An old one but a good one: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/apr/19/weather What's that smell? A whiff of Europe The Met Office described it as an "atmospheric aroma". But those who caught a whiff of the foul smell hanging around southern England yesterday used rather less dainty language. Within hours of the smell first hitting Britain's nostrils, people in London, Kent, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, East Anglia and Devon were grumbling about the stink, and the big pong had become a national talking point, with websites espousing increasingly anti-European theories. Conservative communities complained about a political stench emanating from the European commission; the Daily Mail complained of "Le Stink" (which later became Der Stink, when blame was shifted from France to Germany); and others named "garlic-eating surrender monkeys". But the Met Office stepped in to rule that it was basic pollution - the "odour of ordinary everyday life in northern Europe". Belgian chocolate factories, Dutch pig farms, German diesel engines and 1,000 other smells had become trapped under a motionless cloud hanging over continental farms and factories for several days. "On Thursday night the wind picked up and it blew over to us. It's hard to say exactly what it is because we don't know. The air hadn't moved much so it's picked up all kinds of things. All we can do is wait for it to blow away. The intensity is likely to decrease but we don't expect a change in the air flow for a couple of days," said a Met Office spokeswoman. Even the Queen wasn't safe barracked away in Windsor castle. A spokesman at Windsor's tourist office said: "When I left home this morning the smell was virtually unbearable. I think the Queen is in. I hope she has her windows closed." In nearby Reading things were no better. Cara Sheldrake, a barmaid at the Hobgoblin pub in the town centre, said she had been hit by the smell on her way to work. "I thought it was seaweed," she said. Julia Clarke, 16, from London, said: "It smelt like fertiliser - it really stank. I smelt it in Hyde Park at about 7.30 on my way to school." The National Farmers' Union thought the odour could have been caused by Dutch farmers slurry spreading en masse at the end of their winter no-spread period. The NFU's communications director, Anthony Gibson, said: "This is what happens when farmers are forced to empty their slurry store all in one go at the same time instead of being able to apply it little and often during the winter. We are grateful to the Dutch farmers for laying on such a pungent demonstration of what could happen every spring here in the UK if the government presses ahead with its ill-conceived proposal to implement a blanket ban on winter slurry spreading." The charity Water Aid yesterday claimed that London had not smelt as bad since the Great Stink of 1858, caused by raw sewage. But the Met Office stressed that yesterday's pong posed no danger to health.
Any owner that lets any of their top 15 most valuable players play in the WBC is foolish in my opinion. WBC should be for guys on the backside of their career and prospects. It’s far too risky for stars to play, too many guys get hurt.
I can see that for pitchers since maybe you're pitching harder or whatnot, but is it any riskier than spring training for position players? Pena's injury was fielding a ground ball, which he's doing every day in spring training too.
I understand your point but if I’m an owner I would feel like any baseball activities outside of my team would be an untenable risk for my good players. If my aging fringey guys or 2nd tier prospects want to play, go on ahead, but for guys who are key to my teams success I want them with my team and not playing under conditions I don’t control.
I agree with this but I do not care about the WBC Apparently it is just as important as the actual MLB season for many people including most players. In order to accomplish this, the owners would need to give up a major concession in CBA negotiations and I do not see it as important enough to owners to give up anything.
They’ve been having top MLB players participate for over 20 years now. Including the time of the Astros dynasty where nearly every important/impactful player during that time was playing for one of their countries’ teams. Not sure why we’re getting huffy about it now… especially at a time when the MLB team isn’t necessarily expected to be a contender. Given the ticket prices and interest, I’d say it’s still looking to be good for the sport. It’s still certainly below all the other international sports competitions for other sports (World Cup, Olympics)… but it’s the only thing that baseball has. And we know that baseball is an international as any other mainstream sport here (maybe even the most?)
I’m sure my attitude is bad mostly because I have no interest in watching it, so the only time I see/hear anything about it is when an Astro gets hurt while participating in it, and that’s compounded by the fact that Houston’s season last year was completely derailed by injuries and that bad trajectory is threatening to end what has been one of the most joyous parts of my life over the last 9-11 years.
In an exhibition game against Detroit that didn’t even matter. There’s no data that points to position players getting hurt in the WBC at a higher rate than ST. The Marlins starting 2B just left today’s game with calf soreness. Injuries are going to happen regardless.
I get it. But pro players playing exhibition games didn’t seen as big of a deal 20 years ago. There also were more players playing 162 games 20 years ago (probably all of them with injuries at some point that they played through). Nevertheless, the “year round” non-stop game that baseball has become, starting with youth sports on, has to eventually catch up with all players that are putting heavy miles on their bodies early. JV’s generation/age group wasn’t playing year-round growing up (as he’s pointed out countless times, especially from a pitching standpoint). It’s become an obsession/mandate amongst the select few kids (less than 1%) that actually do get drafted (let alone make it to the big leagues). Not sure there’s a fix. Youth baseball still very much as popular as ever, but the select tournament team stuff seems like pure cash grabs with the guise of giving kids the opportunity to play against better competition (and possibly develop enough credentials to start their next chapters).
I'm with you 100%. I absolutely HATE the wbc and would never watch it. I HATE when an astros player is playing in it. Let all the yankees and dodgers (especially pitchers) play in it and leave us out.
The USA team is LOADED, but I’m not sure they are taking it that seriously. Great Britain is outplaying them through the first 4 innings with someone named Andre Scrubb (former Astro who I don’t even remember) pitching. USA should win this game blindfolded, but….
How about 2 years ago? How about when the Yankees opened up the Astrodome? Pitchers having to go all out vs MLB hitters is a different thing than a guy flubbing a ground ball and breaking his finger.
The 17 year old HS pitcher getting Judge to hit into a double play was extremely cool. Kid came back next inning and got Bregman out also it’s those kind of things that I like about it I’m extremely happy that no Astro pitchers are participating Move it to the All Star Break every 3 years and skip the All Star game and I’d be all in
