Baseball

[jfish26]

https://cupofcoffee.beehiiv.com/p/cup-c ... il-19-2024

How stadium stuff works in Canada

One of my north-of-the-border subscribers hipped me to an article from the Globe and Mail in which Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro talks about the ongoing $400 million renovation of Rogers Centre. The framing of the article is about how, at a time when multiple U.S.-based sports teams are either getting or trying to get public money for renovations or entirely new stadiums — and when they are routinely threatening to move if they don’t get what they want — the company that owns the Blue Jays is paying for its stadium renovations itself.

In the article Shaprio just lays it all out matter-of-factly. It’s completely unrealistic to expect the Toronto or Ontario government to pay for such things, he notes, so Rogers Communications is simply doing math: a new stadium would cost $X, renovations would cost .3 to .5 of $X, expected revenue from improvements will bring in $Y, paying for themselves over Z years. Expected life of stadium renovations is Z + A years, etc. etc.

Given how long he’s been on the scene, I know a lot about how Mark Shapiro rolls. Based on that I am 100% certain that if he were with a U.S.-based team he'd be saying very different things. That said, he's nothing if not a hard-headed realist, particularly when it comes to numbers, both baseball and financial-related, and it's quite illuminating to see how a realist behaves with respect to stadium investments when public subsidies are not an option.

I’m pretty sure that this is how almost every U.S. based owner and executive would behave if they did not think they had a chance to sucker local politicians into underwriting them. They'd look at the costs, the revenues, and treat it like any other business treats its physical plant. Like big hotels and resorts handle renovations. How cruise lines decide when to renovate or when to sell for scrap and commission a new ship. The only reason we have this move-threatening and hostage-taking stuff here is because state and local politicians indulge it and almost always give the owners what they want in the end.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

https://twitter.com/BaseballQuotes1/sta ... 7693841696

https://twitter.com/pat_timlin/status/1 ... 6039899390

[Sparko]

Was that an aluminum bat? Looked metallic in some views. If so, time to probably end that concept.

[jhawks99]

Rally Sausage

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

People don't like baseball because they feel it's "very boring".
Last night's Cubs game was the epitome of exciting baseball.

* Imanaga pitching a gem. 4 hit shutout with 8 K through 7 innings. Guy shows emotion when he pitches. Fun to watch.
https://twitter.com/JAYChiCubs/status/1 ... 0928807217

* Bellinger first game back from fractured ribs hits a HR in the bottom of the 4th to put the Cubs up 1-0.
https://twitter.com/JAYChiCubs/status/1 ... 0837308866

* Imanaga then threw a nice low pitch in the strike zone that Profar managed to hit for a 2 run HR and put the Padres up 2-1 in the 8th.
https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/sta ... 3983464784

* Hoerner with a great catch in the 8th to save a run.
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1788023623623565377

* Morel hits a sac fly in the bottom of the 8th to tie it 2-2.
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1788025164115939606

* Pads have runners on 1st and 2nd in the top of the 9th. Neris gets Merrill to pop up for the 3rd out.

* 1st pitch bottom of the 9th, pouring rain, Busch HR. Cubs walk off winners.
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1788030185142362390

[Back2Lawrence]

Jayhawks up 9 after one inning.

Game currently 10-10 going into 7th. In ESPN+.

Play again vs OU today in semis if they win vs TCU

[Back2Lawrence]

if you click on this link then pick the ku-ou link, it goes to TCU game if you don't have espn+. I can't guarantee you won't get malware or something, but I never do.

https://sporttuna.sx/live/baseball/

[Back2Lawrence]

heading to 9th, 10-10

[Back2Lawrence]

sorry, ku batting bottom 8.

[Back2Lawrence]

11-10 KU. Some dude (I won't pretend to know any KU players) hit go ahead homer.

[Back2Lawrence]

Now it's the top of 9th. KU up 1.

[Back2Lawrence]

Rut Roh. 1st and 2nd, no outs.

[Back2Lawrence]

Man on 3rd. KU just turned 2.

[Back2Lawrence]

KU wins!!!! Onto play OU up next for spot in Big12 Champ game.

[Back2Lawrence]

Again, on ESPN+ or the link I posted above.

[Back2Lawrence]

Game on. KU starts hot in 1st...so far first 4 batters reach. 2-0 without an out recorded. No more play-by-play, you can watch or follow on sports sites.

[KUTradition]

no thoughts on the Negro Leagues news?

i think it’s fantastic, personally, but had no idea there were so many different Negro Leagues through history…good on MLB for taking the time to do due diligence to try and get the statistics “right”

[Shirley]

no thoughts on the Negro Leagues news?

i think it’s fantastic, personally, but had no idea there were so many different Negro Leagues through history…good on MLB for taking the time to do due diligence to try and get the statistics “right”

Pretty cool. Kansas City got a lot of mention/exposure yesterday as a result.

[jfish26]

no thoughts on the Negro Leagues news?

i think it’s fantastic, personally, but had no idea there were so many different Negro Leagues through history…good on MLB for taking the time to do due diligence to try and get the statistics “right”

I fully support the idea of creating and maintaining a record, and trusting (gulp) that people are capable of evaluating things contextually.

For this reason, absolutely I support integrating the statistics, and for this reason (among others) I also very very very VERY much support the HoF candidacies of your various steroid-era goons.

[ousdahl]

Good Beaver-Eater matchup