Mookie Betts and David Price have been traded to Dodgers

[Bellhorn04]

But Draft Kings and Fanduel aren’t gambling. At least according to the State’s Attorney of Florida

 

Recreational wagering then.

[Slasher9]

MLB is turning their backs on future fans. anyone with a child under the age of 18 knows that they dont even watch tv anymore let alone the MLB network. everything is youtube / tiktok / snapchat. MLB has to change their policy immediately.

[notin]

MLB is turning their backs on future fans. anyone with a child under the age of 18 knows that they dont even watch tv anymore let alone the MLB network. everything is youtube / tiktok / snapchat. MLB has to change their policy immediately.

 

The one major online presence they do have i the 5-10,000,000 or so fantasy leagues on Yahoo and ESPN and other sites with maybe 10-12 participants each...

[mvp 78]

I see two areas in which MLB is trying to grow revenue recently, and they're both pretty yucky:

 

1) Gambling-Draft Kings/FanDuel.

2) Nike swooshes on uniforms.

 

What could go wrong with being tied into gambling? Oh wait, there's a lawsuit from fantasy owners due to the Astros cheating? Cool cool cool...

 

Each team should replace the name on the back of the jersey with a corporate logo.

[Slasher9]

Each team should replace the name on the back of the jersey with a corporate logo.

 

maybe each player can have their own personal sponsor? heath hembree has dibs on Proud Boys sponsorship.

[mvp 78]

maybe each player can have their own personal sponsor? heath hembree has dibs on Proud Boys sponsorship.

 

He can just add a Fred Perry collar to his uni.

[a700hitter]

maybe each player can have their own personal sponsor? heath hembree has dibs on Proud Boys sponsorship.

Stop.

[jung]

Maybe.

 

Whether it is wise or not, do you think steroids and sign stealing have influenced the way they market?

 

I don't.

 

MLB certainly would not have considered marketing the fact that Mcgwire/Sosa literally saved MLB from itself in the way that Bird/Magic saved the NBA. The difference is that as far as we know Bird and Magic were not juicing and did not have coil-over springs in their basketball shoes or other such nonsense. Mcgwire and Sosa were juiced to the max.

 

Same for the cheating scandal. I don't see any way MLB marketing is influenced by the cheating scandal. MLB will just want to sweep that under the rug ASAP.

 

I do think Manfred understands that Mcgwire/Sosa saved MLB but he does not understand what about Mcgwire/Sosa was so compelling and what about it captured the imagination. Hence, we end up with super juiced Manfred baseballs because HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND. There is nothing interesting about 170 pound soaking wet pipsqueaks hitting juiced baseballs a mile. Manfred's super juiced baseballs will not and do not create what was so interesting and compelling about Mcgwire/Sosa.

Edited March 3, 2020 by jung

[jung]

I do like your theory. I just don’t think Manfred is that cognizant of PR.

 

Agreed...Manfred is obsessed with changing the game itself as a means to draw fans and he has a cracked dome. Manfred is an idiot!

[Bellhorn04]

I do think Manfred understands that Mcgwire/Sosa saved MLB but he does not understand what about Mcgwire/Sosa was so compelling and what about it captured the imagination. Hence, we end up with super juiced Manfred baseballs because HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND. There is nothing interesting about 170 pound soaking wet pipsqueaks hitting juiced baseballs a mile. Manfred's super juiced baseballs will not and do not create what was so interesting and compelling about Mcgwire/Sosa.

 

The only thing interesting and compelling about McGwire/Sosa was balls flying out of the park at a record rate though.

[mvp 78]

The only thing interesting and compelling about McGwire/Sosa was balls flying out of the park at a record rate though.

 

IDK. Sosa had a oversized personality that drew a lot of fans in. McGwire was an older veteran trying to break the old Marris record that seemed unbeatable. I think there's a good story there.

 

Helps that both players played on opposing teams of a historical rivalry too.

[Bellhorn04]

IDK. Sosa had a oversized personality that drew a lot of fans in. McGwire was an older veteran trying to break the old Marris record that seemed unbeatable. I think there's a good story there.

 

Helps that both players played on opposing teams of a historical rivalry too.

 

At the time it was exciting. In retrospect, just another crock of BS.

[jung]

The only thing interesting and compelling about McGwire/Sosa was balls flying out of the park at a record rate though.

 

Which had fans watching every AB, which had networks cutting into programing to see the next McGwire/Sosa AB.

 

Remember, at the time we as fans at least in general were not aware with certainty that McGwire and Sosa were juicing. They were both big guys hitting the ball out and though it took some degree of denial to put the juicing issue aside like that, many baseball fans were willing to go there because MLB was really in trouble for at least the second time in my lifetime because of the strike year. In that era, losing MLB, a real possibility was more of an issue. The general feeling was "you jerkoff millionaires and billionaires cannot even give me a full season of baseball, cannot even crown a champion and you expect me to just saunter back into your ballparks??????? f*** YOU and the horses you rode in on MLB.

 

Fans were little interested in the fact that the owners were stupidly getting caught colluding in the late 1980's which ultimately led to the labor unrest and strike in the 90's. You collude to corrupt a contract as a bunch of franchisers and your ass is hung out in the breeze. You have to be dumb as a tree stump to try to get away with that. But fans did not care. They hated the whole miserable bunch, owners and players and blamed everybody. More distain for the owners but I don't really think it mattered. If the fans could have gotten away with it, they would have drawn and quartered the owners and tarred and feathered the players.

 

Whether we now think it was interesting or compelling, Mcgwire/Sosa brought the fans back without question.

Edited March 3, 2020 by jung

[notin]

At the time it was exciting. In retrospect, just another crock of BS.

 

Exactly!

[Jasonbay44]

IDK. Sosa had a oversized personality that drew a lot of fans in. McGwire was an older veteran trying to break the old Marris record that seemed unbeatable. I think there's a good story there.

 

Helps that both players played on opposing teams of a historical rivalry too.

As someone who was very young at the time, I thought Sammy Sosa was a God and Sosa/McGwire definitely helped popularity of the game.. as for integrity of game and all that? Probably not best look

[mvp 78]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/christian-yelich-cashes-in/

 

Yelich just extended for 215/9. Seems below market, but maybe it means less money for Mookie next offseason?

[Slasher9]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/christian-yelich-cashes-in/

 

Yelich just extended for 215/9. Seems below market, but maybe it means less money for Mookie next offseason?

 

meh. yelich is a dirt dog

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/christian-yelich-cashes-in/

 

Yelich just extended for 215/9. Seems below market, but maybe it means less money for Mookie next offseason?

 

Not a chance, unless he gets hurt; Betts reportedly already turned down 300/10. Yelich "settled" for an AAV of 24 mil per... and Mookie wouldn't even accept 30 mil per to stay in Boston.

 

Their offensive values have been very similar the past two years (surprisingly, Yeli has more SBs); does Betts' D really make him worth upwards of 25% more money per?

[moonslav59]

Nice phrase. You (and Kimmie) have chanced my thinking on this. It reminds me of what the great philosopher Jagger said, "You can't always get what you want, but sometimes.... you get what you need.'

 

We'd all like to see Mookie around for his entire career, but at what price? Do you want to see him here forever if it means we never win a WSC again because JH can't/won't spend enough additional money to put quality players around him?

 

We may not like this but it may be what we need.

 

Not a chance, unless he gets hurt; Betts reportedly already turned down 300/10. Yelich "settled" for an AAV of 24 mil per... and Mookie wouldn't even accept 30 mil per to stay in Boston.

 

Their offensive values have been very similar the past two years (surprisingly, Yeli has more SBs); does Betts' D really make him worth upwards of 25% more money per?

 

His "similar" offense over the last 2 years was boosted by hitting more HRs (80 to 61) although the double totals were close to flipped.

 

I think Betts's power numbers are hurt by playing in Fenway, although his career SLG% is better at home.

 

On defense, Yelich is a minus while Betts is the best. Does that equate to 25% or more in money?

 

I'd say it's close, but remember, Yelich did not test Free agency to sign this deal.

 

I'd rather have Yelich at $215/9 than Betts at $350/10 or $400/12.)

[notin]

Yelich is only 10 months older.

 

But in the last 4 years, Yelich has been worth 25.4 fWAR. In the last 4 years, Betts has been worth 30.6 fWAR.

 

Using fWAR, Betts is at least worth 20% more...

[Bellhorn04]

I think Betts's power numbers are hurt by playing in Fenway, although his career SLG% is better at home.

 

You're only talking about HR's.

 

Mookie's doubles power, and hence his SLG, has been given a big boost by playing in Fenway.

[Slasher9]

You're only talking about HR's.

 

Mookie's doubles power, and hence his SLG, has been given a big boost by playing in Fenway.

 

it will be interesting to see how Mookie's numbers on offense are affected by no longer playing 81 games at Fenway.

Fenway: .319 ba / .930 ops

not Fenway: .285 / .858

 

 

mookie has hit 9 more dingers on the road but the flipside is that he's hit 41 more doubles at home. slg% should be headed south in 2020

[mvp 78]

Not a chance, unless he gets hurt; Betts reportedly already turned down 300/10. Yelich "settled" for an AAV of 24 mil per... and Mookie wouldn't even accept 30 mil per to stay in Boston.

 

Their offensive values have been very similar the past two years (surprisingly, Yeli has more SBs); does Betts' D really make him worth upwards of 25% more money per?

 

What I'm saying is "maybe the market is closer to Yellich's number than Betts'."

[a700hitter]

 

mookie has hit 9 more dingers on the road

The Camden Yard effect.

[Bellhorn04]

What I'm saying is "maybe the market is closer to Yellich's number than Betts'."

 

Looks like Yelich did indeed take a below market deal. Maybe his injury last year influenced his decision.

 

Mookie can still point to Machado/Harper deals, not to mention the crazy payday for Gerrit Cole.

 

But maybe 400 million isn't going to happen either.

[Jasonbay44]

The Camden Yard effect.

 

One of my close friends is a die hard Orioles fan, I don’t think any fan base was more excited to see Mookie go.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

What I'm saying is "maybe the market is closer to Yellich's number than Betts'."

 

I can appreciate that point, and it will be interesting to see the market for Betts if his 2020 stats in the NL are close to those of Yelich.

 

Look at the past two years (when all Yel broke out)... bWAR: 2. Betts 17.7 (10.9, 6.8), 5. Yeli 14.7 (7.6, 7.1). Yelich was the batting champ both seasons (Betts once), and had a slight edge in power and speed, with more HRs and steals.

 

Runs:1. Betts, 5. Yeli

BA: 2. Yelich, 4. Betts

OBP: 2. Yelich, 3. Betts

SLG: 3. Yelich, 7. Betts

OPS: 3. Yelich, 4. Betts

 

Obviously, Mookie has been the top right fielder in baseball the last half decade, but Yelich is solid out there, despite his dWAR (which some say stands for dubious WAR), having won a GG in Miami.

 

The comparisons are worthy, but for someone who has watched Red Sox games forever and knows how many positive ways Betts can impact the game, I'd still take Mookie. But at twice the price?

[notin]

The Camden Yard effect.

 

Technically it’s The Orioles’ Pitching Effect

[a700hitter]

Technically it’s The Orioles’ Pitching Effect

It seemed like he clubbed them more at Camden Yards than at Fenway.

[mvp 78]

It seemed like he clubbed them more at Camden Yards than at Fenway.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.fcgi?id=bettsmo01&t=b

 

20 vs BAL (most for any team)

15 at Camden