P's and C's next week, might as well get a head start.
Former Mets GM Billy Eppler suspended for fabricating injuries
MLB's new uniforms for 2024 drawing negative reviews from players: 'I don't like them'
MLB players are beginning to report for spring training, and they're getting their first looks at the new uniform designs from Nike. The early impressions? Not good.
“I don’t like them,” St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas said via the Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. “Everyone should write about it.”
Another player described the uniforms as looking "cheap."
On Tuesday, MLB announced that all 30 teams will use the Nike Vapor Premier "chassis" for their home, road, alternate and City Connect uniforms this season. The difference between the new design and what we're used to seeing during games is quite noticeable — and comes off as an instant downgrade.
The new jerseys are part of Nike's Vapor Premier template, which MLB is using for the first time. The material is described as “breathable, lightweight, high-performance fabric that was made from at least 90% recycled polyester yarns.”
Beginning with the 2020 season, MLB, Nike and Fanatics formed a 10-year partnership that saw Nike take over from Majestic as the league's uniform supplier.
lol. Click through to see some images. The lettering, at least on the Mariners’ jerseys, comparatively looks like trash.
They are garbage, but while everyone likes to dunk on Fanatics (and I broadly agree), this doesn't appear to specifically be their fault.
Posting Foolish Bailey because:
1 - it's informative
2 - it's awesome
So apparently the semi-transparent pants of Fanatics' new uniforms is going over about as well as can be expected.
Love that the first thing we're all discussing for the 2024 season is which player's bangers n' mash we'll see first.
Games are going to get called for rain a lot quicker than normal.
Somebody's pants are going to completely evaporate while sliding at some point this year.
Uh... yeah that's bad.
Maybe the jersey's are just slightly radioactive. The pants are normal opacity but there's an x-ray effect because of the radioactivity of the jersey.
I would like MLB to stop saying Shohei/Soto et all have hit their "first homer as a TEAM Xer."
It is spring training, none of this counts, no-one tracks any of the stats whatsoever.
It is spring training, none of this counts, no-one tracks any of the stats whatsoever.
Stop it. This is not a "Hot Start." This is a "pitcher warming up for the regular season and adjusting to MLB quality" vs. "Batters still working out the kinks in their swing and several dudes who will be in AA-ball in April."
Hey! Shohei got married! I'm sure the online discussion about it is very normal.
(Sees upvoted comment about how smart it was for Shohei not to marry a Western woman.)
............Christ.
Do I really need to buy OOTP each year? No.
Do I get exponentially more milage out of it than MLB: The Show for cheaper? Yes.
Anyway, new OOTP drops on March 15.
Every year I say I’m not going to order it, so I skip the pre order and the discounted price.
Then I buy it full price anyway.
Don’t be like me.
Every year I say I’m not going to order it, so I skip the pre order and the discounted price.
Then I buy it full price anyway.
Don’t be like me.
OOTP's price is going up this year, so full price it will be $49.99. On the other hand, the pre-release/release-week discount is also increasing, so definitely don't be a me this year.
I'm pretty excited about the player development changes they are adding, it should be fun to finally have a bit more agency when it comes to how certain players develop.
Also, they claim they will be adding steam cloud stuff at some point after release this year, so for the first time in a long time I think I'll pick it up there, in the hopes that I can bounce between the desktop and the steamdeck easily.
Quick Edit: I forgot that Steam doesn't get the pre purchase stuff, but the discount should be there for the first week or so.
Hey, so... uh.... Remember this guy?
No, not Shohei, the dude NEXT to Shohei. His translator.
About him....
Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani's interpreter amid allegation of 'massive theft'
The Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was fired Wednesday afternoon after questions surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaking operation set off a series of events.
Ippei Mizuhara, the longtime friend and interpreter for Ohtani, incurred the gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation, multiple sources told ESPN. How he came to lose his job started with reporters asking questions about the wire transfers.
Initially, a spokesman for Ohtani told ESPN the slugger had transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara's gambling debt. The spokesman presented Mizuhara to ESPN for a 90-minute interview Tuesday night, during which Mizuhara laid out his account in great detail. However, as ESPN prepared to publish the story Wednesday, the spokesman disavowed Mizuhara's account and said Ohtani's lawyers would issue a statement.
"In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities," read the statement from Berk Brettler LLP.
Also:
He still hit and run good, apparently.
There's a non-zero chance he's taking the fall for Ohtani.
As much as I love Shohei I could go for a major gambling scandal so maybe we could reevaluate where we're headed with all of this gambling.
There's a non-zero chance he's taking the fall for Ohtani.
As much as I love Shohei I could go for a major gambling scandal so maybe we could reevaluate where we're headed with all of this gambling.
I guess.
Then I watch this.
And the amount of stretching to make this a thing.
Yes of course the bookie would let the guy keep betting. Of course, Ohtani would bail his buddy out.
Could it if been Ohtani? Yes. Is it? Probably not.
Did Ohtani pay off the debts and was an idiot for it, of course.
Is his best friend who got bailed out of 4.5m in bets now going to perform Seppuku? Yes. Makes it more perfect it's two Japanese guys.
I guess they could really dig in and find proof it's not theft. Not really sure if nailing Ohtani for something actually accomplishes something besides 'The law'.
I think the worst thing for the fans of any sport is wondering if the outcome is influenced by a player gambling on the outcome. It’s the reason why these sports have traditionally been so afraid of being involved with betting, because few things could be worse for the sport.
I don’t believe those are Ohtani’s debts either, but it’s out there now and MLB should hate that. I personally dream of the end of the major sports’ infatuation with betting, so I guess I’m an interested party on this issue.
Is his best friend who got bailed out of 4.5m in bets now going to perform Seppuku? Yes. Makes it more perfect it's two Japanese guys.
In baseball, shouldn't it be called performing Harry Caray?
MLB opens investigation into Shohei Ohtani and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. The Giants fan in me says this is just an effort by baseball to ensure that the sport's new international messiah can come out of this squeaky clean. The overall cynic in me says this is an effort by baseball to cover their asses because gambling is a HUGE revenue stream for professional sports in America and they want zero scandals by any way of gambling.
A perfect illustration of the moment we're all in.
I feel like it wasn't that long ago that betting was seen at best as a guilty pleasure. Now it's the metagame.
MLB has to be banking on this Republican Congress to be too dysfunctional to investigate this otherwise they would be toast.
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