Bonus stadium guidelines
Here are some interesting/funny things I found while scouring every team’s stadium guidelines for my previous post…
• The Blue Jays host an annual sleepover that includes dinner at night, breakfast in the morning, autographs from the players and baseball movies on the big screen. I think the White Sox have done this too and this is another idea I would fully endorse in Seattle.
• The Blue Jays specifically prohibit gang colors.
In cooperation with the Toronto Police Service, guests wearing known gang clothing and/or colours will not be permitted into Rogers Centre. Guests will be automatically asked to leave the premises, as noted on signs posted at gate entrances.
• The Brewers don’t allow “tube chip cans” in the stadium. However, at Coors Field, “potato chip or nut cardboard cans with metal tops or bottoms†are specifically permitted.
• Costumes are not allowed at Wrigley Field
• The Yankees don’t allow laptops in the stadium.
• Phillies banner/sign restrictions are hilarious…
a. Recognizing that Citizens Bank Park is a baseball ballpark and not a forum for public discussion, messages on banners and signs may relate solely to one or more of the following subjects, without any unrelated collateral content whatsoever: (i) the game and institution of major league baseball; (ii) a major league baseball team; (iii) the on-field activities and performance of a major league baseball player, coach or manager; (iv) the acts or omissions of the management and other non-player employees of a major league baseball organization, but only to the extent that such acts or omissions may relate to or affect its team’s on- field activities and performance; (v) the entity broadcasting a baseball game played at the ballpark and the acts or omissions of the announcers in doing so; and (vi) fans’ birthday, engagement, wedding, anniversary, get well, welcome home, congratulations or like messages.
b. Additionally, banners and signs may not bear a message that (i) is slanderous, (ii) is obscene, vulgar or indecent and inappropriate for viewing by children, (iii) contains “fighting words” likely to provoke a breach of the peace, (iv) contains commercial advertising or commercial product or service identification, or (v) contains derogatory matter relating to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical handicap, marital status, or age.
Fighting words? Ha!
• Also, the Phillies ballgirls have their own Web site and blog.
• When a Pirate hits a home run at PNC Park, fans have the option to return the ball to an usher in exchange for an autographed baseball (mailed to them) signed by the Pirate that hit the home run.
• The Pirates laid out the guidelines for in-game replays:
Major League Baseball rules the following may not be shown: pitched balls not put into play (called balls and strikes), force plays at second base, “bean” balls and fights/arguments. Close plays may be shown once and only at regular speed.
• I’ll take “Things I Never Would Have Guessed†for $1,000, Alex.
Ebbets Field was an influence for Tropicana Field. The ballpark’s grand, eight-story-high rotunda entrance is designed from the very blueprints used for the rotunda at Ebbets Field, built in 1913.
Kim Ng on public radio
For your enjoyment, not wholly baseball-related. Thanks to DMK for the pointer.
10/9 news roundup
Stone again with some great quotes … Stone and Baker profile 13 candidates …Â Hickey on the M’s interviewing Ng.
Target-rich environment
There are so many quotes in this MLB.com interview with Chuck Armstrong that made me wince that I don’t know where to start pulling them.
– trusts his own instincts and decision-making
– believes best person to hire new GM is himself
– wants to return to collaborative management, like they had in the good old days (presumably, this means collaborating with Lincoln/Armstrong)
– says he invites dissent and apparantly feels the M’s have done this in the past
I’ve really been trying not to get too depressed or whatever when I read stuff like this, but the temptation to read every quote in the most negative way possible is almost irresistable.
On the interview and Ng
We’ve written a lot about Kim Ng here in the past, and I’m indisposed, so I’m going to skip the recap. And I’m going to also skip the other issue about her candidacy* and say this:
Ng doesn’t do much in the way of publicity, so you’re very likely not going to hear a ton about her as the team does their interviews and whatnot. I will bet big money that she will rock those interviews. The team clearly intends to ask candidates a lot of questions about what they’d do in different situations, how they’d build the team, and so on (which is going to be a huge improvement over the last time they did this). And while (as previously expressed) I don’t know that Ng’s at the cutting edge of GM technology in the way we do know that (say) Antonetti is, in part because of the previously-mentioned press aversion, I guarantee that there will be no interview question she won’t be prepared for. If they ask her what they should do about Bloomquist, she’s going to tell them Bloomquist should be about #100 on a Top #100 Offseason Question list, and then she’ll tell them why, and Armstrong and Lincoln will probably stare, remember to close their mouths, and then have to decide whether that feeling is fright or excitement.
Sometimes that wins jobs even when the candidate goes in low on odds. Ricciardi got his job that way. Ng could be next.
Red hot handicapping update
A semi-random gauge of who’s likely to get the job. Based on current press coverage, rumors, substantiated and un, educated guesses, and so on. We claim no insight into front office machinations. Please, no wagering.
A brief step back from my standard odds-posting without commentary. Stone’s story, as you’d expect, changes the odds a lot: DiPoto, who’d been included in a group that lost traction the longer they went on without being mentioned, goes back up. Tony Bernazard, who we hadn’t heard a peep about, goes from “field” to a significant chance. LaCava, Woodfork, and Ng, who we’ve been talking about forever, get their chances vindicated. I’m relucant to give up on Hahn, who was briefly the hot rumor and someone the M’s were seriously pursuing. And yet, we give Larry an official USSM Endorsement every year for good reason, so you see why this gets well-shaken.
I’ll give some brief thoughts on who this means and for what when I have a chance, which may not happen. Anyway!
| Who (links) | Percent |
| LaCava (1, 2) | 25% |
| Ng (1, 2) | 20% |
| Woodfork | 20% |
| Tony Bernazard | 14% |
| Jerry DiPoto | 14% |
| Hahn (1) | 5% |
| Pelekoudas | 1% |
| Bulk candidates | |
| Field | 1% |
For names and brief resumes, check our potential GM candidates post.
“Field” is everyone not listed. Field includes: Avila, Evans, Hinch, Hoyer, Evans, Forst, Jennings, White.
10/8 news roundup
Larry Stone on the GM search.
In search of a replacement for Bill Bavasi, who was fired June 16, the Mariners will interview Peter Woodfork, Arizona’s assistant general manager; Jerry DiPoto, Arizona’s director of player personnel; Tony Bernazard, New York Mets vice president of player development; Kim Ng, Los Angeles Dodgers assistant general manager; and Tony LaCava, Toronto Blue Jays assistant general manager.
Also, Joe Cowley at the Chicago Sun-Times spectulates that Joey Cora could be the next M’s manager.
The Seattle Mariners have Sox bench coach Joey Cora atop their managerial list. Cora is a huge figure in the Northwest, and now that the Sox are done for the year, the interview process will begin.
You’ll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes
This is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea. (Hat tip to Gaslamp Ball)
Discussion topics…
• What’s your favorite baseball movie?
• If this comes out, will you see it?
Scraps
From the Improving Safeco thread:
Long time commenter scraps has had a stroke. You can learn more details at:
Our best wishes are with scraps and those close to him. Come back soon.
Improving Safeco
Derek wrote the other day about improvements he’d like to see to the pregame show so, in that same vein, here are a few improvements I’d like to see made at Safeco Field…
Go green
Several teams have recently started to make their stadiums more environmentally friendly but, surprisingly, the M’s aren’t one of them. I know they do a great job at recycling but that’s not enough. The Pirates recently launched a great program that includes an emphasis on recycling, printing team materials with soy-based ink, converting their cooking oil into bio diesel, installing motion sensors for lights in the offices, eliminating all Styrofoam, and making all U.S.-based scouts drive Chevy fuel flex vehicles. The Red Sox and Giants recently installed (or plan to install) solar panels, the Mets new park is being built with recycled concrete and steel and the A’s have converted to corn-based beer cups that can be composted. Even minor league teams are going green. Baseball America reported last year that the Lake Elsinore Storm would conserve a million gallons of water every year by simply installing flushless urinals.Â