4 x Coach of Year and 3 x World Series Champ Weighs In

TierbsHsotBoobs said:

Suppressing one of the few remaining good black MLB players is a great way to get more black MLB players.

Everybody says so.

Please tell me exactly where LaRussa is wrong Boobs?

To claim that baseball is not a diverse sport (which is essentially what Jones is saying) is completely missing the mark ... add up African American players + Latino players + Pacific Rim players and you have a significantly diverse team makeup.

Harold Reynolds made a comment on MLB Network just now that essentially said that he was the only African American player on his team a lot of times. But if you go back to 1989 and take a look at the 9 hitter "starting lineup" for the Seattle Mariners and you'll find that 6 of the 9 typical starters were African American.

LaRussa is 100% accurate that the larger issue right now is opportunity particularly in the inner city. Between the game not being a choice of kids growing up as well as how the game at the youth levels have shifted (not just in baseball but in a number of sports) towards elite and select teams at youth levels that isolate based on $$$, there are issues that need to be reconciled.

I know this isn't popular to some, but the reality to me is that IF you really want something bad enough, you'll find the way to put the work in to achieve your goals.

it's not just the game though. it used to be the game of choice for a good 20-30 years into the 80's. A good portion of the problem is the conservative nature of baseball that jones was hinting at. it exists just like it does in golf, albeit to a lesser extent with baseball

PurpleJ said:

dhdawg said:

It's too expensive and too organized to become popular in the inner cities right now.
Compare that with it being a slow sport that isn't gonna appeal to a wide demographic and that you need to spend 3/4 years in the minor leagues to often even get a shot to play in the majors and make some money you can see why black participation has dropped

Hi there. Poor kids in the latin countries are doing just fine.

Expense is a factor. it's still the #1 sport there so of course they get around it.
they also aren't playing on 2000$ travel teams

PurpleJ said:

Same tired argument that soccer fans make as to why inner city blacks don't play here. Until they realize that kids in Africa and South America kick around grapefruits and rolled up newspapers on dirt fields and shit. They do just fine.

Football and basketball also have expensive travel teams here. Doesn't stop the "poor" black kids.

Baseball just isn't that popular of a sport in America.

depends on what you consider popular? as popular as football or basketball? no. popular enough to get fans in ballparks 162 games and generate enough revenue to pay even average guys 10 million a year? yes

doogie said:

Leach has been Cougar coach of the year 4 straight years. I thought this was about him

I might be in the minority on this board, but I think Leach is a good coach; definitely in the top half of the conference, or at least at #6. His air raid attack and consistent coaching philosophy will net him 6-8 wins every year, which will make coogs ecstatic. In my mind, it takes an impressive coach to do that in Pullman. He definitely does fuck up on occasion, ala their bowl game against CSU. But still, he's better than 95% of the coaches they could get to sign a contract on the Palouse.

I gave up caring about baseball a long time ago. It's boring to me and there is too much standing around. I liked football and football, and would have played hockey if I grew up in the frozen tundra.

The fact of the matter is it's the only major sport with no clock. No one wants to watch a gayball adjust his cunt strap in the batters box while the pitcher fingers his butt. And it isn't a contact sport.

No contest for purp, and most millennials agree.

It has always been an urban sport, but somehow black people in America don't give a shit. Figure that out or come up with reasons if you want.

Anyways. This article is interesting and may provide some food for thought. I didn't read because it's about baseball and who the fuck cares. Grandpa sure loved it, but he is dead now.

nytimes.com/2013/09/29/opinion/sunday/is-the-game-over.html?_r=0

In closing...put a shot clock in, let them roid up, and start having promotion and relegation to give small markets a chance. The farm system concept is dumb. I prefer if pitchers have to hit, but you can argue DH rule because it supposedly makes for more offense. To me, it's a wasted roster spot on someone who doesn't field or do anything besides be slow and fat.

and ftr I agree on the pitch clock, and on limiting mound visits.

The DH I think is a necessary evil as offense is down enough and watching the pitcher strike out on 3 pitchers looking like an absolute retard doing it isn't baseball. it's just run suppression.

I was the best pitcher/hitter on my t-ball team. Five tool player. I retired to go play a sport where I didn't have to stand around all the time, though I enjoyed giving autographs and having chicks want to go play on the monkey bars with me. I didn't want to end up a fat addict like Babe Ruth.

dnc said:

doogie said:

Leach has been Cougar coach of the year 4 straight years. I thought this was about him

I might be in the minority on this board, but I think Leach is a good coach; definitely in the top half of the conference, or at least at #6. His air raid attack and consistent coaching philosophy will net him 6-8 wins every year, which will make coogs ecstatic. In my mind, it takes an impressive coach to do that in Pullman. He definitely does fuck up on occasion, ala their bowl game against CSU. But still, he's better than 95% of the coaches they could get to sign a contract on the Palouse.

No, no. Everyone thinks he's a great coach. I hope they sign him to a 10 year contract, in fact. Build him a pirate ship on campus, and let him run over his weakest players with steamrollers. I love that Leach is at WSU. He's a perfect fit. Fucking Love it!