Baseball?

[vnatale]

How many baseball fans here?

Vinny

[Kriegsspiel]

Only playing it.

[pugchief]

Zzzzzzzz

[Kriegsspiel]

Attach!

[vnatale]

Did you play this year? If so, what level / league?

Vinny

Only playing it.

[jacksonm2]

Big baseball fan when I was younger but not so much nowadays.

I could give you all the statistics of the L.A. Dodgers (Koufax and company) back then but the game has gotten far too boring since then.

[bedraggled]

There is a “Designated Hitter” thread that was active until a year or so ago. A decent amount of baseball stuff posted there.

[vnatale]

I've had a softball teammate who I have been playing with for over 15 years. She is now in her 50s and has been avidly playing softball since at least high school.

A while ago she told me she did not know if she would be able to play this season as she was out of work due to an undiagnosed shoulder problem. I then started sending her information about Aaron Judge and the problems he was going through which seemed roughly similar and how he was in a similar undiagnosed condition.

I sent these updates to her over a few weeks or so thinking that there was this famous athlete where no amounts of money were too much spend on diagnosing his problem, yet he was presently in the same status as she was -- undiagnosed. Then, she said to me: "Vinny, I have to tell you I don't even know who Aaron Judge is!"

That floored me!

My question to those reading this is to tell me if you also don't know who Aaron Judge is. I don't want anyone telling us who he is. Just want to hear from those who have no idea who he is.

I'm sure there might a lot of similar stature type Americans (maybe) that I have no idea who they are. But probably no athletes because even though I only follow baseball and basketball, I have sports talk radio on in my house ALL the time so I'm constantly hearing the big names associated with all sports.

Vinny

[Mountaineer]

I've had a softball teammate who I have been playing with for over 15 years. She is now in her 50s and has been avidly playing softball since at least high school.

A while ago she told me she did not know if she would be able to play this season as she was out of work due to an undiagnosed shoulder problem. I then started sending her information about Aaron Judge and the problems he was going through which seemed roughly similar and how he was in a similar undiagnosed condition.

I sent these updates to her over a few weeks or so thinking that there was this famous athlete where no amounts of money were too much spend on diagnosing his problem, yet he was presently in the same status as she was -- undiagnosed. Then, she said to me: "Vinny, I have to tell you I don't even know who Aaron Judge is!"

That floored me!

My question to those reading this is to tell me if you also don't know who Aaron Judge is. I don't want anyone telling us who he is. Just want to hear from those who have no idea who he is.

I'm sure there might a lot of similar stature type Americans (maybe) that I have no idea who they are. But probably no athletes because even though I only follow baseball and basketball, I have sports talk radio on in my house ALL the time so I'm constantly hearing the big names associated with all sports.

Vinny

What is baseball?

[Smith1776]

I'd much rather watch some babes fighting in the UFC women's division.

[pugchief]

I had never heard of Aaron Judge until I googled him just now. Not surprising as I grew up as a huge Cubs fan, and I can't even name 3 current Cubs off the top of my head let alone players for the Yankees.

[vnatale]

I had never heard of Aaron Judge until I googled him just now. Not surprising as I grew up as a huge Cubs fan, and I can't even name 3 current Cubs off the top of my head let alone players for the Yankees.

How about Derek Jeter?

Vinny

[barrett]

My question to those reading this is to tell me if you also don't know who Aaron Judge is. I don't want anyone telling us who he is. Just want to hear from those who have no idea who he is.

My daughter took me and my wife to a Yankees game in 2017 and Aaron Judge hit a dinger to left center that traveled about 475 feet. It was one of the longest home runs hit in the bigs that season. Neither of them knows who Aaron Judge is.

I grew up knowing all the players and most of their stats but don't find baseball interesting for more than about a half an inning now. For me sports have become less interesting because my understanding of randomness is now different.

That all being said, I'll definitely watch the NBA playoffs if they ever happen this year.

[vnatale]

My question to those reading this is to tell me if you also don't know who Aaron Judge is. I don't want anyone telling us who he is. Just want to hear from those who have no idea who he is.

My daughter took me and my wife to a Yankees game in 2017 and Aaron Judge hit a dinger to left center that traveled about 475 feet. It was one of the longest home runs hit in the bigs that season. Neither of them knows who Aaron Judge is.

I grew up knowing all the players and most of their stats but don't find baseball interesting for more than about a half an inning now. For me sports have become less interesting because my understanding of randomness is now different.

That all being said, I'll definitely watch the NBA playoffs if they ever happen this year.

Did they ever know who Derek Jeter was? Michael Jordan? LeBron James? Tom Brady?

Vinny

[vnatale]

My question to those reading this is to tell me if you also don't know who Aaron Judge is. I don't want anyone telling us who he is. Just want to hear from those who have no idea who he is.

My daughter took me and my wife to a Yankees game in 2017 and Aaron Judge hit a dinger to left center that traveled about 475 feet. It was one of the longest home runs hit in the bigs that season. Neither of them knows who Aaron Judge is.

I grew up knowing all the players and most of their stats but don't find baseball interesting for more than about a half an inning now. For me sports have become less interesting because my understanding of randomness is now different.

That all being said, I'll definitely watch the NBA playoffs if they ever happen this year.

Can you further elaborate on that statement. Last year I had a long time period raging argument with a friend who contended there is no luck in professional sports. That all outcomes are a result of their skills.

Vinny

[barrett]

Sure. Have you read the stuff about the hot hand fallacy? Malcolm Gladwell and others have written about that. Essentially a guy is "hot" not because he is in the zone mentally or physically, but because he's getting results that are within a normal range of statistical probability considering his abilities. So people with better skills get better outcomes on average but the narratives that accompany those outcomes are not as compelling... or something like that.

[vnatale]

Sure. Have you read the stuff about the hot hand fallacy? Malcolm Gladwell and others have written about that. Essentially a guy is "hot" not because he is in the zone mentally or physically, but because he's getting results that are within a normal range of statistical probability considering his abilities. So people with better skills get better outcomes on average but the narratives that accompany those outcomes are not as compelling... or something like that.

Yes, no such thing as clutch or the hot hand. I believe that. He does not at all. I fully believe that all sports are results of the way the statistical probabilities happen to fall out during that particular game. Of course skills are paramount but the way the probabilities play out can be a determinative factor.

Vinny

[Maddy]

The way I heard it from a guy friend, you don't have to be a sports fan to think about baseball all the time.

[bedraggled]

Vinny,

Al Kaline is dead. I saw him play at Yankee Stadium in the late 1960s- early 1970s.

[vnatale]

Vinny,

Al Kaline is dead. I saw him play at Yankee Stadium in the late 1960s- early 1970s.

Just saw that earlier. I never saw him play live.

Vinny

[bedraggled]

Fritz Peterson has written 3 books.

Some Tigers friend told Peterson that Kaline was retiring and the friend asked him to let a planned bunt go for a hit in the last game of the year. But then Kaline played 2 more years. Peterson was a bit perturbed.

[bedraggled]

Vinny,

If you buy 1 or 2 of Peterson's books on Amazon, he lists his email. I've exchanged a few emails with him. He's a friendly guy. He also explains a lot of Yankees shortcomings of the late 1960s and into the 1970s.

If you were so inclined, I bet you could arrange to meet him before the Old Timers' game. He'd get a kick out of that. He might sign the back of your Kindle. Bring a Sharpie.

[vnatale]

Vinny,

If you buy 1 or 2 of Peterson's books on Amazon, he lists his email. I've exchanged a few emails with him. He's a friendly guy. He also explains a lot of Yankees shortcomings of the late 1960s and into the 1970s.

If you were so inclined, I bet you could arrange to meet him before the Old Timers' game. He'd get a kick out of that. He might sign the back of your Kindle. Bring a Sharpie.

I'm seeing those two books of his on Amazon. I don't like this title: "When the Yankees Were on the Fritz: Revisiting the Horace Clarke Years." I was young Yankees fan during that time period and followed them quite closely (one year keeping score of half their games). I'm the ever optimist fan and I can find some good in any team no matter what their record.

I know I've been to at least two Old Timer's games. I think 1988 and 1998. Have no memory of him being there.

I see them on YES every year and the most exciting part is the introductions. The games are somewhat of a joke. I wish that they'd take them seriously.

The is one I'd prefer to see. A 75 year old hitting a home run!

https://www.mlb.com/news/luke-appling-h ... -years-old

Vinny

[vnatale]

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[pmward]

Rumor has it that MLB is considering having the entire MLB season here in AZ this year, using our 10 spring training stadiums to play the games for all teams without crowds. Good luck to them, as most of those stadiums are not cooled like Chase Field, haha.