Pujols was a jerk? Really?

zoinks

Roid rage.

Talk about some misdirected anger:

Torii Hunter says black Latino players are 'impostors' - ESPN Los Angeles (http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=4983236)

"People see dark faces out there, and the perception is that they're African-American," Hunter said. "They're not us. They're impostors. Even people I know come up and say: 'Hey, what color is Vladimir Guerrero? Is he a black player?' I say, 'Come on, he's Dominican. He's not black.' ...

Really Torii? Some jackass out there thinks a guy named Guerrero is black. How the hell does that make Vlad an "imposter"?

Talk about some misdirected anger:

Torii Hunter says black Latino players are 'impostors' - ESPN Los Angeles (http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=4983236)



Really Torii? Some jackass out there thinks a guy named Guerrero is black. How the hell does that make Vlad an "imposter"?

Torii seems to be talking a little out of his ass here, but he's not without a point. There's a big difference between being "black" (American black) and black in general (but more specifically Latino). Just like actual Africans. Sure, they're black. But when you're talking about, for instance, the issue of African-Americans in baseball, you're not talking about Africans, even though they're black (BTW, probably there isn't a single African baseball player, but trying to use a non-Latino example that might spell it out more clearly).

I know Torii has been outspoken on the issue of the fall in African-American representation in baseball, and this probably comes from that, people thinking there might not be a problem because of all the "blacks" from Latino nations. He has been heavily involved in inner city academies and speaking out for more African-Americans in baseball.

I didn't think the term "black" was exclusive to African-Americans. There's people of African decent, with dark skin, all over the Caribbean (and everywhere else) Many of them are decendents of African slaves.

Not sure why it's so important for Hunter to claim "black" for the USA blacks, but I'm not in a place to understand.

BTW, Vlad and Torii are two of the more happy-go-lucky sorts of guys out there; this isn't Torii saying anything about Vlad specifically. They got along great here, by all reports. This is probably a situation where Torii coulda picked a better term or phrased it better.

I didn't think the term "black" was exclusive to African-Americans. There's people of African decent, with dark skin, all over the Caribbean (and everywhere else) Many of them are decendents of African slaves.

Not sure why it's so important for Hunter to claim "black" for the USA blacks, but I'm not in a place to understand.

I think he's being misunderstood. He's not saying those others aren't black-skinned. He's saying they're not black-- that there's a difference between the American black and blacks from other countries. And again, I think he's right. There's a specific cultural difference. I don't think he should necessarily be claiming "black" for African-Americans alone, but I think his intention is to note the cultural difference.

I think he's being misunderstood. He's not saying those others aren't black-skinned. He's saying they're not black-- that there's a difference between the American black and blacks from other countries. And again, I think he's right. There's a specific cultural difference. I don't think he should necessarily be claiming "black" for African-Americans alone, but I think his intention is to note the cultural difference.

Sure, but there's also a difference between Latino Dominicans and Black Dominicans. And the terms "black" and "African-American" can't properly be used interchangeably.

I guess though, I can translate what he's saying and see the point. People would be surprised how few African-Americans there are in MLB today (especially pitchers). So they're kind of struggling for their identity. But the misuse of the terms just clouds things further.

Edit: "Black" is such a stupid term, at least the way its used today. I hope it goes away at some point in my lifetime. I think it will.

Torii seems to be talking a little out of his ass here, but he's not without a point. There's a big difference between being "black" (American black) and black in general (but more specifically Latino). Just like actual Africans. Sure, they're black. But when you're talking about, for instance, the issue of African-Americans in baseball, you're not talking about Africans, even though they're black (BTW, probably there isn't a single African baseball player, but trying to use a non-Latino example that might spell it out more clearly).

I know Torii has been outspoken on the issue of the fall in African-American representation in baseball, and this probably comes from that, people thinking there might not be a problem because of all the "blacks" from Latino nations. He has been heavily involved in inner city academies and speaking out for more African-Americans in baseball.

All that being said...how does anyone misinterpreting Guerrero's race make Guerrero himself an imposter? Is he walking around with an "I'm black" sign on his chest?

All that being said...how does anyone misinterpreting Guerrero's race make Guerrero himself an imposter? Is he walking around with an "I'm black" sign on his chest?

You have never heard Torii speak have you? It's obviously an off the cuff quote. He's just talking. I can see the grin on his face while he's saying it (in my mind), because that's the way he is. He picked a "funny" word, more or less, which pretty much fits his personality (i.e. it's the kind of thing he would say, it's why he is one of the more sought after interviews, he'll take a boring, everyday question and give back an interesting response).

He's not saying Vlad is really an impostor. He's saying, from the perspective of those presuming Vlad being black means there are no issues with blacks in baseball, that that misleading perspective puts Vlad in abit of an "impostor" light. He's not saying Vlad hismelf is trying to be an impostor, but that Vlad "looks" like an impostor.

That makes a lot more sense in my head than when you write it out. I hope the message I intended got across.

Not happy. I should be heading to my hotel in Tempe right now and getting ready to hit up a Brewer game tomorrow. Instead I'm sitting at home because mother nature is being a whore.

Pujols was a jerk? Really?

zoinks

My wife got his autograph the first year he game up. :D

I know he's big time and all, but at least acknowledge the kids!!! :mad:

Just purchased my Twins tickets!

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If Matt Stairs makes the Padres, he'll set an MLB positional player record for playing with his 12th team

Stairs is a swing away from record book - MLB - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-stairs031210&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

And speaking of tickets - I somehow got through the Red Sox ticket lottery and got tickets for Sox/Yanks in May. I'll just sell them though, because the money will be enough for tickets, airfare, and hotel to see three sox games over a weekend in some other city.

Nationals abruptly release Elijah Dukes

Outfielder Elijah Dukes abruptly released by Washington Nationals - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2010/news/story?id=5002750)

If Matt Stairs makes the Padres, he'll set an MLB positional player record for playing with his 12th team

Stairs is a swing away from record book - MLB - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-stairs031210&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

And speaking of tickets - I somehow got through the Red Sox ticket lottery and got tickets for Sox/Yanks in May. I'll just sell them though, because the money will be enough for tickets, airfare, and hotel to see three sox games over a weekend in some other city.

wow - that's pretty awesome!

how many tickets did you get? how much do you want to sell them for?

shoot me a PM...

And speaking of tickets - I somehow got through the Red Sox ticket lottery and got tickets for Sox/Yanks in May. I'll just sell them though, because the money will be enough for tickets, airfare, and hotel to see three sox games over a weekend in some other city.Game On had 12 Sox-Yanks tickets up on the monster as the prize for 1st place in trivia last week.... we finished 3rd out of ~90 teams. And let's be honest... as awesome as those seats would be, I would definitely be selling them.

In terrible or fantastic news for the RS, top prospect Ryan Westmoreland underwent surgery to remove a cavernous malformation in his brain. Sounds they caught it early enough, the surgery was performed by the top surgeon in the world and now hopefully no infections set in. Alberto Contador had the same surgery 3 years before winning the Tour de France, and allegedly Flo-Jo died after a seizure in her sleep caused by one, so it sounds both necessary to do and possible to come back completely from if all goes well in the recovery. I know injuries are a part of the game, but I'd feel more comfortable if our players could tear a rotator cuff or an ACL once in a while instead of getting cancer, or brain tumors, or mono, or whatever Rocco Baldelli's deal was. ;)

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the '09 season.

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the '09 season.

Yeah, that is a strange story. Evidently he called the commissioner's office after the test, but before the results, to tell them he probably would fail the test.

If Matt Stairs makes the Padres, he'll set an MLB positional player record for playing with his 12th team

Stairs is a swing away from record book - MLB - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-stairs031210&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)


They wouldn't even have to pay him in salary. I'm pretty sure the Phillies paid him in beer kegs towards the end.

I will miss Matt Stairs.

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the '09 season.

And while he promises to never ever ever do it again, groundskeepers will be stationed along the base paths guarding the white lines between innings just to be on the safe side.

Where do the Rangers play opening day? :cool:

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They wouldn't even have to pay him in salary. I'm pretty sure the Phillies paid him in beer kegs towards the end.

I will miss Matt Stairs.

Moonshot. I'm not sure if that home run ball has landed yet.

That sound you hear is Jonathan Broxton crying softly in the corner.

FORT MYERS, FLA. -- The Twins announced that they have signed Joe Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million contract, which will keep the catcher under contract through 2018.
The deal includes a full no-trade clause.

.

Wow. Nicely done, Twins

SI

Very happy for the MIN fans.

Mariners have decided they will stick with the experiment to switch Jose Lopez to 3B and Chone Figgins to 2B. The hope is that what they lose in defense at 3B they more than make up for at 2B.

I'll say this - after watching Beltre at 3B the last 5 years, it's going to be painful to see Lopez manning the hot corner...

Joe Nathan out for the season. ouch thats not a nice loss to a seemingly thin pen. Rauch might be closing, and being a White Sox fan I say bring him on!

Mariners have decided they will stick with the experiment to switch Jose Lopez to 3B and Chone Figgins to 2B. The hope is that what they lose in defense at 3B they more than make up for at 2B.

I'll say this - after watching Beltre at 3B the last 5 years, it's going to be painful to see Lopez manning the hot corner...

Figgy should be good pretty much wherever you put him, so 2B will be fine. I would think a bad 3B would hurt more than a bad 2B, simply because a bad 3B leads to more doubles, seeing eye grounders into LF and the bad throws happen more often (putting men further along on the basepaths). Also you need quicker reactions at 3B.

At 2B, sure, you'll probably see more plays, but you won't give up doubles, hits to right don't hurt as bad as hits to left from what I have found and the distance to first is much shorter. The double play impact would be higher, of course, as would stolen bases, but those all involve other positions as well that would mitigate the harm.

I wonder what happened over the past 7 weeks in the Mauer negotiations. At the beginning of February, it was a ten year deal, total amount unknown. Still an 8 year deal is a long contract, and gives the Twins a solid base going to the new stadium.

Figgy should be good pretty much wherever you put him, so 2B will be fine. I would think a bad 3B would hurt more than a bad 2B, simply because a bad 3B leads to more doubles, seeing eye grounders into LF and the bad throws happen more often (putting men further along on the basepaths). Also you need quicker reactions at 3B.

At 2B, sure, you'll probably see more plays, but you won't give up doubles, hits to right don't hurt as bad as hits to left from what I have found and the distance to first is much shorter. The double play impact would be higher, of course, as would stolen bases, but those all involve other positions as well that would mitigate the harm.
It's an interesting move for sure. And in a lot of ways, it makes sense on paper - Lopez doesn't have the greatest range, but is reasonably sure-handed and has a relatively strong arm, while Figgins is known for his very good range, but not a particularly strong arm.

And given the M's emphasis on defense, I have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they think this will improve the overall defense of the team.

But yeah, I worry about taking known quantities and switching them up, and you're right that bad defense at 3B is potentially more costly in terms of extra bases. I haven't done enough poking around to see how many more chances a 2B typically gets vs. a 3B and whether that counters the extra base issue. My understanding is the current thinking on defensive spectrum gives about equal weight to 2B and 3B in terms of difficulty.

We'll see if the M's stick with it throughout the season, or whether Lopez bombs enough at 3B to start the season that they end up switching back. It's clear though that the M's don't have Lopez in their long-term 2B plans...

Does the Mauer deal make other smaller market owners/GMs nervous? I fully understand that not getting Mauer signed could potentially destroy the Minny fanbase, especially considering they just got public money for their new stadium. But it seems like it's going to be very hard for some other teams to make the claim they can't afford their homegrown stars anymore.

Does the Mauer deal make other smaller market owners/GMs nervous? I fully understand that not getting Mauer signed could potentially destroy the Minny fanbase, especially considering they just got public money for their new stadium. But it seems like it's going to be very hard for some other teams to make the claim they can't afford their homegrown stars anymore.

Well, I'm sure other small market teams can afford like one 20M guy... but what happens if Mauer gets horribly injured next year? They'll be so crippled financially, I took it as other small market teams can't take that risk?

Well, you also have to wonder, when the team steps up and makes that commitment, does the fanbase follow with their wallets and support the team?

It's always seemed to me to be a little bit chicken or the egg. Huizenga tore the Marlins apart immediately after their first championship, and the fanbase responded by not showing up.

If he had kept that team together, would they have shown up to support a championship team? We'll never know. And that impacts what happens after the second championship, too. Because how, as a fan, do you trust that won't happen again after it's happened once?

Well, I'm sure other small market teams can afford like one 20M guy... but what happens if Mauer gets horribly injured next year? They'll be so crippled financially, I took it as other small market teams can't take that risk?

Beyond Mauer, the Twins payroll has shot up. I heard someone on ESPN say that they were approaching $100 million, not sure if that was this year or next.

He also described how the new stadium has transformed them from a small-market team to a mid-market team. And really, if you're going to tax people to build a stadium, you need to use some of the increased revenue for the product.

The Twins' payroll is approaching 100 million this season. Minus Mauer, the Twins will still be spending more than usual.

Mike Vic: Don't forget about insurance. Obviously it wouldn't cover the entire sum, but a career-ending injury wouldn't cost them everything.

The Brewers are coming into a similar situation with Prince Fielder with some key differences:

1) Prince is not a catcher
2) Prince does not have the body type that ages well
3) Prince is a Scott Boras client

I don't doubt the Brewers' sincerity in trying to work something out with Fielder. They offered CC Sabathia 20 million/year only to be outdone by the Yankees of course.

It's going to come down to what Prince is asking for. If he wants 7-8 years, the Brewers will probably have to say forget it. He could easily turn into Mo Vaughn very quickly. But I'd be willing to do 5-6 years at 20+ million for Prince, and I think they could do it too. Ryan Braun is signed to a very very team friendly contract through 2015 so it's not an either/or proposition.

I think teams are getting better at this sort of thing and I think the players have helped the process out too. I could be way off in terms of the general baseball population, but it seems like more of these young guys are willing to stay with their teams once their deals are up. Maybe it's due to teams taking care of them early on by giving them bigger money to avoid arbitration in exchange for a year or two of free agency. It helps build loyalty and causes players not to seek that biggest payday. Maybe revenue sharing is working well enough where teams can afford to make the commitment in the first place.

Hopefully, teams are also realizing that if you choose to let your franchise player walk instead of paying them $15MM, and you replace him with a retread for $5MM, and you destroy your fanbase in the process...you're not getting the same benefit to your bottom line that you expected.

The Brewers are coming into a similar situation with Prince Fielder with some key differences:

1) Prince is not a catcher
2) Prince does not have the body type that ages well
3) Prince is a Scott Boras client

I don't doubt the Brewers' sincerity in trying to work something out with Fielder. They offered CC Sabathia 20 million/year only to be outdone by the Yankees of course.

It's going to come down to what Prince is asking for. If he wants 7-8 years, the Brewers will probably have to say forget it. He could easily turn into Mo Vaughn very quickly. But I'd be willing to do 5-6 years at 20+ million for Prince, and I think they could do it too. Ryan Braun is signed to a very very team friendly contract through 2015 so it's not an either/or proposition.


I'd deal Fielder now - he's not worth a 5-6 year contract a $20M per; he's a 1B, and the gap between him and Matt Gamel is probably 2 wins, or ~!$8M of value; there is no way on earth I would give Fielder a 5 year, $100M deal, and I bet he wouldn't get it in free agency. Really, outside of Pujols, its very very hard to justify paying a 1B that big amount of dollars. One important lesson for small market teams is not to pay good players (but not superstars) at superstar-level composition; or what I call the Jason Kendall conundrum.

Prince is probably one of the few athletes that could say, with a straight face, that 20M/year is. OT enough to feed his family.

I'd deal Fielder now - he's not worth a 5-6 year contract a $20M per; he's a 1B, and the gap between him and Matt Gamel is probably 2 wins, or ~!$8M of value; there is no way on earth I would give Fielder a 5 year, $100M deal, and I bet he wouldn't get it in free agency. Really, outside of Pujols, its very very hard to justify paying a 1B that big amount of dollars. One important lesson for small market teams is not to pay good players (but not superstars) at superstar-level composition; or what I call the Jason Kendall conundrum.

I can see what you are saying. But I also believe Gamel will be a bust. He's always getting hurt and the management absolutely hates his work ethic. I don't think his numbers would look all that impressive for a first baseman anyway.

But yeah, you could probably plug some other first baseman in there for a lot less money. But like I said, with Braun signed on the cheap I'd take my chances with getting Fielder signed. Prospects have become valued so much these days that I'm not sure fair value could be had for Prince.

Milton Bradley says he is MLB's version of Kanye West:

Mariners' Milton Bradley: I'm baseball's Kanye West - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5025391)

So, I guess the questions to ask is, "Do you like fish sticks?"

I am fully convinced that there is something genuinely wrong with Milton Bradley.

He's lucky he now plays in the city that probably cares least about sports.

I'm FOFC's Milton Bradley.

He's lucky he now plays in the city that probably cares least about sports.
Now now, you need to be here long enough to see a good team in these parts before you render that judgment...

Now now, you need to be here long enough to see a good team in these parts before you render that judgment...

A fan base shouldn't be judged by how they act when their team is good.

A fan base shouldn't be judged by how they act when their team is good.
That may be, but I find it a little hard to believe that a city that has supported the M's as well as they have since the '95 run despite a lot of adversity in recent years, that has arguably the best home stadium advantage in the NFL with the Seahawks and the 12th man fans, and has spent over a billion dollars in the last decade building state of the art sports stadiums could really be judged to "care the least" about sports...

That may be, but I find it a little hard to believe that a city that has supported the M's as well as they have since the '95 run despite a lot of adversity in recent years, that has arguably the best home stadium advantage in the NFL with the Seahawks and the 12th man fans, and has spent over a billion dollars in the last decade building state of the art sports stadiums could really be judged to "care the least" about sports...

and lost a basketball team...(runs away and hides... :) )

Lordscarlet, do you have season tickets to the Nationals again? I am debating on buying a ticket off of stubhub for next Monday's game; is there a Metro stop by the Stadium?

Lordscarlet, do you have season tickets to the Nationals again? I am debating on buying a ticket off of stubhub for next Monday's game; is there a Metro stop by the Stadium?

I do, and there is. I'll be at Saturday's exhibition game and Monday's season opener. If you go, make sure you leave pretty early if you want to see the first pitch. Obama is throwing it out and security will be insane.

The <s>New York Avenue</s> Navy yard stop on the green line is right by the stadium. When you walk out you're basically funneled into the stadium. I would also recommend bringing a bottle of water if you are going to want to drink anything other than beer or soda. You're allowed to bring in up to a liter of unopened water. A 20 oz water is like $6 inside the stadium. You're also allowed to bring in food (unless they changed the rules, but I haven't heard anything of the sort).

If you have any other questions, let me know. :)

That may be, but I find it a little hard to believe that a city that has supported the M's as well as they have since the '95 run despite a lot of adversity in recent years, that has arguably the best home stadium advantage in the NFL with the Seahawks and the 12th man fans, and has spent over a billion dollars in the last decade building state of the art sports stadiums could really be judged to "care the least" about sports...

FWIW, Seattle was 18th in attendance per game last year; both in row numbers as well as percentage of capacity.

Thanks for the info...is that the Navy Yard stop?

Thanks for the info...is that the Navy Yard stop?

Uh, yeah.. I told you the wrong thing. :) Navy yard stop, not New York Avenue.

I take the bus. :)

I need to go see another Nats game this year. See how the neighborhood has changed. They're gradually tearing down the projects across the street and replacing them with more upscale stuff (at least until they have a flood and remember why it was a low income neighborhood to begin with).

SI

That may be, but I find it a little hard to believe that a city that has supported the M's as well as they have since the '95 run despite a lot of adversity in recent years, that has arguably the best home stadium advantage in the NFL with the Seahawks and the 12th man fans, and has spent over a billion dollars in the last decade building state of the art sports stadiums could really be judged to "care the least" about sports...

I lived or visited most major sports cities and after living in Seattle for 2 years I can say without a doubt they have the most apathetic sports fans in the country.

I lived or visited most major sports cities and after living in Seattle for 2 years I can say without a doubt they have the most apathetic sports fans in the country.
Cold hard numbers would argue strongly that you are wrong. Here's a few cities that, at least in terms of attendance, seem to be more apathetic:

Miami
San Diego
Atlanta

That's just after 5 minutes of cursory searching. If I wanted to spend more time really examining attendance, I bet I could find more that could be argued as more apathetic than Seattle.

Not to get all MLS on this thread but the Sounders are projected to have the 41st best attendance in the world this year.

We definitely ain't Philly/NYC when it comes to sports fans, but I don't see us as much different than most cities.

/hometown defending.

Attendance doesn't tell the whole story. Seattle has a beautiful baseball stadium, in a great location.

From my limited experiences there, the crowd doesn't seem to have the rabid intensity of other places, but that's tough to quantify.

(And really, it's not like just enjoying your life and enjoying baseball and not going on a bender because your team lost is such a bad thing. Maybe more people in Seattle just have other stuff going on in their lives.)

Not to get all MLS on this thread but the Sounders are projected to have the 41st best attendance in the world this year.

We definitely ain't Philly/NYC when it comes to sports fans, but I don't see us as much different than most cities.

/hometown defending.

Do you have a link to this? Not because I doubt you, I just think that list could be interesting.

Attendance doesn't tell the whole story. Seattle has a beautiful baseball stadium, in a great location.

From my limited experiences there, the crowd doesn't seem to have the rabid intensity of other places, but that's tough to quantify.

(And really, it's not like just enjoying your life and enjoying baseball and not going on a bender because your team lost is such a bad thing. Maybe more people in Seattle just have other stuff going on in their lives.)

This.

I think it's fairly well settled that, with a few exceptions, the rabidness of a city's sports fan base is inversely proportional to its weather and women. That is, the harsher the weather and uglier the women, the more rabid the sports fan base will be. If the guys have other things to keep them busy (being outdoors with hot women), they will be less likely to pay attention to sports than guys snowed in with Godzilla's sister.

I need to go see another Nats game this year. See how the neighborhood has changed. They're gradually tearing down the projects across the street and replacing them with more upscale stuff (at least until they have a flood and remember why it was a low income neighborhood to begin with).

SI

I haven't seen much change over the past two years, honestly.

Do you mean a literal flood? I am not aware of that being a high flood area, but I really don't know one way or the other.

So, wait, Milwaukee has the most passionate sports fans? ;)

SI

I haven't seen much change over the past two years, honestly.

Do you mean a literal flood? I am not aware of that being a high flood area, but I really don't know one way or the other.

It looks like it's right on the water and just asking for a flood, which would explain why such a great location is, well, so poor

SI

So, wait, Milwaukee has the most passionate sports fans? ;)

SI

More passionate than Miami, for sure. Hell, the Brewers have drawn over 3M fans since the team showed an inkling of challenging for the playoffs after a couple of decades of suckitude.

I found this a bit amusing...

Even The Washington Nationals' Ticket Website Knows They're Crap - Washington Nationals - Deadspin (http://deadspin.com/5505494/even-the-washington-nationals-ticket-website-knows-theyre-crap)

So, wait, Milwaukee has the most passionate sports fans? ;)

SI

I don't think the passion of the Packer fans needs to be questioned (considering all of Wisconsin) and the Brewers have drawn very well for the size of the market. The Bucks have stunk up until this year and play in a dump.

And yes, our women are fat and our winters suck. We love to drink beer which goes hand in hand with watching sports.

I'd say we have some damn passionate fans here in Wiscaaaaaaahhhhnsin.

Sorry, I had to choose between them and Minnesota, being as those are the two places with the worst weather in major sports. That or Buffalo. :D

SI

I would throw Pittsburgh in there, too. It's not a coincidence that there are plenty of die-hard sports fans in the NE.

I think there's a second "bad weather tier" that includes Pittsburgh, Philly, New York, Boston, etc.

But I think you'd be hard pressed to beat Milwaukee, Minneapolis, or Buffalo :)

SI

I think it's fairly well settled that, with a few exceptions, the rabidness of a city's sports fan base is inversely proportional to its weather and women. That is, the harsher the weather and uglier the women, the more rabid the sports fan base will be. If the guys have other things to keep them busy (being outdoors with hot women), they will be less likely to pay attention to sports than guys snowed in with Godzilla's sister.

I enjoyed this, thanks.

I think it's fairly well settled that, with a few exceptions, the rabidness of a city's sports fan base is inversely proportional to its weather and women. That is, the harsher the weather and uglier the women, the more rabid the sports fan base will be. If the guys have other things to keep them busy (being outdoors with hot women), they will be less likely to pay attention to sports than guys snowed in with Godzilla's sister.So that explains San Diego, Atlanta (with the exception of CFB) and Miami, but why Seattle? :pI need to go see another Nats game this year. See how the neighborhood has changed. They're gradually tearing down the projects across the street and replacing them with more upscale stuff (at least until they have a flood and remember why it was a low income neighborhood to begin with).

SIIf the current monsoon season hasn't done it, I doubt it's in a flood plain. And if a freak hurricane came up through the Potomac/Chesepeake, pretty much everything is in trouble.

Do you have a link to this? Not because I doubt you, I just think that list could be interesting.

I saw it quoted around a week ago and will try and dig it up tonight if I remember. It wasn't a list per se.

So that explains San Diego, Atlanta (with the exception of CFB) and Miami, but why Seattle? :p

The west coast is naturally laid back.

Attendance doesn't tell the whole story. Seattle has a beautiful baseball stadium, in a great location.

From my limited experiences there, the crowd doesn't seem to have the rabid intensity of other places, but that's tough to quantify.

(And really, it's not like just enjoying your life and enjoying baseball and not going on a bender because your team lost is such a bad thing. Maybe more people in Seattle just have other stuff going on in their lives.)
Different styles I guess - Seattle baseball fans are not going to be overly loud and boisterous. I would suspect given the blog community here that our fan base is maybe a little more analytical and perhaps less demonstrative than others.

But that's certainly not the case with football - I don't think anyone can deny that Seahawks fans are quite loud and passionate. Husky football crowds have tamed a bit over the last decade as the fanbase has grown older and attendance has suffered through the Ty error, but historically Husky Stadium during the Don James years up through Neuheisel was the most intimidating place to play on the West Coast.

If you have any other questions, let me know. :)

Okay I have decided I am going to the game. I see there are tickets on Stubhub but the one guy who we are going with (who lives in DC) swears that the game isn't sold out and that the Nationals are waiting till closer to the game to release tickets to in order to get more season ticket sales. Could this be true?

At lunch today, I was watching the Twins-Yankees spring training game on TV and saw Denard Span line one into the stands and hit someone.

After a few minutes, they helped the lady up and I noticed she had a Twins jersey as they showed her. Couple minutes later, she's walking away, and it turns out she had a Span jersey on. At this time, I'm thinking, what are the odds of Span hitting a fan that's wearing his jersey?

Well, it turned out to be his biggest fan.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Minnesota Twins (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=min) outfielder Denard Span (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=29087) hit a foul ball that struck his mother in the chest in the first inning of Wednesday's spring training game against the New York Yankees (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=nyy).
Wanda Wilson was wearing a Span jersey and sitting with about 20 family members and friends near the third-base dugout. Span, batting leadoff, took a defensive swing against Yankees starter Phil Hughes (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=28638) in the first inning and hit a liner right at her in the box seats.
A stunned Span sprinted from the batters' box to the stands and stayed with his mother while paramedics treated her. The split-squad game was delayed for a few minutes as she was taken to first aid, and the Twins said she was sore but OK.
Span returned to the plate with the count 3-2 and struck out looking on the next pitch. The Twins originally said Span would leave the game, but his mother was sitting in a different seat by the bottom of the first inning and he went to center field.
She was treated by paramedics and back in the stands minutes later, but eventually went to a hospital after being convinced by medical personnel at the stadium.
Span flied out in the second inning, then left in the bottom of the third, telling a team official he wasn't mentally into the game. Span and his mother spent time together after he departed.
The AL co-leader in triples last season was born and raised in Tampa. Span regularly volunteers to make the long trip from the Twins' spring training home in Fort Myers when Minnesota visits the Yankees so he can see his family.

Well, it turned out to be his biggest fan.

Not anymore.

Probably just poor writing, but this is a weird sentence:

Span regularly volunteers to make the long trip from the Twins' spring training home in Fort Myers when Minnesota visits the Yankees so he can see his family.

Okay I have decided I am going to the game. I see there are tickets on Stubhub but the one guy who we are going with (who lives in DC) swears that the game isn't sold out and that the Nationals are waiting till closer to the game to release tickets to in order to get more season ticket sales. Could this be true?

Quite so. :)

Not looking forward to the Blue Jays too much.

Probably just poor writing, but this is a weird sentence:

I noticed that as well, and didn't understand it at all.

Not looking forward to the Blue Jays too much.

The only way the Nationals can go is up, right?


Right?


Please?



mommy.

The only way the Nationals can go is up, right?


Right?


Please?



mommy.

Exactly. I know in the past few years, the Jays weren't expected to win the division or anything... but at least there was a slight chance they could steal a Wild Card spot. They had Halladay and another decent SP, so all they needed was some other pieces to fall in place. Now, I don't think I'm looking forward to any aspect of the team. :(

Exactly. I know in the past few years, the Jays weren't expected to win the division or anything... but at least there was a slight chance they could steal a Wild Card spot. They had Halladay and another decent SP, so all they needed was some other pieces to fall in place. Now, I don't think I'm looking forward to any aspect of the team. :(

Get back to me when you have two 100+ loss seasons in a row. After the first one you think "It can't get worse, right?" Think again. :)

Okay I have decided I am going to the game. I see there are tickets on Stubhub but the one guy who we are going with (who lives in DC) swears that the game isn't sold out and that the Nationals are waiting till closer to the game to release tickets to in order to get more season ticket sales. Could this be true?

Nats320 -- A Washington Nationals Blog: $5 Seats For Opening Day (http://nats320.blogspot.com/2010/03/5-seats-for-opening-day.html)

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!

Exactly. I know in the past few years, the Jays weren't expected to win the division or anything... but at least there was a slight chance they could steal a Wild Card spot. They had Halladay and another decent SP, so all they needed was some other pieces to fall in place. Now, I don't think I'm looking forward to any aspect of the team. :(

Aww, come on now. There's still Hill, Lind, Snider, Ruiz, Marcum, Romero, Rzepczynski, Morrow and likely Cecil right off the bat to watch/cheer for/be entertained by.

And probably before the end of the year, add McGowan, Purcey, Drabek, Wallace and Arencibia.

And who knows, maybe Wells will even start to climb back into form. That may be wishful thinking

Not saying they're going to compete for a wild card this year, but there are a lot of nice building blocks in place. Health still seems to be an issue but that's your (potential) future at nearly every spot other than 3B and short (not sure what's up with the kid they just signed and when he may make an appearance, but if he pans out as well that'll be a big bonus).

Aww, come on now. There's still Hill, Lind, Snider, Ruiz, Marcum, Romero, Rzepczynski, Morrow and likely Cecil right off the bat to watch/cheer for/be entertained by.

And probably before the end of the year, add McGowan, Purcey, Drabek, Wallace and Arencibia.

And who knows, maybe Wells will even start to climb back into form. That may be wishful thinking

Not saying they're going to compete for a wild card this year, but there are a lot of nice building blocks in place. Health still seems to be an issue but that's your (potential) future at nearly every spot other than 3B and short (not sure what's up with the kid they just signed and when he may make an appearance, but if he pans out as well that'll be a big bonus).

Oh, Travis, your optimism knows no bounds....

:p

Oh, Travis, your optimism knows no bounds....

:p

Oh, trust me, I'm not saying they're going to contend this year, but I'd rather watch the (hopeful) stars of tomorrow than the aging wrecks (yes, I'm looking at you Overbay) that aren't doing anything in the now. I understand getting Wallace some seasoning and (I'm assuming) retaining control of him a bit longer, but I'd much rather watch him at first than Overbay. Ditto for the situation at SS though at least it sounds like they're working on that. Ruiz is a bit of an aberration to that, but he's got quite a storyline of his own going that is pretty cool in it's own right.

I will admit though that while I'm anticipating some growing pains out of the pitching staff, they should still provide some pretty electric games this season. Won't always be pretty but there are a lot of talented arms there.

Get back to me when you have two 100+ loss seasons in a row. After the first one you think "It can't get worse, right?" Think again. :)

So, how 'bout dem Royals :)

SI

I'm having cautious optimism right now for the Chisox, I really think that pitching staff is going to be nasty.

I'm having cautious optimism right now for the Chisox, I really think that pitching staff is going to be nasty.

My thoughts, too. What worries me is the offense. Will Beckham break out this year, can Quentin rebound, is Jones able to find some of his old magic?, etc. Way too many question marks right now for me to get *too* comfortable. I do think it'll be a dogfight between us, Minnesota, and very possibly Detroit. Cleveland and Kansas City won't be in it.

So, how 'bout dem Royals :)

SI

My condolences. :)

Oh yeah, well, I'm going to be up in DC next weekend and going to a Orioles game instead of a Nats so take that! :p

(never mind that the Nats aren't in town)

SI

Brent Mayne sounds ready for the regular season.

So here we are in the last week of spring training. Not the funnest of all times for a pro. For starters, your seeing some guys get cut or sent down who you may never see again. One day they’re your teammate, the next day the lockers empty and it’s like they disappeared. If they got released, odds are your paths will never meet again. Not fun.

If you’re a bubble guy fighting for that last spot, this time is murder. Will you be traded, sent to the minors, or maybe grabbing a roster spot? Where should you tell the wife to send the boxes? Do you need to go out and buy a suitfor the plane flights or a new pair of sweats for the bus rides? Pressure city.

The other thing about the last week of spring training is nobody really wants to be there. Regardless of if your swing feels perfect or crappy, everyone is ready to make it count. I had springs where I hit .500 and felt great going into the season. I also had springs where I felt like I was going into battle equipped with a pocket knife for a weapon cause my swing was so anemic. Either way, about now everyone wants to get the hell out of Arizona or Florida to test their acts under the bright lights.

Your also pretty sick of the early morning schedule. Ball players, (unless you play for the Cubs) are like vampires. We don’t like mornings. About now, guys are really looking forward to nights games, late nights, and sleeping in.

Another factor is baseball players have troubles staying in one place for too long. About now, that condo or hotel you’ve been occupying for the past five or six weeks during spring has gotten real old. Time to get on the road, do the traveling circus thing. You’re also completely sick of the crappy rent a car you’ve been using.

You’re done with the conditioning. Done with the B games, done with only getting a few at bats a game, done with the sandwiches after the game, done with getting stuck behind old people on your way to the ball park. Done being so close to the fans. Done having pitchers run in the outfield while you’re trying to hit. Done facing kids you’ve never seen before and have no idea where the balls going. Done with those goofy spring training hats. Done practicing first and third situations. Done with PFP. And above all, done with catching eight million bullpens a day. Done. Done. Done.

Geez, to be honest, the very best spring trainings I ever had were the ones that were affected by labor negotiations. The ones that went about 3-4 weeks. Perfect. In my opinion, that was the perfect amount of time to get ready for the season.

Either way, were almost there…another spring in the books. Let the games begin.

Blog « Brent Mayne (http://brentmayne.com/blog/)

David Wright now has 5 homers this spring. Spring numbers generally don't mean shit, but that is actually half his total from last season. I'm guessing they fixed his swing and got him to lengthen his stride again because there's no way he'd hit 5 homers in 50ish ABs swinging like he did last year.

Of course, he's a Met so he'll be on the DL by May.

I watched almost every Met game last year and you can chalk up Wrights season to pressing to much.