Tom Brennan - Baseball NOT As It Was Meant To Be Played

 

Jack Nicholson taking in the Mets-Cubs game Tuesday night.

They say that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in the SUMMER of 1839.   

History.com claims that is untrue, in an article entitled "Who Invented Baseball?" (google it if you'd like to learn more).  

But the operative word above is SUMMER.  

If Abner or anyone of his mid 19th century time could wrap their heads around there being such a thing as electrically lit night baseball games, they certainly would have thought it nuts to play on a mid-30s April night (as the Mets did Tuesday) when you could play in the typically warmer day time in daylight and hopefully sunshine.

After all, I've been out a number of times recently on chilly, sunny days recently.  Cool out, but not bad.

Once the sun goes down, though, it's "where's my winter jacket?"  Temps drop 10-15 degrees, no solar heat, winds often pick up. Yuk.

Big, big difference.

Abner and the boys would have thought it nuts to start seasons in late March (this year started late - April Fools Day), and be playing night games in March, which has already occurred in the wacky world of bats and balls.

Question: what's the difference between playing in Wrigley Field last night and in a refrigerator?

Answer: you don't have to worry about wind conditions in a refrigerator.

The field dimensions would be about the same if they played in Nancy Pelosi's huge refrigerator, so that is not a factor.  So, just play in her refrigerator for night games, because the conditions are better.  Higher wind/chill factor and all.   And plenty of ice cream, so bring your kiddies.  Guaranteed to have the time of your life.

Everyone moans and groans over the Mets' slow start offensively.   You try hitting a ball in the cold.  When I was a kid, as soon as the snow melted and the field dried, I was out there playing baseball.  

Remember when you hit a ball on a cold day that you didn't quite spare up?  That baby stung!  A few times I can recall my hands briefly feeling numb after such less-than-optimal contact.  Never happened when it was 80 degrees though.  No pain, all gain.  Just remember the sunscreen.

Abner would have told us it was a warm weather sport.  And Abner would have been right.

Some people are more cold tolerant - I played half court hoops once outdoors on a breezy 9 degree winter day with a few guys - one of the guys wore just a sweatshirt - no jacket - and was soaked - SOAKED - in sweat, with steam coming off of him.  

I have never been anywhere close to that when it comes to my hands.  I get cold hands in the 50s.  With temps in the mid 30's, my really cold hands made it hard to throw and hard to hit.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I know at least one JD Davis error the other night was cold-induced.  He was cold and had trouble gripping the ball.  I immediately understood.  BRRR!

Ball doesn't carry either.

Why?  Colder air is denser air.  

I saw a clip of Lindor hitting the ball in that Tuesday night game in the 8th(?) - long shot to left center.  Announcer got all excited for a moment - then pulled the enthusiasm back.  Then the ball died short of the track. Uggh!

I remember Piazza CRUSHING a shot to the right of center in an April night game. 430 footer?  Nope.  Caught on the track.

So, when I see the Mets struggle in frigid weather, I kind of write it off as, "Well, what do you expect?"

I know why baseball would normally do night tilts - less fans in the stands in day games than night games after work is one reason.  Except this season, due to COVID, that does not factor in at all.

No, the other real reason is TV revenues.  The number of fans who will watch a night game on TV is greater than for day games.

For day games, the TV audience is the sum of daytime watchers plus nighttime replay watchers minus those who don't watch day game losses at night ("I already know they lost, why bother?") and minus those who would rather do something else than watch a replay of a game they already knew the score of, even if the Mets won.

Less viewers, less revenues.  More revenues, more night games.  No matter what infamous ex-meteorologist Tex Antoine says about the weather, they're playing at night.

My other early season weather peeve is the day off in the middle of a series.  What baseball schedulers should instead do for any 3-game April series is schedule three straight days - and if one is rained out, play it on the fourth day and cut down on rainout reschedules in doubleheaders.  

Of course, there is one side benefit.  The game on the fourth day in April might be in the 30s, and the rescheduled rain out game might be in balmy June or August.

Between the Nats series cancellation and rain outs, and the cold weather, April for the Mets' hitters has been no picnic. 

So I cut them much slack.  I'm sure they'd all rather play all day games in April.  In St Lucie, where it is 80 degrees.  I know Lindor would...he hit .500 for a ten game stretch in warm weather down there, a buck seventy five in chilly northeast games through Tuesday.

Two more points....first, on the topic at hand.

In 1962, I believe the Mets' first home night game was on May 3.  Why?  They took the weather into account back then.  The almighty dollar was not a huge factor in low-revenue baseball times, due to low, low salaries due to no free agency, so why run up a light bill when they could play in the warmer daytime with free lighting courtesy of El Sol?   

Also, as an aside, in 1962, baseball had plenty of scheduled doubleheaders, and then add on the rainout make-up doubleheaders.  

I read in an article that in 1962, the Mets played an astonishing 30 doubleheaders - they won 3 of them.   Such is the life of a 40-120 team.  Imagine the channel 4 news announcer saying, "Wow, the Mets won not one, but TWO games today! Amazing."

Well, anyway, the Mets got jack-hammered Wednesday night 16-4 due to frigid, riduclous cold weather, gosh-awful fielding and gosh-awfuler relief pitching from Robert Fizzleman and Trevor Hilden Boomer.   To which I say, "Bring up Tylor Megill and Tom Szapucki for those two - pronto."  What's promising is Gsellman's ERA has dropped from 9.64 in 2020 to 7.71 in 2021 - major progress. Hildenberger's ERA over his 134 game MLB career is 5.52.  Yet another Sandy Dandy.

Of course, Luis Guillorme comes in to pitch and surrenders two runs, but he also got a hit and has been on base 10 of 17 times this year.  Maybe he takes a few McNeil games if Jeff continues to not hit.

Lastly, in the sub-Mendoza Club after 13 games, we have Pillar (.111), McNeil (.167), Nido (.167), and Conforto (.171).  I, for "1" want to see those 1's become 2's quickly.

Until next time, folks, stay warm - and stay calm.  

The temperatures, they are a-rising.  

After tonight's Chicago finale (a much less polar low 50s), three games in Washington, where it will be...WARMER.  Mid 60's warmer.  Of course, a little rain on Saturday, and the Mets will miss mid-80's Washington weather this time next week.

The hopeful news for the frozen bats?  The listed opponent starters for the next 4 games all have ERAs above 5.00.

Warmly, 

Your friend Tom