Sports: Football, Baseball, Bball, Hockey, Etc. Vol. II

[Lyle (Mooska)]

As far as my KC Royals??? They want to build a NEW stadium in downtown KC??? WHY??

A friend and I noted that when places get to be around 50 years old there always seems to be some reason that people want to tear them down. It's like a new or younger generation that didn't grow up with them feels no affinity for them. In LA it's happened with Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They're destroying it for a new monstrosity. It happened with the Brown Derby on Wilshire Blvd. With Angel's Flight, in 1970. With Bunker Hill in the 60s. The biggest crime was the Richfield Tower which I never got to see. None of those things needed to be destroyed for what's there now.

People can't fathom that Radio City Music Hall was going to be demolished in 1980. It very nearly happened. Almost 50 years after it was built. I'd even forgotten that. SNL on at the time, did sketches or maybe it was Weekend UPdate items about that.

So...I Looked up Kauffman Stadium. (How did I remember the name of that one? Maybe because it's not a brand name. I never try remembering the new Brand Name stadiums because the names often change. Remember LA's Staples Center. It's now called, unfortunately, the Crypto.com Arena. Ever since that name change I have heard NO ONE call that place that. I even had to look up what it was called.) Anyway, I looked up to see when Kauffman Stadium was built. It opened in 1973. Fifty years ago.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

The Dodgers had a rain delay yesterday playing the Mets and today, because of the weather the game is being pushed back three hours. Then they're going to Baltimore and may be subjected to rain and thunderstorms there, too. After those three games in Baltimore, they're going to Arlington, Texas. Forecast for those three days is: 107° - 105° - 104°.  Low: 80°.  I know that ballpark is "climate controlled" and I advise they all stay inside! How much does it cost to air-condition a baseball stadium!

[killersmom]

The Dodgers had a rain delay yesterday playing the Mets and today, because of the weather the game is being pushed back three hours. Then they're going to Baltimore and may be subjected to rain and thunderstorms there, too. After those three games in Baltimore, they're going to Arlington, Texas. Forecast for those three days is: 107° - 105° - 104°.  Low: 80°.  I know that ballpark is "climate controlled" and I advise they all stay inside! How much does it cost to air-condition a baseball stadium!

Why do you think they charge so much for tickets. Well, this and the ridiculous salaries they pay the players.

[Jeff Wrangler]

The Dodgers had a rain delay yesterday playing the Mets and today, because of the weather the game is being pushed back three hours. Then they're going to Baltimore and may be subjected to rain and thunderstorms there, too. After those three games in Baltimore, they're going to Arlington, Texas. Forecast for those three days is: 107° - 105° - 104°.  Low: 80°.  I know that ballpark is "climate controlled" and I advise they all stay inside! How much does it cost to air-condition a baseball stadium!

The Phillies had a weather delay of around three hours today; I don't remember the exact length. Then it went to--I believe it was--12 innings, before the Phillies won.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Well, this and the ridiculous salaries they pay the players.

During the Dodgers/Mets game either Sat. or Sun. the announcers were talking about the woes of this years Mets team, which is mostly the same team as last year when they did extremely well and will be mostly the same team next year, but this year are doing terribly and no one can figure out why...and they showed the salaries of most of the players.

Their first baseman, Pete Alonso (the Polar Bear) is arguably the face of their franchise now and I was feeling sorry for him that he wasn't making nearly as much by a wide margin as several others on the team. Pete is making 14+ million dollars this year! 

[...] ridiculous salaries [...]

Exactly.

And when you think that all the while they're working, their transportation and medical care is taken care of by the team, all of their food is provided while they work, and when the rookie players come up to the Majors that's all they talk about, how great the food is!

Sheesh.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Why do you think they charge so much for tickets.

When Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley opened Dodger Stadium on April 10, 1962, his ticket price structure was simple, straightforward, and inexpensive:
$3.50 for box seats
$2.50 for reserved seats
$1.50 for general admission and the outfield pavilions.

That was for every home game, regardless of opponent—whether it was the hated San Francisco Giants, with whom the Dodgers were engaged in an epic pennant race that year, or the hapless expansion Houston Colt .45s.

And get this: These prices remained the same until 1976. That's 14 consecutive years at the SAME prices!) As late as 1997, the last full year Walter’s son Peter O’Malley owned the team before selling it to Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Group (that lasted only a year or two), a box seat cost $12 (22.81 today), and you could sit in the pavilions for $6 ($11.41 today).

Translate 1962 prices to today, they would be:
$35.36
$25.26
$15.15

I haven't been able to find out if ticket fees were added to your orders in 1962 or not, or when that actually started. I went to a Dodger game in mid-June and over 1/3 of the price I paid were ticket fees. Fees for what? They don't even print out tickets any more. They don't mail you anything. If you add all three of those adjusted to today's prices from 1962 prices together you get: $75.77. That's still less than I paid for my ticket.

The thing is, the largest markets like LA and NY, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco have loyal fans who keep the stadiums full and will pay these ridiculous prices. And there are people who make money buying tickets and then selling them at higher prices at online ticket brokering systems, like StubHub, Vivid Seats and Seat Geeks. How I'd love to go to a game every month if I could.

And because it's so expensive I have to go by myself. People who used to go with me once in awhile aren't so interested in it to pay such exorbitant fees.

Articles like this are written every year:
2017: https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2017/05/10/democracy-strikes-out-at-dodger-stadium/
2023: https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/16/23719374/dodger-ticket-prices-be-crazy-most-expensive-in-baseball

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Dodgers Held Christian Faith and Family Day and No Gay People Protested
The Dodgers held a promotion honoring Christians and LGBTQ people gave it the respect absent from the controversy over the team’s Pride Night.
By Jim Buzinski
https://www.outsports.com/2023/7/31/23813653/

[Jeff Wrangler]

Football season is beginning ... already.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Jonn,

I hope you're enjoying the summer as we haven't heard from you on the forum for about a month.

I see Netflix has a new documentary series. Several episodes titled Quarterback, in which Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one of the three quarterbacks highlighted. The Dodgers traded for one of the Royals pitchers, Ryan Yarborough. Do you recall him?

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Linda, are you gearing up to watch any of the Little League World Series this year?

Wednesday, Aug. 16
Game 1: Europe-Africa Region (Czech Republic) vs. Panama Region (Veraguas), 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 2: Mountain Region (Nevada or Utah or Montana) vs. Metro Region (New York or Rhode Island/New Jersey winner), 3 p.m., ESPN
Game 3: Japan Region (Musashi Fuchu) vs. Cuba Region (Bayamo), 5 p.m., ESPN
Game 4: Southwest Region (Texas East) vs. Mid-Atlantic Region (Pennsylvania or Washington D.C./Delaware winner), 7 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Aug. 17
Game 5: Caribbean Region (Curacao) vs. Australia Region (Hills), 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 6: Northwest Region (Washington or Idaho/Alaska winner) vs. New England Region (Maine or New Hampshire/Massachusetts winner), 3 p.m., ESPN
Game 7: Canada Region (British Columbia/Ontario/Quebec/Alberta) vs. Asia-Pacific Region (Chinese Taipei), 5 p.m., ESPN
Game 8: West Region (Southern California or Northern California/Hawaii winner) vs. Great Lakes Region (Illinois or Ohio), 7 p.m., ESPN2

Friday, Aug. 18
Game 9: Winner of Game 1 vs. Latin America Region (Venezuela A), 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 10: Winner of Game 2 vs. Southeast Region (Tennessee), 3 p.m., ESPN
Game 11: Winner of Game 3 vs. Mexico Region (Municipal De Tijuana), 5 p.m., ESPN
Game 12: Winner of Game 4 vs. Midwest Region (Iowa or South Dakota/North Dakota winner), 7 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Aug. 19
Game 13: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 5, 12 p.m., ESPN
Game 14: Loser of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 6, 2 p.m., ESPN
Game 15: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 7, 4 p.m., ESPN
Game 16: Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 8, 6 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, Aug. 20
Game 17: Loser of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 13, 9 a.m., ESPN
Game 18: Loser of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 14, 11 a.m., ESPN
Game 19: Loser of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 15, 1 p.m., ESP
Game 20: Loser of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 16, 2 p.m., ABC

Monday, Aug. 21
Game 21: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 9, 1 p.m. ESPN
Game 22: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 10, 3 p.m., ESPN
Game 23: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 7, 5 p.m., ESPN
Game 24: Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 8, 7 p.m., ESPN 2

Tuesday, Aug. 22
Game 25: Loser of Game 21 vs. Winner of Game 19, 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 26: Loser of Game 22 vs. Winner of Game 20, 3 p.m., ESPN
Game 27: Loser of Game 23 vs. Winner of Game 17, 5 p.m., ESPN
Game 28: Loser of Game 24 vs. Winner of Game 18, 7 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday, Aug. 23
Game 29: Winner of Game 21 vs. Winner of Game 23, 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 30: Winner of Game 22 vs. Winner of Game 24, 3 p.m., ESPN
Game 31: Winner of Game 27 vs. Winner of Game 25, 5 p.m., ESPN
Game 32: Winner of Game 28 vs. Winner of Game 26, 7 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Aug. 24
Game 33: Loser of Game 29 vs. Winner of Game 31, 3 p.m., ESPN
Game 34: Loser of Game 30 vs. Winner of Game 32, 7 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Aug. 26
International Championship
Game 35: Winner of Game 29 vs. Winner of Game 33, 12:30 p.m., ABC
U.S. Championship
Game 36: Winner of Game 30 vs. Winner of Game 34, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Sunday, Aug. 27
Consolation Third Place Game
Game 37: Loser of Game 36 vs. Loser of Game 35, 11 a.m., ESPN
2023 Little League World Series Championship
Game 38: Winner of Game 36 vs. Winner of Game 35, 3 p.m., ABC

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Fritz & Jeff:

Since 2016 an official MLB game has been played at the Little League World Series event.

This year, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals are scheduled to play on Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. ET at Historic Bowman Field. According to Little League, the game will serve as a home contest for the Nationals and will air nationally that evening exclusively on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball”. The special event will also will be available on ESPN Radio, the ESPN App, and ESPN Deportes.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Got nuthin' for ya, Chuck! 

[fritzkep]

Fritz & Jeff:

Since 2016 an official MLB game has been played at the Little League World Series event.

This year, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals are scheduled to play on Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. ET at Historic Bowman Field. According to Little League, the game will serve as a home contest for the Nationals and will air nationally that evening exclusively on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball”. The special event will also will be available on ESPN Radio, the ESPN App, and ESPN Deportes.

Ah, I hadn't heard about that, thanks!

[Lyle (Mooska)]

I am going to watch it, Fritz!

I watched it last year and they do some behind the scenes looks with the Little Leaguers interacting with the MLB ballplayers (and vice-versa) and I love seeing that.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Fritz & Jeff:

Since 2016 an official MLB game has been played at the Little League World Series event.

This year, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals are scheduled to play on Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. ET at Historic Bowman Field. According to Little League, the game will serve as a home contest for the Nationals and will air nationally that evening exclusively on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball”. The special event will also will be available on ESPN Radio, the ESPN App, and ESPN Deportes.

Thanks, Lyle. I have heard.

Broadcasting games around here can be weird. The Phillies schedule shows that game to be broadcast on Fox. I've seen some games on the Philadelphia NBC affiliate, and I don't know where my dad found them. Usually they're on NBCSP.

Today was a disaster against Minnesota. Bases loaded, and Mighty Schwarber strikes out. ...