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Apropros of Baseball 2019

Edgy MD May 21 2019 10:48 AM

Bob Gibson hit .273 / .385 / .364 // .748 in 14 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter. He scored 14 runs as a pinch-runner.

MFS62 May 22 2019 08:27 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

Outfielder Jordan Luplow (Cleveland Indians) is the great-nephew of one-time Mets outfielder Al Luplow. Later

dgwphotography May 24 2019 05:32 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

I can't be the only viewer, when seeing Billy Ripken on MLB Network, who thinks, “Hey, it's F*ck Face.”

seawolf17 May 24 2019 06:31 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

=dgwphotography post_id=10989 time=1558697538 user_id=78] I can't be the only viewer, when seeing Billy Ripken on MLB Network, who thinks, “Hey, it's F*ck Face.”

Every time. I can't tell you a single other thing related to his baseball career that isn't connected to that card.

Johnny Lunchbucket May 24 2019 07:58 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

I've probably told the story before of what a dick Billy Ripken was to me, and other people, when I came across him as a 23-year-old clueless reporter. I worked a small daily paper in Maryland, mostly writing about high-school sports but when the Orioles had day games we could call them up and get press passes so we'd divide the games between us. The first time I got the chance to go turned out to be a very humbling major league debut to say the least. I was very nervous and so resolved just to follow the other writers and just do what they did. They hung out on the field watching batting practice and so I did too. I kept score in the press box, but was positioned a few rows back. After the game (a 6-5 win for the Red Sox) the writers all rushed over the elevator (this was Memorial Stadium) so I got in too. When they walked out, I followed them. We were waiting outside a door and when it opened, we walked into the visitor's clubhouse. As it turned out I had followed the Boston writers and not the Baltimore ones. That was okay though. I figured I'd get a quote from the winners then catch up with the O's. I spoke briefly to Wade Boggs who gave me some bullshit cliche quotes. ("we take em one game at a time") and zero insight. Me and Wade were also wearing the same model sneakers (white Nikes with a spongy red tongue, he was putting his on while I tried talking to him) but he didn't find that interesting as an ice breaker. Whatever. I exited to go get my O's quotes but... I couldn't find the clubhouse. It was exactly like Spinal Tap, I was walking around the guts of the stadium for what seemed like a really long time, encountering the same deadends everywhere I turned etc. By the time I found it Frank Robinson's postgame chat with reporters was just ending and many players were already showered and packing out. The only player in the clubhouse I was recognized well was Billy Ripken, so I decided he would have to be my quote. While I was waiting to approach him Ripken was on the bench changing. The O's had a retarded guy who worked as a clubby, pushing around a laundry cart collecting dirty unis and jockstraps and towels from the room. I watched Billy Ripken take off each of his stinky white sanitaries and toss them each into the cart by banking them off the retarded guy's face. I finally approached him: "Billy do you have a minute?" "No." "Sorry?" "You asked me if I had a minute, and I said no." End of interview. I was so humiliated by the whole experience, getting lost, getting shit quotes and getting no home-team stuff, I would up doing something I never did before or since, which was "steal" a quote from Robinson appearing in the AP write up hoping no one would notice, and of course no one did since nobody ever read my game story. What I really should have done was ask about and write about the sweatsock incident.

Fman99 May 24 2019 08:31 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

=dgwphotography post_id=10989 time=1558697538 user_id=78] I can't be the only viewer, when seeing Billy Ripken on MLB Network, who thinks, “Hey, it's F*ck Face.”

^

Fman99 May 24 2019 08:38 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I've probably told the story before of what a dick Billy Ripken was to me, and other people, when I came across him as a 23-year-old clueless reporter. I worked a small daily paper in Maryland, mostly writing about high-school sports but when the Orioles had day games we could call them up and get press passes so we'd divide the games between us. The first time I got the chance to go turned out to be a very humbling major league debut to say the least. I was very nervous and so resolved just to follow the other writers and just do what they did. They hung out on the field watching batting practice and so I did too. I kept score in the press box, but was positioned a few rows back. After the game (a 6-5 win for the Red Sox) the writers all rushed over the elevator (this was Memorial Stadium) so I got in too. When they walked out, I followed them. We were waiting outside a door and when it opened, we walked into the visitor's clubhouse. As it turned out I had followed the Boston writers and not the Baltimore ones. That was okay though. I figured I'd get a quote from the winners then catch up with the O's. I spoke briefly to Wade Boggs who gave me some bullshit cliche quotes. ("we take em one game at a time") and zero insight. Me and Wade were also wearing the same model sneakers (white Nikes with a spongy red tongue, he was putting his on while I tried talking to him) but he didn't find that interesting as an ice breaker. Whatever. I exited to go get my O's quotes but... I couldn't find the clubhouse. It was exactly like Spinal Tap, I was walking around the guts of the stadium for what seemed like a really long time, encountering the same deadends everywhere I turned etc. By the time I found it Frank Robinson's postgame chat with reporters was just ending and many players were already showered and packing out. The only player in the clubhouse I was recognized well was Billy Ripken, so I decided he would have to be my quote. While I was waiting to approach him Ripken was on the bench changing. The O's had a retarded guy who worked as a clubby, pushing around a laundry cart collecting dirty unis and jockstraps and towels from the room. I watched Billy Ripken take off each of his stinky white sanitaries and toss them each into the cart by banking them off the retarded guy's face. I finally approached him: "Billy do you have a minute?" "No." "Sorry?" "You asked me if I had a minute, and I said no." End of interview. I was so humiliated by the whole experience, getting lost, getting shit quotes and getting no home-team stuff, I would up doing something I never did before or since, which was "steal" a quote from Robinson appearing in the AP write up hoping no one would notice, and of course no one did since nobody ever read my game story. What I really should have done was ask about and write about the sweatsock incident. That's great. You should have said, "Hey, Fuck Face, thanks a ton."

Edgy MD May 24 2019 11:36 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

It's not too late to make hay of the sweatsock story.

Edgy MD May 24 2019 11:51 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

Also, with regard to Willie Mays, I read recently that he's the only player in baseball history to homer in every inning from the first to the 16th.

MFS62 Jun 06 2019 08:36 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

I don't think Lewis Black is an MFY fan: (If you're at work, keep the sound down) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3J3_-czh6A Later

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 06 2019 11:19 AM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

Have you guys noticed the weird pattern the Mets are cutting the grass in this year? Some cuts seem to head toward the fences then fan out toward the lines, giving it a swirly look in the corners? At the game the other night which we watched from the 400s 1st base side, definitely made the field look almost as though it went downhill at the corners spread out all weird and uglylike. I just caught a glimpse again on the TV and had the same impression. Hard to think as well as groundskeepers must know about grass cutting that this isn't planned but perhaps, concieved better than executed. Am I the only one to notice this?

seawolf17 Jun 06 2019 01:00 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

Does it matter, from a gameplay perspective? Or is it just a cool overhead/TV/stadium visual thing?

MFS62 Jun 06 2019 02:54 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

I remember the checkerboard pattern cut in the grass at old Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. It was cool to look at but I don't the players paid any heed to it when they were chasing down a ball. Later

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 07 2019 03:37 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

=seawolf17 post_id=12236 time=1559847646 user_id=91] Does it matter, from a gameplay perspective? Or is it just a cool overhead/TV/stadium visual thing?

To my eyes the cut is disorienting as it makes the ground look curved where the cuts fan out in the corners, particularly as you look, as I did, from above and fairly straight on.



I much preferred the cut patterns of years gone by

Frayed Knot Jun 07 2019 04:52 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

=seawolf17 post_id=12236 time=1559847646 user_id=91] Does it matter, from a gameplay perspective?

Because those patterns are made by rolling the grass alternately one way then the other so as to produce different shades of color depending on whether the blades are leaning this way vs that, there

is some thought that a ground ball hitting the 'border' between the two can slightly alter its path causing it to be misplayed by an OF'er attempting to scoop up the hit. Not to the degree of a grounder

hitting the infield 'lip' of course, or to how the same leaning grass is a huge factor to putting golfers, but maybe like a mini version of one of those.

So one could argue that a less regular curved pattern (as compared, say, to a checkerboard design) of rolled grass would be less predictable and make the theoretical charging OF more mistake prone.



If nothing else, it gives the OF'er who muffs his attempted scoop a built-in excuse: "It hit the freakin' border, man!!!'

Ceetar Jun 07 2019 05:03 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

I saw someone else mention the cut grass, but I forgot to get a good look at it. (I miss the days of just sitting and watching the game without multitasking) I'm a big fan of cutting new/interesting things into the grass. I haven't seen them do the skyline since OD 2005.

Edgy MD Jun 07 2019 07:17 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

It's not so much a cutting pattern as a rolling pattern. The shapes and shadows are a product of rolling the grass to be leaning in a different direction.

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 15 2019 07:29 PM Re: Apropros of Baseball 2019

Howie is talking about the grass.