Baseball

[Vrede too]

I don't know if Giants fans are poor losers or not, but if so they had another chance to practice being losers today.

Now a 3-0 sweep by the Padres on the road.
A's lost to the Angels, a 1-2 road trip.
Cubs finally beat AZ, a 1-3 homestand.
W Keegan Thompson 4-0, 1.54 ERA. Cubs have a legit ace closer.
Baltimore beat TB, a 2-1 homestand.

San Diego 27-14 .659, 1/2 game out of the NL West lead.
San Francisco 22-18 .550, 5 games behind in the NL West.

Loser Derby
Baltimore 17-25 .405, AL East cellar.
Chi Cubs 16-24 .400
Oakland 17-26 .395, AL West cellar.

[O Really]

A Huge Move Inches Closer on the Iconic Las Vegas Strip (Play Ball!)
It has been rumored for a while, but now it looks likely to happen which is very good news for Caesars, MGM, and other Strip operators.
DANIEL KLINEMAY 21, 2022 11:01 AM EDT

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/las ... FLIPBOARD2

[Vrede too]

A Huge Move Inches Closer on the Iconic Las Vegas Strip (Play Ball!)
It has been rumored for a while, but now it looks likely to happen which is very good news for Caesars, MGM, and other Strip operators.
DANIEL KLINEMAY 21, 2022 11:01 AM EDT

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/las ... -athletics

I get why Las Vegas and teams are doing it, but given water woes any major new development in Las Vegas is obscene.

[O Really]

A Huge Move Inches Closer on the Iconic Las Vegas Strip (Play Ball!)
It has been rumored for a while, but now it looks likely to happen which is very good news for Caesars, MGM, and other Strip operators.
DANIEL KLINEMAY 21, 2022 11:01 AM EDT

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/las ... -athletics

I get why Las Vegas and teams are doing it, but given water woes any major new development in Las Vegas is obscene.

Yep. No natural grass field for them.
https://www.lvvwd.com/conservation/measures/index.html

The Las Vegas Valley gets about 90 percent of its water from the Colorado River(Opens another site in new window), which is facing the worst drought in the river basin's recorded history. The water level of Lake Mead(Opens another site in new window), which serves the source of most of our community’s drinking water, has dropped more than 150 feet since January 2000.

Lake Mead's low water levels have prompted the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to issue a water shortage declaration, which will reduce the amount of water Southern Nevada will be allowed to withdraw from the lake beginning in January 2022.

Combined with existing water reductions outlined in the Drought Contingency Plan, the declared shortage will cut Southern Nevada’s annual water allocation by nearly 7 billion gallons (21,000 acre-feet) in 2022 – enough to serve about 45,000 valley households for a year. Should Lake Mead's water level continue to decline, additional cuts will follow.

[Ulysses]

Let's face it: The American West south of Oregon is experiencing a record drought.

[O Really]

This is sad -
A’s attendance woes reaching historic, embarrassing stage
Ex-A’s executive blames owner John Fisher for Oakland’s major league-worst attendance while team pursues a new ballpark

https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/05/22/ ... ing-stage/

There’s no secret why people aren’t showing up to their aging, dilapidated home. It’s A’s ownership dismantling a playoff-caliber roster in the name of future sustainability, while drastically raising season ticket prices amid an ongoing threat to move to Las Vegas, if it can’t get a new stadium at the Port of Oakland. To A’s fans, that’s three strikes — and all but the team’s most imperturbable followers are out.

...
Dolich looks at the A’s current marketing efforts and just shakes his head. He sees a confusing ticket campaign that began charging their most loyal customers, season ticket holders, nearly double what they paid a year ago. Then there’s the problematic $30 parking price. Then, to spark fan interest recently, the team has undercut those season ticket holders by offering dirt cheap entrance into the park.

“Any time your parking is five times what a ticket price is, you know that there’s no strategy involved,” Dolich said. “Any basic marketer in whatever product your offering knows this. There’s so many deals available to the customer now that they get confused. A’s tickets are two-for-$10 or $5.10, it’s this price on a Wednesday, this price on a weekend.

“The A’s are offering deals that are destroying the credibility of their product and it hurts that core group of fans.”

[O Really]

Around here, with both locals and tourists there are a lot of baseball caps worn. SD, of course, a lot of LA, some Angels, the usual Yankees, Boston, and Cubs, quite a few SF, even the occasional Detroit. Never have seen an A's cap or t-shirt.

Update: today I saw my first A's cap locally, but I don't know if it counts. It was on a homeless guy's cart, but he wasn't actually wearing it.

[Vrede too]

Update: today I saw my first A's cap locally, but I don't know if it counts. It was on a homeless guy's cart, but he wasn't actually wearing it.

Oh man, you should have gotten us a pic.

[Ulysses]

I have at least one A's cap. My fav is old style, with the horizontal lines. It's a hit at games.

[Vrede too]

Bad day for the Bay Area, and only the Bay Area.

Now a 3-0 sweep by the Padres on the road.
Padres beat the Brewers with a walkoff RBI double in the 10th.
Giants got stomped by the Mets in SF.
A's lost to the Angels, a 1-2 road trip.
A's lost by 1 in Seattle.
Cubs finally beat AZ, a 1-3 homestand.
W Keegan Thompson 4-0, 1.54 ERA. Cubs have a legit ace closer.
Cubs beat the Reds in Cincy.
Baltimore beat TB, a 2-1 homestand.
Baltimore beat the NYY in NY.

San Diego 27-14 .659, 1/2 game out of the NL West lead.
28-14 .667, still 1/2 game out of the NL West lead.
San Francisco 22-18 .550, 5 games behind in the NL West.
22-19 .537, now 6 games behind in the NL West.

Loser Derby
Baltimore 17-25 .405, AL East cellar. 18-25 .419
Chi Cubs 16-24 .400 17-24 .415
Oakland 17-26 .395, AL West cellar. 17-27 .386

[Vrede too]

...

Texas School Shooting Hits ‘Close to Home' for Rays Pitcher Brooks Raley
The Tampa Bay pitcher grew up in Uvalde, Texas, and attended Robb Elementary

... “It’s a pretty small town,” Raley said Wednesday. “News travels fast. My family is still there, my brother lives there, and his wife and daughter. So it hits close to home.”

... “I did go to that school. I walked those halls, so I can imagine what they experience each day, and I’m feeling for that community,” Raley added. “It’s small and a close-knit community, so it’s obviously tough. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do. It’s going to take time.”

... Raley, a two-sport star at Uvalde High School, has not lived in his hometown since heading off to college at Texas A&M, where he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2009. He currently resides in College Station, Texas, with his wife, Rachel, and their three daughters....

Raley is in his first season with the Rays. The left-handed reliever was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and three saves in 14 appearances entering Wednesday night’s game against the Marlins. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2012 and has also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros during his career.

Raley was only with the Chicago Cubs 2012–2013.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/te ... y/2770142/

[GoCubsGo]

Raley was only with the Chicago Cubs 2012–2013.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/te ... y/2770142/

Who dat?

Pretty forgettable Cub.

Eight appearances over two years during their tanking years.

[Vrede too]

Raley was only with the Chicago Cubs 2012–2013.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/te ... y/2770142/

Opps, that was supposed to be a link to his Wiki page, not the same article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Raley

Who dat?

Pretty forgettable Cub.

Eight appearances over two years during their tanking years.

Yeah. He's doing better now, though.
https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/9262/
Looks like it was 14 appearances with the Cubs, 5 starts.

[GoCubsGo]

Yeah. He's doing better now, though.
https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/9262/
Looks like it was 14 appearances with the Cubs, 5 starts.

Don't know where I got that.

He's finally having a good year, good for him.

Still don't remember him though, but I wasn't following that closely then (kind of like now ).

[Vrede too]

One site's opinion:

All 30 MLB stadiums, ranked: 2022 edition

... 30. RingCentral Coliseum - Oakland A’s ...

Ouch.

28. Guaranteed Rate Field - Chicago White Sox

I can’t get over how the stadium could’ve had an epic skyline view if it was flipped around — quite the design flaw.

... 11. Camden Yards - Baltimore Orioles ...

4. Wrigley Field - Chicago Cubs

The renovations to Wrigley Field weren’t without controversy, but the Cubs did a great job preserving the classic Wrigley experience while embracing much-needed modern upgrades.

2. Oracle Park - San Francisco Giants

Going to a game at Oracle Park is an absolutely unique experience, and arguably no stadium utilizes its picturesque setting better. You’re right on the water, enjoying a baseball game in a stadium that smells like garlic fries. It doesn’t get much better.

Gorgeous.

1. Petco Park - San Diego Padres

STILL THE STADIUM CHAMPS.

Petco Park is simply the best place to watch a baseball game. The location (embedded in downtown San Diego), the weather, the food, the beer and, of course, the stadium itself — it’s all phenomenal. Petco Park often doesn’t get the credit it deserves when compared to the Fenways and Wrigleys of the baseball world. But don’t listen to those people. Petco Park is the best stadium in baseball.

Have you been, O Really? Do you agree?

[O Really]

STILL THE STADIUM CHAMPS.

Petco Park is simply the best place to watch a baseball game. The location (embedded in downtown San Diego), the weather, the food, the beer and, of course, the stadium itself — it’s all phenomenal. Petco Park often doesn’t get the credit it deserves when compared to the Fenways and Wrigleys of the baseball world. But don’t listen to those people. Petco Park is the best stadium in baseball.

Have you been, O Really? Do you agree?
[/quote]
We've been to events there - and will go next for the Elton John concert, but not to Padres games. But it is a beautiful stadium, with easy access by car or public, clean, well-managed, and good downtown and Coronado views. Probably should take in a baseball game and report back.

[Vrede too]

Canada:

What's good about baseball.

America:

MLB fans weren't happy after a Yankees fan took a baseball from Aaron Judge out of a young kid's glove

[Ulysses]

In the news, Chicago Cubs were beaten by the cellar dweller Cincinatti Reds two games in a row.

[Vrede too]

STILL THE STADIUM CHAMPS.

Petco Park is simply the best place to watch a baseball game. The location (embedded in downtown San Diego), the weather, the food, the beer and, of course, the stadium itself — it’s all phenomenal. Petco Park often doesn’t get the credit it deserves when compared to the Fenways and Wrigleys of the baseball world. But don’t listen to those people. Petco Park is the best stadium in baseball.

Have you been, O Really? Do you agree?

We've been to events there - and will go next for the Elton John concert, but not to Padres games. But it is a beautiful stadium, with easy access by car or public, clean, well-managed, and good downtown and Coronado views. Probably should take in a baseball game and report back.

[GoCubsGo]

I'm sure this pissed off parts of their fan bases.