Baseball 2024

[KingsX]

Looks like @Golden Fox isn't going to start a baseball thread this year, so here goes.

 

Despite having to replace the irreplaceable Tito Francona, my Guardians are off to a good start.  I doubt they have the depth to make the playoffs; but they'll be fun to watch, and there's plenty of affordable seats at our ballpark.

 

As a topic to discuss, I'll start with this.  The vast disparity in player payrolls, fully as bad as in the Premier League.

 

RANK	TEAM	TOTAL PAYROLL
1	Mets	$308,302,508
2	Yankees	$307,632,786
3	Astros	$248,888,899
4	Phillies	$243,915,195
5	Rangers	$230,997,481
6	Braves	$229,988,101
7	Dodgers	$228,562,807
8	Blue Jays	$226,390,056
9	Cubs	$226,362,643
10	Giants	$197,837,901
11	Red Sox	$183,054,013
12	Cardinals	$174,886,396
13	Angels	$170,883,557
14	Diamondbacks	$168,960,961
15	Padres	$161,278,967
16	Rockies	$143,900,890
17	Mariners	$141,463,163
18	White Sox	$134,888,772
19	Twins	$129,010,047
20	Royals	$116,563,116
21	Nationals	$109,667,909
22	Brewers	$106,716,568
23	Tigers	$106,420,763
24	Orioles	$101,733,977
25	Reds	$101,687,437
26	Guardians	$100,541,698
27	Rays	$100,070,323
28	Marlins	$97,849,542
29	Pirates	$83,280,382
30	Athletics	$63,291,498

[Golden Fox]

55 minutes ago, KingsX said:

Looks like @Golden Fox isn't going to start a baseball thread this year, so here goes.

 

Despite having to replace the irreplaceable Tito Francona, my Guardians are off to a good start.  I doubt they have the depth to make the playoffs; but they'll be fun to watch, and there's plenty of affordable seats at our ballpark.

 

As a topic to discuss, I'll start with this.  The vast disparity in player payrolls, fully as bad as in the Premier League.

 

RANK	TEAM	TOTAL PAYROLL
1	Mets	$308,302,508
2	Yankees	$307,632,786
3	Astros	$248,888,899
4	Phillies	$243,915,195
5	Rangers	$230,997,481
6	Braves	$229,988,101
7	Dodgers	$228,562,807
8	Blue Jays	$226,390,056
9	Cubs	$226,362,643
10	Giants	$197,837,901
11	Red Sox	$183,054,013
12	Cardinals	$174,886,396
13	Angels	$170,883,557
14	Diamondbacks	$168,960,961
15	Padres	$161,278,967
16	Rockies	$143,900,890
17	Mariners	$141,463,163
18	White Sox	$134,888,772
19	Twins	$129,010,047
20	Royals	$116,563,116
21	Nationals	$109,667,909
22	Brewers	$106,716,568
23	Tigers	$106,420,763
24	Orioles	$101,733,977
25	Reds	$101,687,437
26	Guardians	$100,541,698
27	Rays	$100,070,323
28	Marlins	$97,849,542
29	Pirates	$83,280,382
30	Athletics	$63,291,498

I nearly replied to the previous one, but I've been sulking with the Giants poor start to the year after what seemed to be a promising off-season.

 

That list... Dodgers should be higher if it wasn't for Ohtani's salary fiddle. A's should be higher full stop. And staying in Oakland. Unbalanced payroll is one thing, but both those situations leave a bad taste in the mouth. 

[NJFox]

Great time to be a Phillies fan, but I'm sure this winning run will cool off soon. It's a looooooong season.

 

Will be flying over for the MLB London Series next month. How is the interest of the general public for this? Curious it will be filled more with UK baseball fans, or Americans visiting London for the occasion, like us.

[BlueSi13]

On 09/05/2024 at 17:13, NJFox said:

Great time to be a Phillies fan, but I'm sure this winning run will cool off soon. It's a looooooong season.

 

Will be flying over for the MLB London Series next month. How is the interest of the general public for this? Curious it will be filled more with UK baseball fans, or Americans visiting London for the occasion, like us.

Huge British Yankees fan here.

 

I went to the Yankees Red Sox game a few years back and it was a real mix.  There are lot's of UK based Americans and it looked and sounded like a lot of folks had flown over.  At the same time there were plenty of Brits in attendance.

 

Was an amazing day!  I'll be going again to the game in June (rooting for the Phillies!)

 

Hope you have a great time!

[Golden Fox]

@KingsX

 

How's Cleveland baseball these days???

 

An extract from the Athletic talking about Stephen Vogt's start...

 

 

He replaced a legend in Cleveland and a future Hall of Famer, Terry Francona. Should we compare them? Aw, what the heck. Sure, we should.

Seasons Francona managed in the big leagues — 23
Seasons his teams started off 40-20 — zero

Seasons Vogt has managed in the big leagues — one
Seasons his teams started off 40-20 — one

Is it only me who finds that incredible? Francona won two World Series, lost a third in a Game 7 and won three Manager of the Year awards. But the best 60-game start by any of his teams was 39-21, by Coco Crisp’s 2007 Red Sox. Francona’s best start in Cleveland was 35-25, by the 2020 team whose pandemic season consisted of just those 60 games.

 

Not too shabby!

[Golden Fox]

On 09/05/2024 at 17:13, NJFox said:

Great time to be a Phillies fan, but I'm sure this winning run will cool off soon. It's a looooooong season.

 

Will be flying over for the MLB London Series next month. How is the interest of the general public for this? Curious it will be filled more with UK baseball fans, or Americans visiting London for the occasion, like us.

What were the games like? I haven't had the chance to get to any yet (I have a soft spot for the Mets, so would have loved to get there this year) - but I know people who have been to other series and always sounds like a good day out.

[CheeseHead]

12 minutes ago, Golden Fox said:

What were the games like? I haven't had the chance to get to any yet (I have a soft spot for the Mets, so would have loved to get there this year) - but I know people who have been to other series and always sounds like a good day out.

Watched most of the 2nd game at the weekend, really good game, finishing on a rare 2-3 double play to clinch the game for the Mets. I have a soft spot for the Mets as well, was gutted when they lost the Subway series to the hated Yankees back in 2000 I think. Lived in Toronto for a couple of years a while back and absolutely loved going to watch the Blue Jays. My first ever game though was at Wrigley Field to see the Chicago Cubs in the early 90s. Incredibly historic stadium, and the fans were amazing considering the Cubs were perennial losers at the time.

[KingsX]

4 hours ago, Golden Fox said:

@KingsX

 

How's Cleveland baseball these days???

 

An extract from the Athletic talking about Stephen Vogt's start...

 

 

He replaced a legend in Cleveland and a future Hall of Famer, Terry Francona. Should we compare them? Aw, what the heck. Sure, we should.

Seasons Francona managed in the big leagues — 23
Seasons his teams started off 40-20 — zero

Seasons Vogt has managed in the big leagues — one
Seasons his teams started off 40-20 — one

Is it only me who finds that incredible? Francona won two World Series, lost a third in a Game 7 and won three Manager of the Year awards. But the best 60-game start by any of his teams was 39-21, by Coco Crisp’s 2007 Red Sox. Francona’s best start in Cleveland was 35-25, by the 2020 team whose pandemic season consisted of just those 60 games.

 

Not too shabby!

 

Fun so far!  Good crowds; I’ve been a couple of times.  It is obvious that they have replaced one great manager with another.  LCFC could use their expertise in hiring gaffers.

 

As to our (now 42-22) start, I wouldn’t say it’s smoke and mirrors - this team is genuinely good - but it is unsustainable. 

 

The problem is the rotation.  With two starters down for the year, it’s not much good.  We need one (or preferably two) replacements to be sure of the playoffs, much less do damage in them.

 

Our budget doesn’t buy joy, and the brass won’t move prospects, so our one real hope is that a young fireballer named Gavin Williams can return from injury and contribute significant innings.

 

That might be a long shot, but this team is as fun to watch as anything in MLB, and I’ll keeping heading downtown to do so.

[NJFox]

23 hours ago, Golden Fox said:

What were the games like? I haven't had the chance to get to any yet (I have a soft spot for the Mets, so would have loved to get there this year) - but I know people who have been to other series and always sounds like a good day out.

Went to both games, it was a really great experience! We sat in the field level right behind the Phillies bullpen. If you ever were to attend, I'd suggest sitting in the outfield, or behind home plate. Seats that run from the dugouts to the foul poles are much further from the action. The atmosphere was that of a Phillies playoff game (Mets fans were sorely outnumbered), but with a more collegial crowd...I'm sure the neutral site played a part in that. Mets fans and Phillies fans co-existing peacefully with the same sections, but there was still plenty of banter to go around. The entrance music, individual walkup music, and more was there for all players, just like a home game. As you said, baseball is always a great day out. I would highly recommend anyone interested in seeing baseball goes when the series returns in 2026. To my eye, a majority of fans were Americans, but the Brits we spoke with all love the atmosphere and showed growing interest in the sport. I would certainly return for a game here, even if the Phillies weren't playing.

 

There were some interesting differences...beer is much cheaper at London Stadium than anything you'd find here (7 quid for all beer or cider). One stand was even pouring 32oz beers. There was no observable limit on pints per transactions- people were buying 3-4 beers at a time (2 is the max I've seen here). Also, beer was being served in unopened cans, which is not permitted over here...makes it much easier to throw on the field.  The whole Stratford area between the stadium and the rail station was a little odd. Felt eerie and vacant, almost like most other Olympic infrastructure projects. The fan festival at Trafalgar Square offered nothing to me. We stayed for 5 minutes and left...definitely was catering to those who had never experienced baseball or a Philly cheesesteak. We opted for pints and pies at a nearby establishment.

 

Now, for a hot take...I would gladly support overseas PL matches if the match day experience is similar to this. The atmosphere played a huge part, but the players were more collegial with fans, signing autographs during the game, throwing lots of baseballs to fans and more. In fact, the Bryce Harper was talking after the game that he'd like to see it expand to have a mini-tournament and make a longer stay out of it. I get that there's 162 MLB games per season versus 38 PL matches, but friends who have done the NFL experience in Europe have also said similar things about the atmosphere. We all thought MLB and NFL overseas matches were a terrible idea when they were first announced, but I've come around after this trip.

[westernpark]

1 hour ago, NJFox said:

Went to both games, it was a really great experience! We sat in the field level right behind the Phillies bullpen. If you ever were to attend, I'd suggest sitting in the outfield, or behind home plate. Seats that run from the dugouts to the foul poles are much further from the action. The atmosphere was that of a Phillies playoff game (Mets fans were sorely outnumbered), but with a more collegial crowd...I'm sure the neutral site played a part in that. Mets fans and Phillies fans co-existing peacefully with the same sections, but there was still plenty of banter to go around. The entrance music, individual walkup music, and more was there for all players, just like a home game. As you said, baseball is always a great day out. I would highly recommend anyone interested in seeing baseball goes when the series returns in 2026. To my eye, a majority of fans were Americans, but the Brits we spoke with all love the atmosphere and showed growing interest in the sport. I would certainly return for a game here, even if the Phillies weren't playing.

 

There were some interesting differences...beer is much cheaper at London Stadium than anything you'd find here (7 quid for all beer or cider). One stand was even pouring 32oz beers. There was no observable limit on pints per transactions- people were buying 3-4 beers at a time (2 is the max I've seen here). Also, beer was being served in unopened cans, which is not permitted over here...makes it much easier to throw on the field.  The whole Stratford area between the stadium and the rail station was a little odd. Felt eerie and vacant, almost like most other Olympic infrastructure projects. The fan festival at Trafalgar Square offered nothing to me. We stayed for 5 minutes and left...definitely was catering to those who had never experienced baseball or a Philly cheesesteak. We opted for pints and pies at a nearby establishment.

 

Now, for a hot take...I would gladly support overseas PL matches if the match day experience is similar to this. The atmosphere played a huge part, but the players were more collegial with fans, signing autographs during the game, throwing lots of baseballs to fans and more. In fact, the Bryce Harper was talking after the game that he'd like to see it expand to have a mini-tournament and make a longer stay out of it. I get that there's 162 MLB games per season versus 38 PL matches, but friends who have done the NFL experience in Europe have also said similar things about the atmosphere. We all thought MLB and NFL overseas matches were a terrible idea when they were first announced, but I've come around after this trip.

Not a like for your last paragraph. But your opinion is very understandable from an American perspective. However, the day we play a domestic game abroad, will be the day I relinquish my season ticket. I enjoyed your perspective on the baseball though, I’ll be definitely go in 2026, doubt the Brewers will make it over here though. I realise I’m being contradictory on going to baseball in this country but not wanting Leicester to play a domestic game abroad!

[NJFox]

41 minutes ago, westernpark said:

Not a like for your last paragraph. But your opinion is very understandable from an American perspective. However, the day we play a domestic game abroad, will be the day I relinquish my season ticket. I enjoyed your perspective on the baseball though, I’ll be definitely go in 2026, doubt the Brewers will make it over here though. I realise I’m being contradictory on going to baseball in this country but not wanting Leicester to play a domestic game abroad!

I completely understand, and having been to a Leicester home match as well, I'm sure that experience won't be truly replicated elsewhere...I was more surprised at how spirited and authentic the London Stadium experience was, relative to having been to several Phillies home playoff games (and countless regular season games) over many years. I'm certainly not proudly advocating for PL matches abroad, but I can see the other side to it. 

 

My best guess as a parallel...the MLB London Series had the feel of a Community Shield at Wembley. Big stadium, big occasion, passionate fans, neutral site, an important regular season match between rivals, but not a playoff or a cup final.

 

As for 2026, we were having some fun speculating on what teams might play. The 3 matchups thus far have been historic rivalries. The Dodgers seem an obvious choice, maybe to play the Giants or Braves. If the Brewers keep up their winning ways, I could see that as a possibility.

Less to choose from in the American League- the Astros are down right now, maybe the Orioles? Not sure they'll bring the Yankees back so quickly. There aren't many large market teams that are good or project to be good in the next few years to choose from.

Edited 11 June by NJFox

[dsr-burnley]

10 hours ago, westernpark said:

Not a like for your last paragraph. But your opinion is very understandable from an American perspective. However, the day we play a domestic game abroad, will be the day I relinquish my season ticket. I enjoyed your perspective on the baseball though, I’ll be definitely go in 2026, doubt the Brewers will make it over here though. I realise I’m being contradictory on going to baseball in this country but not wanting Leicester to play a domestic game abroad!

Brewers?  You mean I'm not the only Brewers fan in this country?  

[KingsX]

Thoughts on the “City Connect” kit scheme, or your team’s version?

 

US baseball writers (who all have one foot in the 19th century) have all managed to miss the obvious:  It’s an attempt by Rob Manfred’s boys to catch the excitement of the yearly kit reveals by soccer clubs, and graft it onto America’s most hide-bound, traditionalist sport.

 

The shirts have to change every year, usually include at least one that is really bright and/or edgy, and should stimulate a lot of discussion and debate.  Clubs hope the new designs will stimulate the youthful segment of the fanbase, be is different enough to sell to match-going fans at an outrageous price, and seem like a necessity to the jersey collectors.

 

I thought the Guards’ CLE shirt was a good, sharp breaking pitch, one of the few really good ones this year.  But I’ll keep wearing my Indians jerseys to games until they wear out.  At a hundred bucks a throw, I can live without “Guardians” across the front, much less a yearly City Connect novelty.

 

[Golden Fox]

On 18/06/2024 at 14:27, KingsX said:

Thoughts on the “City Connect” kit scheme, or your team’s version?

 

US baseball writers (who all have one foot in the 19th century) have all managed to miss the obvious:  It’s an attempt by Rob Manfred’s boys to catch the excitement of the yearly kit reveals by soccer clubs, and graft it onto America’s most hide-bound, traditionalist sport.

 

The shirts have to change every year, usually include at least one that is really bright and/or edgy, and should stimulate a lot of discussion and debate.  Clubs hope the new designs will stimulate the youthful segment of the fanbase, be is different enough to sell to match-going fans at an outrageous price, and seem like a necessity to the jersey collectors.

 

I thought the Guards’ CLE shirt was a good, sharp breaking pitch, one of the few really good ones this year.  But I’ll keep wearing my Indians jerseys to games until they wear out.  At a hundred bucks a throw, I can live without “Guardians” across the front, much less a yearly City Connect novelty.

 

Awful cash grab.

 

I think its a great opportunity to be like the third jersey in hockey: something with a bit of a different logo, which pushes boundaries and expands the brand, but is still recognisable. (I think of Calgary's flaming horse alternate logo which was a fun 3rd shirt, but still the Flames).

 

I quite liked the Giants, as it was orange and white but bought in the fog & the bridge from the City. Cleveland felt a safe with the colours, but I really liked the different typeface on the jersey - but it needed the C to match on the cap! Texas was red and blue (very navy) and jumped out as quite classy. I also liked KC and the Angels with my favourite out of the bunch was probably the White Sox.

 

But so many teams went too far away from their brand, were illegible from a distance, had awful black pants, area codes, and silly 3 letter abbreviations on the shirt. Boston in yellow? That Mets thing in grey and bits of purple? San Diego just hurt my eyeballs. Some of this years like Detroits just look like nobody could be bothered. The 2nd wave has now begun with the Dodgers non-event now being replaced by an terrible kids polkadot thing with half the numbers missing.

 

I get I'm not the target marketplace, there is a long way to go before they get to the NBA ridiculousness and the NFL have now started on City Connects as well (teams now allowed 3 helmet shells & we've had Indy nights, Houston's H-Town & the Minnesota White-out all which are all clearly the first wave of them) so this is the way the Uni-verse is headed. But it all feels short-term and disposable and most of it is awful design. I can't see the Astros breaking out a retro "Space City" jersey in a few years harking back to this look in the way Calgary have been revisiting the flaming horse recently.

 

At least the program is intended for teams to change every 3 years: really hope this doesn't shift to an annual thing, as there aren't enough ideas as it is!

 

[Lillehamring]

Giants fan, and another year of wild inconsistency for us so far - that said, so many injuries they might end up finishing healthy and a bit of a dark horse, as it's the most talented squad i've sen them have since the last WS win.

[Brizzle Fox]

 

1 hour ago, Lillehamring said:

Giants fan, and another year of wild inconsistency for us so far - that said, so many injuries they might end up finishing healthy and a bit of a dark horse, as it's the most talented squad i've sen them have since the last WS win.

I'll take your Giants and raise you my Padres. We all hate the Dodgers though right?

[Lillehamring]

On 18/07/2024 at 23:18, Brizzle Fox said:

 

I'll take your Giants and raise you my Padres. We all hate the Dodgers though right?

100% - i'm glad they changed the scheduling so we get to play more teams, but it still feels like we play the dodgers and every other series.

It's so tight, any of those three chasing LA could peak at the right moment and ger a WC spot - mind you, last night we blew a 3-0 lead giving up 7 runs in the last three innings to the bloody rockies!

[CheeseHead]

Had high hopes for the Blue Jays this season, especially coming off of 3 consecutive solid winning seasons,  but it wasn't to be. There's no sport like Baseball when it comes to play-offs. The excitement and intensity goes up quite a few levels and then some, and you really miss it when you ain't in it. Lived for a while in Toronto during the Carlos Delgado days, but even then we weren't making the play-offs, and a barren run of missing out stretching back to the '93 World Series continued relentlessly until 2015 and that unforgettable ALDS game 5 against the Rangers. When I want to cheer myself up I just watch that crazy unbelievable Jose Bautista bat-flip 7th inning again. Every Blue Jay fan will instantly know what I mean. I wish I could have somehow been in the stadium that night, that moment, to experience that! Even when you watch it back on YouTube, when he hits that home-run off the back of everything that had just happened in that 7th inning,  the noise and reaction from the crowd is like nothing I have heard before.

 

Here's hoping for a better 2025 season..

[Jordan]

No points for guessing which team I root for 

[CheeseHead]

4 hours ago, Jordan said:

No points for guessing which team I root for 

Mets? 

 

In all seriousness, it must be boring supporting a perennial play-off team!

 

[KingsX]

10 hours ago, Jordan said:

No points for guessing which team I root for 

I'm willing to overlook ONE major character flaw in every otherwise decent person.

[Bowldova]

Hi - heading to the Yankees for a game in a few weeks - travelling from Times Square. Any tips/advice on best time to travel and places to eat/drink around the stadium?

[CheeseHead]

For the second time in four starts, Bowden Francis pitches a no-hitter going into the 9th for the Blue Jays, and comes up short. Only one no-hitter in Blue Jays history, Dave Stieb in September 1990. So close.

 

[Jordan]

On 06/09/2024 at 15:50, CheeseHead said:

In all seriousness, it must be boring supporting a perennial play-off team!

 

There’s nothing boring about being a Yankee fan!

 

On 07/09/2024 at 09:24, Bowldova said:

Hi - heading to the Yankees for a game in a few weeks - travelling from Times Square. Any tips/advice on best time to travel and places to eat/drink around the stadium?

Yankee Stadium’s got a lively pre/postgame scene mostly up and down River Ave. My recommendations would vary a little based on if you’re going on a weeknight or a weekend day game, if you’re going with kids, and such.

 

I’ll send you a DM!

[EastAnglianFox]

On 07/09/2024 at 14:24, Bowldova said:

Hi - heading to the Yankees for a game in a few weeks - travelling from Times Square. Any tips/advice on best time to travel and places to eat/drink around the stadium?

 

Yeah, go to Citi Field instead