Texsox

Keeping on the philosophical side. You (probably accidentally) picked three single team markets. We're the #2 team in the market. How big is our market? We've never really come up with a satisfying answer. Also two of the teams you picked have no competition for hundreds of miles. The Sox seem to spend time in the top 10 or bottom 10 in payroll. Occasionally top 5. Fans expect teams to utilize the equity growth in the value of the franchise to finance budget deficits.

So do we prefer low payroll, stay in Chicago or high payroll and moving? High payroll, stay in Chicago just isn't a choice at this point in the build.

The Bill Melton thread and wine have me in a nostalgic mood. I first watched games in black and white on a portable TV while trying to get a decent signal on channel 44 (I think that was the correct channel) then using a black box. Cable. Now streaming. While my extended family had tickets forever my mom and dad didn't. My dad traveled and my mom wasn't going to drive to a game by herself. I didn't go to games on school nights. My mom also wasn't going to give up the big TV so I was stuck with a portable at the kitchen table or on my room. It wasn't until turning 16 in high school that I sucked up every unused ticket and went to a lot of games. Sometimes three or four in one week. I wonder if that amount of effort doesn't commit us to a life that clicking a link on a phone can't.

Those players, not necessarily teams, from the 70s really cemented my love of the team. Thinking of Bill I'm sitting at my kitchen table on Washington Street adjusting the rabbit ears on a portable TV to watch the game on a UHF channel 44?? . My dad was always in the road for work and my mom wasn't much of a baseball fan so I never really got the main TV.

Sad day

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10145700-mlbs-golden-at-bat-rule-floated-by-rob-manfred-is-wild-enough-to-work In the end there may be too many obstacles to overcome. I'm always willing to look at crazy new ideas.

I'm wondering what the process is. Some owner gets an idea and emails? A suggestion box? $$$$$$ paid to consultants?

The logical progression is DH for pitcher. DH for anyone one time. Maybe you have to use your DH for the "offensive closer at bat". Maybe you have to designate before each game who it is. I like other changes more. I think I like the 9th always starts at the top of the order. Based on what was said I'm most in favor of not doing it, but I'd like to see the details fully worked out.

And they could do the same with the extra DH. If you are out of the game you can't come back. That seems like a reasonable and necessary part of the rule. I don't see it ever being implemented but if it did those type of issues would have to be worked out. I think additional restrictions should also be looked at. Perhaps the player has to be currently on the bench, not a base runner, not rejected. Here's a possible benefit. You pull your star in the 5th to get a little rest knowing you can bring him back in the 9th or extra innings. Might cut down on overuse injuries.

Actually you can. If a player fouls out you have to replace him. If Jordan is on the bench put him in. It doesn't even have to be a foul out situation. Call a time out and put him in for the final shot. And have a criteria for whose available to Golden hit . If they played and were pulled, they aren't eligible. Perhaps they have to be on the bench just like the NBA. If you want to use that a an example.

I think that's a little too far out there but wouldn't that be a great matchup at any time, even better with the game on the line. We can't go back to the days before Tony ruined the game with the concept of a closer. So let's allow the offense to catch up. I still prefer a full platoon. Have a defense and offense. There are already stoppages in play to make the transition even easier than football.

Don't most teams send in their best reliever to close? You don't have to factor in anything else other than "here's our best pitcher in this situation. He even has a special title 'closer'"

I would like to see them try it at High A for a season. And like hockey line changes, home team makes the final change of pitcher or hitter.

Except the defense isn't random. Teams can choose who pitches to which batters. Why not allow the offense that same advantage? It's another DH and almost another pitch hitter.

You don't like seeing a team's best hitter facing their best closer in a high leverage situation? Or are you worried once it becomes common it will lose the magic? To me watching some bottom of the order guy in that situation is just slightly better than watching a pitcher hit. Imagine if the defense has to set a rotation of pitchers before the game and couldn't deviate, that's what the offense has to do. It's closer to my goal of offense and defense lineups like football.

When the DH was first proposed it was about that popular. Now we take it for granted. How about making it the offensive closer? It's the last at bat. Walk off or go home.

Along these lines they could try 9th inning always starts at the top of the order. 9th inning Two defensive substitutions that will not bat.

Alphabetical begins

😂

But they are both us 😢

https://www.mlb.com/cut4/10-bizarre-rules-from-baseballs-past/c-124363454 Let's get back to real baseball. 😆 Underhanded pitching, batters could request a high or low pitch, return to first team to score 21 runs wins no matter how many or how few innings are played, only day games. Toss in some double-headers.

Unless they look at all the failed WS draft picks who were rushed to the MLB squad.

I say give it a try. I know some people want the game to stay the same forever, but I enjoy the changes. It's the DH on steroids. The same DH that was going to destroy baseball according to the NL fans. Actually, I would love to see baseball adopt an offensive and defensive lineup like football. There isn't any reason that players should be required to play both sides of the ball like basketball or hockey. Play stops. To really make that work rosters should be expanded and that will never happen.

I liked them better before they won a title and were just the Yankee's bitches.

I think Balta's point is we will blame age over Katz. We blame every hitting coach before blaming the player, age, etc. With Katz it's the opposite.