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    #76
    Was that pronounced like "Superb A's" or "Super Bahs"?

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      #77
      Superb-ahs

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        #78
        A fair number of minor league teams still have great names, unlike MLB teams. As discussed on these pages before, the Rumbleponies are particular favourite.

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          #79
          On those lines this summer will be the last for the Mobile Bay Bears. In 2020 they move across Alabama to Madison, where they will become the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

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            #80
            Oh, man! I didn't know that. I might have a new second favourite team.

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              #81
              Not all new team names are that great. The latest Colorado Springs team is called Rocky Mountain Vibes.

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                #82
                There's a street in Venice (Los Angeles) called Superba.

                In other Dodgers news...

                https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/1104152066849566720

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                  #83
                  Originally posted by Hot Pepsi View Post


                  As I've mentioned before, Jonah Keri's book about the Rays turnaround, which I recommend to anyone interested in baseball or moneyball-type-stuff - cites a geographic analysis showing that the Rays' park is the hardest for people to get to within a half-hour drive of any MLB park. It's great for my brother and his family, who are fortunate enough to live in Old Northeast St. Pete (well, fortunate by Florida standards - hurricanes, termites, rats, feral boa constrictors etc are still an issue), but it is, as you say, hard to get to.


                  The area around the Trop in St. Pete is actually pretty nice. Maybe it's changed since you were there. But I was there last year and that general area is kind of a hipster area. I don't know if it has the kinds of fan-oriented bars and what not that Fenway or Camden Yards has, but it's not a bad neighborhood overall. It's just hard to get to for most people.
                  I'm slow to reply to this. Thanks for the link. I've got one other baseball book in my stack that I will start after I finish another football book about doing the 92. I'll check it out. The area was nice; in fact a lot of St. Pete seemed nice. But it was kind of dead. Interesting to hear that it has become a bit more of a hipster area. I'm surprised about the distance it takes to get there. As I noted, it seemed geographically easy considering travel time from most of Tampa and the suburbs as well as Clearwater.

                  The Dodgers have history on their side, I think. Dodger Stadium is near a variety of freeway intersections but it's not an easy in or out. I was in heaven for about 2 years when I lived more or less one hill away. It was about a 10 minute timeframe from my house to the seats.

                  Angel Stadium or whatever they are calling it this week, is also located at a variety of freeway intersections and is also accessible via surface streets for folks who know how to navigate Orange County. Also, a lot of the freeways near that stadium, unlike Dodger Stadium, have carpool lanes that tend to flow. But as big cities go, the ballparks in LA/Orange County are certainly much more difficult to navigate than New York, Boston, or Chicago given mass transportation options.

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                    #84
                    I'm tired of waiting on free agent signings, so here we go:

                    AL East

                    Yankees
                    Boston
                    Rays
                    Toronto
                    Orioles (I expect them to have the worst record in baseball)


                    AL Central

                    Cleveland
                    Twins
                    White Sox
                    Royals
                    Tigers


                    AL West

                    Astros
                    Oakland
                    Angels
                    Rangers
                    Mariners


                    NL East

                    Mets
                    Braves
                    Nationals
                    Phillies
                    Marlins


                    NL Central

                    Cubs
                    Brewers
                    Reds
                    Cardinals
                    Pirates


                    NL West

                    Dodgers
                    Rockies
                    Padres
                    Dbacks
                    Giants


                    NL Wild Cards: Braves and Rockies
                    AL Wild Cards: Red Sox and Twins
                    World Series: Dodgers and Astros
                    Champion: For the third or fourth year in a row.....Dodgers


                    Some explanation: The AL Wild Card is tough for different reasons than the NL Wild Card. I list the As above the Angels but I think that will be tight and not in a good way. The Rays could be a third team in but I think the pitching is going to struggle and the Twins will get through a horrible division. Although I'm a Yankees fan, I actually think the Red Sox are a better team who play more well-rounded baseball. I just think they will have enough of a physical hangover that the Yankees will top them in the division, although I expect the Red Sox to lose the pennant to the Astros.

                    NL: I think the East is stacked. I don't think the Central is as stacked as the critics claim. The Cardinals don't look nearly as good to me as various people predict. The Reds will be better but that collection of 1-year players isn't going to be enough. My gut tells me the Cubs dynasty just is not going to happen, but then the various stats say that they were one of the best teams last year and that was without Bryant and Darvish and Chatwood pitching like crap. The Brewers are screwing around too much with everyday players playing out of position for me to buy a repeat. Plus I don't see that starting pitching doing the business. The NL Wild Card is, for me, the hardest pick because I could see 3 teams coming out of the East but I think the Rockies will have enough in a weak division to do what they need while those NL East teams beat each other up.

                    The big "if" every year is the Mets pitching staff. I'm still a believer (like Neil Dimond and the Monkees) so my pick is based on that pitching staff being healthy. If they are healthy, that is the best staff in baseball and the NL pennant could be decided in a 7-game series between them and the Dodgers.

                    Of course, there's a reason I don't work in Las Vegas helping bookmakers set their odds.
                    Last edited by danielmak; 13-03-2019, 21:13.

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                      #85

                      Angel Stadium or whatever they are calling it this week, is also located at a variety of freeway intersections and is also accessible via surface streets for folks who know how to navigate Orange County. Also, a lot of the freeways near that stadium, unlike Dodger Stadium, have carpool lanes that tend to flow. But as big cities go, the ballparks in LA/Orange County are certainly much more difficult to navigate than New York, Boston, or Chicago given mass transportation options.

                      The Angels are looking for a new stadium.

                      http://www.fieldofschemes.com/catego...ls-of-anaheim/

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                        #86
                        Some big changes announced today: shorter times between innings (subject to approval by broadcasters who will probably shift to the split screen ads, which is much smarter), firm trade deadline of July 31 (no more waiver trades, just waiver claims after July 31), and mound visits reduced from 6 to 5. These are all for 2019 but the bigger changes seem to happen next year: active roster from 25 to 26 (and 27 for double-headers), number of pitchers a club carries will be capped, three-batter minimum for pitchers, and the best one: 40 man rosters in September will be reduced to 28.

                        I'm down with all of these moves. I'd like to see no mound visits other than injury or pitching change and the introduction of headsets/ear pieces.

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                          #87
                          The minor league Hispanic outreach thing from last year has returned, with a return of the San Antonio Flying Chanclas, the Ghost Crabs of the Chesapeake, and the Brooklyn Jefes, among many many more.

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                            #88
                            Originally posted by danielmak View Post
                            I'm down with all of these moves. I'd like to see no mound visits other than injury or pitching change and the introduction of headsets/ear pieces.
                            I'd like to see time-outs called by pitchers and batters eliminated completely. Neither truly needs it, but both use it to throw the other player off his timing.

                            OR...if a batter calls a time, that's an automatic strike against him. If a pitcher calls it, it's an automatic ball for the batter.

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                              #89
                              The Angels and Mike Trout are finalizing a 12 year, $430 million contract.

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                                #90
                                Originally posted by Incandenza View Post
                                The Angels and Mike Trout are finalizing a 12 year, $430 million contract.
                                Trout is amazing, but so was Puljols and as much as I hate to say it, so was Josh Hamilton. Granted, neither is close to Trout, who is a generational player. But, man, the Angels just have not learned from their mistakes. Realistically, he's not going to complete that contract as a player; he will shift into some roll a la Ichiro.

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                                  #91
                                  Would you prefer that the owners got to keep a larger percentage of revenue?

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                                    #92
                                    I just think it's hilarious that he will have the biggest contract in American sports history, and he could walk down the street here and probably not be recognized by most people.

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                                      #93

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                                        #94
                                        Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                                        Would you prefer that the owners got to keep a larger percentage of revenue?
                                        No, I'd prefer that the following happen in order of preference: (A) The salary was raised for the average minor leaguer, most of whom will not make the majors but will have hindered the ability to start in some other career (college grads) or have created roadblocks for further education (high school draftees). (B) The minimum wage is raised for players. (C) Arbitration comes sooner so players are paid most when they are in their prime. (D) Free agency comes sooner so, again, players can be paid better during their prime but also so teams will avoid longer term contracts.

                                        Although my comments since the off-season started suggest that I am anti-player, that's not the case at all. I don't even know who owns 95% of the teams and I don't watch a game, highlights/news shows, or attend games to see owners. At the same time, a lot of bad decisions have been made in baseball that surround big contracts and players that are paid a disproportionate wage: (1) Smart reporters repeatedly say that those players blocked any union deals about steroid use. (2) Those contracts hinder teams.

                                        BTW, I'd also like to see a spending floor in baseball. There should be no tanking. The money could be spent on younger players or one-year contracts but it should be spent on players.

                                        Trout is incredible, but he won't be at 38. And although he was underpaid early on (a problem that would be solved with my A-B above) the fact that he is relatively underpaid now is a product of him choosing security over year to year arbitration. The same move Nola just made. So, that was on him, not on a broken system.

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                                          #95
                                          Originally posted by Incandenza View Post
                                          I just think it's hilarious that he will have the biggest contract in American sports history, and he could walk down the street here and probably not be recognized by most people.
                                          Baseball has to be a little miffed Trout isn't getting out of the 3rd most popular team in LA and into a marquee market when he's the best player since Barry Bonds and maybe since Willie Mays. But then he's also not that kind of guy, his biggest hobbies seem to be the weather and the Eagles. Harper actually has that kind of desire to be the Face of Baseball, but other than 2015 he's really not been good enough.

                                          Trout's going to be worth the contract though. Free agents are about $7-8 million per WAR, and he is a 9-10 WAR player. So he should be getting paid anywhere between $63-80 million for the next few years of his prime. Instead he'll be getting paid half of that. When he inevitably declines, he'll still be worth the money until he's sub All-Star level good.

                                          Plus there's a significant level of value to the Angels that their already best player ever stays with them for the rest of his career. Seaver was just on the other side of his prime when the Mets dumped him in 1977, their fans still aren't over that though.

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                                            #96
                                            By the way... IT'S ON!

                                            Seattle @ Oakland in Japan, right now. (Ichiro is playing for Seattle, of course.)

                                            *I mean, the actual season has started.

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                                              #97
                                              Having two clubs play real games a week before anyone else is weird.

                                              dm, thanks for your response.

                                              I completely agree with you on minor leaguers and a floor in particular and your other suggestions in general, but will never believe that contracts like Trout's "hinder teams". At most they cost a billionaire a bit of disposable income. If we were better at taxing such income, I'd be more inclined to see that as an issue, but we are abject failures in that regard.

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                                                #98
                                                I miss Puig

                                                https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1108192183176347648

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                                                  #99
                                                  Originally posted by danielmak View Post
                                                  I'd like to see no mound visits other than injury or pitching change and the introduction of headsets/ear pieces.
                                                  I read today on the baseball subreddit that watches for pitcher/catcher communication are being worked on.

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                                                    What's the frequency, Kenesaw?

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