oh thank god you wrote about hot girls behind home plate, but I was wondering, Lee. Just eye candy for your television viewers or a distraction for the visiting players or the home team? Just wondering now how Marlins Man behind home plate affected games... I had a migraine yesterday, one of the worst, and did not get a chance to see the start of the ALCS. Maybe that was okay. I haven't even looked at the score... I don't have any skin in the game, except to wish the Astros not to win, because I'm just tired of seeing them in the playoffs.
Showing attractive women at sporting events is a TV must and I once asked the Royals former TV director which cameraman was in charge of finding hot women in the stands and he said all of them.
Players are also well aware of attractive women in attendance and I've heard about mound meetings in which someone had spotted a hot woman and wanted everyone else to know where to look and we thought they were talking about pitch selection.
Sorry to hear about the migraine...those are the worst...but if you need a team to pull for I'd suggest the Rangers. Their GM is Chris Young who used to pitch for the Royals and is a very good guy. Also, the Rangers are going a little more old-school and Chris told Bruce Bochy if he managed the Rangers the front office wouldn't interfere.
And I also pull against the Astros because a bunch of those guys cheated to win a World Series and never got punished and now MLB likes to act as if that never happened.
Lee, if you actually cared about the movies, you had the wrong approach. On an off-night, we'd go to the drive-in with the guys and enough beer to bottom out the car to actually watch the films. Then, on a Friday or Saturday night, we'd meet up with (or bring) a girl and investigate the size of the car's back seat during the movies. This way, we got the best of both worlds. Then again, watching (or re-watching) classic films in your 60s is a good way to pass some time (and drink a few beers - although many fewer than in the 70s), so no loss now either.
P.S. Using hot women as a lure in the blog might alienate 50-80%* of your female readers (and maybe 10%* of your male readers) but not me, so keep it up if you want.
No sweat, I use a lot of statistics without scientific basis so it's pretty surprising neither one of us have been offered a job in Big League team's analytics department.
Also...one of the joys of being unemployed is you can't be fired. So if anyone is alienated by my politically-incorrect humor they can stop reading my stuff and I'm OK with that.
BTW: Just re-watched 3 Days of the Condor...turns out that's a pretty good movie.
I've re-watched a few old movies, too. I was glad that the sting in The Sting really worked. I wasn't in the back seat when I first saw that movie, I was in the front seat trying to keep the 2 small kids in the back seat quiet.
I've worn my Rangers earrings every playoff game, and they've won each one, at least up to yesterday, so I'm not taking them off! (Haven't started watching my recording of today's game yet, so don't tell me.) I do wish I had reread your instructional posts about baseball from last spring. May get that done this week, if the Rangers last.
I'd love your take on the season after the rules changes, like the one against over-shifting and the time limits on the pitcher and the batter. The games are faster. But do you think the game is generally better?
Becky, this probably deserves a column of its own, but: its dumb that they had to add a pitch clock because coaches have been begging pitchers to work faster since the Bronze Age, but it has worked and games are on average, 24 minutes shorter and that's definitely better.
Still more strikeouts than hits and that never happened before 2018, but has happened every year since. Too many hitters trying to hit home runs and too many pitchers going for the strikeout instead of pitching to contact, which is getting to be a lost art.
Also, too many pitchers used per game which is over eight because teams are looking for matchups (it was never over eight until 2015) and all those pitching changes mean watching pitchers warm up which is rarely entertaining.
But attendance is up for the first time in a long time, so yeah, overall the game is better but still has a ways to go.
Late comment - sometimes I lose track of time. Congrats to you (and Becky) on the Rangers win.
I didn't know about the strikeouts vs. hits statistic - interesting. Re pitching changes - I bet we never again see a pitcher reach 50 complete games in a career, let alone any of the astronomical numbers of the old timers - even Babe Ruth had over 100 CGs.
Anyway, always enjoy your columns. Looking forward to that column on the rules changes. Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with good food and drink, and best wishes for the last month of the year celebrations.
Bob, it's never too late or at least let's hope so because I'm seeing the end of the runway. You're right, pitching has changed and guys used to pitch more innings, but according to people who were there then, they didn't go all out until they had a runner in scoring position. Now pitchers go all out all the time which is why so many of them are getting hurt. And my Thanksgiving was pretty good, hope yours was, too.
oh thank god you wrote about hot girls behind home plate, but I was wondering, Lee. Just eye candy for your television viewers or a distraction for the visiting players or the home team? Just wondering now how Marlins Man behind home plate affected games... I had a migraine yesterday, one of the worst, and did not get a chance to see the start of the ALCS. Maybe that was okay. I haven't even looked at the score... I don't have any skin in the game, except to wish the Astros not to win, because I'm just tired of seeing them in the playoffs.
Showing attractive women at sporting events is a TV must and I once asked the Royals former TV director which cameraman was in charge of finding hot women in the stands and he said all of them.
Players are also well aware of attractive women in attendance and I've heard about mound meetings in which someone had spotted a hot woman and wanted everyone else to know where to look and we thought they were talking about pitch selection.
Sorry to hear about the migraine...those are the worst...but if you need a team to pull for I'd suggest the Rangers. Their GM is Chris Young who used to pitch for the Royals and is a very good guy. Also, the Rangers are going a little more old-school and Chris told Bruce Bochy if he managed the Rangers the front office wouldn't interfere.
And I also pull against the Astros because a bunch of those guys cheated to win a World Series and never got punished and now MLB likes to act as if that never happened.
So, go Rangers!
Lee, if you actually cared about the movies, you had the wrong approach. On an off-night, we'd go to the drive-in with the guys and enough beer to bottom out the car to actually watch the films. Then, on a Friday or Saturday night, we'd meet up with (or bring) a girl and investigate the size of the car's back seat during the movies. This way, we got the best of both worlds. Then again, watching (or re-watching) classic films in your 60s is a good way to pass some time (and drink a few beers - although many fewer than in the 70s), so no loss now either.
P.S. Using hot women as a lure in the blog might alienate 50-80%* of your female readers (and maybe 10%* of your male readers) but not me, so keep it up if you want.
* Estimated statistics with no scientific basis.
No sweat, I use a lot of statistics without scientific basis so it's pretty surprising neither one of us have been offered a job in Big League team's analytics department.
Also...one of the joys of being unemployed is you can't be fired. So if anyone is alienated by my politically-incorrect humor they can stop reading my stuff and I'm OK with that.
BTW: Just re-watched 3 Days of the Condor...turns out that's a pretty good movie.
I agree; Redford-Dunaway is damn near Redford-Newman level.
I've re-watched a few old movies, too. I was glad that the sting in The Sting really worked. I wasn't in the back seat when I first saw that movie, I was in the front seat trying to keep the 2 small kids in the back seat quiet.
I've worn my Rangers earrings every playoff game, and they've won each one, at least up to yesterday, so I'm not taking them off! (Haven't started watching my recording of today's game yet, so don't tell me.) I do wish I had reread your instructional posts about baseball from last spring. May get that done this week, if the Rangers last.
I'd love your take on the season after the rules changes, like the one against over-shifting and the time limits on the pitcher and the batter. The games are faster. But do you think the game is generally better?
Becky, this probably deserves a column of its own, but: its dumb that they had to add a pitch clock because coaches have been begging pitchers to work faster since the Bronze Age, but it has worked and games are on average, 24 minutes shorter and that's definitely better.
Still more strikeouts than hits and that never happened before 2018, but has happened every year since. Too many hitters trying to hit home runs and too many pitchers going for the strikeout instead of pitching to contact, which is getting to be a lost art.
Also, too many pitchers used per game which is over eight because teams are looking for matchups (it was never over eight until 2015) and all those pitching changes mean watching pitchers warm up which is rarely entertaining.
But attendance is up for the first time in a long time, so yeah, overall the game is better but still has a ways to go.
Also, keep wearing those Rangers earrings 24/7.
Late comment - sometimes I lose track of time. Congrats to you (and Becky) on the Rangers win.
I didn't know about the strikeouts vs. hits statistic - interesting. Re pitching changes - I bet we never again see a pitcher reach 50 complete games in a career, let alone any of the astronomical numbers of the old timers - even Babe Ruth had over 100 CGs.
Anyway, always enjoy your columns. Looking forward to that column on the rules changes. Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with good food and drink, and best wishes for the last month of the year celebrations.
Bob, it's never too late or at least let's hope so because I'm seeing the end of the runway. You're right, pitching has changed and guys used to pitch more innings, but according to people who were there then, they didn't go all out until they had a runner in scoring position. Now pitchers go all out all the time which is why so many of them are getting hurt. And my Thanksgiving was pretty good, hope yours was, too.