Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - A little off-topic ...

State your case .... you have three choices.

1. Indianapolis
2. New Orleans
3. I don't care, shut up, when's Spring Training start?

I find it mildly interesting, for no particular reason at all, that the two Super Bowl towns are both AAA baseball cities ...

Posted by Mick Doherty on Sunday, January 24 2010 @ 10:34 PM EST.

A little off-topic ... | 58 comments | Create New Account

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westcoast dude - Sunday, January 24 2010 @ 11:45 PM EST (#211351) #

3. NFL is bush, has been since the Rams left LA, among other things. I might have had a passing interest in a Jets - Vikings game but this is just sad. How many hours until catchers and pitchers report?

greenfrog - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 12:00 AM EST (#211352) #

Two observations:

1. All Brett Favre had to do was run 5-10 yards (with seconds left in regulation time) and let the field goal unit take it from there. The Vikings were that close.

2. Peyton Manning is um, good.

soupman - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 12:39 AM EST (#211353) #

pitchers and catchers: less than a month!

TamRa - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 12:52 AM EST (#211354) #

I didn't watch either game today and likely won't watch the Super Bowl but I'm mildly interested in the Saints winning because I live in the South and they have been so bad so often for so long.

that said, #3 is the clear choice for me.

Alex Obal - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 01:35 AM EST (#211355) #

3a. Raptors. Also Blazers, Bobcats and Nuggets. There are many interesting teams in the NBA this year. I'm finding myself interested in the league as a whole much more than usual.

And spring training.

ayjackson - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 01:40 AM EST (#211356) #

I'll be for the Saints, but think you have to like Manning in this one.

The 'AAA' cities involved in the Superbowl speaks to the strength of the NFL business model that allows the small cities to compete. A business model that will no doubt end on March 4 because the owners hate sharing revenue (at least a good portion hate it).

scottt - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 07:32 AM EST (#211357) #

3. To a point that I had to read all the previous comments to figure out what this was about.

scottt - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 07:34 AM EST (#211358) #

Btw, anybody else surprised to see Matt Stairs taking a minor league deal with the Padres at age 42?

AWeb - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 07:35 AM EST (#211359) #

Kind of both teams really, nothing against either one, but the Colts must be favourites after their performance. The best two teams probably won, but the Saints and Vikings game was no classic like the announcers kept insisting. The Saints kept taking bad penalties and making awful plays in the second half, and the Vikings got burned by Favre in the end, and 5 turnovers, and three other fumbles they got back. Both teams tried to give it away, with the Vikings finally succeeding.

I'm just glad it's not on Fox...I thought Buck was bad at baseball, but damn, he's awful at everything (but has a nice voice, so it can take a few minutes to realize it sometimes).

TimberLee - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 08:25 AM EST (#211360) #

A very large 3.

rpriske - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 08:37 AM EST (#211361) #

I guess I would cheer for the Colts, but I lean hard over to not caring.

John Northey - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 08:58 AM EST (#211362) #

I largely don't care - when they talked about it on the radio I thought 'is it super bowl time already?' as I had no idea who was playing or any details.

As to the business model - it basically is sharing virtually all revenue except luxury boxes iirc thus leading to teams going wherever they can get the best stadium deal regardless of size of community (thus no LA teams). If it wasn't for the gambling I suspect the NFL would be a lot like the NHL - a regional game with strong pockets but not a true 'national' game. After all, how many people at super bowl parties really care who wins if they don't have money on the game?

Matthew E - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 09:07 AM EST (#211363) #

Three, all the way. I don't even know why they have other sports.

Magpie - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 10:24 AM EST (#211364) #

I don't even know why they have other sports.

You've been watching the Leafs. I can tell.

Mike Green - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 10:25 AM EST (#211365) #

Mike Green, age 8, arrives at the concrete playground of the school with glove in early March. The snow is gone, and there is only patchy ice. He arrives at the third base marker and wonders why the other kids haven't brought their gloves.

It's 7 degrees C out there and there's no ice on the ground. What other game could you be thinking about?

Timbuck2 - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 10:38 AM EST (#211366) #

I'll take door number 3 Monty.

And a story similar to Mike Green's :

Spring 93:

A young Timbuck2 organizes everyone together to play a pickup game of baseball. Everyone gathers at a friends house before going to the diamond and then they all opt to stay to watch the Leafs play Wayne Gretzky and the LA kings. A perterbed Timbuck2 then goes to the diamond alone and hits some balls into the fence while listening to the game on the radio. He miles to himself as the referee's play favorites with Wayne and his Kings by ignoring Waynes penalties and paying extra attention to the leafs penalties (some things never change) sending the Leafs to defeat once again.

Felt bad for Gilmore and Wendel the next day but got over it by the time baseball started...

Matthew E - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 11:24 AM EST (#211367) #

You've been watching the Leafs. I can tell.

Why would I do that? The Leafs annoy me. Not because they're losing; I'm perfectly happy when they lose. It's their basic existence that ticks me off.

Dewey - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 11:58 AM EST (#211368) #

One Easter break Dewey, then nicely into his 60�s, happened to notice his old glove laying about, crying for a bit of neatsfoot oil and pointing outside to the unusually balmy weather. So out they went to the local school. Nobody around on the break. Dewey took his old India rubber ball (a lacrosse ball?), and began lobbing easy tosses against a nice flat wall. That sort of ball bounces back fairly hard and provides good solo fielding practice. He was getting into a nice rhythm, and having to go and fetch fewer and fewer missed balls, when a colleague happened to walk by in the distance. Dewey pretended he didn�t see the man, who was doing a rather theatrical double-take; and who called out, �Aww, won�t anybody play with you.?� Yeah, O.K., pretty funny. But the nice thing was, said colleague soon disappeared for a bit, then returned with his own antiquated glove and a real baseball; and a nice game of catch ensued.

Mike Green - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 12:03 PM EST (#211369) #

Good story, Dewey. These days, stories like that one tend to end up as commercials.

Dewey - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 12:08 PM EST (#211370) #

Uh, oh. Now I'm a bit non-plussed. Commercials for what exactly, Mike?

mathesond - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 01:06 PM EST (#211371) #

Uh, oh. Now I'm a bit non-plussed. Commercials for what exactly, Mike?

Tim Horton's comes to mind

Mike Green - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 01:12 PM EST (#211372) #

If it was hockey, it would have been a beer commercial. For baseball, probably Tim Horton's or Wendy's. Or else, if you drove away in a truck, it could be for Ford. Branding...

christaylor - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 02:45 PM EST (#211373) #

648 hours (courtesy www.wolframalpha.com)...

#3 for me I like New Orleans, the town, but the game. Meh.

westcoast dude - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 03:28 PM EST (#211374) #

Commercials...

Ron Paul for President as Dewey on an Independant ticket in 2012. Derek Jeter as the Other Guy? Landslide, Baby!

92-93 - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 04:11 PM EST (#211375) #

Some of our older Bauxites may appreciate Conan's old-time baseball skit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5RiF12hHeU.

mathesond - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 04:40 PM EST (#211376) #

I guess I'm in the minority in that I am actually looking forward to the game. Of course, MLB and NFL are the only sports I follow (the NHL lost me in the late '90's, and the NBA never had me to begin with). I am especially relishing the chance to see arguably one of the 5 best QB's of all time matched up against a team from a city I have wanted to visit for 2 decades, but sadly have never got around to it.

Gerry - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 05:08 PM EST (#211377) #

Alex Anthopoulos is on the Fan590 with McCown, in studio, from 5pm to 6pm.

Flex - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 06:20 PM EST (#211378) #

Can anyone provide a quick rundown of points made by AA on the Fan, (if there was anything interesting)? I'm outtatown at the moment.

CeeBee - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 07:10 PM EST (#211379) #

#3..... no contest and like many of you, if the snow's mostly gone it's basball time :) Though I am as big a hockey fan as baseball fan.

Ron - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 08:33 PM EST (#211380) #

Can anyone provide a quick rundown of points made by AA on the Fan, (if there was anything interesting)? I'm outtatown at the moment.

- Bringing in 32-34 pitchers to Spring Training.
- Snider has to earn his spot on the roster during Spring Training
- In November, he thought Baseball America would rank the farm system somewhere 25-30 and the Jays ended up at 28.
- McGowan hasn�t even thrown off a mound yet. If he makes it back, don�t know if he will be a starter or reliever
- Marcum should be ready to go opening day. He feels great and should be one of the top 3 starters
- No chance of Morrow going to the pen. If he doesn�t make the club out of spring training, he will be starting in Vegas. Expects Morrow to be with the Jays on opening day
- Was asked by a fan why he should $100 to watch the Jays this season? We have 2 silver sluggers on the team. It will be an exciting team to watch.
- Final year of Cito as being the manager of the team. He will be a consultant after this season.
- On hiring the next manager, he wants somebody with major league experience (whether this as a player, bench coach, hitting coach, etc�)
- Using new way to cover players in the minors and the majors with more man power
- Jumped from 18 to 36 amateur scouts and from 10 to 21 pro scouts.
- On not signing most of their top draft picks last season, doesn�t believe it was a mistake.

andrewkw - Monday, January 25 2010 @ 11:35 PM EST (#211382) #

Stairs wants to keep playing, why not? He was probably assured a roster spot as long as he doesn't tank in spring training (he apparently lost a ton of weight). At the deadline they'll trade him to any team that wants him for anything resembling a prospect if he's still producing and he can have another shot at post season glory.

Lugnut Fan - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 07:19 AM EST (#211383) #

For me personally it is #3, but in states we are all in the minority. The Minnesota / New Orleans game drew a 41 share in the states which equates to a little more than 52,000,000 house holds tuning in. It was the most watched television program in history behind the Super Bowl 12 years ago.

I have never been an NFL football fan. It probably goes back to the fact that I'm pretty close in proximity to Detroit where everyone has been waiting their entire lives to see NFL football.

John Northey - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 09:37 AM EST (#211384) #

Hmm... not a mistake to not sign a batch of draft picks. Wonder if they found issues after drafting them or felt this year they could do better? It would've been easy for him to reply in a different fashion (wish we could've signed them, didn't determine their signablity well enough, more scouts will help prevent this from occurring again).

Stating that the next manager will be someone with major league experience of some kind isn't exactly narrowing it down. Yes, it removes a few odd cases, but a guy who was a call-up in September once qualifies, as would a guy who was a bullpen coach.

32 to 34 pitchers? Sheesh. Hope they have enough catchers to deal with that many pitchers. Sign Delgado to be a backup catcher in the spring :)

Matthew E - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 09:49 AM EST (#211385) #

All those pitchers in spring training reminds me of the Expos in '87 or '88 or whenever it was that they were giving tryouts to all these washed-up guys, trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Didn't work with Ubaldo Heredia or Lary Sorensen; worked a bit better with Pascual Perez and Dennis Martinez. But this year's Jays group skews a lot younger and I'm actually pretty impressed by them. Does anyone recall ever seeing so many young pitchers, with this kind of potential, on one team at one time? It's pretty impressive.

Mike Green - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 10:34 AM EST (#211387) #

Yes, it is.

It'd be real nice if there was a young centerfielder in the system, too. One thing at a time, I guess.

MatO - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 11:36 AM EST (#211388) #

The question regarding last year's unsigned draft picks came right at the end of the hour that AA spend on McCown's show. They really didn't give him any time to elaborate as they had to go to commercials. AA doesn't normally give short answers like that one if given the chance. AA also said that the number of pitchers invited to last year's camp was also 30+, so he made it sound like a normal thing.

vw_fan17 - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 01:58 PM EST (#211391) #

1)

(for those not into NFL, skip now)
Had Manning on my fantasy football roster as my main guy, and he delivered way more often than not (Manning to Wayne was my big combo this year!), except for the 2nd last week (last week of FF) when they rested him! But, see below.

Was also REALLY pulling for Minnesota to win, as much as the Saints "need" it. Favre is more or less my age, so it's nice to see an "old" guy who's still got it. Also, in the 2nd last regular season game, Min vs. Chi, the "Favre to Rice" TD to tie it up with like 9 seconds left (that was totally irrelevant in terms of the outcome, as the Bears won in overtime) won my fantasy football pool (just a buncha friends, 8 teams in the league) by ONE POINT against the juggernaut team this year.. Rice was a midseason pickup for me, he came out of nowhere and basically saved my season...

Mylegacy - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 02:29 PM EST (#211393) #

Apropos of nothing - while musing through my BA 2010 Almanac - I noticed a 17 year old, born August 22nd, 1992 pitcher in our DSL Blue Jays team. His name is Deivy Estrada he's a righty, 5' 11" 178 pounds. He had 10 starts in the 13 games he appeared in, his era was 2.66 with: 44 innings, 40 hits, 13 BB, 48 SO!!!, lefties hit him at a .175 avg and righties hit him at 266 avg. His K/9 was 9.82 and his W/9 was 2.66.

Not too bad for a puppy - interesting to see what he becomes as he grows up in the pack.

Matthew E - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 02:39 PM EST (#211394) #

That's scary. He was born the same day that Jack Morris beat the Twins for his 16th win as a Blue Jay, just over a week after the most important game of the '92 division race (Doug Linton beating the Orioles). I honestly don't know where the time goes.

China fan - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 02:56 PM EST (#211395) #

I'm glad to see that Anthopolous has shot down the Bauxite idea of sending Morrow to New Hampshire "to work on his off-speed pitches."

Richard S.S. - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 03:14 PM EST (#211396) #

Philly has claimed Brian Bocock off waivers from the Blue Jays - check http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/ . Then explain what the 'H' is going on please.

Denoit - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 04:04 PM EST (#211398) #

It'd be real nice if there was a young centerfielder in the system, too. One thing at a time, I guess.

Jake Marisnick is a centerfield prospect....

Thomas - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 04:30 PM EST (#211399) #

I'm glad to see that Anthopolous has shot down the Bauxite idea of sending Morrow to New Hampshire "to work on his off-speed pitches."

Many knowledgeable Seattle fans have suggested Morrow be handled the same way.

Mike Green - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 05:15 PM EST (#211400) #

Jake Marisnick is a centerfield prospect, as was Kenny Wilson and Eric Eiland. Realistically, though, he's 3-4 years away and...

I meant that it would be nice to have a centerfielder who had more or less succeeded in one season of full-season ball. All those young pitchers could use a good fly-catcher in a couple of years.

andrewkw - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 06:41 PM EST (#211401) #

"Jon Garland will get a one-year, $4.7 million contract with the Padres, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.
The deal is actually worth at least $5.3 million, because a $6.75 million mutual option for 2011 includes a $600,000 buyout."

At this price I wish the jays had been in on him. Even for 2 million more to come to the AL east vs the NL west would have been more then fair. He's a sure thing for 200 innings which none of the dozen plus starting options currently are, and he'd be real easy to unload at the deadline, either for salary relief or a prospect if he was doing well. They may not need an innings eater because they can just keep picking from the pile, but having one around would certainly make things a lot easier.

Dave Till - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 08:03 PM EST (#211402) #

In the winter - the Dark Grey Time - I watch basketball and sometimes soccer. I occasionally even watch the Leafs, out of horrified fascination. But the only football I've watched this millennium was a bit of a Baltimore Ravens game, because I wanted to see Michael Oher (of "The Blind Side" fame) at work.

So that would be an emphatic 3, then. When is spring, please?

lexomatic - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 08:32 PM EST (#211403) #

andrew i don't mind losing him. there's enough depth that a lot of guys are going to get theri innings next year. some good, some bad. i just don't see the point of spending even that much on mediocrity.
he'll probably do really well in san diego (except for wins) and will get traded for a prospect sometime in the season.

James W - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 08:53 PM EST (#211404) #

I'm completely surprised by how many people seem to despise football here. I guess I'm a rarity being an all-around sports fan.

Re: the Super Bowl, I've enjoyed watching both teams this season, and since neither team is New England, Miami, the Jets or Pittsburgh, I have no preference in the game.

TheBunk - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 10:56 PM EST (#211405) #

AA made a reference to one of the picks being a signability type who turned out not to be signable and i'm pretty certain that was Eliopolous who was seen as a 3rd-4th round talent taken in the 2nd round, I really don't care that he didn't sign but that sucks for him that he got big headed.

Thomas - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 11:29 PM EST (#211406) #

Tony LaCava was on Jack Armstrong's Fan 590 show this afternoon and summarized the structure of the scouting department under Anthopolous. It's a very interesting listen and gives you some sense of how AA is aiming to reshape scouting in the organization.

andrewkw - Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 11:30 PM EST (#211407) #

I don't think I've watched 5 other sports games besides baseball in my whole life. I went to one leafs game and was bored out of my mind. Never watched a full raptors game. Used to play soccer as a kid but never watched. Never sat through an entire football game either although I vaguely recall watching bits of some superbowls.. Maybe the only complete non baseball sports game I've watched is that leafs game.

Baseball which I love just takes up too much time. I don't see how I could fit in another sport even if I wanted to, and I'm not even a busy person.

vw_fan17 - Wednesday, January 27 2010 @ 08:06 PM EST (#211430) #

I don't think I've watched 5 other sports games besides baseball in my whole life. I went to one leafs game and was bored out of my mind.

With all due apologies to baseball lovers... I take it that one game wasn't, say, Leafs-Senators, game 7 in 2002... Because I lost my voice after one period and wished I had more voice to give... That game was all kinds of crazy awesome. Honestly, I was more excited by that one game than probably any month for the Jays in 1992 or 1993 put together.. While I like the baseball (and playing softball and watching baseball), in general, I'm more bored watching baseball than watching hockey..

A GOOD hockey game (and I will freely admit, the Leafs are totally hit or miss, and lately just miss) easily beats just about any baseball game in my books for excitement, except maybe a perfect game or something..

My reasons for following football are altogether different (in the last 10+ years, anyway - when I was young and single I liked/watched/followed baseball, hockey and football): NFL for fantasy football, CFL when I played for the Argonotes..

VBF - Thursday, January 28 2010 @ 01:34 PM EST (#211448) #

a regional game with strong pockets but not a true 'national' game.

Are we talking football in general or just the NFL? This year undoubtedly had their share of blacked out games (effect of the economy on attendance) and the teams that did poorly at the gate did so primarily because their lack of competitiveness or competency (Jacksonville, Oakland) not the lack of a sustainable market (unlike 75% of U.S. hockey cities). College football is one of North America's biggest revenue generators and is successful regardless of region. I really don't see how football in the U.S. and hockey in the U.S. is comparable at all.

John Northey - Thursday, January 28 2010 @ 05:00 PM EST (#211451) #

My comparison applied only if gambling wasn't in play for pro-football. College has some weird fanatical thing going which I have trouble understanding.

MatO - Friday, January 29 2010 @ 10:47 AM EST (#211472) #

Well, high school football is massive as well, way bigger than baseball. That's as grassroots as it gets. Hockey isn't even on the radar except in places like Minnesota. Never mind the recently well-documented fact that black athletes and spectators have mostly abandoned baseball for football and basketball

Matthew E - Friday, January 29 2010 @ 05:00 PM EST (#211490) #

It'd be real nice if there was a young centerfielder in the system, too. One thing at a time, I guess.

I was just reading the Hardball Times's article on the top ten defensive CF prospects in the minors. The Jays had two guys in the top 10, Shoffit (10) and Mastroianni (2). So there's that, at least.

mathesond - Friday, February 05 2010 @ 01:57 PM EST (#211647) #

If Coach Ryan's cheering for the saints, then by gum, so am I

http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2010/02/the-saints-get-a-surprise-visitor.html

(language NSFW)

Mike Green - Friday, February 05 2010 @ 02:23 PM EST (#211649) #

I hadn't heard that Mastroianni was the second coming of Gary Pettis, but if so, he might make a nice platoon partner for Gathright (or Reed) in centerfield if Wells is moved to a corner in mid-season.

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