He must be getting paid off to be quiet.
They want to see Homeruns, they want to boo the guys that hit them, cheer for the guys that hit them...why because there is CONTROVERSEY. Where there is that slightest doubt people get really engrossed in it, it tends to facinate them, anger them, and interest them all at once. That is why attendance is up, plus the fact Bseball is still Americas' sport IMO.Owners, union, players, they are all involved and it's their business. All of them depend on the public and eventually, it's up to the public as to what will happen to this mess. But think of this...heard the other day the cost of top tickets for the major league teams (behind third and first base). The best value, or at least the least costly was $1,900 for the Pirates. The costliest was $26,000 for the Yankees. And I'm not sure that includes the PSL's. With all that has been going on, the attendance for MLB has gone up, and that is with the knowledge of the scandales that have arisen. We gripe and complain about the price of a ticket for a race, but look at what is going on in the MLB and it isn't slowing down even with the econoby. I've heard also that some of the PSL's have been as high as $300,000 for a season, and that is for one seat.
So my question is this, what's the big deal with the doping? I don't watch much MLB these days but have been a big fan in the past. If the public doesn't really give a rat's behind, then what's behind all of this? Only a few people raising cain? One has to wonder about all of this and why are people continuing to stream into the stadiums if any of this really matters.
I just disagree with you on that, but that's my opinion. But think of it in this vien, as you are aware no doubt, that Michael Vick is due to be released from prison in May. A poll was taken by fans as to whether or not they would welcome him to their team. The biggest majority said yes, and it was because they felt that he could help their team. Now of course those fans were from teams that didn't have the best QB's in the league, but it all boiled down to the fact that while America despised what he did, if he gave them wins on the field, they would overlook it.
Okay, I'll buy that. Muggle, you and I are a dying breed in this matter. Our childhood heroes were cut from a different cloth than those of the kids today. Even in our interest in racing, things have changed so much that it's nothing what it was when we fournd our it interesting enough to pay attention. All sports have radically changed over the years, some for the better, some not so. I've never totally agree that the DH was the way to go. But it helped aging power hitters to be able to stick around for a few more years, but it took away some great strategies that a manager could use either on defense or offense.
LOL, if you have never struck out, you have never played the game of baseball. I remember one high school game where we played a team that had a pitcher that struck me out 3 times. Talk about a fastball, that guy could really throw the ball. I remember another game when I was a freshman and wasn't starting at that point. The opoosing pitcher had a no hitter agianst us and our coach sent me up to pinch hit. I drilled one up the middle for a base hit, it was the only hit of the game for us. It was an afternoon game and afterwards I went home and was on my newspaper route when a friend seen me and asked who won the game. I told him the other team, he then asked how many hits we got as he knew the opossing team's pitcher was pretty good. I said one, he then asked who got the hit and I had the biggest smile you can imagine.It is sad to see the decline in baseball being played by neighborhood kids. They still play a fair amount of little league ball, but that has been greatly reduced by the amount of kids playing soccer. Soccer takes a lot less skill and everybody can feel like they are participating all the time, unlike say a right fielder who never sees the ball until he gets to hit. The other thing is that failure is easier to justify in soccer.
Kids these days are so sheltered from any percieved failures or inadequacies that the idea of "striking out" is a foreign concept. I think striking out helped me in the long run, because I practiced and tried as hard as I could to never have that feeling again. Unfortunately many kids don't get to experience failure until they are much older and the stakes are a lot higher.
I never again asked to pitch for I never wanted to be that embarassed again. It is sad to see the decline in baseball being played by neighborhood kids. They still play a fair amount of little league ball, but that has been greatly reduced by the amount of kids playing soccer. Soccer takes a lot less skill and everybody can feel like they are participating all the time, unlike say a right fielder who never sees the ball until he gets to hit. The other thing is that failure is easier to justify in soccer.
Kids these days are so sheltered from any percieved failures or inadequacies that the idea of "striking out" is a foreign concept. I think striking out helped me in the long run, because I practiced and tried as hard as I could to never have that feeling again. Unfortunately many kids don't get to experience failure until they are much older and the stakes are a lot higher.
Oh boy, now yer bringing back some memories of childhood...great memories I might add. I was a catcher in little league and also played that position later in life in softball. Anyway, while in little league, our pitcher was so good that he was actually playing in a league that was over his age, he was that good, and he could really toss a fireball. A couple of stories here...one game my catching hand was taking a pounding from his heat. I needed a rest and asked the coach if I could sit out the next time we took the field. I was apalled to find out that once your taken out of a game, you couldn't go back in. Needless to say, I found a way to protect my hand from all the pounding that day. I had always been asking the coach to let me pitch since I had been practicing by myself for many hours. Finally, our team was ahead enough that he asked me if I wanted to give it a go. Of course I said yes and went to the mound. I walked four in a row and was then sent behind the plate.
BTW, at age 28 I broke my back while playing in a church softball game. It was in the championship game and the score was tied in the bottom of the 10th inning. First guy up got a single and they walked me. Next guy took the pitcher to 2 and 3 and then fouled out. The next batter then walked and we had the bases loaded with one out. All we needed was one run and we won the championship. The next guy also took it to a full count and then struck out. Once again, the next batter went to a full count. On the next pitch, the coach had us all running. The ball was hit squarely to the shortstop. I was heading full speed to third. The SS stepped up into my line and as I was going as fast as I could, there was no way I could miss him so I braced for collision, turning my right shoulder towards him. I turned just a bit too much and I caught his left shoulder in the middle of my back. We were both down and I can remember them yelling at the SS to tag him, I guess they forgot that I was already out for interference. I had a hard time getting off the field, but I made it and told the coach that I probably couldn't play anymore and sat on the bench and watched our team end up losing. I had a little sports car at the time and it was hard getting in and out of the car. After a nights sleep, I told my wife that I couldn't go to work and that we probably should go see a doctor. They took some exrays and sent me straight to the hospital where I spent the next nine days lying flat. L2, 3 and 4 were broken. Doc said that most of the time when he sees this sort of breakage, it's from football, not softball. I didn't play softball again until I was almost 40.
Softball is a much bigger sport in the midwest than just about any other place in the country. I've never seen any leagues down here, but I'm not out there looking either. I remember a kid that moved from Rock Island, IL out to Colorado for a job, but moved back when he couldn't find a softball league.
Muggle, you bring back so many memories. I remember our small town's ball team and where they played, we would gather behind the backstop and wait for foul balls. They would go down into a canyon. They always wanted us to give the balls back and would give a dime when you gave it back. I remember we would get some soot from the exhaust of a Cushman Eagle scooter and use that for eyeblack. We didn't know what the reason those big guys used it, but it made us feel like we were part of it all.