Another great installment. These "batting tunnels" fascinate me. Are they just about making contact, or are they narrow enough to force players to hit along a certain axis? With all the hoo-hah about shifts, how much time and energy is spent teaching players to avoid hitting the same direction every time?
The shift had a fascinating impact on hitting approaches. Most of which had a tough time countering it. We used to create games with the Rangers that made us compete over who could hit the ball more accurately by direction. Rafael Palmeiro was really tough to beat in this game.
I was lucky enough to have a visit (1982 I believe) with the Red Sox in the visitors clubhouse at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Through my starstruck eyes, it was a palace but it was probably a cramped, nails as uniform hooks dump. What really appealed to me was the buckets and buckets of bubble gum and racks of “free” chewing tobacco.
My hiding spot at work is a walk through the sage on a trail after lunch and outside of work it’s the steam and sauna rooms at the gym
steam and sauna rooms at the gym when you're all by yourself are the ABSOLUTE BEST sanctuaries, I have never had so much peace as when I'm by myself in those
It is sort of how I remember my parent’s car when I was really young. I recall this big, green station-wagon that was spacious. Then I found out it was a tiny Gremlin. I made a point never to complain about the big league accommodations of my time. It was still the big leagues and truly amazing.
I used to work shift work and my favourite thing was going to my car in the summertime, opening the sunroof, reclining the seat and just taking a nap... I feel like I'd be great friends with Scott Bullett and I hope you found his hiding spot!
Do the visiting clubhouses get the same upgrades or do they make them as uncomfortable as possible? are there rules against making the visiting clubhouse an annoying place to be?
It is interesting how they decide to renovate the visiting clubhouses. They are also very nice. I remember when I first went to Coors Field and thought. Wow! They have a batting cage inside the visiting clubhouse! Diamondbacks also did that. Now it is standard. Many of the visiting ones are nicer than the home ones from my day. That is just the nature of timing. :)
Doug -- retired ink-stained wretch here. This article reminded me of interview I did in 1981 with a player from USA Olympic ice hockey team that beat Soviets, won gold. The coach, Herb Brooks, put his amateurs who were going to face the Russian pros. The player, whose name I forget said...we had a schedule of like 48 games in 53 days. Each day, it was .... pack, travel, play. Pack, travel, play. In other words, a grind.
Hi Wayne! Ironically, my hockey team was the Minnesota North Stars where Herb coached. Neal Broten (who was also from Minnesota) was on both teams. I am thrilled for today’s player that there have been so many upgrades. I still had great resources in my time especially thinking about some of my minor league stops. At least in baseball, we played a three game series instead of one game after another in different cities!
Doug, just want you to know that I read your book, FROM WHERE I STAND....twice. Just as great the second time.
Also, an article idea for you....try to outline in an article the incredible SPEED at which MLB is played. Spent my entire career in small town print journalism except for following a player from our area for three days right after he made The Show. I knew MLB was faster, but was impressed while on the field during BP and drills at how much faster -- all of it -- is. TV and streaming can never fully convey this speed.
Sounds like a good idea to me! I do remember when I first faced a pitcher who threw mid 80s. I was hearing the pitch before really seeing it. So fast. Then that slowed down after seeing more and more of it. Then each level brought higher speeds in all facets. The defense got to everything!
Here for this, Doug. The arc from Scott Bullett’s secret nook to today’s key-card “mini-cities” nails how clubhouses shifted from etiquette to recovery science—and how “luxury” is really labor infrastructure now. Amenities don’t pamper; they purchase marginal gains. But they also tax time and attention—the always-on cost you describe so well.
Your media note hit me too: sprawl = permission architecture. Access becomes a design decision.
Dream clubhouse features?
Real daylight + a true quiet room (library rules) for film and breathing.
Short, timed nap pods near circadian lighting—not in the traffic flow.
A “decompression corridor” with plants and no screens between weight room and lockers.
Family space that actually supports families (not just a photo op).
And yes, keep the smoothie bar—just kill the beige chicken.
My “hiding spot” in life? A bench at Taughannock Falls overlooking the gorge—ten minutes there resets the whole dashboard.
Also: “butterfly vivarium” as a free-agent tiebreaker made me laugh… and feel weirdly plausible. ⚾️
I work from home, so ironically, my hiding place is trips to the supermarket. I go to at least 4, saying it is because no one supermarket has everything we need, but honestly, I just really enjoy it.
Another great installment. These "batting tunnels" fascinate me. Are they just about making contact, or are they narrow enough to force players to hit along a certain axis? With all the hoo-hah about shifts, how much time and energy is spent teaching players to avoid hitting the same direction every time?
The shift had a fascinating impact on hitting approaches. Most of which had a tough time countering it. We used to create games with the Rangers that made us compete over who could hit the ball more accurately by direction. Rafael Palmeiro was really tough to beat in this game.
I was lucky enough to have a visit (1982 I believe) with the Red Sox in the visitors clubhouse at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Through my starstruck eyes, it was a palace but it was probably a cramped, nails as uniform hooks dump. What really appealed to me was the buckets and buckets of bubble gum and racks of “free” chewing tobacco.
My hiding spot at work is a walk through the sage on a trail after lunch and outside of work it’s the steam and sauna rooms at the gym
steam and sauna rooms at the gym when you're all by yourself are the ABSOLUTE BEST sanctuaries, I have never had so much peace as when I'm by myself in those
It is sort of how I remember my parent’s car when I was really young. I recall this big, green station-wagon that was spacious. Then I found out it was a tiny Gremlin. I made a point never to complain about the big league accommodations of my time. It was still the big leagues and truly amazing.
I used to work shift work and my favourite thing was going to my car in the summertime, opening the sunroof, reclining the seat and just taking a nap... I feel like I'd be great friends with Scott Bullett and I hope you found his hiding spot!
Do the visiting clubhouses get the same upgrades or do they make them as uncomfortable as possible? are there rules against making the visiting clubhouse an annoying place to be?
It is interesting how they decide to renovate the visiting clubhouses. They are also very nice. I remember when I first went to Coors Field and thought. Wow! They have a batting cage inside the visiting clubhouse! Diamondbacks also did that. Now it is standard. Many of the visiting ones are nicer than the home ones from my day. That is just the nature of timing. :)
Doug -- retired ink-stained wretch here. This article reminded me of interview I did in 1981 with a player from USA Olympic ice hockey team that beat Soviets, won gold. The coach, Herb Brooks, put his amateurs who were going to face the Russian pros. The player, whose name I forget said...we had a schedule of like 48 games in 53 days. Each day, it was .... pack, travel, play. Pack, travel, play. In other words, a grind.
Hi Wayne! Ironically, my hockey team was the Minnesota North Stars where Herb coached. Neal Broten (who was also from Minnesota) was on both teams. I am thrilled for today’s player that there have been so many upgrades. I still had great resources in my time especially thinking about some of my minor league stops. At least in baseball, we played a three game series instead of one game after another in different cities!
Doug, just want you to know that I read your book, FROM WHERE I STAND....twice. Just as great the second time.
Also, an article idea for you....try to outline in an article the incredible SPEED at which MLB is played. Spent my entire career in small town print journalism except for following a player from our area for three days right after he made The Show. I knew MLB was faster, but was impressed while on the field during BP and drills at how much faster -- all of it -- is. TV and streaming can never fully convey this speed.
Sounds like a good idea to me! I do remember when I first faced a pitcher who threw mid 80s. I was hearing the pitch before really seeing it. So fast. Then that slowed down after seeing more and more of it. Then each level brought higher speeds in all facets. The defense got to everything!
Here for this, Doug. The arc from Scott Bullett’s secret nook to today’s key-card “mini-cities” nails how clubhouses shifted from etiquette to recovery science—and how “luxury” is really labor infrastructure now. Amenities don’t pamper; they purchase marginal gains. But they also tax time and attention—the always-on cost you describe so well.
Your media note hit me too: sprawl = permission architecture. Access becomes a design decision.
Dream clubhouse features?
Real daylight + a true quiet room (library rules) for film and breathing.
Short, timed nap pods near circadian lighting—not in the traffic flow.
A “decompression corridor” with plants and no screens between weight room and lockers.
Family space that actually supports families (not just a photo op).
And yes, keep the smoothie bar—just kill the beige chicken.
My “hiding spot” in life? A bench at Taughannock Falls overlooking the gorge—ten minutes there resets the whole dashboard.
Also: “butterfly vivarium” as a free-agent tiebreaker made me laugh… and feel weirdly plausible. ⚾️
I work from home, so ironically, my hiding place is trips to the supermarket. I go to at least 4, saying it is because no one supermarket has everything we need, but honestly, I just really enjoy it.