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Fairly warm stove

JohnU

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July 6, 1949 ....

Walker Cooper, with 2 last names, goes 6 for 7, drives in 10 and hits 3 dingers for the Reds.

26166709_2280723531953037_8519346662759971381_n.jpg
 

eburg5000

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That was a long time ago. I would have loved to go back and go to some of those games back then. The only problem is, I didn't get a time machine for Christmas
 

JohnU

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That was a long time ago. I would have loved to go back and go to some of those games back then. The only problem is, I didn't get a time machine for Christmas
I got one but it requires lithium batteries. It's too damned cold to go outside so I will wait till spring before I go into the past.
Weird thing about 1949, the Reds lost 92 games that year. I didn't think that could happen to our team.
 

Hit-n-Run

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Players better hope Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow next month.

If the past couple weeks are an indication of how winter is going to be this year it could be a frosty March 29 Opening Day. Hard to get use to the idea that Opening Day is in March.
 

JohnU

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Players better hope Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow next month.

If the past couple weeks are an indication of how winter is going to be this year it could be a frosty March 29 Opening Day. Hard to get use to the idea that Opening Day is in March.
MLB could address that by having the season start in the 15 warm weather or domed ballparks.
There are not exactly 15 but Washington or Baltimore is close.
Toronto, Milwaukee, Seattle, Phoenix, Houston
warm spots
LA, LA, SD, Dallas, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami,
OK spots
SF, Oakland, Washington/Baltimore

I know no team wants to spend the first 2 weeks on the road but as for attendance, when it's 39 and raining, nobody shows up anyhow. I think the next order of business is that when a ballpark is built for MLB, they need to require it have a roof unless it's in a warm climate. Unfair to taxpayers? Dunno ... Milwaukee never has a rainout.
 

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It's nice to have OD at home every year in Cincinnati. But the cold windy wet ones suck.
 

JohnU

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It's nice to have OD at home every year in Cincinnati. But the cold windy wet ones suck.
You could have OD in Cincy, then hit the road for 2 weeks. I don't think the attendance would be terrible if you had more home games in July or August.
 

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Starting the season in the most southern cities makes sense now as it did over 100 years ago.

The Reds were home for OD before it became a tradition for a reason that only baseball historians occasionally remind us. Cincinnati was once one of the most, if not the most southern teams playing professional baseball. In an age where teams split the gate northern teams were more than happy to get a bigger piece of pie playing in Cincinnati on Opening Day.
 

JohnU

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Starting the season in the most southern cities makes sense now as it did over 100 years ago.

The Reds were home for OD before it became a tradition for a reason that only baseball historians occasionally remind us. Cincinnati was once one of the most, if not the most southern teams playing professional baseball. In an age where teams split the gate northern teams were more than happy to get a bigger piece of pie playing in Cincinnati on Opening Day.
It's also why the teams played their way north in spring training. The old Southern League had years when it outdrew MLB in some places like Boston NL and St. Louis AL. The old PCL used to play 170 games because the weather was nice all the time.
 

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It would make sense that cities with milder climates would be best suited for baseball.....unless your Miami and Tampa apparently.

Before the railroads where most people gathered and lived was determined by the transportation mode of the era. The ocean, rivers, and canals determined where commerce could go and subsequently where cities were established. Without air travel there probably still wouldn't be a team west of St. Louis.
 

JohnU

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It would make sense that cities with milder climates would be best suited for baseball.....unless your Miami and Tampa apparently.

Before the railroads where most people gathered and lived was determined by the transportation mode of the era. The ocean, rivers, and canals determined where commerce could go and subsequently where cities were established. Without air travel there probably still wouldn't be a team west of St. Louis.
I think there would be a Western major league, the PCL was all but that in the 1940s.
 

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I agree professional baseball would have eventually gone west, but east coast to west coast travel times would have made it impracticable for them to play one another.

Can you imagine how long a west coast road trip would have taken in the late 1800's?
 

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Less than 2 months till spring training starts. It should be warm in Florida by then. Don't know about AZ. I know it can get a little cool out there sometimes, cool meaning 50's and 60's. at times

Just trying to get that warm stove a little warmer
 

JohnU

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I agree professional baseball would have eventually gone west, but east coast to west coast travel times would have made it impracticable for them to play one another.

Can you imagine how long a west coast road trip would have taken in the late 1800's?
I don't know how it would have worked. Without NY media, it probably would have had some issues. As it was, a lot of PCL guys got stuck because there weren't enough roster spots on the eastern 16.

Moving to Milwaukee and KC was enough of a shock at the time in the mid-50s. Of course, the trade back was the Orioles.

My guess is, had some owners with deep pockets decided to build a 2nd major league in the 30s could have done it, though truthfully, the population in the West in those days was a lot less. Anaheim probably didn't even exist yet. They had the resources and the weather. It wasn't like Hollywood and the Bay were backwaters.

Would they have played the eastern 16? The leagues didn't play each other anyhow. I also guess that MLB probably would never have acknowledged the PCL as 'major.' There were multiple barnstorming games.

I wish I'd been able to experience some of that, though I recall as of a few years ago, the big league teams annually would play their AAA affiliate at mid-season. Sadly, another players union legacy.

It could be that the PCL already considered itself big-league enough. I imagine it was the players who craved the advancement. Call it what you want, but it ain't Paris if it doesn't have Eiffel.

I know the Continental League that Rickey put together was the impetus for expansion. That league was a whole lot closer to reality than we may ever know. It created the Angels, Senators, Mets and 45s. There were other cities on the franchise list and I think Atlanta was one of them. Denver maybe as well.

Houston was, more or less, the one franchise that drove the whole conversation.
 

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Lot of good insight in that post John.

I agree there were owners that had deep enough pockets to expand.
Expansion in business is always driven by the desire to make more money. That desire is generally tempered more by demand than supply.

The Field of Dreams movie quote "Build it and they will come" sounds good if you only need to fill a few bleachers.

Branch Rickey's name is synonymous with the Jackie Robinson story, but his role in minor league baseball and expansion is seldom mentioned by comparison.
 

JohnU

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This here is Mitch Miller follow the bouncing ball stuff
Richie Shaffer, who just signed another NR contract with the Indians.

2015
  • Saw his first action in the majors over two stints with the Rays.
2016:
  • Spent most of the season at Class AAA Durham, but appeared in 20 games during three stints with the Rays
  • In November was traded to the Mariners but on Dec. 7 was designated for assignment.
  • On Dec. 14 was claimed off waivers by the Phillies, then 6 days later again was DFA.
  • On Dec. 23 was claimed off waivers by the Reds and DFA.
  • On Jan. 26, claimed by the Indians.
  • January 30 DFA by Cleveland and outrighted to AAA Columbus.
 

Hit-n-Run

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Micah Johnson played a similiar game of musical chairs a couple months ago.

The Reds claimed him from the Braves.
The Giants claimed him from the Reds.
The Rays claimed him from the Giants.

Four different teams within a month. Round and round he goes, where he stops nobody knows?
 

JohnU

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Micah Johnson played a similiar game of musical chairs a couple months ago.

The Reds claimed him from the Braves.
The Giants claimed him from the Reds.
The Rays claimed him from the Giants.

Four different teams within a month. Round and round he goes, where he stops nobody knows?
Soon will fill his own roster spot and won't even realize it.
 

Hit-n-Run

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Johnson has been with four teams and never left home. He'll probably be a late arrival to ST due to being reluctant to make travel plans more than a day or two in advance.
 
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