MLB '24 Regular Season Thread

Isn't this like the third stadium in 25 years down there?

 

Parker Field was a relic from the 1930s or 1940s. I think the Diamond opened sometime in the 1980s and it was always sort of a slapdash solution. So a brand-new stadium there isn't really out of line.

 

But I was told three days ago that this wasn't the best chance to win and he had no lane to make it into the lineup

 

Im telling you.
James McArthur couldn’t get me out.
The fact that he is a MLB pitcher is a fucking mystery.

 

Once again.
The fact that we have the worst bullpen in the history of MLB and are within 3 games of the division lead is astounding.

 

“We”? You got a mouse in your pocket?

 

One of baseball's great attributes lies in both the pace of the game and of the season. There are enough pauses between pitches and innings to generate tension. And the daily schedule, especially as the number of games dwindles and the pennant races tighten, adds to the rollercoaster of elation and dispair.

Reading back through this thread, it seems every fanbase is certain the fates will eventually turn against their team, from the best to the worst. And the closer a team is to that ultimate goal -- a World's Championship -- the more emotions play with the mind. Baseball is a quest to be perfect, only to fall sort of that goal. Only one team will emerge at the end every season to celebrate being the closest to perfect, leaving the other 29 to wonder what could have been.

As one of the few team sports without a clock, the calendar instead becomes the adversary. You don't run out of time as much as you run out of games to play. In a season of 162 games, suddenly the last 15 or 20 have that much more influence on the standings. A team so good all season can have everything come apart with no warning.

We're attuned to notice the faults and imperfections but not always the successes and strengths, particularly when losses in September hurt more than wins heal. Only three more weeks before the summer ends for all but the best. Then it's a long, cold winter awaiting the eventual return of spring training, with hopes renewed. Every team is 0-0 again, and the tension ratchets back up.

As the wonderful Gene Wilder said as Willy Wonka, "The suspense is terrible! I hope it will last."

I'm with Rogers Hornsby. "People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."

 

Love this post.

I was just thinking how much I love it when my team is fighting for a playoff spot in September. Every day is scoreboard watching and a mini-drama. And it’s fun.

 

Yep. I've spent a lot of cold winters staring out of the window, waiting for spring. But the possibility of another 1968 or 1984 keeps me connected for season after season. And even a sniff of a pennant race, no matter how long the odds, gives you hope. Maybe this is THE YEAR.

People wonder what's so special about baseball. If it was easy, anybody could do it. The hard is what makes it great. And special. And memorable. Flags fly forever, as do memories. As long as you live, you'll never forget when your team was on top.

As a child, you see men playing the game and dream of what it would be like to be one of them. Then you're the same age as the players. Then you get to the age where you're watching young men playing in those uniforms. The names change -- and even the game changes -- but the goal remains the same.

A perfect season in an imperfect world is so gratifying.

 

And 30 fan bases with 30 different experiences.

As a Dodgers fan, the regular season doesn’t matter as I brace for another postseason disappointment. As much as I’ll defend 2020, I know they need a full-season title to validate the great run over the past decade plus. Otherwise they are just the Braves and the Bills.

Based on this thread, Orioles fans seem hopeful but anxious. Royals fans seem satisfied with the much improved season they have had. Mets fans are excited but leery. Yankee fans are frustrated about what could be. Tigers fans see a bright future. As do the Nats fans. Giants fan see their championship run fade farther into the rear view mirror and want changes. Angels fans see no hope.

I certainly don’t want to speak for others, so set me straight.

 

Great observation, and I think you are spot on. Every fanbase has a different perception of success, based on projection and past performances. Certainly, fans of the Dodgers and Yankees should expect nothing less than a ring, while fans of teams who have been near the bottom might celebrate just reaching .500 or making it in as a wild card.

We all want to see our team eventually win the damn thing because that's the payoff when all is said and done. But sometimes the journey is the reward. If you're from Cleveland, you have to wonder if there is a destination.