MLB Season 2024

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

The race to be the next Angel Hernandez begins...........

Angel’s issue was never the strike zone he called. As has been noted, he was average to below average. His issue was that when there was a real or perceived slight, he’d quickly and obviously take it out on the player in the form of calling obvious balls as strikes and vice versa.

[Cobra Mgr]

For all my fans........

........worst called strike 3's for the month of May. James Hoye had 3 of the 10 worst.

[Cobra Mgr]

Kike Hernandez makes error while being interviewed.

I'm too lazy to type all the reasons why I hate the networks being allowed to do this.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Kike Hernandez makes error while being interviewed.

I'm too lazy to type all the reasons why I hate the networks being allowed to do this.

Yes, this should be a second-week-of-Spring-Training gimmick.

[Westheim]

Michael Milken doesn't look too well.

[Cobra Mgr]

Ump punished for gambling violations.

[Le Grande Orange]

For those interested, the 2024 Major League Rules can be downloaded from here.

[Cobra Mgr]

Can't blame the Rockies for being upset @ this one.

[Amazin69]

It sucks, but I think Barksdale made the right call. Vodnik's gotta keep his head in the game.

(And perhaps Buddy Black needs to stay in the game, to help his pitcher do so.)

[Amazin69]

Reggie Jackson joins the FOX pre-show for the Rickwood Field game. And he's brought along a box of REGGIE! bars!

Man, he must have had a ton of stock returned to him when the product stopped being distributed. Poor Reggie lost all his classic cars in that Oakland Hills fire years ago, but I guess the REGGIE! bars were safe in a storage unit somewhere.

******************************
On a more-serious note, Reggie is also talking about being part of that fantastic Birmingham A's team in 1967 and he makes it very clear that, even 20 years after Jackie, the South was still a living Hell for black players then.

"I would go to a restaurant and they would say 'the [censored] can't eat here'. I would go to a hotel and they would say 'the [censored] can't stay here'."

And yes, Reggie is using the actual word (although he does edit later), which I think is correct. The issue is not the word itself, it's the hate it represents. I think John Lennon's song is one of the most powerful he wrote, because it's about how (as Yoko conceptualized it) all cultures (at least at that time) treated women as blacks were once treated. In In the Heat of the Night (and similar films) it's important that we hear the bigoted characters say the word, so we know exactly how Sidney Poitier (or whoever) is feeling. Euphemisms to hide bigotry do nothing to eradicate it. [/soapbox]

Reggie then goes on to talk about how John McNamara (manager) would refuse to let his team eat at any establishment that wouldn't serve Reggie (and Allan Lewis). He talks about how, since he couldn't rent an apartment at the complex where all the other players lived, he had to couch surf, from McNamara's to Dave Duncan's to Rollie Fingers's to Joe Rudi's, until the fine citizens of Birmingham threatened to burn the entire complex down. I had not known that Birmingham was not in the Southern League in 1966, in part because of racial tensions ginned up by Sheriff Bull Connor.

To sum up, Reggie says he wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. He thanked Rudi, Fingers, and Duncan for holding him back, because otherwise he would have lost his temper and gone to hit someone…and probably gotten literally killed.

Geez.

*****************************

After Reggie, there's a filmed piece from Barry Bonds (Willie was his godfather). Barry speaks deeply about how his generation bears the responsibility to "keep that torch alive for the next generation of black players."

Alas, Barry may get his hands burned, given how few black players there are for his generation to pass that torch to. Can you believe that there are zero African-Americans on the rosters tonight? We've come a long way…but we've gone back, too.

(The Giants feature Heliot Ramos, who is from Puerto Rico, and Jorge Soler, a black Cuban. The Cardinals don't even have any dark Latinos. The 2024 Cards are as thoroughly white as the 1924 Cards. Holy Rogers Hornsby!)

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

It sucks, but I think Barksdale made the right call. Vodnik's gotta keep his head in the game.

(And perhaps Buddy Black needs to stay in the game, to help his pitcher do so.)

That check swing call could've legit gone either way. But even if one thinks it was clearly a swing, it actually evened out. Shortly before the check-swing non-call, the home plate ump should've granted Will Smith timeout when he asked for it on a 3-2 pitch (that ended up being right down the middle for strike three).

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Reggie Jackson joins the FOX pre-show for the Rickwood Field game. And he's brought along a box of REGGIE! bars!

Man, he must have had a ton of stock returned to him when the product stopped being distributed. Poor Reggie lost all his classic cars in that Oakland Hills fire years ago, but I guess the REGGIE! bars were safe in a storage unit somewhere.

******************************
On a more-serious note, Reggie is also talking about being part of that fantastic Birmingham A's team in 1967 and he makes it very clear that, even 20 years after Jackie, the South was still a living Hell for black players then.

"I would go to a restaurant and they would say 'the [censored] can't eat here'. I would go to a hotel and they would say 'the [censored] can't stay here'."

And yes, Reggie is using the actual word (although he does edit later), which I think is correct. The issue is not the word itself, it's the hate it represents. I think John Lennon's song is one of the most powerful he wrote, because it's about how (as Yoko conceptualized it) all cultures (at least at that time) treated women as blacks were once treated. In In the Heat of the Night (and similar films) it's important that we hear the bigoted characters say the word, so we know exactly how Sidney Poitier (or whoever) is feeling. Euphemisms to hide bigotry do nothing to eradicate it. [/soapbox]

Reggie then goes on to talk about how John McNamara (manager) would refuse to let his team eat at any establishment that wouldn't serve Reggie (and Allan Lewis). He talks about how, since he couldn't rent an apartment at the complex where all the other players lived, he had to couch surf, from McNamara's to Dave Duncan's to Rollie Fingers's to Joe Rudi's, until the fine citizens of Birmingham threatened to burn the entire complex down. I had not known that Birmingham was not in the Southern League in 1966, in part because of racial tensions ginned up by Sheriff Bull Connor.

To sum up, Reggie says he wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. He thanked Rudi, Fingers, and Duncan for holding him back, because otherwise he would have lost his temper and gone to hit someone…and probably gotten literally killed.

Geez.

*****************************

After Reggie, there's a filmed piece from Barry Bonds (Willie was his godfather). Barry speaks deeply about how his generation bears the responsibility to "keep that torch alive for the next generation of black players."

Alas, Barry may get his hands burned, given how few black players there are his generation to pass that torch to. Can you believe that there are zero African-Americans on the rosters tonight? We've come a long way…but we've gone back, too.

(The Giants feature Heliot Ramos, who is from Puerto Rico, and Jorge Soler, a black Cuban. The Cardinals don't even have any dark Latinos. The 2024 Cards are as thoroughly white as the 1924 Cards. Holy Rogers Hornsby!)

I lived near the bay area from 1963-1970. I was at the game in July of 1969, when Reggie hit three bombs, giving him 33 after about 70 or so games. He only hit 14 the rest of the way. Was one of my favorite players. GREAT A's teams in the late '60's. (Giants were still my favorites).

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

On a more-serious note, Reggie is also talking about being part of that fantastic Birmingham A's team in 1967 and he makes it very clear that, even 20 years after Jackie, the South was still a living Hell for black players then.

"I would go to a restaurant and they would say 'the [censored] can't eat here'. I would go to a hotel and they would say 'the [censored] can't stay here'."

And yes, Reggie is using the actual word (although he does edit later), which I think is correct. The issue is not the word itself, it's the hate it represents. I think John Lennon's song is one of the most powerful he wrote, because it's about how (as Yoko conceptualized it) all cultures (at least at that time) treated women as blacks were once treated. In In the Heat of the Night (and similar films) it's important that we hear the bigoted characters say the word, so we know exactly how Sidney Poitier (or whoever) is feeling. Euphemisms to hide bigotry do nothing to eradicate it. [/soapbox]

Reggie then goes on to talk about how John McNamara (manager) would refuse to let his team eat at any establishment that wouldn't serve Reggie (and Allan Lewis). He talks about how, since he couldn't rent an apartment at the complex where all the other players lived, he had to couch surf, from McNamara's to Dave Duncan's to Rollie Fingers's to Joe Rudi's, until the fine citizens of Birmingham threatened to burn the entire complex down. I had not known that Birmingham was not in the Southern League in 1966, in part because of racial tensions ginned up by Sheriff Bull Connor.

To sum up, Reggie says he wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. He thanked Rudi, Fingers, and Duncan for holding him back, because otherwise he would have lost his temper and gone to hit someone…and probably gotten literally killed.

Geez.

South ain't ever changed. You gotta realize the generation that was in charge back then raised the kids that became today's Jerry Jones.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

After Reggie, there's a filmed piece from Barry Bonds (Willie was his godfather). Barry speaks deeply about how his generation bears the responsibility to "keep that torch alive for the next generation of black players."

Alas, Barry may get his hands burned, given how few black players there are his generation to pass that torch to. Can you believe that there are zero African-Americans on the rosters tonight? We've come a long way…but we've gone back, too.

(The Giants feature Heliot Ramos, who is from Puerto Rico, and Jorge Soler, a black Cuban. The Cardinals don't even have any dark Latinos. The 2024 Cards are as thoroughly white as the 1924 Cards. Holy Rogers Hornsby!)

Victor Scott II? No?

Also, look, I have no actual skin in the game here, but I always find the narrowing-down on *African-Americans* odd, when Heliot Ramos and Jorge Soler would have had as much of a whiff of playing in the AL or NL as Andrew McCutchen and Ke'Bryan Hayes would have had, had any of them been born in the 1890s.

And yes, I had to go through about five teams' rosters to find a couple of actual African-American players.

[Amazin69]

The Cards literally just called Victor Scott up from Memphis for the game. At the time I checked the roster, the MLB site hadn't yet been updated.

Indeed, as the teams were given an extra roster spot for this game, Scott may have only been on the roster for the one day. Not to be too grotesquely cynical, but perhaps MLB cut the Cards some slack just so the "no blacks at Rickwood" optics wouldn't happen.

And the difference between African-Americans and Afro-Latinos is that African-Americans were barred from the game in their own country. Black Cubans (such as Martin Dihigo) could play at the highest level in Cuba. Their opportunities in other lands were limited, but they didn't face in their home what Cool Papa and Satchel did here. That's why Willie spoke to Barry Bonds about keeping history alive for black players here. There's a difference, IMO.

BTW, I shouldn't cast stones at the Giants and Cardinals while leaving the Mets unscathed. Black Dominicans, such as Luis Severino and Starling Marte (and Ronny Mauricio, if he ever heals) are on the New York roster, but the team that featured everyone from Charlie Neal and Al Jackson to Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones (and Ken Singleton and John Milner and Leroy Stanton and Curtis Brown in the minors, which may be part of why the front office decided to trade for Rusty Staub, but I digress…) to Mookie and Hubie and Darryl and Doc is all out of African Americans at the moment, too.

I may be splitting hairs, but I find that a bit disheartening. JMO.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

the teams were given an extra roster spot for this game,

How convenient...!

Yeah, I got nothing.

[Amazin69]

I'd be in favor of giving the White Sox an extra roster spot…but one probably wouldn't be enough.

In case you haven't been keeping tabs (I haven't), the South Side Hit Men have moved on from that dreadful 14-30 (.318) start. Over their last 32 games, the Pale Hose have gone an epic 6-26, a striking .188 percentage.

Should they keep up their current performance level over the remaining 86 games, that would work out to 16-70, totaling up to 36-126 for the season, surpassing both the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics' mark for worst winning percentage (post-1899 Cleveland Spiders, who were the victims of both syndicate ownership and becoming a permanent road team, and so IMO removed from such discussions) and the 1962 Mets' record tally of 120 losses.

If, OTOH, the Reinsdorfers manage to maintain their current overall .263 pace, that would raise the season mark to 43-119, the heady heights of the 2003 Tigers, who were in the World Series a mere 3 years later, and (while I don't recall the details) surely easily disposed of a pathetic St. Louis team, as any half-decent squad should have been able to do.

(SWING THE ****ING BAT, CARLOS!!!! Ahem.)

And if (wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles) the ChiSox regain their early .318 form, they can climb up to 53-109! Dare to dream, guys. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it!

(Seriously, my sympathies. The Southsiders are one of my favorite teams, mostly by dint of needing to combat the Scrubs, but still. It's a noble cause, IMO.)

[Westheim]

This Fun Fact was just offered at the start of the second inning of the Cubs tearing Tylor Megill a whole new backdoor:

Prince Fielder has more career inside-the-park-home-runs than Rickey Henderson.

Prince - 2
Rickey - 1

You're welcome.

[Amazin69]

And to think Billy Beane didn't want to draft the Prince because he thought Fielder was too fat!

(Not that Beane got the chance, but he was celebrating that the Brewers had taken Fielder and made it easier for the A's to waste their plenitude of draft picks on Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, and a number of very-lesser lights.)

Career HRs:

Prince Fielder-351
Nick "Mr. Joanna Garcia" Swisher-245

Career Inside-the Park HRs:

Prince- 2
Nick-1

Who's fat NOW, Beane-pole? Huh??

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

South ain't ever changed. You gotta realize the generation that was in charge back then raised the kids that became today's Jerry Jones.

I walked into an English pub with a black coworker. Back around 1977 or so. He was flat told that he wasn't welcome.

I started to kick up a fuss, and my friend grabbed me, and pulled me outside. He said it wasn't worth it. He also stated that it was the very first time in his life he had experienced OVERT racism, and denial of services. Even back 47 years ago, the times they were a changin'.