Good afternoon, I hope all of my fellow baseball enjoyers are having the best days you can. I am a new account holder here on Tildes but I've been lurking for a bit, and would like to hear from folks on how and why you first started to get into baseball.

To get things started, my story may be a little different than some. Today baseball is the only sport I follow, but I didn't really grow up with it like many people do when they first become fans. I think I played one season of little league and my only real memories of that experience as a young person were sitting out in right field during practice and hoping no balls got hit my way, and sitting on a hot metal bench and chewing gum. I'm not sure that I ever got a hit.

Somewhat later on in life, when I was in grad school, I wanted to get back into following a sport solely for the reason of having something to talk about with folks in the mindless office jobs I was working in at the time to pay the bills. I settled on baseball because there were games every day for much of the year, and it seemed pretty intuitive to me to read a box score and get a sense of what happened in a game even if I didn't have time to watch.

But what team to follow, where I had no real allegiance to any growing up? I didn't want to be a fan of the Yankees or Mets, which would have been the logical choice given where my school and work were, because it felt like people who had been fans of those teams their whole lives would run circles around me, a baseball novice. So I essentially ran the 30 teams through a random number generator and ended up settling on the Texas Rangers by chance. Fortunately for me this was just prior to the Rangers' two world series teams in 2010 and 2011, and I've been hooked ever since (even if I might have some misgivings about franchise ownership... and the leadership of the state of Texas as a whole).

I would love to hear other folks' stories, and look forwards to the rest of the season. Thanks for your time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_FIFA_Women's_World_Cup

starts this Thursday, July 20th, and runs for the next month.

here is a schedule that will automatically convert match times to your local timezone:

https://www.espn.com/soccer/schedule/_/date/20230720/league/fifa.wwc

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who lives in Australia or NZ. what have the preparations been like? are you planning on attending any matches?

or, anyone who is travelling from other countries to attend - what has your experience been like?

I'll be watching on YouTube TV. it's one of the more expensive streaming options (currently 73 USD/mo) but I've used it for men's and women's world cups since 2018 (as well as several years of live & time-shifted American football). they've had one glitch in all that time, during a 2018 semi-final match, but otherwise it's been damn near perfect. I'd definitely recommend it if you can afford it.

please limit discussion of other streaming options to legal ones only - linking to pirate streams could get Tildes and Deimos into copyright trouble.

like probably a lot of people, I'll be time-shifting matches because I'm on the US west coast and many will be inconveniently timed (but you better believe I'll be awake at 3am on Sunday Aug 20th for the final)

to avoid spoiling matches for people who haven't seen them yet, please use <details> tags:

<details>
<summary>spoilers for Foo vs Bar match</summary>

wow I can't believe so-and-so scored 15 goals

</details>

turns into:

I know one of the things I'm going to miss the most at /r/baseball is the trade deadline discussions/trackers, so I figured I'd start one here. I probably won't be able to keep this up-to-date all the time, especially on deadline day, but I'll do my best. Please throw new rumors, discussion articles or transactions I've missed into the comments and I'll update the main post as I can.

July 31

August 1

Rumors and Discussions

July 31

Anyone watch Formula E? The 2022/2023 season, or Season 9, just ended in London.

Full Race Results

2022/2023 Season 9 Final Standings

Full, Final Standings

I missed most of the second half of the season, but at least caught the last race!

I was really hoping rookie Jake Hughes (Neom McLaren Formula E) would do well, but he turned out to be more of a quali driver; could never keep race pace. But he did finished 12th in the standings, ahead of his teammate, Rene Rast. I suppose that could be viewed as a solid first season.

Overall I've only been watching Formula E since about 2021, but it seemed like this year was less bumper cars than the last two. The poor racecraft definitely turned me off from the series at times.

Looking forward to Season 10!

I've been keeping a finger on the pulse of analytics & contract valuation in the NFL for the last few years (as a fan, not related to my profession). Anyone else who has been of fan of this is probably aware that we hit a pretty serious breaking point yesterday, as a handful of top-end RBs failed to reach deals with their respective teams resulting in them being franchise tagged. I was wondering what others thought about this whole fiasco.

My thoughts:

In one sense, this is simply effective roster management: RBs add little win probability by themselves (i.e., their production is largely a result of the offensive line and passing game), their age curve is poor (i.e., they're typically out of highly productive years by the end of their rookie deals), and they're easily replaced by rookie talent.

On the other hand, these guys take a beating to produce a product we all love. They spend some of their best years in the college system, where they do seem to add a lot of win probability, being totally uncompensated. They get to the NFL only to have their potential earnings suppressed by the rookie wage scale, then get franchise tagged guaranteeing they'll be SOL with respect to a deal with big fully-guaranteed cash.

What's the solution here? Assuming the draft is an efficient(-ish) market, adjusting the rookie pay scale for them will just cause teams to adjust their drafting behavior. Letting RBs arrive to the NFL sooner than everyone is something that the NCAA almost certainly won't allow without a vicious fight. Is there any hope for these guys?

edit: typos

I've been tasked with naming the Tildes Fantasy Football League. I am notoriously bad at naming things.

My only idea is "League of A-holes" because the first vlog post introducing Tildes, Deimos mentioned

Tildes will not be a victim of the paradox of tolerance; my philosophy is closer to "if your website's full of assholes, it's your fault".

But I don't really like it.

This is something I’ve thought about and I don’t think has gotten as much discussion as I figured it would. Who’s in line to take that second Mercedes seat if Lewis does decide to walk away?

I don’t think anyone in the junior program will go straight to Merc. Additionally, Red Bull are no gos in my opinion.

I think both Ferrari guys will do what they can to get out at this point. Slight lean to Leclerc because he does have his brilliant moments. I would have put money on Lando before Silverstone, but maybe he’s been convinced. I don’t think they’d take Alonso, Stroll isn’t going anywhere. I know Ocon used to be managed by Toto but I think he’s committed to Alpine. Gasly and Bottas haven’t been impressive enough since the start of 2022 to be in consideration, in my opinion. Ricciardo will need a hell of a rest of 2023 to be a contender. I highly doubt they’d go to Mick, could they potentially poach Albon from Williams and put Mick in his place? The story is Hulk was going to be their other driver way back when, has he done enough to be in the conversation?

My personal top three most likely is Leclerc, Albon, Norris. What do you think?

Surprised there wasn’t a topic already posted! What kind of motorsports do you all watch? What is your favorite?

Personally, I dabble in nearly everything four wheeled (two is not for me). However, my mains are F1, Indycar, IMSA, and WEC.

I got into F1 in 2018 and been a religious follower ever since. I became a Max fan as he was able to fight the Mercedes, kind of funny that now he’s in the annoyingly winning spot. I also pull for McLaren and the wife Williams, so we have a nice time watching the midfield with some banter every week.

I was very much casual Indycar, but making an effort this year. Palou seems to be just running off in the sunset Max style but I’m really hoping Grosjean can pull a win out. It looked so promising to start the year.

The endurance series are fun to watch too. I started to watch last year and it seems like I picked a perfect time with the Hypercar class coming into its own. Very excited to see who all comes into the class as time goes on!

I'm not a follower of the NFL, but I do love NCAA football. When I was a freshman in high school, two of the seniors on the team would come around and pep talk us before games and practice with us and such. As an underclassman, this grew into some degree of "idolizing" those guys. The following year, they both were accepted to Clemson, one of them with a football scholarship, the other playing as a walk on. For me, it was super cool to see those guys who were cool with me now on TV, playing for Dabo Swinney, and my fandom for the Clemson Tigers was born. Both graduated and moved on to real life, neither went on the play for the NFL or anything, but I never had a stronger reason to shift my loyalty to any other team afterwards, so they've remained my favorite NCAA football team ever since.

Who's your team, and what's your story?

Let's try out this subgroup!

I live in the Midwest, but I'm ~1hr from most rinks. I need to get better at all things hockey, but would love to not have to drive an hour each way and pay ~$20/hr for ice time.

What can I do to improve at home? I've heard of golf balls for handling and passing, but do you have any specific drills that you do? I convinced my wife to get a stick and practice passing with me which has helped A LOT. What do you folks do to practice shooting? What about off ice skating drills?

Videos, diagrams, and specifics would be very helpful.

Anyone following the Tour De France this year? I watched the documentary on Netflix a few weeks ago and loved it. I still don't fully understand how it all works, but I noticed it started today and decided to watch it for the first time.

I came here to see if there was a discussion thread. Since I don't see one I thought I would start one myself.

Anyone follow it? What are your thoughts this year? Anything I should know as a newbie?

Okay, this is a pretty simple question, but is Wembanyama actually going to be all that he's hyped up to be? I just feel like I've been burned before by this talk around a once in a generation talent (cough cough Ben Simmons, cough cough Zion Williamson). I really do like where he landed in San Antonio given their track record with developing big men in the past but I just don't know. I've seen his games in Europe and he looks great, but I worry about his durability. What do you all think?

Mookie Betts has been having another awesome year and is on pace to smash the personal season home run record he set last year.

While he had a few starts at second base last year, the Dodgers have also turned him into a utility player this year by regularly starting him at 2B and, to a lesser degree, short stop in addition to his usual RF (the choice every day comes down to a combination of who is healthy, who needs a day off, and how other line-up options are expected to fair against the opposing starter). Defensively, he’s been solid at those positions and ranks particularly well in OAA at 2B in addition to his usual Golden Glove outfield performance.

His season got me wondering about, who is the best utility player of all time? The Wikipedia article on utility players includes a number of notable ones, including guys that have played every position and guys who played multiple positions during at least one year they were all-stars, however most have average or below average offensive numbers.

Is there a widely considered greatest all-time utility player? If not, who would you nominate for the title?

Glad to see this new subgroup!

Trying to jump ship from Reddit after 16 years there. Been in and out of Tildes since it started and just realized there’s no baseball discussion at all, and coincidentally Deimos just added this subgroup!

Hope we can get some activity going in here. Highlights, stats, prospects, team discussion etc.

Go Dodgers!

Under lighting strike delay for 30 minutes, then started to on/off drizzling rain, hopefully we get the race in today!? Upside though, Cole Custer (Ford Mustang) in 1st place, if you're a Ford person like I am ya gotta be loving it!

UPDATE -

NASCAR has canceled the rest of the race do to rain and possibly more lighting strikes until 11AM (ET) tomorrow 7/2 on USA Network

Here, I am asking you to talk about the sports you love. They may be either obscure or popular and well-known. What is their place in your life? Have you practiced those sports, or are you simply a fan and an expectator? What people don't get about the sport you love? What are some common misconceptions you would like to dispel? How would you convince someone to learn more about those sports?

So, I’m sitting at an airport lounge right now and the thing that is on the bar TV is golf. The (only) folks watching it are the most typical business folk you can imagine. Is golf just the modern version of polo (the ones with the horsies)? As someone who prefers to watch hockey and finds basketball and baseball to be less entertaining. Golf goes the extra distance of not just being uninteresting, but irritating by how snobbish it feels.

I’ll confess that I had a couple of drinks already so I’m a bit extra, but I’m genuinely curious if my take is wrong and I’m missing something.

Edit: another thought, will Millennials and Zoomers don’t embrace golf at all and golf resorts become a rarity in the future?

Welcome to the AEW Rampage discussion thread for June 16, 2023! We're coming to you this week from Washington D.C., following an action-packed Dynamite episode. Check out the chaotic and star-studded last 5 minutes here if you're considering giving AEW a shot!

MATCH CARD

Trios Match: United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Kyle Fletcher) vs. Best Friends/CHAOS (Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor & Rocky Romero)

The NJPW United Empire faction, led by Will Ospreay, is set to face off against Best Friends/CHAOS this week. Will Rocky, Trent?, and Chuckie T be able to withstand the powerful combination of Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, and Kyle Fletcher? Or will Ospreay's momentum going into Forbidden Door, coupled with the powerhouse Cobb, be enough to secure a victory?

Mixed Tag Team Match: Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal & Karen Jarrett vs. Mark Briscoe, Papa Briscoe & Aubrey Edwards

A unique mixed tag team match is on the cards, with the trio of Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, and Karen Jarrett squaring off against Mark Briscoe, Papa Briscoe, and AEW Referee Aubrey Edwards, who is making her in-ring debut. Can the Briscoes and Edwards pull off a win against their more seasoned opponents, or will Sonjay Dutt's gang of miscreants interfere to gain the upper hand?

Singles Match: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Bandido

'El Hijo del Don Callis' and Bandido are set for an explosive singles match. Each wrestler brings a unique style to the ring, and it will be a spectacle to see these two top-tier talents clash head-on.

Singles Match: Taya Valkyrie vs. Trish Adora

In a high-stakes singles match, D.C.'s own Trish Adora will face off against Taya Valkyrie. After failing to capture the title from Jade Cargill, Valkyrie seems to have set her sights on the new TBS Champion, Kris Statlander. As she looks to make a statement, this could be an excellent opportunity for Trish to show what she's capable of.

Additional Information

• Venue: Washington D.C.
• Airing On: TNT at 10pm Eastern

I don't know if I'll do this every week but I figured now is as good a time as any to start. With their new show AEW Collision premiering this Saturday on TNT at 8pm Eastern featuring the return of CM Punk, their upcoming Wembly Stadium All In PPV (which is their equivalent to Wrestlemania), and the Forbidden Door collaboration show with New Japan Pro Wrestling, there has never been a better time to jump into AEW. That being said, welcome to the very first AEW Dynamite tildes discussion thread for June 14, 2023! We're returning to the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., home of the very first episode of Dynamite that I was fortunate enough to attend.

MATCH CARD

World Title Eliminator: MJF vs Adam Cole

After a break from the spotlight, AEW World Champion MJF is stepping back into the ring to face Adam Cole in a high-stakes World title eliminator. Can Cole seize the moment to secure his title shot, or will MJF demonstrate the truth in his claims of a lack of competition?

Trios Match: Blackpool Combat Club vs The Hung Bucks

Riding the wave of their victory over The Elite at Double or Nothing 2023 PPV, the Blackpool Combat Club—made up of Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Wheeler Yuta—are set to square off once again against Hangman Adam Page and The Young Bucks. Can they replicate their previous success, or will The Hung Bucks turn the tables?

Women’s Title Match: Toni Storm (c) vs Skye Blue

In the first defense of her second reign, Toni Storm is up against Skye Blue, the current #1 contender after winning the 4 way last week. Will Skye Blue bring another upset and put an early end to Storm's first "non-interim" reign or will The Outcasts interfere as usual?

TNT Title Match: Wardlow (c) vs Jake Hager

Even as his feud with Christian Cage and Luchasaurus continues, Wardlow has issued an open challenge for his TNT Championship this week on Dynamite. Jake Hager has stepped up to the plate. Can he prove to be more than a practice match for Wardlow or will Wardlow get his win back from their MMA rules match a few years back?

8-man Tag Team Match: Mogul Embassy vs Sting, Darby Allin, Keith Lee, and Orange Cassidy

The Mogul Embassy, led by Swerve Strickland, is set to confront their rivals in a massive 8-man tag team match. Can they overcome the combined forces of Sting, Allin, Lee, and 'Freshly Squeezed' Orange Cassidy?

Additional Information

• Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington D.C.
• Airing Live On: TBS at 8pm Eastern Time

I've tried searching for wrestling tags on ~tv and ~sports a few times and haven't seen any posts. I wonder how many other people have done the same and have just given up when they saw there was no discussion.

Feel free to leave a comment here if you're a fan of any kind of wrestling. We can use this thread to gauge the audience. If other fans here see that there's enough interest, they might be more willing to drop some their own OC on tildes. When we get enough people here we can start making live discussions for the shows.

The 24 hours of Le Mans is about 6 hours in! Anyone watching? Thoughts?

Besides the hour-long safety car during the rain, it's been a lot of fun so far. It's my first year watching after getting into F1 and Indycar in the past few years and I'm having a blast.

This is probably bad form but here goes.

I have just posted about the Man vs Horse race that happens in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales on an annual basis and it got me to thinking, is it a UK idiosyncrasy to have silly sports or is it World wide?

Apart from Cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdKRx30s6sk) and Shin Kicking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rajJJaiEdPE) what other silly sports are there?

Do we have any football fans here that are following the Champions League? Who do you folks think will win?

For how successful Man City have been this year, I am hoping that they can secure the Treble. I still feel like Inter is going to give them a lot of issues.

I’m thinking a 2-1 win for City.

Anyone into SUP/iSUP? I got my iSUP about 3 years ago and use it all the time. It’s a big one, able to carry 400 lbs so my entire family gets on it and cruises around lakes and rivers sometimes. What does everyone else have?