Joe and Mike, you're both writers, so I'm sure you'll appreciate it if I write some text for your next podcast....
Joe: I want to start by apologizing to Wenceel Perez. I didn't even mention his name when I was dragging the Tigers.
Mike: Great Point, Joe. I also want to apologize to pitchers Reese Olson, Will Vest and Jason Foley. I didn't even mention any of your names...what was I thinking!? I used to live in Ann Arbor...shouldn't I know better?
Joe: You should, Mike. I want to apologize to Jake Rogers, and especially to Parker Meadows. I am a baseball writer and yet you might have thought that I was covering industry trends in dried meat snacks for all of my dubious insights about the two of you.
Mike: That's so true, Joe. How about if we both prostrate ourselves before AJ Hinch and just beg his forgiveness for everything we said about the formidable Bengals of Detroit, baseball's best story for 2024?
Joe: do each step of your shoe-tying in "opposite directions." (I do left over right for the bottom layer and then right over left for the two loops.) You're probably accidentally making a "granny knot" instead of a "square knot." (I found this out myself a couple years ago and it changed my life.)
If high-seeded teams feel the one week layoff is hurting their title chances (that it throws off their routines, etc.), shouldn't they just keep playing games every day? I mean, if we set the union issues aside, why aren't teams putting together split squad exhibitions, bringing in minor-leaguers to fill in? You could keep your pitchers on regular rotations, get players regular ABs; heck, you could sell tickets and pack the stadium to simulate a game.
If players, coaches, GMs all felt that this missed time was a liability, I feel like I should be hearing a lot about the lengths they are going to eliminate it. The league doesn't mandate how they spend that time; the fact that I'm not hearing that teams are going all out to keep their routines seems to indicate that their belief in 'rust' is real enough to talk about, but not actually real enough to choose to pass up days of rest in advance of big games.
If I'm a reporter who hears the "well, we were cursed with all those off days, and the other team had the advantage of flying across the country and playing eight games in a row", my first question is: Since you were so disadvantaged, did you consider sending your team out on a barnstorming tour during your off week?
Joe and Mike, you're both writers, so I'm sure you'll appreciate it if I write some text for your next podcast....
Joe: I want to start by apologizing to Wenceel Perez. I didn't even mention his name when I was dragging the Tigers.
Mike: Great Point, Joe. I also want to apologize to pitchers Reese Olson, Will Vest and Jason Foley. I didn't even mention any of your names...what was I thinking!? I used to live in Ann Arbor...shouldn't I know better?
Joe: You should, Mike. I want to apologize to Jake Rogers, and especially to Parker Meadows. I am a baseball writer and yet you might have thought that I was covering industry trends in dried meat snacks for all of my dubious insights about the two of you.
Mike: That's so true, Joe. How about if we both prostrate ourselves before AJ Hinch and just beg his forgiveness for everything we said about the formidable Bengals of Detroit, baseball's best story for 2024?
Joe: We're not worthy...we're not worthy....
Joe: do each step of your shoe-tying in "opposite directions." (I do left over right for the bottom layer and then right over left for the two loops.) You're probably accidentally making a "granny knot" instead of a "square knot." (I found this out myself a couple years ago and it changed my life.)
Someone needs to send Brandon McCarthy a video of NHL referee Wes McCauley. He's far from boring! 🤣
https://youtu.be/EFwhDzC7Ec4?si=8RUEtmpLZMJg7qXt
Garrett Rank had an absolute brilliant call last year too.
https://youtu.be/8JO7hJjyeYU?si=9J7KqrD81zWz0hKl
A thought experiment:
If high-seeded teams feel the one week layoff is hurting their title chances (that it throws off their routines, etc.), shouldn't they just keep playing games every day? I mean, if we set the union issues aside, why aren't teams putting together split squad exhibitions, bringing in minor-leaguers to fill in? You could keep your pitchers on regular rotations, get players regular ABs; heck, you could sell tickets and pack the stadium to simulate a game.
If players, coaches, GMs all felt that this missed time was a liability, I feel like I should be hearing a lot about the lengths they are going to eliminate it. The league doesn't mandate how they spend that time; the fact that I'm not hearing that teams are going all out to keep their routines seems to indicate that their belief in 'rust' is real enough to talk about, but not actually real enough to choose to pass up days of rest in advance of big games.
If I'm a reporter who hears the "well, we were cursed with all those off days, and the other team had the advantage of flying across the country and playing eight games in a row", my first question is: Since you were so disadvantaged, did you consider sending your team out on a barnstorming tour during your off week?