Baseball 2023: Shohei Me The Way To Go Home

[Famous Mortimer]

If you've ever watched a meaningless game drag on long past 3 hours, at least in part because the batters kept fucking about with their gloves and going for a stroll after every pitch, or because pitchers spent 25 seconds staring at the catcher every time they took the ball, and didn't want something to change, then good for you. I just don't have the patience for it.

Of all the Cardinals fans I've spoken to, none of them seem upset - but like I said, this might be to do with a collective reaction to having the slowest pitcher in baseball on the team. Or maybe because my friends all like the Savannah Bananas, whose speed makes 2023 MLB seem comatose.

[Ferris]

All very valid. It's not fair to drag a game out to 3+ hours on the off chance someone like me is watching, and frankly I'll be just as happy with a pitch-clocked 2.5hr game.

More so, probably, because I'll get to complain like the old man my soul yearns to be.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Tampa Bay 11-0, best start since the '81 Athletics. 13-0 is the current record. I remember when they were the absolute pits and I saw a game at their awful stadium that's a ballache to get to. Although realising now that was nearly 20 years ago...

[dr beat]

Been lucky to have a bit of a windfall so just spunked quite a bit of it on a ticket for the Cubs-Cardinals game in London.  Will rain I reckon.

[Famous Mortimer]

They'll probably do hats with both teams on, like they did for Yankees / Red Sox. Wearing one of those in Chicago or St Louis would be a fun way to get insulted a lot.

Off to my first game of the season in about an hour. The Cardinals should beat the Pirates, but they've had some bad results (with decent individual performances) so far.

[dr beat]

Rest assured there is no way I'm buying that shite, dread to think what the merch prices will be like in the stadium.  And then theres the beer money issue.

[Famous Mortimer]

Off to my first game of the season in about an hour. The Cardinals should beat the Pirates, but they've had some bad results (with decent individual performances) so far.

Freezing cold, and the nachos I bought were shite. I left in the bottom of the 8th, went to see my mate who works on one of the merch stands inside the stadium, then bailed, and got home 30 seconds before the walkoff in the 10th. But the friend who bought all our tickets got them by the right field foul pole, so we got to see Jordan Walker do his thing from close up.


 

[dr beat]

And then theres the beer money issue.

Just checked beer prices in the London Stadium...£7.60 a pint apparently.  Ouch.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Shohei currently leading the league in HRs and RBIs, and having a good pitching season too, third in the league in strikeouts. Best living baseball player, I'd say.

Halfway through Ken Burn's 23-hour Baseball documentary. Amazing piece of work. Even if you're not a fan of baseball, it's a fascinating insight into the sport which I think has the richest and most interesting history and cast of characters. Great to see themdevoting a lot of time to the Negro Leagues as well.

Kind of gutted I'm not going to see my team, the Cubs this weekend in London. Gonna be a lot of HRs

[dr beat]

Just checked beer prices in the London Stadium...£7.60 a pint apparently.  Ouch.

Actually only £7.35.  Bargain! I'm now in a pub near London Bridge with good aircon and a dog.  And its £3.90 a pint and it's not even a Spoons or anything.

Good day out yesterday.  As a neutral would have preferred a closer game but at least I was in with the Cubs fans.  And I was representing Chart Music Podcast.

[Ferris]

I still haven't seen the highlights! It's great that they're doing this though, hoping to get more away quasi-exhibition games for novelty as much as anything else.

[dr beat]

Wikipedia says Mets and Phillies are in London next year.

[Ferris]

Wikipedia says Mets and Phillies are in London next year.

There was a game in Mexico last month and all. How do they choose who gets to go?

[dr beat]

Last time I was in Mexico I ended up in prison.  I'm not joking, and I consider myself lucky I got out with my anatomy intact!

[El Unicornio, mang]

Actually only £7.35.  Bargain! I'm now in a pub near London Bridge with good aircon and a dog.

Actually cheaper than they are at some of the MLB stadiums in America. A beer at the Cubs stadium is $10.50, hot dog $6.50.

Colorado Rockies, beer = $3

[Gurke and Hare]

When I went to see the Blue Jays in Toronto it was Looney dog night - a Looney being the name for the Canadian dollar coin because it has a picture of a Loon on it. They were only small hot dogs but 4 for $4 dollars was still an excellent value meal.

[dr beat]

Oh that London. First you make it nigh-impossible to get a train on a Sunday, forcing me to get a flight back to Edinburgh, which is now delayed by 2 hours.  Also wtf is going on with Stratford station, 20 minutes walk between lines?

[Ferris]

When I went to see the Blue Jays in Toronto it was Looney dog night - a Looney being the name for the Canadian dollar coin because it has a picture of a Loon on it. They were only small hot dogs but 4 for $4 dollars was still an excellent value meal.

Well in, lad!

They don't let you do this nowadays, I think the max is 3 a person.

[Cuellar]

Colorado Rockies, beer = $3

Well that's good, at least you can dull the pain of giving up 25 runs without going bankrupt

[Famous Mortimer]

Certainly an interesting time to be a Cardinals fan. Adam Wainwright should have retired last year with Pujols and Molina, as I think his attempt to get to 200 wins is not only not going to succeed (he's at 198, and I just don't think he has two more in him) but is going to tarnish his legacy.

He deleted his Twitter account after the London game due to the abuse for his poor performance, but he was even worse tonight. He's not injured, as far as anyone knows, he's just no good. He wasn't going to make the Hall of Fame anyway, and this season absolutely cements that. I know every superstar athlete stays a year too long, competitive drive being stronger than the body and all that, so I don't necessarily blame him for wanting it, but there's no doubt now that he and the team are done. They're on pace for their worst season in decades.

[Famous Mortimer]

Never heard of this baseball-adjacent movie til ten minutes ago, but it might be interesting to some of you. Directed by Stuart Gordon, who'd go on to do all the HP Lovecraft adaptations, and starring Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz.

(even though it's about some Cubs fans, I'll give it a fair shake)

[dr beat]

Got Blue Jays v Angels on, good game so far.

[Ferris]

Got Blue Jays v Angels on, good game so far.

I've been watching this and all. That Jays lineup is stinking after their first 4 or 5 hitters.

Still, a win is a win.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I know he's mentioned constantly but I have to revise my opinion of Ohtani. He's not the best living baseball player, he's the best player who ever lived.

Pitched a one hit shutout in the afternoon game of a double-header, then hits league leading home run in the evening game.

The $500million deal for him that's being rumoured is a bargain.

[Ferris]

He'll get a lot more than $500. I'd guess $650 for 12 years? Maybe longer, he's a lock inner hall HoF guy and if you pay him enough he'll go in wearing your cap.

Also this contract is his bag for his entire career, like everything he worked for and performed for since he was a kid is for this so he's gonna push for every dollar and fair enough honestly.

Apparently the Jays are in contention which like... hell yeah.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Interesting. I think the Angels will do everything they can to keep him. He apparently added several 10s of millions to their revenue each season (and that was before this season).

If he does go I'd figure the Dodgers or Giants (they're my 3rd and 2nd favourite teams behind the Cubs so I'd be happy with that).

[Ferris]

Jays need help in the outfield and with pitching, it's the perfect fit!

[dr beat]

Astros at Yankees tonight on Apple TV, the two most-disliked teams in MLB? Bastedball?

[dr beat]

Come back Ferris you know you want to!

[Gurke and Hare]

The Mets have just lost 21-3 in the first game of a doubleheader. Oof.