caulfield12

Gambling legalization and MLB Advanced Media/BAM Tech are making up for some of that. Luckily, outside of the country, no blackouts. But there was always that issue in Eastern Iowa. There is still the Fox Saturday games? Actually, the Quad Cities they had many Cardinals and White Sox games on free t.v., but those same games weren’t available on cable or satellite. We shall see what happens when T-Mobile comes after the cable companies...but the way young people consume baseball is constantly changing and evolving, more to phones, iPads and big screen tv’s at home. Also, men are living longer and enjoying more leisure years in retirement than in the 1950’s and 60’s, so more time and resources to consume product. Baseball is unique, providing twice as much live content as the NBA and 10x than football, and the costs are still much more reasonable than a 16-22/23 episode scripted television program.

Well, he might get complacent if he sees too many positive, overly contented White Sox fans...we’ve already fallen to 20th. Thanks, Florida!

Tennis...without the Williams sisters and Sampras/Agassi. Golf is struggling without Tiger Woods. NASCAR numbers down without a Gordon, Patrick or Earnhardt, and then the political aspects, again. Pretty cyclical. Things like X Games or skateboarding/parkour are growing in popularity. All these things said, baseball generates more yearly revenue and the team values match up pretty closely with the NBA. When LeBron leaves the league, there will be a vacuum just like when Bird/Magic retired, Michael Jordan left the game, etc. I haven’t watched a full NBA game since Jordan’s last Bulls’ season. But I’ll more than happily watch NCAA basketball, in the tourney especially. College basketball is going to lose more top players to the development league, where nobody will hear their nanes until draft night. Meanwhile, Luka Garza might go around pick 59. The two games are becoming increasingly disconnected...more international, which means millions watching outside the US, especially here in China.

No.

Dan Pasqua and Daniel Palka say hello...Mazara, etc,

He’ll come out of it when his offensive confidence starts to grow IMO. That feeling of “I belong” sinking in at the big league level. A certain SD shortstop went from one of the worst in baseball defensively in 2019 to one of the best in 2020, and then made five early errors again (already) this year. Madrigal doesn’t have the arm strength to force as many throws that shouldn’t even be attempted, but the commonality between the two players was/is dealing with shoulder injuries and not being 100% physically but still wanting to be out there in the field everyday. Running speed is unlikely to improve, but the moves that worked at Oregon State (getting hung out to dry between 2nd and 3rd against the Angels, then bailed out) are only going to work 25% of the time, not 75% like they did in NCAA play.

No, but just a reminder not to get excited about tape measure shots. Not all created equal. Robert’s was probably the most impressive given the circumstances in Game 3.

Balta know it...pretty sure.

https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/e0abde3003a88dedecad92fedc96375000c16843287a51dbf2cd92f062217180#detailIndex4 Make that two in a row...unless they were willing to wait and play at night time in April. The exact peak is 2-3 p.m. bag the game and push it back to later in the season when we can bring in more revenue for needed deadline trades.

I think they must be measuring or counting fans as someone who says baseball is their favorite sport...and not do they watch MLB but still favor NFL or NBA? Certainly losing youngsters to things like esports and MMA/boxing/wrestling. it remains to be seen in terms of the fallout from the ASG decision...how many of those older, majority white male baseball fans are turned off by a largely political decision, or boycott. I would guess it’s not an insignificant number, looking at voting trends the last two elections and the Facebook response of baseball fans in my family that I know to be more conservative or Republican. “I know that’s a pretty obscure question, but it turns out that we have the data to figure it out. In our Q1 2018 U.S. consumer benchmark survey, we ask about the sports that people like to watch on TV and we also asked about their political leanings. As you can see in the graphic below, baseball fans are decidedly more Republican than the general population.” https://www.xminstitute.com/blog/baseball-fans-lean-right/ Interestingly, you wouldn’t know it from SoxTalk, where the average age is probably 28-36, right? Heck, watching the Masters feed this weekend, I wonder how many of their beloved “patrons” as Jim Nantz always refers to them are currently unhappy with the club statements this past week and no Tiger Woods? Having lived in Augusta for 2 1/2 years, I was a bit shocked they wanted to wade into the voting rights controversy. Perhaps they are feeling the same pressure from sponsors like Mercedes-Benz and Rolex, but that in and of itself would be shocking that Rolex would want to take the same controversial stand, too.

As with last season, let’s see what happens when they face good teams (Angels certainly looking the part so far) and excellent RHPers. Other than Pittsburgh and maybe the Brewers when Woodruff and Burnes aren’t going, the NL Central looks tougher than expected. Better than having to face the NL East, but probably a toss-up with the top heavy NL West where there are two strong teams and three pretty bad ones.

Probably 2006 when we had six starting pitchers entering the season with the additions of Javy and McCarthy...and had sunk a huge percentage of payroll into all those 5 veteran guys who started all but three games (Brandon and Charlie Haeger of the now infamous murder/suicide case last fall.)

Joe Borchard 500+ foot homer?

Tyler Naquin had 17 homers in his last three big league seasons. 5 homers already in a week plus with the Reds. Not giving up on Madrigal just yet...once he gets his first it will come. He can be similar to Tommy Herr someday, another Cardinals’ reference.

Hitting for how long, exactly?

I will contract with WBWS (something like that) or whoever says he writes to JR about job prospects and used to get personalized responses. Great idea!

Now JUSTgottaBELIEVE has reverse jinxed Joe Musgrove into throwing a no-hitter...amazingly, last franchise without a no-hitter. Dates all the way back to 1969, 52 years. The Mets were the other (last one to get one, Johan Santana), pretty incredible with all the stuff pitchers they’ve had. Also the Phillies went 8944 games without one, longest stretch in MLB history. That’s now also 29 consecutive innings without a run scoring against him. Musgrove grew up a Padres’ fan, local kid, idolized Jake Peavy and now wears his number 44. Hit Gallo with a pitch that got away or it would have been a perfect game. Giolito, Alec Mills the only no hitters last season. Now 306 in MLB history. Gabe Caratini has amazingly caught two of the last three, haha. Had game winning hit in last game and is useful depth with Nola out, the completely overlooked aspect of the Yu Darvish deal.

We just need to convince the local sportswriters to put the pressure on JR with headlines like this. I know, fat chance, right? He’ll retort that with ballpark staff, concessions and security he’s still losing tens of millions. I mean, they were crowing about a 90% jump in tv ratings last year when they were starting with around a 0.9 share. Amazing, our percentage increase was higher than any team in baseball!

I was just following in the VAFAN positivity trend, lol. I’m still waiting for him to write an impassioned defense of Nick Madrigal and how Sox fans are being too hard on him and Leury. The last time we were as high as 17th was the 2010 season. https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2010

Jersey sales would argue otherwise... I will just say this. #1, risk mitigation, 40-60% gets paid by insurance in the case of a catastrophic injury. Point #2, this would be the excuse for the next 10-15 years for teams NOT to sign these deals, especially mid and small market teams. Because giving that money to free agents who are older and declining eventually will never work in favor of the White Sox.

Joe Musgrove has a pretty impressive streak going, something like 25 consecutive innings without allowing a run and counting.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance Pretty unsurprising the two Texas teams are leading the way. Numbers we will never (hopefully) see again, like Toronto with Dunedin/Buffalo. Marlins have to be disappointed coming off a playoff appearance last year and taking out the Cubs. Seems Washington and Boston have some of the tightest restrictions...plus Fenway has one of the smallest seating capacities.

The White Tiger is the one I’m waiting to see. And still haven’t watched One Night in Miami.

Who would he be the, DeShaun Watson? Russell Wilson? Josh Allen? Dak Prescott? Because those guys aren’t the face of the NFL, quite. Matt Rodgers? He’s a well-established veteran who dates or marries celebrities and is creating his own quieter media empire.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/fernando-tatis-jr-s-injury-orthopedic-surgeon-explains-why-the-padres-star-chose-to-skip-surgery-for-now/ But it wouldn’t be good for the sport. It’s almost like Patrick Mahomes being similarly hurt. Not quite at that level, of course, but he has been the most highly marketed MLB player throughout the offseason. Trout and Betts are better, Acuna and Soto right there with him, Bellinger, etc. Baseball will continue to struggle to attract young fans without guys like Tatis and TA playing at the top of their game. The fact that it’s the leader shoulder for hitting isn’t nearly as consequential as if it were his throwing arm. Then we’d possibly be talking about a positional change...and they might still end up sticking him in the OF.