It's always good to be passionate about something you perceive to be wrong. If you're having trouble finding something, just pay attention to Major League Baseball, their trends and their policies.
**Baseball has had double headers for years. Two games on the same day with a 20-30 minute gap in between. Back in the 50's & 60's, when I first started watching, teams only carried 9 or 10 pitchers and they had to hit, so the other 14 or 15 players were position players, and most of them played in the two games. Starting pitchers pitched every four days and usually lasted for 7 innings or more. They weren't pulled after 100 pitches, partially because managers couldn't count that high. The best players played all nine innings of both games. No one "needed a day off," and it was rare for someone to go on the DL (Disabled List) unless they had a broken leg. There was no Tommy John surgery (there wasn't even a Tommy John) and starters often came in relief to get out of a critical jam.
**Now, MLB has "fixed" a problem that didn't exist back then and probably wouldn't exist today if Commissioner Rob Manfred would spend summers lounging on a beach in the Bahama's with no cell service instead of interfering in the game. Manfred has made double headers into two seven-inning games, and if that wasn't bad enough, he allows day-night games. That means they empty the stadium after one game and charge a separate admission for the 2nd game. So those of you who bought tickets for a nine inning game...well, screw you. And there is no such thing as a no-hitter in a seven inning game.
**I read a solution that sounds good to me. Two games with a 20 minute gap: first game is 9 innings. the second game is 7 innings. A day-night double header is TWO NINE INNING GAMES. Do something to benefit the fans instead of the teams front office. I doubt they need the money since they can afford to pay pitchers $30+ million a year to pitch in 30 games, seven innings at a time, of course.
**You want to do something to improve the game, Rob? Here is a three-word suggestion: Fire Angel Hernandez. At least once a week, I red this headline - Angel Hernandez makes a bad call. Newspapers could save a lot of ink if they ran this headline when possible: Angel got one right. We won't see that one too often.
**Take your kid to a game and this is what he might see: 1) four umpires converging to decide what to call. 2) everyone stand around for 2 or 3 minutes while someone on New York tells the umpires what they really saw and not what they called. 3) pitchers being strip-searched to see if they have a foreign substance on them - or maybe the wrong flavor bubble gum, we're not sure. You may have to explain to your kid why the 2nd baseman looks like he's playing right field or why the shortstop appears to be playing 2nd base. 4) "Why are three guys playing shortstop, Daddy? Don't they like the 1st baseman?" He might see some baseball, too but don't count on it.
**I am not a big fan of today's analytics. Sure, I like numbers and some of those numbers are interesting, but I don't believe they should control the game. There is an increasing feeling that saber-metrics are controlling baseball to the detriment of the sport. The Yankees have a whole department designed to come up with stats that supposedly make decisions easier. When it works, they are quick to point out how perfect they are. When it doesn't, they say, "Well, it was still the right decision."
Michael Fishman runs that department for the Yankees. He is quick to say that analytics are only a tool used in making decisions as to what players to sign, who gets on the field, who gets pulled, basically everything. According to Fishman:
"There are a lot of decisions that go opposite of what analytics
[recommend]. I think it is an over-characterization of analytics winning
the day. There is so much that goes into every decision. A lot of
decisions are made that are the opposite of the analytical
recommendation." Ah, now it gets interesting. This is what Joel Sherman, who conducted the interview, followed up with: " But when I asked if he could provide examples of where analytics did not
carry the day and scouting did, Fishman did not respond for 10 seconds, then said, “I can’t think of a good example off the top of my head. They are numerous."
As Perry Mason might say, I rest my case.
**You say you like numbers? Here's two for you to contemplate. The NY Yankees charge $45 for parking. The NY Mets charge $15.25 for a 24 ounce beer.
***THEY SAID IT***
"The Basel Convention recently added plastics to their amendments on international hazardous waste. Speaking of trash-talking, tonight is the start of the NBA finals." -- RJ Currie
"With the Olympics due to start in a couple weeks, Tokyo has declared
a COVID state of emergency. It’s now quite likely NO fans will be able
to attend, even locals. Of all the stupid decisions the IOC has made over the years, will the
stupidest turn out to be the decision to have these games at all?" -- Janice Hough
"If you have to decide who your starting goalie is, then you don't have a starting goalie." -- Steve Simmons
"Blue Jays manager, Charlie Montoyo calling for the bullpen to help is like calling Tiger Woods for emergency roadside assistance." -- Patti Dawn Swansson
"Buffalo wide receiver Cole Beasley says he won't get vaccinated and "I may die of COVID but I'd rather die actually living." How many times has this guy been hit in the head again?" -- Ron Borges
"If only Aaron Boone were as tough on his players as he is on umpires. Three times in a week, Yankee players didn't know how many outs there were. Counting to three is difficult." -- Phil Mushnick [Where is Mike Fishman when you need him? - Chad Picasner]
"A 12-year-old New Jersey boy has been named a chess grand master. When I was 12 I was trying to figure out how to get my new checkers board out of the box it came in." -- Brad Dickson
Chad Picasner
