Confirmed with Link: Vladimir Guerrero inducted into baseball Hall of Fame

[Runner77]

Let guys pop pills and chew tobacco again, that'll speed the game up !

Go back to those outfield dimensions from olden ballparks and you're going to start seeing players going for small ball again, hit to the opposite field, etc.. Cookie cutter stadiums with short distances everywhere, are only inciting hitters to go yard.

 

[Runner77]

 

[Laurentide]

Go back to those outfield dimensions from olden ballparks and you're going to start seeing players going for small ball again, hit to the opposite field, etc.. Cookie cutter stadiums with short distances everywhere, are only inciting hitters to go yard.

When Ken Griffey Jr. went to Cincinnati, he was consulted about the dimensions of the new ballpark they were constructing at the time. It was made to Junior's specifications so that he could hit cheap dingers. And too many of the newer parks have been purposely made as bandboxes to encourage the most tedious kind of "station to station" baseball: stand on first base and wait for the batter to hit a home run.

We need more "pitcher's parks" like Comerica Field in Detroit (not that the Tigers have striven to build a team to take advantage of it) Even Safeco in Seattle is a nominal pitcher's park. At least it's fair to both hitter and pitcher, even though they did move the fences in ever so slightly a year or two ago. But everything today is about fancy stats like "exit velocity". Nobody cares about manufacturing runs with speed on the bases anymore. A guy steals 40 bags and he leads the majors by a country mile in that category. Back in the 80's the #6 hitter in your lineup could steal 40. Tim Raines would have 40 steals by Memorial Day.

I can't tell you what a joy it is to watch Dee Gordon of the Mariners when he gets on base. You actually pay attention because you know he's looking to steal every chance he gets. It's exciting. Way more exciting than waiting to see if the next man up is able to hit a home run or not. You want to know why the younger generation finds baseball "boring"? Because it's too static. It wasn't static or boring when Raines was stealing 90 bases a year.

 

[Runner77]

When Ken Griffey Jr. went to Cincinnati, he was consulted about the dimensions of the new ballpark they were constructing at the time. It was made to Junior's specifications so that he could hit cheap dingers. And too many of the newer parks have been purposely made as bandboxes to encourage the most tedious kind of "station to station" baseball: stand on first base and wait for the batter to hit a home run.

We need more "pitcher's parks" like Comerica Field in Detroit (not that the Tigers have striven to build a team to take advantage of it) Even Safeco in Seattle is a nominal pitcher's park. At least it's fair to both hitter and pitcher, even though they did move the fences in ever so slightly a year or two ago. But everything today is about fancy stats like "exit velocity". Nobody cares about manufacturing runs with speed on the bases anymore. A guy steals 40 bags and he leads the majors by a country mile in that category. Back in the 80's the #6 hitter in your lineup could steal 40. Tim Raines would have 40 steals by Memorial Day.

I can't tell you what a joy it is to watch Dee Gordon of the Mariners when he gets on base. You actually pay attention because you know he's looking to steal every chance he gets. It's exciting. Way more exciting than waiting to see if the next man up is able to hit a home run or not. You want to know why the younger generation finds baseball "boring"? Because it's too static. It wasn't static or boring when Raines was stealing 90 bases a year.

Remember that track team the Expos had assembled? LeFlore, Scott, Raines. There was nothing like it in MLB. And it was fun to watch.

I don't know what it's going to take to turn things around. This station to station game is tedious. Not to mention hitters failing to overcome defensive shifts. Old time hitters would always be able to adjust. What gives?

 

[peate]

Remember that track team the Expos had assembled? LeFlore, Scott, Raines. There was nothing like it in MLB. And it was fun to watch.

I don't know what it's going to take to turn things around. This station to station game is tedious. Not to mention hitters failing to overcome defensive shifts. Old time hitters would always be able to adjust. What gives?

LOL Ron Leflore, the Detroit bad boy. I'd forgotten about him. That was a quick bunch for sure.

 

[CalgarySnow]

A while back I was having lunch with some Americans and they made fun of Canadians for saying ''aboot' rather than about. I said that this was no longer true, and Canadians say 'about' now.

One woman interrupted me, she said that she knew several people from Canada and they all pronounce it 'aboot'.

I felt then as I do now, lol. These regional accents are for the most part dead. I've lived here for two years. If I hear an accent it's because somebody happens to be from overseas, or is of a different ethnic group.

Funny I’ve been here nearly 4 years and I can hear the subtle differences. One of my neighbours is from Newfoundland he sounds different to my neighbour from Nova Scotia and they sound different to my other neighbour from Winnipeg. That said they all sound different to my Calgary born neighbours. Calgary people tend to say hey rather than eh and they say y’all which my other neighbours don’t. They also sound different to people from Van Island who tend to have a slower drawl. I think the regional accents are still there but as people have blended have softened somewhat. In my own house I sound completely different to my son as I’m from the north of England and he was born and brought up in the south (he still doesn’t have any Canadian accent though).

 

[Runner77]

Fernand Lapierre, the organist from Jarry Park and at the Big O until 1989, is on 98.5FM right now, playing organ, doing all the sound effects he used to do way back when.

It's a fun listen, he recounts how he became the organist for the Expos and the experiences he's had, some pretty unbelievable anecdotes. Including Roberto Clemente asking him to do a mixed tape for him and how they became close friends, with Clemente always visiting Lapierre at his home whenever he was in town.

 

[Runner77]

Have continued to listen in on Fernand Lapierre playing all of the tunes he used to play before and during Expos games. So many memories, it's like I've traveled back in time. He's still on the show, if any of you want to catch it.