SockNet

1. Gambling. The invention of fantasy football transformed viewership in creating rooting interest in out of market games one would not otherwise care about. Even as fantasy filtered into other sports the once of week simplicity of fantasy football makes it easier to play for the layperson. 2. TV deals removed accessability. I don't have cable and cannot watch TV on weekends w/o seeing thousands of NFL, NBA, NCAA FB and basketball, it's truely annoying. Air one game a week on a local station and watch interest grow. I've never watched more Saints baseball in my life seeing them on FOX9+ 3. Speed of play is still a huge issue removing interest. Even die hard fans have 4 hour games. Number of pitching changes and human rain delays are part of it but TV commercial time needs to be addressed. With the avereage TV size in America at 55" there is pleanty of real estate and no reason not run adds on screen while the game runs w/o commentary. This would allow umpires the ability to keep the pace up w/o being chastised by MLB for not allowing ad time. After reading this it maybe strays from accessability a bit, oh well...

I love beating the White Sox. Whether the teams are good or bad in a given year, it's still my favorite thing.

I didn't look up the exact circumstances but what about Lonnie Smith drilling Brian Harper at the plate? That, at least, was as good a collision you'd see in baseball.

What about Jorge Alcala making some gloves pop?

"Ain't no sunshine when it rains" For when a Donaldson Bombas force a pitcher exit.

I want to know how things went with the Nats and Braves to know how he wound up in MN. Im worried he just will take his pay day and figuratively not show up to the park.

I think this thread is a debate about philosophy of full on hustle on every play vs pacing out a season to try and stay as health and productive as possible during a long season. Coaching little league is as much about teaching sportsmanship and the value of hard work as it is fundamentals. I don't think many on this thread would question whether or not Rosario is a hard worker or dedicated to his profession. You might feel different. That's okay. Rosario maybe could have use some more coaching on fundamentals though.

I disagree he was even dogging it. refer back to my post #38 on what might have happened hard out of the box. He might have misread it as a home run off the bat but he really treated a sure double like a sure double. Rosario is being chastised because he has speed enough to maybe make it to third the way the ball came off the wall funny. Cruz and Cron could have done a light jog to second on that ball and no one would have said boo because they are not going to third.

I responded to this but messed up attaching it. See post #57. I would also add that trying to teach kids what it means to hustle is very different than what's going on at here.

Agreed. But this is fundamentals, not hustle related which is my problem with the suggestion it be a reason for benching Rosario.

How do you treat your job? Everyone reading and posting on this from their cube is totally loafing it to first. If you’re ‘balls to the wall’ all the time you will burn out or get hurt. These guys have to make it through a taxing season. Expend energy when necessary. Conserve it when possible.

I agree it is appropriate to question his judgement. While the play is in front of him most runners will react to the play and not pick up the coach until his back is away from it. At that you may or may not be to far committed to get back. I think it’s unfair to question Rosario’s hustle for treating a double like a double. For fans to expect full go 100% of the time is 100% unrealistic. These guys are beat up over the season. I feel there should be a SABR graph that shows the reality of hustle where hustle is greatest at a 50% hit probability an falls the closer it gets to either end of the spectrum. Eddie not hustling would have been getting thrown out at 2nd or having a single. Also, our 3rd base coach has done nothing to inspire confidence in his judgment.

C'mon guys. Some of you must have played some level o competitive ball. Disregard the announcer. This is the wrong play to prove a point. This was not some triple out of the box down the line. It's a sure double or an out. He did not kick his gears on for 3rd until the janky bounce of the wall. It was a high fly. If he busts out of the box he's decelerating into second by the time he sees the bounce off the wall anyway and the play, out or safe, looks very much the same. This isn't non hustle. This was trying to take an extra base and Engel caught him steeling. If you want to bag on Rosario, question the decision to try for third. I won't however. He has always been and aggressive base runner and it is part of his style of play that I very much enjoy watching.

Let Schoop walk as internal options seem ready to contribute. See what it would take to keep Cron for 3 years or so. He plays really good defense and his career numbers on baseball reference look fairly consistent. Listen to offers on Sano and Rosario (I love Rosario and want him to stay for ever and ever) or Kepler. Not sure what Sano would get, but Rosie and Kepler would get a haul and sounds like Kirilleroff's going to be close enough to ready. I'm a firm believer that in competitive window you need this kind of turn over not only to maintain a strong system but keep competitive drive at the big league level.

With both teams bull pens spent I think the managers should agree to a 'position players pitching game' where each position player pitches one inning and the utility player fields the natural position of said 'position player pitching'. Can Marwin catch? Umps might have to expand the zone a little bit though.

I say the face the franchise should should be the player that appeals to the targeted audience. If you want to get the white college aged women to the park, slap Kepler on that flyer hands down. If you want the the crowd that the 'Live Fast, Swing Free' lifestyle appeals to, Astudillo and Rosario are your guys. To people who like watching dominating performances, Berrios and Cruz.

I'm just convinced Buxton struggles w/ expectation. In 2017 he was allowed to work on mechanics while Sano carried the first half and took of while everyone was clicking the second half so there was no burden of weight. Hopefully Buxton can 'just play' while Cruz, Rosario, and others carry the load until his confidence is high enough shoulders are broad enough to take on more.

No matter how good or bad the teams are in any given year, nothing makes me more gitty than crushing the Sox. How can you like them? They don't even wear "white socks."

I hope his tendinitis encourages him to hit the cut off man.

“Roll me over Joe”

I liked the Dozier arbitration buy out. They gave the guy the raise he deserved and security in knowing his salary. But Dozier had yet to have a complete season with consistent stats through out and still hasn't. Why commit extra years and likely large sums of money to an unproven commodity? Especially now, when players are declining earlier than in the past couple decades. If anything I'd have given a larger raise but still no additional years. If Dozier walks in FA and the Twins don't have anyone competent to replace him if he leaves, I'll take that as an indictment of Twins player development over their willingness to give Dozier extra years. (I don't remember, did the Twins offer extra years? Did Dozier ask for extra years?)

I still think the second WC rewards undeserving teams and allows cheap(er) teams to not make moves to be real competitors because this faux playoff race keeps fans coming to the stadium making money for the owners which is all owners really care about. But I'm probably a hypocrite. GO TWINS!

Ha! I enjoyed this. And now I want a box of Hit Cluster for my amateur team.