bunt. Dusty Baker should have been in the Umps face!

Go Stros!! Only 3 back now.

 

[easysurfer]

Looks like Ohtani is being shopped around.

I think Angels have to be crazy to trade him. But that wouldn't surprise me.