depending on the year's income and the kindness of friends, i'd say I go to 7-12 MLB games a year (I have no spouse or kids)
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 6 April 2019 15:10 (five years ago) link
One of the great things about ILX is something like fionnland's sharing their cross-Atlantic observations on what is normally such a radically insular board... Cheers!
Once upon a time I shared season tickets with a group of 10 friends. So 162 games in a season, half of those at home = 81 games / 10 = 8 games (2 seats). This was many moons ago when I was single and free time in abundance. Compared to last season we went to 2 games as a family (wife is a fan of the game, too soon to tell with the sprouts).
The paced, drawn-out in-game drama is indeed one of the subtle magical things about baseball that doesn't occur in other major American sport.
The last 30+ years of American foreign policy have cast the national anthem & God Bless America into some shitty greeting card pro-religious/pro-military dreck (sometimes coordinated with a military jet flyover as a reminder to our impotent baby boomers of this country's former military prowess) that I can honestly do without. Probably says more about me than anything haha.
Ball Four is an absolute classic, especially on this board (Bouton has his own thread, as does Bill Lee iirc).
ha... "Dull as dishwater" is how players are coached by their agents/PR teams to be. There's a classic film set in the baseball world currently on American Netflix named Bull Durham that in one scene addresses how being unique and individual in the game is discouraged and the ability to spout out 30 seconds of cliches strung together is the epiphany of the modern game player.
The Houston Astros are an interesting study... a team that had a recent renaissance after years of toiling in the basement of the National League's arguably weakest division, they switched to the American League and built a soon-to-be dynasty through analytics and cutting-edge information feeding their drafting/development.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 6 April 2019 15:27 (five years ago) link
Yeah, the whole national anthem thing is fucking weird, the God Bless America thing is really fucking weird, and the whole alliance with the Pentagon thing is really really fucking weird. Take me out to the ballgame is good
― Karl Malone, Saturday, 6 April 2019 16:47 (five years ago) link
I think banning god bless america would be my first act as commissioner
― d'ILM for Murder (Hadrian VIII), Saturday, 6 April 2019 17:03 (five years ago) link
The pace of the game - the time just flew by! I was absolutely soaking it in though and was trying not to miss a pitch in between dashes for hotdogs and beer. I like to dig in a little before holidays, so I’d watched the whole 2017 World Series before coming over and it seemed to go a lot faster than those did (not that I was expecting a Game 5 marathon). I guess I have little experience of watching regular season games to compare it to (though that will change!).
Also, if I’m suffering watching a bases loaded count with the home pitcher behind, I can only imagine how excruciating it must be for a real fan to watch some situations when the game really matters in the big games and your club hasn’t won the pennant in, well, forever.
Re: God Bless America and the military shout outs, yes they’re verging on jingoistic, but the scary thing is I could feel that there was real power there for people around me.
What I was wondering is that how much do individuals get behind the AA and AAA teams? Like do any of them consider them “their team” or is that reserved for MLB (or possibly college/ high school teams)? As magic as the Minute Maid ballpark was, I can’t help think that on a smaller scale without the advertising, the sound system, and inflated prices the live game would still be as enjoyable and perhaps more so? Much in the same way that I enjoy spending £10 a game on going to see a semi professional football team in the UK, win or lose, rather than going to see Manchester United week in week out and really wondering what I’m getting for my £70+.
― Sky rockets in flight, afternoon D-White (fionnland), Saturday, 6 April 2019 19:11 (five years ago) link
I would guess maybe 10% of mlb fans know their AAA affiliate team, and maybe 2% can name a player on the AAA team
― Karl Malone, Saturday, 6 April 2019 19:21 (five years ago) link
Minor league baseball, despite that, is a lot of fun!
Plenty of non-casual fans know their team's top prospects, and will often check up on those players rather than their affiliate teams.
― Michael F Gill, Saturday, 6 April 2019 23:51 (five years ago) link
College baseball has some following in certain areas of the country (the south). A few of those clubs fill up pretty good sized stadiums, similar size to minor leagues.
Minor league baseball does have some amenities that are long gone from the majors. Many stadiums have areas where you can picnic and bring in your own food.
Both are still fairly affordable for families I would say, but as soon as someone thinks there is a buck to make that will change.
― earlnash, Sunday, 7 April 2019 00:53 (five years ago) link
minor league baseball teams have to sell the ~experience~ because the roster makeup is out of their control and actually winning the games is secondary to player development. (this is unusual, but for instance every once in a while a pitcher will be told 'you can only use your fastball and changeup; no other breaking balls')
that said, round rock (the astros' triple-a club) currently features starter forrest whitley and outfielder kyle tucker, both of whom are like top-10 prospects, so it's a particularly good time to visit them
― mookieproof, Sunday, 7 April 2019 01:10 (five years ago) link
Minor league teams often play in secondary markets which can still be very large American cities (Portland OR, Las Vegas, San Jose CA, Charlotte NC to name a few) so the draw can rival or even surpass the low-drawing MLB clubs.
One of the most exciting prospects on ILBaseball is Vladimir Guerrero Jr and he plays for a single-A team in Florida when he is not on the Injured Reserve list, though some around here thinks his developmental stall is part of a larger conspiracy *wiggles fingers in front of face*
But you can catch some legit proven superstars making their way off the IR list via minor league stints before going back up to the big leagues... Clayton Kershaw pitching in Oklahoma City this week is an instance of that.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Sunday, 7 April 2019 01:50 (five years ago) link
I don’t know if I would call Epicenter/LoanMart Field affordable for “all” families.Though the Quakes can draw in a big crowd. And it’s located in a small town about 50 miles east of downtown LA. California is kind of different and weird that way, I guess.It’s hard to gauge how common it is for middle class families to attend minor league games, but my family frequently attends games at the minor and major levels. Season passes, friends play in the minor league, and of course parents are always busy with little league.
― John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Sunday, 7 April 2019 02:32 (five years ago) link
Chris Davis is that much closer to history. Fly out in the fifth makes him 0-for-his-last-42. The Orioles still don't have a hit this afternoon.— Joe Trezza (@JoeTrezz) April 7, 2019
― mookieproof, Sunday, 7 April 2019 19:00 (five years ago) link
Counsell putting in his closer in the 7th, I like it
― frogbs, Sunday, 7 April 2019 20:38 (five years ago) link
good lord rosenthal
HBP, two wild pitches, four-pitch walk, done. still hasn't gotten anyone out, though at least neither of these guys scored
― mookieproof, Sunday, 7 April 2019 20:43 (five years ago) link
he needs to face Davis
― frogbs, Sunday, 7 April 2019 20:53 (five years ago) link
Benches clear in today’s Reds-Pirates game. Nothing like a little Sunday afternoon brawl. 🥊 pic.twitter.com/2Nc5Dr9iOW— Around Da Diamond (@AroundDaDiamond) April 7, 2019
― k3vin k., Sunday, 7 April 2019 22:40 (five years ago) link
p boring until Votto let go of Puig
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 7 April 2019 23:21 (five years ago) link
tbf dietrich really did watch his homer for quite a while
tb even more f, hard to blame him because it was a fucking bomb
― mookieproof, Sunday, 7 April 2019 23:42 (five years ago) link
Apparently Puig grabbed Prince in a headlock. But it’s either hard to see in that video clip or it’s not in the video?If that’s true...man, Puig is out of control.
― John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Monday, 8 April 2019 01:25 (five years ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3mXhaLWsAIcEKK.jpg:large
― but I can't let Trae do it I got Huerter on my mind (Spottie), Monday, 8 April 2019 04:35 (five years ago) link
My goodness.
― John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Monday, 8 April 2019 04:53 (five years ago) link
really wacky bottom of the 2nd in pirates-cubs
― na (NA), Monday, 8 April 2019 19:23 (five years ago) link
kevin newman charged with 3 errors on two plays, jameson taillon takes a rizzo shot off the top of his head, jon lester hits an rbi double, javier baez gets a single by throwing the bat at the ball
― na (NA), Monday, 8 April 2019 19:25 (five years ago) link
(taillon seemed to be ok or i wouldn't call it wacky)
and lester may have hurt himself hitting/running/sliding?
― mookieproof, Monday, 8 April 2019 19:35 (five years ago) link
"left hamstring tightness"
― na (NA), Monday, 8 April 2019 19:36 (five years ago) link
javier baez gets a single by throwing the bat at the ball
haha, really? was it a hit and run pitch that he was desperate to hit or something?
― these are not all of the possible side effects (Karl Malone), Monday, 8 April 2019 19:58 (five years ago) link
https://www.mlb.com/video/baez-s-unique-rbi-single?t=most-popular
― na (NA), Monday, 8 April 2019 20:05 (five years ago) link
i think it was just javy being javy
― na (NA), Monday, 8 April 2019 20:06 (five years ago) link
Haha. Baez's reaction is hilarious. Gotta get them where they can, I guess. Cubbies are doing so bad.
― John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Monday, 8 April 2019 20:32 (five years ago) link
It’s really just been their pitching failing so far, right?
― these are not all of the possible side effects (Karl Malone), Monday, 8 April 2019 20:36 (five years ago) link
Which admittedly is an important part of the game of baseball
yeah the offense has been great so far, just lots of shitty pitching, both from the starters and the bullpen
― na (NA), Monday, 8 April 2019 20:38 (five years ago) link
Congrats Chris Davis
― frogbs, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 01:50 (five years ago) link
Karl/na, yeah, definitely agree with that
― John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 01:52 (five years ago) link
I would just like to say that Dansby Swanson has been OTM in this season.
― ILX Halftime Shows Ranked — Which Was the Best? (WmC), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 02:08 (five years ago) link
Davis 0-5 tonight as the O's score 12
they are sending his existential torpor to Cooperstown
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 02:12 (five years ago) link
deGrom has the opposite of an infinite ERA--he's got a negative FIP of -0.24. Which means...he not only hasn't given up any runs, he stole back part of a run from the opposition.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 04:29 (five years ago) link
pirates and cubs have an off day today between game 1 and game 2 of their series. today it's sunny and 60 degrees, tomorrow will be rainy and in the high 30s. i don't get why they have these off days built into the early spring schedule if mlb doesn't provide the flexibility to move games around based on weather forecasts.
― na (NA), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:00 (five years ago) link
Agreed, but the club's #1 objective is still to sell stadium seats and 40,000 people can't reschedule their social & professional lives based on the whimsy of a forecast.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:02 (five years ago) link
(my solution: pad the off-days toward the end of the series?)
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:03 (five years ago) link
Shorten the season by 10 games, schedule a couple doubleheaders and start the season next week.
― brownie, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:07 (five years ago) link
people like being at 'opening day', so pretty much every non-dome/california home opener has an an off day behind it. if the first attempt is rained out, they will honor those tickets on the next day
it does lead to weird things like a lot of teams being idle these last two fridays, which should be good attendance nights
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:13 (five years ago) link
tomorrow's game will be rained out so people will have to reschedule their lives anyways
― na (NA), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:18 (five years ago) link
archer: five-game suspensionpuig: two-game suspension
(david bell: one game)
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:31 (five years ago) link
alex cora and charlie montoyo: first time puerto rican-born managers have faced each other
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 19:12 (five years ago) link
nationals are addressing their bullpen woes by signing . . . bud norris
-1.4 bWAR over the last four seasons
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 19:42 (five years ago) link
Hamilton scores from 2nd on a sac fly:
Developing story: Billy Hamilton is fast.#AlwaysRoyal pic.twitter.com/ChezuiAvOB— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 10, 2019
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 10:33 (five years ago) link
The Athletics are reportedly close to signing Edwin Jackson to a minor league deal.
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 11 April 2019 17:36 (five years ago) link