Stuff My Brain Says #85

Pander: (v) To provide gratification for others' desires (merriam-webster.com)

Placate: (v) To soothe or mollify, especially by concessions; to appease (merriam-webster.com)

At this year's Home Opener (July 24, 2020), the Cleveland Indians wore one of their road jerseys instead of the traditional white or red jerseys. It's a beautiful jersey, with CLEVELAND emblazoned across the front. They did this to make a statement: "We care."

The club has been in talks concerning renaming the team from the "Indians" to something "less offensive". (Last year was the first year their uniforms did not display the Chief Wahoo mascot.) Along with the Washington Redskins (who are also changing their name), the owners of the Indians are looking to do the "right thing".

I've written about the name change before in reference to the removal of Chief Wahoo. You can browse my blog (or simply search "Wahoo" and "My Humble But Accurate Opinion" in your favorite browser) to read in more detail how I feel about THAT.

Here's my point: Changing the name of the team, a name that has never been used to disparage, but to honor, does NOTHING to right a wrong. As the definitions above tell you, it is another example of placating; a simple gesture to hopefully show how in touch we are, and how sorry we are, for the bad things we white people have done, without actually doing anything of real value.

C'mon already. Who are you kidding? You want to do right? Forget renaming teams. GIVE THEM THEIR LAND BACK.

But hey, that would be going too far, won't it?

(This post was inspired by a tweet from @ScottJohnson: https://twitter.com/scottjohnson/status/1285803540309348352?s=19)

©Emittravel 2020

Kill The Goose

According to Douglas Adams, the answer to "Life, The Universe, And Everything" is "42". But, according to the MLB, 42 is also the answer to "death": as in the number of Minor League teams on the chopping block.

As I write this, my wife and I are recovering from hosting our 5th annual "Pitchers & Catchers Report Party": a celebration of the start of a new season of baseball, and a chance for family and friends to get together and gab and eat summer food on a below-freezing day. With her parents recent return to Ohio, this was a fun time for both sets of parents to hang out as well.

During the party, along with food, we had a game from September playing in the background. At one point I was called over by both dads who told me that they would be enjoying future ball games right here. They said that there was good food, great parking, and great seats to watch the game.

I think they had something there.

Have you ever heard the story of the goose that laid the golden eggs? The farmer found he had a goose that would lay one golden egg every day. Due to his greed, he cut the goose open to get all the eggs at once - effectively killing the goose.

That farmer and the MLB have something in common.

I read a recent article that made the argument that the MLB needed not only a new Commissioner of Baseball, but a new commissioner like the old commissioners. Back in 1921, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis became the first commissioner. He was brought in partially due to what become the "Black Sox Scandal", where he banned eight ballplayers from the game for life!

"Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player who throws a ballgame, no player that undertakes or promises to throw a ballgame, no player that sits in conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers where the ways and means of throwing a game are discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball."

That action, though harsh, helped keep the game respectable, and helped the game to continue to grow.

Landis' focus was for the good of the game. He balanced the interest of players, owners, and fans to the best of his ability. That was a trait that followed for commissioners after him.

Current commissioners however, especially the last two, have focused on what is best for the owners exclusively. Okay, maybe they haven't kicked the players out, but they sure have left the fans out in the rain.

One of the things that has been proposed by the current commissioner (Robert Manfred) is the elimination of 42 Minor League clubs, with the hopes of expanding the Major League clubs by two. The reason? Money, of course. And by money, I mean money for the owners of the Major League clubs.

Lest you think I'm rambling here, let me tie all these threads together.

According to our dads, access to games, good food, great seats, and easy parking all add up to a great baseball experience. You know what that sounds like to me? They aren't talking about going to a Major League park! Sounds like a Minor League experience to me! You know, where you don't have to fight traffic, all seats are good (even the "nosebleed"), the parking is easy, and you don't have to take out a loan to go! And according to Mr. Manfred, there will be 42 less places for people to enjoy that kind of baseball.

For some people, a Minor League park is the only way they can take their family to a game. Partly due to finances; partly due to inaccessibility to Major League ballparks.

In 2019, my wife and I attended four Major League games (one at home and three in Canada while on vacation). In comparison, we went to six Minor League games. I can guarantee you, we spent far less money, and had JUST as good a time, at the six Minor League games than we did at the four Major League games. And those Minor League players played the game just as hard and with just as much passion as their Major League affiliates. And that means, in 2020, we plan on going to even MORE Minor League games.

The MLB owners are so money focused that they are willing to kill 42 geese. That's a lot of golden eggs they are throwing away, all for greed.

Let's not dash the dreams of multitudes of children to one day step up to the batters' box by keeping them from enjoying the game. Especially ones they and their families can actually attend!

©Emittravel 2020

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

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

And the Bottom of the Ninth to You!

Today (20181008) the 2018 baseball season has come to a close for the Cleveland Indians. They lost the five-game series in the first three games against the Houston Astros. Not a particularly great way to end the year. And I’ll admit, I’m not disappointed. I’m bummed, but not disappointed.

It wasn’t much past the All Star Game that when asked how I thought the Indians would do this year I would respond with, “They will clinch the Central Division, but that’s about it. It would be awesome if they would win the American League Division series, and incredible if they could win the pennant, but I doubt they would win the World Series this year.” My reasoning was that they were playing at the top of the division - but the division sucked! Most of the other teams were in rebuilding years, and the Indians had a pretty solid line up. But compared to the rest of the American League, we weren’t much to write home about.

So, I was bummed that the season ended so quickly, but not disappointed. However, one thing I had, in spite of the above paragraph, was hope. You see, as I’ve said repeatedly, baseball is the only sport where you can’t run out the clock or take a knee. You have to play until the final out. And because of that, I always have hope that things could change before that final out.

I wish I could say the same thing for the rest of the Cleveland Indians “fans”.

My wife and I are fair-weather fans. We try to get to at least one or two football games at the high school where she teaches. However, we only go if the weather is decent. You know, “fair”. The Cleveland Indians fans, on the other hand, are fair-weather fans of the other sort. You know what I mean.

When the Indians are winning, people are wearing their gear, screaming in the stands, and letting the world know that Cleveland is a true sports town. But when they aren’t doing so good? They are leaving the stands before the game is even over. And like I said above, it’s never over until the final out.

Are you from Cleveland? Do you call this place CleveLAND? Are you one of those who say it is “us against the world”? I wish it were so.

At around the 7th inning, the wheels came off. I won’t go into the stats - you can look those up yourself - but in the 7th Houston scored three runs to put them in the lead for the first time. Then, during the 8th, they scored an additional SIX runs, bringing the score to 10-2. I had the game on my tablet (my wife and I are “Slingers”) up until 17:00, when it was time to head for home. I then had the local radio station (WMMS 100.7 FM) giving me the audio play-by-plays for the rest. I wish I hadn’t.

As I listened to the “voice of the Cleveland Indians”, Tom “Hammy” Hamilton, I got angry. At one point Hamilton informed us that after the top of the 8th fans were leaving the stadium in droves. It was a mass exodus. And that’s not what really blew my stack. It was when Hamilton said the season was over for the Indians. He thanked the production staff for such a great job over the season (and yes, they have), since it was over. When the Astros’ 9th inning pitcher came out, he said that after he was done pitching he would be going to the visitor's clubhouse to celebrate.

THE GAME WASN’T OVER!!!

I don’t give a rat’s ass what the score is. You don’t call the game over before it’s over!!

So, in closing, I want to leave you with a few suggestions for next year:

It’s time for Tom Hamilton to retire. He’s had a great run, but I prefer my sports announcers to be informative, a bit entertaining, and maybe a LITTLE biased towards the home team. I don’t think he is able to do that anymore.

Cleveland fans need to put up or shut up. You sit in your seats until the very end of a Marvel movie to see the end credit “shawarma” stinger, but leave when your team is down? What impact do you think that has for the players when they see the seats empty?

Cleveland fans need to stop bad-mouthing the Indians. Remember the “wait until next year” unofficial slogan the Indians rallied for years? In 2016, when the Indians looked for a World Series win they haven't seen since 1948, what did the fans do? They gave the Chicago Cubs home field advantage here in Cleveland by selling their tickets to Chicago fans and providing the Indians a sea of Cubs blue to rally them. Maybe you aren’t ready for “next year”.

And finally, you should read a book about baseball. Not a book of stats. Stories. Read books like “Indians Memories” by Tim Long and Don Fox, or “The Curse of Rocky Colavito” by Terry Pluto, or “Shoeless Joe” (the story that inspired the movie “A Field of Dreams”) by W.P. Kinsella, or “For the Love of Baseball” by a bunch of different writers taking you on an emotional roller coaster.

This off season, fall in love with the game of baseball again. So next year, you will root, root, root for your home team; and if you don’t, well, it’s a shame.

© Emittravel 2018

What’s Your Hurry?

Today (20180429) was sports Sunday here in Cleveland. The Cavaliers played the Pacers in Game 7 of their playoff series, and the Indians played the Mariners in Game 4 of their 4-game series. The Cavaliers pulled a win - taking the series, and the Indians pulled a loss - losing their series 1-4 (good thing it’s only April baseball!)

Recently, much has come from the MLB concerning the speed of the game. Apparently, some think baseball is too slow, and the MLB wants to try different things to speed it up. I’ve written a few times about this already (here and here, for example), so I won’t spend too much time on it in this post. I do want to expand a bit on a Twitter post I wrote recently (follow me at @nocturnecsh):

“00:30 left on the Cavs/Pacers clock. Went to the bathroom. Came back to 00:21. & a clock will speed up #baseball? Who are you kidding @MLB?”

I went to the BATHROOM and only NINE seconds had lapsed on the clock. That’s basketball for you.

Apparently a clock does little to speed the game.

I’m an all-things time related junkie. Favorite time related movie? “Memento”. Favorite time related book? That’s a toss up between H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine” and the Bible. Favorite time related album? Alan Parsons "The Time Machine". Favorite time related sport? That’s easy: BASEBALL! And not because it is “slow”.

When you put yourself in a position to focus solely on the game in front of you, time slows down - and not in a negative way. When the pitcher is on the mound and is looking to his catcher for the best pitch to befuddle the batter, who is watching the pitcher to see what pitch he will throw to try and befuddle him, time ssslllooowwwwsss down. The tension is palpable. Nothing else matters in that moment.

Sure, in football there are all of these guys running around the field when the ball is snapped. In basketball nobody ever STOPS running (except for the clock: which never seems to run at all). But in baseball, the moments before the action are just as important as the moments after the pitch/swing. And you can’t rush that.

Maybe the problem isn’t the pace of the game. It’s us.

It’s amazing to me that people today drive with one hand on the wheel, one holding their smartphone, and both eyes looking anywhere but through the windshield, and yet they drive so close to the car in front of them they think that they have all the time in the world to hit the breaks and come to a stop if needed.

I’m not sure about the state you live in, but here in Ohio we have a little thing called “assured clear distance”. If you ever rear end someone, you’ve been cited for it. It is the failure to maintain an appropriate distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. “Back in my day” (that’s old man speak) that would be one car length for every TEN miles an hour - on dry pavement with clear visibility. The distance is to be greater on wet pavement, more for snow-covered pavement, and at night. This is to allow sufficient time for the person behind to come to a complete stop and not hit the car in front. And yet, people drive right on your bumper like that will allow them to get to their destination that much faster.

So, maybe it’s WE that need to slow down, rather than rush the game of baseball. Because as far as a sport is concerned, baseball is pretty much perfect as is.

© Emittravel 2018

There Is No Joy In Mudville?

With a two-run walk-off home run, Indians’ catcher, Yan Gomes, secures the home opener series win against the Kansas City Royals. And talk about a celebration at home plate!

Photo: David Richard, USA TODAY Sports (2017)

To be honest, record aside, I’ve been a little worried about my home team. They just have not been playing up to the caliber of the team I’m used to seeing. The bats have not been very hot. And as good as the defense has been at keeping opposing teams from crossing home plate, it takes hot bats to win games.

But that’s not it.

The real reason for my worry is that, from the games I’ve been able to watch, I’ve not seen much joy. You know, like two-run walk-off home run to win a game kind of joy.

I’ll admit, I wouldn't want to be the guy standing in the outfield in 34-degree temperatures either. That kind of chill can . . . chill your attitude. But regardless, there is a joy that the team exudes that I think is the secret ingredient, the Emeril “BAM!” of baseball.

I’ve seen glimpses of it. There was one game where I caught Indian’s short stop Frankie Lindor with his arm around the shoulders of the opposing team’s second baseman - both with big smiles on their faces. THAT joy.

With the beginning of Cleveland Indians baseball, the subject of the removal of Chief Wahoo has been in the news. For those not in the know, the MLB and the Cleveland Indians ownership have come to an agreement to retire the beloved mascot at the beginning of the 2019 season. He will no longer be available on any MLB officially licensed merchandise and no longer diplayed on the players’ uniforms. However, he will still be available in the team shop and on non-official MLB merchandise, and fans can still display him proudly at games. This, as a matter of coincidence(?) lines up with Cleveland hosting the 2019 All-Star Game.

I bring up Chief Wahoo for a reason: In spite of his removal, it is my hope that the joy that the SMILING mascot displayed will not disappear from the club and the fans that support it.

So my desire is that, as the temperatures go up, so does the joy level. Because, regardless of the team’s record, this is NOT Mudville!

© Emittravel 2018

Guess You Can’t Call the MLB Racist

They finally did it. After many years of whining by a VERY tiny minority, Major League Baseball has finally put the kibosh on the Cleveland Indian’s mascot - Chief Wahoo.

Starting in 2019, the Cleveland Indians will no longer display Chief Wahoo on their uniforms. Not only that, but the MLB will no longer sell any merchandise with the Chief Wahoo logo. The Chief is still welcome in the stands and will be available at the team shop, but the MLB will no longer “officially” recognize the long-loved mascot.

My feelings concerning Chief Wahoo have been expressed previously. If you want to read about some history and my reasonings why we should KEEP Chief Wahoo, please take a few moments to read it (or, hopefully, REread it!)

As far as the why, I think that is pretty self-evident: Cleveland has been granted the privilege of being home to the All-Star Game in 2019. Coincidence? I think not. I think that the only way Cleveland was granted the honor was IF they allowed for the “retirement” of the mascot.

Now, there are people who like the block “C” logo, and people who don’t. Not to sound like an advertisement - which this is NOT - but there IS a very tasteful alternative. GV Art & Design has come up with a design that removes the Chief, without removing the heart:

Classy, tasteful, and very Cleveland!

If you want to read more, check out this brief article from a local Cleveland station: http://m.cleveland19.com/story/37376116/should-this-cleveland-indians-logo-replace-chief-wahoo

I could go into a tirade over the fact that the minority voice is calling the shots in our society, regardless of what the majority thinks. I could talk about the fact that there is a generation (or two) with VERY thin skin out there. I could mention that trying to rewrite history does not make it better. I could even mention the 1st Inning of the Ken Burns’ documentary “Baseball” that proved how the racism of a MINORITY of white players kept black players from being a part of the MLB for YEARS.

But I won’t. I’ve got too much class (NOT!)

But I will say that I’m sure the MLB will be very happy with the loss of revenue from Chief Wahoo merchandise sales (sarcasm font). Because, the MLB is NOT racist. And neither am I. And if you think that because I’m wearing Chief Wahoo that I am? You are wrong.

And an idiot.

© Emittravel 2018

30% = Success!

“Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” - Ted Williams

What a game.

My wife and I started watching the Ken Burns documentary “Baseball”. We’re only in the first inning (the documentary is divided up into ten), but are already captivated. It talks about the early beginnings, how it changed over the years, and slowly became the game we know today.

"Baseball is a leisurely game that demands blinding speed, and the only one in which the defense has the ball. It follows the seasons, beginning each year with the fond expectancy of springtime and ending with the hard facts of autumn… ...It is a haunted game in which every player is measured against the ghosts of all who have gone before. Most of all, it is about time and timelessness, speed and grace, failure and loss, imperishable hope--and coming home." - quote from “Baseball”

One of the big complaints I’ve heard over the years is that baseball is a slow game. It takes too long. Nothing happens for long periods of time. My friends, that is the beauty of baseball.

I read an article by Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri on Twitter) entitled: “MLB Plans to Implement Pace-Of-Play Changes Against Players’ Wishes” that really fired me up. The first sentence says it all: “Over the objections of players, MLB hopes to implement a pitch clock and tighter restrictions on mound visits this season…”

I know what you’re thinking. “Don’t other sports have clocks?” Sure they do. Football has a clock that determines delay of game, about 25 seconds once a referee signals the ball is ready for play. Basketball has a shot clock. Both sports are divided into quarters (football - 15 minutes, basketball - 12 minutes), with a break after the second quarter.

So, wouldn’t a pitch clock speed up baseball like the ones in football and basketball? Not necessarily. As a matter of fact, the clocks in football and basketball really don’t speed up the game either.

As I’ve stated, both football and basketball work off of quarters. So, football and basketball games are only an hour long, right? Hell no.

An average NFL game lasts THREE HOURS AND TWELVE MINUTES. An average NBA game lasts TWO HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES. You know, short games.

Baseball does not have such time constraints. It is a game where you have as much time as needed in order for one team to win (nine innings standard, with extra innings in case of a tie after the first nine). It is a game of strategy. And it is the longest running sport in our nation’s history.

“But J.P., there is so much time standing around with nothing happening. A pitch clock would speed that up.”

This may come as a surprise to all of you football fans (this is being written during the playoff games), but for a game that runs over three hours, there is only about eleven MINUTES of actual play. So, the next time you are standing out in the cold, wearing face paint and your favorite player’s jersey, just remember that.

Furthermore, a pitch clock would only add a level of pressure that could lead to injuries. There are enough rules that a pitcher has to follow (ever hear of a balk?) that adding a pitch clock would only pressure poorer performance - which can lead to injuries to both the pitcher and the batter. Unless you think the game could use more “wild pitches” . . .

Emma Baccellieri's article points out that the pitch clock has been in use in the minor leagues for awhile. I've seen it. And the clock ALONE is not that bad of an idea. It can help keep the focus of the game for the pitcher. But the big difference between the minor and major league versions is that for the minors there are no penalties if not observed. It's the PENALTIES proposed that, if implemented, will be to the detriment of the players and the game.

I’m with the players on this. Baseball has never been a game of the clock. Don’t change that. Baseball is the only sport where players can’t run out the clock or take a knee. It’s not until that last out that the game ends.

And that is the way it should be.

© Emittravel 2018

Find a Team and Hang On

I had posted a comment concerning the recent ALCS (American League Championship Series) game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, and a good friend of mine responded on Facebook with “I can’t believe you can bear to watch these games!”

Where our Indians flag was displayed

That friend is not anti-baseball. She is a hurt Cleveland Indians fan. And being that the Indians lost the American League Division Series in Game Five against the New York Yankees (which means, for those of you not really following baseball, that their season is OVER), watching any baseball game without Chief Wahoo represented is a bit painful.

Where it is displayed now . . . 

I can’t blame her. But I responded, “I’m rooting for the Astros to beat the Yankees and the Dodgers to beat the Cubs. And then the Astros to beat the Dodgers. If Cleveland isn’t in it, I’m still going to love the game. Find a team to root for and hang on!”

And that is the way to get over the hurt of losing: find a team to root for and hang on.

That’s not exactly difficult for me. I love the game of baseball. I really do. As I’ve written before, my wife and I like to attend minor league games whenever we can. When we go we root, root, root for the home team. We are big time Toledo Mudhens fans, and they are the AAA team for the Detroit Tigers. Now, if we were to attend a Mudhens / Clippers game (the AAA team in Columbus for the Cleveland Indians) in Toledo, we’d be hard pressed to root for the Mudhens. Fortunately, we haven’t been put in that situation (yet)!

So, even though the Indians are out of it, I’m still going to enjoy the game. This means I had to find a team to root for.

I have a Twitter friend (@BritniB714) who is from Houston. Knowing her beloved Astros are in it, I’m rooting for them. Besides. They are playing against the team that beat the Indians (the New York Yankees), so that makes it easy. In the National League, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs. Since the Cubs beat the Indians in Game Seven of the World Series last year, rooting for the Dodgers is easy too. And once the World Series starts, it’s American League all the way, baby!

This past weekend we got to enjoy a few games. We watched the Astros win the first two of their series, and the Dodgers win the first of theirs. We’ve been really excited over here! Great games.

When watching the Indians during their post-season, the games have been played on a different network than normal. We love the Sportstime Ohio commentators. They are Cleveland fans, obviously, but that doesn’t mean they talk down the opposing team. They call a good game. If a good play is made, they praise it. If errors are made, they call them. They tell stories in between pitches covering players from both teams. A great group of guys.

When the post-season started, we started listening to the MLB.com app audio stream. This allowed us the ability to listen to a local radio station instead of the (non-Sportstime Ohio) TV announcers. And unlike using the radio, the audio and video sync is close enough to not drive you crazy.

After the Indians were out of it, I’d listen (in the Jeep) to the Houston announcers call the Astros/Yankees games. Great fun.

This past weekend, my wife and I were staying at the Punderson State Park Lodge. So, we caught the games on whatever channel was playing them - along with listening to the announcers of that particular channel.

During the Cubs/Dodgers game (played in Los Angeles), a play occurred that was a bit controversial. Not only was the play controversial, one of the announcers couldn’t help but provide some “color commentary” that really annoyed me.

Let me explain:

The Dodgers were up to bat. They had a man on second base. The batter hit out to left field, where Schwarber fielded it and threw it ALL THE WAY to home plate, just as the runner made it all the way from second to home. The catcher, stuck his left leg out, blocking the runner from being able to tag the base. The runner had to go around the catcher, missing the base completely, and the catcher stood up and tagged the runner. An out.

That play was challenged and overturned. He was safe. The reason being that the catcher is NOT allowed to block the path of the runner, UNLESS he had to in order to catch the ball. The catcher clearly did not have to.

Now, the rule was upheld and the Dodgers got the run. The Cubs coach got so mad he yelled at the umpire just enough to get thrown out of the game. (imagine a fist-pump emoji here)

The part that got me so annoyed was that the TV announcer (obviously a Cubs fan) said that he understood the rule, but it took away the “athleticism of the game”. The rule is recent and for years that would have been a good play by the catcher.

Really?!?

I’m no sports announcer. I’m just a simple fan. And apparently, unlike the announcer, I wasn't there in 1846 when baseball got started. So, I really should give him the benefit of the doubt.

Bulls**t!

If a catcher blocking the plate is considered the “athleticism of the game”, then the runner should be able to PLOW that catcher over - cleats first. Just like the old days. Is that what the announcer meant?

I’m almost sure that he would consider today’s football also missing the “athleticism of the game”. After all, they don’t wear leather helmets anymore, and they use all of that stupid padding!

It’s announcers like that that make watching the game so exasperating.

But it’s baseball. And I love the game. So, I am going to find a team to root for and hang on!

And so should you.

© Emittravel 2017

A Tip of the Cap

As I write this, the Cleveland Indians are playing their last game of the regular season.

The last game.

Well, fortunately, NOT the last game of the year. Just the regular season.

At this point in the season the Indians have secured their spot in the postseason as the American League Central Division Champions. They will play the winner of the Wild Card Game and hopefully make it all the way to the World Series!

Now, as a Tribe fan, I have to admit that I REALLY hope they go all the way and win the World Series. Not even remotely shy about that. But as a baseball fan, I’m telling you that the number one reason I’m excited is that baseball (at least for Cleveland) is not over at the end of the game today.

Just before today’s game, the Cleveland Browns went ahead and secured the 0-4 stat after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 31-7. And no, I didn’t give much time or attention to the game. You see, football is what you watch when there is no baseball.

I have so enjoyed this regular season. I’ve watched more baseball than last year - including five times AT Progressive Field for a home game. (Yes, I’m toying with the idea of becoming a season ticket holder . . . But don’t tell my wife!) I’ve loved nights where my wife and I have gone out to a local Tavern to enjoy dinner, catching several innings. To listen to more innings on the drive home on the radio - gotta love Tom Hamilton (@TomHamiltonCLE) excitement and Jim Rosenhaus’ (@IndiansRadio) insights! Then finishing the game at home watching SportsTime Ohio (@SportsTimeOhio) with play-by-play calls (and in-between banter) by Rick Manning and Matt Underwood (@stomattu). And who doesn’t love the interviews, fun, and rivalry with mascot Mustard, of Andre Knott (@DreKnott)?!?

Then, once the game has ended, It’s time for the post-game Indians Live show with AL Pawlowski (@AlPawlowski) and Jensen Lewis (@JLEWFifty).

Sure, those guys will be there pre- and post-game throughout the rest of the postseason, but it won’t be the same as hearing them IN the games calling the plays. For that we’ll miss you guys.

Even more than watching the game, it’s enjoying it with other fans. And the Cleveland Indians have the best fans in the world. Be it at the ballpark, or in the tavern, the energy and joy is contagious.

The game is almost over. It’s the top of the 9th. Win or lose, I’m proud of these guys. Go all the way or not does not matter overall. It’s the professionalism and joy with which they have played this game where they have truly hit one out of the park.

Thanks guys.

© Emittravel 2017