Welcome back to 3 shots for a quarter – an almost daily blog series where I share 3 random stories that are somewhat linked yet not blogworthy individually.
Or something like that.
It’s basically my own algorithm and this week we’re going to do a lot of baseball with opening day around the corner.
For the Cubs that means 4 games in Arizona and I want to be very clear that the start times are complete bullshit:
- 9pm Thursday
- 9pm Friday
- 7pm Saturday
- 3pm Sunday
And that’s with a full slate of Sweet 16 and Elite 8 action to navigate.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m up for the challenge but I want it on the record that these start times can suck brick.
HOT DOGS
12 dogs + 12 buns + souvenir helmet = $12.99?
You’d have to sell almost 59,000,000 (59 million) hot dog helmets at $12.99 to pay for Juan Soto’s entire $765M deal.
Annualized to just this year though, it’s closer to a 3.9 million hot dog helmets.
And then spread out across 81 home games, it’s only just 48,000 hot dog helmets.
Now ask yourself – what’s Citi Field max capacity?
ERGO – if each Mets fan buys 1.15 hot dog helmets per game, Juan Soto’s contract is basically paid for on the house.
It doesn’t take a degree from MIT to see the hot dog helmet has nearly an 8.0 bWAR.
Steve Cohen – you are a genius.
CHECK SWING?
People love talking shit about old school baseball players but did you the check swing didn’t even exist back then?
That makes me think differently about the time Yogi Berra logged 12 strikeouts in 656 plate appearances against 55 walks and 64 extra base hits (28 homers).
Could you just take full swings back then and then declare that it wasn’t a real swing?
This is a good example of rule changes that benefit the future of the game. Everyone should watch this and look back with confusion. Not disgust or anger. But abject competitive disorientation: where was the common sense to declare those strikes?
I wonder what common sense confusion like this future generations will feel looking back on the game?
- You could shift all over the field
- No pitch clock will feel so weird in a decade
- Pitchers hitting will be laughed at
- Having a DH in one league and not in the other will be laughed at
- The way we handled the steroid era including hall of fame inductions
- No salary cap/floor… that’s going to be destroyed soon enough
- A team in Oakland California was historically dominant?
- Concession prices will feel like we’re from a different planet
- Paper tickets that were mailed and hand delivered will be a difficult one to explain to future generations
- Bring in one pitcher to face one batter
I could keep going but you get the point = there’s a lot of stuff from our life that will look stupid to future generations, just like this checked swing rule from the early 60’s.
My takeaway = stop complaining just to complain about rule changes in baseball.
Except for the runner on 2nd to start the extras.
That one fuckin blows.
So Does Aaron Boone At Breaking MLB Debut News
Congratulations to J.C. Escarra and my sincere apologies you had to sit through that butcher shop masterclass from manager Aaron Boone. That was so lame that the Yankees should revoke any and all privileges/responsibilities pertaining to MLB debuts. That’s a traumatic experience and baseball players are traditionally fragile pussies. Heartwarming sure, but I wouldn’t threaten my dog with a trip back to the shelter before I rewarded him with a venison bone for being a good boy. And for what? Just to spike the heart rate on hidden camera?
My fuckin ass Booney.
My fuckin ass.