Freethinker
Hall of Famer
What a cuck. I feel bad for those 2 beautiful, blonde haired boys who will have to deal with this crap the rest of their lives now.
Selfish, virtue signaling parents.
2018 MLB Season
- Thread starter Carolina Speed
- Start date
Selfish, virtue signaling parents.
Shadowlight
Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 3,882
Fun at the old ball park last night. A well endowed ( hard not to notice that ha) young lady caught a ball in her beer at the Padres game and proceeded to chug the beer down. My kind of chick. None of this "new age health nut " crap going on here. Just a gal having some fun.
See below video of the event.
See below video of the event.
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
Trout hammered his 20th home run of the season off left-hander Wade LeBlanc in the first inning of the Angels' 5-3 loss to the Mariners on Monday night at Safeco Field. He then added his 21st home run off reliever Ryan Cook to lead off the eighth, tying Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez for the MLB lead. The second homer rifled off Trout's bat at 115 mph and traveled a projected 459 feet, making it his second-farthest and second-hardest-hit blast under Statcast™ tracking
https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-trout-homers-twice-ties-mlb-lead-with-21/c-280846962
With the first-inning blast, Trout became the first Angel in franchise history to hit at least 20 home runs in seven consecutive seasons. He also joined Alex Rodriguez and Mickey Mantle as the only American League players to record seven straight 20-homer campaigns before their age-27 seasons.
https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-trout-homers-twice-ties-mlb-lead-with-21/c-280846962
With the first-inning blast, Trout became the first Angel in franchise history to hit at least 20 home runs in seven consecutive seasons. He also joined Alex Rodriguez and Mickey Mantle as the only American League players to record seven straight 20-homer campaigns before their age-27 seasons.
Shadowlight
Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 3,882
I saw the highlight of Trout's second home run and yes it was a laser beam line drive to dead centerfield. Sheer power on display.
But I worry. The Angels got too damn cute with Ohtani having him pitch and hit. And there were concerns about his arm even before they signed him so now he is sidelined with an injury and the Angels are back to square one which means once again very little protection in the batting order for Trout. Ohtani was hitting well. He might have survived the season as a hitter but pitching put too much stress on his arm/elbow. Being a 'two way" player made for great publicity but in the end it wasn't worth the "experiment."
Upton has power but he is an all or nothing type. Pujols is plainly over the hill. They have no table setters. So Trout will continue to be pitched around making it difficult for him to really explode. He is off to a very good start this season despite a few slumps but that line up is too weak to provide the protection he needs to fully realize his potential.
Hopefully Trout can fight through it. He has been doing it for years now.
But I worry. The Angels got too damn cute with Ohtani having him pitch and hit. And there were concerns about his arm even before they signed him so now he is sidelined with an injury and the Angels are back to square one which means once again very little protection in the batting order for Trout. Ohtani was hitting well. He might have survived the season as a hitter but pitching put too much stress on his arm/elbow. Being a 'two way" player made for great publicity but in the end it wasn't worth the "experiment."
Upton has power but he is an all or nothing type. Pujols is plainly over the hill. They have no table setters. So Trout will continue to be pitched around making it difficult for him to really explode. He is off to a very good start this season despite a few slumps but that line up is too weak to provide the protection he needs to fully realize his potential.
Hopefully Trout can fight through it. He has been doing it for years now.
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
No question about that. Pujols made him stop stealing bases because it was too distracting for him while he batted, but it sounds like Trout politely said F U Pujols, i'm going to start running again in the last couple of years.
Trout still racks up the Runs, but he gets few RBI opportunities. Still, I'm quite happy with how he's been able to rack up the stats so far in his career. Just imagine if he had a decent supporting cast what he could do! As far as I'm concerned, Trout should wait for his pitches, rack up the BB, and keep scoring runs. He's still way ahead of Rickey Henderson's pace for the all time R record, he just has to keep it up.
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
Trout now leads the league in G, HR, R, BB, OBP, TB, SB%
I would LOVE to see him lead the league in HR at the end of the year, hopefully with 50+, and hopefully he can win at least one batting title in his career (currently hitting .304)
I would LOVE to see him lead the league in HR at the end of the year, hopefully with 50+, and hopefully he can win at least one batting title in his career (currently hitting .304)
Freethinker
Hall of Famer
2 more home runs for Trout against Seattle tonight. He’s carrying the Angels offense once again.
For the surprise first place Mariners, Mitch Haniger, had 2 homers as well. Mitch is having a breakout career year after flashing glimpses of promise in past injury plagued campaigns. He’s up to 15 homeruns and 50 RBI.
For the surprise first place Mariners, Mitch Haniger, had 2 homers as well. Mitch is having a breakout career year after flashing glimpses of promise in past injury plagued campaigns. He’s up to 15 homeruns and 50 RBI.
Carolina Speed
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2011
- Messages
- 5,771
Also, in WAR and OPS+. Hard to believe he's not the current top All Star vote getter in the AL! He's second behind the injured Mookie Betts.
At least Atlanta's Freddie Freeman is currently the NL leader!
In addition to his 2 HR's last night, Trout also displayed his underrated defensive skills by leaping up to rob Nelson Cruz of a HR!
Rocky B
Master
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
- Messages
- 2,205
Pittsburgh guy here is getting a bit ticked off about Hurdle continuing to run out Gregory Palonco while Meadows or Dickerson (and Marte also) take turns sitting......Another example of the powers that be slobbering over “athleticism”.....He has a decent year (a couple years ago) and shows promise they give him a fat contract and then disappears......Jose Tabata was another example........Yuk
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
After going 3-3 with 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB last night, Trout is now hitting .323 ! That puts him in 5th place for the Batting title. He has an outside shot to win it this year.
1. Betts • BOS .348
2. Segura • SEA .344
3. Altuve • HOU .337
4. Simmons • LAA .330
5. Trout • LAA .323
6. Martinez • BOS .320
7. Brantley • CLE .318
1. Betts • BOS .348
2. Segura • SEA .344
3. Altuve • HOU .337
4. Simmons • LAA .330
5. Trout • LAA .323
6. Martinez • BOS .320
7. Brantley • CLE .318
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
Trout's been raising his BA like crazy the last week or 2 and is now 4th in BA. 2-3 last night + 2 BB. Unfortunatley, he got his first CS. Altuve is going to be the one to beat for Trout to get a batting title. Trout's ability to draw massive amounts of walks allows him to wait for his pitch. I think Trout can do it, but we'll see where they're at come the all star break. Trout still leading in many categories including R, BB, HR, OBP, OPS, TB
1. Altuve • HOU .342
2. Segura • SEA .340
3. Betts • BOS .340
4. Trout • LAA .332
5. Brantley • CLE .321
6. Rosario • MIN .321
7. Simmons • LAA .317
8. Martinez • BOS .315
9. Duffy • TBR .314
10. Castellanos • DET .310
1. Altuve • HOU .342
2. Segura • SEA .340
3. Betts • BOS .340
4. Trout • LAA .332
5. Brantley • CLE .321
6. Rosario • MIN .321
7. Simmons • LAA .317
8. Martinez • BOS .315
9. Duffy • TBR .314
10. Castellanos • DET .310
Last edited:
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
Angels slugger Mike Trout is in the middle of the most dominant hot streak of his career
Trout has reached base in 29 of his last 37 plate appearances
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...f-the-most-dominant-hot-streak-of-his-career/
Trout went 1 for 1 with two walks and two runs driven in Tuesday night, and he also reached on a catcher's interference. His season batting line now sits at an incredible .335/.469/.689 with an MLB leading 23 home runs and more walks (64) than strikeouts (60) through 73 team games.
Here are Trout's ranks among the 160 players with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title:
Batting average: .335 (5th -- Jose Altuve leads at .341)
On-base percentage: .469 (1st -- Joey Votto is second at .428)
Slugging percentage: .689 (2nd -- Mookie Betts leads at .692)
OPS: 1.158 (1st -- Betts is second at 1.115)
OPS+: 219 (1st -- Betts is second at 194)
WAR: 6.5 (1st -- Jose Ramirez is second at 4.7)
Trout is currently in the middle of the best season of his career based on the rate stats, and he's on pace for 14.4 WAR, which would rank among the greatest seasons in baseball history. Only five times in history has a position player topped even 12 WAR. Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was the last to do it (12.5 WAR in 1967).
Furthermore, Trout is in the middle of the best hot streak of his career right now. In his last eight games, Trout has gone 16 for 23 (.696) with one double, four homers, nine runs batted in, 11 walks, and five strikeouts. He has reached base in 29 of his last 37 plate appearances. That's a .778 on-base percentage.
Three of the four best eight-game stretches of Trout's season have come within the last 60 days. Trout is hitting .364/.507/.727 since May 1 and, remarkably, the Angels are 23-23 during that time. They are 2-6 during this insane eight-game hot streak. The pitching has not been good and the other players in the lineup aren't providing much support. One man can only do so much.
As great as he's been throughout his career, Trout has never been better than he is right now. His overall season numbers are off-the-charts and his performance these last eight games has been historically great. Remember, Trout is only 26. He turns 27 in August. It is entirely possible he is just now hitting the prime of his career.
Trout has reached base in 29 of his last 37 plate appearances
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...f-the-most-dominant-hot-streak-of-his-career/
Trout went 1 for 1 with two walks and two runs driven in Tuesday night, and he also reached on a catcher's interference. His season batting line now sits at an incredible .335/.469/.689 with an MLB leading 23 home runs and more walks (64) than strikeouts (60) through 73 team games.
Here are Trout's ranks among the 160 players with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title:
Batting average: .335 (5th -- Jose Altuve leads at .341)
On-base percentage: .469 (1st -- Joey Votto is second at .428)
Slugging percentage: .689 (2nd -- Mookie Betts leads at .692)
OPS: 1.158 (1st -- Betts is second at 1.115)
OPS+: 219 (1st -- Betts is second at 194)
WAR: 6.5 (1st -- Jose Ramirez is second at 4.7)
Trout is currently in the middle of the best season of his career based on the rate stats, and he's on pace for 14.4 WAR, which would rank among the greatest seasons in baseball history. Only five times in history has a position player topped even 12 WAR. Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was the last to do it (12.5 WAR in 1967).
Furthermore, Trout is in the middle of the best hot streak of his career right now. In his last eight games, Trout has gone 16 for 23 (.696) with one double, four homers, nine runs batted in, 11 walks, and five strikeouts. He has reached base in 29 of his last 37 plate appearances. That's a .778 on-base percentage.
Three of the four best eight-game stretches of Trout's season have come within the last 60 days. Trout is hitting .364/.507/.727 since May 1 and, remarkably, the Angels are 23-23 during that time. They are 2-6 during this insane eight-game hot streak. The pitching has not been good and the other players in the lineup aren't providing much support. One man can only do so much.
As great as he's been throughout his career, Trout has never been better than he is right now. His overall season numbers are off-the-charts and his performance these last eight games has been historically great. Remember, Trout is only 26. He turns 27 in August. It is entirely possible he is just now hitting the prime of his career.
BeyondFedUp
Hall of Famer
Glad to hear this! I don't know if I've seen a more despised athlete than Tebow other than John Rocker. One proud to be a Christian, the other proud (at least culturally) of being White.
Hmmmm, I wonder what group detests both groups?
On this day in 1963, the Giants beat the (Milwaukee) Braves 1-0 in 16 innings. What was notable about that game is that both starting pitchers, Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn, pitched the entire 16 innings. Spahn was 42 years old.
One of the many reasons I've lost interest in baseball is the "pussification" of starting pitching. First it went from four-man starting rotations to five, and then increasingly to middle innings and late innings specialists. Up until about 35 years ago a starting pitcher was expected to finish what he started, or at least go seven or eight innings and let the closer finish it out. 20 and even 25 game winners were far more common, and good starters often pitched 275 innings and more in a season. Try as I might I just can't get real excited when 18 game winners lead the league, and 200 innings pitched is considered a lot. Felix Hernandez winning the Cy Young Award several years ago with 13 wins is a travesty.
But this isn't really a rant about the good old days, because the pitchers of the 1960s and '70s were wusses compared to the early decades of the 20th century, what with 30 game winners and even a 41 game winner in the case of Jack Chesbro. Cy Young's 511 career wins is as untouchable a record as there is in baseball.
It just seems that the more the workload of starters is scaled back, the more prone to arm problems they've become. The workhorse pitchers of the '60s and '70s rarely had arm trouble, Warren Spahn being a great example. Nolan Ryan was throwing unhittable heat into the 1990s until he was 46 years old. But now many have become quite delicate creatures when it comes to their throwing arms; why is that?
One of the many reasons I've lost interest in baseball is the "pussification" of starting pitching. First it went from four-man starting rotations to five, and then increasingly to middle innings and late innings specialists. Up until about 35 years ago a starting pitcher was expected to finish what he started, or at least go seven or eight innings and let the closer finish it out. 20 and even 25 game winners were far more common, and good starters often pitched 275 innings and more in a season. Try as I might I just can't get real excited when 18 game winners lead the league, and 200 innings pitched is considered a lot. Felix Hernandez winning the Cy Young Award several years ago with 13 wins is a travesty.
But this isn't really a rant about the good old days, because the pitchers of the 1960s and '70s were wusses compared to the early decades of the 20th century, what with 30 game winners and even a 41 game winner in the case of Jack Chesbro. Cy Young's 511 career wins is as untouchable a record as there is in baseball.
It just seems that the more the workload of starters is scaled back, the more prone to arm problems they've become. The workhorse pitchers of the '60s and '70s rarely had arm trouble, Warren Spahn being a great example. Nolan Ryan was throwing unhittable heat into the 1990s until he was 46 years old. But now many have become quite delicate creatures when it comes to their throwing arms; why is that?
TomIron361
Mentor
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2017
- Messages
- 691
The reason is the new way of living, seldom going outdoors (now that I'm a retired man and walk every day, you seldom see people outside in most neighborhoods and you never see a young American boy mowing a lawn or shoveling snow) or engaging in any manual labor. Playing constant video games. Yes, the people who're in the majors obviously play the game of baseball, but I would guess that's the only physical activity most of them take part in. Otherwise, they live as their peers do. Not moving around. I would bet anything in the world that the people you named and many more were active people and seldom got hurt as these young players do these days. The difference is this new manner of living.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many years ago when I served on my Union apprentice committee, we notice certain physical deficiencies (not all the young men but enough of them to make it noticeable) in our incoming apprentice applicants. We were Ironworkers and were stumped as to what it was. But now after all this time has passed, it is evident what we were seeing were the first people who were starting to live in this new manner.
Shadowlight
Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 3,882
Regarding the two posts above and modern day baseball injuries. I think physical activity and lifestyle probably plays a role but I am not sure how much? The players back in the day came by their strength naturally from either farm work or manual labor and they seemed more flexible.
Watching the NFL Combine I am struck by the fact that most all of the "black" players seem to have steroid builds. Perhaps that is the short answer. But also training has evolved over the years and I suspect this focus on strength training has been over emphasized in baseball. Power baseball all around with the home run being a centerpiece of the game today.
So it seems to me the modern training techniques have increased the chances for injuries. Weightlifting is a huge concern.
And we can't dismiss the "pansy" factor altogether either. NBA players have been crying like babies over back to back games and such. So back in the day with worse travel conditions the players grinded their way through the season without any whining. Now with first class travel and first class everything these spoiled pricks feel like they are being taken advantage of talk about hypocrisy.
Baseball players have the good life too. You know the old saying each previous generation was tougher than the next in line.
Watching the NFL Combine I am struck by the fact that most all of the "black" players seem to have steroid builds. Perhaps that is the short answer. But also training has evolved over the years and I suspect this focus on strength training has been over emphasized in baseball. Power baseball all around with the home run being a centerpiece of the game today.
So it seems to me the modern training techniques have increased the chances for injuries. Weightlifting is a huge concern.
And we can't dismiss the "pansy" factor altogether either. NBA players have been crying like babies over back to back games and such. So back in the day with worse travel conditions the players grinded their way through the season without any whining. Now with first class travel and first class everything these spoiled pricks feel like they are being taken advantage of talk about hypocrisy.
Baseball players have the good life too. You know the old saying each previous generation was tougher than the next in line.
I agree with this. Young men used to be strong and have great stamina as a natural result of their lifestyle without ever "hitting the gym," just as young women used to naturally have lovely figures without exercising or trying to obtain a "hard body." Today's athletes dwarf yesterday's in muscle mass and various other metrics, but are they better baseball players?
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
Quite a situation going on in St. Louis at the moment. I've never seen anything like it. The GM, John Mozeliak, is publicly trashing his $80 million negro that he just signed to a huge contract with a no trade clause about a year ago.
https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2016/12/8/13532332/dexter-fowler-contract-cardinals
The a St. Louis Cardinals found themselves a center fielder on the open market, coming to terms with Dexter Fowler on a multiyear contract, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports. Ken Rosenthal reports that it’s a five-year, $82.5 million deal with a full no-trade clause
Fowler, who benefitted from batting in the really tough Cubs lineup with guys like Bryant and Rizzo hitting behind him, is putting up a .171 BA, and a NEGATIVE 1.3 WAR this year with a 52 OPS+ (100 OPS+ is assumed to be league average). His defense is so bad the Cardinals forced him to move to RF from CF.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fowlede01.shtml
Let's rewind the tape a bit for some background from when the Cardinals decided to sign this POS, which IMO they did b/c they were desperate to find a black "star" since they'd been catching heat for not having black players on the roster.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...fowler-cardinals-contract-20161209-story.html
With No. 24 retired in honor of manager Whitey Herzog, Fowler will wear jersey No. 25 in honor of Barry Bonds, who started to help mentor him during his final season with the Rockies in 2013.
Now back to present day, where Cardinals GM Mozeliak is publicly bashing his star negro for his laziness:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-dexter-fowler-20180703-story.html
Mozeliak was candid in his assessment of Fowler on a podcast with Cardinals announcer Dan McLaughlin.
“I’ve also had a lot of people come up to me and question his effort and energy level,” Mozeliak said. “Those are things I can’t defend. What I can defend is trying to create opportunities for him, but not if it’s at the expense of someone that’s out there hustling and playing hard.”
Cub Coach Maddon says Fowler "lit up the room":
Joe Maddon described the situation between former Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler and the Cardinals as “unfortunate” in the wake of pointed words expressed Monday by Cardinals president John Mozeliak.
“I love Dexter,” Maddon said of Fowler, who has been relegated to a bench role less than two seasons after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract. “He’s effervescent. He is gregarious. He always lit up the room when he walked in. That’s how I see Dex. He and I had great conversations all the time.
It'll be fun to see where this goes since Fowler is making huge money and has a full no trade clause. I've never seen mgmt bash a player they just handed a huge contract to. Keep an eye on the STL box scores to see if Fowler is getting playing time or riding the bench.
https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2016/12/8/13532332/dexter-fowler-contract-cardinals
The a St. Louis Cardinals found themselves a center fielder on the open market, coming to terms with Dexter Fowler on a multiyear contract, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports. Ken Rosenthal reports that it’s a five-year, $82.5 million deal with a full no-trade clause
Fowler, who benefitted from batting in the really tough Cubs lineup with guys like Bryant and Rizzo hitting behind him, is putting up a .171 BA, and a NEGATIVE 1.3 WAR this year with a 52 OPS+ (100 OPS+ is assumed to be league average). His defense is so bad the Cardinals forced him to move to RF from CF.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fowlede01.shtml
Let's rewind the tape a bit for some background from when the Cardinals decided to sign this POS, which IMO they did b/c they were desperate to find a black "star" since they'd been catching heat for not having black players on the roster.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...fowler-cardinals-contract-20161209-story.html
With No. 24 retired in honor of manager Whitey Herzog, Fowler will wear jersey No. 25 in honor of Barry Bonds, who started to help mentor him during his final season with the Rockies in 2013.
Now back to present day, where Cardinals GM Mozeliak is publicly bashing his star negro for his laziness:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-dexter-fowler-20180703-story.html
Mozeliak was candid in his assessment of Fowler on a podcast with Cardinals announcer Dan McLaughlin.
“I’ve also had a lot of people come up to me and question his effort and energy level,” Mozeliak said. “Those are things I can’t defend. What I can defend is trying to create opportunities for him, but not if it’s at the expense of someone that’s out there hustling and playing hard.”
Cub Coach Maddon says Fowler "lit up the room":
Joe Maddon described the situation between former Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler and the Cardinals as “unfortunate” in the wake of pointed words expressed Monday by Cardinals president John Mozeliak.
“I love Dexter,” Maddon said of Fowler, who has been relegated to a bench role less than two seasons after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract. “He’s effervescent. He is gregarious. He always lit up the room when he walked in. That’s how I see Dex. He and I had great conversations all the time.
It'll be fun to see where this goes since Fowler is making huge money and has a full no trade clause. I've never seen mgmt bash a player they just handed a huge contract to. Keep an eye on the STL box scores to see if Fowler is getting playing time or riding the bench.
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...calls-out-dexter-fowler-for-his-effort-level/
On Monday morning, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak called Fowler's energy and effort into question during his weekly interview with Fox Sports Midwest broadcaster Dan McLaughlin. Here is a transcript, via Hardball Talk:
"It's been a frustrating year for everybody involved. Here's a guy who wants to go out and play well. I think he would tell you it's hard to do that when you're not playing on a consistent basis. But I've also had a lot of people come up to me and question his effort and his energy level. You know, those are things that I can't defend.
"What I can defend is trying to create opportunities for him, but not if it's at the expense of someone who's out there hustling and playing hard. And really I think everyone just needs to take a hard look in the mirror, and decide what they want that next chapter to look like.
"And in Dexter's case, maybe taking a brief time out, trying to reassess himself, and then give him a chance for a strong second half is probably what's best for everybody. I'm hopeful to touch base with him in the near future and decide what makes the most sense, but clearly he's not playing at the level we had hoped."
On Monday morning, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak called Fowler's energy and effort into question during his weekly interview with Fox Sports Midwest broadcaster Dan McLaughlin. Here is a transcript, via Hardball Talk:
"It's been a frustrating year for everybody involved. Here's a guy who wants to go out and play well. I think he would tell you it's hard to do that when you're not playing on a consistent basis. But I've also had a lot of people come up to me and question his effort and his energy level. You know, those are things that I can't defend.
"What I can defend is trying to create opportunities for him, but not if it's at the expense of someone who's out there hustling and playing hard. And really I think everyone just needs to take a hard look in the mirror, and decide what they want that next chapter to look like.
"And in Dexter's case, maybe taking a brief time out, trying to reassess himself, and then give him a chance for a strong second half is probably what's best for everybody. I'm hopeful to touch base with him in the near future and decide what makes the most sense, but clearly he's not playing at the level we had hoped."
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
Sounds like this negro was torturing his white teamates by forcing them to listen his crap music, but the media spins it to say he's making the clubhouse "fun". Cardinals fell for the PC 'black behavior is cool' mantra, but what they were really getting was a clubhouse cancer:
http://www.espn.com/blog/st-louis-c...rs-mission-change-tune-in-cardinals-clubhouse
Feb 26, 2017
JUPITER, Fla. -- Each morning, Kolten Wong slings his bat bag over his shoulder, grabs his glove and then picks up one last piece of essential equipment before he heads to the field for morning stretch at St. Louis Cardinals camp.
It’s a high-powered, portable speaker for players to plug their phones into. The team rotates who picks the music, and it’s all the brainchild of the team’s newest centerpiece player, Dexter Fowler.
One day last week, players were swaying to Kanye West’s “All Falls Down” between taking hacks in the cage. Fowler, a switch-hitter batting right-handed, launched a couple of towering shots to left-center field, which prompted third baseman Matt Carpenter to jokingly yell, “Stop it!” On Monday, Bob Marley was singing melodically through the speaker.
“You can tell it’s my day to pick,” Wong said.
Playing music during batting practice is hardly revolutionary. But it has generated headlines in Cardinals camp, where spring trainings have been run with an all-business precision.
“He brings immediate energy to any room or any table, and it’s infectious,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said of Fowler.
Fowler isn’t downplaying his ability to loosen things up in his new clubhouse. In fact, he wants to make something perfectly clear: It really was as good of a time as it looked while the Chicago Cubs were snapping a 108-year title drought last season.
“We had fun,” said Fowler, who played two seasons with the Cubs. “All the time. I’m not going to say we never were mad, but even when we lost, it was like, ‘We lost.’ Ten minutes later, put on some music, chill, do what you need to do. It’s over. I think the best baseball players have the shortest memories.”
In addition to acquiring Fowler, the Cardinals let go of one of their longtime team leaders, Matt Holliday, whose quiet, grind-it-out mentality helped define a very good club for many years.
Holliday’s intimidating presence and old-school perspective made it sometimes uncomfortable for younger players, team sources indicated. The disconnect could simply have been generational, as not that long ago, young major league players were expected to remain quiet in the company of their veteran teammates. Holliday joined a clubhouse that had a reputation for old-school toughness under manager Tony La Russa and hard-nosed players such as Chris Carpenter and Skip Schumaker.
The Fowler love fest has already reached the top of the organization.
“He was just such a perfect signing for us. I really believe that,” team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “Not only did he fit the need we had on the field, but he’s such an enthusiastic, admired, popular, personable guy -- all those adjectives. It’s hard to remember someone who’s come from another team who instantaneously has buy-in from everybody.”
People who visit Cardinals camp don’t have to take anyone’s word that players are buying into Fowler’s influence. They just have to trust their ears.
http://www.espn.com/blog/st-louis-c...rs-mission-change-tune-in-cardinals-clubhouse
Feb 26, 2017
JUPITER, Fla. -- Each morning, Kolten Wong slings his bat bag over his shoulder, grabs his glove and then picks up one last piece of essential equipment before he heads to the field for morning stretch at St. Louis Cardinals camp.
It’s a high-powered, portable speaker for players to plug their phones into. The team rotates who picks the music, and it’s all the brainchild of the team’s newest centerpiece player, Dexter Fowler.
One day last week, players were swaying to Kanye West’s “All Falls Down” between taking hacks in the cage. Fowler, a switch-hitter batting right-handed, launched a couple of towering shots to left-center field, which prompted third baseman Matt Carpenter to jokingly yell, “Stop it!” On Monday, Bob Marley was singing melodically through the speaker.
“You can tell it’s my day to pick,” Wong said.
Playing music during batting practice is hardly revolutionary. But it has generated headlines in Cardinals camp, where spring trainings have been run with an all-business precision.
“He brings immediate energy to any room or any table, and it’s infectious,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said of Fowler.
Fowler isn’t downplaying his ability to loosen things up in his new clubhouse. In fact, he wants to make something perfectly clear: It really was as good of a time as it looked while the Chicago Cubs were snapping a 108-year title drought last season.
“We had fun,” said Fowler, who played two seasons with the Cubs. “All the time. I’m not going to say we never were mad, but even when we lost, it was like, ‘We lost.’ Ten minutes later, put on some music, chill, do what you need to do. It’s over. I think the best baseball players have the shortest memories.”
In addition to acquiring Fowler, the Cardinals let go of one of their longtime team leaders, Matt Holliday, whose quiet, grind-it-out mentality helped define a very good club for many years.
Holliday’s intimidating presence and old-school perspective made it sometimes uncomfortable for younger players, team sources indicated. The disconnect could simply have been generational, as not that long ago, young major league players were expected to remain quiet in the company of their veteran teammates. Holliday joined a clubhouse that had a reputation for old-school toughness under manager Tony La Russa and hard-nosed players such as Chris Carpenter and Skip Schumaker.
The Fowler love fest has already reached the top of the organization.
“He was just such a perfect signing for us. I really believe that,” team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “Not only did he fit the need we had on the field, but he’s such an enthusiastic, admired, popular, personable guy -- all those adjectives. It’s hard to remember someone who’s come from another team who instantaneously has buy-in from everybody.”
People who visit Cardinals camp don’t have to take anyone’s word that players are buying into Fowler’s influence. They just have to trust their ears.
knightedsoldier5000
Mentor
what is it with non-whites and the need to blare their garbage music? "look at me! look at me!" Reminds me of the Sammy Sosa boombox incident, for those who don't know:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/the-bobblehead-project-anonymous-cub-smashes-sammys-boombox/
. It's an anonymous Cubs player smashing Sammy Sosa's salsa-blaring boombox on the last day of the 2004 season.
Sosa played the same salsa CD every single day of the 2004 season, reportedly annoying many of his teammates to no end. And, after closing the season losing seven of their last nine, the Cubs missed out on the wild card by three spots. Remember, this was one season after being five outs away from the World Series and the 2004 Cubs actually appeared improved after adding Derrek Lee and Greg Maddux in the offseason -- not to mention getting a full season from Aramis Ramirez.
So, needless to say, there were some angry Cubs when the season ended prematurely.
Sosa didn't play in the last game and actually left Wrigley Field early.
For at least one teammate, that was the final straw. But who was the perpetrator?
Among the initial suspects in unsubstantiated rumors were Kerry Wood, Paul Bako and Todd Walker.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/the-bobblehead-project-anonymous-cub-smashes-sammys-boombox/
. It's an anonymous Cubs player smashing Sammy Sosa's salsa-blaring boombox on the last day of the 2004 season.
Sosa played the same salsa CD every single day of the 2004 season, reportedly annoying many of his teammates to no end. And, after closing the season losing seven of their last nine, the Cubs missed out on the wild card by three spots. Remember, this was one season after being five outs away from the World Series and the 2004 Cubs actually appeared improved after adding Derrek Lee and Greg Maddux in the offseason -- not to mention getting a full season from Aramis Ramirez.
So, needless to say, there were some angry Cubs when the season ended prematurely.
Sosa didn't play in the last game and actually left Wrigley Field early.
For at least one teammate, that was the final straw. But who was the perpetrator?
Among the initial suspects in unsubstantiated rumors were Kerry Wood, Paul Bako and Todd Walker.
Was listening briefly yesterday to similar complaints about Gregory Polanco of the Pirates. Lazy, no effort, terrible fielder, horrendous baserunning blunders that an 8 year old Little Leaguer wouldn't commit.
Guaranteed contracts are the cause, not to mention the ridiculous amount of money guaranteed by them. The clubs are stuck with them but they obviously don't care because they do it over and over again and are still making tons of money. As in football and basketball, the alliance between the clubs, the media and corporations ensures their profitability. Corporate sports that adhere to the Caste System are "too big to fail."
One of the radio cucks timidly said of Polanco "hopefully he'll start playing better," typical of the fear and self-censorship used when discussing a black. A piece of crap like Polanco shouldn't be on a major league team, and there was a time when a player's teammates would have done the enforcing that needed to be done, not just the manager. But now everyone tiptoes around it and "hopes" he'll decide to try hard. Just another reason why I've lost interest in a sport I was obsessed with growing up.
Guaranteed contracts are the cause, not to mention the ridiculous amount of money guaranteed by them. The clubs are stuck with them but they obviously don't care because they do it over and over again and are still making tons of money. As in football and basketball, the alliance between the clubs, the media and corporations ensures their profitability. Corporate sports that adhere to the Caste System are "too big to fail."
One of the radio cucks timidly said of Polanco "hopefully he'll start playing better," typical of the fear and self-censorship used when discussing a black. A piece of crap like Polanco shouldn't be on a major league team, and there was a time when a player's teammates would have done the enforcing that needed to be done, not just the manager. But now everyone tiptoes around it and "hopes" he'll decide to try hard. Just another reason why I've lost interest in a sport I was obsessed with growing up.
Last edited: