tiger337

I think if Cabrera only DHed, he could stay fresh and also concentrate on staying limber between at bats. Playing in the field can take a lot out of big guy like Cabrera as he gets older. As Gehringer pointed out though, the most important thing for him regardless of where he plays is probably conditioning.

I am more bothered by the hypocrisy of it than the idea that it may lead to players betting on games. I don't know whether it would or not. Nothing about the rule makes it easier to bet on games, but the culture has changed. It seems to me that the culture has changed (at some point, not necessarily November, 2018) from one of gambling is taboo to gambling is part of the economics of the game. I see that as a significant change regardless of whether other sports were quicker to embrace gambling. I don't necessarily agree that high salaries make gambling less likely because it's all relative.. Increase the stakes enough and someone might be tempted. I do agree it would be more difficult to fix a game in baseball that other sports. Maybe a pitcher could do it, but it would still be hard to conceal it.

My topics seem to be ruffling some feathers lately. Not my intention. I'll try a new one: https://nypost.com/2019/03/05/mlb-nears-deal-for-26-man-roster-in-2020-other-rule-tweaks/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site buttons&utm_campaign=site buttons Rosters will be expanding to 26 (max of 13 pitchers). Rosters will be limited to 28 in September. The September limit surprises me a bit since I thought players wouldn't agree to it.

Your creativity stuns me.

It sucked.

I don't use that term, so I had to look it up. It didn't fit what I was saying. If you think it did, then fine. I don't care.

It was a big part of the culture of baseball for a long time.

Just seven?

Sure, but baseball has taken a non-gambling stance for decades. They even banned two iconic stars - Mays and Mantle - simply for appearing at casinos as greeters and autograph signers.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2017/11/09/the-3-richest-americans-hold-more-wealth-than-bottom-50-of-country-study-finds/#45185bcd3cf8

The position players seem locked in. I have been assuming they would carry 13 pitchers. I don't think the bullpen is set simply because it's the nature of bullpens not to be set. I can see someone like Alcantara not making the cut and they night decide that Garret is not what they thought. There always seems to be a surprise or two at the end of spring training.

It's not pearl clutching. I have long been well aware that sports is all about money just like everything else in the world. I am not at all surprised about baseball's obvious hypocrisy about gambling. I liked baseball's past anti-gambling stance even though I knew they would leave it once they could profit from gambling. They deserve to be called out for their hypocrisy. And I do think the association with gambling has the potential to change the culture. I don't know if it will or not. I would be shocked if there weren't already a good number of games being fixed in sports. I don't care if everybody is associated with gambling. I am anti-gambling because it feeds off people's addictions. I will never be an advocate of businesses taking advantage of people's addictions.

I think these kinds of things happen by osmosis over a long period of time. Nothing about the move leads directly to fixing games, but I think it could change the culture of the game in a subtle way. I think the sport would be better off if they continued to treat gambling as a taboo.

Not directly, but it sends a message that MLB is OK with gambling. This could lead to players/managers/umpires having a more cavalier attitude towards gambling. I see it as similar to the steroids problem. MLB didn't tell players to take steroids, but they turned a blind eye towards it. So, why not take a chance?

I am similarly opposed.