MLB 2022: Playing Ball, But Is Anyone Still Watching?

[Kepler]

Why would the Brewers, leading the NLC, trade Josh Hader?

Rebuild I guess.

 

[aparch]

Why would the Brewers, leading the NLC, trade Josh Hader?

Because he's been trash the last two months, is owed $15 Mil next year, is a free agent after 2023, and the Padres gave decent MLB-now talent as a return.

David Stearns (and Doug Melvin before him) and Mark Attanasio can't afford to do a "deep rebuild" because the fan base would (rightfully) turn on them when the rebuild struggles. So they go through these soft reboots every three years or so. Hader wasn't going to be a long term guy, and there are two or three people who can close (and have had to these last few months)

As a Brewers fan, I'm cool with it. It's going to be another in the long line of "squeezing the most from them, trading them when their value is highest, and watching them never be as good." See: Yovanni Gallardo, Jonathan Lucroy, JJ Hardy, Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, Zach Grienke...

 

[aparch]

Rebuild I guess.

We're leading the division by five games. Weird time to rebuild.

 

[SonofSouthie]

Because he's been trash the last two months, is owed $15 Mil next year, is a free agent after 2023, and the Padres gave decent MLB-now talent as a return.

David Stearns (and Doug Melvin before him) and Mark Attanasio can't afford to do a "deep rebuild" because the fan base would (rightfully) turn on them when the rebuild struggles. So they go through these soft reboots every three years or so. Hader wasn't going to be a long term guy, and there are two or three people who can close (and have had to these last few months)

As a Brewers fan, I'm cool with it. It's going to be another in the long line of "squeezing the most from them, trading them when their value is highest, and watching them never be as good." See: Yovanni Gallardo, Jonathan Lucroy, JJ Hardy, Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, Zach Grienke...

Very good.

 

[WisconsinWildcard]

Because he's been trash the last two months, is owed $15 Mil next year, is a free agent after 2023, and the Padres gave decent MLB-now talent as a return.

David Stearns (and Doug Melvin before him) and Mark Attanasio can't afford to do a "deep rebuild" because the fan base would (rightfully) turn on them when the rebuild struggles. So they go through these soft reboots every three years or so. Hader wasn't going to be a long term guy, and there are two or three people who can close (and have had to these last few months)

As a Brewers fan, I'm cool with it. It's going to be another in the long line of "squeezing the most from them, trading them when their value is highest, and watching them never be as good." See: Yovanni Gallardo, Jonathan Lucroy, JJ Hardy, Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, Zach Grienke...

I would echo these thoughts as well as a brewers fan. I am cool with a trade. A co-worker who also follows the brewers closely has been calling for it for the last 2 months, and was so excited he put a sticky on my desk to come chat ASAP.

I also would add that most of my life, the Brewers never made the playoffs. I have been much happier making the playoffs ~50% of the time, have a small chance to win because you never know what will happen, in comparison of being in a constant rebuild and maybe have a championship caliber team once in a lifetime.

 

[Kepler]

A friend was discussing the best baseball-first cities in America. This is the list I came up with. Any glaring omissions? Ranked by the degree to which baseball exceeds other sports in real local interest.

1. New York
2. St. Louis
3. Cincinnati
4. Milwaukee
5. Chicago

San Diego is probably in there, I just don't know anything about the locals.

 

[French Rage]

San Diego is probably in there, I just don't know anything about the locals.

I mean I hope baseball exceeds interest in other sports because it's all they've got left.

 

[Kepler]

I mean I hope baseball exceeds interest in other sports because it's all they've got left.

But for example Portland only has hoops but not just soccer but also track and hockey are of greater local interest.

I assume Green Bay's interest in football is dwarfed by their commitment to binge drinking.

(Did I do that right? Intra-flyover flaming is still new to me.)

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Is Chicago a baseball city? I would put the Bears above all else.

 

[JF_Gophers]

I don't know that baseball is #1 in Chicago, and if it is not significantly so.

If Pirate fans hadn't been beaten down for most of the last 40 years, they'd be higher up. But crap ownership happened. They love baseball there.

 

[Kepler]

Is Chicago a baseball city? I would put the Bears above all else.

I wasn't sure about that one. I also wasn't sure of KC, but I'm told that may be a contender.

Apparently baseball is huge in Louisville, but I gotta think hoops takes the cheese. I still think a Louisville ML franchise would be a great nod to history. Hartford, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Syracuse, Worcester, Troy, and Providence sure aint comin' back.

 

[Kepler]

If Pirate fans hadn't been beaten down for most of the last 40 years, they'd be higher up. But crap ownership happened. They love baseball there.

While they do, it is a Steelers town.

 

[dxmnkd316]

A friend was discussing the best baseball-first cities in America. This is the list I came up with. Any glaring omissions? Ranked by the degree to which baseball exceeds other sports in real local interest.

1. New York
2. St. Louis
3. Cincinnati
4. Milwaukee
5. Chicago

San Diego is probably in there, I just don't know anything about the locals.

New York is really baseball first...?
chicago?

 

[Kepler]

New York is really baseball first...?

Oh god, yes. Everything else is "waiting for baseball to start up again."

NYC is so laughably huge* there are probably more fans of a given NBA or NFL team there than almost all other cities, but they are noise compared to baseball.


*

 

[unofan]

Is Chicago a baseball city? I would put the Bears above all else.

Cubbies are long term the #1 sports draw, though the loss of the WGN superstation broadcasts, the greed of the Ricketts family that is even putting the Tribune Company to shame, and the WS hangover are absolutely putting that to the test. And that's ignoring the team with the worst announcer in baseball a few miles to the south.

KC and Pittsburgh would both be good baseball towns with decent teams. They certainly were in the 80's. But even when the Royals had Bo Jackson and George Brett, they still played second fiddle to the Chiefs.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

What are we counting Boston as? Just a sports town in general? They're Sox crazy, but the Celtics dominate headlines in the winter even when they're just average, the Bruins draw a strong contingent, and of course the Pats.

Kepler need not comment.

 

[Kepler]

What are we counting Boston as? Just a sports town in general? They're Sox crazy, but the Celtics dominate headlines in the winter even when they just average, the Bruins draw a strong contingent, and of course the Pats.

Kepler need not comment.

Boston is the closest there is to an evenly spread city. All 4 majors have huge fan interest. (Or Bostonians are worse than even Los Angeles as front runners and hop to whichever is winning.)

I would say the Red Sox have the closest thing to a true fanbase, although the last 20 years have rendered them just another bunch of entitled children. So, if you want to look at Boston positively they are the most versatile fans, and if you want to look at them objectively they are the softest and have the least grit.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Cubbies are long term the #1 sports draw, though the loss of the WGN superstation broadcasts, the greed of the Ricketts family that is even putting the Tribune Company to shame, and the WS hangover are absolutely putting that to the test. And that's ignoring the team with the worst announcer in baseball a few miles to the south.

KC and Pittsburgh would both be good baseball towns with decent teams. They certainly were in the 80's. But even when the Royals had Bo Jackson and George Brett, they still played second fiddle to the Chiefs.

For how many is it being a Cubs fan versus enjoying the experience of being a Cubs fan? Maybe not so much an argument now that they've had some success, but I'd have to guess prior to 2016 there were those who were more fans of Wrigley than the actual team.

 

[French Rage]

Oh god, yes. Everything else is "waiting for baseball to start up again."

NYC is so laughably huge* there are probably more fans of a given NBA or NFL team there than almost all other cities, but they are noise compared to baseball.


*

I know this isn't the right thing to take away from that image, but LA is north of SD god dammit.

 

[RaceBoarder]

Here in Chcago, both baseball teams could be playoff contenders, and they will play 2nd fiddle to the Bears starting on Labor Day... Same thing in Milwaukee with the Packers/Brewers...