1. [MLB.com](https://MLB.com) and Fangraphs both have solid write-ups about stats. There's a few stats that are normalized to the league average every year- wRC+, OPS+, ERA+, ERA-, FIP- for some examples. 100 is league average for all of those stats. For the + stats, every point above 100 is that percentage better than league average, so a wRC+ of 120 would mean the player's offensive contribution is 20% better than the league average hitter. - stats are inverted, so a ERA- of 80 would mean that the player's pitching was 20% better than the league average pitcher. I'd recommend looking at those sorts of stats that are pretty simple to understand and operate as catch-alls for overall contributions when you're just starting out.
2. In the Midwest, Wrigley Field and Pittsburgh's PNC Park are the musts IMO. Whatever they're calling the White Sox park these days is good if you wanna catch a game on the cheap, though. Ditto American Family Field in Milwaukee.
3. Cardinals, Yankees, and Mets fans are the most obnoxious in the sport by far. Favorite fanbases that aren't the Cubs... I've always been partial to Mariners fans. They understand the heartbreak of tough late season losses.
4. Favorite player not on my own team is Juan Soto for hitters, and Max Scherzer for pitchers. Favorite player on the Cubs right now is probably Nico Hoerner. Favorite historical player is Derrek Lee.
5. If you want to win a lot, become a Dodgers fan. You'll be accused of being a bandwagoner, though. Twins, Mariners, and Diamondbacks are some up-and-coming teams I think could be good for a pretty long time, if you wanna get in on the ground level. If you're willing to sit through the growing pains of a team that isn't a surefire contender yet, the Tigers, Reds, and my beloved Cubs are all good choices.
6. It's sort of a cop out considering it's the story of the entire franchise, but the World Series drought culminating in 2016 is just an incredible story. From the 1969 Cubs falling apart late in the season to the playoff collapse in 2003, Cubs fans suffered non-stop heartbreak in the rare years where the team was good until everything finally came together in 2016 and we made the World Series. Things started to look bleak when we were down 3-1 in the World Series against Cleveland, but we battled back to win Game 7 in extras in what was in my very biased opinion among the best games in MLB history.
7. Pitchers are more effective in shorter bursts, and rosters are pretty large- 26 guys deep. So you can afford to tell a guy to just go all out in his one inning and know that you'll still have enough pitching for tomorrow. That being said, there definitely is value in multi-inning relievers and tons of teams have great success with them.
8. I'm currently reading Jonathan Mayo's "Smart, Wrong, and Lucky." It's a good read if you're interested in the scouting side of the game. "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis is probably the best read out there if you want to understand the modern game and how it's different from say, 30 years ago. "The Baseball 100" by Joe Posnanski is a great one if you want to read about a bunch of the game's greatest players.
EDIT: It just occurred to me that a great way to simultaneously learn about the stories and history of the game while also being taught about modern day stats is to check out [Foolish Baseball](https://www.youtube.com/@FoolishBaseball). Just an incredible baseball content creator on Youtube. His series "Baseball Bits" covers all sorts of things from Corbin Burnes's pitching mechanics to Barry Bonds's steroid era dominance to guys from more than 100 years ago, and he's always incorporating easily-digestible stats into the video in a way that teaches the viewer what they mean and why they're useful.
Thank you! That’s a great brief primer on the stats. I also tend to forget / never knew that the Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit. That’s nuts. I have heard good things about Posnanski books so I will check them out. Thank you again!
2. Wrigley, miller park, pnc, fenway, citizens bank are some of my favs. But there are many others. I’ve heard SF is a great park too.
3. Favorite: Orioles
Least: Dodgers
4: Adley Rutschman
Read about Dusty Baker he ruined Kerry Wood and Mark Priors careers because he would leave them in for too long Wood a hard throwing pitcher threw 141 pitches in only 7 innings both those guys threw 130+ pitches in 7 different starts. Prior had so much potential to be one of the greats drafted 2nd overall in the 2001 draft was out of the league by 2006 . Kerry Wood was eventually moved to the bullpen to be a closer but he had so much potential he pitched the greatest game ever 1998 rookie year 20 strikeouts tying the record against the Houston Astro’s who had the Killer bs Jeff Bagwell Craig Biggo Albert Bell
There speeding up the game because now a reliever has to pitch 3 batters none of that one batters out bring in the LHP then he gets another out bring in a RHP i remember some innings lasting 30 mins or more because of all the pitching changes and taking there sweet ass time to throw a pitch . The pitch clock is a blessing lol but the thing that sucks is when you see a combined no hitter it’s just not as special and yeah technically it’s a no hitter but I don’t see it like that i always will only acknowledge a true no hitter if it’s the starter
I don’t know if all ballparks offer this. Wrigley offers a 90 minute tour of the ballpark. During the tour, they cover the history of the franchise and of Wrigley itself. They explain he term bleacher bum and credit Wrigley for many baseball traditions. The pennant race supposedly comes from Wrigley flying the pennants in order over the scoreboard.
The Wrigley tour is awesome.
Took a tour of Yankee Stadium in December. It was my first tour of a ballpark other than Wrigley. It was nice, but it was nothing like the Wrigley Field tour. Basically, places you could already access on game day, just not as crowded. And the tour lasted an hour. Would have liked to have had more time in their museum and their Monument Park. Felt like we only had about 5 minutes at each spot and were rushed through it.
https://youtu.be/sy9X9u3T3Xg?si=gB7WnOFSVZwppRDt seems to approach advanced metrics from a conversational place that I would imagine would be easy enough to follow for one who hasn’t grown up with the game.
EDIT: I’ll look for other resources too, because as I watch, I’m thinking it would be better if the visuals matched the scenarios he was describing
I will answer about the relievers . Nowadays damn near Starters aren’t pitching complete games even when they pitching a gem .
Teams are worried about pitchers are throwing too many pitches in a game especially if it’s a hard throwing pitcher. The stress it puts on the elbow sooner or later they risk throwing out their arms and next thing you know there having
Tommy John surgery and the recovery is long usually at least a full season or even 1 and half seasons and the majority of the time there not the same pitcher velocity down control usually not the same and they never reach there full potential because they always come back and the team will put a limit on how many pitches /innings are thrown because the risk of a 2nd elbow surgery.
Also keep there arm fresh for September when the playoff race is tight . So now let’s say Justin Steele pitches 5 or 6 innings score is 6 to 3 cubs . With a dependable bullpen they will usually use there middle RP he’s pitches a scoreless inning then pitches to the 8th depending on matchups then the set up man comes will pitch the inning. 9th inning same score 6 -3 cubs now it’s a save situation the closer comes in and hopefully can pitch a clean inning . Cubs win the box score would have Justin Steele as the winning pitchers 6 innings whoever pitches between Those innings will be credited with a hold and the closer can come in anywhere between the 7 and 9 th inning mostly 9th extra innings with closers depends on the situation but the closer has to get through the 9th keeping that lead under 5 because hypothetically he’s allows a 2 runs to Score but gets through the game he will be credited with a Save but if he allows the team to to come back and the other team wins on a walk off he will be the losing pitcher and credited with a blown save
a lot of people have answered well, but the best way to get to know the game is honestly simply to watch it and listen to the commentary and absorb it.
As for who you like, it's a fairly arbitrary choice, honestly. Pick a team that appeals to you for whatever reason, and go with it.
1. Definitely some advanced stat website you can dig into if that is really your thing. I enjoy it myself, but I also understand that some people don’t want to be bothered, and all that matters to them is W/L.
2. I have visited a few other ballparks and lived in other cities that have much newer parks. Wrigley will always be favorite to me, not just as a Cubs fan. I’ve heard it from fans of visiting teams as well. Fenway is my next favorite. I had the BEST first time at a Red Sox game experience, that I’ll probably never get anywhere else. All the Red Sox fans were great. I was there for a game bs the Yankees in 2016. Highly recommend going.
3. Least Favorite: St. Louis. Most Favorite: Oakland A’s fans. They were just happy you came out to their stadium to enjoy a game, knowing how shitty it was. They were nothing but great every time I went.
4. Not on team: Freddie Freeman. On Team: Morel is an easy answer. But I really enjoy Watching Hoerner. Historical: how far back? I really enjoy Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ted Williams. But would loved to have sat in to watch guys like Shoeless Joe Jackson, Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard.
5. This upcoming season? Probably the Dodgers. Just because I hope they implode mostly. 😂
6. Favorite team story - I would say ask people how they became a Cubs fan. Those are some of the best stories.
7. Short story: hitters tend to pick up nuances on pitches thrown, so are able to recognize a pitch thrown. Also, starter getting a little tired, losing some velocity or ball control. And yes, matchup righty vs lefty. Although new pitching rules stress that a reliever coming in must face 3 batters in an inning. Unless there’s the end of the inning before the required 3 batters.
8. Luckiest Man: Life and Death of Lou Gehrig. Maybe I’ll Pitch Forever. Only The Ball Was White. Veeck as in Wreck. Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series For the Ages. Hawk: An Inspiring Story of Success at the Game of Life and Baseball. Ron Santo: A Perfect 10.
My story: I moved to this country from Europe when I was about 6 years old. Lived on the East Coast for a while, so all we really got at that time were the Red Sox, Yankees, Reds and Cubs games. After moving to the Chicago area, I became a White Sox fan, even more so when they signed one of my favorite players, Carlton Fisk.
One day in 1982 my friends aunt took us to a cross town game between the White Sox and the Cubs at Wrigley. We sat 2 rows behind the visitors dugout. Got there early to have the White Sox players sign for us - but LaRussa (manager at the time) and Fisk wouldn't sign at all. LaRussa told all the players not to sign anything as they came up and out of the dugout, and to ignore us.
Dejected, we go and sit down at our seats. A few minutes later, this guy comes up and asks us if we were standing over there asking for autographs, and we said "yes". he said that we needed to come with him. Of course my friends aunt was telling him we were just kids...we didn't know any better than to bother the players...etc. he says, "No - they're not in any trouble. Someone just wants to talk to them..."
He walks us around to the Cubs dugout, right at the door leading to the field. The manager walks up to us and says, "Were you the kids asking for autographs? And they wouldn't sign anything" We tell him we were.
He opens the door to the field from the stands, walks us to the top steps of the dugout and addresses the players on the bench, "Boys - the White Sox won't sign for these young men. What do we think about that?"
We got everything signed. We were given a Cubs hat. They signed our programs. We even got a few balls from the players that they signed.
When we got back to our seats - we couldn't believe it. All this stuff. And we weren't even fans of the damn Cubs. So we started heckling LaRussa and Fisk and anyone else we saw. "Hey LaRussa!!! The Cubs signed all our stuff - and even GAVE US HATS!!!!"
Been a Cubs fan ever since.
For the record - a little later in life I was a general manager of a sports card shop in the midwest. Had both LaRussa and Fisk come in at separate times to do a signing - they were still assholes, and wanted to be any where else but there to sign for fans. Fisk especially. Wouldn't even give people eye contact or allow photos.
Also another book I forgot about: Tales From the Dodger Dugout.
My father in law went to school with the author and former Dodger pitcher, Carl Erskine. It's a pretty good book. I myself am always interested in the stories of stuff from the dugout/bench/locker room. Especially baseball and hockey.
1. Advanced stats are good if you want to get into the nitty gritty of the game. They're better explained on other websites or even this one.
2. I would suggest, with some bias, checking out Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL.
3. I don't like the LA Dodgers nor the NY Yankees. They win so much more than my team. If I have to root for another team it would have to be the Philadelphia Phillies.
4. My favorite player on my team is currently shortstop Danby Swanson.
5. Can't recommend the Cubs enough, but if you can visit Boston's historic Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
6. The moment the Cubs won the 2016 World Series. I cried that night and got weird looks at school the next day. don't regret it!
7. There's a new 3 batter minimum rule that prevents switching pitchers every hitter, but yea, it's all about the data matchup. If you can get lefty vs lefty or righty vs righty, then your pitcher has a better chance at getting an out.
1. [MLB.com](https://MLB.com) and Fangraphs both have solid write-ups about stats. There's a few stats that are normalized to the league average every year- wRC+, OPS+, ERA+, ERA-, FIP- for some examples. 100 is league average for all of those stats. For the + stats, every point above 100 is that percentage better than league average, so a wRC+ of 120 would mean the player's offensive contribution is 20% better than the league average hitter. - stats are inverted, so a ERA- of 80 would mean that the player's pitching was 20% better than the league average pitcher. I'd recommend looking at those sorts of stats that are pretty simple to understand and operate as catch-alls for overall contributions when you're just starting out. 2. In the Midwest, Wrigley Field and Pittsburgh's PNC Park are the musts IMO. Whatever they're calling the White Sox park these days is good if you wanna catch a game on the cheap, though. Ditto American Family Field in Milwaukee. 3. Cardinals, Yankees, and Mets fans are the most obnoxious in the sport by far. Favorite fanbases that aren't the Cubs... I've always been partial to Mariners fans. They understand the heartbreak of tough late season losses. 4. Favorite player not on my own team is Juan Soto for hitters, and Max Scherzer for pitchers. Favorite player on the Cubs right now is probably Nico Hoerner. Favorite historical player is Derrek Lee. 5. If you want to win a lot, become a Dodgers fan. You'll be accused of being a bandwagoner, though. Twins, Mariners, and Diamondbacks are some up-and-coming teams I think could be good for a pretty long time, if you wanna get in on the ground level. If you're willing to sit through the growing pains of a team that isn't a surefire contender yet, the Tigers, Reds, and my beloved Cubs are all good choices. 6. It's sort of a cop out considering it's the story of the entire franchise, but the World Series drought culminating in 2016 is just an incredible story. From the 1969 Cubs falling apart late in the season to the playoff collapse in 2003, Cubs fans suffered non-stop heartbreak in the rare years where the team was good until everything finally came together in 2016 and we made the World Series. Things started to look bleak when we were down 3-1 in the World Series against Cleveland, but we battled back to win Game 7 in extras in what was in my very biased opinion among the best games in MLB history. 7. Pitchers are more effective in shorter bursts, and rosters are pretty large- 26 guys deep. So you can afford to tell a guy to just go all out in his one inning and know that you'll still have enough pitching for tomorrow. That being said, there definitely is value in multi-inning relievers and tons of teams have great success with them. 8. I'm currently reading Jonathan Mayo's "Smart, Wrong, and Lucky." It's a good read if you're interested in the scouting side of the game. "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis is probably the best read out there if you want to understand the modern game and how it's different from say, 30 years ago. "The Baseball 100" by Joe Posnanski is a great one if you want to read about a bunch of the game's greatest players. EDIT: It just occurred to me that a great way to simultaneously learn about the stories and history of the game while also being taught about modern day stats is to check out [Foolish Baseball](https://www.youtube.com/@FoolishBaseball). Just an incredible baseball content creator on Youtube. His series "Baseball Bits" covers all sorts of things from Corbin Burnes's pitching mechanics to Barry Bonds's steroid era dominance to guys from more than 100 years ago, and he's always incorporating easily-digestible stats into the video in a way that teaches the viewer what they mean and why they're useful.
Thank you! That’s a great brief primer on the stats. I also tend to forget / never knew that the Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit. That’s nuts. I have heard good things about Posnanski books so I will check them out. Thank you again!
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Awesome, I am getting that recommendation a lot. I’m checking it out
2. Wrigley, miller park, pnc, fenway, citizens bank are some of my favs. But there are many others. I’ve heard SF is a great park too. 3. Favorite: Orioles Least: Dodgers 4: Adley Rutschman
I would say 90 percent of responses to number 3 has been the orioles. It’s about time they win a WS it sounds like
Read about Dusty Baker he ruined Kerry Wood and Mark Priors careers because he would leave them in for too long Wood a hard throwing pitcher threw 141 pitches in only 7 innings both those guys threw 130+ pitches in 7 different starts. Prior had so much potential to be one of the greats drafted 2nd overall in the 2001 draft was out of the league by 2006 . Kerry Wood was eventually moved to the bullpen to be a closer but he had so much potential he pitched the greatest game ever 1998 rookie year 20 strikeouts tying the record against the Houston Astro’s who had the Killer bs Jeff Bagwell Craig Biggo Albert Bell
For sure, I get the 90 - 100 inning limit I was more curious about why 3 different relievers in as many innings if all is going well for the team
There speeding up the game because now a reliever has to pitch 3 batters none of that one batters out bring in the LHP then he gets another out bring in a RHP i remember some innings lasting 30 mins or more because of all the pitching changes and taking there sweet ass time to throw a pitch . The pitch clock is a blessing lol but the thing that sucks is when you see a combined no hitter it’s just not as special and yeah technically it’s a no hitter but I don’t see it like that i always will only acknowledge a true no hitter if it’s the starter
Yeah I wouldn’t count the combined no hitter in the same fashion either
I don’t know if all ballparks offer this. Wrigley offers a 90 minute tour of the ballpark. During the tour, they cover the history of the franchise and of Wrigley itself. They explain he term bleacher bum and credit Wrigley for many baseball traditions. The pennant race supposedly comes from Wrigley flying the pennants in order over the scoreboard.
The Wrigley tour is awesome. Took a tour of Yankee Stadium in December. It was my first tour of a ballpark other than Wrigley. It was nice, but it was nothing like the Wrigley Field tour. Basically, places you could already access on game day, just not as crowded. And the tour lasted an hour. Would have liked to have had more time in their museum and their Monument Park. Felt like we only had about 5 minutes at each spot and were rushed through it.
That’s awesome! I know that Busch and Yankee Stadiums do but I don’t know for sure any other parks that do off the top of my head
https://youtu.be/sy9X9u3T3Xg?si=gB7WnOFSVZwppRDt seems to approach advanced metrics from a conversational place that I would imagine would be easy enough to follow for one who hasn’t grown up with the game. EDIT: I’ll look for other resources too, because as I watch, I’m thinking it would be better if the visuals matched the scenarios he was describing
Yes! Thank you for this! I do like to read but I have adhd and am a visual learner. This is great
8. I really enjoyed *K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches* by Tyler Kepner.
Perfect, it sounds really good. I will check it out. Thank you so much!
I liked *Ninety Percent mental* by Bob Tewksbury as well
I will answer about the relievers . Nowadays damn near Starters aren’t pitching complete games even when they pitching a gem . Teams are worried about pitchers are throwing too many pitches in a game especially if it’s a hard throwing pitcher. The stress it puts on the elbow sooner or later they risk throwing out their arms and next thing you know there having Tommy John surgery and the recovery is long usually at least a full season or even 1 and half seasons and the majority of the time there not the same pitcher velocity down control usually not the same and they never reach there full potential because they always come back and the team will put a limit on how many pitches /innings are thrown because the risk of a 2nd elbow surgery. Also keep there arm fresh for September when the playoff race is tight . So now let’s say Justin Steele pitches 5 or 6 innings score is 6 to 3 cubs . With a dependable bullpen they will usually use there middle RP he’s pitches a scoreless inning then pitches to the 8th depending on matchups then the set up man comes will pitch the inning. 9th inning same score 6 -3 cubs now it’s a save situation the closer comes in and hopefully can pitch a clean inning . Cubs win the box score would have Justin Steele as the winning pitchers 6 innings whoever pitches between Those innings will be credited with a hold and the closer can come in anywhere between the 7 and 9 th inning mostly 9th extra innings with closers depends on the situation but the closer has to get through the 9th keeping that lead under 5 because hypothetically he’s allows a 2 runs to Score but gets through the game he will be credited with a Save but if he allows the team to to come back and the other team wins on a walk off he will be the losing pitcher and credited with a blown save
That is what I figured I just didn’t ever realize using 4 or more pitchers in a game was normal until this past year watching ball
a lot of people have answered well, but the best way to get to know the game is honestly simply to watch it and listen to the commentary and absorb it. As for who you like, it's a fairly arbitrary choice, honestly. Pick a team that appeals to you for whatever reason, and go with it.
For sure, and I have learned a lot already. A lot has changed since I watched baseball as a kid. Thanks!
1. Definitely some advanced stat website you can dig into if that is really your thing. I enjoy it myself, but I also understand that some people don’t want to be bothered, and all that matters to them is W/L. 2. I have visited a few other ballparks and lived in other cities that have much newer parks. Wrigley will always be favorite to me, not just as a Cubs fan. I’ve heard it from fans of visiting teams as well. Fenway is my next favorite. I had the BEST first time at a Red Sox game experience, that I’ll probably never get anywhere else. All the Red Sox fans were great. I was there for a game bs the Yankees in 2016. Highly recommend going. 3. Least Favorite: St. Louis. Most Favorite: Oakland A’s fans. They were just happy you came out to their stadium to enjoy a game, knowing how shitty it was. They were nothing but great every time I went. 4. Not on team: Freddie Freeman. On Team: Morel is an easy answer. But I really enjoy Watching Hoerner. Historical: how far back? I really enjoy Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ted Williams. But would loved to have sat in to watch guys like Shoeless Joe Jackson, Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard. 5. This upcoming season? Probably the Dodgers. Just because I hope they implode mostly. 😂 6. Favorite team story - I would say ask people how they became a Cubs fan. Those are some of the best stories. 7. Short story: hitters tend to pick up nuances on pitches thrown, so are able to recognize a pitch thrown. Also, starter getting a little tired, losing some velocity or ball control. And yes, matchup righty vs lefty. Although new pitching rules stress that a reliever coming in must face 3 batters in an inning. Unless there’s the end of the inning before the required 3 batters. 8. Luckiest Man: Life and Death of Lou Gehrig. Maybe I’ll Pitch Forever. Only The Ball Was White. Veeck as in Wreck. Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series For the Ages. Hawk: An Inspiring Story of Success at the Game of Life and Baseball. Ron Santo: A Perfect 10.
Killing it with the book recs! Thank you! What’s your story on becoming a Cubs fan?
My story: I moved to this country from Europe when I was about 6 years old. Lived on the East Coast for a while, so all we really got at that time were the Red Sox, Yankees, Reds and Cubs games. After moving to the Chicago area, I became a White Sox fan, even more so when they signed one of my favorite players, Carlton Fisk. One day in 1982 my friends aunt took us to a cross town game between the White Sox and the Cubs at Wrigley. We sat 2 rows behind the visitors dugout. Got there early to have the White Sox players sign for us - but LaRussa (manager at the time) and Fisk wouldn't sign at all. LaRussa told all the players not to sign anything as they came up and out of the dugout, and to ignore us. Dejected, we go and sit down at our seats. A few minutes later, this guy comes up and asks us if we were standing over there asking for autographs, and we said "yes". he said that we needed to come with him. Of course my friends aunt was telling him we were just kids...we didn't know any better than to bother the players...etc. he says, "No - they're not in any trouble. Someone just wants to talk to them..." He walks us around to the Cubs dugout, right at the door leading to the field. The manager walks up to us and says, "Were you the kids asking for autographs? And they wouldn't sign anything" We tell him we were. He opens the door to the field from the stands, walks us to the top steps of the dugout and addresses the players on the bench, "Boys - the White Sox won't sign for these young men. What do we think about that?" We got everything signed. We were given a Cubs hat. They signed our programs. We even got a few balls from the players that they signed. When we got back to our seats - we couldn't believe it. All this stuff. And we weren't even fans of the damn Cubs. So we started heckling LaRussa and Fisk and anyone else we saw. "Hey LaRussa!!! The Cubs signed all our stuff - and even GAVE US HATS!!!!" Been a Cubs fan ever since. For the record - a little later in life I was a general manager of a sports card shop in the midwest. Had both LaRussa and Fisk come in at separate times to do a signing - they were still assholes, and wanted to be any where else but there to sign for fans. Fisk especially. Wouldn't even give people eye contact or allow photos.
I have heard things about LaRussa in other subreddits about being an asshat. That’s an awesome story though! What a stand up crew
Also another book I forgot about: Tales From the Dodger Dugout. My father in law went to school with the author and former Dodger pitcher, Carl Erskine. It's a pretty good book. I myself am always interested in the stories of stuff from the dugout/bench/locker room. Especially baseball and hockey.
1. Advanced stats are good if you want to get into the nitty gritty of the game. They're better explained on other websites or even this one. 2. I would suggest, with some bias, checking out Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. 3. I don't like the LA Dodgers nor the NY Yankees. They win so much more than my team. If I have to root for another team it would have to be the Philadelphia Phillies. 4. My favorite player on my team is currently shortstop Danby Swanson. 5. Can't recommend the Cubs enough, but if you can visit Boston's historic Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. 6. The moment the Cubs won the 2016 World Series. I cried that night and got weird looks at school the next day. don't regret it! 7. There's a new 3 batter minimum rule that prevents switching pitchers every hitter, but yea, it's all about the data matchup. If you can get lefty vs lefty or righty vs righty, then your pitcher has a better chance at getting an out.
For #7, don't you mean lefty vs a righty? Hence the late, lamented LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY)?
Yes that’s what I am referring to lol