# MLB-Hot Stove League winter 2022/23 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [November 14, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910 "2022-11-14T20:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/341 "2023-03-16T18:57:27Z")
Why should Mets fans care about losing DIaz? The regular season, playoffs and World Series are afterthoughts. The WBC is _soooo_ exciting! Besides, celebration injuries are really cool. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/342 "2023-03-16T19:05:36Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Besides, celebration injuries are really cool. Yeah, it’s dumb. OTOH, looking at the video, it doesn’t look like there was anything particularly excessive going on – they were just jumping up and down a bit. I’m guessing that he either landed on a teammate’s foot while jumping (and thus twisted his knee), or it was just a freak injury. Either way, in the end, unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/343 "2023-03-17T15:17:53Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Spiders would have been a cool name, and it makes me wonder if it was rejected partly because the original Cleveland Spiders were whites-only teams. There’s more than a dozen names that were once used by whites only teams, so I doubt it. I think it’s just likelier that it was a committee decision. Without getting into the game theory in too much depth, what will often happen when choosing from a large number of possible options is that you arrive at the least unpopular choice, rather than the most popular choice, which are two different concepts entirely. It depends how the voting is arranged. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/344 "2023-03-17T15:24:29Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Why should Mets fans care about losing DIaz? > > The regular season, playoffs and World Series are afterthoughts. The WBC is _soooo_ exciting! Believe me, it’s VERY exciting. One Japan-Korea game was watched by more people **than any World Series game that has ever been played.** Clearly, people care about the WBC. If millions upon millions of fans, in numbers amazing even by pro baseball standards, care about it, and the players care about it, how is it not exciting? It sucks that Edwin Diaz was hurt, but injuries also happen in spring training, ask Gavin Lux. They happen at home. They happen driving to the game. They happen in hotel rooms, ask Glenallen Hill. They happen in the trainer’s room. Now, were I King of Baseball, it would not be in March. It’d be in July. The regular season would be shut down for three weeks once every three years, and the regular season for all major pro leagues would have 12 games cut out of it to accommodate (plus the All Star game would not be played) It would become a celebration of baseball in the middle of baseball season, which makes more sense. But people would get hurt at it. Hockey players got hurt in the Olympics, but hockey fans absolutely love the Olympics and don’t care if the NHL shuts down for a few weeks. I don’t know a single hockey fan who was happy when the NHL decided a cycle ago to stop sending players. People get hurt at the World Cup, but soccer fans love the World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/345 "2023-03-17T15:35:52Z")
I’m reminded of the University of Texas football coach who, to settle down his players before a big rivalry game, told them: “Remember, there’s a billion Chinese who don’t give a shit.” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/346 "2023-03-17T16:05:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Clearly, people care about the WBC. If millions upon millions of fans, in numbers amazing even by pro baseball standards, care about it, and the players care about it, how is it not exciting? Exactly. As much as the Diaz injury really sucks, the amount of pundits and twitter warriors filling their diapers over getting rid of the WBC is ridiculous. That DR v. Puerto Rico game was REALLY exciting. I only caught the last three innings, but it was awesome. People are missing out on great baseball by ignoring the WBC. I think the noise is mostly casual fans who don’t have much of a clue about baseball outside of their own little fandom. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/347 "2023-03-17T16:24:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Believe me, it’s VERY exciting. One Japan-Korea game was watched by more people **than any World Series game that has ever been played.** Clearly, people care about the WBC. If millions upon millions of fans, in numbers amazing even by pro baseball standards, care about it, and the players care about it, how is it not exciting? This suggests to me that, even if a lot of American baseball fans are indifferent to the WBC, it’s become a _very big deal_ to baseball fans in other countries. ---
**Author:** ![ThatCanadianGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ThatCanadianGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatCanadianGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/348 "2023-03-17T17:38:53Z")
Doesn’t have to be historical. Besides, the name would be Royaux in French. We had an indie league team one year in Ottawa by the name of Rapids/Rapides. They had two logos, one with the e, one without. While I agree expansion is needed and overdue, I don’t know about six new teams. Won’t happen for a while anyway, some issues to resolve first. As for Montreal, yes, you need a rich owner or corporation and sadly there is none, other than maybe the French sports channel, would make sense for them, but I don’t know if they are rich enough even if interested. A stadium likely wouldn’t be built until there’s confirmation there would be a team. As I said, I don’t expect it to happen and if it does, there will be issues in my view, mainly one of territory with the Blue Jays. If a Montreal team cannot share the Ottawa area with the Jays, they are doomed to failure. ---
**Author:** ![ThatCanadianGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ThatCanadianGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatCanadianGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/349 "2023-03-17T17:53:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Now, were I King of Baseball, it would not be in March. It’d be in July. The regular season would be shut down for three weeks I don’t know about this. Sure, it may develop more interest in the WBC like the World Cup or hockey in the Olympics. But to shut down the season for 3 weeks for what, at most that 10% of MLB players can play for their country? What about the minor leagues? What about the injury potential, especially to pitchers, for not playing that long? Not to mention that owners would not go for this as you are talking about reducing the schedule which means less revenues for them.You also say 12 games cut; three weeks is about 18 games although if no ASG, that’s four or five there. I don’t think that’s a viable option. Maybe a better option is AFTER the MLB season, say a week or two after the World Series. It’s usually a quiet time in baseball in November. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/350 "2023-03-17T18:32:40Z")
If you did Pool play in the Spring, quarter- and semi-finals during the ASB, and the Finals in November, would that completely destroy interest and attention spans? If you did it that way, you could get away with making the semis and finals best of 3? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/351 "2023-03-17T20:47:18Z")
> [@ThatCanadianGuy](#): > > As I said, I don’t expect it to happen and if it does, there will be issues in my view, mainly one of territory with the Blue Jays The Blue Jays would likely see a lot of value in the existence of the Expos. Montreal is far enough away to not be an immediate geographic market problem, and the Canadian rivalry thing is money in the bank, baby! Vancouver would be great too. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/352 "2023-03-18T21:12:09Z")
Just as a counterpoint, I’m a pretty serious fan of MLB and the affiliated minors. I’ve been to 60+ MLB and MiLB ballparks and go out of my way to see games in new parks; I went to 25+ games at my local MiLB team’s stadium last year and expect to do the same again in 2023. I have a scorecard of practically every game I’ve ever been to (often these days I’m one of the only people in the park who’s scoring); I know more than the average bear about baseball history and the current players. I’ve not been able to get into the WBC at all, not this year, not since it started. I’m glad it means a lot to many people–I’m not someone who wishes it would “just go away”–but it barely registers on my radar. And I’m fine with that. I also don’t have any interest in the Super Bowl (I’m not a football fan) or the Oscars (I don’t see many movies). I was going to say that I’m not wild about international competitions in general, and there’s something to that–though I’m a USAian, I don’t find myself especially rooting for American athletes or teams at the Olympics simply because they are American–but then I realized that I do follow the World Cup in soccer, sort of, although I have absolutely no interest in the North American soccer leagues or the leagues in Europe or South America. So, maybe it’s all just really random. Anyway, I’m a non-“casual” fan whose interest in the WBC remains low. And I’m not sure there’s anything “they” could do to change my mind on that. Just thought I’d throw that out there. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/353 "2023-03-19T14:25:38Z")
And another key player goes down with an injury sustained at the WBC - Jose Altuve, with a possibly serious hand injury. “These are things that happen, and injuries can also happen during spring training. I got injured in spring training. I had surgery because of a spring training injury. Injuries are part of the game,”\* (Royals catcher Salvador) Perez said." \*Wild celebrations (like the one that took out Mets’ closer Edwin Diaz) are also part of the game. But they seldom happen during spring training. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/354 "2023-03-19T14:30:43Z")
That wasn’t a wild celebration. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/355 "2023-03-19T14:34:24Z")
Alright, a “victory dance in Adidas-themed sneakers” doesn’t happen much in spring training. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/356 "2023-03-19T14:37:35Z")
The injury probably only happened because they didn’t practice enough for it. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3p096OZtn0Q/maxresdefault.jpg "Mets practice celebrating after pretending to catch the final out of Game 7 of the World Series") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p096OZtn0Q) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/357 "2023-03-19T21:52:43Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Wild celebrations (like the one that took out Mets’ closer Edwin Diaz) are also part of the game. But they seldom happen during spring training. That’s a fluke injury, no doubt - but fluke injuries happen away from MLB games all the time. Nolan Ryan got bitten by a coyote. Joel Zumaya hurt his arm playing Guitar Hero. Will Smith (the ballplayer) hurt himself taking off his shoes. Tom Glavine broke a rib throwing up because he ate spoiled airplane food. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/358 "2023-03-19T22:20:56Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > And another key player goes down with an injury sustained at the WBC - Jose Altuve, with a possibly serious hand injury. Fractured right thumb, in fact. There apparently is not yet a timetable for his recovery/return; he’ll be having surgery on the thumb in the next few days. > **[Altuve sidelined indefinitely with thumb fracture](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35896008/astros-jose-altuve-sidelined-indefinitely-thumb-fracture)** > > Astros star second baseman Jose Altuve fractured his right thumb that will require surgery. There is no timetable for his return. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/359 "2023-03-19T22:51:12Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > > [@Jackmannii](#): > > > > Wild celebrations (like the one that took out Mets’ closer Edwin Diaz) are also part of the game. But they seldom happen during spring training. > > That’s a fluke injury, no doubt - but fluke injuries happen away from MLB games all the time. Nolan Ryan got bitten by a coyote. Joel Zumaya hurt his arm playing Guitar Hero. Will Smith (the ballplayer) hurt himself taking off his shoes. Tom Glavine broke a rib throwing up because he ate spoiled airplane food. Glenallen Hill went on the disabled list (as it was known at the time) due to injuries sustained during [a dream in which he was being chased by spiders.](https://www.mlb.com/cut4/on-glenallen-hills-birthday-we-remember-the-time-he-went-on-the-dl-after-an-imaginary-spider-attack/c-43125098) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/360 "2023-03-20T22:09:42Z")
Cuban catcher defects after WBC loss: > **[Cuban baseball player becomes first to defect to United States during World...](https://www.silive.com/sports/2023/03/cuban-baseball-player-becomes-first-to-defect-to-united-states-during-world-baseball-classic-reports.html)** > > He never rejoined the team. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910.md?page=19)