Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with baseball

Washington Nationals for the Destitute

Hollywood Upstairs Medical College — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:25:51 -0800

How early does one need to be at Nationals Park to grab one of the $5 grandstand tickets for a Saturday afternoon game? They start selling them 2 1/2 hours in advance, how early do I really need to be there? First time back in DC in a couple years...they're playoff contenders now. I have been watching SeatGeek for amazing deals for other seats...but I've got graduate student money.

Watching baseball with out cable, satellite, or blackouts

DakotaPaul — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:17:00 -0800

Can I watch the San Francisco Giants this season without cable or satellite and avoiding blackouts? I have an HD antenna and a Mac mini hooked up to my TV but, unfortunately, there are very few Giants games shown on the channels we get.

I've been looking at some of the options on mlb.com, but since I'm pretty sure I'm in the Giants' home television territory (Lodi/Stockton area) the games would be blacked out anyway. Is that right? Am I missing other options?

I never wear hats. But I need a hat.

tmcw — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:12:07 -0800

So, summer's rolling around and I think I need a hat. Unfortunately, I don't 'know sports' or have high enough style to pull off a fedora/habana/or whatnot. Spurred by the ever-increasing sunlight and my decreasing defense against it. One route is the 'cool baseball hat', which seems only slightly different than the classic-baseball-hat. Example would be the American Apparel version? Maybe it's the shorter brim that makes the difference? My 'personal style' could be described as an out-of-date, middle-of-the-road Apple-commercial hipster. No explicit price cap (get it?) but a $200 hat would have to be something extremely special.

Bars in Boston that play the A's game?

LemonGardot — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:05:59 -0800

Hi MeFi, A friend is trying to find a bar/place in Boston that is playing the A's game (or is an Oakland A's bar)...I know, I know...most are just playing the Red Sox, but you are all the intelligentsia of what's around, so figured I'd ask you! Thanks a lot!

Who threw that ball??

Elly Vortex — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:41:16 -0800

I'm trying to remember the name of a Major League Baseball pitcher who had a particular mannerism while pitching. Help! Baseball fan fail! Okay, this pitcher would stand at the ready, looking off to the side, and then suddenly snap his head around and glare at the batter for a second before pitching. That's it. Stand, look at the ball, then suddenly SNAP!!!! GLARE!!! INTIMIDATE!!! and pitch.

He played sometime during the 80's or 90's.
I'm pretty sure he was a righty.
Caucasian guy, maybe on the stocky side?
I am pretty sure he played for a National League team. I don't remember ever seeing him play against the Twins - I only would have seen him pitch on highlight reels.

Extra bonus points if you can find a video of him doing this little intimidation move.

Thanks, y'all!

Take (me) Out to the Ball Game

fontophilic — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:55:42 -0800

My husband and I are hoping to catch several weeknight Nationals games this season. While Ben's Chili Bowl half-smokes are awesome I don't think I can permit myself to eat them with frequency. What are your favorite picnic/ballpark dinners and snacks that we could make a day ahead of time and eat cold? As for the outside food policy at Nationals Stadium: outside food that is in single serving bags/containers is allowed. I'm using one factory sealed water bottle as ice, and the other to drink right away.

Ideally I'd like to make something the night before, get home, get changed, and head back out the door quickly. Things that are fragile, need to be heated/kept hot, or need last minute prep, aren't good candidates. Anything else goes. We eat meat, are decent cooks, and can seek out speciality ingredients if need be. I'd prefer things that are fork-able, vs hand-held if possible.

Bonus question: favorite reusable containers?

Get me up to speed on baseball as quickly as possible

vogon_poet — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 11:25:49 -0800

So I've decided, for various reasons, that I'd like to follow baseball this year. What can I read to get up to speed ASAP? I have a decent understanding of the rules; I can follow a game. What I don't know is what's going on in the league right now: who's good and bad (and why), what teams are angling to do what. How can I get up to speed on this kind of information?

I am not a super-fan of any one team but family history says I should be a Boston fan. I am also fond of the Marlins after seeing their magnificent home run sculpture, but my impression is they are terrible and have an owner who doesn't care if they win.

Basically anything to read that will let me quickly understand what's going on in the league, and make following the games and the teams over the course of the season interesting to me.

baseball has not been very very good to my wallet

headnsouth — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:13:51 -0800

Is it legal to pay ballpark groundskeepers less than minimum wage on a "per-game" basis? My local minor league baseball team is advertising for groundskeepers and paying on a per-game basis. They know people will be there from 5pm-11pm and are paying $35/game. That's below minimum wage. How is that legal?

I know some games will end early, but some will go into extra innings. And some will be called for rain just as the staff is heading to the park. It seems like a raw deal, but also an illegal deal.

Baseball Hat Logo Assistance

dbirchum — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:23:19 -0800

Please help me with my baseball hats - the logo/crest is "dented" Greetings All -

Minor issue to most, but a concern to me. I like to wear a lot of ball caps. I have a variety of them that I have collected over the years. I have an issue with a couple of them and I am looking for suggestions. I have a couple of nice quality hats with nice, crest logos sew on them. However, with a couple of them, the front part (around where the logo is sewn), the logo portion of the hat has almost "collapsed" and forever looks 'dented'. I have taken a couple of pictures here, here and here to give you an idea. Hopefully the pics show what I mean (and this doesn't get fixed when I put it on).

Again, it might not seem like a big deal, but it is significantly noticeable when I am wearing them.

Can anyone offer suggestions how this might be fixed/adjusted? Thanks!

Source, translation of inscription, artist, and other works

mwhybark — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:00:16 -0800

Can my Japanese-reading MeFite base shed some light on this delightful image? The image shows an ukiyo-e style painting or print depicting Ken Griffey Jr. at bat in a 1987 to 1992 Mariners uniform, cropped tight around shoulders and head, with the Japanese rising sun framing his head in the manner of a halo. I would guess the image is intended to represent Greffey in his rookie season, 1989.

At top left there is a two-part inscription in fliud calligraphy and another breifer one at lower right, accompanied by a red stamp or an image element designed to resemble one.

I am hoping the hive mind knows:

who the artist is
if the work was part of a series
if a part of a series, viewable URLs of other images from it
what the inscriptions say
if the work is an actual woodblock print, a single watercolor, or some other print medium

In particular, I am curious about the use of the sun as a design element. I had thought the era of Japanese interest in Seattle baseball began later.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Do I have to print my Yankees tix?

chasing — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 22:21:50 -0800

I got some print at home Yankee's tickets. Can I just put the PDF on my iPhone and have them scan off that to get in? Or do I need to print? I don't own a printer, you see.

How early to buy Seoul baseball tickets?

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:01:19 -0800

Buying Seoul baseball tickets in advance for a group: How early? I need to buy reserve tickets for a small to medium size group of people to go see the Saturday Doosan Bears - LG Twins game this September. Preferably infield somewhere decent. Since this is a local rivalry I know it will be more full than usual at the stadium. Do I have to worry about getting enough seats close together early? How early do I need to purchase them? It would be better if I could wait, but not at expense of losing out on seats.

MLB.com GameDay for the Flappers and Fords Crowd

synecdoche — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 19:56:50 -0800

I remember reading about, and maybe seeing pictures of, baseball scoreboards for people who couldn't go to the ballpark could follow the game back in the early twentieth century. I want to know everything about them. Okay, part of the problem here is that I am not sure just what these things were called. But, I remember seeing—possibly in Ken Burns' Baseball—images or footage of people gathered around an off-site scoreboard to "watch" a game. This would have been back in the 1910s or 20s, I think.

I want to know more about them: how did they work? How did the operator get updates on the game? How did people react around them—did they cheer and boo? How far away from the ballpark could they be? Could somebody in rural America follow a game in the city with one?

I'd especially love pictures and anecdotes. I *think* there's a description of one in Thomas Wolfe's Of Time and the River but I might be mis-remembering.

Help me find the name of an obscure mlb relief pitcher?

aviwarner — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:57:22 -0800

Trying to figure out the name of an obscure MLB relief pitcher with a unique windup For the life of me can't find this guy. Would have pitched a couple seasons ago. Right handed Journeyman/flash in the pan type. Not particularly good but I remember him pitching in relief against the giants.

He had a really specific windup though. Before every pitch, he would grip the ball with a claw hand and 'show' it to third base and make a kind of horrible gremlin growling face. Then he would continue his windup. Face he made almost reminded me of a japanese demon mask.

Ring a bell to anyone? I know it's a shot in the dark!

What are some thoughtful documentaries/long-form articles about baseball umpires?

lamprey — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:56:42 -0800

What are some thoughtful documentaries/long-form articles about baseball umpires? I'm wondering if there's a thoughtful, well-done documentary (I'm hoping for something of the caliber of HBO's now-defunct Costas Now) or a long-form article (again, in the caliber of New Yorker or Vanity Fair) that's accessible to folks who aren't exclusively diehard baseball fans. I'm curious to learn more about everything to do with Major League Baseball umpires, but I can't seem to find anything that takes a big-picture look at the field. Like why are there still no women in the field? What's their typical career path? Are there different tiers of umps within the MLB?

I feel like I've seen some great profiles and pieces on football or basketball referees, but not umps in baseball.

Where can I sell a rare Baseball card set that's uncut?

isopropyl — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 16:49:49 -0800

Where can I sell a rare uncut 1999 Braves John Rocker set of 4 cards from the Boy Scouts of America Collector's Edition framed front and back? Here is a picture of the framed set
http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh559/reddingwc/IMG_0694.jpg

take me out to the shake shack

EmilyFlew — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 06:22:26 -0800

Help me understand baseball in time for the Mets/Orioles game tonight! I have box seat tickets to Citi Field tonight, and while I'm excited about Shake Shack and Brooklyn Brewery, I know pretty much nothing about baseball. I mean, I know the basic rules and I've been to a couple of games before where I enjoyed the comraderie and the yelling, but I know baseball is one of those sports where the more you know, the more you appreciate it. So, what can I learn before tonight?

I saw several past questions (1, 2) and I'll be reading through them and the sports blogs referenced in them today, but I'd love to know more about what, specifically, to pay attention to in the Mets/Orioles game tonight. Is there a fantastic pitcher whose form I should appreciate? Might there be a big upset in the 5th inning? Is this the Mets' last chance to win the Magical Golden Baseball?

Who's that guy?

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:20:21 -0800

Are you familiar with the circa 1960 Chicago White Sox? I have this picture. The guy on the left is my dad and it was probably taken around 1960-1965. Is the guy on the right a player/coach/manager? If so, who?

I'm not sure why my father was wearing a White Sox uniform (and as far as I know, he's always been a Cubs fan) and he passed away recently so I can't ask. No one that I've asked in my immediate family knows who it is so it also seems unlikely to be a friend of his.

Baseball scavenger hunt

Unsomnambulist — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:15:20 -0800

Baseball puzzlers: I'm tasked with creating some sort of trivia/scavenger hunt to get people to walk through a baseball themed art exhibit. I'm looking for interesting alternatives to a typical scavenger hunt, the more baseball themed the better. Specifically, I'm trying to find interesting paper and pencil based puzzles people can play, with answers and clues existing in an exhibit of old baseball ephemera, collectibles, signage, etc.

The easiest approach will simply be a combo of plays on "I spy" games (ie, what color uniform was the guy in X exhibit wearing?) and general trivia inspired by team names, years, etc. that are included in the exhibit, but I'm wondering if there are ideas or examples of other puzzles in the vein of a scavenger hunt where people are collecting info instead of physical items.

If they exist, I'd also like to perhaps tie in any paper and pencil based baseball games or puzzles - the sort that you'd see in Games Magazine, or perhaps played during detention.

I know, this is vague, but looking for some inspiration.

And before anyone suggests it... photos are not allowed to be taken inside the exhibit, so a photo scavenger hunt is out of the question.

Find me a good Yankees bar in NYC

mlle valentine — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:03:14 -0800

Where are some nice bars to watch the Yankees in NYC? Where are some laid-back bars in NYC where I can watch a Yankees game? I would prefer someplace relatively quiet, where it won't be totally weird to be there alone with a beer and a book. Ideally, it would replicate a living room--sort of like Pacific Standard, but it's my understanding that they mostly have CA-area sports on. I'm not picky about neighborhood; anywhere in the 5 boroughs is fair game.

Keep your head in the ballgame ...

donpardo — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:12:39 -0800

I am helping coach my son's summer all-star team and I need situational baseball videos, both good and bad examples, ideally available online and free. I want videos that show players making good plays because they were paying attention and the other guy wasn't. An example of this would be the recent 2-5-6-3 Dodgers/Padres triple play.

I also want videos of plays that wouldn't have been successful if they player hadn't been hustling, like Sid Bream scoring from second to beat the Pirates in 1992.

Plays from any era, any team, any level of baseball are welcome.

What's a good birthday gift for a tween boy?

pxe2000 — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:44:25 -0800

One of my friends' sons is turning 12. Help me find him a present. My friend L's son W has a birthday over Memorial Day weekend, as do I. We both have the problem that people are out of town over our birthday weekend, and we both tend to be alone over our birthday weekends. I'd like to give him a little gift to let him know I'm thinking about him.

Unfortunately, I'm at a loss about what to give him. He likes Adventure Time and the Lord of the Rings movies, but his big passion is baseball. His favorite team is the Red Sox, and he's a big stats geek -- he loves the book and movie Moneyball and even went out as Billy Beane for Halloween.

Compounding my confusion, I'm giving myself a budget of $20. With all these limitations in mind, what would be a good gift for W?

Take me out to the ballgame, please.

kortez — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:00:15 -0800

I want to learn about baseball. I've been able to crack basketball and football, but not baseball. What should I read? What should I watch? Who should I pay attention to? I grew up without much exposure to popular U.S. sports--I played soccer and lacrosse, and I sailed competitively through high school. But I never picked up a football/basketball/baseball except once in a while in P. E.

I went to University of Maryland in the mid-90s, and my friends dragged me to the free basketball games in Cole Field House. I learned a ton about the game by watching it up close, and I really enjoyed the narratives that played out over the course of a season. I loved the anticipation we felt when Duke or Carolina was coming to town, and I learned a bunch by listening to my far-more knowledgeable roommates talk about the game. I fell in love with basketball.

Five years ago I decided I wanted to learn about football. I bought some reference books (ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia and NFL Record & Fact Book), but what really resonated with me was John Feinstein's Next Man Up (NYT review), Hard Knocks on HBO, and Inside the NFL, also on HBO. Again, narratives pulled me in. 2007 opened with spygate, New England had a perfect season up to the Super Bowl, and David Tyree made an incredible catch against his helmet to set up the winning touchdown against the Pats. I fell in love with football.

So, I want to love baseball, but so far I haven't had much luck. I think I need to find a narrative. I read most of Feinstein's Living on the Black, but it felt like a chore.

I've read this thread from 2008: Help me learn to love baseball, and some of the suggestions look really good. (Watching Baseball Smarter looks great, for example; so does Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball.) But it's been four years, and maybe there's more to add to the list.

I think this incredible answer from cashman to a similar question about the NBA is what got me thinking about baseball again.

Relevant info:

- I have a limited budget, and I no longer have cable.
- I live in Greensboro, NC, so several minor league teams are close by, but the budget really is pretty slim. I can imagine spending up to $30 on tickets between now and mid-August. Maybe $50 if I can swing it.
- I'm considering spending $20 on the MLB Gameday Audio package
- I don't have a team, but because I'm from Maryland I'm partial to the Nationals and the Orioles. I have seen the Orioles play twice; one when I was a little kid at Memorial Stadium, and later in college at Camden Yards.
- I have a Netflix account (DVD + streaming)
- I have a reasonably zippy internet connection
- I respond well to homework. I like to understand things/solve problems.
- I don't know if this helps as guide, but: I really liked the analysis of Inside the NFL, but I get bored/irritated with Greg Easterbrook's Tuesday Morning Quarterback. Maybe the latter tries too hard to be clever and also seems too fragmented/stream-of-consciousness.
- This is a real shot in the dark, but just in case (please, please, please): I'm going bananas over the game Economies of Scale (MeFi). Is there anything like this for baseball? Where I could push buttons and look at a chart or two, without it becoming totally overwhelming? (I know nothing about economics, but I can keep up with Economies of Scale, and I feel like I'm getting something out of it.)
- I have a knowledgeable friend who says he'll sit with me on his porch with a cooler and a game on the radio once a week and answer my questions.
- I'm male and in my late thirties, if that matters.
- I really want to love this game.

Thank you.

Help me talk to a 14 year-old boy about baseball.

ebesan — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:30:33 -0800

Help me talk to a 14 year-old boy about baseball. An upcoming meeting w/ a friend's 14 yr. old ex NY Little Leaguer son; I'm told he liked fielding and shortstop. I need to engage and hopefully impress him (and his mother) in short order. Nothing too complicated, cause I may not be able to do an intelligible follow-thru.

Take Me Out, Loser

BlahLaLa — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:57:50 -0800

[Fiction filter] A bunch of guys are sitting around a bar, watching their major league baseball team lose a game on TV. They're moaning and groaning about it. So...what are they saying? Basically I don't have any idea how baseball fans talk in this situation. Got any ideas for me?