2021 MLB Regular Season thread

And Bob Boone, three weeks older than Bench, quits his job instead of getting vaccinated. Dumb-dumb.

 

Before the completion of six innings, for any mid-inning pitching change in which the current pitcher has given up four or fewer runs, the new pitcher should assume a 2-0 count on all subsequent batters in the inning.

 

May take me a while to calm down after Friday's game. Both teams are going to be on fumes the rest of the way.

 

Best thing to wake up to this morning. I’m guessing Urias gets the job done tonight then it’s war tomorrow. If that’s the case, the stretch run is going to be so much fun. Just wish the Giants’ starting pitching was healthy for this.

 

It's almost impossible to explain the utter disdain Los Angeles has for San Francisco, and vice-versa -- and the whole Dodgers-Giants rivalry is a microcosm of that. The fact that the two teams hated each other in New York to start with only piled on once they headed West. It's a culture war with sports deciding the outcome.

They're in the same state (although that's been hotly debated for years) but being near the San Andreas might be the only thing LA and SF have in common. And if the Big One ever hits, one will definitely blame the other for starting it.

People from The City think Angelinos are vapid, pretentious celebrity-worshippers and overly preoccupied with concrete freeways and worrying about smog. The Grapevine is about the farthest south they'd ever venture, although anything past Daly City is pushing it.

On the other hand, Southlanders believe 'Frisco is nothing but a land of vapid, pretentious over-age hipsters sipping on Sonoma Valley wine and overly preoccupied with getting away from tourists who want to see Alcatraz, Pier 39, Lombard Street and ride cable cars; and worrying about fog. The Grapevine is about the farthest north they'd ever venture, although anything past San Fernando is pushing it.

LA has Rodeo Drive. San Francisco has Union Square. LA has Hollywood. SF has Lucasfilm. LA has Disneyland. SF has the Castro District, Haight-Ashbury and SoMa.

You have to go back to perhaps 1962 to have the pennant hinging on such an important three-game series between these two. What fun.

 

Cool footage of a 59-year-old Honus Wagner bumping around spring training with the Pirates in 1933.

 

59? Goddamn, he must've lived a hard life. Looks 79.

 

Holy shit, that footage is incredible. I kept wishing there was more of it.

I remember when HBO came out with the “When It Was A Game” films in the early 90s, and how incredible it was to see baseball in color in the old days. It was such a novelty to see those films back then.

 

I read up on him recently in SABR. He apparently had an alcohol problem (like a lot of guys did back then).

It’s pretty interesting to read those bios. We always hear about their on-field accomplishments, but a lot of those bios also talk about the old-time players off the field or after their playing career.

 

You also have Westwood vs. Berkeley
Though USC was nothing but Wayne State with palm trees

 

That sure looks like Wrigley Field in LA, which was built in 1925 -- the palm trees and the architecture match up, particularly the arch cutouts down the line. Most teams went to SoCal then, but played in more temporary stadiums. I see where the Pirates made San Bernardino home during the 1930s. I don't know if Catalina even had more than a rudimentary bleacher when the Cubs trained there.



Pretty good swing and glove for a 59 year old. Just thinking about him in his prime -- he was a very big man, particularly for shortstop -- but he was both fast and powerful. Ty Cobb might be considered the American League's version of Wagner. (Interesting that he wore 14 for the interview.) And also very surprised at his voice. Had always assumed the Flying Dutchman would have a bit of a German accent, but that's definitely western Pennsylvanian.