That picture is amazing. Eck being Eck, hair & stache on point not to mention the cut left sleeve of his jacket. Holtzman is straight out of the dictionary definition of sports reporter. His age could be anywhere from 48 to 83, I honestly have no idea.
Given the large number of unsigned players and the rush to get under contract, I suspect a lot of teams will get players locked up early on under-market contracts (multi-year contracts might be the exception). It wouldn't surprise me if the overall player payroll across both leagues drops this year because they will get players cheap. This might even propagate to next year if too many players sign one-year contracts. Marvin Miller's fear of having everyone be a free agent every year and saturating the market might be an (un)intended consequence of this whole lockout, possibly for this year and next year.
Don't hate me for talking money, but I can't wait (sarcasm) to see what criteria they will use to distribute the pool for good young players. THAT will have an effect on how the game is played.
My wife and I (both UNC '91) were married on June 8, 1991, during Jordan's (UNC '86) first NBA Finals. She wasn't thrilled when I watched Games Four and Five.
I spent the day at the Negro Leagues Museum. As I’m sure Joe knows, there’s a description of an owner who used his ownership of a team to launder money from his numbers running operation. But then fell in love with baseball.
Current owners are the same except I don’t see a lot who are in fact in love with the game.
1969 had an even MORE significant event than the introduction of the save. It was the first year that MLB stopped having the two best tams from the regular season compete for the World Series. 69 was the first year of Division Playoffs, a hole MLB dug that gets deeper over time. This is the dividing line between Baseball being unique among American sports, and just another playoff heavy, money grabbing enterprise. It is the year my interest in professional baseball began to wane.
Joe, I'm a subscriber, but have not received the last two posts in my inbox. Is this because I now have the substack app on my iPad? If not.... what's it all about, Alfie?
Terry, there was a checkbox when you set up the Substack account. It was default selected to eliminate email notifications when you set up Substack. You needed to de-select that checkbox to continue email notifications. Try going back into Substack and de-selecting, or ask them for Help via email.
As a footnote, Mariano Rivera is the only player in MLB history to be elected to the HOF by unanimous vote--which could only have occurred with recognition (and appreciation) of the save.
Sorry, son, but if Mariano saved a MILLION games, he still shouldn’t have been elected unanimously if Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, etc., etc., fell short of unanimity.
John, My comment did not reflect what I feel should or should not be; I just wanted to add, as a footnote, that the stat not only changed the game as Joe stated, it radically altered perceptions of the importance of relief pitching--especially closing. Fifty years ago, no one would have imagined that of all people to get a unanimous vote for induction into the HOF, it would be a relief pitcher--that's how monumental one stat (the save) became.
Which is an argument unrelated to the comment that the save did in fact define Rivera's career which was recognized by that unique vote deserved or not.
Let’s face it, Joe is right. The Save turned out to be the beginning of the end of complete games, Ironman pitchers a la Nolan Ryan, and the deep bench, given up in lieu of a platoon of relievers to take up the slack so starters can be kept on a pitch count.
The thing I hate most about the save is that you get a save if you come in with the tying run on deck and get one out. I mean, c'mon, you have a 2 run lead with 2 outs and nobody on in the 9th, you come in and get one lousy out and that's supposed to be some big damn deal? I get it if you come in with the tying run ON BASE.
The worst are the guys that come in with a 3 run lead in the 9th, give up 2 runs, load the bases and finally get that last out. And STILL get the save, with an ERA of 18...
A starter who gives up 10 runs and is taken out, and whose team then ties the game, still should get half the loss, IMHO, if the team eventually loses. There are lots of arbitrary rules, like a basket accidentally made in a team's own goal being credited to the nearest opponent even if he didn’t touch the ball. And baserunners who score on a home run allowed by a reliever are considered the original pitcher's full responsibility. The need to quantify everything has created some dumb rules, and the save is not the worst.
So, Joe, I would really be interested to know which players make up the players’ executive committee, who voted unanimously against the deal. I recall you told us a while back, but being old my memory is fading. I am guessing the Exec Comm. is made up of some of the highest paid players in Baseball right now, and these folks could not get their noses out of the way to see how the landscape was really laid out. I am not a bit surprised that the four high-profile teams (the Mets, Yankees, Cardinals and Astros) voted against the deal. The Astros used to be one of my fav teams,, until they were exposed as a bunch of CHEATERS,-- and will forever be known as LOSERS....The Cardinals and Royals are my fav teams, and as a small market team I am taken back that they voted "let em sit". Perhaps you can expand on this one day. I have yet to decide whether I will come back and watch Baseball again,,I probably will but it will be a while and only when I can catch a Cardinal or Royals game,,,,
The board was directly involved and being competitive, wanted to win. Most players just value cashing checks over principles. Getting them to see the bigger picture was Miller's biggest accomplishment, though it was easier back then because the issues were bigger compared to the checks.
Joe, yes, it is GREAT to be talking baseball again. But as a fellow lifelong Browns fan I most loved you jab at Elway: "*The Jordan Washington years, like Matrix II and III, John Elway’s so-called Super Bowl victories and all non-Ray Charles versions of “Georgia on Your Mind,” do not exist in my particular reality. I hear conspiracy theories, but I do not believe them." Living here in Colorado has been great for 23 years except for the constant Elway presence :)
That picture is amazing. Eck being Eck, hair & stache on point not to mention the cut left sleeve of his jacket. Holtzman is straight out of the dictionary definition of sports reporter. His age could be anywhere from 48 to 83, I honestly have no idea.
Meanwhile, many long scheduled Little League parades took place across many towns in US today. …. coincidence? … I think not!
Given the large number of unsigned players and the rush to get under contract, I suspect a lot of teams will get players locked up early on under-market contracts (multi-year contracts might be the exception). It wouldn't surprise me if the overall player payroll across both leagues drops this year because they will get players cheap. This might even propagate to next year if too many players sign one-year contracts. Marvin Miller's fear of having everyone be a free agent every year and saturating the market might be an (un)intended consequence of this whole lockout, possibly for this year and next year.
Don't hate me for talking money, but I can't wait (sarcasm) to see what criteria they will use to distribute the pool for good young players. THAT will have an effect on how the game is played.
If you don't put Willie Nelson's "Georgia On My Mind" in the pantheon with Ray's, I might have to cancel my subscription.
(Of course, Ray's is the best, so I'll chalk it up to posteriskian hyperbole)
My wife and I (both UNC '91) were married on June 8, 1991, during Jordan's (UNC '86) first NBA Finals. She wasn't thrilled when I watched Games Four and Five.
Margo had to have known what she was getting into.
I spent the day at the Negro Leagues Museum. As I’m sure Joe knows, there’s a description of an owner who used his ownership of a team to launder money from his numbers running operation. But then fell in love with baseball.
Current owners are the same except I don’t see a lot who are in fact in love with the game.
1969 had an even MORE significant event than the introduction of the save. It was the first year that MLB stopped having the two best tams from the regular season compete for the World Series. 69 was the first year of Division Playoffs, a hole MLB dug that gets deeper over time. This is the dividing line between Baseball being unique among American sports, and just another playoff heavy, money grabbing enterprise. It is the year my interest in professional baseball began to wane.
This calls for my favorite versions of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game":
A Nike commercial from 2001 - can you name all the players?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhjl8AxHFvI
Something put together in the COVID year of 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlwII9fQlwU
Thanks for the fresh air column, rather than another rehash of the negotiations.
Joe, I'm a subscriber, but have not received the last two posts in my inbox. Is this because I now have the substack app on my iPad? If not.... what's it all about, Alfie?
Terry, there was a checkbox when you set up the Substack account. It was default selected to eliminate email notifications when you set up Substack. You needed to de-select that checkbox to continue email notifications. Try going back into Substack and de-selecting, or ask them for Help via email.
Thanks, John.
I loved this column, not because it was new information, but because it was Joe and it was baseball not lock out commentary.
As a footnote, Mariano Rivera is the only player in MLB history to be elected to the HOF by unanimous vote--which could only have occurred with recognition (and appreciation) of the save.
Sorry, son, but if Mariano saved a MILLION games, he still shouldn’t have been elected unanimously if Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, etc., etc., fell short of unanimity.
Fortunately, once you're in the HoF, no one cares how you got there.
Right?
True enough.
John, My comment did not reflect what I feel should or should not be; I just wanted to add, as a footnote, that the stat not only changed the game as Joe stated, it radically altered perceptions of the importance of relief pitching--especially closing. Fifty years ago, no one would have imagined that of all people to get a unanimous vote for induction into the HOF, it would be a relief pitcher--that's how monumental one stat (the save) became.
Thanks son, absolutely agree with you there!
Which is an argument unrelated to the comment that the save did in fact define Rivera's career which was recognized by that unique vote deserved or not.
I hate the save with an intensity of a thousand suns.
Nice Sam Malone reference, intentional or not.
By the way Jeff, are you sure you didn’t mean “with the intensity of a thousand RUNS”?
Let’s face it, Joe is right. The Save turned out to be the beginning of the end of complete games, Ironman pitchers a la Nolan Ryan, and the deep bench, given up in lieu of a platoon of relievers to take up the slack so starters can be kept on a pitch count.
The thing I hate most about the save is that you get a save if you come in with the tying run on deck and get one out. I mean, c'mon, you have a 2 run lead with 2 outs and nobody on in the 9th, you come in and get one lousy out and that's supposed to be some big damn deal? I get it if you come in with the tying run ON BASE.
The worst are the guys that come in with a 3 run lead in the 9th, give up 2 runs, load the bases and finally get that last out. And STILL get the save, with an ERA of 18...
A starter who gives up 10 runs and is taken out, and whose team then ties the game, still should get half the loss, IMHO, if the team eventually loses. There are lots of arbitrary rules, like a basket accidentally made in a team's own goal being credited to the nearest opponent even if he didn’t touch the ball. And baserunners who score on a home run allowed by a reliever are considered the original pitcher's full responsibility. The need to quantify everything has created some dumb rules, and the save is not the worst.
You may want to seek help for that.
So, Joe, I would really be interested to know which players make up the players’ executive committee, who voted unanimously against the deal. I recall you told us a while back, but being old my memory is fading. I am guessing the Exec Comm. is made up of some of the highest paid players in Baseball right now, and these folks could not get their noses out of the way to see how the landscape was really laid out. I am not a bit surprised that the four high-profile teams (the Mets, Yankees, Cardinals and Astros) voted against the deal. The Astros used to be one of my fav teams,, until they were exposed as a bunch of CHEATERS,-- and will forever be known as LOSERS....The Cardinals and Royals are my fav teams, and as a small market team I am taken back that they voted "let em sit". Perhaps you can expand on this one day. I have yet to decide whether I will come back and watch Baseball again,,I probably will but it will be a while and only when I can catch a Cardinal or Royals game,,,,
Take care, stay Blessed and forever Healthy!
The board was directly involved and being competitive, wanted to win. Most players just value cashing checks over principles. Getting them to see the bigger picture was Miller's biggest accomplishment, though it was easier back then because the issues were bigger compared to the checks.
From yesterdays column:
The eight players are:
Zack Britton
Jason Castro
Gerrit Cole
Francisco Lindor
Max Scherzer
Andrew Miller
James Paxton
Marcus Semien
All older players except Lindor who's been around for awhile now though not very old. All have already made their millions.
Joe, yes, it is GREAT to be talking baseball again. But as a fellow lifelong Browns fan I most loved you jab at Elway: "*The Jordan Washington years, like Matrix II and III, John Elway’s so-called Super Bowl victories and all non-Ray Charles versions of “Georgia on Your Mind,” do not exist in my particular reality. I hear conspiracy theories, but I do not believe them." Living here in Colorado has been great for 23 years except for the constant Elway presence :)