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What If Baseball Had A Scandal And America Didn’t Care?

The existential crisis for Rob Manfred isn’t that pitchers are using illegal substances and deadening offenses to all-time impotence — it’s that fans aren’t talking about it, in a troubled sport teetering on apathy

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What’s sad is, no one cares anymore. The nation’s baseball aficionados, assuming any are left, are so numb to the death march of scandals in their sport — electronic sign-stealing, steroids, tanking — that they’ve come to accept cheating as an existential evil and the commissioner and owners as complicit, impervious, TV-money-hoarding hustlers.

So when weeks and months pass — actually, years — before the sport’s foggy leadership acknowledges that pitchers have emasculated batters by blatantly lathering balls with foreign substances, any fan still awake just shrugs and murmurs, “Buy me some peanuts and Pelican Grip.”

grip_dip2
Courtesy WhatProsWear

Faced with a labor impasse that could lead to a crippling work stoppage, Major League Baseball has responded with a season so lifeless and soporific that we’re almost begging for the games to fade away. Thanks largely to the illegal sticky goo, which allows pitchers to increase spin rates and reduce a hitter’s chances of making even scant contact, an already sluggish sport has devolved into a hit-challenged, action-less slog. So-called commissioner Rob Manfred has known about these crimes, just as he knew about sign-stealing and just as predecessor Bud Selig knew about performance-enhancing drugs. Yet Manfred moved at a typically plodding pace, chatting privately with the Players Association while strikeout rates soared to an all-time high, batting averages plummeted to record lows and an unfathomable six no-hitters were pitched in a six-week period.

This unwatchable trudge couldn’t have come at a worse time. With MLB ever-desperate to woo young people and retain future attention spans in a post-pandemic world, the industry never has been less relevant in America’s sporting calendar. The NBA adjusted its season so the Finals end in mid-to-late July, as the almighty NFL and its predominant storylines heat up and the Tokyo Olympics begin, however perilously. Which means baseball, for the first time, won’t have a single month in 2021 when it is front and center in our sights. Will anybody even notice when the collective bargaining agreement expires?

If nothing else, athletic competition must be governed by integrity. Why would a consumer, with so many entertainment choices, waste time, money and energy on a sport so relentlessly dishonest? It’s mind-boggling that it took an unlikely character — the oft-mocked country singer, Joe West — to shine light on the epidemic of glue, pine tar and dipping. Enforcing rule 6.02c, the veteran umpire exerted his power on May 26 and confiscated the sunscreen-and-rosin-rubbed cap of Cardinals pitcher Giovanny Gallegos.

It led Cardinals manager Mike Shildt to throw the tantrum that finally prompted deep discussion and change. “This is baseball’s dirty little secret,” said Shildt, protecting his pitcher. “Let’s go check the guys that are sitting there going into their glove every day with filthy stuff coming out, not some guy before he even steps on the mound with a spot on his hat.” Naturally, the commish wasn’t happy that a mere ump had stepped in and taken initiative, but if not for West, there wouldn’t have been a reckoning the last two weeks that led to a long-overdue response: With the aid of the same video technology that sabotaged baseball — how’s it going, Astros? — umpires will be required to inspect all pitchers for substances throughout games.

There could be as many as 10 random checks a game, reports ESPN, and starting pitchers will be checked at least two times per start. And while the Players Association will pounce with grievances, MLB is prepared to hammer cheating hurlers with 10-day suspensions without pay. Yes, the average length of games — which only has crawled the wrong way under Manfred — will be a bigger problem. And I’d feel better if suspensions were for 21 days and not 10 days, which makes it a one-start punishment for a starter. But beginning next week, at long last, Manfred is ready to take action and try to solve the latest disgrace on his watch.

What took him so long? Is he so intimidated by the union, not wanting to sever whatever CBA-negotiating thread remains, that he allowed a season to be swallowed by substance-induced spin rates? Was he not listening to the complaints, which started as whispers and mushroomed into open protests, from clubhouses? Did he not read the recent Sports Illustrated expose? Just what does Manfred do every day, exactly, in his Park Avenue office?

“I think the substance issue is real,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said last month. “I think pitchers are using a lot more substances now than they have in the past. Not just a lot more, but it’s been more effective than it has been. Guys are increasing their spin rate. That’s why there’s so many walks and strikeouts every game because guys are just letting it rip with all the spin. It’s harder to control, but also harder to hit. I think if they cracked down on that, that would honestly help the offense a lot, get the ball in play more often, and less swing and miss.”

This time, Manfred can’t make the same short-sighted mistake and think players and managers eventually will police each other. They won’t. There always has been a little boys’ code, through the steroids and sign-stealing debacles, that says a team won’t snitch on another in fear of being snitched on in reprisal. The same wink-wink nonsense has existed in the Pelican Grip Era, and just because some pitchers are suspended — trust me, they won’t be the big names — doesn’t mean balls won’t be doctored.

The team to watch is in Los Angeles — and the pitcher to watch is the smart-ass in residency, Trevor Bauer. For all their resources as baseball’s leading bluebloods, the Dodgers have too much talent to cheat, one would think. Yet their staff spin rate in 2021 reflects the highest one-year increase in the majors, SI reports. And you’d be an idiot not to suspect Bauer as the Spin King of Spin City, knowing he has accused others of cheating while acknowledging spin rates as his own secret sauce. His spin numbers are up dramatically the past two seasons, which inspired the Dodgers to follow their first World Series title in 32 years by giving Bauer a $102 million deal for three seasons. Their top four starters — Bauer, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias — rank in the top nine of four-seam fastball spin rates.

What’s happening in your house there, Dave Roberts? Asked last week if his pitchers are using substances, the Dodgers manager said, “I don’t know. I don’t have those conversations. I really don’t know.”

Now that MLB is cracking down, Roberts is more interested in elaborating. “Once things are implemented, then we’ll adhere to the rules,” he said over the weekend. “That’s the way we all should look at it.”

All of which confirmed the credo of clubhouses since the mid-1990s: We’ll cheat until they catch us … and then, if we want, we’ll continue to cheat!

Of course, by the time Manfred tries to execute another clumsy plan, the sports world will be immersed in how the Brooklyn Nets are faring if James Harden has a bad hamstring. And whether Aaron Rodgers will report to the Packers or resume his hissy fit as another get-me-out-of-here control freak. And whether Jon Rahm — shame on the sports world for thinking COVID-19 is an afterthought — can recover from his positive test in time for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where Phil Mickelson awaits at his boyhood course. And whether Japan will be ravaged by the coronavirus when it still is recovering from a tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster.

Baseball should be petrified about mass apathy. In what should be viewed as another putrid scandal, on full media blast, it’s a faint blip in a niche sport. At least the game was interesting when we were enraged by steroids.

Kids don't play the Barry Bonds market – Orange County Register
Courtesy: Orange County Register

Now it’s only a sad, lonely country song, with Joe West on vocals.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Mike Milkyway

    June 7, 2021 at 9:44 am

    I think it just boils down to people having better entertainment options than watching out of touch athletes play a very boring game. Often pitches are spread out by 45 seconds to 90 seconds, the countless commercials, that terrible teams. Baseball was fun decades ago, but now youtube is more fun.

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BNM Writers

News is the Only Thing Missing From Election Coverage

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected?

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The first thought I had when I heard NBC had hired Ronna McDaniel as a commentator for $300,000 a year was to wonder how many actual journalists they could have hired for that money. Then, I recalled that NBC had laid off dozens of news staffers just a few months ago. Then, I remembered that I had just recently written a column decrying news organizations throwing pretty much anybody on the air as a “pundit” and this….

This was worse. It’s one thing to grab some rando who happened to be a minor functionary for the Executive Branch. It’s another to hire someone whose job was to promote election denialism and pretend that her opinion is something valuable for viewers. And, yes, it’s just as ridiculous when news organizations hire former presidential press secretaries (that’s you, Jen Psaki and Sean Spicer), their very jobs were to spin everything in their bosses’ favor and now you’re going to pay them big salaries for, um, what? Because they “have a name” or you’re afraid someone else will snap them up? Why them?

The McDaniel deal lasted five days, one completely unilluminating interview, and one unexpected Chuck Todd spine-growing outburst, so it’ll all blow over soon enough. The problem is, though, the part about having fired several news staffers, and what it means in an election year on both the national and local levels. If you have the money to hire an alleged pundit – any alleged pundit – you have the money to hire reporters, and I don’t mean anchors or opinion show hosts.

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected? Who’s probing Project 2025 and why isn’t it front-page, first-segment news? Who’s pressing the Biden administration on Gaza? Is anyone reporting on the candidates’ record on climate change?

Beyond prescription drug prices, is anyone digging into the broken healthcare system and demanding answers from the candidates about what they’ll do to fix it (and not letting Trump get away with “I’ll have a better plan, a beautiful plan” without a single specific detail, like they did in 2016)? Why didn’t anyone focus on, for example, the GOP candidate for governor of North Carolina and his incendiary past comments well before the primary?

Pundits are not going to do the legwork on the issues; they’ll just talk about swing states while John King and Steve Kornacki point at their touchscreen maps. We need reporting on the things that matter (and can affect that horse race, even if most people have made up their minds). It shouldn’t just be Pro Publica and scattered independent journalists doing the dirty work.

Honestly, I don’t want to hear the complaints about the quality of the candidates or how this is a rerun or any of that. (We’ll leave that to The New York Times.) We are a horribly underinformed electorate and we got the horse race we deserve. It might just be idealists like me who think that, just maybe, the news media can play a role in educating the public and bursting the bubbles and echo chambers. This country has survived and prospered for a few centuries with the press shining a light on injustice and corruption.

Now, when we need that most, they’re more concerned with what they think will bring them ratings and money (although someone will have to explain to me who thought having Ronna McDaniel as a paid commentator would draw a single viewer to NBC).

Here’s a thought: Don’t lay off reporters, especially in an election year.  Assign them to dig deep on issues that matter to the voters.

Let the pundits talk about that.

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BNM Writers

8 Ways to Take Your Commercials From Drab to Fab

Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials.

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Another reason to read this column, I often add an Easter egg. We are in the advertising business. Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials. Frequently, clients write these ads. You can excuse it if the spots suck. But when the commercials are written by Account Executives or the production department at the station, it is kind of unforgivable.

I am going to share the most meaningless phrases in commercials.

Locally Owned and Operated

Customers do not care. If customers cared about a business being locally owned and operated, Walmart would not exist. People want service, selection, and value. They do not want to get soaked. When you purchase something, are you willing to pay 20% for a local company? If you say yes, you are wrong. People want a deal.

The Phone Number

Doing 70 down the 405, John slammed on the brakes to write down the phone number for an amazing HVAC Company. That is not how it works people. HVAC companies rarely have or should have regular customers.

Normally, your AC is out. You call the HVAC Company that you are familiar with. Radio advertising allows people to have “TOMA”: Top of Mind Awareness. There are stats that show when a company is advertising on your radio station, their website shows an increase in traffic. When you needed a service for your home, you hit Google and choose the company that you’ve heard of. It’s that simple. I actually heard a commercial asking listeners to add a businesses phone number to their contact list. That is a moronic use of advertising real estate.

Street Addresses

“Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is located at 106 East Governors Drive in Peoria.” 

The people listening cannot process that detail. You could say “Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is on Governors Drive just off 10th in Peoria.” That is almost digestible. That creates a picture of where it is.

Trust me, people interested in prime rib will Google you and load the address in their navigation system. Spend that precious spot time selling the experience of the restaurant.

Always Using the Company Owner/Founder in Commercials

Sometimes, it is amazing when business owners are their spokesperson. They have passion and are natural salespeople. Some business owners are terrible at speaking about their product.

When you have a business owner who is a natural promoter, they can drag listeners into their business. I once worked with a family who owned a couple of hardware stores. They spoke about the benefits of visiting their stores. It was heartfelt and real. They promised that their employees can help solve any problem in your home. If you went to that store and had a simple or complex problem, the employees helped you out.

I once worked with a man who owned a really nice flooring company.  For whatever reason, he thought that he was funny. He had spots written by him, his wife, or a kid. The ads were dreadful. They were not funny at all. Account Executives need to talk these clients out of doing commercials like this. Nothing says wacky hijinks like flooring.

Overuse of Numbers

“We have grapes at 99 cents a pound, Chuck steak at $1.99, two-for-one zucchini.”

Trust me, no one driving in city traffic can keep track of that. “The 2025 Chevy Chevette is back with 45-mpg efficiency and amazing 18-inch tires. Prices start at $19,999…  The New Chevy Silverado starts at $32,999.”

It gets really confusing fast.

WWW.

Yes, I hear commercials saying check us on the internet at “W-W-W dot business name here dot com.”

WWW is assumed and not needed anymore unless you are running a Commadore-64 with the latest floppy disc technology.

Yellow Pages Ad

“Check out our new ad in the Yellow Pages!”

OMG, no one reads those damn things anymore. Most people born after 1960 just toss those suckers in the trash. There was a time when the Yellow Pages were the largest revenue generator in advertising. Yes, a book of ads. Like Facebook, without your buddy’s political, vacation, or food posts. It was just ads. Zero content.

I had stuffed salmon tonight that I engineered myself. I would make Sydney Sweeney quite the trophy husband. Set us up. Hey, I am single. It was not that long ago that you would hear a radio ad that promoted a coupon in the Sunday paper.

Well, that copy should be deader than a doornail.

Amateur Theater

A husband and wife discussing their lawn and how she heard about Telly’s Lawn Service from her friend Stacy. 

Those commercials are obviously contrived and not interesting at all. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open every commercial must have an attention-grabbing opener. “Totally Jammed…  The floor covered with the guest towels. Fearing the horrific consequences of another flush…  I did the right thing. I called ABC Plumbing. Quick service, a great price, and peace of mind.”

The next time that the plunger is failing to get the desired results, the listener of that commercial will identify with the very realist scenario.

We are in the advertising business. Use radio as it was meant.

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The Lost Art of Using Sound as a Springboard

Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

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Jon Stewart was the first guy to do it — take a politician’s words from the news of the day or week. Search his or her entire past and find a sound byte saying the exact opposite.

It became an art form – and a great way to keep people accountable.

Most radio operations don’t have the resources necessary to consistently do something like that, but truth be told, that kind of journalism isn’t really the point of this week’s column.

It’s an example of the simple power of sound. We need to use it more within our shows. Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable, and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

Speaking from experience, not doing it is lazy.

Doing it takes minimal effort and helps conversations tremendously – especially when it’s in real-time. I know. I’ve been there – missing opportunity after opportunity because I didn’t think of it, ask for help or just do it myself.

Put simply, good sound is a better springboard to a question than just a question.

Just the other day, I realized how well it works and how little I’ve been doing it.

Here’s what happened.

We have one particularly heated congressional race in our state. The Republican candidate is running for a second time after narrowly losing in 2022 in an election where Connecticut’s gubernatorial candidate from the same party got smoked, and the Republican presidential candidate lost the state as well.

This time around, there’s a struggling Democratic President with real doubts about the economy and the country’s standing in the world.

Put simply, the Democratic congressional incumbent has a massive task ahead to get re-elected.

On my show, I try to be consistently independent and be a place for both parties to appear with the expectation that the conversations will be fair and honest.

The Republican candidate came on the show earlier this month, and we went through a number of issues. Connecticut is a relatively strong Democratic stronghold, where the party controls the legislature, the Governor’s Mansion, and the entire congressional delegation.

Having said that, the largest voting block is unaffiliated, so appealing to independents is crucial for either side to win. I asked the Republican candidate twice about whether he will support Donald Trump, and both times, he equivocated. I asked the follow-up, we were on the record, so I moved on.

The following week, his opponent, the Democratic incumbent, was scheduled to appear on the show. Before her arrival, I realized the Trump Q&A should probably be replayed for her. Duh.

My producer found it, clipped it, and had it at the ready. I felt that I should have realized it sooner and not put some added strain on my partner’s morning routine. He was fine, but it definitely added unnecessary work within the show.

Lesson learned.

The sound byte worked well. I played it. She responded. We moved the story forward, and it was compelling – as you might imagine, the topic of Trump vs. Biden is pretty compelling these days.

By no means did it create a “wow” moment. That would be a little much. But it did make the show better, using the opponent’s own voice as opposed to my paraphrasing something. That lends credibility, not only to the topic but also to the show. He gave this important answer on our show, and she gave her response … on our show.

My final thought on this is that we (I) need to look for more places to utilize sound as a springboard to conversations, as opposed to simply raising the topic and discussing it. Maybe you’re already good at it and do it all the time, but this past week, I realized I need to push myself to do it more.

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