MLB and the Detroit Tigers Bandwagon Thread

[AlabamAlum]

Okay. Heading to Montgomery to watch the Savannah Bananas. I’m sure you’re all on pins and needles, but fear not, for, Lo, AA will regale you with the events as they unfold.

[AlabamAlum]

The Savannah Bananas gave was fun. After the National Anthem, they did a Rockette’s kick line.

Rules: Besides the ‘if a fan catches a foul ball, the player is out,’ there is no bunting, and a base on balls is not complete until every player on the field catches the ball. While they are throwing it to each other, the batter can advance. Usually means a BB is a double.

They started the game by having the two pitchers in a weigh in at home plate. Then it went to a dance off.

At one point, the first baseman had to wear stilts.

They stopped the game several times for dancing and contests.

It was minor league baseball crossed with the Globetrotters.

It’s not a great pic, but here is the 1st baseman on stilts.

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup

[AlabamAlum]

I’m not gonna lie. I bought a Savannah Banana ball cap. It’s pretty cool.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I wish you would get on the stilts and fall.

[AlabamAlum]

You know you want it, Wiz. You want my banana.

[THE_WIZARD_]

That is rather sexy...

XOXOXO

[Mike]

What. A. Game. Holy shit, what a way to open the season!

[iam416]

No one is catching the Roar in '22. Everyone else in the Central is playing for however many wildcards they added this year.

THE ROAR SHALL BE RESTORED!

[AlabamAlum]

Next year, they are talking about a pitch clock and eliminating defensive shifts. I hate both ideas. I generally think all sports try very hard to fix things that aren’t broken.

[froot loops]

I'm all for the pitch clock, the time between pitches is increasing every year.

[AlabamAlum]

Pitchers taking an extra 6 seconds or so per batter isn’t the only issue with game length. Commercial breaks are much longer and more frequent - especially in the postseason. Baseball won’t address the latter, rather focuses entirely on the former. Further, modern baseball teams are changing pitchers at an astoundingly higher frequency than they did 50 years ago - even with the newish 3-batter rule. Just look at a roster from the 60’s and compare it to today with the number of pitchers carried. Bullpens are huge, bloated, for that very reason. If you want to keep the games at the arbitrary 3-hour magic time, then you need to look at all the causes. Personally, I am not that concerned with a game going from 2:58 to 3:18 or whatever. It’s just not that big of a deal to me. YMMV.

[lineygoblue]

Next year, they are talking about a pitch clock and eliminating defensive shifts. I hate both ideas. I generally think all sports try very hard to fix things that aren’t broken.

Agree completely. Especially regarding shifts. If the defense wants to put all its defenders on the right side, then batters need to learn how to hit to the opposite field. That will end any "shifts" right away. Maybe the hitters will become real hitters, instead of trying to jack up the juiced ball over the fence every time.

Pitch clock? Meh .. As long as runners are allowed to lead off 1/4 of the way to the next base, a pitcher needs to be able to be able to throw to the base. And as long as hitters are allowed to step out of the box, spit their tobbaco juice, itch their crotch, adjust their shirt 5 times, then take 20 seconds getting the 2nd foot back into the box, ... they should leave the pitcher alone.

[froot loops]

Pitchers taking an extra 6 seconds or so per batter isn’t the only issue with game length. Commercial breaks are much longer and more frequent - especially in the postseason. Baseball won’t address the latter, rather focuses entirely on the former. Further, modern baseball teams are changing pitchers at an astoundingly higher frequency than they did 50 years ago - even with the newish 3-batter rule. Just look at a roster from the 60’s and compare it to today with the number of pitchers carried. Bullpens are huge, bloated, for that very reason. If you want to keep the games at the arbitrary 3-hour magic time, then you need to look at all the causes. Personally, I am not that concerned with a game going from 2:58 to 3:18 or whatever. It’s just not that big of a deal to me. YMMV.

I agree it isn't the only thing due to increasing game time but it does increase it and it is boring as shit at the games when they take so long to pitch. They should address the commerical length as well. When I started watching the game was 30 minutes shorter. If they went to the interval back then it would have 9 minutes.

Having games that consistently end in 2 hours and 40 minutes are much more preferable than these slogs now. I'd rather not have a pitch clock, but all of their measures designed to shave times have failed because they are half measures that fall apart 2 months into the season. I'm a traditionalist, they have to get back to 2 hour 40 minute games.

[AlabamAlum]

It sounds weird, and it’s not for everyone, but the unhurried pace of baseball appeals to me. Just not a fan, and I won’t be, of the pitch clock. But as I said before, YMMV.