Bloggers, Beers 'n Brats: discussing the DH and our "least favorites"

Where do you like to sit when watching a game at the ballpark?

James Jimenez (@AVKingJames): Nosebleeds, above homeplate. Great view, relatively cheap. Can't complain.

Jeremy O'Brien (@Jeremy_OBrien25): Closest to home plate but I often sit down one of the baselines.

Alex Alvarado (@ARAlvarado13): I don't complain about where I sit all too often. I've been in the seats at Comerica that were too high, too far with the sun too much in your eyes all at once, but there aren't many bad seats there (except for left field. I hate sitting behind left field there). But if you're going to find me at Oestrike Stadium to catch some #MACtion, then I'm usually just up and behind home plate, but angled enough towards the left or right (again, not really picky) just so I can see some idea of where the strike zone is. Sitting behind home plate is dumb if you can't see the barrel of the bat catch the ball.

Corey Gloor (@CoreyGloor): Second level up in between third and first. Alex is right, you need a place where you can see the strike zone, close enough to see the pitch develop, high enough to see the rest of the field.

Matthew Hammond (@mhammon97): Anywhere, as long as I get the opportunity to go to a game, I'm happy.

Matthew Gritzmacher (@gritzmac): Depends on the park. For the most part, upper deck behind the plate, but I love the right field corner in Nats Park, and to be further down the 3B line in PNC, Dodger Stadium, and Camden Yards.

Keith M. Scheessele (@BSUKeith): 1st base side. This may sound odd, but I find it so much more natural to move your head from left to right when watching a hit ball than from right to left.

What's your go-to ballpark snack?

James: A Ball Park Hot Dog and soda. America at it's finest.

Jeremy: Without fail, I'll always end up with one of those frozen lemonades.

Alex: Hot dog with mustard and a beer. Are you putting ketchup on your hot dog? What the hell is wrong with you? Ketchup is the worst invention ever and your ruining that dog putting that red [bleep] on there. Also, hot dogs are sandwiches. You can't tell me otherwise.

Corey: I go to predominantly Brewers games, so one brat, one Italian, with stadium sauce and kraut. I may have ordered this duo once of twice.

Matthew H.: Hot dog and a ton of peanuts/sunflower seeds. A soda is the drink of choice.

Matthew G.: I keep score religiously at every baseball game I attend, so I don't do a lot of eating. Fingers crossed that I get a job and some stability here in DC and I generally get a shroom burger from Shake Shack at Nats Park before the game.

Keith: Peanuts. I can easily finish a large bag of peanuts myself at the ball game. Yes, those. The big bag.

Who is your least favorite ballplayer of all time?

James: Alex Rodriguez. There is nothing redeeming about that guy. At all. If I could, I would spit in his direction.

Jeremy: I don't wanna jump on the bandwagon, but A-Rod has got to be up there. I'd think the same now if a young phenom like Bryce Harper came out a few years down the road about using 'roids. It's just disappointing.

Alex: Normally I would say A-Rod, but I just don't care to hate him anymore. I'm actually excited to see him play this year. I love haters. Maybe I need more time to think about this, but I'm going to just go with Sammy Sosa for being a little crybaby about there not being a statue built in his honor yet.

Corey: Gary Sheffield fully admitting to half-assing it when in Milwaukee puts him in a special pantheon. A-Rod and Roger Clemens are up there, but not because they used anything, I don't much care about that honestly. It's how they've reacted since that puts them up there for me.

Matthew H.: Can we even put anyone here other than Alex Rodriguez? Not so honorable mention: A.J. Pierzynski, Miguel Tejada, Ty Cobb.

Matthew G.: I can't think of many I don't like, so I guess A-Rod.

Keith: Albert "Don't call me Joey" Belle. Our younger fans may not remember Belle, but do your research. He was a jerk. Like, he should've played the villain in a baseball comedy.

What number is going on the back of your jersey?

James: 17! Or 6, but ideally 17. 6 was my Little League number. My papa and I were talking one day when I was looking for a basketball number. (I ended up with 43, honoring Richard Petty.) Anyway, he suggested 17. I asked him why? And he told me that to be a great athlete (or a great person,) one has to be the best at what they do (#1) and have a little bit of luck to go with it (#7.) Papa was a significant figure in my life, so when he died two years later, that number became my mantra. If I ever get a chance to wear a jersey someday, that will be my number.

Jeremy: #2

Alex: For the longest time, my number was 13. In my men's league where I played from 16-21 yrs old, I eventually settled to stick with one team where there wasn't a #13 jersey available (they just didn't have one at all) so I stuck with #4 for a few years. But if I decide to get back to playing baseball or joining some softball team with the other fat old farts like my future self, I'm going to get #13. Fite me dood.

Corey: In my brief athletic career... in grade school... I always gravitated to #8. I have no idea why.

Matthew H.: I was usually number 14, but I like number 12, too.

Matthew G.: I always played with 13. I still like the way it looks.

Keith: Whatever they give me. I know baseball is steeped in superstition, but I've never understood the importance placed on what number you wear. I suppose single digits are slimming.

DH or no DH?

James: If you're gonna have a DH, make the American and National Leagues both have them. Otherwise? Dispose of it.

Jeremy: Yes DH! I've been a pitcher only and I do support the DH.

Alex: I hate everybody that hates the DH. I really do. People don't watch baseball because the double-switch is the most strategical thing in the history of the universe and pitchers aren't called up from the minors because of their bat speed.

Corey: After years and years and YEARS of NL baseball... put in the DH. Please. Aside from the obvious fact that half the leagues is playing a completely different way, it's just painful. There's plenty of strategy in baseball without double-switching and stuff. That, and the vast majority of baseball leagues have the DH.

Matthew H.: This is a great question to put on here. I think it's stupid to make the pitchers hit. Most of them don't have time to take BP, so it's just a wasted out.

Matthew G.: No DH. I'm not even going to get into the strategy argument. I see no reason why we should have ever gotten away from 9 players on the field, 9 hitters, naturally they're the same guys. I hate it.

Keith: DH. Get with the times, grandpa.

Favorite ballpark?

James: I've only been to Comerica Park and old Shea Stadium. I have to say that seeing the original Home Run Apple was really cool. But there is not a bad seat in Comerica Park. Someday, I want to visit Camden Yards, Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, and Minute Maid Park.

Jeremy: Favorite ballpark I've been to is Progressive Field. That may be biased because I'm a Tribe fan, but that place is beautiful. GABP in Cinci is very cool too. I'd really love to see a game in Arlington though.

Alex: I haven't been to a lot of ballparks. Comerica a lot, Tiger Stadium as an adolescent (but I have no memory of ever being there, to show my age. Sorry Dad), Great American Ballpark once as a kid (Reds vs. Pirates game years ago when I was in Cincinnati), Wrigley Field once (but it was rained out), then I've also been to Fifth Third Ballpark and Parkview Field. Comerica wins that front by a landslide for obvious reasons. Around the MAC, I really want to go to Theunissen in Mt. Pleasant. Fantastic venue in the MAC. Gotta go there.

Corey: I guess my default answer is Miller Park, since I'm there so often. Wrigley is really cool, Coors Field is beautiful, and the only ballpark that faces west so as to capture the sunsets over the mountains. I went on a tour!

Matthew H.: The only one that I've been to is Jacobs Field (Progressive Field). I want to go to Fenway and Wrigley really badly, though.

Matthew G.: PNC, but I don't have reason to go to Pittsburgh anymore. Nats Park is quietly underrated. I love Dodger Stadium, too. Haven't been to the Jake (forget that progressive field nonsense) in more than 5 years. :-(

Keith: Bosse Field, Evansville, Indiana. I grew up going to games at Bosse Field, and it's where they shot much of the baseball classic "A League of Their Own." If you're in the southern Indiana area it's a must-see. Go Otters!

Least favorite fan base?

James: The Red Sox and Yankees, obviously. Spoiled brats.

Jeremy: No doubt, the Detroit Tigers.

Alex: John Adams.

Corey: The St. Louis Cardinals.

Matthew H.: Yankees. No doubt.

Matthew G.: The St. Louis Cardinals.

Keith: Chicago Cubs. No fan base cares less about the success of their team. When your team is losing you should be miserable. "Hey we're still having fun! It's Wrigley! The sun is out! I'm with my friends! There's a game going on?" Clowns.