Time: 8:45 Central
Weather: 103° outside, They Have A Roof
Opponent’s SB site: AZ Snake Pit
TV: Steve Wozniak TV. Radio: By the time I get to Phoenix, she’ll be in the Twins’ bullpen
Your Diamonbacks starter tonight is one Michael Soroka, a Canadian from Calgary who was a goalie in youth hockey because OF COURSE he was. Soroka throws a low-90s fastball, a sinker, and a breaking ball that Savant calls a slurve, FanGraphs a curve. All three of them are effective pitches. An All-Star before injuries derailed him for a few years, Soroka was coming off two so-so seasons when the Diamondbacks signed him to a one year, $7.5M contract. So far it’s working out pretty darn well.
United
Here Local 17 will be holding a concessions strike on Monday for the Twins/Dodgers game at Target Field. They’re asking fans to bring their own snacks. Here’s a reminder of what you can/can’t bring, by Kamie Roesler.
At issue are the fact that many concession workers are paid minimum wage ($16.37/hour in Minneapolis) and none have employer-provided health insurance. They’re also upset that Delaware North uses several volunteer vendors at the stadium. (Charities can provide volunteer staff and get a percentage of their sales.)
They’re also upset that Delaware North just fuquing sucks and always has. Remember, this is the company that, after they lost their contract to provide services at Yosemite National Park, SUED THE PARK SERVICE for the rights to names like “Yosemite National Park.” (It was a shakedown, and Delaware North got $12 million from it.)
Delaware North had the gall to issue a statement blaming the union’s “greed” in complaining about the free labor. Oh, I think we know who’s got the “greed” going on here. (For one thing, since Delaware North IS using volunteer labor, they could then take that savings and pay their regular workers more!)
This company has sucked since forever, Matt’s mentioned it here and Zach here and I did years ago but I can’t find it. Of course TEAMS could demand that companies pay players a certain amount, but TEAMS aren’t going to do that because they are all bast***s.
So I wish the strikers well, although I don’t think they’ll get anything. The poor never win in ‘Murica.
Are the Diamondbacks asking for massive amounts of public money? Are they a professional American sports team? The latest giveaway is at least $500 million, and could be more. Neil deMause, as usual, has you covered.
Some minor-league baseball players in York, PA, got snippy and refused to play in Pride-themed uniforms. Apparently also, some Giants players recently prayed away the gay by writing Bible quotes on their Pride-themed hats. Which quote? Was it this one?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Nah, I doubt it was that one.
The recently-swept Rangers remain the only MLB team that doesn’t have a Pride night. They do, as of this year, have a statue based on a guy who loved posing for despicable photos to stand against integrating public schools. FanGraphs’ Davy Andrews has a very thorough story here.
Finally, not baseball, but Minnesota sports-related: the Lynx have a rookie, Olivia Miles, who is absolutely dazzling the heck out of everybody in the league. Here’s a The Guardian piece on Miles. Here’s one from our siblings at Canis Hoopus. I liked this summation of sports fandom by Thilo Latrell Widder:
“Being good when you expect it is standard, and stressful. Being bad when you’re anticipating good is soul crushing. Being bad when you could see it coming is an exercise in futility. Only being good when you thought you’d be awful is fun.”
Futility, thy name is 8:45 on Apple TV.
