BATTER UP!

[belfastboy]

This one's for Harp... some shots of your idol, Ernie Banks. I was about 10 yo when Banks visited the Lawndale Chicago Boys Club. The back of my head is in the bottom of the picture of Banks showing his swing. What a guy. No scandals that I've ever heard of. He was a role model for us kids.

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Hey, lets play two today!

 

[Fading Fast]

So I watched some of the Yankees-Mets pre-season games this past weekend. Yes, despite all the "stuff" that makes this effort weird, I still enjoyed watching baseball again. But so far, not nearly as much as a normal season.

The awkward cardboard fans in some of the seats behind home plate went past hokey to somewhere between odd and creepy.

No fans in the stands was hard to adjust to as it almost felt like you were watching batting practice or something.

The face masks on the managers and others and the efforts to social distance were, of course, appropriate, but also effected the vibe and passion of the game.

But the weirdest thing of all was the "fan soundtrack." I haven't read what MLB finally decided to do, so I have no idea what was actually generating the noise or the protocols around it, but watching on TV, it came across as muffled-fan noise that kinda, sorta, sometimes aligned to the action.

My guess is it was probably better than pure silence and maybe better than a full-effort to align normal sounds and cheering to each play, but like everything else, it felt odd and off.

I get it - we're all just trying to figure out how to function along side this thing until a cure or vaccine is discovered. So none of the above is meant as hard criticism of MLB or anyone involved; it's just observations of how I felt.

My guess, it will feel better when real games start (tomorrow, I believe) and, like anything else, the "different" will likely become "normal" overtime, so maybe as the season moves along, it will all start to work.

That's it - those were just my quick-and-dirty thoughts.

Did anyone else watch? Have any impressions?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Watched the Sox-Jays last night, and had much the same reaction. THere were no cardboard fans at Fenway, but there were a bunch of tent-like structures over the lower rows of seats, plastered with ads. I presume the point of these was to conceal the empty seatss a bit, but they didn't really accomplish that purpose.

The broadcasters weren't at the game -- they worked off monitors from a studio, and at times this was obvious. Everything had an isolated, arms-length feeling to it, and the spark of "real baseball" was missing. But that's what we've got, for better or worse, and at least it's something. My elderly mother and elderly aunts were buzzing with enthusiasm over at least getting *some* baseball this year. Me, I looked at the envelope full of Sox tickets for a game next month, and wondered exactly what the team plans to do about them.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Everything had an isolated, arms-length feeling to it, and the spark of "real baseball" was missing....

Ding-Ding-Ding.

 

[Frunobulax]

Listened to Detroit v. Cincy last night, no TV access. From listening, it wasn't so disconcerting, but the crowd reactions are a little weird. I envision somebody sitting at a board operating the cheering like a laugh track. If they added a few distant sounding "Coooold beeeeer heeeere!" effects it would help.

Friday's opener - also against the Tigers - will be on broadcast TV, so I'll get to assess the increased weirdness then.

 

[belfastboy]

So I watched some of the Yankees-Mets pre-season games this past weekend. Yes, despite all the "stuff" that makes this effort weird, I still enjoyed watching baseball again. But so far, not nearly as much as a normal season.

The awkward cardboard fans in some of the seats behind home plate went past hokey to somewhere between odd and creepy.

No fans in the stands was hard to adjust to as it almost felt like you were watching batting practice or something.

The face masks on the managers and others and the efforts to social distance were, of course, appropriate, but also effected the vibe and passion of the game.

But the weirdest thing of all was the "fan soundtrack." I haven't read what MLB finally decided to do, so I have no idea what was actually generating the noise or the protocols around it, but watching on TV, it came across as muffled-fan noise that kinda, sorta, sometimes aligned to the action.

My guess is it was probably better than pure silence and maybe better than a full-effort to align normal sounds and cheering to each play, but like everything else, it felt odd and off.

I get it - we're all just trying to figure out how to function along side this thing until a cure or vaccine is discovered. So none of the above is meant as hard criticism of MLB or anyone involved; it's just observations of how I felt.

My guess, it will feel better when real games start (tomorrow, I believe) and, like anything else, the "different" will likely become "normal" overtime, so maybe as the season moves along, it will all start to work.

That's it - those were just my quick-and-dirty thoughts.

Did anyone else watch? Have any impressions?

I watched the BlueJays vs RedSox last night. I surprised myself as I didn't miss the fans much. The masking and extra players in the stands was weird. I am looking forward to the season .....the 60 game season turns it into a sprint from a marathon. And my beloved now Pittsburgh BlueJays have a chance!!!

 

[belfastboy]

Ding-Ding-Ding.

What is going to happen the first time a pitcher buzzes a batter and he charges the mound. Will he get thrown out for violating the 'social distancing' aspect even before he gets to throw a punch? I wanna see a player wear a mask AND chew tobacco or spitz.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I don't know if every team is doing this, but the Red Sox broadcast last night superimposed advertising on the pitcher's mound -- a little Gulf Oil logo appeared right below the pitcher's feet during shots from the center field camera. It was bad enough when they started superimposing ever-changing ads on the green-screen space behind the batter, and it was worse, much worse, when a very large Nike symbol showed up on the front of every player's uniform. But ads on the pitcher's mound are a bridge too far for me.

Sure, they need all the revenue they can get with the situation what it is, but isn't there a way to do it that isn't completely tasteless? Oh wait, we live in the era of Rob "Tasteless is my middle name" Manfred. Never mind.

 

[Frunobulax]

Baseball is better on the radio, anyway.

 

[belfastboy]

Question: Is the phrase..."dog days of summer" a baseball term that found its way into general usage or vice versa? I know there won't be any dog days this baseball season but there sure is here in this neck of the woods after our lengthy hot spell.

 

[Frunobulax]

Question: Is the phrase..."dog days of summer" a baseball term that found its way into general usage or vice versa? I know there won't be any dog days this baseball season but there sure is here in this neck of the woods after our lengthy hot spell.

Huh. I had to look it up. Apparently it has to do with the positioning of Sirius (the dog star) relative to the sun at this time. And I always thought it was because it was so hot you only wanted to doze on the porch with your dog.

 

[belfastboy]

Huh. I had to look it up. Apparently it has to do with the positioning of Sirius (the dog star) relative to the sun at this time. And I always thought it was because it was so hot you only wanted to doze on the porch with your dog.

Yes, and I thought it may have started in baseball parlance as the season winds down and grind takes its toll and the energy levels slump. Thank you, an entire new understanding for me!

 

[DeaconKC]

I just am glad to see my Cardinals playing again. The rest of their schedule is monstrous, but at this point we have nothing to lose!

 

[belfastboy]

I just am glad to see my Cardinals playing again. The rest of their schedule is monstrous, but at this point we have nothing to lose!

I have yet to decide whether to write off my beloved BlueJays 1/3 through or stick with them and have them break my heart in the end anyway.

 

[Frunobulax]

I have yet to decide whether to write off my beloved BlueJays 1/3 through or stick with them and have them break my heart in the end anyway.

 

[belfastboy]

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It is my version of Lucy, Charlie and the football!

 

[Harp]

Pre-season sixers catch-as-catch can, pun deliberately intended, all thrown in a diz cause
the Madness has begun since what happened last year, Illinois stomped Michigan and its craze time.
Nothin but net baby. In the paint, distance-all the way downtown and outlying suburbs, just net,
nothing but net. Marksmanship, which the Illini had in spades.

Meanwhile back at the Wrigley ranch, Cubs rebuilding, Jake's back. And I stopped cryin over Yu. Dunno
whatza gonna appin nowze nowayzz.

 

[DeaconKC]

Yup, the Cubbies made some decisions that have me scratching my head. Now if my Cards can get their pitching staff consistent, I will feel a lot more confident.

 

[Harp]

Yup, the Cubbies made some decisions that have me scratching my head.

Cubs ownership invested heavily in real property biz surrounding Wrigley Field, fan tie-in seats n' suds,
booze and anything else desired in their newly built hotel, with last season a Covid busted flush, $125M
lost down the drain, payroll load jettisoned pronto. Everythingsz ona table nowze.

 

[belfastboy]

Well this could be the year my BlueJays stay in the race beyond May 1st. Vlad has lost 40+ pounds and looks ready to mash.....their most solid team in a long time.