179 replies to this topic

[Mike B]

It was a fun night to be there.  The Mountcastle slam sounded like a cannon shot.  He got every ounce of that ball.  Mounty and Hays are locked in right now.

[NewMarketSean]

What have they done to kill the gameday experience in your view?

Gates open just an hour before game time. Beer and food is astronomical. No draft beer anywhere in stadium. Seems like they don't do walk-up music anymore or barely do it.

 

IDK, since I started going to games again last year after a 5 year break it just feels different and not in a good way. The penny pinching ownership can definitely be felt. It's still a blast going though, especially for a game like last night.

[NewMarketSean]

Lots of hard hit balls for GR last night, especially with 2 strikes. I want to see this "gascan" they've been talking about.

[Mackus]

Max Scherzer 2nd career start: 4 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 0 HR, 5 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP

Clayton Kershaw 2nd career start: 3.2 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 HR, 2 K, 4 BB

Justin Verlander 2nd career start: 6 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP

Carlos Rodon 2nd career start: 4 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 1 HR, 5 K, 6 BB

Alek Manoah 2nd career start: 3.2 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 3 HR, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP

Corbin Burnes 2nd career start: 5 IP, 7 R, 6 H, 3 HR, 6 K, 3 BB

 

Cherry picked some names.  But DeGrom and Cole are the only guys I thought to search for and found that they didn't have bad 2nd starts.  Obviously there are other examples of guys bursting onto the scene right away and pitching well, but a bit of struggle is absolutely normal, and I'd argue shouldn't be any cause for concern or declarations about him not being ready.

[BSLChrisStoner]

The expectation should be that he's a league average 3rd to 5th starter this year, that occasionally flashes as more. 
There will be ups and downs.  You keep handing him the ball.  

[mweb08]

Gates open just an hour before game time. Beer and food is astronomical. No draft beer anywhere in stadium. Seems like they don't do walk-up music anymore or barely do it.

IDK, since I started going to games again last year after a 5 year break it just feels different and not in a good way. The penny pinching ownership can definitely be felt. It's still a blast going though, especially for a game like last night.

I don't have any desire to get in the stadium over an hour early so meh on that one.

Well I get 25% off food and beer so it's not so bad for me. I actually don't think the food prices are that bad even without the discount, but yeah, beer costs are steep.

The can vs draft isn't an issue for me, but they did seem to run out of craft beer at least by me (first time I've seen that).

They definitely still do walk up songs but I think you can blame the faster pace of the game for the lack of time the songs get.

[NewMarketSean]

I don't have any desire to get in the stadium over an hour early so meh on that one.

Well I get 25% off food and beer so it's not so bad for me. I actually don't think the food prices are that bad even without the discount, but yeah, beer costs are steep.

The can vs draft isn't an issue for me, but they did seem to run out of craft beer at least by me (first time I've seen that).

They definitely still do walk up songs but I think you can blame the faster pace of the game for the lack of time the songs get.

I believe they don't allow fans to watch BP anymore. That is the gates issue. BP is huge for kids, I remember doing that as a kid.

 

25% for season ticket holders? That may get me to get season tix...LOL

 

Good point about walk-up music.

[mweb08]

Here's an article on each player's walk up song choice if anyone is curious.

https://www.thebalti...JFM3Z5Z2A3L4TM/

[makoman]

FWIW here is a list of when you could get into all the stadiums last year. We are the only one that is only 1 hour before. Some are 1 hour on weekdays, more on weekends. Most seem to be 1.5 hours before, some are 2 hours before.

 

I don't know if it used to be different, and maybe I'm wrong, but I don't ever remember being able to watch the O's BP, which I always thought was annoying. You could at best see the end of the visitor BP if I recall. I never had season tickets so maybe those could come in earlier in the past, I don't know.

 

https://www.baseball...-ballparks.html

[mweb08]

Gates open 2 hours early on Saturday's fyi.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Gates open just an hour before game time. Beer and food is astronomical. No draft beer anywhere in stadium. Seems like they don't do walk-up music anymore or barely do it.

 

IDK, since I started going to games again last year after a 5 year break it just feels different and not in a good way. The penny pinching ownership can definitely be felt. It's still a blast going though, especially for a game like last night.

 

Not all the gates are open, either.  Pain. 

 

And yea, these new vendors have certainly adjusted prices to match inflation!  I get 25% off with my season tickets and my jaw still dropped with a beer, two dogs and a fries cost close to $40.

[Mike B]

The expectation should be that he's a league average 3rd to 5th starter this year, that occasionally flashes as more. 
There will be ups and downs.  You keep handing him the ball.  

Instant success rarely happens in baseball.  GR will be fine.  The stuff is electric, the confidence is what needs work.  It will come.

[jamesdean]

Instant success rarely happens in baseball.  GR will be fine.  The stuff is electric, the confidence is what needs work.  It will come.

I agree. He's not trusting his stuff right now and is knit picking around the strikezone. Typical, inexperienced pitcher who is giving big league hitters too much credit.

[ivanbalt]

I take comfort that he was regularly ahead in the counts and was just struggling with finishing them off.

[Mackus]

I take comfort that he was regularly ahead in the counts and was just struggling with finishing them off.

 

I didn't get to see much of it, but this sounds like early Bedard.  Rodriguez has a deeper arsenal, so not an exact comparison.

[BaltBird 24]

Something like 18 of the 22 batters he faced he had a 1-2 or 0-2 count on.

[JStruds]

Something like 18 of the 22 batters he faced he had a 1-2 or 0-2 count on.

That's very encouraging. The fact that many of them then walked or got a hit is what's concerning some posters. I'm with those who think he has great stuff and just needs to learn how to use it confidently. Not worried about him - yet.

[JStruds]

I really want to go on Thursday. Weather will be beautiful.

Wife and I will be there. Should feel like summer since it's a 1:05 game.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Its stuff and control that makes him enticing. And work ethic. I think he will do whatever it takes to be really good even if his rookie year isnt great. He will figure things out. The biggest concern so far is one know one is mentioning unless youve watched him pitch for awhile now or tracked his stuff. His change has been so floaty. So little movement on it. Let alone command of it. It used to be his best offspeed pitch. Phelan linked a blurb on his twitter after his first start that noted how much vertical movement the change had in '21. How it was way way above avg. In '22 less movement but still above avg. So far in the SSS this year it has so little movement that its below avg. Essentially losing that pitch sucks. Not that he cant find it again or find something else but its not there for him. He threw a few to Aguillar that were pretty good. Struck him out one a nice one. Other than that he floated way too many of them.

[fishteacher]

Mateo and Ced are killing ballclubs right now…