AJ, I would join the discussion if the Padres have an illegal printing press creating counterfeit money to buy superstars, but too depressed about the Brewers trading one of the best closers in baseball for prospects when leading their division. The perils of being a fan of a small market team without deep pocket ownership that seems able to find young talent but cannot afford to keep them when they get really good.
Guardians have the same problem, Bobda. What we seem to have, though, is a great developmental system not to mention a great (I think) manager who knows how to handle prospects and young players. When we traded Frankie Lindor we got Ahmed Rosario and Andres Giminez (plus 2 others). I love Lindor but that was a pretty good trade for us. We just signed Emmanuel Clase and Jose Ramirez to long term contracts which was great. Clase is very young which enabled us to sign him for less than we would perhaps later...and Ramirez could probably have gotten a lot more as a free agent but he likes it here.
I think you hit on the key point, Stu. The smaller market team have the ability to keep some of the talent if they are able to sign them to team friendly deals but to remain competitive, they have little to no margin of error when making these deals. The Brewers signed Yelich to a long term contract after his MVP year, but he thereafter hurt his back, has been an average, at best, hitter post injury, and now his contract is an albatross to the Brewers who run on a tight budget. Teams like the Dodgers or Yankees simply waive or give away guys they previously overpaid and go back to vault to find the money to pay for a superstar replacement.
Yeah. I always say we root for the uniforms not the players. That’s what kinda makes a season like this different.
Payrolls, Stu isn't kidding about the Cleveland payroll. It's 67M, the Brewers almost double that at 130, and the Astros sit at 182M. Usual suspects at the top over 200M. White Sox spend significantly more than the Cubs. Might have thought it was the reverse. MLB 2022 Payroll Tracker
Guardiac Kids beat TOK's Astros. Chance to split the series. We ain't the best (a la Astros, Yankees) but damn I like watching these kids.
Bobda, I'm still shaking my head about Hader. That guy was gonna take you to the post season for sure.
1. How'd anybody play outfield in front of that monstrostity 2. 100$??? For hitting the sign, cheapskates! 3. How is it that this isn't on the sign!!
I'm not sure exactly when it was taken but it had to be late 60s to '71. Ernie Banks, who retired in 1971, is batting 5th and playing 1B, which indicates it's very late in his career. Billy Williams is batting 3rd and Ron Santo is cleanup. I don't know the Reds' numbers. I do know it's old Crosley Field. AJ, if you're thinking of the possible shutout, that wasn't unusual for the Cubs in those years.
Don, thank you, but it's not so amazing. I knew Banks' and Santo's numbers but had to confirm Billy Williams. I knew Banks retired in 1971. He's one of my two lifetime baseball idols. The other is Stan Musial. As for memory, it's not that great. I see it as part of the aging process. I think we all have some things that are so important to us that we remember them years later. That's the case here.
Based on the number, I knew the LF was Rose without googling. But, had to google to learn that the outfield sloped upward at Crosley near the scoreboard although the picture clearly does show that. The last game Babe Ruth played in the outfield was at Crosley and he fell down trying to field a ball. Brewers are going to have a really tough time trying to keep up with the Cards.
Nice going, AJ and Bobda. I didn't think to look at the Reds' roster. I know that the outfield at Crosley Field sloped upward to the fence, but I didn't think to post that fact. Silly me. I also didn't know the history relating to Babe Ruth falling trying to field a ball. Like I said, thanks, guys, for that walk down memory lane.
To combat the slope. Rose said he would put his heels right at the base, so his 1st step wouldn't be a surprise if he had to back peddle.
Rose played and was an All Star st five different positions : 2B, 3B, LF, RF and 1B.. I saw many a game at Crosley Field as a kid including several with the Cubs in the 60s. In fact, I have a game program with autographs of Santo, Kessinger, Williams, Ted Abernathy and Rose on it. The terrace was a real challenge going back on a ball. I saw Willie Mays hit one deep into the night just to the left of the top of the scoreboard. My dad saw Joe D hit one off the face of the Longines clock in the 1939 World Series.