[taxidermist]

I'm a huge baseball fan! I've played from little league all the way to the Pioneer league (2 weeks) before an injury took me out of the game, and my hopes of becoming a "Big League" pitcher were smashed.

I couldn't stay away from the game and was asked to coach the pitchers and catchers for a high school team that I attended. I've done the Umpire gig, coached city ball and helped my Son become a great ball player.

I've been watching the Men's College World Series, and I'm very impressed with the Arkansas Razorbacks. They have some real talent and I'm sure there will be at least two players that go in the draft. Has anyone else been watching the series? Oh, ya.... And what's your favorite MLB team? Yup, I'm a Yankee fan through and blue pinstripes. Took in a two game stand in the old Yankee Stadium that is now no more. It sure was a great bucket list item of mine to visit "The House That Ruth Built".

 

[3arabians]

Padres fan here. I lived in southern cal for a few years in the late 80s early 90s. That doesn’t mean I’m from California!

Anyway I loved Tony Gwynn, Benito Santiago, Fred Mcgriff, etc. I’ve been a closet padres fan for years now but we might be finally breaking out!


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[Critter]

I've followed the Rockies since they came into existence.

But it is hard to support a team along with their ownership when they just strive to be a middle of the road team, and it is sad when their star players start demanding a trade to another team because of it.

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[taxidermist]

I've followed the Rockies since they came into existence.

But it is hard to support a team along with their ownership when they just strive to be a middle of the road team, and it is sad when their star players start demanding a trade to another team because of it.

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Pro Athletes need to take a step back and play for the love of the game, and not for the love of the money the game brings. Believe me when I say, they should cherish the short time the ride could last. Not many (1in10,000 collage players) will even have the opportunity to walk on the field as a player of a big league club.

 

[Critter]

I agree with playing for the love of the game but very few do just that. Also with the number of players who start out in the PeeWee leagues or wherever they start at now they need to learn that sooner or later they may be cut from a team. I often look at pro players who are just let go from a team, that's quite possibly the first time in their lives that it has happened.

Just look at the number of players who play for the same team their entire career without being trained, there are very few of them. Even Karl Malone left the Jazz for the Lakers in the hope of a title. But he did it on his own accord and not upper level management.

But isn't the main purpose of a pro team to win a championship?

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[middlefork]

Dodgers fan here. Have been since Tommy Lasorda was coaching in Ogden. Selling peanuts and having him talk to you was a pretty special feeling.

 

[2full]

I'm a long time Giants fan, since I was in little league. Mays, McCovey, the older Bonds, Marichel, Tiant, Hunt, Dietz, etc.
And NO, I'm not from California.
I watch parts of the CWS. Even went to Omaha and spent 5 days at the tournament a few years back.
Was a lot of fun.
I played city league softball till I was 46. Then went back and played a season at 56 years old.
Then I remembered why I quit at 46......
Wish I could still play !!

 

[Packout]

I'm a Shohei Ohtani fan. Been to see him and I look forward to the next time if I am lucky enough to see him pitch. The guy is everything an athlete in the spotlight should be- and more.

My son is a huge Dodgers fan so I have backed off from my Braves/Red Sox fandom that I enjoyed since I was a kid- and we try to go see a Dodgers game when possible. I coached a lot of baseball and really miss my kids playing.

I have also enjoyed having the CWS on while I work. The ting of an aluminum bat brings back memories....

 

[taxidermist]

I'm a long time Giants fan, since I was in little league. Mays, McCovey, the older Bonds, Marichel, Tiant, Hunt, Dietz, etc.
And NO, I'm not from California.
I watch parts of the CWS. Even went to Omaha and spent 5 days at the tournament a few years back.
Was a lot of fun.
I played city league softball till I was 46. Then went back and played a season at 56 years old.
Then I remembered why I quit at 46......
Wish I could still play !!

 

[taxidermist]

My Son-in-Law is a Red Sox fan, and when we get together it's a riot ribbing each other. I have Yankee "stuff" in the man cave and have given him a few things of no value that is Yankee stuff. I'm trying to turn his two girls into Yankee fans, but, I don't think it's working.😩

 

[pollo70]

Let's go Dodgers !!

 

[justismi28]

Pro Athletes need to take a step back and play for the love of the game, and not for the love of the money the game brings. Believe me when I say, they should cherish the short time the ride could last.

Former professional baseball player here checking in. I have a lot of thoughts on this comment, so thanks in advance if you read it all lol.

@Taxi this isn't meant to discount your experience as a professional player. But those that think professional baseball players are only doing it for they money don't understand the level of commitment and love these players have for the game. The game today is vastly different than even the 80's in terms of commitment. When you play 162+ games a year, you have to love what you do or no amount of money makes it worth it. But more-so when you are at the field, gym, cages, and trainers room for 14+ hours a day for 300+ days a year, if you don't love what you do, no amount of money makes it worth it. That gets weeded out in the minor leagues for those that aren't injured(I guess that makes me a dandelion ). So I dare say every one of those guys is cherishing the ride, they may just not fully realize how much it was cherished until they are older with perspective.

When it comes to money, what a lot of people don't realize, is that you don't negotiate contracts just for yourself. When you have owners signing multi-billion dollar tv deals, the players (product) deserve a piece of that as they were the ones that created that opportunity for that owner to get that contract. So when a player asks for a higher salary (arbitration, free agent) they are doing it not only for themselves, but for every other player in the union. By negotiating higher salary today, it sets the stage for the next wave of talent to maximize their ability to earn income. This in turn helps put a better product on the field, as people are incentivized to reach that next level.

They give the prime of their lives to be our entertainment. Many guys walk away with lifelong pain in their feet, knees, back, arms etc. If you were in the prime of your life, knowing you would have lifelong pains and aches by 45, how much would you charge someone that was going to benefit from that? For many of us, we value our body between 50k-85k a year. And given that the skills needed for manual labor aren't rare, that's all we and owners have deemed ourselves worth in a free market. But someone who can throw 95+ mph or hit a baseball 400+ ft, well those are "rare" and as such considered to be worth more. Not saying they actually are worth more, but the market has set that precedent long before most of us were born.

Anyhow, off the original topic but one of the things I try to help people understand a different perspective if I can. I love baseball, and will talk about it almost as much as hunting if I get the chance. Go Cardinals!

 

[justismi28]

But it is hard to support a team along with their ownership when they just strive to be a middle of the road team, and it is sad when their star players start demanding a trade to another team because of it.

Monfort is a terrible owner. There is a huge market for baseball in the intermountain west, and yet most people here are fans of teams not named the rockies or diamondbacks.
I attribute this in large part to the management of Jeff Bridich when he was GM. His trades got no value in return, and he signed terrible contracts. It's a shame really, because the rockies stadiums is one of the best to catch a game at IMO. If they would invest in growing talent, keeping that talent, and then just supplementing that core they could seriously compete in a tough division. But instead they let guys like Story walk, trade Nado and don't attempt to keep their best pitchers because it "costs" to much. It really is a shame.
If they would spend even half of dodger money, they would get way more talent. Colorado taxes aren't nearly as bad as California, but you'd still play in the NL West and spend plenty of time on the west coast.

 

[taxidermist]

Former professional baseball player here checking in. I have a lot of thoughts on this comment, so thanks in advance if you read it all lol.

@Taxi this isn't meant to discount your experience as a professional player. But those that think professional baseball players are only doing it for they money don't understand the level of commitment and love these players have for the game. The game today is vastly different than even the 80's in terms of commitment. When you play 162+ games a year, you have to love what you do or no amount of money makes it worth it. But more-so when you are at the field, gym, cages, and trainers room for 14+ hours a day for 300+ days a year, if you don't love what you do, no amount of money makes it worth it. That gets weeded out in the minor leagues for those that aren't injured(I guess that makes me a dandelion ). So I dare say every one of those guys is cherishing the ride, they may just not fully realize how much it was cherished until they are older with perspective.

When it comes to money, what a lot of people don't realize, is that you don't negotiate contracts just for yourself. When you have owners signing multi-billion dollar tv deals, the players (product) deserve a piece of that as they were the ones that created that opportunity for that owner to get that contract. So when a player asks for a higher salary (arbitration, free agent) they are doing it not only for themselves, but for every other player in the union. By negotiating higher salary today, it sets the stage for the next wave of talent to maximize their ability to earn income. This in turn helps put a better product on the field, as people are incentivized to reach that next level.

They give the prime of their lives to be our entertainment. Many guys walk away with lifelong pain in their feet, knees, back, arms etc. If you were in the prime of your life, knowing you would have lifelong pains and aches by 45, how much would you charge someone that was going to benefit from that? For many of us, we value our body between 50k-85k a year. And given that the skills needed for manual labor aren't rare, that's all we and owners have deemed ourselves worth in a free market. But someone who can throw 95+ mph or hit a baseball 400+ ft, well those are "rare" and as such considered to be worth more. Not saying they actually are worth more, but the market has set that precedent long before most of us were born.

Anyhow, off the original topic but one of the things I try to help people understand a different perspective if I can. I love baseball, and will talk about it almost as much as hunting if I get the chance. Go Cardinals!

I agree with you 100% about the abuse a body takes playing the game at the professional level. I have a hard time throwing a ball today from to many curveballs when I was younger. I could only imagine what shape I would be in if I did make it up, and even play for a few years. Throwing a fastball 95 average, curve 85 and a slider 90 I can only imagine what shape I would have been in today. Maybe it was good for me to be sent packing and play the game from behind a mask and as a coach.

It seems we always hear of the Million Dollar players, because it's not that often a Jewel comes along, and when they do, we hear about it. The talent now is so incredible, and there are more players with the talent to look at. Crazy.

If a pro ball player, plays 8 years and earns a mid range players salary, It's not that much when your no longer earning that wage at the age of 40. I'm reminded of Darrel Strawberry that made a good wage, but didn't hire, or take care of the money for the future. He had other problems that only made it worse as well.

I'm happy to know you had/have the passion and love for the game! Congrats on a carrier that you can cherish, and only a few get to experience.

 

[justismi28]

If a pro ball player, plays 8 years and earns a mid range players salary, It's not that much when your no longer earning that wage at the age of 40.

This is a huge statement. Most of the guys you play with don't have any real life skills. College players are majoring in "Sociology" or something easy so they can focus on playing. And High School players don't ever learn what career paths are out there for them. A lot of the AAAA players that are kicking around in AAA continue to hang around even though they aren't on the 40 man because they are afraid of life after baseball.

When I retired, it was scary for those very reasons. Who was I without baseball? It had been the main (and often times singular) focus for over half my life. Fortunately I had a good woman who helped me realize there was better things than playing.

Sounds like our pitches were pretty similar. I was a 90-95 FB guy with a hard SL at 89, but my CB was 75-81 depending on if it was the get me over or strikeout one. Developed a CH late in my career that to get something in that 83-85 range, but man was that a hard pitch for me to learn. I could always spin it, but arm side fade or run was always hard for me.

 

[taxidermist]

This is a huge statement. Most of the guys you play with don't have any real life skills. College players are majoring in "Sociology" or something easy so they can focus on playing. And High School players don't ever learn what career paths are out there for them. A lot of the AAAA players that are kicking around in AAA continue to hang around even though they aren't on the 40 man because they are afraid of life after baseball.

When I retired, it was scary for those very reasons. Who was I without baseball? It had been the main (and often times singular) focus for over half my life. Fortunately I had a good woman who helped me realize there was better things than playing.

Sounds like our pitches were pretty similar. I was a 90-95 FB guy with a hard SL at 89, but my CB was 75-81 depending on if it was the get me over or strikeout one. Developed a CH late in my career that to get something in that 83-85 range, but man was that a hard pitch for me to learn. I could always spin it, but arm side fade or run was always hard for me.

Nothing worse than a hanger down the middle.