I agree with your call-out of Hudler. I just can't handle him. I had the MLB package for 15 years to watch the Royals, but I think I dropped it about 2017 or 2018 because I couldn't handle him. I like Ryan a lot, and I like Physioc on the radio. I am a midwestern guy displaced in Texas. I think his enthusiasm is genuine - I can't imagine faking it for decades - but whoosh.
Season 2 of Ted Lasso was the biggest First to Worst transition I've ever seen. I made it through the first 6+ episodes of Season 2 and couldn't carry on.
So your report that it's feeling aimless in Season 3 doesn't surprise me.
I had the exact same reaction. Season 1 saw Ted facing a cast of losers and jerks, and showing how his radical empathy could slowly bring out the good in the most unlikely of antagonists. I couldn’t wait for Season 2. Then it arrived and I found myself fighting against the dawning realisation that the show had completely switched gears. It seemed to find itself so wonderful that all it wanted to do was give itself an endless hug. I never made it anywhere close to the end of the season.
Opinions will vary, of course, but I thought they brought everything together well in season two, which made it very watchable, even if the tone changed a lot from the first season. I am a couple of episodes behind in season three, but I trust them to bring it together again. I enjoy the characters enough that it is worth it for me.
Dick Groat was one of my heroes on the Cardinals '64 World Series ball club. The word on Jordan Walker is that he was sent to Memphis to work on his hitting. He hit too many ground balls. Because he hits the ball so hard, quite a few of the grounders got through the infield. The powers that be want Jordan to hit more balls in the air. His batting average was also going down steadily. We also have a glut of good young outfielders. Playing Jordan everyday made it difficult to get the other outfielders playing time.
Joe's comments on Ted Lasso completely mirror my thoughts on the latest episode. After such a fun episode last week, this week felt so uneven. I watched the first 40 by myself and wondered why they were trying to jam so much in and it felt clunky. None of the stories were necessarily bad, just poorly presented. My 19 year old son walked in around that time and I told him my thoughts. He then watched the rest with me and said, "What were you talking about? This episode is amazing." And I agreed. The last act was great. Is this a sign of it truly being the last season? Are they trying to do too much before it is over?
i wish the baseball commentariat would make up its mind. marmol calls out loafing o'neill and that's bad, bad, how dare he? clubhouse chemistry. musclebound o'neill crying to the press, victimized. bad. then hinch calls out boneheaded baez, who takes it like a man and apologizes, and the commentariat applauds! that call out was good, good. example for the struggling squad, etc. marmol calls out his loafing 4th outfielder, with a negative war, hunch calls out his talented but erratic shortstop. why the dramatic difference in reaction? marmol managed a division winner last year, hinch hasn't won anything since guys were banging on trashcans.
About all the Dodgers (and Cody Bellinger) going on the paternity list: if you count back nine months, there was a lot of celebrating going on during the All Star break in LA last year.
Is there any measurement for how HIGH a batted ball goes? They measure distance, but do they measure height? What is the highest ball ever hit. I bring it it because Joey Gallo seems to hit low earth orbit with a pop up about once a game.
Still hope you made room for that WBC Japan-Mexico semi-final game in the book. You could write volumes, produce multi-part movie-length documentaries, etc.
Dick Groat would have been one of the most interesting biographies that hasn't been written. It's probably too late now. But you've got the 2-sport thing, you've got the 1960 Pirates, you've got the 64 Cardinals, you've got Clemente, you've got Bob Gibson, you've got 40 years as a basketball broadcaster, and the 2 halls of fame. You've got a local boy making good, you've got Branch Rickey, you've got Steve Blass. He spent a half season with Willie Mays. He was in a trade with Bob Uecker. Apparently you've even got Brooks Koepke which I just learned.
The Soto thing is weird. I think rejecting that (probably insanely back-loaded) contract from the Nats really messed him up. You'd think on a team with Machado and Tatis and Bogaerts he'd be more content to just take his walks and not feel like he has to hit bombs and carry the team.
Brent Goldstein (Roy Kent) is working on a Marvel movie (he’s seemingly Hercules), so he might have had less availability leading to less of him in the show this season. I’m with you on the random new character that almost immediately disappears. Seemed pretty pointless, but maybe that was the point.. I dunno.
I hear everyone ragging on this season of Ted Lasso and yeah i get it but I thought the Amsterdam episode was amazing, probably my favorite episode of the entire series (which is really saying something).
Amsterdam might have been the best episode of Ted Lasso - I don’t understand the complaining about this season. We miss the relationships (no spoilers) of some characters, but you can’t have the show get stagnate. Looking forward to this week’s show regardless of what people say. Ted Lasso is the best show on television and one of the most impactful in history.
BTW- the Twins fixed Soto this week. We are very good at that kind of generous work
I agree with your call-out of Hudler. I just can't handle him. I had the MLB package for 15 years to watch the Royals, but I think I dropped it about 2017 or 2018 because I couldn't handle him. I like Ryan a lot, and I like Physioc on the radio. I am a midwestern guy displaced in Texas. I think his enthusiasm is genuine - I can't imagine faking it for decades - but whoosh.
Season 2 of Ted Lasso was the biggest First to Worst transition I've ever seen. I made it through the first 6+ episodes of Season 2 and couldn't carry on.
So your report that it's feeling aimless in Season 3 doesn't surprise me.
I had the exact same reaction. Season 1 saw Ted facing a cast of losers and jerks, and showing how his radical empathy could slowly bring out the good in the most unlikely of antagonists. I couldn’t wait for Season 2. Then it arrived and I found myself fighting against the dawning realisation that the show had completely switched gears. It seemed to find itself so wonderful that all it wanted to do was give itself an endless hug. I never made it anywhere close to the end of the season.
Opinions will vary, of course, but I thought they brought everything together well in season two, which made it very watchable, even if the tone changed a lot from the first season. I am a couple of episodes behind in season three, but I trust them to bring it together again. I enjoy the characters enough that it is worth it for me.
Now I’m bummed. I recently started watching it and am just starting season 2.
For me, that experience was with Brockmire: it seemed to slip precipitously after a phenomenal start.
Dick Groat was one of my heroes on the Cardinals '64 World Series ball club. The word on Jordan Walker is that he was sent to Memphis to work on his hitting. He hit too many ground balls. Because he hits the ball so hard, quite a few of the grounders got through the infield. The powers that be want Jordan to hit more balls in the air. His batting average was also going down steadily. We also have a glut of good young outfielders. Playing Jordan everyday made it difficult to get the other outfielders playing time.
Joe's comments on Ted Lasso completely mirror my thoughts on the latest episode. After such a fun episode last week, this week felt so uneven. I watched the first 40 by myself and wondered why they were trying to jam so much in and it felt clunky. None of the stories were necessarily bad, just poorly presented. My 19 year old son walked in around that time and I told him my thoughts. He then watched the rest with me and said, "What were you talking about? This episode is amazing." And I agreed. The last act was great. Is this a sign of it truly being the last season? Are they trying to do too much before it is over?
i wish the baseball commentariat would make up its mind. marmol calls out loafing o'neill and that's bad, bad, how dare he? clubhouse chemistry. musclebound o'neill crying to the press, victimized. bad. then hinch calls out boneheaded baez, who takes it like a man and apologizes, and the commentariat applauds! that call out was good, good. example for the struggling squad, etc. marmol calls out his loafing 4th outfielder, with a negative war, hunch calls out his talented but erratic shortstop. why the dramatic difference in reaction? marmol managed a division winner last year, hinch hasn't won anything since guys were banging on trashcans.
I love the trash can reference
And it gets better. Now the press loves the Robert benching, too.
yes, Giants pitching not so bad, now if only the hitters could muster a clutch hit or two w/runners on...
Why were the Orioles the only team identified by city only and not team nickname in the power rankings?
About all the Dodgers (and Cody Bellinger) going on the paternity list: if you count back nine months, there was a lot of celebrating going on during the All Star break in LA last year.
Mets are 15-11
Dick Groat was an amazing man.
Is there any measurement for how HIGH a batted ball goes? They measure distance, but do they measure height? What is the highest ball ever hit. I bring it it because Joey Gallo seems to hit low earth orbit with a pop up about once a game.
Thanks for your thoughts on Ted Lasso. I totally agree, although I have not watched this week's episode, yet.
Still hope you made room for that WBC Japan-Mexico semi-final game in the book. You could write volumes, produce multi-part movie-length documentaries, etc.
Dick Groat would have been one of the most interesting biographies that hasn't been written. It's probably too late now. But you've got the 2-sport thing, you've got the 1960 Pirates, you've got the 64 Cardinals, you've got Clemente, you've got Bob Gibson, you've got 40 years as a basketball broadcaster, and the 2 halls of fame. You've got a local boy making good, you've got Branch Rickey, you've got Steve Blass. He spent a half season with Willie Mays. He was in a trade with Bob Uecker. Apparently you've even got Brooks Koepke which I just learned.
The Soto thing is weird. I think rejecting that (probably insanely back-loaded) contract from the Nats really messed him up. You'd think on a team with Machado and Tatis and Bogaerts he'd be more content to just take his walks and not feel like he has to hit bombs and carry the team.
They should trade Soto, I think.
Wouldn’t that be buying high and selling low?
Brent Goldstein (Roy Kent) is working on a Marvel movie (he’s seemingly Hercules), so he might have had less availability leading to less of him in the show this season. I’m with you on the random new character that almost immediately disappears. Seemed pretty pointless, but maybe that was the point.. I dunno.
I hear everyone ragging on this season of Ted Lasso and yeah i get it but I thought the Amsterdam episode was amazing, probably my favorite episode of the entire series (which is really saying something).
Amsterdam might have been the best episode of Ted Lasso - I don’t understand the complaining about this season. We miss the relationships (no spoilers) of some characters, but you can’t have the show get stagnate. Looking forward to this week’s show regardless of what people say. Ted Lasso is the best show on television and one of the most impactful in history.
I watched the episode - the usual Ted Lasso Magic imo
I agree. Here’s another way to look at the most recent episode too:
https://youtu.be/NXnnFmU4Qnw