Frank: Winning two series athome was nice, but the fans were left with the taste of bitter Soup after the10-4 drubbing Sunday by the Mets.
Artie: You bring Jeff Suppanin with the game tied and what do you expect, Ken Macha? The Brewers justdropped Claudio Vargas from the roster, and they ought to ask him if he'd likea roommate making $12.5 million to share the expenses in oblivion.
Frank: Anyway, the last fourhome games got me thinking about something I saw recently at Citi Field, theMets' home.
Artie: Decent startingpitching?
Frank: That was true when Isaw them play the Yankees, but I'm referring to a message to fans that the teamputs on the scoreboard before the game. It's this: If you go to a concessionstand or bathroom during the game, "As a courtesy to other fans, pleasewait until an at-bat is completed" before returning to your seat.
Artie: Wow, a piece ofcommon-sense, common-courtesy advice in New York, the land of "Waddya gonna do aboutit?"
Frank: Every team should showthat message—repeatedly—because I can tell you from my observations last week,lots of fans don't show consideration.
Artie: I see it, too. Peopleseem completely unaware of what's going on in the game, so they head down therow with their beers and hot dogs while a play is going on. People in the rowhave to get up, people farther back lose sight of the field, and everyonemisses all or part of a play.
Frank: On Saturday nightRickie Weeks hit a triple—the most exciting play in baseball—and just as he wasrounding second a guy in the row ahead of me started going back to his seat. Ileaned and got a glimpse of Weeks reaching third, but everyone was distracted.Why couldn't the guy have waited in the aisle for three more seconds?
Artie: I'll tell you why.Because lots of people have no social awareness at public events anymore. It'slike they're watching the game the way they do at home, where they can get upand go to the kitchen whenever they please. Cripes, it's mind-boggling to methat people don't realize their actions affect others.
Frank: I'll give you two moreexamples. Last Thursday the Astros scored a run when Weeks ran down a grounderbut threw wildly past first. Just as the ball was hit, a woman came traipsingdown the row ahead of me and I lost sight of Weeks. But the worst was in lateApril against Pittsburgh.In the first inning, Ryan Braun was on first and Prince Fielder was up. Just asa pitch was coming in, several folks trooped into the row ahead of me. I heardthe crowd reaction as Fielder hit the ball, then more reaction to something,and when I finally saw the field again Braun was standing on third and Fielderwas in the dugout.
Artie: What had happened, ordid you ever find out?
Frank: Fielder grounded out tothe right side, and because the Pirates were overshifted in the infield Braunsaw that third base wasn't covered and just kept on going. An unusual play—andone I would have liked to see, if the arriving people had bothered to payattention and lingered in the aisle for a few more seconds.
Artie: This is my point. WhenI'm coming back from a beer run and I see a play in progress I stop. And oftenI crouch down to make sure people behind me can see, too.
Frank: Now, where did youlearn that habit? You must have been doing it since you were a kid.
Artie: I think it was whatpeople did at the ballpark in those days. But not anymore.
Frank: I'm not saying thatpeople are being deliberately rude. I think they just aren't watching what'sgoing on in the game—but they should. A little more awareness would produce alittle more courtesy and a lot less frustration for those who suddenly losetheir view of the field. Lord knows there's enough dead time between at-bats!
Going on the Clock
Artie: Hell, people might nothave to wait for the next at-bat. Just wait until a pitch is over—half the timeyou've got a good 30 seconds before the next one is flung.
Frank: As we've noted before,there is a major-league rule—Number 8.04—saying that with the bases empty, apitcher should deliver the ball within 12 seconds of receiving it back from thecatcher. Of course it's never enforced, and when men are on base or a foul ballis hit, everyone goes into slow motion. But did you see what the SoutheasternConference did last week in its baseball tournament?
Artie: Nope, didn't catch it.
Frank: The conferenceinstituted a "pitch clock," requiring pitchers to throw within 20seconds. If they exceeded the clock a ball could be called, and batterscouldn't back out of the box within 5 seconds of the limit.
Artie: Great idea! You thinkCommissioner Selig was watching?
Frank: SEC Commissioner MikeSlive said Sunday on ESPN that the league "saved about 15 minutes pergame" in the tournament and that fan reaction was terrific.
Artie: Gee, another bit ofcommon sense that should be commonplace in baseball, ain’a?
Frank: I remember that back inthe ’60s Charlie Finley had a 20-second clock installed at the stadium in Kansas City—not thatanyone in baseball took it seriously. And I remember that in the late ’90s,when there was a team called the Madison Black Wolf in the independent NorthernLeague, there was a 20-second clock at their games.
Artie: Every year or two Seligand his aides shake their fingers and say, "This time we're really, reallygonna do something to pick up the pace of games." And then nothing getsenforced.
Frank: A few months ago Seligappointed a special commission to make those kinds of recommendations. Let'shope they saw what the SEC did.
Turn a Cold Shoulder
Frank: So in 2014 the SuperBowl will be played "in New York,"which means in New Jerseyat the Giants/Jets stadium. Does that cold-weather commitment mean a LambeauField Super Bowl could be next?
Artie: That's a conversationnot worth having. There's no way it could happen.
Frank: Cities don't get theSuper Bowl because of their stadiums. They get it because they have zillions offancy hotel rooms and plenty of plush places where the corporate fat cats canparty.
Artie: Strike 1 and Strike 2for Green Bay.What, are the big shots gonna spend two weeks at the Oneida Casino, or limo-ingback and forth from Appleton?Dream on.
More Green and Gold
Frank: It's Celtics-Lakers inthe NBA Finals. Any rooting interest?
Artie: You betcha, for tworeasons. One, I can't abide anything involving L.A.,so I want Kobeto flop. And two, I really enjoy watching that Rajon Rondo play the point for Boston. He's a terrifictalent. Oh yeah, and three, because I like Ray Allen, who should still be aBuck. But one more thing: If basketball is being played in June, they should doit outdoors on concrete.
Frank: Gee, I thought you'djust say, "A pox on both those arrogant franchises."
Artie: What's more, I'm kindof interested in the Stanley Cup Finals between the Blackhawks and Flyers, if Ican remember what channel they're on. How about that? I've expressed aninterest in soccer on skates.
Frank: The real test comesnext week, when I try to get you interested in soccer on grass—namely, thefast-approaching World Cup.
Artie: Don't get your hopesup.
