Printable View
I'm old enough to remember when only 4 teams made the playoffs...
Quote:
Originally Posted by go_buccos
MLB should only have East & West divisions and no inter league play.
Top 2 teams advance straight to championship series. Zero wild cards.
It makes every regular season game matter. You prolly remember when they used to be the case.
We all know that $$$ is the number 1 reason owners want expanded playoffs. I think, though, that what is now being framed as the "Mike Trout argument" also is in the owners heads, and some of the dumb ones probably believe that MLB's popularity would swing back up if all the stars were in the playoffs.
That is a false reasoning of course. Trout is actually a perfect face of baseball right now: boring white dude who enjoys meteorology. The SABR crowd is the real reason baseball is a borderline unwatchable 3-true-outcomes slog it currently is. The 3-batter reliever rule was a good start to try to fix it, sticky stuff getting axed also helped. I'm starting to come around on the limiting of the shift...a "have to have 2 infielders on either side of second base" I think would now be a good idea.
At least Trout made 1 payoff series. Ernie Banks never made the playoffs.
From what I last saw, the owners backed down and accepted a 12-team playoff -- which is still awful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanlmar
But you're right. At some point the regular season is going to become largely meaningless. The 162 games exist to smooth out the high variance in baseball, but that all goes out the window if sub-.500 teams are routinely in the playoffs and have a reasonable shot to win it all when they have a few hot players at the moment.
If they want baseball to become more appealing to the younger crowd, the first thing they should do is stop the blackouts on the MLB app, where people can't watch their own home team, even with a paid account. The antiquated cable contracts are forcing out young fans who want to watch on their phones/tablets/computers.
Actually, did I say 162 games?
I meant 156 games.
And dropping.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...-deal-deadline
Please do away with interleague play. Most inter-league matches will never be rivals. If MLB wants what few teams to play that could be rivals(mets/yankees, cubs/white sox and so on) then stick them in the same league. These two game series are terrible. Splitting a series 1/1 is like a tie in the NFL. When the Cardinals play Seattle or Oakland or most other AL teams I rarely watch.Quote:
Originally Posted by SanlmarQuote:
Originally Posted by go_buccos
MLB should only have East & West divisions and no inter league play.
Top 2 teams advance straight to championship series. Zero wild cards.
It makes every regular season game matter. You prolly remember when they used to be the case.
2016... seems so long ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chhh4-2plYY
I watch almost no baseball anymore but it's shocking to me how out of touch it seems with the present. Any baseball headline that has caught my attention in the last five years has been negative; egregious cheating, clueless commissioner, greedy owners, the faggot HOF debate, non-marketable players, etc.
I'm regurgitating something I saw on Twitter yesterday but it's shocking to me that Mike Trout, one of the best players ever, only has 1.9 million followers on Instagram; the NBA player provided for comparison was Tyler Herro on the Heat with 2.3 million. Not the best indicator for the future of the game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sloppy Joe
Don't forget about the greedy players and players union.
:scalirQuote:
Originally Posted by herbertstempleQuote:
Originally Posted by Sloppy Joe
Don't forget about the greedy players and players union.
Are you referring to the thousands of minor leaguers who make below minimum wage and work other jobs in the offseason just to get by?
Or maybe referring to the highly touted prospects, who become victims to service time manipulation and kept in the minors until age 23-24 so the team can pay MLB min wage for their prime years, and then when they finally hit free agency at 30ish most teams wont commit to a big contract for a guy who is now on the downswing of his career?
Or maybe you are just regurgitating nonsense. I'm no union guy, in general. Baseball players, however, have some of the worst situations out of all pro sports. Sure, NFL contracts are not guaranteed, but no football player is being forced to destroy their bodies for $300 a week playing in some small town.
I think the whole bonus pool for young players is a good start, but they do need to do more to address the relatively recent discovery that there's typically a big decline after 30, to the point where you don't want to sign anyone for big money for many years beyond that age. So there really does need to be a solution for good (not just great) young players who get paid $580k per year or whatever, and then they only make the big money if they're fortunate enough to still be very good (and not injured) when they hit free agency.Quote:
Originally Posted by gut:scalirQuote:
Originally Posted by herbertstemple
Are you referring to the thousands of minor leaguers who make below minimum wage and work other jobs in the offseason just to get by?
Or maybe referring to the highly touted prospects, who become victims to service time manipulation and kept in the minors until age 23-24 so the team can pay MLB min wage for their prime years, and then when they finally hit free agency at 30ish most teams wont commit to a big contract for a guy who is now on the downswing of his career?
Or maybe you are just regurgitating nonsense. I'm no union guy, in general. Baseball players, however, have some of the worst situations out of all pro sports. Sure, NFL contracts are not guaranteed, but no football player is being forced to destroy their bodies for $300 a week playing in some small town.
I know arbitration has answered some of this, but the pre-arb ones still get fucked. I do see why teams shy away from the 30+ players, and you can't really mandate that teams have to give these guys big $, so it's not simple.
Definitely not simple. Some of the service time manipulation has been fixed organically by teams signing guys to long term deals before they debut. Of course, some of the deals are fair considering the risk on both sides (Luis Robert and Wander Franco for example) but others got completely jobbed by their agents/team (Braves with Acuna AND Albies).Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan DruffI think the whole bonus pool for young players is a good start, but they do need to do more to address the relatively recent discovery that there's typically a big decline after 30, to the point where you don't want to sign anyone for big money for many years beyond that age. So there really does need to be a solution for good (not just great) young players who get paid $580k per year or whatever, and then they only make the big money if they're fortunate enough to still be very good (and not injured) when they hit free agency.Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
I know arbitration has answered some of this, but the pre-arb ones still get fucked. I do see why teams shy away from the 30+ players, and you can't really mandate that teams have to give these guys big $, so it's not simple.
I would modify the Rule 5 requirements to make it more player-friendly. Make it 3 years for any signee/draftee. Not just 3 years until rule 5 protection, but 3 years for minor league free agency as well. Give blocked prospects a chance to move on their own. Also I would ensure everyone on the 40 man roster is paid mlb salary.
Something that isn't talked about enough is the signing bonus versus minor league salary thing.
I remember being surprised how many okayish prospects get pretty big signing bonuses. However, they make bottom-barrel shit wages in the minors otherwise.
The problem is that these kids are bad at managing money, and once they blow that first headshot of money, they are fucked unless they make MLB.
I've thought perhaps a better system is to kill or severely reduce signing bonuses, and translate it into better minor league salaries for these players, and also to push up the minor league minimum salary so it all gets more equal.
Since the cream tends to rise to the top anyway, there's no reason to make minor league players rich, even if they're good. I think there should be a big reduction in allowed signing bonuses and much fairer salaries for all minor league players.
I hope a 2022 regular baseball season happens. I love that there are no clocks needed and that the game can (awesomely) drag on forever while the pitcher fondles his ball and the batter adjusts his groin.
The amazing camera angles and commentary whenever a squirrel or cat runs onto the field is a textbook definition of excitement. Or better yet, the lol cuteness of bring your dog to the stadium day. Overpriced concessions and sunburns are as american as owing money for life saving medical procedures.
Then there are the players, thousands of underpaid minor leaguers grinding out a living, (quit crying about this aspect libtards, Michael Jordan did this and hes the GOAT) and of course hundred million dollar contracts for the best major leaguers, plus billion dollar white ownership. Its called balance.
All of those empty stadiums when the team(s) aren’t winning help solidify the longevity of this sport, the great american pastime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SanlmarQuote:
Originally Posted by go_buccos
MLB should only have East & West divisions and no inter league play.
Top 2 teams advance straight to championship series. Zero wild cards.
It makes every regular season game matter. You prolly remember when they used to be the case.
GREAT IDEA !! There goes 2 billion in playoff revenue !!! lol
You think there is less interest in baseball now ... imagine your team being 80-60 and 10 games out in early September.
She has good form . I also remember 4 teams. I also don't like the man on 2nd in extra inning games.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
Owners need min 140 I believe otherwise they’re in violation of their local tv contracts for games provided.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
Apparently the cancellations aren't uniform regarding home/road either.
The Dodgers, for example, are losing 7 home games. The Giants still play all 81 home games.
Also, some teams are losing 5 games, some 6, some 7. So there will be an uneven number of games played.
:wtf2
This is going to be a mess, even if the bleeding stops here.
There’s a lot of detail here. Admittedly, not following closely.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
I’m growing doubtful about a season. Given the changes I’m hearing (longest exhibition season in sport) the forced break will ease my exit from the game.
Every day I promise myself I will get up to speed in college.
Let’s see if I can get your attention with this assertion
I believe that 14 team playoffs lessens the incentive to pursue the superstar and the accompanying huge long term deal.
Isn’t that even less fun during your meaningless season?
Yes. This is being asserted by the players union, and it's probably correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanlmar
This allows good/decent teams to spend relatively little, coast for the first 4 months, and then grab needed pieces before the July 31 trade deadline. Every team in the 2021 playoffs had 90+ wins, aside from the eventual champion, the Braves! But even they had 88.
Remember the exciting AL wildcard race of 2021, where the Mariners finished with 90 wins and the Jays finished with 91, both barely behind the Sawks and Yankees with 92? In a 14-playoff format, all four of these teams cruise in with no sweat. It would have been even worse in the NL, where the 83-win Reds and 82-win Phillies would have made it.
In other seasons, teams under .500 would have made it.
Bottom line: If baseball wants to cut half the season off and make it an 80-ish game season like the NBA, it makes more sense to expand the playoffs. If they want all the joyous revenue of a 162-game season, they need to stop fucking with the postseason. You can't have it both ways. Otherwise people are just going to tune out of the whole thing.
PLAY BALL!!!
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mlbpa-agree-to-cba
MLB and MLBPA agree to new CBA pending ratification
42 minutes ago
Mark Feinsand
Mark Feinsand
@feinsand
Share
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, paving the way for the 2022 regular season to begin on April 7.
The CBA must still be ratified by the owners before it becomes official, with a vote scheduled for early Thursday evening. If it is ratified, both sides must then sign a memorandum of understanding, officially bringing the three-month lockout to a close.
The mandatory Spring Training report date for all clubs is Sunday. Exhibition games will begin on March 17 or 18.
The deal came to fruition a day after MLB postponed Opening Day until April 14 in the absence of a new agreement and announced that each team’s first four series were removed from the schedule. However, as part of this agreement, a full 162-game schedule will be played, and the four series that were previously removed from the calendar will be rescheduled.
The new five-year CBA includes increased minimum salaries, a new pre-arbitration bonus pool to reward the top young players in the game, a raise in competitive balance tax thresholds, the introduction of a universal designated hitter, the widest-ranging Draft lottery in pro sports, a system to prevent alleged service-time manipulation and limits on the number of times a player can be optioned in a season to address concerns regarding “roster churn.”
The deal also includes an expanded 12-team postseason format, bringing playoff baseball to two additional markets each year.
As part of the agreement, a Joint Competition Committee will be formed comprised of four active players, six members appointed by MLB and one umpire. Beginning in 2023, the committee will be tasked with adopting changes to playing rules such as a pitch clock, base size, defensive positioning and automatic ball/strike zone.
Under the previous agreement, MLB had the right to unilaterally implement rule changes with a one-year notice, but the new system will allow the game to improve in a more timely fashion thanks to the collaboration between the league and players.
Once the CBA is finalized, teams around the league will turn their attention to completing their offseason business, as more than 200 players remain on the free-agent market, including notable names such as Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman, Kris Bryant and Trevor Story.
Here are some of the details of the agreement between MLB and the MLBPA:
Minimum salary
2022: $700,000
2023: $720,000
2024: $740,000
2025: $760,000
2026: $780,000
• The first-year increase is the largest single-year increase in history, nearly five times larger than the $27,500 increase in the first year of the prior CBA. It also represents a larger increase than the total from the past 10 years.
Competitive Balance Tax threshold
2022: $230 million
2023: $233 million
2024: $237 million
2025: $241 million
2026: $244 million
• The $20 million increase from 2021 to '22 is nearly twice as large as the biggest previous first-year increase.
• A fourth tax level has been added at $60 million above the base threshold to address runaway spending.
Pre-arbitration bonus pool
• $50 million (to be distributed to the top 100 players based on awards and statistical performance).
• MLB and the MLBPA will jointly develop a statistical method to allocate the funds.
• Under this system, NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes would have seen his salary jump from $608,000 to $4.2 million last season, while Rookie of the Year winners Randy Arozarena and Jonathan India would have seen their respective salaries more than triple in 2021.
Draft lottery
• Top 6 selections will be awarded via lottery.
• Odds would be based on the reverse order of winning percentage, with the bottom three clubs each at 16.5%.
• The 18 non-postseason clubs would be eligible, though revenue sharing payees would be ineligible to receive lottery selections in three consecutive years, while non-payees would be ineligible to receive lottery selections in consecutive years.
International Draft
• In exchange for agreeing to an International Draft by July 25, 2022, MLB will eliminate the qualifying offer system (direct Draft-pick compensation) for free agents.
• International Draft would be 20 rounds (600-plus selections), increasing the total compensation earned by amateurs by more than $20 million annually.
• Signing bonuses would be guaranteed for drafted players.
• Clubs who select players from growth countries (countries with less than 0.5% of signings in the previous three signing periods) will receive additional selections to incentivize scouting and signing in emerging markets.
Rules changes
Beginning in 2023, a committee comprised of four active players, six members appointed by MLB and one umpire, will be tasked with adopting changes to playing rules such as a pitch clock, base size, defensive positioning and automatic ball/strike zone.
Other details
• Contracts for arbitration-eligible players will be guaranteed.
• Top prospects who finish 1st or 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting will receive a full year of service.
• Clubs promoting top prospects to Opening Day rosters will be eligible to receive Draft picks if the player finishes in the Top 3 in the Rookie of the Year voting or Top 5 in MVP/Cy Young voting.
• Expanded postseason: 12 teams, with the top two division winners receiving a bye.
• Universal designated hitter.
• Players may only be optioned five times per season.
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication, devotion
Turning all the night time into the day
And after all the violence and double talk
There's just a song in all the trouble and the strife
You do the walk, yeah, you do the walk of life
Mmm, you do the walk of life
This hasn't hit any mainstream sports media yet, but former MLB pitcher Odalis Perez, who mainly pitched for the Dodgers, died today at the age of 44.
The cause of death? He fell off a ladder at home, and hit his head. It's not clear if this occurred in the US or Dominican Republic.
Perez was one of those Dominican guys who had a lot of potential, but could never quite become a star, or even manage a long career.
After a few forgettable years with the Braves, he was shipped to the Dodgers, where he seemed to find footing. In 2002, which was still during the roid era with ERAs inflated, Perez had a 3.00 ERA and 0.990 WHIP, and earned a spot on the All Star team. The Dodgers didn't make the postseason that year.
However, he had a very mediocre 2003, but came back somewhat in 2004 with a better year, though somehow only had 13 decisions (7-6) in 31 starts. In 2005, he wasn't very good, and he was awful (ERA near 7) during the first half of the '06 season. Apparently there were also big time concerns about his work ethic and attitude, as well. Asshole cheapskate owner Frank McCourt despised Perez so much by that point that he ordered GM Ned Coletti to trade him "even if we have to eat his whole contract". Perez was then shipped to the Royals, and his career never got much better. He was mostly out of baseball by 2008, and completely out of MLB by the end of that season.
It's unclear what Perez has been doing for the past 13+ years.
There are two pitchers in MLB history who won a complete game 1-0 victory where they also hit the home run to win the game. Odaliz Perez (2002) was one. The other was Dodger Bob Welch, back in 1983.
What happened to Welch? He also died from a fall in his home.
Weird.
Rumors are that the Dodgers just made a multiyear offer to Freddie Freeman.
And what of existing 1B Max Muncy? He's still recovering from last season's injury to his elbow, but might be ready by opening day. Muncy can play 2B and 3B, but since the DH is here in the NL (which I hate), Muncy could also play there -- or swap with Freeman between 1B/DH from game to game.
Sanlmar will be happy to know that Kershaw is BACK -- but possibly only for 2022. He signed a 1-year, $17m deal. He's just turning 34, but his body is starting to break down, so I don't see him as a guy who is going to pitch until 40. It's possible Kershaw will just shut it down after 2022 if he's hurting too much this season. That's also likely why he only signed a 1-year deal.
I hate the DH…no double switch, no pinch hitting….anyone can manage these teams.
When the pitcher gets a base hit, is the best.
I watch a lot of NL West. You really can’t be THE authority on the Dodgers without putting in the work. That said, i live in an AL town with its share of success but much preferred watching the NL. Guys like Greinke etc. so much fun.Quote:
Originally Posted by Texter
I can’t stand any of these changes.
Let us make the bag bigger. Many a summer night I sat watching and wished for the same thing. Idiots
Freddie Freeman is not staying with the Braves, who recently acquired Matt Olson.
Freddie Freeman is not going to sign with the Yankees, who just re-signed Anthony Rizzo. That is a rather curious move, as Rizzo had a .784 OPS last year, and a .756 OPS in the shortened 2020 season. He's 32 1/2, so that's kind of a red flag. Regardless, the Yankees kept him.
Where might else Freddie go, besides the Dodgers? Well, at least the Dodgers can take solace in the fact that they probably won't be facing him much (or at all) if they don't get him. Other possible landing spots are Tampa Bay, Boston, or Toronto.
All signs are that Freddie wants to be a Dodger, but is flirting with these other teams in order to push up his price tag. Freeman is NOT a youngster, however. He was born just a few weeks after the already-declining Rizzo, but he's been continuing to crush it year after year. Freeman actually had a mediocre (by his standards) first half of 2021, where there was criticism for him being selected to the All Star team, but then he mashed in the second half. He should be good for several years to come, but you do have to be a bit cautious when it comes to monster multiyear contracts for guys in their 30s.
By the way, guess who had the absolute worst case of COVID of all regular MLB players? That would be Mr. Freddie Freeman, who had it in 2020 at age 30, before the season started, and described how it just absolutely brutalized him. Did it affect his play? He had an OPS of 1.102 that year, and was the MVP. Maybe he needs to catch Omicron, as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
Jays signed Chapman to play 3rd base so I don't see them signing Freeman. Vladdy Jr could have played some back at third base now that he's in better shape, but not at this point.
I'm guessing Dodgers or Red Sox....someone will overpay for him and those two are good candidates.
Zack Greinke, who has been pitching in MLB since 2004, is BACK to where he started from.
The Royals, his original team, signed him to a 1-year deal.
Greinke is 38 1/2. He quit the 2006 season due to "anxiety", and thought he may not ever be coming back to baseball. He ended up returning in '07, pitched decently enough, and has been around every year since.
He has logged over 3100 innings, and isn't often injured. I've always believed that Greinke has a combination of Aspergers and social anxiety disorder, especially having watched him closely as a Dodgers fan. However, I think that the aspie thing worked to his benefit, as it allowed him to have a cold, caclulated approach to pitching, and he wouldn't get rattled when an outing would start out badly. He was pretty much the opposite of Kershaw, who is highly emotional and a perfectionist, and gets badly affected by things not going well.
In his prime, I almost never saw Greinke get bombed. He was the equivalent of the poker player who never tilted.
At this point in his career, however, I don't expect much from him. KC probably just needs someone to eat innings, and that he can still do.
LMAO, Kris Bryant signs his pension deal. Time to go pad the stats at altitude while winning 70 games a year.
He has a ring so whatever, get that money. But again, if anyone has any idea wtf the Rockies are doing, you would be the first.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I attended a Rockies game in July. Benjamin accompanied me. We stayed downtown and walked to/from the stadium.Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
Facility was pretty nice, though the food situation was a clusterfuck. I thought Dodger Stadium was a mess regarding that, but Coors was worse.
The shocking thing was that there were more Dodgers fans there than Rockies fans. This was in mid-July. I'm not talking September when the Rockies were long clinched out of it. If you closed your eyes, you'd have thought you were at a Dodgers game. It's possible this was an outlier, because I saw a TON of Dodgers jersey-wearers downtown in the 24 hours prior to the game, meaning that there might have been a lot of people who did exactly what I did -- built a summer Colorado road trip around the Dodgers being in Denver. Still, I was pretty shocked. I expect a huge Dodger contingent in San Diego and Anaheim (close), as well as Phoenix (many ex-LA people, plus D-backs didn't exist until late 1990s). However, the Colorado thing was a pretty big shock.
I have been long skeptical that this team can ever be successful long term. I think the constant switching between low and high altitudes fucks with both pitcher's and hitter's heads, and they will never be able to perform well on the road. The 2021 Rockies were 48-33 at home -- 5.5 games BETTER than the World Series champion Braves, and better than every NL team except the super-tough Dodgers and Giants. On the road, they were 26-54.
The fan support is not surprising. When I lived there 15-20 years ago, Colorado was very clear in its sports preferences: 1. Broncos. 2. Avs. 3. Nuggets. 4. Skiing/snowboarding/anything else. 5. RockiesQuote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff.Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I attended a Rockies game in July. Benjamin accompanied me. We stayed downtown and walked to/from the stadium.
Facility was pretty nice, though the food situation was a clusterfuck. I thought Dodger Stadium was a mess regarding that, but Coors was worse.
The shocking thing was that there were more Dodgers fans there than Rockies fans. This was in mid-July. I'm not talking September when the Rockies were long clinched out of it. If you closed your eyes, you'd have thought you were at a Dodgers game. It's possible this was an outlier, because I saw a TON of Dodgers jersey-wearers downtown in the 24 hours prior to the game, meaning that there might have been a lot of people who did exactly what I did -- built a summer Colorado road trip around the Dodgers being in Denver. Still, I was pretty shocked. I expect a huge Dodger contingent in San Diego and Anaheim (close), as well as Phoenix (many ex-LA people, plus D-backs didn't exist until late 1990s). However, the Colorado thing was a pretty big shock.
I have been long skeptical that this team can ever be successful long term. I think the constant switching between low and high altitudes fucks with both pitcher's and hitter's heads, and they will never be able to perform well on the road. The 2021 Rockies were 48-33 at home -- 5.5 games BETTER than the World Series champion Braves, and better than every NL team except the super-tough Dodgers and Giants. On the road, they were 26-54.
That owner Monfort tho is something else. He legit thinks he is trying to win, but makes horrible decision after horrible decision. The fact he was lead negotiator for the owners during the lockout, while his own front office is a dumpster fire, says a lot.
As I'm sure everyone has seen by now, Freeman is a Dodger.
This lineup is now otherworldly.
C Will Smith
1B Freddie Freeman
2B Chris Taylor
SS Trea Turner
3B Justin Turner
OF Cody Bellinger
OF Mookie Betts
OF AJ Pollock
DH Max Muncy
They also have Gavin Lux to fill in any blanks, either to give guys rest or if someone gets hurt.
Imagine if Bellinger returns to old form, or even some degree of it. Wow.
The starting pitching might be a bit of a question mark, especially with Bauer probably not returning:
P Walker Buehler
P Julio Urias
P Clayton Kershaw
P Tony Gonsolin
P Andrew Heaney
Dustin May isn't due back until near the end of the season.
As it stands, the entire SP staff was originally drafted by the Dodgers, and all but Heaney have only played for them.
Of the starting lineup, only Betts, Pollock, and Freeman were FA signings. Betts and Trea Turner were traded for legit prospects, Smith/Bellinger were homegrown, and Justin Turner/Muncy/Taylor were scrap heap acquisitions from years ago.
You can't even say that this team was mostly bought. It was mostly built, and a little bit bought.
They probably need to trade for another SP before the season is over. I also have my doubts that Kershaw and Gonsolin will stay healthy, especially Kershaw, and there is very little starting pitching depth at the moment. Hopefully that won't be an issue.
On the plus side, it's unlikely the Giants will be as good this year, and the rest of the NL West will probably be fail, especially with Tatis missing 3+ months.
CORREA!!
I love how contracts have gotten so large that he actually was given an opt-out in year 3 of a 3-year, $103.5m contract.Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
Phillies are going to score some runs but may have the worst D in history.
The Dodgers have decided they're done letting scalpers (and individuals) buy up Opening Day tickets and mark them up on Stubhub.
How are they accomplishing this?
They're marking up the tickets themselves!
I got invited to the "Mastercard Presale" on Tuesday. I was going to buy some tickets and then resell on Stubhub. Opening Day never excited me too much, especially when it's already a week into the season, as it is this year for the Dodgers.
Here's a selection of prices:
Upper LF, among the worst seats in the park: $106
LF and RF pavillion (where the HR go): $193-$203
Loge (second level) behind 3B, 8 rows back: $305
Reserve blue level (fourth level, fairly high up), between home and 1st, 17 rows back: $187
For many years, Opening Day was sold by the Dodgers are the same price as any other game. In recent years they've wised up and raised base prices on tickets to high profile regular season games, but this is ridiculous.
Keep in mind that I can get these seats for cheaper than the above in both the NLDS and NLCS by buying at the right time on Stubhub.
Sad!