MLB 2022: The Long and Winding Thread

What exactly is the perspective you're trying to give us?

 

That a certain number of home runs doesn't mark "elite power hitter" the way it used to.

Songbird, I think that succeeds in the attempt.

 

I am making no larger point here. It's just Barry Bonds talking hitting. Do with that what you will.

 

I should have added that. I was making no larger point here.

 

I mean, you gotta throw 1981 out -- there were teams that played 103 games and the most was 111. You don't think there might be a handful of guys that would have gotten to 30 if they had 50 more games to play.

 

I forgot about 1981, Della. Thanks.

 

Man Bud Selig REALLY sucked as commish:

The A’s were ruined by many

Joe Lacob once had a deal to buy A's, still has vision to keep them in Oakland

I really feel bad for my buddies who are A's fans.

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Selig cut his teeth in the early 60s as a member of the bunch of Chicago based freebooters ie minority investors who helped hijack the Braves out of Milwaukee for the new taxpayer paid stadium and virgin teevee market in Atlanta, then after the Braves bolted, he helped engineer the one year disaster of the pilots in Seattle, then he managed to fuck over that fan base and snatch the franchise for himself in Milwaukee. He used that base to boost himself into the commissionership.

 

Finley got a lot of crud, but he built a championship team, and even when FA blew the thing apart, he kept prices affordable. Shoot, even the Haas family couldn't keep Rickey from the Yankees. These new owners - and Lacob did this as well - are more interested in leveraging a sports team for a sweetheart real estate deal than they are winning. Nice that Lacob was also interested in winning, but the Warriors DID get a sweetheart real estate deal in SF that will easily cover any luxury taxes the roster might accrue.

 

Not sure the arena "will easily cover any luxury taxes." Tim Kawakami in the Athletic has outlined how much the arena brings for long playoff runs, while substantial, its not all covering. Don't get me wrong, the appreciation in franchise value is enormous and should cover all costs in the long run, but in the short run, year to year, there is a limit. Now I don't care, keep paying but just saying there's likely a limit in the owners' minds.

 

it's not just the arena - there are office buildings and I think a hotel that are part of it - privately financed for sure, but they did get the city to throw in some infrastructure costs.