2012 MLB Season

[NJTank]

The Coliesum was not a bad stadium before Mt. Davis, it had a nice hill set up behind the fences with logos and the championship flags but now it is an eyesore with no redeeming qualities.

[The_Admiral]

That every stadium is so over-the-top representative of its location (San Francisco's park is on the water! You can see the Arch in St. Louis! Baltimore is so industrial, even the ballpark has a warehouse!) retroactively makes the Oakland Coliseum, that big depressing concrete slab, fit just fine. I like that there's still one last place that doesn't aspire to be more than what it is. No postcard panoramas, no player-"owned" concept restaurants, no television screens the size of Rhode Island, no self-feeding mythos about the atmosphere or the fandom; it's just a place where ballgames are contested, and if you want to come and be a part of it, you can. The paucity and/or outright rejection of gimmicks is the gimmick. I like it.

[Lights Out]

Then they should build a new gimmick-free park that isn't a rotting dump in a hellhole.

[infrared41]

That every stadium is so over-the-top representative of its location (San Francisco's park is on the water! You can see the Arch in St. Louis! Baltimore is so industrial, even the ballpark has a warehouse!) retroactively makes the Oakland Coliseum, that big depressing concrete slab, fit just fine. I like that there's still one last place that doesn't aspire to be more than what it is. No postcard panoramas, no player-"owned" concept restaurants, no television screens the size of Rhode Island, no self-feeding mythos about the atmosphere or the fandom; it's just a place where ballgames are contested, and if you want to come and be a part of it, you can. The paucity and/or outright rejection of gimmicks is the gimmick. I like it.

Exactly. Nothing says "real" baseball quite like pissing in a trough does.

I'll try hipsters for 800, Alex.

EDIT: "Ballgames are contested?" You are really something, Captain.

[The_Admiral]

Looks like you won't be playing in Final Jeopardy, then. Oakland's utter lack of conspicuous consumption disqualifies it from belonging to what we're calling the modern "hipster" culture. You must be looking for the rusty spaceship in Brooklyn. That you can probably still get high in the upper deck at some dog-days game with the Mariners is the last refuge of real realness.

[The_Admiral]

Getting blown in the cheap seats. This is the American Dream to me.

[FiddySicks]

Looks like you won't be playing in Final Jeopardy, then. Oakland's utter lack of conspicuous consumption disqualifies it from belonging to what we're calling the modern "hipster" culture. You must be looking for the rusty spaceship in Brooklyn. That you can probably still get high in the upper deck at some dog-days game with the Mariners is the last refuge of real realness.

That's actually one of the reasons they closed the upper deck entirely. It was so empty that you could walk to the last row and practically pull out a bong and light up without anyone even noticing. Raiders games are similar in that you can blaze up to your hearts content in the upper deck, but that's mostly because security is too afraid to come up and say anything to you.

It's also a product of the culture of the area. The most surreal sports moment I've ever had was sitting in a sold out AT&T Park watching Tim Lincecum close out the final three outs in the ninth vs the A's while smoking a joint, and not only NOT getting hassled for doing so, but actually having the father of three young kids in the row ahead of me ask for a hit.

Tried that once at a D Backs game and it was like the real world equivalent of getting six stars on Grand Theft Auto.

[FiddySicks]

Real classy move by Matt Holliday in pre game introductions today. He pointed at Scutaro, gave him a thumbs up, and pretty much apologized for the dirty slide the other night. Good to see that type of sportsmanship.

[ninersdd]

There is going to be a rain delay pretty soon. Just checked the weather map, and there is a HUGE pack of red going through Jefferson City right now.

[rams80]

Exactly. Nothing says "real" baseball quite like pissing in a trough does.

I dunno, pissing in a trough kind of seems like an "Oakland" thing to do.

[The_Admiral]

Just checked the weather map, and there is a HUGE pack of red going through Jefferson City right now.

It's gonna stop somewhere on Missouri Boulevard for some cheap Chinese buffets.

[njmeadowlanders]

The Yankees should seriously consider letting CC have his turn at bat tonight...you are allowed to forego the DH.

[WSU151]

Exactly. Nothing says "real" baseball quite like pissing in a trough does.

I dunno, pissing in a trough kind of seems like an "Oakland" thing to do.

I think people at A's games are glad that people are actually pissing in troughs...it could be even realer.

[njmeadowlanders]

I also fear the Atlanta effect is in full frothe in the Bronx. This is the opposite of Oakland, where the A's had only been to the playoffs once since 2003, and not at all since 2006. It's a terrible ballpark and a terrible economic situation, but Oakland sports fans are notorious for their rabid nature. There's a reason Oakland had won something like 10 or 11 straight games at home until Verlander did them in last Thursday - that place was a hell house for opponents, and the A's had insane penchant for the late inning comeback.

As the sole defender of the Oakland Coliseum, I'd love to see to what extent the unique field dimensions assisted the A's this year. With so many new parks and their postage stamps of foul ground, the idea that a foul pop-up probably won't be out of play has to change the, if you'll pardon the expression, dimension of the game. That the place gets loud as hell when it counts must help, too.

I wouldn't say you're the only one who defends the Coliseum. I've been saying for years that the place really isn't as terrible as it's made out to be.

It's not. I saw two games there last year, it was fine. So you have to pee in a trough, so what? Nobody holds that against Dodger Stadium...

[The_Admiral]

[Eye]

That every stadium is so over-the-top representative of its location (San Francisco's park is on the water! You can see the Arch in St. Louis! Baltimore is so industrial, even the ballpark has a warehouse!) retroactively makes the Oakland Coliseum, that big depressing concrete slab, fit just fine. I like that there's still one last place that doesn't aspire to be more than what it is. No postcard panoramas, no player-"owned" concept restaurants, no television screens the size of Rhode Island, no self-feeding mythos about the atmosphere or the fandom; it's just a place where ballgames are contested, and if you want to come and be a part of it, you can. The paucity and/or outright rejection of gimmicks is the gimmick. I like it.

Exactly. Nothing says "real" baseball quite like pissing in a trough does.

I'll try hipsters for 800, Alex.

EDIT: "Ballgames are contested?" You are really something, Captain.

I agree with the admiral here. I just want to watch baseball. Yeah, views of the area can be nice, but aren't a necessity. You don't have to have a farrago of faux, old timey gimmicks competing for attention.

[Kramerica Industries]

The impressive, no-rain rain delay right now in Detroit.

Last two times there was a rain delay between the Yankees and Tigers, the momentum directly went to the Tigers. Would be nice for a little role reversal here.

UPDATE: But the rat bastards at TBS sure know the best way to please me. Seinfeld!

[GFB]

The impressive, no-rain rain delay right now in Detroit.

Last two times there was a rain delay between the Yankees and Tigers, the momentum directly went to the Tigers. Would be nice for a little role reversal here.

UPDATE: But the rat bastards at TBS sure know the best way to please me. Seinfeld!

The Tigers GAINED momentum last year when Verlander was wasted in a 2 inning reset in Game 1? How do you figure that? If anything, that was something they overcame.

[crashcarson15]

Re: Oakland Coliseum

Went there last summer while in the Bay Area and liked the game every bit as much as in San Fran, San Diego, or Colorado. When it came down to it, you were there watching baseball without too much in the way of distraction, and sitting in the 200-level behind the home plate put us with a bunch of very knowledgeable baseball fans. I like the Coliseum.

[GFB]

That every stadium is so over-the-top representative of its location (San Francisco's park is on the water! You can see the Arch in St. Louis! Baltimore is so industrial, even the ballpark has a warehouse!) retroactively makes the Oakland Coliseum, that big depressing concrete slab, fit just fine. I like that there's still one last place that doesn't aspire to be more than what it is. No postcard panoramas, no player-"owned" concept restaurants, no television screens the size of Rhode Island, no self-feeding mythos about the atmosphere or the fandom; it's just a place where ballgames are contested, and if you want to come and be a part of it, you can. The paucity and/or outright rejection of gimmicks is the gimmick. I like it.

Exactly. Nothing says "real" baseball quite like pissing in a trough does.

I'll try hipsters for 800, Alex.

EDIT: "Ballgames are contested?" You are really something, Captain.

I agree with the admiral here. I just want to watch baseball. Yeah, views of the area can be nice, but aren't a necessity. You don't have to have a farrago of faux, old timey gimmicks competing for attention.

It's not like a nice view or above-average architecture detracts from watching a baseball game... Baseball is a game with plenty of room for competing attentions. You have 5 minutes of "action" for a half of an inning, followed by a 3 minute break in between... And then there's delays for pitching changes, weather, and -- God-forbid -- instant replay.

It's just proof that there's no pleasing people.