ashbury

Unimpressive. So was Duke.

COBB, RUTH, LEMON, and GEHRIG. Jim Lemon was a fine major leaguer but this is hilarious. Your post deserves its own thread. Convert it to a blog entry, and see if it gets promoted to article-hood.

It's faintly possible that the Twins somehow had some inside information that he was not. In which case the season is lost, in which case trading Esco-bear is defensible. The Sano promotion this weekend could be for different purposes than readiness.

Knowing this 2018 Twins team, you're going to make any prediction at all?

... and because he played some second in the minors, and because he filled in at third just the other night, and because the trade winds they are a-blowing....

It's probably not an accurate use of the economics terminology, but to me the idea that it gets across is that you'll less often see a snag when trying to deal/acquire an average reliever because of (say) handedness or arm slot, but if you're shopping around your average second baseman (ditto shortstop, ditto third base) there's a greater chance that an otherwise promising trade partner just doesn't have a need for that specific skill-set. Star players are a different story. By no means are those interchangeable in any practical sense - if you acquire one of those, you potentially move your existing players around to fit.

I've been remiss in noting that Aaron was placed on the DL on July 14 with shoulder inflammation. I've seen no news since then, but I guess it must be bad because he'd be eligible to be reinstated by now.

Next time, maybe, you consider picking an outfielder known for hitting the cutoff man?

Yeah, "Stud" might be overstating my expectations back then. Instead of two 45-prospects, I'd want one 50. That sort of thing. Point being, the other team prefers that too. It's far less linear than I think it was a generation or two ago - analytics has clarified some of these kinds of issues, so that GMs all think pretty much alike.

A lot of discussion stemmed from my simple observation that, when we traded Liriano, I was disappointed to receive two middling minor leaguers instead of one stud prospect. As events unfolded, the trade worked out pretty well for the Twins anyway. I was saying nothing more than that, concerning this trade.

Wait at least until he makes an out?

They close off Yawkey Way (Jersey Street) during the game, and once you're through the turnstile you can enjoy street vendors at ballpark prices.

Eddie Rosario sends his regards.

I ran into what may be the president and only member of the Bobby Wilson Fan Club.

You don't get a team's #1 prospect for a utility infielder.

Those are not the deals being offered for 2-month rentals, these days.

It's how we got Escobar in the first place. I wasn't pleased to get 2 minor leaguers for Liriano. It worked out.

You, sir or ma'am, are late to the party.

The automated strike zone will come, and I agree with the perception that it will aid batters more than it does the pitchers. But the lively ball is already considered a problem, and so reducing its resilience would be a worthy counter to that little "unintended consequence". The further benefit of a less-bouncy ball would be that run-of-the-mill batters will figure out quickly that their exaggerated launch angles are no longer giving them cheap homers, and an increased emphasis on line drives or bunting would be in most hitters' self-interest instead of warning-track shots while adding fan-interest to the game. The strike zone can be adjusted upward or downward, if that isn't enough, likewise the height of the mound. Defensive shifts have always been part of the game and there's no incentive to regulate them, if the batters are no longer swinging from the heels every time; 150+ years ago there was a term "scientific hitting" and it needs to be revived. Daisy-cutters, gentlemen, daisy-cutters! I would like to see bullpens moved closer to the dugout, and establish a zero-warmup-pitch rule once the reliever enters the game. (What was he doing in the dugout all that time, anyway?) Make it a rule that the reliever be in the dugout already, before coming into the game - he won't cool off that quickly. Cutting down this dead-time when the manager decides to play chess with lefty-righty matchups would go a long way toward eliminating the complaints about the game being boring, and perhaps adds a small element of strategy for the manager to contend with. In addition, a short pitch clock (15 seconds) that applies to batter and pitcher alike would be helpful - velcro wrist straps don't come loose each and every pitch. There's a mantra players repeat, of "slow the game down", that is wise so that the game doesn't overwhelm you, but if both sides are required to keep the game moving then the disadvantage is about equal - if not, then adjust the resiliency of the ball, the strike zone size, or the height of the mound, as discussed above. Cutting the game down to 7 innings has so many unintended consequences that I hardly even want to approach that topic. Nine innings of crisply played baseball are not too much, anyway. I don't foresee owners giving away money, so I don't expect larger rosters nor shorter seasons. Regarding expansion, don't overlook a third team in New York. The populace certainly could support one, and the ballpark (currently in partial form) is already there at Coney Island in Brooklyn, where the low-A Cyclones play. I'd do that in preference to Portland, not that I dislike that city, but I don't want to see another Oakland situation where a reasonably sized city is squeezed because a bigger one is too closeby. Expansion is problematic, though, because I don't see a viable 32nd candidate - Montreal could be tried again if and only if its previous financial disadvantage can be corrected. Maybe a Carolinas team could achieve a regional appeal that would let it succeed - Charlotte is about as close to Atlanta as Portland is to Seattle but probably there are larger populations to draw from there.

Excellent takes, overall. Random reactions: I live near Fenway now, and unexpectedly have come to love the place in the past 3 years, so I concur with your ranking. It's a dump but a first class dump, and the game experience is at the top of the pack in my book - win or lose, it's a party, and the party mood depends on how the game goes. No phony-baloney "Charge!" sound effects to inform the crowd when to cheer.I recently had my first experience at PNC, and the fireworks on the river right after the game definitely won me over, in addition to it being a very nice park.I like Oakland's park a whole lot better than just about anyone else I know, but I've basically never had a bad experience there in about 20 games through the years, and I appreciate a good bratwurst when one is for sale.Attended games in KC and Cincy and Philly this past week, thanks to a roadtrip with my son, and all three parks are worthwhile IMO.Angels Park lacks character - and my one visit to Dodger Stadium was during the unfortunate era with the prior ownership and left a very poor impression, with only Dodger Dogs available at the few concession stands that were open on the day I attended.The two parks I detest are Minute Maid and Marlins Park. The one in Houston is too gimicky in its layout, and Miami is non-stop loud with piped-in music to the point that you can't converse with your seatmate for more than 10 seconds at a time. Also, I am convinced that Houston pipes in crowd noise to supplement whatever cheering is going on - I was there during one of the lean years and the commotion over a good play sounded like it was coming from anywhere but the few fans in attendance.Wrigley I should rank similarly to Fenway but I don't - rarely have had a good experience there.Target Field is great.I should rank the Metrodome as low as you do, but I can't because the memories of the place are almost entirely happy. It was tough apologizing for the place to out of town visitors, because it certainly had its warts. But it had character, when you come right down to it - the blowers allegedly affecting the game, ditto the teflon roof (and the experience of exiting the place en masse), ditto the bouncy turf, ditto the overwhelming crowd noise. If domes had always been the norm and someone built a new outdoor park, the complaints would be loud about losing balls in the sun (travesty!) or having rainy conditions affect the art of bunting (this isn't baseball!), so I factor those complaints right out.Petco is my one giant regret - never took the opportunity to attend a game there when I lived out west, even when I had a kid in college in SD for four a certain number of years.

There were a lot of 1-2-3 innings for both sides, so the entire game wouldn't really qualify as exciting IMO. I had prepped my son to be amazed by the Boston fans, and they were pretty quiet through six. (It bears repeating that we were in an alcohol-free zone. ) They started to get into it in the bottom of the 7th, and from there on the place was rocking, increasingly so in the eighth and then the ninth. Each game has its own rhythm (some games, Sweet Caroline is simply electric), the crowd interacts with that rhythm, and all things considered it was a pretty fine game for a visiting fan to attend. We're going again tonight. Bringing Mrs Ash, and will interact with ashburyjulia who will also be there somewhere in the park with some work friends.

Concur. Blindfolded is the preferred method for relaxing and watching Rodney. Turning the sound down may help, too.

We lost our Wifi signal midway through the game and never really got it back (note to Carole: ashburysteven did too), but yes, we did the Ba-Ba-Ba thing. And I never got worried during the FRE: the leadoff hit was legitimate, but after two outs, he was just toying with them, and being the master showman for the Fenway crowd. I swear, when Rodney is called in, they should institute the minor-league extra-innings rule, where they start with a runner on second - he would signal for an IBB to his first batter, and then simply get down to business. It would save everyone a lot of time.

Concur. Not as mad as I was at Cave the other day, but wrong time for that play.

Need to do something about these one two three innings. This Johnson guy is getting away with murder.