And the fact he's a big fat guy is one of contributing reasons to his recent injury and his considerable decline over the past few years. The guy will be dead within the next 15-20 years due to poor health habits.
2016 Official Major League Baseball Thread
- Thread starter EagerBeaver
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And the fact he's a big fat guy is one of contributing reasons to his recent injury and his considerable decline over the past few years. The guy will be dead within the next 15-20 years due to poor health habits.
The Yankees have hit 5 homers tonight off the shellshocked Chris Young who was just relieved after giving up the 5th homer in just 2.2 innings
Chapman coming in to pitch the 9th and preserve a 6-2 lead!!!!!!!!!!! First action of the year!!!!
Highly touted Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez makes his major league debut tonight, bating 6th as DH against the White Sox big lefty, Chris Sale:
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/ya...-jewels-of-the-yankees-farm-system-on-display
Yankees have a help wanted sign in front of Yankees Stadium for good righthanded bats and Sanchez fits the bill.
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/ya...-jewels-of-the-yankees-farm-system-on-display
Yankees have a help wanted sign in front of Yankees Stadium for good righthanded bats and Sanchez fits the bill.
The Yankees will conclude a 7-3 homestand tomorrow if Tanaka beat the Royals. Against Boston, KC and Chicago. I don't see that any changes are needed at this time. This team has the best bullpen in baseball bar none.
Odor Punches Bautista In Face
Check this out, after a hard slide by Jose Bautista into Rougned Odor, Odor punched Bautista in the face with a right that landed solid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKq8j6gCQOs
Here is video of the slide, it looked totally legal to me, Bautista went right over the base:
http://nesn.com/2016/05/watch-rougned-odor-nail-jose-bautista-with-brutal-punch-after-takeout-slide/
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/jose-bautista-punch-rougned-odor-that-ignites-brawl-051516
Check this out, after a hard slide by Jose Bautista into Rougned Odor, Odor punched Bautista in the face with a right that landed solid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKq8j6gCQOs
Here is video of the slide, it looked totally legal to me, Bautista went right over the base:
http://nesn.com/2016/05/watch-rougned-odor-nail-jose-bautista-with-brutal-punch-after-takeout-slide/
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/jose-bautista-punch-rougned-odor-that-ignites-brawl-051516
One of the ESPN reporters also didn't have any problem with Bautista's slide. It was a hard slide, which was to be expected in order to break the double-play and the Jays trailing by only 1 run late in the game. It was also understandable considering he had just been hit in the ribs by a 96 mph fastball by a troubled alcoholic just making his second presence with the Rangers.
The ESPN reporter had a problem with the Rangers deciding to retaliate not only this late in the series, but for the simple fact that these two teams no longer face one another for the rest of the season. If you wanted to hit Bautista, hit him in the first game back a month or so ago. Don't wait until it's late in the series....their final series of the regular season!
One thing that i missed, which the ESPN reporter pointed out, was that Odor attempted to injure Bautista with the throw as Bautista was sliding. He threw very low and directly at his head, which he barely missed, which also explains why the throw was away from first base. The sucker punch (as pointed out by the reporter) was uncalled for and if anyone had a reason to punch someone, Bautista did.
The ESPN reporter basically called the Rangers a bunch of cowards for instigating this incident, as several Blue Jays players (and their manager) did. I cannot disagree with them after watching the video over and over.
Bautista credited Odor for throwing a good punch. But he added that 'it takes a bigger man' to knock him down.' I love it!
By the way, i absolutely hate the sliding rule!!! I hate the one from last year at home plate, and i hate this new one even more!!! Is baseball now supposed to be played by a bunch of pantsies???? And i despise instant replay!!! I hate it!!!! The games are long enough already!!!
The ESPN reporter had a problem with the Rangers deciding to retaliate not only this late in the series, but for the simple fact that these two teams no longer face one another for the rest of the season. If you wanted to hit Bautista, hit him in the first game back a month or so ago. Don't wait until it's late in the series....their final series of the regular season!
One thing that i missed, which the ESPN reporter pointed out, was that Odor attempted to injure Bautista with the throw as Bautista was sliding. He threw very low and directly at his head, which he barely missed, which also explains why the throw was away from first base. The sucker punch (as pointed out by the reporter) was uncalled for and if anyone had a reason to punch someone, Bautista did.
The ESPN reporter basically called the Rangers a bunch of cowards for instigating this incident, as several Blue Jays players (and their manager) did. I cannot disagree with them after watching the video over and over.
Bautista credited Odor for throwing a good punch. But he added that 'it takes a bigger man' to knock him down.' I love it!
By the way, i absolutely hate the sliding rule!!! I hate the one from last year at home plate, and i hate this new one even more!!! Is baseball now supposed to be played by a bunch of pantsies???? And i despise instant replay!!! I hate it!!!! The games are long enough already!!!
I think Odor is facing a 5 or so game suspension. I didn't think Bautista would be suspended, but in his press conference after the game he said his hard slide was intended to "send a message." In light of that statement they may need to slap Bautista on the wrist. The Jays should have done what the Rangers did with Odor, which was to keep him away from the postgame press conference so he couldn't make a bad situation worse.
I had no problem with the Bautista slide either under the old rule or the new neighborhood rule. He went straight over the bag and didn't do go out of the way to make contact with Odor. The baserunners own the paths straight to the base, it's only when they deviate from that path and take someone out that they can be ruled to interfere with a double play. In that situation Odor has to do his best to avoid contact and make a good throw. The slide was legal as far as I could see but Bautista may get slapped with a 1 game suspension for admitting his intent was to send a message. He really should have just shut his mouth or just say the dude sucker punched me. Although I didn't see it as a sucker punch. I saw it like Barry Melrose did, Bautista should have done a better job defending himself or punching Odor before Odor could punch him. Bautista took a great shot and stayed on his feet and all credit to him for that, but he could have dodged and jabbed Odor or otherwise subdued him.
Gibbons also made a silly comment that may get him suspended which was that he wasn't "going to stay in the clubhouse drinking wine" after being ejected. He shouldn't be drinking in the clubhouse even if he was ejected because if he needed to charge back out on the field after the melee occurred post-ejection, it should be a sober charge into the field. This brings back some memories of the Red Sox having beer and fried chicken in their clubhouse during games. This may get the Gibster a game or two suspension as well. Odor is facing the longest suspension.
I had no problem with the Bautista slide either under the old rule or the new neighborhood rule. He went straight over the bag and didn't do go out of the way to make contact with Odor. The baserunners own the paths straight to the base, it's only when they deviate from that path and take someone out that they can be ruled to interfere with a double play. In that situation Odor has to do his best to avoid contact and make a good throw. The slide was legal as far as I could see but Bautista may get slapped with a 1 game suspension for admitting his intent was to send a message. He really should have just shut his mouth or just say the dude sucker punched me. Although I didn't see it as a sucker punch. I saw it like Barry Melrose did, Bautista should have done a better job defending himself or punching Odor before Odor could punch him. Bautista took a great shot and stayed on his feet and all credit to him for that, but he could have dodged and jabbed Odor or otherwise subdued him.
Gibbons also made a silly comment that may get him suspended which was that he wasn't "going to stay in the clubhouse drinking wine" after being ejected. He shouldn't be drinking in the clubhouse even if he was ejected because if he needed to charge back out on the field after the melee occurred post-ejection, it should be a sober charge into the field. This brings back some memories of the Red Sox having beer and fried chicken in their clubhouse during games. This may get the Gibster a game or two suspension as well. Odor is facing the longest suspension.
Rangers’ answer to Bautista bat flip was gutless
To wait seven months after the flip, to wait for the final game of the 2016 season series, in Bautista’s final at-bat, was just wrong.
by Richard Griffin, Baseball columnist
Matt Bush is an idiot. Rougned Odor is a punk. Jose Bautista is an old-school baller that plays the game right. John Gibbons is spontaneous and genuine. Jesse Chavez understands what needs to be done. And even though the Rangers may believe they evened the score for the bat flip by Bautista in Game 5 of the ALDS, I guarantee the Texas veteran players don’t feel good about it.
There have been thousands of slides at second base in major-league baseball history that were more dangerous and reckless than Bautista’s takeout at second base of the Rangers’ Odor on Sunday afternoon. It’s part of the respected history of the game. It’s how things are settled and self-regulated on the field and have been for years. You hit me, I slide in hard. But 21st century political correctness and a knee-jerk MLB need to feel it is protecting its players has somehow made the game more dangerous.
There will be fines and possible suspensions to the Blue Jays and Rangers, but MLB needs to take a huge amount of the responsibility in the matter. The new rules give players a false sense of safety — until they’re broken. Whether this makes the Jays a tighter team moving forward is yet to be seen.
This is the first year of the slide rule at second base. Begin your slide early, keep your feet down and don’t slide past the bag. Middle infielders feel somehow protected. So when someone doesn’t abide by the rules, does that mean they can feel assaulted and can respond with a punch to the face?
Under current rules, the slide by Bautista and the wide throw that resulted was an automatic double play. He left his feet late and slid straight over, but well past the bag. This was a much easier call than the Bautista slide in Tampa that ended a loss in April. Here, he was making a point in the old-school, traditional baseball manner, without intent to injure but in response to being hit on purpose. Bautista knew the automatic call was coming — but not the sucker-punch right hand from Odor.
In the past, what Bautista did would have been an acceptable response to being drilled by the Rangers’ right-hander Bush, with a 96 miles-per-hour fastball. He knew the Rangers were still upset by his emotional three-run homer and bat-flip in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS at the Rogers Centre.
But the Rangers had always publicly downplayed any lingering animosity that was still there. To wait seven months and one day after the flip, to wait for the final game of the 2016 season series, in Bautista’s final at-bat was just wrong. After Bautista had sent his hard-slide message in response to being drilled, Odor’s idiotic response was to wheel quickly and physically assault Bautista, beginning with a two-hand push to the chest, followed by a sucker punch to the right side of the face that sent helmet and glasses flying and an overhand with the fielding glove that was still on his left hand.
At least in hockey, players drop their gloves to signal a fight and as an opponent you then know to expect that punches will be thrown. Odor’s answer to the slide and the fact of the Rangers waiting until the final game of the season series and the final at-bat was in Bautista’s words “cowardly.” And he’s right. Odor was not available for comment and Bush’s response was “no comment.”
Whether the 30-year-old Bush took it upon himself to exact revenge on Bautista for the Game 5 bat-flip from the 2015 ALDS, for whether someone in the Rangers’ dugout suggested that he do it, Bush was clearly the wrong man to settle the score for the Rangers. He wasn’t there in ’15.
Why not Sam Dyson, the pitcher that served up the Bautista bomb? He had plenty of opportunities, facing Bautista twice in the series in Toronto. In fact, the Rangers had spent six games denying that there was any lingering feelings about Game 5, then in the final game of the season series, not meeting for another year — unless it’s the playoffs again — they threw at Bautista.
“To me it was gutless,” Jays’ manager John Gibbons said. And he’s right.
No one has ever suggested that Bush thinks things through, logically. At the moment Bautista hit his game-winning blast last October, Bush was serving out the end of a 39-month sentence in Florida for a hit-and-run, injuring a 72-year-old man, knocking him off his motorcycle. He was accused of DUI and leaving the scene, and pleaded no contest.
Do the other Rangers feel this is the guy to settle the score for them in what is the oldest of baseball traditions, taking care of things on the field?
A first-overall pick of the Padres 12 years ago, the weekend series against the Jays was his first taste of MLB action.
Bush was convicted in 2004 for felony assault and misdemeanour trespass. He was involved in another incident in ’09 in which he allegedly beat a high school lacrosse player with a golf club and then an incident in which he allegedly assaulted and screamed at a woman at a party that resulted in the Blue Jays releasing him in ’09. But Bush claims he is a new man, that after serving time, it won’t happen again.
Nevertheless, he was not the right man to throw at Bautista.
Who knows. It may bring the Jays closer as a team. Kevin Pillar raced out to confront Odor. Gibbons came back out on the field after being ejected earlier and went after the Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister, which will not be looked at well by MLB. Coach DeMarlo Hale confronted Prince Fielder. Then the next inning, Jesse Chavez drilled Fielder in his ample right thigh and walked slowly off the field with what he knew was an automatic ejection as the benches cleared for a second time.
The Jays lost the battle 7-6, but they are hoping that eventually the 2016 war can be won. There is nothing for the Jays to be ashamed of in this fight. But the Rangers? That’s another story.
Rangers gutless
To wait seven months after the flip, to wait for the final game of the 2016 season series, in Bautista’s final at-bat, was just wrong.
by Richard Griffin, Baseball columnist
Matt Bush is an idiot. Rougned Odor is a punk. Jose Bautista is an old-school baller that plays the game right. John Gibbons is spontaneous and genuine. Jesse Chavez understands what needs to be done. And even though the Rangers may believe they evened the score for the bat flip by Bautista in Game 5 of the ALDS, I guarantee the Texas veteran players don’t feel good about it.
There have been thousands of slides at second base in major-league baseball history that were more dangerous and reckless than Bautista’s takeout at second base of the Rangers’ Odor on Sunday afternoon. It’s part of the respected history of the game. It’s how things are settled and self-regulated on the field and have been for years. You hit me, I slide in hard. But 21st century political correctness and a knee-jerk MLB need to feel it is protecting its players has somehow made the game more dangerous.
There will be fines and possible suspensions to the Blue Jays and Rangers, but MLB needs to take a huge amount of the responsibility in the matter. The new rules give players a false sense of safety — until they’re broken. Whether this makes the Jays a tighter team moving forward is yet to be seen.
This is the first year of the slide rule at second base. Begin your slide early, keep your feet down and don’t slide past the bag. Middle infielders feel somehow protected. So when someone doesn’t abide by the rules, does that mean they can feel assaulted and can respond with a punch to the face?
Under current rules, the slide by Bautista and the wide throw that resulted was an automatic double play. He left his feet late and slid straight over, but well past the bag. This was a much easier call than the Bautista slide in Tampa that ended a loss in April. Here, he was making a point in the old-school, traditional baseball manner, without intent to injure but in response to being hit on purpose. Bautista knew the automatic call was coming — but not the sucker-punch right hand from Odor.
In the past, what Bautista did would have been an acceptable response to being drilled by the Rangers’ right-hander Bush, with a 96 miles-per-hour fastball. He knew the Rangers were still upset by his emotional three-run homer and bat-flip in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS at the Rogers Centre.
But the Rangers had always publicly downplayed any lingering animosity that was still there. To wait seven months and one day after the flip, to wait for the final game of the 2016 season series, in Bautista’s final at-bat was just wrong. After Bautista had sent his hard-slide message in response to being drilled, Odor’s idiotic response was to wheel quickly and physically assault Bautista, beginning with a two-hand push to the chest, followed by a sucker punch to the right side of the face that sent helmet and glasses flying and an overhand with the fielding glove that was still on his left hand.
At least in hockey, players drop their gloves to signal a fight and as an opponent you then know to expect that punches will be thrown. Odor’s answer to the slide and the fact of the Rangers waiting until the final game of the season series and the final at-bat was in Bautista’s words “cowardly.” And he’s right. Odor was not available for comment and Bush’s response was “no comment.”
Whether the 30-year-old Bush took it upon himself to exact revenge on Bautista for the Game 5 bat-flip from the 2015 ALDS, for whether someone in the Rangers’ dugout suggested that he do it, Bush was clearly the wrong man to settle the score for the Rangers. He wasn’t there in ’15.
Why not Sam Dyson, the pitcher that served up the Bautista bomb? He had plenty of opportunities, facing Bautista twice in the series in Toronto. In fact, the Rangers had spent six games denying that there was any lingering feelings about Game 5, then in the final game of the season series, not meeting for another year — unless it’s the playoffs again — they threw at Bautista.
“To me it was gutless,” Jays’ manager John Gibbons said. And he’s right.
No one has ever suggested that Bush thinks things through, logically. At the moment Bautista hit his game-winning blast last October, Bush was serving out the end of a 39-month sentence in Florida for a hit-and-run, injuring a 72-year-old man, knocking him off his motorcycle. He was accused of DUI and leaving the scene, and pleaded no contest.
Do the other Rangers feel this is the guy to settle the score for them in what is the oldest of baseball traditions, taking care of things on the field?
A first-overall pick of the Padres 12 years ago, the weekend series against the Jays was his first taste of MLB action.
Bush was convicted in 2004 for felony assault and misdemeanour trespass. He was involved in another incident in ’09 in which he allegedly beat a high school lacrosse player with a golf club and then an incident in which he allegedly assaulted and screamed at a woman at a party that resulted in the Blue Jays releasing him in ’09. But Bush claims he is a new man, that after serving time, it won’t happen again.
Nevertheless, he was not the right man to throw at Bautista.
Who knows. It may bring the Jays closer as a team. Kevin Pillar raced out to confront Odor. Gibbons came back out on the field after being ejected earlier and went after the Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister, which will not be looked at well by MLB. Coach DeMarlo Hale confronted Prince Fielder. Then the next inning, Jesse Chavez drilled Fielder in his ample right thigh and walked slowly off the field with what he knew was an automatic ejection as the benches cleared for a second time.
The Jays lost the battle 7-6, but they are hoping that eventually the 2016 war can be won. There is nothing for the Jays to be ashamed of in this fight. But the Rangers? That’s another story.
Rangers gutless
Odor: No Regrets
Odor has no regrets about punching Bautista in the face:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...gret-punching-jose-bautista-toronto-blue-jays
Odor has no regrets about punching Bautista in the face:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...gret-punching-jose-bautista-toronto-blue-jays
Gibbons isn't right. Waiting until the last game was a shrewd and calculated move by Jeff Banister, who is looking out for his players. The Blue Jays cannot retaliate!!!!!!!!!! You always retaliate at a time when the other team cannot do so. Banister likely saved his team some harassment while at the same time evening the score. It was not gutless. It was ruthless, and getting even.
Having looked at the play in question and the previous stuff that went on between these two teams laty year, i think the slide was as dangerous (if not more so) as the haymaker landed to Joey Bats mug (that btw needs to be shaved, whats up with the Miami Vice Don Johnson look these days Joey?)
Overall two classless moves by both Odor and J-Bats. It will be fun to see if these two teams meet in the playoffs tho! :clap2:
Overall two classless moves by both Odor and J-Bats. It will be fun to see if these two teams meet in the playoffs tho! :clap2:
Having looked at the play in question and the previous stuff that went on between these two teams last year, i think the slide was as dangerous (if not more so) as the haymaker landed to Joey Bats mug (that btw needs to be shaved, whats STILL with the Miami Vice Don Johnson look these days Joey?)
Overall two classless moves by both Odor and J-Bats. It will be fun to see if these two teams meet in the playoffs tho! :clap2:
Overall two classless moves by both Odor and J-Bats. It will be fun to see if these two teams meet in the playoffs tho! :clap2:
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred unhappy with lenght of games
The average time of a nine-inning baseball game is up nearly seven minutes compared with this point last season, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred isn't happy about it.
"We think the single biggest thing we had going for us early in the year [last season] was player focus on the topic," Manfred told ESPN. "And we feel like we've lost a little focus. So we're doing a variety of things to try to get that focus back."
Through Monday, the average time of a nine-inning game this season was 3 hours, 26 seconds. At the same stage of last season, about six weeks after MLB implemented much-ballyhooed new pace-of-game rules, the average game time was 2:53:33. That pace did slow, however, and the average time by season's end wound up at 2:56:14.
Manfred said officials in the commissioner's office have reached out to the Major League Baseball Players Association to let the union know that they're "concerned" about this trend. And players identified as repeated violators of pace-of-game rules have actually received personal phone calls reminding them to adhere to the rules, sources say.
MLB officials believe the prolonged stretch of cold weather in the Midwest and Northeast is one factor, because "when it's cold," Manfred said, "the games do go longer."
Another factor, MLB has concluded, is a steep spike in pitches per game, which have risen to their highest level (289.25 per nine-inning game) in seven years. However, Manfred absolved baseball's replay system of blame, saying he looks at the 35 percent increase in replay reviews, compared with last year, as more of a pace-of-game issue than a time-of-game issue.
Even with the increase in total number of replays, baseball still averages less than one replay per game. So the rise in replays and the rise in game time don't appear to be related. Nevertheless, Manfred said, baseball is studying various aspects of replay this season and will look at potential tweaks to the system after this year.
"You can rest assured," the commissioner said, "that we are watching this year, and we will be analyzing during the offseason, both the number of replays and particularly the longer reviews. The 4-minute-and-50-second reviews don't make me that happy."
Manfred said he is actually gratified that the expanded replay system has worked so well over its first three seasons that MLB has "only tinkered at the edges with the system." Nevertheless, he said, the 35 percent rise in total replays and the trend toward longer reviews are issues "that merit analysis."
"Meriting analysis doesn't mean there ought to be a change," he said. "Just, they merit analysis."
The commissioner said he thinks baseball needs to look at "creative ways" to improve both time and pace of game. He promised that this will be a major topic this summer in negotiations over the next labor deal, which would take effect after this season. Baseball continues to experiment with pitch clocks in minor league games, but Manfred declined to say whether MLB would push for pitch clocks in the major leagues next season.
"We're going to put a package of issues on the table with the union," he said. "Speculating about which ones I like and don't like is counterproductive to that process at this point. I think the best I can do for you at this point is to say I'm prepared to think about additional rule changes that are relevant to the issue of pace of play."
Commish unhappy with lenght of games
Doc's take: "No kidding, Robby! But don't you realize that a lot has to do with all the instant replay reviews during a game?? It's crazy!!! Get rid of it!!!"
"Also, get rid of the stupid sliding rules!! This isn't Little League Baseball or Women's Softball!!!"
The average time of a nine-inning baseball game is up nearly seven minutes compared with this point last season, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred isn't happy about it.
"We think the single biggest thing we had going for us early in the year [last season] was player focus on the topic," Manfred told ESPN. "And we feel like we've lost a little focus. So we're doing a variety of things to try to get that focus back."
Through Monday, the average time of a nine-inning game this season was 3 hours, 26 seconds. At the same stage of last season, about six weeks after MLB implemented much-ballyhooed new pace-of-game rules, the average game time was 2:53:33. That pace did slow, however, and the average time by season's end wound up at 2:56:14.
Manfred said officials in the commissioner's office have reached out to the Major League Baseball Players Association to let the union know that they're "concerned" about this trend. And players identified as repeated violators of pace-of-game rules have actually received personal phone calls reminding them to adhere to the rules, sources say.
MLB officials believe the prolonged stretch of cold weather in the Midwest and Northeast is one factor, because "when it's cold," Manfred said, "the games do go longer."
Another factor, MLB has concluded, is a steep spike in pitches per game, which have risen to their highest level (289.25 per nine-inning game) in seven years. However, Manfred absolved baseball's replay system of blame, saying he looks at the 35 percent increase in replay reviews, compared with last year, as more of a pace-of-game issue than a time-of-game issue.
Even with the increase in total number of replays, baseball still averages less than one replay per game. So the rise in replays and the rise in game time don't appear to be related. Nevertheless, Manfred said, baseball is studying various aspects of replay this season and will look at potential tweaks to the system after this year.
"You can rest assured," the commissioner said, "that we are watching this year, and we will be analyzing during the offseason, both the number of replays and particularly the longer reviews. The 4-minute-and-50-second reviews don't make me that happy."
Manfred said he is actually gratified that the expanded replay system has worked so well over its first three seasons that MLB has "only tinkered at the edges with the system." Nevertheless, he said, the 35 percent rise in total replays and the trend toward longer reviews are issues "that merit analysis."
"Meriting analysis doesn't mean there ought to be a change," he said. "Just, they merit analysis."
The commissioner said he thinks baseball needs to look at "creative ways" to improve both time and pace of game. He promised that this will be a major topic this summer in negotiations over the next labor deal, which would take effect after this season. Baseball continues to experiment with pitch clocks in minor league games, but Manfred declined to say whether MLB would push for pitch clocks in the major leagues next season.
"We're going to put a package of issues on the table with the union," he said. "Speculating about which ones I like and don't like is counterproductive to that process at this point. I think the best I can do for you at this point is to say I'm prepared to think about additional rule changes that are relevant to the issue of pace of play."
Commish unhappy with lenght of games
Doc's take: "No kidding, Robby! But don't you realize that a lot has to do with all the instant replay reviews during a game?? It's crazy!!! Get rid of it!!!"
"Also, get rid of the stupid sliding rules!! This isn't Little League Baseball or Women's Softball!!!"
Personally when i go to a game in person, i want the game to last at least three hours. I suppose if a person has season tickets and or goes regularly then maybe they want the games to end sooner but for the $ we are paying, i want to take in the atmosphere for as long as possible. It sucks Hockey games as well are basically over within 2.5 hours start to finish. Tickets (good to great seats) food, beer and or game program can easily total $400, for that kind of money i want to be entertained for 3-4 hours per game.
MLB is the most affordable major professional sport out there. I pay under $90 for my Jays tickets right between home plate and first base. So no one can complain that the games aren't long enough. However, when i pay $400 for a Leafs game or a Raptors game, that's another story. Same thing with a Bills game in Buffalo, which is at least half that price. But at least there's action and pace in those sports. Baseball?? Most of the time, i'm half asleep and/or i have to go for a walk around the ballpark since my back (and my ass) is usually killing me from seating on those crappy hard aluminum seats.
No wonder less & less younger folks watch or care about this sport. It's way too long for their tastes and they'd rather watch something else lasting 2 to 2 1/2 hours max.
p.s. Speaking of the Bills, i plan on attending a few games this season. Anyone know if good tickets are still hard to get on the day of the game?
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