IdahoBert

Since the current slide, I have completely lost interest in scoreboard watching because when we were on a relative roll, it was a way of keeping track of the growing bounty of our lead over all of our competitors.

Now we can get back to the business of wringing our hands at how unfair life is being to our team. We’ve been sipping mint juleps on the front porch and fanning ourselves comfortably for quite a while and I hope we can soon return to that happy state of affairs.

So we’re going to have to wait almost 2 weeks before we can do anything about this?

I on the other hand, experienced a winning game.

In the Pioneer League game I’m attending Boise is defeating Colorado Springs 12 to 2. I get the feeling that the pitching of this league is not good. What follows is the Boise Hawks team statistics.

Parlay Parlay!🙃

Before I go to the game locally, I’m watching the pregame show and Zach was talking about how awesome the All-Star game was and how they tied it up and how the swing off was so awesome and it to me it just sounded like “the emperor has no clothes“ was being denied. I guess it’s fruitless to be upset about this, but I reserve my right to be PO’d.

I’m sorry to hear that. Also, there are now only just so many teams that can exist on the official minor-league level. I used to live in Tucson, Arizona and it has a metro area population of 1 million people, but it can’t get a AAA team which would be it’s only possible option due to fierce competition or a AA team given that it’s too far away from the Texas League’s geographical base.

I’m going to miss this game because I’m going to a “real game“ and see the Boise Hawks who used to be in the Northwest League but have now fallen into the independent Pioneer League. Lots of big names used to come through here such as Ken Griffey Jr., Kyle Schwarber, Dontrelle Willis, Gleyber Torres and a host of Angels players. But no more. Both Boise and Salem were dropped from the NWL I think due to the fact that they had sub-standard stadiums. First base box seats $24 a seat in the 96° low humidity sunshine, no shelter, no shade.

I have a feeling that ownership may be approaching this from a more practical end of the spectrum by trying to minimize financial losses instead of having an overriding concern for the dignity of the game itself.

Also, when I just now “did my own research” I read that it’s estimated that an eight batter lineup would give each batter an extra 63 at bats in a season which I presume would make statistical comparisons between different eras less reliable. Of course, the 162 game schedule already made that problematic and batters that would have more off days can DH now compared to earlier eras so that’s already sort of happened but perhaps not to the extent of 63 extra at bats a season.

Does the extra inning base runner rule shorten the length of extra inning games and result in fewer arm injuries for pitchers overall? Does it mean that bull pens end up being less taxed and and better able to perform in games later in the week?

According to Google AI, which hallucinate stuff all the time so for what it’s worth: “Carpenter has been participating in a return to play running progression, as well as hitting and defensive drills daily. He's even been cleared to face live pitching at the team's spring complex during the All-Star break. This suggests that he's progressing well in his recovery and could be ready to rejoin the lineup soon after the break concludes.”

Whoa getting a jump on the thread? Cool.

Via Passan: "[Aaron] Boone and [Dave] Roberts had a finite group from which to choose. Around half the players were gone from the stadium, already headed home after a long, hot week here."

In the past, I’ve always given them five dollars when they ask but this time I felt it was critical to do more.

I don’t know where to put this, but this is an active thread. I just donated $25 + $1 for a transaction fee to keep Wikipedia free and out of the hands of fascist demagogues who have contempt for the free flow of information.  This is one of those days where if you go to Wikipedia, they’ll ask for a donation of any kind, and I strongly suggest that you be generous.  

On the MLB app they’re acting like the “swing off“ is something to be so proud of that it’s worth reliving. I’ve gone to demolition derbys but it’s not something I brag about and need to relive. Come to think of it, though, a demolition derby is better than the “swing off.” There’s a brute honesty to a demolition derby. It doesn’t pretend to be more than it is.

Oh no! The Royals have reacquired Adam Frazier! We’re doomed!

Business casual ready for a flight.

It’s almost like being the Tom Cruise character in Minority Report when he’s fleeing down the street and every digital board knows who the heck he is and is hailing him. It’s not that focused and personal, but it feels that pervasive and persistent.

Time to move on. The real world that actually matters begins Friday.

By the joviality of the players during the home run derby finish, it was evident that they don’t take this game too seriously, that it is merely an exhibition game, and that there’s no real skin in this game. The idea of deciding something like this in such a casual manner, appalled me. But in point of fact, it’s pretty insignificant. My son who is 50 years younger than me told me to lighten up, that it was “fun.” I just remember when the All-Star Game was as serious as war, when important stakes were involved, and it wasn’t merely “fun.“. Heck, it might as well just be a wrestling match. I guess my son is right, and it is just a wrestling match.