Sad about baseball this year.

[LA2]

On 2/23/2020 at 5:07 PM, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Also helps knowing the Orioles weren't robbed of anything either. It's not like they win the World Series in 2017 if the Astros aren't cheating. 

As long as no other teams are going to cheat like this in 2020 and beyond, I won't pay it much mind. I'm more interested in seeing some of the prospects start to make an impact.

I would be astonished if any team attempts the same methods of cheating, but some form of cheating has always been part of the game. Nonetheless, the Orioles being young and less tasked with winning will cheat less or less successfully.

Like you said, we can enjoy following the fortunes of individual prospects and journeymen regardless. As in 2019, there are sure to be enough surprises--you really don't need that many or much, e.g., last season's Alberto, Villar, Hays, Mancini, Santander, Nunez, Cashner, and Means, even a hot streak or two from Severino, Ruiz. and Smith, Jr., to stay interested.

[DrungoHazewood]

13 hours ago, tntoriole said:

Have any teams thought of maybe using a prudent strategy of changing from their 19th century communication technique of fingers in between thighs and hand signals and....oh I don’t know, maybe using a technology to communicate more securely? 

But then things would be different and weird.  And there would be the inevitable transition period where the sports talking heads would rip the game to shreds for not being exactly like when they were in high school.  That would last two or three weeks before the next distraction pops up, and cost the game dollars in revenue.

So no, much better to stick with one finger a fastball, two a curve, than slightly modify a rule and invest a few hundred dollars in a mic and an earpiece for the catcher and pitcher.

[tntoriole]

55 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

But then things would be different and weird.  And there would be the inevitable transition period where the sports talking heads would rip the game to shreds for not being exactly like when they were in high school.  That would last two or three weeks before the next distraction pops up, and cost the game dollars in revenue.

So no, much better to stick with one finger a fastball, two a curve, than slightly modify a rule and invest a few hundred dollars in a mic and an earpiece for the catcher and pitcher.

It could actually make defenses better because all the defenders could hear what the pitch is going to be in advance rather than the halfway through the shortstop job of doing it now. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, tntoriole said:

It could actually make defenses better because all the defenders could hear what the pitch is going to be in advance rather than the halfway through the shortstop job of doing it now. 

If the earpiece the pitcher is wearing is set loud enough that the center fielder can hear it would defeat the purpose.  

[tntoriole]

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

If the earpiece the pitcher is wearing is set loud enough that the center fielder can hear it would defeat the purpose.  

Everybody gets their own...lol.  It also could help the coaches set the shifts and placement of outfieelders more accurately. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, tntoriole said:

Everybody gets their own...lol.  It also could help the coaches set the shifts and placement of outfieelders more accurately. 

I just had an idea I thought was amusing.

During a ST game a team playing against the Astros should just have the catcher yell to the pitcher what pitch to throw.

"Hey guys, I know they won't let you do it the high tech way anymore so we are going to help you out"  Fastball, Curve and so forth.  For the second batter the pitcher could yell back, no, and the catcher could call out a different pitch. 

[tntoriole]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I just had an idea I thought was amusing.

During a ST game a team playing against the Astros should just have the catcher yell to the pitcher what pitch to throw.

"Hey guys, I know they won't let you do it the high tech way anymore so we are going to help you out"  Fastball, Curve and so forth.  For the second batter the pitcher could yell back, no, and the catcher could call out a different pitch. 

In real games, they could yell out using a foreign language that would change each inning ....

[DrungoHazewood]

2 hours ago, tntoriole said:

It could actually make defenses better because all the defenders could hear what the pitch is going to be in advance rather than the halfway through the shortstop job of doing it now. 

But then the hitters might catch on to defensive positioning that changes according to the pitch and they'd know what's coming so you'd have to make it illegal to look at the fielders from the batter's box.  Perhaps you make batters wear VR goggles that erase the fielders from the hitter's vision.

Edit: that just flipped a switch and I've come up with the new innovation.  When the defense is not in an extreme shift, don't move anyone from standard positioning until the pitcher is in the windup.  As the pitcher starts his motion you have the fielders sprint to the optimal spots, and low-probability fielders (like the 3B for a lefty batter) sprints a random direction.  Just to mess with the hitter, throw him off, get him thinking, mess up his field of vision.

[DrungoHazewood]

2 hours ago, tntoriole said:

Everybody gets their own...lol.  It also could help the coaches set the shifts and placement of outfieelders more accurately. 

They could put a large video board somewhere behind the plate with instructions and positioning for the defensive team.  If someone from the offensive team looks at it that's cheating and they're banned for life.

[Moose Milligan]

18 hours ago, Frobby said:

The Red Sox are two-time cheaters.   First with their Apple watches, which is what caused Manfred to issue his September 2017 memo.   Then in 2018 under Cora.    I could argue they deserve a worse punishment since they cheated two different times.    We’ll see what Manfred does.   

[jtschrei]

19 hours ago, Philip said:

 I’m so sad about baseball this year. I’m not enthusiastic. All this cheating scandal is really upsetting me. People cheat, it’s human: it’s not good, but it’s human. But the reaction to the widespread, long term, well planned and executed cheating is nothing. No repercussions for the players, no regret from the teams. On the contrary, both teams involved made insulting and defiant non-apology statements.

It really ruins my desire to follow the game any more.

Ive got the Bosox feed on right now and I don’t care. 

Manfred has destroyed my summer dreams. It’s ok to cheat. 

Its sad...I want to care. I want my summer back. But after a while the anger subsides and is replaced with apathy.

Yup. I have similar feelings. I'll probably get over them. 

I would just like to think that baseball players are admirable people. The cheating scandal makes it painfully obvious that they are not. I don't know how the Astros players can live with themselves. I guess they tell themselves either, "Everyone was doing it"  or "It didn't really help us."  They haven't actually said either. They have said, "Sorry." 

I don't know... sorry isn't really a good enough answer. I think MLB should vacate their World Series. 

[Number5]

3 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I just had an idea I thought was amusing.

During a ST game a team playing against the Astros should just have the catcher yell to the pitcher what pitch to throw.

"Hey guys, I know they won't let you do it the high tech way anymore so we are going to help you out"  Fastball, Curve and so forth.  For the second batter the pitcher could yell back, no, and the catcher could call out a different pitch. 

 

[TommyPickles]

Well it has certainly made me excited to drive down for a game the weekend of June 5th when we host the Astros.  Growing up an O's fan, my friends and I almost never boo'd other teams or players.  That weekend will be an exception.  A major exception. 

[Philip]

11 minutes ago, TommyPickles said:

Well it has certainly made me excited to drive down for a game the weekend of June 5th when we host the Astros.  Growing up an O's fan, my friends and I almost never boo'd other teams or players.  That weekend will be an exception.  A major exception. 

Take a trashcan

[Philip]

Double postDouble post

Edited February 24, 2020 by Philip