Little Things – Page 6

Are the Red Sox Good?

My son, who in his 20 years orbiting the sun has known essentially nothing but triumph for our beloved Red Sox, remains an eternal optimist. Every year, he views the team through the prism of inevitable success. Pitching woes? Those will be solved when Chris Sale comes back. Hitting woes? Triston Casas will be the next great slugger. Shaky defense? Kiké can play anywhere.

But for me, even with four World Series rings in the last twenty years, I still harken back to 1978, and 1986, and 2003, and 2011, and many years in between. The Red Sox are always the sword of Damocles hanging over my head. I try to enjoy the wins and the championships, but I have been burned just too often. Hell, in 2004, I was counting Cardinals batters starting in the fifth inning of Game 4, knowing that their lineup was extremely formidable, and if they won Game 4, why couldn’t the Red Birds run off four straight like the Red Sox did in the previous series? Simply put, I never feel “good” about this team.

Which brings us to the 2023 squad. Coming into this season, there were many unknowns, and many distractions. Losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres was most decidedly not made better by signing Rafael Devers to a long-term extension (they should have signed both). Having a catching tandem where one guy can catch and throw and the other guy can hit, but neither can do both, didn’t feel like a recipe for success after years of Christian Vázquez’s steady stewardship. And adding the aged (and decaying?) Kenley Jansen to the back of the bullpen for two years and $32 million didn’t seem like a good use of resources nor good for our collective heart health (this, of course, was a wrong assessment).

But the Red Sox have surprised many in the ultra-competitive AL East. We are just under the quarter mark on the season, and the BoSox are winning at a .568 clip, a 92-win pace*. Sure, that is only good for fourth place in this division, but this division may send four teams to the playoffs. So, that will play. But here is the question: Are the Red Sox good?

The answer to that question truly depends on when and where you are looking. If you are judging the team while sitting in the Fenway bleachers in the top of the first inning, you may have an entirely different view than if you are sitting in those same seats in the bottom of the ninth. Your opinion will vary depending on whether the defense is on the field, or batters are at the plate. The Red Sox — in this age of the universal designated hitter — are truly two different teams. Let’s take a look, starting with ugly:

PITCHING:

Runs Allowed/Game	5.19	4^th worst
Hits Allowed	330	4^th worst
ERA	4.97	4^th worst
ERA+	95	Tied for 4^th worst
WHIP	1.353	4^th worst
HR Allowed	49	5^th worst

It’s tough sledding when you are just above the A’s and the Royals, both of whom are vying for record-setting ineptitude this season, and the White Sox, who have been a dumpster fire on the South Side. There is some good news to be found in their arms, as the team has the eighth-best bullpen ERA and is tied for the fifth-most saves in the AL. But 37 games into the season has taught that as currently constructed, the Red Sox pitching may prove to be their downfall.

But now we get to the good:

HITTING:

Runs/Game	5.70	3^rd best
Runs	211	3^rd best
Hits	344	Tied for 1^st place
Doubles	82	1^st place
Home Runs	48	3^rd best
Batting Avg.	.270	2^nd best
OPS	.790	2^nd best
OPS+	113	3^rd best

It’s pretty solid when you are competing with a Rays team that has won 80 percent of its games and is leading the league in nearly every offensive category, and with the surprising Rangers, who have found a brand new alchemy under manager Bruce Bochy.

DEFENSE:

The Red Sox defense is the perfect love child of their offense and pitching. How else do you get a team that is fourth in the league in assists, but also third worst in the league in errors? They are in fourth place for the most double plays, but have the third-worst fielding percentage. Just to put a button on this bizarre defensive unit, the Red Sox are below league average at catcher, second base, third base, shortstop (where they are in last place), and left field. But they have the best league-wide fielding percentage in center field and in right. They are just plain weird.

TOTAL PACKAGE:

So who is this team? Which version is real? The better question is which side of the ball will revert to the mean? If James Paxton and Garrett Whitlock can come off the IL and stabilize the rotation; if Sale can stop being Jekyll and Hyde and have a run of consistency; if Corey Kluber could even be a shadow of “The Klubot”; if Brayan Bello finally lives up to the hype; then the Red Sox have a chance to play well into October. But, if even one or two of the above-referenced puzzle pieces doesn’t perform up to snuff, it could be another last-place finish, with the AL East getting four teams into the playoffs and the Red Sox on the outside looking in.

You can say this: This team is fun to watch. They already have 14 come-from-behind wins. Alex Verdugo already has three walk-off hits. They came back from a six-run deficit to the Orioles and a four-run deficit to the Angels. This is a team that doesn’t quit; they grind out at-bats and grind down pitchers. And, despite how bad the pitching has been overall, they are 16-0 when leading after six innings, and 18-0 when leading after eight. So maybe something is there.

When watching the Red Sox, my blood pressure will always rise and fall like the team’s win probability chart. But as I have aged, I have adjusted so that my happiness is not predicated on the team’s success. So I will tune in all summer long (and hopefully into the fall). I will never feel “good” about their prospects, and I will always pass along my pessimism to my son, who will refute my misgivings with stats and vibes, and we will continue this lifelong obsession that has taken over at least three generations of our family.

But will we ever truly know: Are the Red Sox good?

PLAY BALL!!

*All statistics current as of May 10, 2023.

RED Hare Running / WHITE & BLUE Hair Cheering: A Very Special Patriots’ Day

As a child of parents who grew up in Boston, the city holds a special place in our ancestral heart. As multi-generation Red Sox fans, the team holds a special place in our familial heart. As a two-decade runner and marathon finisher, the Boston Marathon holds a special place in my beating heart. And as someone who has tragically lost people too young, the 2013 Marathon bombing holds a special place in my broken heart.

For all of the reasons above, Patriots’ Day in Boston is just plain special. So, when I got the message that one of my son’s best friends qualified for this year’s Boston Marathon – the 10-year anniversary of the bombing – the trip was booked post-haste.

Because the family of the boy – er, man – who would be running the race had never been to Fenway Park, I had another opportunity to present my “Billy Crystal Moment.” That is the moment when you see the stadium, in all its grace and glory, for the first time. I presented this moment to my wife and daughters last year. And this year I was given the chance to do it for a whole new group. Few things give me more pleasure than leading people down the concourse on the third base side, walking them out to the main aisle, and then having them start by looking left and then sweeping their gaze to the right to take in the entirety of “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.”

My buddy said: “Few things in life live up to the hype…this place lives up to the hype.” I cannot tell you how happy that makes me.

This group of eleven then made our way to Loge Box 102 for the pregame festivities. To begin, the 2013 World Series team was honored. Who doesn’t get a thrill and a chill when post-bombing (“this is our fucking city”), 2004 ALCS, and 2007 & 2013 World Series hero (and now Hall of Famer) David Ortiz takes the field? Who didn’t sing along when “Three Little Birds” played as they introduced “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” Shane Victorino? And who didn’t chuckle when Stephen Drew was met with light applause? For Red Sox fans, this was a lovely jaunt down memory lane.

But after the “Band of Bearded Brothers” – the players who put the city on their back a decade ago – were announced, the real honors were bestowed. The Red Sox brought out special guests to throw out first pitches – all of whom are related to the 2013 bombing:

Carlos Arredondo, the marathon spectator in the cowboy hat who rushed to the aid of bombing victims, with his wife, Melida.
A family friend of fallen Boston police Sgt. Dennis “DJ” Simmonds, who died of injuries he suffered during a shootout with the bombers.
Bill Campbell, the brother of bombing victim Krystle Campbell, and his son, William.
Henry and Jane Richard, the siblings of bombing victim Martin Richard.

It was the last two people introduced who brought on the waterworks. After the bombing, this photo of 8-year old Martin circulated on the internet:

Martin and his family stood close to the finish line that fateful day, as Martin and his brother loved the race – a race that they vowed to one day run. The Richard family suffered too much that day: Mother Denise lost an eye; Father Bill blew out an eardrum; and Sister Jane lost a leg. Brother Henry, with just scrapes and bruises, lost his best friend.

Last year, Henry ran the marathon wearing an “MR8” singlet, representing the Martin Richard Foundation that his family founded after the horror of 2013. But Henry was not done. This year, he led a team of Martin’s friends – all of whom are now 18 and thus eligible to run the marathon – as a tribute to the boy they all loved.

On the field on Sunday, Henry threw out a first pitch to Jane. The Red Sox beat the Angels. Our friends made it on the jumbotron in the 5^th inning, and my kids and I did the same during “Sweet Caroline.” And Rafael Devers tossed a ball to my son. What a day at The Fens.

The visit to Fenway, the 2013 celebration, the game and the hot dogs, were all just a prelude to the main event: Patriots’ Day.

At 7am our runner boarded his shuttle in Boston Common to the start line in Hopkinton. A group of us followed a few hours later, catching him in Framingham – but not before we were treated to an Eliud Kipchoge sighting (if you don’t know, look him up). At first there was a smattering of runners; but then there were thousands pounding their way through this tiny hamlet in the rain. Craning our necks to find our guy amongst the horde of runners was an exercise in stress and excitement the likes of which I have never experienced. And then he appeared – right in the middle of the street. We saw him, he saw us, and then I cried. And then I ran a few hundred yards alongside him because, well, I have no idea why.

We got back in the car, drove through Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and back to Copley Square where we waited in the drizzle and then rain. The police wouldn’t let us near the finish line, so we watched the television feed on our phones, and screamed as he ran right through the camera at the finish line, a giant smile on his face. A few minutes later we all hooked up. It was considerably more emotional than I ever imagined.

Before this little redhead – who I have known since he was two – crushed the Boston Marathon in 2:45, he was the ever-reliable leadoff hitter and second baseman on a travel team that I managed for years. I coached this boy from the time he was Martin Richard’s age, and never did I have a more coachable kid; maybe never did I have a better kid. He is not my son, but standing in the rain in the heart of Boston, I could not have been more proud if he was. I thought of Martin, and his friends running for him, and my son hugging his buddy after 26.2 arduous miles, and I thought: But for the grace of G-d… And then I cried.

Baseball is and has been my bedrock, my foundation. It’s what I can talk to my father and son about, whenever and wherever. It’s where I can bring friends and family and allow them to revel in the beauty of a game that I never take for granted. It’s when, as a coach, I was able to build lasting friendships and maybe, just for a moment – or for a lifetime – have a positive impact of someone’s life.

Truth be told, I wasn’t thinking these deep thoughts as I sat in the airport ready to head home to work and bills and more quotidian matters. But I was thinking about how terrific the weekend had been. I was thinking about how special it was to introduce this group to Fenway Park, and to be there with my son and daughter, and how we cheered uncontrollably on the streets as our runner passed us by and met us afterwards, and how it was through baseball that I truly forged my relationship with this kid, and his father, and his entire family (grandparents included). And then I received a text from the marathoner. Amongst the many amazing words he wrote, he said the following: “Don’t think I would be crossing the finish line today if it wasn’t for you.”

And then I cried.

PLAY BALL!!

The Blue in the Sky

We currently have the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years, but we could always use more jobs. Going back many years, I have had a plan to add at least 15 new ones. And while these jobs wouldn’t do much for the national labor statistics, they would do a great deal for our enjoyment of the game of baseball.

MLB introduced a replay system in 2008, at first simply to review home runs. That remained the case until 2014, when replay was expanded to include a slew of additional plays (e.g., force calls, tags, fair/foul calls (in the outfield only), skipping bases, hit-by-pitches, fan interference, etc.). Over the years, the replay rules have been refined. To wit:

2015: Managers no longer had to leave the dugout to challenge a call, and they retained challenges after every overturned call (it used to be just after the first victorious challenge).
2017: The time to request a challenge was limited to 30 seconds, rather than merely before the next play. And, here was a big one: the replay crew in New York had a two-minute time limit to reach a final conclusion (more on that below).
2020: Managers’ window of opportunity was further reduced to 20 seconds.
2022: Umpires were now mic’d up to inform the fans of the final decision.

My idea then, as it remains today, is that MLB should employ one additional umpire for every game. We will call him/her the “Blue in the Sky” (or “BITS”). BITS would sit in the booth (maybe right next to the official scorer) with an earpiece and microphone that goes directly to the home plate umpire and a “bat” phone that goes directly to the replay headquarters in New York.

If/when there is a close play, BITS would immediately radio down to the home plate ump and tell him (as of this writing, there are no female umpires in MLB) to hold one beat. BITS would either have a bank of monitors in front of them or would use the bat phone to call New York. In addition, the moment BITS contacts the home plate ump, the two-minute clock would start. If BITS cannot get a decision when that bell rings, the call on the field stands. As we all know, the current two-minute rule is rarely enforced, with replay reviews — from inception until explanation — often taking five minutes or longer.

By engaging BITS, we take the decision-making out of the hands of the manager — or, more accurately, out of the hands of some video intern watching the angles as quickly as possible in a closet a few feet up the runway. Sure, we could still allow managers to have one challenge per game for that unlikely situation wherein BITS doesn’t think anything is amiss.

But BITS, by virtue of their vantage point, has a much better bead on the play. Watching at home or sitting in the stands, we have an immediate reaction when a play should be reviewed, but managers don’t have that same perspective. So let’s take that out of his hands; let’s have a paid professional doing that hard work. And this will also relieve the issue of a missed call in the late innings because a manager exhausted his challenges earlier in the game.

With the new rules implemented for the 2023 season, the role of BITS becomes that much more important. Let’s take a look at a few situations where BITS could prove helpful:

The Shift: BITS can tell, nearly definitively, if two infielders are on either side of second base, and if all infielders are on the dirt. Plus, they can see if any infielder is getting a running start before a pitch is thrown. There is just no way for a manager to be able to see that from the dugout.

Pitch Clock: While the home plate umpire is equipped with a buzzer that informs him if/when the 15/20 seconds have expired, he does not have one for the 8-second deadline for the batter. BITS will be able to see that clearly. Further, BITS could use his/her reasonable judgment as to whether the catcher was ready (which was the cause of consternation in the Red Sox-Braves game the first week of spring) if/when a batter is assessed a strike for not being ready. BITS could be sitting next to or close to the clock-keeper (not sure this individual has a formal title yet) to make sure that they are starting and stopping the clock in accordance with the rules and circumstances.

Disengagement: There will be questions — mark my words — as to whether or not a pitcher actually disengaged from the rubber. Do it thrice, and a balk will be called. The balk has always been the worst call in baseball, as it is never uniformly applied and nearly impossible to know if the pitcher was actually trying to “deceive the runner.” But, BITS will have a considerably better angle to determine a disengagement and potentially a deception.

I know it is an unpopular position as a sports fan to say we need additional referees or umpires, but in this case, it makes perfect sense. Let’s put an end to a guy running out with a monitor and officials donning headphones. Let’s take the onus off managers to make split-second decisions. Let’s have BITS, the “Blue in the Sky,” make the call. And then leave it to the on-field ump to say:

PLAY BALL!!

Bring on the Chaos

I have a motto, one that I communicate to my kids as well as anyone I work with, and one that has served me well for over two decades: “Try never to make the same mistake twice.”

Because, in the words of Billy Joel, “We’re only human, we’re supposed to make mistakes.” Mistakes are, for my money, the number one way to learn anything. Try, do, screw up, figure it out, move on to the next one. In my career, I have learned more from deals, or provisions, or contracts that I messed up than any that went perfectly well. We have to feel that pit in our belly; we need to have a sleepless night or two; we have to get red with embarrassment when malfeasance is made public. These are the teachable and learning moments. They suck. And we wouldn’t wish them on anybody. But they happen. And we learn and we grow. And then we resolve never to make that same mistake again.

So, when a Red Sox – Braves spring training game ended with a “Clock Off” (h/t Mike Ferrin), I could not have been happier. For those of you who missed the biggest story of the first week of the spring (other than Manny Machado’s $350M and Gavin Lux’s shredded ACL), Braves second baseman Cal Conley came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and the score tied. He ran the count to 3-and-2, and then got called out because he was not in the batter’s box, ready to hit, when the pitch clock struck 8 seconds. Never mind that Red Sox catcher Eli Marrero was standing (not crouching) at that moment, the rule is that the batter must be ready. Per MLB, the correct call was made. And because the teams had decided against extra innings, the game ended in that most unconventional manner.

The announcers proclaimed, “This is mayhem…this is baseball in 2023.” In fairness, it is hard to tell if the announcers were being derisive or just descriptive. Either way, I don’t care. Bring on the chaos. Let every game from now until March 29^th have a moment of uncertainty; let there be pitchers and batters violating the pitch clock; let there be infielders with their feet on the outfield grass; let there be players taking a running start to field their position. And let the umpires call a violation on each and every occasion. That is the only way they will learn. Let them make mistakes, and then try never to make the same mistake twice.

When MLB announced the new rules, and further decreed that they would be implemented from day one of spring training, some people lost their mind. Even if they were inclined to abide by the changes, some players and fans thought a slower implementation would be better for those who have been playing one way their entire lives. I disagreed then, and disagree now. And, from the looks of things on fields from Florida to Phoenix, players are getting comfortable, and the rules are having their desired effect.

Other than baseball purists who want players wearing wool and traveling by train, who doesn’t prefer games ending in roughly 2½ hours? Other than those same purists, who cares what happens in a meaningless spring training game where players who won’t sniff the big leagues this season are pitching, catching, and hitting in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth? Let chaos reign for the next four weeks. Let’s get it all out of our systems. Let the players have a moment of embarrassment. Machado – and his $350M contract – was the first player to take a called (not thrown) strike under the new rules. Do I think that is the last time he takes one of those? Probably not. But maybe Jake Cronenworth or Xander Bogaerts saw that and thought to himself, “Never going to happen to me.”

Same for pitchers. On the first weekend of the spring, over sixteen games, there were 35 violations, 27 by pitchers. Did they all learn their lessons? I doubt it. But maybe/hopefully, their teammates did. Some pitchers, like the Guardians’ Cal Quantrill, have made an adjustment and sped up their routine. New Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen, one of the players for whom the pitch clock was implemented, has been working all off-season to speed up his delivery, including changing his double-swivel to get going quicker. He seems excited, not exercised, by the new challenge. These are athletes who can change their arm angle or their grip on the ball after a single bullpen session; there is no reason they can’t learn to pitch a smidge more quickly.

Spring training used to be about getting players into physical shape. This year it is about getting into mental shape – dealing with the new rules. Let the players make all sorts of mistakes; let the umpires make all sorts of mistakes; let the announcers proclaim mayhem or bedlam or anarchy. That way, when the games matter, when there is something to play for – be it in April or October – everyone is on the same page…and on the same clock.

PLAY BALL!!

Attach Some (Payroll) Strings to Stadium Subsidies

I recently read “Field of Schemes” by Neil deMause and Joanna Cagan, which delves into the decades-long grift wherein billionaire owners bilk municipalities out of billions (it used to be millions) of dollars by having them finance stadiums under the threat of relocation. I read that book after reading Dan Moore’s terrific piece in The Ringer, in which he discussed how Camden Yards “forever changed professional sports.” In the article, Moore stated:

“In the 30 years since it opened, in the spring of 1992, Camden Yards has proved, beyond just beautiful or influential, illustrative of the more ignominious side of the political ecosystem that undergirds professional sports. The proof is in the funding. One of the worst-kept secrets in pro sports is that the people who run teams and leagues are sanctioned by the U.S. government to do so the same way kingpins run drug cartels: that is, as monopolies.”

Take the Money and Stay

There are many other thoughtful books and articles written about this topic, but the main takeaway is that public funding of professional sports stadiums does not provide the financial boon that the owners (and city council members and mayors and governors) tout when signing the legislation or cutting the ribbon. These payments are simply a boondoggle. That said, they appear to be here to stay. As of this writing, there are a total of three MLB stadiums that have not received some form of taxpayer funding (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium*). The amounts and the specifics vary – there are tax subsidies given directly to the team; tax-free bond issues; taxable bond issues; hotel taxes in and around the park; there are the granting of additional land for parking lots and entertainment complexes – the list is limited only by a legislature’s and an owner’s imagination. However you slice the pork, there is plenty of it to go around.

*This is only because the City of Los Angeles evicted more than 300 families to clear the land at Chavez Ravine for Walter O’Malley to buy.

As long there are civic leaders in the thrall of professional sports and their team owners, as long as there are mayors who want to throw out the first pitch or sit in a luxury box for Opening Day, as long as there are rich people willing to scratch powerful peoples’ backs, the public at large is going to continue subsidizing – if not completely paying for – ballparks. If we accept that to be true, it raises the following question for me: Do these clubs have a moral, ethical, and/or fiduciary obligation to put a competitive and enjoyable team on the field? Can owners pocket their constituent’s tax dollars plus their fellow owners’ revenue-sharing money, and continue to underspend and put a suboptimal product on the field. The answer to that question is obviously “yes.” The follow-on question is, “should they be able to.”

For starters, it is clear that no one can predict with any certainty winners and losers. Teams come out of the woodwork every season or two to shock the world. And, by the same token, money doesn’t buy championships (ask the Yankees). But, dunking on the Yankees thirteen-year fallow period aside, the Bombers nearly always put a viable team on the field.

However, for the last few years, certain teams have failed to even try. True, we live in a world where the Astros and the Cubs proved that “tanking” could be good for long-term success. But, does any bona fide baseball fan truly believe that the Pirates or the A’s are “tanking” to secure a better future?

Orioles

The Orioles have some of the best prospects in baseball, and have for a couple of years now. They made great strides last season, winning 31 more games than they did in 2021. With that improvement, how much has the team’s dysfunctional ownership spent in free agency this off-season? Let’s take a look:

Jordan Lyles (2/$17M)
Kyle Gibson (1/$10M)
Adam Frazier (1/$8M)
Mychal Givens (1/$5M)
Jesus Aguilar (1/$3M)

This largesse (less than what Justin Verlander will make this season) was spent after the Maryland Stadium Authority offered the Orioles a new lease, and made $600M in public funds available to improve Camden Yards. Yes, the same Camden Yards that received public funding to be built 25 years ago, and which has cost the state about $450M in debt service and interest on bonds originally issued to finance the stadium.

Athletics

The A’s may be the worst offenders in the history of sports. They are currently in protracted “negotiations” with both the City of Oakland and Las Vegas about the team’s future. Candidly, the concept the A’s have designed for Howard Terminal is beautiful, and may bring a great many benefits to a city that badly needs urban renewal. But at what cost? According to CBS Sports, “the project includes a $1B privately financed ballpark, plus another $12B in private investment for residential and commercial space in the waterfront neighborhood. The A’s are also seeking $855M in public funds for infrastructure and to develop land around the ballpark.” Said differently, the A’s are looking for nearly a billion dollars of public money. What have the A’s done to deserve such a charitable gift? Well, they have been in the bottom six of payroll for 11 of the last 13 seasons. The have been about an 82-win team over those 13 years (which is helped considerably by two 97-win seasons), and have had three below-70-win seasons (including last year’s 60-win debacle). Ask any scout or front office executive, and they will tell you that the A’s are a Quad-A team, at best. And, for that, they want $855M in public funding.

Pirates

PNC Park in Pittsburgh is one my favorite places to visit. It is sheer beauty. When it opened in 2001, it did so on the back of public funding to the tune of $216M. The Pirates lack of spending on their club has become known in baseball as “Nutting,” named for parsimonious team owner Bob Nutting. In the past 13 seasons, the team has been in the bottom six of payroll eleven times, while averaging about 76 wins (which is skewed by seasons of 98 and 94 wins). At what point do the fine people of the Steel City have the right to demand that Nutting field a competitive team; to try to win more than 63 games (their average over the past four seasons); to give a little a joy to Yinzers to go along with their tax bill? When does MLB have the right to make the same demand?

Salary Floor?

I was heartened when, at the beginning of the labor negotiations last year, MLB presented a salary floor (initial offer: $100M). Unfortunately, they tied it to a ridiculously low luxury tax threshold. The players dismissed it out of hand. According to The Athletic, there were seven teams with opening day payrolls under $100M in 2021; but according to Spotrac, that number was actually twelve. Either way, you had to know that those seven (or twelve) billionaires (except Stuart Sternberg ($700M) and Bruce Sherman ($500M)) didn’t truly want to be required to shell out additional payroll. Suffice it to say, none of those seven (or twelve) privately funded their parks.

This is truly a conundrum: Boycott the team, and the owner will claim less ticket and television revenue, and will use that as an excuse to spend less on the team, or demand more from the city (or another city). Continue patronizing your favorite or hometown club, and thus continue to put money in these miserly owners’ pockets in an (often futile) attempt to insure that the team doesn’t up and leave for more lucrative environs.

But I believe I have a solution. If MLB can have an antitrust exemption (Congress is currently looking at that…again), then they can also be subject to a federal law that states that if you receive any form of public subsidy for your ballpark, you are required to spend at least $X million on salaries for a period of time equal to the length of any public funding. The $X million could be calculated by taking the average MLB salary in a given season, multiplied by 26. Last year that would have been $114.66M ($4.41M x 26). There…problem solved. If these owners are going to take public money, they need provide a viable entertainment product. That isn’t too much to ask.

I know Kevin McCarthy has a lot on his plate, but one more congressional bill wouldn’t kill him. Get to work.

PLAY BALL!!

Quit Your Whining

In the end, the best team won. That sort of vindicates the system, no?

At the beginning of these playoffs, the first under the expanded format wherein 12 teams were allowed into the dance (2020 excepted), there was a great deal of Sturm and Drang about the early outcomes. When the 89-win Padres knocked off the 101-win Mets in the Wild Card round, and then when those same Padres bested the 111-win Dodgers in the NLDS, and when the 87-win Phillies beat the 101-win Braves, Rob Manfred’s name was being burned in effigy from coast to coast, and even down south.

“How could we let this happen?,” fans cried. “What is the purpose of being great in the regular season?,” fans lamented. To me, all I heard was whining. Buck Showalter, the terrific manager of the Mets (as well as many other teams) put it perfectly, and perfectly succinctly: “Play better.” That’s it; that’s all it takes. And maybe a little luck. But it certainly doesn’t require yet another re-working of the playoff schedule because your team, who played so well during the 162-game marathon, forgot to bring their clutch hitting to the playoffs; or had starters get sick; or just got beat in a short series. Welcome, my friends, to baseball.

But with all of this bellyaching early in October, I decided to take a look back to determine if what we were witnessing was an anomaly or part of the game. What I found was neither shocking nor surprising. In fact, what I learned is that these playoffs were very much like most of the ones in the past. Going back to 2000 (just to choose an arbitrary round year), and excepting the wonky 2020 season, there have only been three seasons in which an “upset” didn’t occur (2007, 2009, and 2018). Sure, the Padres-Dodgers 22-win differential is an extreme outlier, but the Phillies-Braves 14-win differential is right there with the 2003 Cubs (13), the 2008 Dodgers (13), and the 2019 Nationals (13).

So, having lower-seeded teams win – regardless of the number of teams in the playoffs – is not a bug, but actually a feature of baseball playoffs system. That’s what makes October (and now November) so great. Let’s take a look:

SEASON	ROUND	WINNER (Seed/Wins)	LOSER (Seed/Wins)	WIN DIFFERENTIAL

2001	NLDS	Braves (3/88)	Astros (1/93)	5
2002	ALDS	Angeles (4/99)	Yankees (1/103)	4
2002	NLDS	Giants (4/95)	Braves (1/101)	6
2003	NLDS	Cubs (3/88)	Braves (1/101)	13
2003	NLDS	Marlins (4/91)	Giants (1/100)	9
2004	NLDS	Astros (4/92)	Braves (2/96)	4
2005	NLCS	Astros (4/89)	Cardinals (1/100)	11
2006	ALDS	Tigers (4/95)	Yankees (1/97)	2
2008	ALDS	Red Sox (4/95)	Angels (1/100)	5
2008	NLDS	Dodgers (3/84)	Cubs (1/97)	13
2010	ALDS	Rangers (3/90)	Rays (1/96)	6
2011	ALDS	Tigers (3/95)	Yankees (1/97)	2
2011	NLDS	Cardinals (4/90)	Phillies (1/102)	12
2012	ALDS	Tigers (3/88)	A’s (2/94)	6
2012	NLDS	Cardinals (5/88)	Nationals (1/98)	10
2013	ALDS	Tigers (3/93)	A’s (2/96)	3
2013	NLDS	Dodgers (3/92)	Braves (2/96)	4
2014	ALDS	Royals (4/89)	Angels (1/98)	9
2014	NLDS	Giants (5/88)	Nationals (1/96)	8
2015	NLDS	Cubs (5/97)	Cardinals (1/100)	3
2016	ALDS	Blue Jays (4/89)	Rangers (1/95)	6
2017	ALDS	Yankees (4/91)	Indians* (1/102)	11
2019	NLDS	Nationals (4/93)	Dodgers (1/106)	13
2021	ALDS	Red Sox (4/92)	Rays (1/100)	8
2021	NLDS	Braves (3/88)	Brewers (2/95)	7

*To keep the historical record accurate, the Yankees beat the “Indians” in 2017.

Sure, by dint of the Padres and the Phillies making a run, the numbers look skewed in 2022. And if the 87-win Fightin’s had beaten the 106-win ‘Stros, there would have been a lot of talk about upsets and unheard ofs, etc. But did the collective masses say we should re-do the World Series format after the Dodgers beat the A’s in 1988? Or when the Marlins felled the Yankees in 2003? Would we have wanted it changed if they had a parade in Philadelphia this week? The obvious answer to all of these is “no.” So kick and scream and lament that your team fell short. But quit your whining. The current system is here to stay (until there is expansion, and then we will see). Do all the math, crunch all the numbers, and then listen to the inimitable Sarah Langs:

PLAY BALL!!

The Dangers of Leading With Your Head

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine whose son plays Division I baseball told me a story. She was watching her son’s game on television when a player (not her son) dove headfirst into second base on an attempted steal. The runner’s head smashed into the shortstop’s knee, whereupon the runner collapsed on the field. For many moments, the players, coaches, and umpires didn’t know if the runner was alive – he certainly wasn’t moving. After about five interminable minutes, the player regained consciousness and was helped from the field. He was later diagnosed (luckily, as it happens) with only a concussion.

My friend told me this story as a prelude to a question that I have been asking in various forms for years: Why do players slide headfirst? Why is this even allowed?

Now, I am sure there are old-timers out there who will tell me that banning headfirst slides would be un-American; a violation of individual rights; a further wimpifying of our culture; that it would be pillow-parenting run amok. Okay, fair enough. Here in America you are entitled to your opinion, as am I.

It seems like I write about this issue every year. It turns out I have only done so in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and now 2022. And the reason I keep writing about it is because it is still an incomprehensible practice.

The issue came top of mind a few weeks back when I watched one of my favorite young players – Ke’Bryan Hayes – do something so monumentally stupid that I could not believe my eyes. And it made me question what his father (a former big leaguer) taught him, and what type of coaching he is receiving in the Pirates organization. Here was the situation:

Hayes was on second as the Manfred-Man to start the bottom of the 10^th inning. With one out, Michael Chavis hit a short looper over first. Hayes never stopped running. Rafael Ortega scooped the ball up on one hop, turned, and fired a strike to home plate. Waiting to receive Ortega’s throw was well-known (illegal?) plate blocker Willson Contreras, all 225 pounds of him. So what did Hayes, three inches shorter and at least 20 pound lighter – not accounting for the mass of equipment Contreras was wearing – do? He dove headfirst into home plate, where he met the Cubs’ catcher, and his heavy plastic shin guards, and his oversized backside. Hayes scored the winning run, and then lay in the dirt for nearly a minute. The Pirates’ play-by-play guy stated: “I have never seen a celebration muted like this.”

Hayes was helped to his feet and off the field, and then missed then next two games with a sore shoulder. He was lucky it wasn’t considerably worse; but since he has been back in the lineup over the last nine games, he is 6-for-35, with no extra base hits. Because correlation does not prove causation, you can draw your own conclusions.

Why did Hayes dive into home rather than sliding feet first? Why not utilize a classic hook slide moving his entire body as far from Contreras, who was catching a ball thrown from right field, and thus could not get a specific bead on the runner? Or, for all you throwbacks out there, how about him knocking Contreras’ block off – Pete Rose style – in the hope of dislodging the ball from his mitt? I think a replay review would have shown that Contreras did not provide Hayes with a path to the plate prior to his receiving the throw. Any of those options would have been better than putting his fingers, hands, wrists, neck, head, and shoulders at risk. Why didn’t the Pirates coaching staff alert the players in their scouting report that Contreras likes to block the plate? Why didn’t the Pirates player development staff coach their players to be safe, not sorry, when trying to advance to the next base? Why?

Sure, we all love watching Javy Báez with a swim slide into second base avoiding the tag of an unsuspecting middle infielder. But, at what cost? In 2019, Báez dove into second base, fractured his thumb, and missed the month of September. Some lessons are never learned.

Since the Hayes incident, I have seen a handful of additional players dive into home plate, all avoiding serious injury. But that is just dumb luck. Baseball is a dangerous game on its own. Don’t believe me, ask:

Mookie Betts (ribs, from an outfield collision)
Jacob deGrom (shoulder)
Manny Machado (ankle, running to first)
Max Scherzer (oblique)
Salvador Perez (thumb, due to a swing)
Ozzie Albies (fractured foot from a foul ball)
Walker Buhler (flexor strain and bone spur)
Stephen Strasburg (ribs)
Chris Sale (ribs)
Bryce Harper (thumb, due to a HBP)
Anthony Rendon (wrist, due to an errant swing)
Jazz Chisolm, Jr. (back strain)
Jack Flaherty (shoulder)
Tyler O’Neill (hamstring)
Hunter Renfroe (calf)

This list could go on and on. The point is that there is enough that can go wrong on a baseball field that players don’t need to take it upon themselves to up the ante. Sliding headfirst has shown, time and again, to be a fool’s bargain; and as I wrote in 2016, extremely costly. MLB teams need to get smart about this. But so, too, do college teams. And high schools. Yes, it is legal there as well.

When and where will the madness stop? When an aspiring physicist or politician or doctor playing baseball for an Ivy League institution dies on the field because his neck and head couldn’t endure the impact with another kid’s knee? Or will it require a $30M/year superstar becoming paralyzed on a major league diamond in front of 40,000 fans and on national television because he believed that leading with his head offered him the best chance to score a run in the fifth inning of a 7-2 ballgame?

MLB has shown a willingness to change its rules when big-name players get injured on a big stage (see, the Chase Utley Rule; see, the Buster Posey Rule). Why wait until we have to name this new rule? Or, if we must, let’s call it the Hayes Rule, named for a legacy player who narrowly avoided disaster and forced baseball to do the same.

PLAY BALL!!

Tropican’t

We all create bucket lists; things we want to do or see before we leave this mortal coil. For me, I have run with the bulls and climbed Machu Picchu. I have run a marathon and climbed the Eiffel Tower. But still on my to do list is visit every major league park. Having crisscrossed the country in an effort to check every batter’s box, I began to think I would fall one short: Tropicana Field. I just wasn’t too keen on visiting that odd park on the opposite side of Tampa Bay.

But, last week, I relented. I had to see – in person – if the ballpark was as bad in person as it appears on television. Now, for years I have railed against Dodger Stadium – I find it to be one of the most fan unfriendly parks in America. But, I have also said that if I could be teleported to my seat, never needing to leave to eat or use the bathroom, and then be teleported back to my sofa, there may not be a more beautiful place to watch a game. Well, after a brief sojourn to western Florida, I now believe that Tropicana Field is the photo negative of Chavez Ravine.

Unlike Dodger Stadium, it is relatively easy to get in and out of The Trop – if you can avoid the mid-day downpours, never knowing when they might arrive. And once you are inside the park (?), it is a fan-friendly experience. The Rays have done a terrific job of highlighting their 25 years of existence with various exhibitions in the lower bowl. They have Silver Slugger and Gold Gloves on display. They have re-created lockers of their all-time greats. They have mementos of their opening season. Not to mention pictures and retired numbers (those took me a minute to figure out).

Further, they have a great area for kids and parents. There are batting cages and throwing games, as well as concessions and a small picnic-type area (decidedly underground, natch!) for the little ones. There is a quiet area for parents to chill out, and where I saw a mom breastfeeding a next generation fan. And they have actual, living, swimming Cownose Stingrays in a tank in the outfield that kids (and adults) can touch. Now, to be fair, Dodger Stadium did recently install some kid-friendly games in the outfield pavilion, so there is that.

And then there are the eats. Simply put, there is an abundance. The Trop is no Petco Park or Oracle Park. It certainly doesn’t hold a candle to T-Mobile Park as far as dining is concerned. But it holds its own. You walk around the stadium and you can get local fair (shrimp tacos) and ballpark standards (Nathan’s hot dogs for all of the New York transplants); there are various sandwich offerings, sausages, wraps, poke, pizza, and French fries. And, to top it off, and again with a nod to New York, Mister Softee is available at three locations (and yes, I did indulge).

So, yeah, the Dodgers could learn a thing or two from the Rays’ fan experience.

But for many, the fan experience is secondary to watching the game, and rightly so. For nearly two decades, the Rays have put a quality product on the field, winning the division four times since 2008, and winning the pennant in both 2008 and 2020. Tampa Bay’s front office has always been cutting edge; they were the first team to introduce the “opener” (your mileage may vary on whether that was a good or bad advancement) and began utilizing the shift long before other teams caught on (again, your mileage may vary). So, with compelling players such as Wade Boggs, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, James Shields, Blake Snell, and now Wander Franco, you would think the organization would want to allow them to play on a better canvas. Alas, it is not meant to be…yet. There are ongoing negotiations for a new park and/or a shared-custody arrangement with Montréal.

Coming across the bay on I-275, you see The Trop in the distance. Your/my first observation is that it is crooked. The stadium was built with a slanted roof to reduce interior volume, reduce cooling costs, and for better hurricane protection. All seem like laudable goals, but it sure is weird to look at. And, it is even weirder once you are inside, as everything is or appears slanted. There are concentric rings of catwalks (I am sure you have seen balls hit off of them) below the roof that follow the same contours. As such, you constantly find yourself tilting and un-tilting your head to make sure you are looking straight.

And because the roof is lop-sided, there is no symmetry with the upper level of the stands, which remain unpopulated, as the team’s attendance has not averaged more than 16,000/game since 2014.

The sightlines are odd, either because of the netting posts or the strange configuration of the seating, which includes picnic areas along the left and right field lines, alongside the on-field bullpens. And, when you do have a clear view, there are so many ads and so much ad hoc signage, that your eyes are often drawn away from the action. Now, I certainly understand the proliferation of ballpark advertising over the past 10-20 years, but some parks do it better than others. Some – Dodger Stadium, for instance – have a level of uniformity that makes the billboards value-add, not distracting. Some – like Chase Field – have a hodge-podge approach to their in-stadium publicity, making one think they are trying to bleed every possible dollar out of every possible square inch of wall space. Tropicana Field falls on the Chase Field end of the spectrum. And, to make matters worse, not even lost amongst the advertising are decent scoreboards or video displays. It took me two innings to find an MPH reading on Gerrit Cole’s fastball; and I never did find an exit velocity on Aaron Judge’s line out to left. The out of town scoreboard is heavy on logos, but light on actual scores.

Once I got the hang of everything, and tried to take in the game, I noticed that two of the scoreboards that actually provide useful in-game information about the pitcher and the batter are obstructed by fans in the standing area in right field. When I ventured to a higher level later in the game, the obstruction was lessened. But, come on…who was the Mensa behind that display placement decision?

The plan wasn’t to visit The Trop when the Yankees were in town – it just worked out that way. But, as could be expected, it was more like Yankee Stadium south, with the vast majority of the 16,504 in attendance wearing pinstripes and rooting on the Bombers. So, when Manuel Margot crashed into the wall in the top of the ninth inning and remained on the ground while the lead run scored, there were considerably more cheers than “aahs,” which was unfortunate (Margot was diagnosed with a patellar tendon strain and is on the 60-day IL). And when the final out landed in Aaron Hicks’ glove, and the Rays finally lost 4-2, the place erupted. It is hard to know if other teams travel as well to Tampa-St. Pete, and I am pretty sure I won’t be finding out.

I checked box #28 of active ballparks, and, in hindsight, I am glad I did. I got out of Tampa at 7am the next morning, and I am glad I did. The Rays have a lot to offer in their bizarre and hopefully impermanent stadium, concepts and ideas they can take across the bay or up to Canada. But from a game-viewing perspective, they have a lot of learn and a long way to go. However, rest-assured, when they finally do land in a new park, I will be there to watch…and critique.

PLAY BALL!

Doing a 180 on Bryce Harper

It’s mea culpa time. For years, and for reasons that I cannot fully articulate, I have disliked Bryce Harper. It didn’t go so far as hate, and I didn’t have any anger towards him, but I certainly didn’t root for him.

Now, if I was a psychologist, I might opine that Harper had been engaged in a “best of generation” competition with Mike Trout, and by being Team-Trout, I became Anti-Harper. This is entirely possible, but I am not sure that captures it.

Or, as I age and think about the next generation of ballplayers, maybe I have an intrinsic bias against guys wearing their eye black down their cheeks like war paint. But I want to believe that I got over such petty irritations after watching my son and his buddies do all manner of annoying things on the baseball field.

Maybe it was the hype. The cover of SI at age 16; the 1-1 pick in the 2010 MLB draft; his debut at 19 leading to Rookie of the Year honors. Maybe it was the flashes of brilliance (see, 2015), followed by seasons of mediocrity (at least by his standards). Maybe it was that every year Harper is penciled in as a savior and potential MVP, and in only two seasons has he truly fit that bill (winning MVP both times). Maybe it was all of the above, especially when compared to Trout.

Or maybe it was my dubiosity when, after signing a 13/$330M contract with no “opt-outs,” Harper claimed it was because he didn’t want any – he wanted to settle in Philadelphia and raise his family there. As I wrote at the time, I thought that was disingenuous, and believed then (and still partly believe today) that the only way John Middleton would give him that contract was if Harper agreed to not having any opt-outs, which would only provide him with additional financial leverage down the road.

But almost immediately upon signing that giant deal, Harper started to do all the rights things – on and off the field. Now, in fairness, he may have been doing all of the right things off the field when he was in Washington and I just wasn’t paying attention, but it is clear that he fully embraced the City of Brotherly Love, and asked them to embrace him right back. We can start with the Phanatic Cleats.

Sure, players have all sorts of swag these days, and custom cleats are more the norm than the exception, but these kicks go above and beyond. By wearing these in his first game with the team, he set the tone. By having various versions and strutting them out every few months, he showed he is more than a one-tricky pony, and that he loves the conceit.

The shoes were just the start. What I have witnessed from across the country over these past four seasons is that Harper is playing the game for the right reason…for the fans. And Harper is doing whatever he can, whenever he can, to make sure that the younger generation that comes to the ballpark doesn’t just get their (or their parents’) money’s worth on the field, but they get the personal encounters as well.

There is the story of the young Phillies fan who caught (well, actually dropped and then got again) a Freddie Freeman home run ball, and then gave it to a Braves fan. The young man was lauded for his generosity, and was brought back to the ballpark the next day and given a ball signed by Freeman…and Harper. But Bryce wasn’t done. He hooked up with the family on SportsCenter and invited the boy to Citizens Bank Park to visit the clubhouse. He made that connection, and seemed really happy to do so.

Or the moment last month when Harper, nursing his sore elbow in the dugout, spotted a college student in the stands wearing a cool Phillies cap. Bryce initiated a trade. His gamer (signed, no less) for the student’s maroon-billed Phillies lid. The fan certainly didn’t come to the park expecting that. But he left thinking Bryce Harper is one of the coolest guys ever.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out how fervently Harper fought for the Phillies to re-sign J.T. Realmuto. Now, Dave Dombrowski would not have paid Realmuto $115M just because Bryce demanded it. But, according to NBC Sports, Bryce “wore T-shirts, posted on Instagram, and made subtle comments to the media in an effort to convince the Philadelphia brass to make retaining Realmuto a priority.” Harper wanted the club to spend money to make it the best and most competitive team possible. At this point in his career, Bryce was truly playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, even when he wasn’t drawing a paycheck with the season shut down, Bryce and his wife Kayla donated $500,000 to three different charities in his hometown of Las Vegas and his adopted hometown of Philadelphia to help people in the most immediate need. Sure, other players do and did the same (although it is difficult to chart), but here was a guy who was often pegged (by people such as myself) as a “me” guy, going out of his way to be a “we” guy. That is growth, that is maturity, that is a man who deserves my/our respect and adulation.

This season Harper is dealing with a partial UCL tear and cannot play defense. By his own admission, it has been a hard transition from being a two-way player to a single dimension DH. But transition he has, including a game-tying grand slam in the 8^th inning of last Sunday’s game against the Angels. Harper is currently hitting .308, with a 1.001 OPS, and a 181 OPS+ (stats current through June 9^th). Injury or not, Harper has played in 51 of 57 games, and is (again) putting the Phillies on his back in a desperate attempt to overcome poor managing and a poor bullpen. Philadelphia may not catch the Mets this season; and they may not even make the expanded playoffs. But it won’t be because of Bryce Harper. And despite my prior distaste for the player, I, for one, will be rooting him on.

PLAY BALL!!

Inside Baseball…Gear

For years I thought I was alone. No one else, I could imagine, spent as much time as I did analyzing players’ uniforms and gear. From double-flap helmets giving way to single flaps only once they reach the majors, to Starter jackets for pitchers on the base paths, to the mock turtleneck undershirts that were all the rage in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. I would tune-in to games, read magazines, and watch the highlights, all in an effort to take in the small details that mattered to no one…except me.

But in the past decade or so, that all changed. Like manna from heaven, websites were created and information began to flow. I learned that I was not alone. I realized that there are other weird, fanatical people like me. People who know – and want to know – if Player X was wearing a different color belt or wristbands with his picture on them; people who know – or want to know – if Player Y was using a different model glove or wearing a magnetic necklace.

The granddaddy of sports uniform minutiae is Uni Watch (www.uni-watch.com), founded in 1999 as a column in The Village Voice. Over the years the site grew in size and stature. And if ever a topic was made for the interactive experience of the web, Uni-Watch was it. Paul Lukas – the founder and writer – is a uniform expert, and writes about the most minute detail of everything from European soccer to college football, and anything and any sport in between. When I first encountered Uni-Watch and started reading Paul’s blog, I focused mostly on the baseball research, but I was just happy to know that there were hundreds of thousands (millions?) of people like me enamored with this ephemera.

For players’ equipment, there is no better authority than What Pros Wear (www.whatproswear.com). Mike Carozza started the site in 2012 because he wanted to wear Ken Griffey Jr.’s glove and couldn’t find a good source of information on “what pros wear.” So he decided to become that source; he wanted people like him to know who was wearing what, and where they could buy it. The site was made for me – or people like me…and Mike. And when I discovered it, I could not believe that such a thing existed. It was like Mike had been reading my mind and watching me scan SI’s pre-season preview for new looks, or like he saw me freeze-framing the television so I could determine if Salvador Perez was actually wearing his tried and true All-Star gear but just with the Rawlings label stitched on. You were wondering the same thing, right?

While I have been fixated on all equipment and uniform traits for years – I am a sucker for actual stirrups – my first, true, and everlasting love is batting gloves. I have been a batting glove-aholic for as long as I can remember. I could never – ahem, can never – walk into a sporting goods store without making a beeline to the baseball section. I find the aisle with the batting gloves and check out what they have on offer; and often find myself trying on the latest models (remember when stores had sample gloves on an extendable cord for just this purpose). This adoration goes back to my youth.

When I first started playing baseball, I always got a new pair before the season. At that time, Saranac was the lead manufacturer, first with their wristband-loop Velcro closure (think Dusty Baker), and then with their “Triangle” logo Velcro closure. I cherished that soft leather, and how they felt right out of the package. The batting gloves of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, which – fun fact – were the progeny of golf gloves, weren’t the most comfortable and took some time to break in. Then, around 1985, I discovered the world of Franklin. And my whole world changed.

When you opened a new pair of Franklins, the first thing I did (do) is take a whiff. Nothing compares to the musk of the Pittards leather that Franklin still uses to make their gloves. And that concept of taking time to break in? That went away the first time I donned a pair of gloves with Franklin’s unique tri-curve design. As Mike Schmidt, the first MLB endorser of Franklin would attest, Franklins were part of your hand from the get.

It is truly hard to explain my deep fascination with this company and their inimitable product (more on that below), so I won’t really try. Suffice to say that I have made note of every design change Franklin has produced over the past 35 years; I have clocked every additional colorway added to their arsenal; I have observed which players are added to their roster nearly every season (can we attribute Aaron Judge’s early-season success to his new partnership with Franklin?), and those, like my beloved Will Clark, who left the Franklin family for Easton and then to Nike (or Ken Griffey, Jr., who skipped the stop at Easton and went directly from Franklin to Nike; or Ronald Acuña, Jr., who had some of the best batting glove game in the game, but switched from Franklin to Nike this season; I could do this all day).

When I was in high school, and Franklin’s commercial colorways were not widely available (the local sporting goods store carried all black, all white, royal/white, red/white), I would use a Sharpie and a highlighter to create my own. But in 1988, long before the internet and PayPal and Zelle, I took it upon myself to call the 800-directory (extra points and a prostate exam if you remember using that) to get the phone number of Franklin Sports in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Armed with a number, I cold-called the company and asked if I could order batting gloves directly. Either out of pity, or with a prescient eye towards eventual direct-to-consumer sales, they faxed (!) me an order form. I stewed on the various options for days – a whole world had now opened to me, and seemingly, me alone. I offered this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to my teammates, but they could not be bothered. I begged my mom to front the money, as she needed to write a check that I mailed back east. A few weeks later a package appeared in our mailbox – a few pairs of never-seen-before-in-person batting gloves. Forget Christmas or Hanukkah, this was a brand new holiday!

As luck would have it, I was in Boston with my family last month when Franklin was having a warehouse sale. Their headquarters was about fifteen minutes from where were staying, so we HAD to go. We pulled off the highway, and there it was – just a series of buildings, but awe-inspiring nonetheless. We parked and headed in. Take one guess where I went first? They had hundreds of pairs of batting gloves that just needed to be seen, touched, tried on. No one in the immediate family plays baseball anymore, but my nephew does. So for him, we shopped. We also grabbed a volleyball, some hockey pucks, and a t-shirt. And that was when the connection was made.

An innocuous question about having any more shirts in my size led to a conversation about the above-referenced faxed order more than three decades ago. And that conversation introduced me to the literal Franklin family – Larry (the founder’s son) and his son Adam. Once Adam discovered my fascination and historical knowledge, he brought me to the Taj Mahal, the Sistine Chapel, the Mecca of batting gloves. My family and I were given entrée into a room at the back of the Franklin facility where all MLB players’ batting gloves are housed. In this room, from floor to ceiling, were cubbies with thousands of pairs of gloves. As a show of my insanity, I started rattling off players just by the model, design, and colorway. After nearly forty years of obsessing about batting gloves, I was welcomed into the inner-sanctum.

Adam showed us where the latest designs and improvements are made. He showed us concepts and products that even the big leaguers don’t yet know about (I can tell you what colors certain teams’ not-yet-released City Connect uniforms will be because I have seen their accessorized batting gloves), and he gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the goody box of gloves each Franklin-wearing player gets for each season’s special occasion games. As I said to my kids, this was Dad’s Disneyland.

Kids today don’t just get to mimic their favorite player’s batting stance or pitching motion. Now they can wear all of their gear and use all of their equipment. The information is there for everyone to find, fixate on, and potentially buy. Swing by your local Little League and you will see kids with Evoshield elbow protectors; stop by your local high school and see players diving back into first with running mitts. As for me, well I spend my free time playing with the Franklin batting glove customization tool (www.https://franklinsports.com/custom).

When I was a kid, I would have sooner believed that you could hang a television on the wall and watch first-run movies in your living room, or that you could store all of your albums and cassettes on a device the size of a deck of cards, or that you could do your research project on a Commodore 64, than I would have believed that you would always know exactly what every baseball player was wearing and what gear he was using, or that you could create your own custom batting gloves and have them shipped directly to your home just a few weeks later. People always talk about the good ol’ days. Forget that. With Uni-Watch, What Pros Wear, Franklin Sports, and, hell, your local Dick’s Sporting Goods, we are way better off today. Head on over, and…

PLAY BALL!!