things I learned about in baseball this week/how i learned to stop worrying and love baseball

<3 Pops

Good post Gyac. Relate to a lot of that as a relatively new (2016) international follower.

I need to radio feed more. It’s my go to if I’m driving while a ballgame is on (as happened today) and it’s just a whole nother way to experience it! I (sadly) don’t get/take too many opportunities to use my visual imagination these days, but those radio calls let me see the runner on the third base with the umpire beside him, the fans in the stand and the dodger stadium center field space with its 76 signs and tarps covering the seats on the inner edges (which I just learnt were put there as when Randy Johnson pitched, his particular arm slot made the ball hard to see with those particular center field seats). In the mariners/dodgers game today, there was an infield hit in extra innings with a runner on third. The runner was caught in a run down, touched the plate but ran outside the base path in the process. The suspense of the radio commentator having to figure out what was going on himself before relaying it made it far more entertaining to listen to than to watch. That extra separation, being told a story, verbally, that is presently happening is a unique joy.

Anyway, baseball is great and makes my life much better and today I learnt about another field that had to change its centre field backdrop to benefit batters vision

best wishes gyac. I v much enjoy your baseball posts maybe even more so because I don't watch baseball anymore and have never done twitter so you getting really into it via ilx has allowed me to kinda reconnect with it in a background kinda way.

Who are the great baseball players who are well-regarded as people? Cal Ripken, Jr., maybe? Jim Palmer? Actually, I'm sure there are a lot, but the assholes seem to get the most attention.

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Tuesday, September 12, 2023 11:34 AM (five days ago)

if anybody has anything bad to say about tony gwynn, i don't wanna hear it!

Wonderful post gyac. Better than 99% of baseball writing I've read anywhere this year. It got me thinking about how a baseball season lets you get to know players on a level that I've not felt with other sports. It's the length of the seasons, sure, the ups and downs, the slumps it seems they'll never get out of, the joyousness of the clutch play, all of which pretty much everybody who plays a good number of games will get to experience in one way or another cause there are just so many goddamn games, so no matter who you follow, teams or players, you'll get taken on this ride with them.

But there's something else too, there's a personal side and a camaraderie that you see in the dugout that I dunno, I just don't really recall seeing Premiere league players hamming it up with each other on the sidelines, or NFL dudes. You get a little of this in the NBA. Maybe it's because there's so much downtime, even for starting players, there's a sense that you're all locked in this dream with each other together and you might as well make the most of it. Endless handshakes and in-jokes and superstitions and shared moments. And I love how you've picked up on all this stuff, and all the kinds of bits of personal background that people like Vin Scully and Joe Castiglione were/are masters of, eg which racist high school did this kid attend, what restaurant are those rookie teammates hanging out at, who moved out of his family home because his parents were such assholes, which team had the best clubhouse chemistry. If you wrote a Pop Bitch for baseball i would sign up for the Patreon.

This post almost brought me to tears! I think I probably am like that overused Moneyball line in being romantic about baseball! Thank you to you for sending me stuff throughout the year and being my Red Sox enabler. Our big boy will rake again!

Grant Brisbee & Andrew Baggarly both wrote different pieces about Lincecum that really got to the heart of how I feel about my favourites doing well & more broadly the joys of sports fandom, I guess.

Brisbee:

If this all seems overwrought, well, yeah. You should either pick one athlete who makes you absolutely lose your mind like the Beatles just landed at JFK, or you should question if sports are really for you. And once you get to that point, a Hall of Fame doesn’t matter. It’s like your favorite movie winning an Oscar. It makes for a neat section on the Wikipedia page, but it doesn’t make you enjoy the movie more.

Here is one final element: my favorite person had to have a good heart. He had to be easy to love. He had to form an endearing and durable connection with fans. He had to be someone people wanted to read about.

In 1994, Buck Showalter, then the manager of the Yankees, complained about the way the Seattle Mariners’ star player, Ken Griffey Jr., wore his hat backward and his “shirttails” untucked. Showalter said it showed a lack of “respect for the game.” For this, he was booed during a road trip to Seattle. Griffey told reporters that Showalter was “jealous because he doesn’t have a 24-year-old who can carry my jock.” Griffey became one of the most marketable stars in the league; two years later, Nike ran an advertising campaign premised on a Griffey run for president that prominently featured his backward hat.

The Griffey showdown was one in a long line of coded racial arguments, minor battles between two types: the “standard” white player and his nonwhite foil. The archetype of the white baseball player has always been a study in negative space. He does not flip his bat after home runs. He does not insult the hard-working fans with talk about politics. He never takes more than one day at a time. As a result, he cannot exist without a foil to embody all those “flashy” or “hot­headed” or “provocative” things he is not. The foils, of course, have generally been black. But as the demographics of the sport have changed, so, too, has this dynamic.

good posts, good thread

Baseball on radio is the best. I remember my grandfather's deep trance as he listened to the Twins on his transistor radio's earbud, lying on the couch with his eyes closed. Was he asleep? Following the game? Dreaming about it? All I could tell was that he had attained a state of contentment too deep to be disturbed by small children playing in the same room.

Born in 1900, Grandpa would probably be a little disoriented if he could be presented with a 2023 Vikings game televised in 4K, but I don't think he'd detect many changes in baseball on the radio. Some things are timeless.

Unordered list of less common baseball terminology that have made the jump into my daily usage. NB some of these might not be baseball exclusive/might be American sports twitter terminology but I learned them through baseball, so.

Lit up (which I pronounce as per the people of my region “li’up”) - everyone knows this one, I don’t need to explain it.

Glazed/to glaze - you see this on the comments of the official mlb Instagram and Twitter all the time. Refers to lavishing positive attention on someone that really doesn’t need it for a minor achievement. Usually used for stuff like MLB posting six times about Shohei in an hour or something.
https://i.postimg.cc/sf5qZyRF/IMG-9832.jpg

Inverted commas (pejorative) - I have no idea of the etymology of this but it’s incredibly rude. Basically used to disrespect a player, eg:

I can’t believe we’re getting no-hit by “Chris Flexen”

Nice piece of hitting, a - broadcasters use this all the time and it’s such a weird little phrase I use this all the time now approvingly. I used it in a voice note to my mother and she was like, “what the fuck are you talking about”.

Man knows ball (pejorative?) - usually in reference to someone who generally does NOT know ball but who has had a rare good take. Kind of like a tip of the cap but less sincere. The most famous example of this is:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F1727DVakAIomQg?format=jpg&name=small

Playing backyard ball with my kid, I used the terms "duck snort" and "can of corn" and when I explained I learned them from listening to "hawk" on TV it didn't help his mystification.

YES! Can of corn I hear a lot!

"Bag of balls" has always been one of my favorites, as in, "they traded him for a couple of prospects and a bag of balls."

Those prospects, of course, are inevitably slapdick.

I always loved "worm-burner" for that particular type of grounder

A buddy of mine played golf once with Jim Rice, who explained what a "slump buster" was.

I knew that term already. I did not expect it from the cranky old man who’s on every Red Sox broadcast!

Oh yeah, he was quite effusive about it.

eyewash is a good one

I read the article about that the other day!

maybe not strictly a baseball thing but I associate it with pre 80s baseball: calling cigarettes/cigars “schmegs”, “heaters”, etc

Keith Hernandez used to call sucking down a cig as fast as possible in the dugout tunnel a “heater”.

I think they use “heater” for fastballs.

that too.

I also like “cookie”

Throw him the dark one.

“Spits on it” in reference to a batter taking a ball. “Max muncy spits on that ball”.

Ribeye is a favourite too.

I feel well at home as an Aussie with Baseballs need to shorten absolutely everything.

Replacement level ______ is good for any given schmuck you have been assigned to work with

• (Daniel Stern) "So, do you hate baseball?"
• (Helen Slater) "No, I like baseball. I just never understood how you guys could spend so much time discussing it. I mean, I've been to games, but I don't memorize who played third base for Pittsburgh in 1960."
• (Billy Crystal) "Don Hoak."

me: so what exactly are your dad’s thoughts on Wilyer Abreu?

"looks like the real deal"

yknow dad stuff

Does he mean like as a player or he’s a big thicc boy who can swing it

Please also tell me any players your dad doesn’t like

Side note, have we discussed the way scouting reports talk about players?! I never could have guessed how accurate the old guys were in Moneyball.

TH you should be able to guess who most of these guys are on the current RS roster:

1.

Run: Average speed. Moves very well for a catcher and could steal a handful of bases.

Well-built with a large lower half. Young face, but physically mature for his age. Room to fill out in his upper body. Not a great athlete, although surprisingly athletic for his size. Will need to watch his conditioning as he matures.

Dual United States and Mexican citizen. Drafted in the 26th round in 2014. Spent time in the Mexican League in 2019-2021. Also spent time with the independent Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association and Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League. Drove an Uber to make ends meet. Made his MLB debut with Seattle in 2022.

Strong, imposing frame. Thick, fully developed lower half. Will have to work to maintain body and athleticism, but has a strong work ethic and long-term concerns on that issue are minimal. Very long limbs. Has done a good job with conditioning early in his career. Arrived at 2020 Alternate Training Site with a more toned physique.

Small, athletic. Very twitchy. Has grown since he entered the organization, but still is relatively slight of frame. Does not have a frame to add significant weight, but is sneaky strong for his size.

Tall, strong frame. Quick-twitch athlete. Athleticism stands out on the field. Has added significant strength in his upper body since he joined the system, and specifically was noticeably stronger when he reported to the Alternate Training Site in 2020.

And their thick, fully-developed lower halves.

Lolllll, I know, I read that, and I was like…What the actual fuck

I was looking for an old Buster Posey scouting report that criticised the size of his ass but alas can’t find it now

1. Wong
2. Casas
3. Duran
4. Bello
5. Rafaela
6. Duran

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HB1xDGlJ14

I'd say Wong has above average speed tho

How did you guess Duran for two of them 😭 1,5 & 6 are all correct, 2 is Devers and 3 is Bernie

4, ofc, is
https://i.postimg.cc/T2C6nH9R/IMG-7046.jpg

Bello’s scouting report is hilariously wrong for your guess

Physical Description: Lanky right-hander with an athletic frame. Still somewhat on the skinny side, but has added noticeable muscle. Some projection remaining, but will always be on the thin side.

Ah whoops

It's late

Damn that picture should come with matching oven mitts cause Casas is SMOKIN

xpost Bello is decidedly not on the thin side imo. His forearms are bigger than Pedro's ever were. But I'm going to stop there otherwise I'm going to sound like these fuckin horse trader scouts.

https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/ds/

Bello is pretty lean and muscular, he’s not like Sale but he still looks relatively slim for an SP I guess? He’s bigger than Pedro for sure

Thank you Jimmy!

I like how they backhandedly compliment/insult catchers

Runs well…For a catcher

Moves well…For a catcher

Unique athleticism for a catcher.

99% chance my first MLB park I visit is pnc in April 🤗

^Mookie 2 thred

that is very exciting - are u just in pit or do u have time to do like, cleveland too

I messaged him about it already and will be taking all his recommendations!

Pittsburgh has aiui a lot of museums with dinosaurs which is like top of my list visiting a city so I don’t think Cleveland this time, but if you want to sell me on it I’m all ears.

The Science of Hitting:

There is one very important side effect—a team effect, actually —of an individual exercising this kind of discipline his first time up, and the point seems to be lost on so many people in baseball. If you’ve made that pitcher pitch, if you’ve made him throw four or five or maybe six or seven times, right away, and if the batter behind you does the same thing, and all nine guys in the lineup do it, the pitcher will have pitched the equivalent of half a game in three or four innings. The effect should be telling: He will probably be out of there, worn out, by the sixth or seventh inning.

Compound the situation and say it’s a real hot day, and he’s a little wild and he walks a couple guys. He could be on the ropes even sooner.

But how often do you see it happen? A guy starts off wild, throws a couple in the dirt, then the batter swings at the first strike and pops up. Then the next guy does the same thing: two or three bad pitches, and then a ground-out, then a couple more bad pitches, and the batter swings at the nearest pitch available and fouls out. Instead of wearing him out, you’ve helped him out. A pitcher is lucky to face such dumb hitters. Too many hitters boot the ball in just this manner: They don’t make the pitcher pitch.

I’ve heard batters try to argue the point. They say, “Well, I can’t do that, I can’t be that selective because I miss too many balls.” A perfect example is Frank Howard. Frank says he can’t hit well with two strikes because he misses too many. Well, the ones he is missing are the ones in a tough spot or the ones he has been fooled on and shouldn’t even try to hit before two strikes anyway.

The fact is that when a Howard gets his pitch he does just about as good a job on it as anybody in the American League—when he gets his pitch. He might not be able to handle as big an area as, say, Frank Robinson, but in his area he is as good as anybody. The best hitters can take care of the whole strike zone, but then all have certain spots they hit better in. If you start going out of your area, you’re just helping the pitcher. The very best pitchers would have a hard time throwing the ball consistently in a foot square. That’s about their limit. You make them work, make them throw curves, fast balls, sliders, and they will eventually miss and give you the opening you want.

So: Make the pitcher pitch.

99% chance my first MLB park I visit is pnc in April 🤗

A man so fiercely modest and private that while at the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship, he didn't tell his parents back in Brooklyn that he was also on the baseball team. The man whose mother requested one of the first copies of his 1966 autobiography, Koufax, so she could find out something about her son. ("You never told me anything," she said to him.)

"When Hideo Nomo was getting really, really big, Sandy told me, 'He'd better learn to like room service,'" O'Malley says. "That's how Sandy handled the attention." Koufax almost never left his hotel room in his final two seasons for the Dodgers. It wasn't enough that he move to a creaky, charmingly flawed farmhouse in Maine with a leaky basement, he quickly bought up almost 300 acres adjacent to it.

It was this bad: Koufax couldn't straighten his left arm--it was curved like a parenthesis. He had to have a tailor shorten the left sleeve on all his coats. Use of his left arm was severely limited when he wasn't pitching. On bad days he'd have to bend his neck to get his face closer to his left hand so that he could shave. And on the worst days he had to shave with his right hand. He still held his fork in his left hand, but sometimes he had to bend closer to the plate to get the food into his mouth.

His elbow was shot full of cortisone several times a season. His stomach was always queasy from the cocktail of anti-inflammatories he swallowed before and after games, which he once said made him "half-high on the mound." He soaked his elbow in an ice bath for 30 minutes after each game, his arm encased in an inner tube to protect against frostbite. And even then his arm would swell an inch. He couldn't go on like this, not when his doctors could not rule out the possibility that he was risking permanent damage to his arm.

if you foresee visiting more parks in your future i think ballpark stamping is really fun - https://mlbballparkpassport.com/

$76 + shipping for the passport is kind of steep but they sell a more modest one without bells and whistles for $22. it's a one man passion project so part of the high cost is to cover licensing fees from MLB. also in the grand scheme of how much souvenirs and concessions cost at a park it's not a terrible price... also apparently if you buy one at a stadium teams put their own markup on it, i hear it costs like $100 at fenway.

other souvenirs to get - customer service at parks will give you a 'first game certificate' for free, generally. scorecards. souvenir team baseballs, mini baseball bats, pins. soft serve in a collectible hat. collectible beer cup. unfortunately parks don't really do ticket stubs or programs anymore...

Yeah I don’t know, it might be a bit of an ask with not living in the US. It’s a really nice idea though, if you went to games regularly it would be really worth doing.