OFFICIAL 2023 MLB THREAD!!!!

**alias_rice** · 02-07-2023, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Supermoon

Haha. It hasn’t been on my radar but I am going try and watch some. Is it steaming anywhere?

Fox has the rights to it, so I’m guessing it’ll be split between fox, FS1, and FS2.

**ex-powderbroker** · 02-11-2023, 06:36 PM

asterisks story keeps giving

https://archive.is/dO46A

i should add that the sox come off as a real classy bunch too. and the dodgers. unreal.

**BmillsSkier** · 02-13-2023, 12:12 PM

MLB announced today that the runner on second to start every extra inning rule is permanent and will be the law of the land for baseball going forward.

Sunday morning softball continues.

I guess we should be happy that seven inning doubleheaders weren’t also announced as a permanent fixture, and that the ban on the shift is here to stay because people can’t be bothered to hit the ball to the opposite field above high school ball.

**ex-powderbroker** · 02-13-2023, 12:13 PM

any thoughts on Yu? fangraphs hates it, but it’s a big discount from other aces. i like the way he pitches, hope it works out and the stats are wrong. three good years and the money is kind of even

**irul&ublo** · 02-14-2023, 12:04 PM

The Sux lose Michael Wacha to the Padres. Was their best starter last year.

**ex-powderbroker** · 02-14-2023, 01:29 PM

that’s going to be a huge loss while trying to fight baltimore off from last place.

shame

**BmillsSkier** · 02-14-2023, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by ex-powderbroker

that’s going to be a huge loss while trying to fight baltimore off from last place.

shame

Lol.

I thought Baltimore rounded the corner last year, no?

Where's Benny when you need him?

**BmillsSkier** · 02-15-2023, 10:11 AM

MLB to "emphasize enforcement of balk rule" this year.

Curious to see how many ejections this leads to.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...hanges-kick-in

**BmillsSkier** · 02-15-2023, 04:08 PM

Hold off on signing up for the mlb package if your team is broadcast on one of the many Bally Sports networks (formerly Fox Sports Regional Networks). Diamond, the division of Sinclair that owns the rights to broadcast these games (mlb, nba, nhl, etc.) has defaulted under its debt facility and the NHL is convening a board of governors meeting right now, presumably to figure out where they're going to show their games if Diamond declares bankruptcy in the next day or so.

MLB will have to figure out the same thing for these teams in short order, which means if you're like me, that means trying to figure out, again (Forrest Gump voice), where the fuck to find your team on the broadcast dial on any given night.

**Supermoon** · 02-15-2023, 04:32 PM

The entire sports broadcasting landscape is so fucked, but MLB and NHL might be the worst of all of them.

I get that with multiple games a week on all different days they can't have a model like the NFL does, but wow are they just shooting themselves in the foot right now.

Why wouldn't a network want to stream games and then just show the same commercials to more people? That would have to bring in more ad revenue than whatever subset of the nation subscribes to Bally Sports New Mexico.

**BmillsSkier** · 02-15-2023, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by Supermoon

whatever subset of the nation subscribes to Bally Sports New Mexico.

Won't someone please think of the local car dealership sponsors?

**BmillsSkier** · 02-15-2023, 10:52 PM

Don’t worry, Manfred has a plan that he thinks will include cable (the future!) and MLB’s own streaming platform.

Oh, good to hear Rob.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...roup-pay-teams

**alias_rice** · 02-16-2023, 08:08 AM

Manfred sucks, blackouts suck, regional sports networks suck, and cable sucks. But the MLB package and a VPN solves 3 of the 4.

**BmillsSkier** · 02-16-2023, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by alias_rice

Manfred sucks, blackouts suck, regional sports networks suck, and cable sucks. But the MLB package and a VPN solves 3 of the 4.

From my understanding if there is no Bally Sports crew being paid to do the game that would be otherwise on that network, they won’t just automatically become employees of MLB and just do the games on their streaming platform. From what I’ve heard it will be kind of like Covid games with two guys in a tv booth somewhere calling the game as they watch it on TV.

That’s just great for the sport.

**ex-powderbroker** · 02-16-2023, 09:01 AM

i am stoked for the rule changes and more gambling ads

SIKE

**BmillsSkier** · 02-16-2023, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by ex-powderbroker

i am stoked for the rule changes and more gambling ads

SIKE

**ex-powderbroker** · 02-16-2023, 09:17 AM

pete rose can fuck off. he’s a liar and an asshole. i can’t imagine people wasting so much time thinking about this turd, guess i was born too late in the wrong place though.

**BmillsSkier** · 02-16-2023, 09:19 AM

All that being true, it's still ridiculous how far MLB is leaning into gambling while the all-time hit king is banned for the same thing.

**ex-powderbroker** · 02-16-2023, 09:22 AM

manfred is terrible. that said it’s also not the same thing and you know it.

**alias_rice** · 02-16-2023, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by BmillsSkier

From my understanding if there is no Bally Sports crew being paid to do the game that would be otherwise on that network, they won’t just automatically become employees of MLB and just do the games on their streaming platform. From what I’ve heard it will be kind of like Covid games with two guys in a tv booth somewhere calling the game as they watch it on TV.

That’s just great for the sport.

Well fuck, that is shitty.

On the good news front, yesterday I saw my first video of the year with that glorious sound of a ball hitting a catcher’s mitt.

**BmillsSkier** · 02-16-2023, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by ex-powderbroker

manfred is terrible. that said it’s also not the same thing and you know it.

Of course its not the same thing, but there's some mental gymnastics in baseball when you've got A-roid and others as members in good standing and Pete on the black list while the MLB inks deals with sportsbooks.

I'm not even a Pete homer (as mentioned, he's a gross dude who is all about one person, himself) I just think baseball is loaded with contradictions and this one is pretty glaring as we enter the 2023 season brought to you by DraftKings.

Originally Posted by alias_rice

Well fuck, that is shitty.

On the good news front, yesterday I saw my first video of the year with that glorious sound of a ball hitting a catcher’s mitt.

My son is in his 3rd week of baseball practice and its pretty great listening to the sounds of the game again.

**Danno** · 02-16-2023, 03:34 PM

I aspire to be this guy (minus the dreads and baseball career and sailboat): https://nyti.ms/3YXQwXQ

**dunfree** · 02-16-2023, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Supermoon

Why wouldn't a network want to stream games and then just show the same commercials to more people? That would have to bring in more ad revenue than whatever subset of the nation subscribes to Bally Sports New Mexico.

because nobody cares about baseball and the only way they can make money is through exorbitant cable fees to people who don’t watch games.

**BmillsSkier** · 02-16-2023, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

I aspire to be this guy (minus the dreads and baseball career and sailboat): https://nyti.ms/3YXQwXQ

Who the hell wouldn’t want a major league baseball career where you caught a perfect game, millions of dollars, and live out the rest of your days on a comfortable yet modest sailboat in the Caribbean?

Danno, sometimes I really doubt your commitment to sparkle motion.

Originally Posted by dunfree

because nobody cares about baseball and the only way they can make money is through exorbitant cable fees to people who don’t watch games.

Yep, that’s exactly it millions of unwitting cable subscribers subsidizing good chunks of the payroll for 14 major league baseball teams.