Major League - With a Minor in Marketing

On December 28, 2019, Paul J. Caputo - a.k.a. "Baseball and Ice Cream" on Twitter - posted the following tweet:

"It's the #BaseballSolstice, friends! We're exactly halfway from the last out of the World Series to the first pitch of Spring Training games. WE'RE DOING THIS!"

For lovers of baseball, this kind of thing brings a rush to the bloodstream. And it got me curious as to what changes the MLB has in store in its efforts to bring more fans to the game. So I did a little interwebs walking and found out a few things. Here are a couple of the highlights:

• This will be the first season since the 1940s that WGN-TV will neither broadcast Chicago Cubs nor White Sox games, along with both teams not having local free over-the-air broadcasters. Cubs games will exclusively be televised on the Marquee Sports Network, while White Sox games will air exclusively on NBC Sports Chicago. WFLD will continue to broadcast any national games from Fox involving either or both teams.

• A pitcher must face at least three batters, unless the inning ends or the pitcher is injured.

(Both of the above were from a really good Wikipedia article.)

Again, I'm looking at these as changes that will bring more into the fandom of baseball. You see, some folks in the MLB organization think that the game is too slow for today's fans, and young folk are not interested in the game. I think they are missing the point.

Lets look at the first one: this one effects the Cubs and White Sox broadcasting. What this does is give special licensing rights (also known as $$$ to the MLB) to a certain network.

And here is the other: A pitcher must face at least three batters, unless the inning ends or the pitcher is injured.

As Cleveland Indians fans are aware, there is a strategy that coaches like Terry Francona like to employ, and that is using your bullpen to compete against the opposing team's lineup; which sometimes means bringing in a particular pitcher to face a particular batter - and changing them out afterwards.

The idea for the change is that every time you change a pitcher the game slows down. And nothing is more important than speeding up the game.

Now, both of these changes are going to have the OPPOSITE effect than planned. And here is why:

There are several age groups of fans: kids (brought to games by or watching on TV with their parents), adults (with or without kids), and older - retired - fans. The one group I didn't list was the young adults in or just graduating from college. These are the "cream" that the MLB is trying to get interested in the game. The problem is that the majority of these young adults are not dropping money into a cable subscription. Which means, they either watch the games on local TV (just eliminated for Cubs and White Sox fans) or by paying for special app access to those networks that do broadcast the games (which, from what I've experienced, need a cable subscription to login).

The other issue is the cost of the games to attend. The ticket prices are so expensive, that unless you want the "nosebleed" section - where it's better to stay home and watch if you want to SEE anything - you are dropping quite a bit of cash. Add to that concessions and perhaps parking, and it's an expensive night on the town.

So, what should the MLB do? Well, for starters, since they have stated that money is not an issue, they should be able to lower those ticket prices. Where do I get that? Well, every time I'm in my living room watching a game and there is a pitching change they go to a commercial break. Since they are eliminating how often a pitching change can take place, they are stating that they DON'T NEED THOSE ADVERTISING DOLLARS. That eliminates one barrier for young folk to get to the game.

The other thing they can do is eliminate all of those exclusive broadcasting rights (a.k.a. "blackout conditions"). I was foolish one year and purchased the MLB Regular Season Package. What did that give me? Access to regular season games via online streaming (phone, tablet, Roku, etc.) EXCEPT for the Cleveland Indians (my home team). Those games were unavailable due to blackout conditions. Which means that I wasn't able to watch them without a cable subscription.

Every time a game is available only on a special network, you eliminate eyes from watching the game AND missed eyes to watch those precious advertisements. Of course, the idea of the blackout is to encourage people to come to the ballpark . . . if they can afford the ticket price . . .

The MLB needs to reevaluate their marketing. If they really want to get more fans interested in the game, and keep them interested for years to come, they need to be less penny wise and dollar foolish. They are so desperate for those pennies now that they are losing the many dollars of the future.

But then again, maybe that 20-second pitch clock is the solution . . .

©Emittravel 2019

"Don't Panic!" - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Every issue facing the world can be directly linked to climate change (crisis) and the timeline seems to keep getting shorter for the end of the world.

"We only have 11 years to cut our emissions in half." - Elizabeth Warren - September 5, 2019 Climate Town Hall

I remember in the 1970s that we were doomed due to the impact of global COOLING. If we didn't change our ways immediately (changes which always seemed connected to redistributing wealth from one group to another) we would be thrust into another ice age!

"There's one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent threat of a changing climate." - Barack Obama

It seems that everywhere you turn you hear people crying that the world is about to end and it is our fault. Unless we make drastic changes we are all going to die!

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" - Chicken Little

Did you know that the world was going to end by a great flood? That was predicted to take place on February 25, 1524, when the planets would be in alignment.

The world was going to end in 1843. This was predicted by William Miller in 1831. When it didn't happen, he recalculated and determined it to take place in 1844. No dice.

In 1910, Halley's comet was to pass earth in such close proximity that it was believed that it would destroy the planet. "Comet May Kill All Earth Life, Says Scientist."

How about when Harold Camping "accurately" predicted the end times - 12 times. Never happened, but he did sell a lot of books.

And of course, we can't forget when John Cusack and a few daring individuals helped save a large number of people when the Mayan Calendar marked the end of the world on December 21, 2012. Oh wait. That was a movie.

We humorously dismiss the above because they were mostly the rantings of the religious - not the true believers we have today in science. But my question is, should we?

In a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning the enforcement of the Espionage Act of 1917 (Schenck v. United States), Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. gave us the famous quote concerning shouting fire in a crowded theater. It is thought to be one of the first opinions that directly limited the 1st Amendment's "freedom of speech" clause to not allow people to cause panic.

Maybe we need to implement that and make people responsible for the things they say.

For instance: if a person gets placed on parole and then goes out and commits a crime, the people on the parole board should be held accountable. After all, by letting the person out of prison they are stating that they believe the public is in no danger. Is that a stretch? Well, look at it this way: aren't they accomplices to a crime?

What if it was made clear that if anyone - politicians included - were to make statements, especially those that create panic (see those at the top of this article for examples), they will be held responsible if they DON'T come to pass?

The Bible tells us that you can tell a false prophet by the fact that what they profess does not come to pass (and therefore should be punished - see Jeremiah 14:15)

And that includes the panic induced behind the statements of climate change criers.

Oh, and to correctly quote Justice Holmes, Jr.: "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man FALSELY shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. [...] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger . . . "

To all of you Chicken Littles out there: be warned. Your #MeToo-type moment is coming!

©Emittravel 2019

It Ain't Illegal If I Don't Get Caught

What do the following words have in common:

Gay
Terrible
Ejaculate
Bad
Sick
Congressman

Each of the above originally had a different meaning/usage than it does today. "Gay" used to mean "happy", "terrible" used to mean "awe inspiring", and "ejaculate" meant "exclaim". You get the idea.

The title of this post is an expression that basically means, "if a law is not enforced, it isn't a law". Ever catch someone go through a red traffic light and don't get stopped? Did they break the law? Sure they did. But, since it wasn't enforced, it "really" wasn't broken was it? Or, if you read my last post, "Quit Playing With Yourself and Drive!!", driving while on your cellphone is not really illegal either - if it isn't enforced.

There is another level that I think needs addressed: If a law does not apply equally, it is not a law.

Every couple of years I read through the Federalist Papers. Not an exciting read, but worthwhile nonetheless. In Federalist LVII "The Alleged Tendency of the New Plan to Elevate the Few at the Expense of the Many", I read the following:

"If this spirit shall ever be so far debased as to tolerate a law not obligatory on the Legislature, as well as on the People, the People will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty."

The argument was that if the Legislature were to make laws that did not apply to themselves, the people would not stand for it. Sorry to say that that turned out to be false.

There are many laws that Congress has passed that they have exempted themselves from. Here are a few:

"Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970" - this applies to "any person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees". Under the acts definitions, the term employer "does not include the United States" - which means Congress. Too bad if you get hurt on the job.

"Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)" - this provides a statutory right of access to a wide range of government information to allow citizens to be informed of government affairs. The House and Senate stand by certain "privileges" that have roots in the Constitution, which allows them to not have to disclose certain things to the public.

"18 U.S. Code 208" - The principal financial conflict of interest law for Federal employees - prohibits officers and employees of the executive branch from taking any official action on something that would provide personal financial gain. This does NOT apply to any elected officials of the Federal Government - so Congress, the President, the Vice President, and Federal judges are exempt. Since Martha Stewart was not one of the above, she went to jail for insider trading.

(The above examples were pulled from https://archives-democrats-rules.house.gov/Archives/jcoc2ai.htm)

Reminds me of the bonehead from "Lethal Weapon II" shouting "Diplomatic immunity" whenever he broke the law.

Where am I going with all of this? According to the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 9: "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."

If you apply privileges of royalty onto an existing title, doesn't that equal the granting of a title of nobility?

Calling someone "Congressman" - with all of their privileges and exemptions - like "gay", "terrible", and "ejaculate" - no longer fits the original definition and should be held accountable.

©Emittravel 2019

Quit Playing With Yourself and Drive!!

Not sure about you, but as I traverse the highways and biways of our great land, I notice that more and more people are driving with one hand on the steering wheel and their eyes focused on their laps.

I ride a motorcycle (as much as Ohio weather permits). Seeing the above has the unfortunate result of my butt cheeks firmly grasping the seat.

Did you know that all citizens of Israel have to spend approximately two years in national military service? Not only does that provide support for the security of the country, but it also provides some great skills: weapons handling, critical thinking, and a better sense of alertness for life happening around you.

Makes me think that everyone should be required to obtain a motorcycle license and drive one before/along with an automobile license. This would provide some great skills as well. Primarily, an alertness for life happening around you and a RESPECT for others on the road. As a rider, you are very alert of those around you who are not.

Officer: I pulled you over because you are driving recklessly. You are sitting at traffic lights after they go green so long that cars behind you are honking. That increases road rage, which leads to accidents. You are also drifting outside of your lane and not maintaining an assured clear distance from the car in front of you. Also, it is illegal to drive while texting, surfing the internet, checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Driver: But officer. I wasn't on my phone. Seriously. I would never drive illegally.

Officer: Okay. Then if you must play with yourself, please pull over. Don't drive distracted.

Because, you know, if you are driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other is in your lap, and your attention is focused on that hand in said lap, you are either on your phone or playing with yourself.

Do us a favor: If you are doing either, please pull over and finish. Your vehicle weighs (on average) between 2,979 and 4,366 pounds (1,354 and 1,985 kilograms). If you are driving 40 mph (since I'm sure 35 mph is just a suggested speed limit) (oh, and this stat comes from www.driveandstayalive.com), it will take about 120 FEET to come to a complete stop on DRY pavement (that includes 40 feet just thinking about stopping - when you ARE paying attention).

Please don't be an idiot or a pervert. Drive!

©Emittravel 2019

I'm Not Dead Yet. I Think I'll Go For a Walk. (You're Not Fooling Anyone.)

Hi folks. Remember me? Yeah. I'm the guy who writes in order to stem the tide of migraine/stress headaches. I know, it's been quite a while since I've written. No, my head hasn't exploded (thankfully!) Just a busy summer.

Why the hiatus? My wife is a public school teacher. I've talked about her and her job in previous posts. You know that even though she gets "three months", with the end of school for the previous year and the prep for the next, that more or less rounds down to one month of vacation. That means we take advantage of as much of that as we can. That includes baseball. A lot of baseball. 

Side note:

In about a two-week period, I got to attend SEVEN (count 'em, SEVEN) baseball games that were directly related to the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays. We went on a vacation where we got to see the Columbus Clippers (AAA Indians) play the Buffalo Bisons (AAA Blue Jays) for two games, followed by a three-game series of the Indians against the Blue Jays IN Toronto. After returning to work I got to attend the company picnic where the Akron Rubber Ducks (AA Indians) played the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA Blue Jays). On the very next Friday, my wife and I went to see (for the first time) the Lake County Captains (A Indians) play the Lansing Lugnuts (A Blue Jays). That is a complete circuit: A, AA, AAA, and Majors! 

Anywho. With most of our weekends tied up with my wife's school work, and the winding down of the 2019 baseball season, getting back into the swing of writing should not be too difficult.

What to expect? More of the same off-kilter rantings you've come to look forward to. Here's a short example to close out this post:

Back during the 2016 Presidential Election, Gary Johnson (Libertarian) was excluded from the Presidential Debates - primarily due to the FACT that the commission that controls the debates is made up of Republicans and Democrats, and they didn't want the distraction of a viable third-party candidate mucking up the works (think Ross Perot in 1992). 

Even though I can't say I'm glued to the screen during the Democrat debates, I have to wonder: 

Why is Bernie Sanders - Senator from Vermont with a big letter "I" (which does NOT stand for "Democrat") after his name, in the debates? He is NOT a Democrat. There is NO reason for him to be on the platform, except for the hope of boosting ratings - which helps with advertising dollars, which is the PURPOSE of these debates in the first place!

Does this mean that ANY person who fits the criteria for the Democrat debates (polling and fundraising) can participate? Let's hope this is remembered if there is another viable third-party candidate come the 2020 elections!

©Emittravel 2019

A Rest Stop on the Journey

Peace. Spiritually, I’m at peace.

Not much has changed for me concerning my post-sabbatical journey. I no longer attend the church I had been a member of for more years than I can count off the top of my head. That’s not new. I read the bible a lot less than I did, mainly due to its standing in my life. That’s not new either. And I try to take religion a whole lot less seriously than I did before. And that’s not new either.

I guess what has changed is that I’ve grown comfortable. I don’t feel that my “radical” beliefs are all that radical anymore, and that I can and do “fellowship” with other Christians in a straightforward, honest, and still loving manner. I don’t have the nagging feeling that the other shoe is going to drop and I’m going to find myself in a spiritual tailspin (I know I’m mixing metaphors, but bear with me.)

Part of that is most likely due to the generous acceptance of some friends who have welcomed me into their group (worship team). You see, the one thing I never lost before, during, and after my sabbatical is my desire to worship God. Even though I don’t believe the bible to be a co-equal member of the Godhead anymore, I still desire to give honor and praise unto the One who holds all of existence in His hands. For many years I’ve played harmonica, percussion, and provided bass harmonies in a worship environment. Leaving that former church left me without the avenue to express my love for God with those “gifts”. And again, thanks to the generous acceptance of some friends, I have again the ability to do just that.

Does that mean I am once again in full attendance at a church? No. These friends have accepted me where I am and allow me to join them whenever I can. At the moment that is about once a month. Sometimes more, but pretty much just that. I don’t think it will ever become a weekly thing again. And to be honest, I really don’t think I could go back to a weekly thing anymore.

And that’s okay.

Did I mention I was at peace?

© Emittravel 2019

Maybe the Game Isn’t Broken After All

For us fans of baseball, Spring Training marks the beginning of one of the most exciting seasons of the year (“officially”, Spring doesn’t arrive here in Cleveland until after the first Indians home game . . . ) As far as Major League Baseball (MLB) is concerned, the game is losing its excitement with the public and all kinds of changes are in the works to bring that excitement back.

A 20-second pitch clock has been in the works, along with a three batter per pitcher change. Those, amongst other rumors, are ideas that are supposed to make the game more thrilling. Of course, if you measure baseball against the last Super Bowl, a rain delay is more thrilling. Another item of interest is the destiny of several players stuck in free agency limbo. A favorite of mine, Bryce Harper, formerly of the Washington Nationals, is still waiting for a contract with a new team. The Philadelphia Phillies are currently the front runner in the pursuit of adding a locker with Harper’s name on it. Lest you think I’m just rambling here, there is a connection. According to an article by Todd Zolecki (Phils being deliberate in pursuit of Harper - February 23, 2019), Scott Boras, Harper’s manager, is looking to “obliterate Manny Machado’s 10-year, $300 million contract … and Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million contract”. Look at those numbers for a second. Okay, now take another look at those numbers. Starting to feel a bit uneasy? Maybe the MLB is wrong. Baseball is not losing its thrill. Maybe baseball is pricing itself out of business. My wife and I recently finished watching the Ken Burns’ “Baseball” documentary. (Warning: it is awesome, but will make you very angry at times.) One of the big issues in baseball’s history was the fact that the owners made all the money, and the players got bupkis. It was one of the factors that resulted in the 1919 World Series scandal where a number of players from the Chicago White Sox threw games to make extra money from gamblers. Times have changed. Players are no longer, for the most part, struggling financially. But as it is with many things, the pendulum has swung the other way. Oh, the owners aren’t struggling now, but the money many players make make most CEOs jealous. (Funny, people complain when a CEO makes a lot of money providing jobs and helping the company be successful, but don’t seem to mind when millions are dumped upon those who entertain us.) For us regular folk, earning that many dollars in our lifetimes makes no cents. If we took every dollar earned (talking gross, not even net) and did not spend a single dime of it (including food, shelter, clothing - you know, basics), we would still not see those kinds of numbers by 65 years old. I understand that a ballplayer’s career is limited, so earning as much as possible during those years is only wise. But the end of a baseball career does not mean the end of earned income during their remaining years. Maybe the reason people aren’t filling the stadium seats has nothing to do with the game on the field, but the cost to go there and enjoy the game. Unless you want a nosebleed seat, you may find yourself paying out the nose. Add to that parking, feeding your family, and a souvenir or two, and a day at the park can be a once in summer event. Instead of changing the game itself, maybe it’s time to seriously look at the salaries. Maybe it’s time that a little fat be trimmed. And, in case you think that cutting salaries would mean the end of the game, you need to spend time at some farm team games. Those guys understand making bupkis and STILL play the game. Let’s make “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” more of a financial possibility, and the excitement of the game will take care of itself. © Emittravel 2019

C'Mon, It's Only (Our) Money!

As I write this, the U.S. Government is currently in the longest shutdown in history. “Since 1976 . . . the United States Federal Government has had funding gaps on 20 occasions.”

If you have been keeping score, 20 times (I counted 22 times - where a deadline for funding was missed and a “new” shutdown started) since 1976, the folks we keep sending to Washington outspend their agreed upon budgets. Before 1976, the last time the government shut down over funding was in 1933, and before that 1790. So, before Jimmy Carter, the Federal Government shut down twice. SINCE Jimmy Carter, the Federal Government shut down 22 times. You can whine all you want about President Trump and his wall, but the problem you SHOULD be complaining about is that the Federal Government, regardless of the party holding the reins, has driven this wagon right over the financial cliff multiple times. And it seems like their aim for that cliff just keeps on improving. The Federal Government has never met a dollar they didn’t like . . . TO SPEND!! Will somebody please explain to me how “Democratic Socialists” like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders can hoodwink a large number of American citizens to think their “Dire Straits” programs (“Money for nuthin’ and your chicks for free”) can ever work?!? With both the Democrats and Republicans bankrupting the country trying to provide “a car in every pot and two chickens in every garage” (or something like that), how are we supposed to “Make America Great Again”?!? Maybe we should force these bozos to do what the rest of us have to do: live within our means. Because sooner or later, the piper needs to be paid. © Emittravel 2019