Stadium 27: Chase Field and Diamondbacks...

Diamondbacks are scary....When I went to Arizona last summer, I decided to take a walk in the desert to start my day. Of course I had to see the sign on the ground that says watch out for the diamondbacks....

 Ugh....I continued the 3 mile trail in fear of hearing that sound.... the gruesome rattling sound and encountering THIS

You'll jump at 1:00 trust me. 

Those guys are scary.... these guys?

 

Not so much.... 

The Arizona Diamondbacks came into existence in 1998 for the same reason the Marlins came into business. Fans were happy to see MLB during Spring Training in their state but were sad to see it go during the regular season. This brought about the last two expansion teams and at the 30 teams we are now at today. They have always played their games at Chase Field, which was formally known as Bank One Ballpark (BOB). 

Chase Field has a retractable roof but with temperatures usually in the triple digits in Phoenix, the roof is always closed. Chase Field did play host to the 2001 World Series. This was the first time (after 9/11) that everyone (except me!) was actually cheering for the New York Yankees. The Diamondbacks ruined the party though with this memorable ending...

Arizona scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat Mariano Rivera and the Yankees 3-2. Great game and world series and one of the first I was able to watch that actually finished in November!

The Diamondbacks have not been the same since and even though they have changed the logo and colors...

So why is Chase Field down at 27:
1) No one cares! I understand that it was a Wednesday night in the dead of summer and the Marlins were the opponent but you could hear a pin drop in that stadium!

2) It did not have anything special going on... I get that there is a pool in RF, that is cool but that's it?

3) Fan amenities are on the downside... I was not appealed or excited by being out there.

4) Not much in the surrounding areas of the stadium in Phoenix

The Marlins did beat the Diamondbacks 2-1 that night thanks to a 2 out 2 run Home Run by Marcell Ozuna in the ninth. If you listen really hard you can hear three fools screaming like idiots in the background.

Next up: Thank goodness they are tearing this one down soon....

Stadium 28: The Skydome and baseball in Canada

This is part 3 in a thirty part series:

Baseball in Canada seems like something that could be written about for days and days but amazingly really has very little to detail. MLB came to Canada in 1969. The Montreal Expos were named after L'exposition or the 1969 Worlds Fair which was in Montreal. They played in L'estadium Olympique.

 

Baseball was actually beloved in Canada and the fans really got behind their Expos! Then 1994 came around. The infamous baseball strike that almost ruined the game of baseball in the USA actually ruined it in Quebec. See, this was the year that the Expos had the best team in baseball. The Expos had a genuine chance to win the World Series and people were excited!....Until the strike kicked in. No more games were played after July, and more importantly the World Series was not played that year. 

Attendance dwindled and apathy set in.... Jeffrey Loria....YES that Jeffrey Loria bought the team in 1999 and failed to build a new stadium and failed to get English TV rights in Montreal which meant the Expos were not even on TV! At the end, the Expos were bought by MLB in 2002 and were forced to play 20 "home" games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. MLB tried to eliminate the Expos but eventually sold and moved them to Washington were they became the Washington Nationals. It really is a sad story... L'Expos de Montreal.

Toronto Blue Jays:

The Toronto Blue Jays began playing in 1977 and have played in the Skydome since 1989, which is now called the Rogers Centre. They have not had such a sour history like the Expos. The Blue Jays won the 1992 and 1993 World Series. (Of course they beat the Braves!) The stadium is also located in downtown and right next to the famous CN tower, home of the highest freewalk in the world. 

Rogers Centre and CN Tower 

The Skydome Rogers Centre comes in at number 28 on my list for so many reasons.

1) One thing is to have everything in Canadian dollars....it's another to charge 11.25 for a beer at the park! I do not care that 19 years olds can drink! Come on!

2) If the roof is open you get to see one thing and one thing only in the skyline...

That would be nothing.... You see the CN Tower because you look up and its there.

3) Everything is in Metres (Yes British spelling)

4) Astroturf....God its 2015

5) It just does not feel right especially seeing this...

After I bought his jersey...I should of known that the guy who tanked the Expos would sell off everyone

It is cool that I was able to use my passport on this excursion but it sadly wasn't to see a great venue for baseball....

Next up: Baseball in the desert.

Stadium 29: The Metrodome

Now Minneapolis is a great city and the Metrodome had one of the most amazing World Series in 1991 (and some say the best World Series ever) when the Twins defeated the Atlanta Braves in both game 6 and game 7 on walk off hits in Extra Innings. The home team won every single game in that series but it is known for one of the most famous calls in baseball history when Kirby Puckett did this in the 11th inning

"We will see you tomorrow night"

Not to be outdone but game 7 was the ultimate pitchers duel in which Jack Morris pitched 10 shutout innings.... YES 10...no one does that anymore. Finally, the Twins got on the board in the bottom of the tenth to win this magical world series and start labeling the Atlanta Braves as the ultimate tease....

"The Twins are going to win the World Series"

The Twins also won the World Series in 1987 but this World Series definitely topped it.

Sadly the Metrodome grew old and started falling apart and the "Big Hanky" started phasing itself out of existence, first with the Twins in 2009 and then the Vikings moved on in 2013. The Twins built themselves a beautiful outdoor facility and moved to Target Field in 2010. Of course my timing was impeccable, and I went to the Metrodome in 2009 while they were counting down the days they had left in there... 

It is hard to be a fan of indoor roofed baseball....you have to have some sightlines and views of the city to be considered higher on this list...When your excitement is brought in by really loud speakers on the big hanky on the roof... We have issues...

The Metrodome had its moments but at that point in 2009, it was done and a few years later it really showed its age when snow made the roof collapse... Also it had revolving doors when you walked in to the stadium which was weird because it felt like you were being sucked in and out of the stadium every time you walked through those doors... The Metrodome falls in at 29 and let it RIP with its amazing memories of 1991...

Next up: Baseball in a country that just does not get it...

Because the #Marlins are bad.... Ranking of stadiums!!!

Well the #Marlins lost again....

I mean you can blame it on injuries or poor ownership or I do not know honestly.... It was the year no one expected.... I mean we can look forward to an all-star game in 2017 which actually means our ownership won't sell until after it... DAMMIT!

Ugh this guy..... 

Ugh so since the season is officially a lost cause and hopefully they trade Dan Haren and Matt Latos away because YES IT MAKES BASEBALL SENSE!!!!! I will tell you that this summer I reached a life goal of seeing every single MLB baseball stadium currently in use... All 30 +2 because Minnesota and Miami got slick on me so I will rank them all from 1-32 because I'm bored and as a teacher in the summer....why not?

I'll start with 30, 31, and 32  because its the nice thing to do. Remember it is only my opinion and you can tell me different ONLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE!

Stadium 32: Tropicana Field....

God this place.... It was one of the first stadiums I saw a game in live and definitely didn't know better but now that I have seen them all... first location....

St. Petersburg.... It is impossible to get to you...seriously takes hours of transit time to get to you and traffic. Oh hell no.... and then you arrive to this.

A half ass slanted building.... where balls always hit the roof...ALWAYS...and do not get me started on the cowbells, this isn't a Mississippi State football game. I know I am cheering for the Marlins but if they are up by ten runs; stop ringing the damn cowbell in my ear!! They did have an actual Ray tank which is their one redeeming quality but it sucks in there...  It does not feel like baseball.... not once not ever...

31: O.co Colliseum

What can I say nice about this place that makes it better than Tropicana Field. They care about their team... They do! The atmosphere shows that they love the A's but it does feel like the home of the Raiders... It is outrageously spacious in just a horrible part of town. I can not say one thing about Oakland and feel safe saying it.... I might get mugged just typing this.... The only positive is that the BART station is walking distance to the stadium and by walking I mean you can avoid Oakland.... 

They are hoping to build a new stadium but it is tough because San Jose is their best option which infringes on San Francisco territory.... Those two teams want new stadiums and thus are perfect for the bottom of the list....

30: Sun Life Stadium:

I miss one thing and one thing only about that place....doubleheaders...I  went to the last three doubleheaders because in my life there is nothing cooler than two games for the price of one! I even went to one that started at 5 pm and had the second game go 13 innings and finish at 2 am!! It was home for my Florida Marlins but it sucked... The location was horrendous and they had games like these...

Nothing like a weekday 12 o'clock game in April May or September were no one even could drive all the way to Miami Gardens, pay ten dollars to park and sick in the blistering sun to see a mediocre team play baseball!... And once they knew they were moving to Marlins park they stopped even doing repairs on the place.... The Teal Monster has so many broken lights... What a joke. It was home though and that is why I will be biased and put it at 30.... It did see the 1997 and 2003 World Series too and had the most ever fans in a World Series game and will always hold that record....

Next up: Later today...Another stadium that no longer exists...

Giancarlo is a beast

I don't see how you missed it.... but if you did.... Giancarlo hit a monster dong OUT of Dodger stadium Tuesday night....

Only 5 balls have ever left Dodger stadium and now Giancarlo is responsible for one of them.467 feet at a speed of 115 MPH.

Too bad the Marlins gave up 21 hits that night... 21!!

It was all better Wednesday night as Dee Gordon went 4-5, lifted his average to a whopping .426 and Steve Cishek AJ Ramos got the save for the Marlins in a 5-4 victory. Defensive play of the night...

Ufffffff! Hechavarria, even though the metrics still believe that he is atrocious, continues to make stellar plays on the field.

Day off Thursday, Bring on the reeling Braves over the weekend....

New closer, new beginnings....

The end of the line for Steve Cishek

I held myself.... Oh God did I hold myself back after Sunday's game in San Francisco. Our lovely "closer" blew another one in San Francisco by walking in the tying run and later getting the loss. I held myself back.

Let us move to Monday night....a game I did not expect them to win against the team with the best record in the NL who is 13-2 at home with a stud in Greinke on the mound. I would of been ok with a 2-1 loss in the ninth but Yelich hits the home run, they take the lead and hey we might win this game!

Then you remember that you are on the road and your "closer" has to come into the game... Twitter will help me the rest of the way

I said my prayers....I held my breathe and got on the ride hoping for a different result.

He gets an out.... you remember he did the same yesterday

Then the base on balls and you remember why you said the prayers.

Eithier gets a hit and your heart sinks because you know....Take him out you think...

Too late. Van Slyke home run ball game 5-3 loss.... THE FUCK!

Then twitter explodes...Lets analyze some of these because #Marlinsnation is never this upset!

Hard to argue with those points...

That is actually very true... I wish my job was simply to get three outs...

Ouch....

 Gosh don't remind me of those names.... nightmares! Also who can not forget the 6 finger fastball of Antonio Alfonseca in that bunch....

OMG that is Redmond! He supports bad closers then and NOW!

But ladies and gentlemen the good news is here as the writing is now on the wall...

The life of a closer is delicate...and a bad stretch could relegate you first out of the role of closer and next thing you know you are a middle reliever in Myrtle Beach pitching for the Mermen

But don't worry Val Reyes still has your back Cishek....

(Leave Britney alone)

Too bad she is the only person with your back

The end is here for Steve Cishek as our closer and it was fun while it lasted. Now he can join Heath Bell on the list of names that make us cringe

SO LONG CISHEK

Fan Graphs and last nights game.

The Marlins won last night in what I would call the way they don't teach you to win a game and the image above brought to you by fangraphs.com is a great tool to see where the odds of the Marlins winning were at during any point of the game. The lower the line the better the odds were for the Marlins to win....

I want to harp more on the later innings especially after the Bryan Morris collapse of Monday night.

Bottom of the 7th with the score 2-1
Lead off walk to Wilson Ramos. According to fan graphs, that run scores 38 percent of the time and that little spike in the middle of the 7th shows the odds going down (up).
After one out Latos walks Uggla and we are now back at bad odds but Nick Masset comes in to the game and finishes off the 7th with a nifty play by Flash Gordon.

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/8878534/v102752483

Bottom of the 8th with the score 2-1
Lead off walk to Denard Span a speedster. Again another 38 percent chance of scoring on base for the Nationals. Again the Marlins find a way to get out of the inning. This Houdini act....

Bottom of the 9th and Cishek in with score 2-1
Almost a lead off walk but a bloop single (it happens) but then the error by Hechavarria and its 1st and 2nd with no outs. Fan Graphs shows that spike there and actually had the game as a coin flip at that point! Thank goodness Dan Uggla can't bunt (or hit) and provided a perfect bunt to get an out at 3. At least he can cook a steak though!

Steve Cishek then turns into the Cishek of old and strikes out the last two batters to win the game... How do you even pull that one out of your butt Marlins?? I do not know but I am not offended. Marlins win 2-1, Latos gets his first Marlins win with his tattoos and weird hair cut, but I just saw his wife.... I will no longer make fun of him... Dallas Latos. That is all I have to say... 

Dallas Latos...

Rubber match today at 1:05... day baseball!