All your reminders, right up front: You can get 20% off JoeBlogs leading up to the “real” Opening Day next week. Here’s the link. Thank you to everybody who has donated subscriptions! We’ll keep that program going; I have lots of prizes to give away from my office cleaning, and if you donate subs, I’ll send you something cool!
Minnesota used to have all the greatest pro nicknames. Twins for the Twin Cities. Minneapolis Lakers -- maybe greatest name ever. North Stars in hockey. ... Yankees is also a great name, though always wondered a little if it would have been better for a Boston team. ... probably no, the alliteration works better for New York.
Speaking of J.G. Taylor Spink’s book on Judge Landis, after doing a ton of research and writing about the Hall of Fame’s tortured history in belatedly recognizing the Negro Leagues, it’s transparent to me that Landis (and Spink, for that matter) is clearly one of the villains of that story. There’s really no redeeming aspect to his handing of the issue of integrating baseball and the Hall of Fame. And yet, simultaneously, Landis is indisputably the hero of the story when it comes to clearing gamblers out of baseball and quite possibly saving the sport. The lesson, as usual, is that people are complex.
When my Missouri Tigers are good I get into the college basketball regular season, but when they aren't it's a lot harder. There's something about March Madness that always pulls me back in though. It's just too random and fun :-) Baseball is the sport I used to love and now I have a hard time following.
Joe states that he loves Ohtani as so many fans do, but it seems obvious that sportswriters love Ohtani - alot! - but I don't know even one fan who is enthused by him. Yes, we marvel at his talent. But he is not what I observe as a particularly "loved' player, like Judge, or Trout, or Betts, etc.
1. You're spot on that it's premature to draw any major conclusions on the Ohtani matter. But if the scenario really does involve large sums of Ohtani's money ending up in the hands of an illegal bookie, then somebody is going to have a large amount of explaining to do. Probably to law enforcement authorities.
2. Regarding the best team nickname contest, I don't care what the rules provide, but any such contest which does not include "Rocket City Trash Pandas" as a contender is bogus.
as you grew up on NC/ACC basketball, for me it was New York City area ball: St John’s (my team!), Seton Hall (my Dad’s alma mater!), St Francis, LIU, CCNY, Fordham, NYU, St Peter’s…. it was truly glorious, the game and the city
That ….and the reported to be large signs saying essentially “No Gambling on Baseball” posted in every clubhouse in the 60s, 70s and 80s always has made this issue pretty easy to understand for me.
For what it's worth for all of you "Rose bet on his own team to win" zealots. By betting on his own team to win on certain games, he affects the outcome of the games in which he doesn't bet on his team to win.
It's that simple.
There are far too many cause-and-effect decisions to be made by a manager to believe that the decisions he makes in tonight's game won't affect the decisions he makes in tomorrow's game. And that jeopardizes the integrity of both games. And too many decisions can potentially affect the careers of the players involved.
It’s foolish to believe that a gambling addict who knowingly bet on baseball despite being fully aware of the penalties, and lacked the control to prevent himself from betting on those very games, could somehow have the control to avoid making managerial decisions irrespective of the thousands he wagered.
He knew he shouldn’t bet on baseball, particularly games in which his team was involved, and he did it anyway.
That’s why he was banned.
Case closed.
I’ll let you argue amongst yourselves about whether gambling addiction is a disease or not and whether that should forgive him.
Oakland Raiders also rates up there -- not because of Oakland, but because of Al Davis. With renegade Al as the owner, Raiders was the perfect name.
Minnesota used to have all the greatest pro nicknames. Twins for the Twin Cities. Minneapolis Lakers -- maybe greatest name ever. North Stars in hockey. ... Yankees is also a great name, though always wondered a little if it would have been better for a Boston team. ... probably no, the alliteration works better for New York.
Speaking of J.G. Taylor Spink’s book on Judge Landis, after doing a ton of research and writing about the Hall of Fame’s tortured history in belatedly recognizing the Negro Leagues, it’s transparent to me that Landis (and Spink, for that matter) is clearly one of the villains of that story. There’s really no redeeming aspect to his handing of the issue of integrating baseball and the Hall of Fame. And yet, simultaneously, Landis is indisputably the hero of the story when it comes to clearing gamblers out of baseball and quite possibly saving the sport. The lesson, as usual, is that people are complex.
When my Missouri Tigers are good I get into the college basketball regular season, but when they aren't it's a lot harder. There's something about March Madness that always pulls me back in though. It's just too random and fun :-) Baseball is the sport I used to love and now I have a hard time following.
Joe states that he loves Ohtani as so many fans do, but it seems obvious that sportswriters love Ohtani - alot! - but I don't know even one fan who is enthused by him. Yes, we marvel at his talent. But he is not what I observe as a particularly "loved' player, like Judge, or Trout, or Betts, etc.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish!
Toledo Mud Hens.
1. You're spot on that it's premature to draw any major conclusions on the Ohtani matter. But if the scenario really does involve large sums of Ohtani's money ending up in the hands of an illegal bookie, then somebody is going to have a large amount of explaining to do. Probably to law enforcement authorities.
2. Regarding the best team nickname contest, I don't care what the rules provide, but any such contest which does not include "Rocket City Trash Pandas" as a contender is bogus.
I somehow must have missed this season ticket holder thing. What is that again? The link just takes me to my account.
As of the show in Vegas tonight, Bruce is back to singing "speedball" in Glory Days. (IYKYK)
Not to be overly cynical, but who has Mizuhara’s passport? It sure seems like it may be better for a lot of wealthy people if he were less available.
As a retired banker I’m most interested to hearing how the wire transfers in the Ohtani story totaling $4.5M originated and who authorized them.
Ellen Adair is the love of your life?
as you grew up on NC/ACC basketball, for me it was New York City area ball: St John’s (my team!), Seton Hall (my Dad’s alma mater!), St Francis, LIU, CCNY, Fordham, NYU, St Peter’s…. it was truly glorious, the game and the city
That ….and the reported to be large signs saying essentially “No Gambling on Baseball” posted in every clubhouse in the 60s, 70s and 80s always has made this issue pretty easy to understand for me.
For what it's worth for all of you "Rose bet on his own team to win" zealots. By betting on his own team to win on certain games, he affects the outcome of the games in which he doesn't bet on his team to win.
It's that simple.
There are far too many cause-and-effect decisions to be made by a manager to believe that the decisions he makes in tonight's game won't affect the decisions he makes in tomorrow's game. And that jeopardizes the integrity of both games. And too many decisions can potentially affect the careers of the players involved.
It’s foolish to believe that a gambling addict who knowingly bet on baseball despite being fully aware of the penalties, and lacked the control to prevent himself from betting on those very games, could somehow have the control to avoid making managerial decisions irrespective of the thousands he wagered.
He knew he shouldn’t bet on baseball, particularly games in which his team was involved, and he did it anyway.
That’s why he was banned.
Case closed.
I’ll let you argue amongst yourselves about whether gambling addiction is a disease or not and whether that should forgive him.