Monday, June 1, 2020

Is baseball worth it?

Watching the sad and horrific scenes unfold this weekend across the country, I realized that, come Monday, I would have nothing to say about Aaron Judge.

I cannot remember a time when the Yankees, or pro sports overall, seemed so irrelevant. Anybody who thinks baseball will magically heal the wounds of this nation, they're dreaming. 

In the next few days, the lords of the game must either reach an agreement, or cancel the 2020 season entirely. 

I say, cancel. 

Maybe on the other side of this pandemic, there can be a game worth playing, a sport worth following, a team worth caring about. But in its current form, Major League Baseball is not worth preserving. 

17 comments:

  1. If only baseball were as entertaining as Hoss's alternative world...

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  2. Somehow it seems that important events get their meaning back now there is no (pro)sports. There is more attention paid to things that matter. And somehow it is refreshing. Especially now with the US more or less on fire, who needs overpaid millionaires playing a boys game anyway. So I second your motion. Pull the plug already.

    If only the virtual season would be allowed to continue. No matter what happens. Every morning it is a joy and a thrill to read.

    If there will ever be the thought of releasing it as a (illustrated) book, count me in for the crowdfund action

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  3. It's kind of jarring being reminded of where Sterling's "Bern, baby, Bern!" originated.

    H. Rap Brown, in the late 60s, wasn't it? Following the 68 riots. "Burn, baby, burn."

    The Master's call isn't so funny anymore.

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  4. I know. I hate seeing all those "Burn it all down" posts online. Almost always, from young white people, most of them probably living with their parents out in the burbs. Fuck you, go burn down your own neighborhood, not mine.

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  5. And thanks for the kind words, guys.

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  6. This is a whirlwind of destruction.

    Now there is almost no economy left to re-open, as stores are looted and burned.

    Not to mention the crowds and the yelling, shoulder to shoulder in a totally uncured pandemic. Even the testing centers, with 50% invalid tests, have had to close.

    Every city and state is bankrupt, and we have a "do nothing" federal government which keeps everything for themselves, and makes every decision political.

    We have a coward eating twinkies in a protective bunker, pretending that he is president of a country.

    I wonder why he is hiding?

    Isn't everything Great in America?

    And they still can't figure out how to arrest or charge the three cops in Minneapolis who aided and abetted a murder. While trump frees rich white criminals from prison, and makes the attorney general not prosecute others.

    Is it any wonder the country is in flames?

    Your are right...it is really difficult to give a shit about Aaron's injury.

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  7. Ol' Yankee Daddy RogerJune 1, 2020 at 1:30 PM

    There were riots in Detroit after the Tigers won in '68.

    I agree baseball is irrelevant now.

    But Major League Baseball, even in its current monetized, irrelevant incarnation, is necessary. Not for its curative powers with respect to any social issue, but for the distraction it provides. I would rather attribute my sore throat to yelling at the TV over a pitching move by Aaron Boob than to worrying about whether I have the virus. The Yankees are a religion. You don't cancel a religion. I know I am naive about this, and selfish, that I am not thinking about how I can solve the problem of racism in this country, but in all honesty, I want to see Gerrit Cole pitch.

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  8. There seem to be some really dated black and white reels (oops, can I say that in modern America) that feature the ColeMan throwing. In all likelihood that was shot in Texas (oh dear, shot....).
    They seem to be in the possession of The Syracuse Slimeballs. The same guys that tried to rip off the Yankees claiming ownership of the Rizzuto tapes. Good luck unearthing them.

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  9. Jon Heyman reports on Twitter an hour ago that the Yanks are expected to release minor leaguers today...number unknown...smh.

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  10. I'm ready to completely cancel 2020. I'm waiting for a dust bowl to happen this summer, Noah's arc type flood in the fall and then a meteor to finish us off in the winter.

    I still believe that baseball won't happen this year, next year or the following. They'll be fighting for that new contact while burning in hell.

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  11. Wow, I completely forgot about the Gerrit Cole signing. And the Astros and Red Sox cheating scandals. Seems like a million years ago.

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  12. I keep waiting for the Rapture. C'mon, baby, ready to fly!

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  13. Here's the thing. We are in what is certainly the most difficult time this country has faced. (In my lifetime.)

    I vote to play the games. They played during the Spanish Flu, WWI, The Depression, WW2, the 60's, the disco era, etc.

    In Germany they are playing soccer, in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan they are playing baseball...

    In Technalolachicochan some kids just ripped the heart out of some guy to play a rousing game of whatever the Aztecs play that requires the ripped out heart of some guy.

    You don't not play because we're sad. And believe me, I am sad. We are witnessing the possible end of the republic as we know it but until MLB becomes the TLB because Trump declares himself the king of all franchises, they should play the games.

    We can all use the distraction. Yes a 114 game season is "less than" but beyond that, you don't give in.

    We will get through this. Through the stupidity, the greed, the hate, the destruction, the attempt to fundamentally change the country...

    I go out every day (in mask and gloves) and shop or just drive around. We're all keeping distant, not killing each other, or looting, or screaming racist epithets.
    We all seem to be going out of our way to be extra nice to each other. That's how it should be.

    So, take walks, talk to friends, evil wins if we lose our ability to enjoy our day. Any part of our day and baseball is my favorite part of the day.

    Let em play.

    Yes, it's bad. But it's only the Bottom of the Seventh. Not game over. Get up there and take your cuts. Go help somebody. If you've had covid, give blood, Be civil. Stay safe and then, at the end of the day, when you get home, G-d willing, watch a ballgame.

    Doug K.



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  14. Cancel the season. Hoss's season can carry me until next year when - I FUCKING PRAY - the world has possibly started spinning on its axis again.

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  15. The disco almost killed us. Remember that riot in Chicago?

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  16. ALL I HAD TO DO WAS HEAR THE INCREDIBLY ARROGANT WORDS OF BLAKE SNELL.

    THAT SIGNALED THE END OF THE SEASON IN MY MIND.

    MY INSTINCTS MAY HAVE BEEN RIGHT.

    END IT.

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    ReplyDelete

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