MLB Off-Topic

[Caulfield]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

somewhere Branch Rickey is rolling over in his grave. I know Condoleezza Rice would have rather been NFL commish, but Major League Baseball (MiLB, by extension) needs her instead.

[ShowTyme15]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I was at the Winter Meetings this week and you could definitely feel the tension when MiLB execs were around and when Manfred had the press conference and addressed the situation. Very tense moment for sure.

[slickdtc]

MLB Off-Topic

I’d call his bluff if I was MiLB. The Majors want to eliminate teams to cut costs, but then threaten to start their own league, which would presumably deliver a worse product and be expensive as well? Hahaha. Go for it, see how it works out. I have a sneaking suspicion they won’t and it wouldn’t.

Hasn’t MLB been making record revenue? I understand negotiations and forecasting the future of your business (declining popularity amongst youth, I believe) but, come on. Stop being stingy MLB. The game seems healthier than its ever been on the field with great young talent, clean athletes, and the gap between the steroids era further and further in the rear view. There’s a fair mid-point to be had here.

[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I’d call his bluff if I was MiLB. The Majors want to eliminate teams to cut costs, but then threaten to start their own league, which would presumably deliver a worse product and be expensive as well? Hahaha. Go for it, see how it works out. I have a sneaking suspicion they won’t and it wouldn’t.

Hasn’t MLB been making record revenue? I understand negotiations and forecasting the future of your business (declining popularity amongst youth, I believe) but, come on. Stop being stingy MLB. The game seems healthier than its ever been on the field with great young talent, clean athletes, and the gap between the steroids era further and further in the rear view. There’s a fair mid-point to be had here.

Why would the product be worse? The minor league players are "property" of the MLB organization, so if MLB wanted to make their own system, the talent pool would be the same as the current MiLB product.

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[Caulfield]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I dont have a problem with MLB if they want to reduce each teams affiliation down to maybe 4 teams at minimum. I dont know how they think they can sustain themselves with just high school and college players with no minor leagues to develop players into mlb caliber. IMO mlb needs the minors as much as the minors need mlb. this is strictly about money and stinks to the high heavens.

[Speedy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Manfred needs to go.

This with the MiLB, I suspect lockout coming too...not to mention how poor the game is marketed...the future does not look good.

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[Caulfield]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Manfred needs to go.

This with the MiLB, I suspect lockout coming too...not to mention how poor the game is marketed...the future does not look good.


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I'm afraid as bad as Manfred is, he's still just a product of the owner's Selig Experiment. I dont believe MLB will ever have another real commish like Faye Vincent or Giamatti ever again. All that is likely to happen is more Selig and Manfred hires. The owners dont want a strong hire.

[PhilliesFan13]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

https://detroitsportsnation.com/texas-rangers-brand-new-ballpark-catches-fire/mwhitaker/detroit-tigers-news/12/14/2019/215249/

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[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

https://detroitsportsnation.com/texa...4/2019/215249/

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Somewhere, somebody is telling somebody else: "You had one job."

Is the old Globe Life Park being demolished, by the way?

[ShowTyme15]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Somewhere, somebody is telling somebody else: "You had one job."

Is the old Globe Life Park being demolished, by the way?

If I'm not mistaken I think they are turning it into a football field for high school. Maybe someone can cross reference that......

[ShowTyme15]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Couple of MLB GM's siding with Manfred on contracting some of the MiLB teams.

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/12/15/mlb-execs-go-to-bat-in-favor-of-shrinking-minor-leagues/

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

MLB umps agree to cooperate with robot strikezone.

A chance we could see robot umps in the MLB within 5 years.


I've said it before, I'd even settle for a compromise where the computer is used simply for telling umps if a ball crossed the plate. So the umps only job is saying if the ball is high or low. So that makes their job easier meaning hopefully better calls from the umps.

[Caulfield]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

MLB umps agree to cooperate with robot strikezone.

A chance we could see robot umps in the MLB within 5 years.
















I've said it before, I'd even settle for a compromise where the computer is used simply for telling umps if a ball crossed the plate. So the umps only job is saying if the ball is high or low. So that makes their job easier meaning hopefully better calls from the umps.

I dont know why any ump wouldn't want assistance from benefit of camera. "dont blame me, the camera called it a strike (or ball), not me." so I guess arguing balls and strikes will soon be a thing of the past. Might even shave 2-5 minutes off a game. And this is the one area I dont really see a lot on in terms of pace of play problems. Absolutely no more discussions from players or coaches or managers during the game about questionable calls. Any transgressions result in automatic ejection, fines, and an automatic ball or strike added to the count to make up for lost time. But I've said it a hundred times that the reason games are longer is offence. MLB authorities cant have it both ways, lots of offence and 2 and a half hour games. They're gonna have to pick either-or. Decide which is most important.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I dont know why any ump wouldn't want assistance from benefit of camera.

One word: hubris.

This reminds me a lot of George Clooney's character in the movie Up in the Air. His company is switching to using digital/online resources (like video chats) to can employees instead of flying him out to those places. This scene kind of sums up that feeling for him:


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCmBK9cGYO4?start=6" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


"What we do here is brutal and it does leave people devastated. But there is a dignity to the way I do it."


MLB umpires' jobs are not easy, but there is a reason why they are there and they are the best at doing it. I know there is an argument made for them still providing the height, but we are undermining more than just their abilities here, we are undermining their personalities. There is something to an umpire giving width, or not giving corners, or favoring the outside part of the plate. Greg Maddux may not even be a HOF pitcher if he can't work that width to hitters having to make off-contact time to time (not true at all, but go with that hypothetically for a second). I get that some umpires are inconsistent, but for me it's not worth the overhaul.

With instant replay and automated strike zones, there is this feeling and thought that anybody could do what they do if they can memorize a rule book. No need to have a backbone anymore, either (and I don't mean being egotistical like Angel Hernandez). I'm sure I've said this before, but I like being upset over umpires or bad calls. I like that there is a "human error by nature" aspect of the game. It gives me something to hold onto for an element of randomness. I want them to be good at their job, but anomalies are a part of what we live for in this game. It's just going to be strange that in leagues and organizations that fall below minor leagues (college, high school, youth, etc.) a person's umpiring abilities will be more important than that of the professional level, because they don't have that technology available to them.

Heck, as a high school teacher myself, as more curriculum resources become available for us to be able to make lessons for, the autonomy within sometimes leaves me asking: "Is my (like me, literally) presence here important for these students, or can anyone fill these shoes and still do 85% of what needs to be done?" I like to think that my particular skill set, knowledge, experiences, methodologies, and innovation are what make me right for my job and my position. This isn't a concern of credit needing ownership or anything like that; I simply need to have to know that I matter.

So yes, it's hubris indeed. And I will provide empathy for the Ryan Bingham's and MLB umpires (and old school managers, for a lot of their decisions are "computer-based" now) of the world. Hell, pretty soon we'll all be in self-driving automobiles. You can argue the benefits and safety of that all you want, but at the end of the day I still want to be the one steering the wheel.

[Master Live 013]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

No, I don't like being upset over umpires calls. Whatever is more precise, that's what I want. Plenty of space for a player to drop a fly ball or to miss a tag if the "human error" is your thing.