Things I Learned Watching A Few Hours Of The Venezuelan Winter League
by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 27, 2009 10:19 PM PDT
in Seattle Mariners Stats
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Print- The whole reason I tuned in in the first place was to watch Michael Saunders. Venezuela makes the third country in which Mike doesn't know when to take the bat off his shoulders.
- Road team uniforms in the VWL are equipped with external brassieres, presumably in an effort to shame the wearer.
- Venezuelan tools and American tools are a lot alike.
- Watching a game in the VWL is completely unlike watching a game in the Majors for me, and not just because I don't care about the results. While Major League Baseball remains in large part unpredictable, I know a lot about it. I know a lot about how it works and I know a lot about the players, so if I'm watching a game, then in any given situation I can't help but call on my knowledge in thinking about all the most likely outcomes. If Willie Ballgame goes up against Mariano Rivera, I know Willie's probably not going to get on base, and he's almost certainly not going to go deep. If the Orioles play the Yankees, I know the Yankees are probably going to clobber them to death. If Miguel Batista is pitching to anyone, I know it's probably going to be annoying. I'm just constantly and instinctively thinking about everything I know such that games lose a bit of that magic I used to feel when I was a kid.
When I'm watching the VWL, though, I don't know shit about what's going on, I don't know shit about most of the players, and even if there's a guy with whom I'm somewhat familiar, I generally don't know shit about when he's in. I don't even know who the Cardenales de Lara were playing. It's just...baseball, competitive, high-level baseball as unblemished by understanding as any baseball I'm ever gonna be able to watch. I kind of knew when Saunders was hitting, and I kind of knew when Luis Valbuena was hitting, but outside of that, between the nameless uniforms and the dearth of graphics and the Spanish-language broadcast, it was just an onslaught of Game, a game about which I never once remarked "well of course he missed that" or "he should've thrown the changeup."
It's easy to say that learning so much about the numbers has enhanced my enjoyment of the sport, but the sport itself is fun enough as it is, and I can't fault anyone for not wanting to jeopardize the love they already feel by going off in pursuit of a better understanding. For many, the basics are sufficient. - I know that teams in the VWL will bring in a handful of American imports, but when you're navigating a Spanish-language website about a team in Venezuela, there are certain things you don't expect to see on the front page. This is one of them.
- The phrase "sabor Venezolano" came up during the broadcast at least eight or nine times. I don't know enough Spanish to know if the announcers were referring to a particular style of baseball or if they were trying to sell me something delicious.
- There were a lot of PA sound effects during certain parts of the game, such as that string sample from Psycho, suggesting that Lara's adversary has the same production budget as the Rangers.
- Luis Ugueto plays for Lara. Remember Luis Ugueto? Hasn't been in a Major League organization for two years. Spent 2008 playing in Italy of all places before signing on with an independent team in Laredo. He is one of ten players on that team with a size that isn't listed as 0'0, 0 lbs. One of his teammates is named Robert Moron.
- Sometimes the stadium PA would chime in with the notes to the Ole! chant, only instead of being the familiar sort, their version was played in a minor key that made it 1000% more unsettling.
- The crowd wasn't huge, but it was spirited. I don't want to say that Americans are worse baseball fans (or sports fans in general), because truth be told it's just a difference in culture, but every time I watch a sporting event overseas I wish that fans here would make half as much noise. It's a difference in culture, but that part of our culture sucks.
- Venezuelans believe in Santa, and their Santa puts his trust in Banco Federal.
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With so many Spanish players on the roster you'd think they'd give him a Spanish nickname
by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 27, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions
El Mono
BTW, the third image result on Google for ‘El Monkey’ is very NSFW and unexpected.
Thanks Jeff
Very well put. I found myself just getting lost in the atmosphere more than anything. It is different when you have no idea of the outcome.
by sliderinside on Oct 27, 2009 10:36 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
It brought us to within 12 runs of the Angels!
by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 27, 2009 10:39 PM PDT up reply actions
The guy spent an entire year being called "theRule5kid".
I wonder if he ever met his Chicago Cubs cousin, “theRule5kid”?
My memory of Luis Ugueto was him playing in Tacoma as his father or grandfather watched
and would talk to him throughout the game. At first I thought it was sort of heart-warming, that his dad and wife had followed him to the US to watch him play, but it got a little weird as the old guy was there every day, yelling or just pointedly discussing strategy through the net. It was like one of those crazy little league dads – and you got the sense that this had been going on for 10-15 years. Poor Luis. Wonder if he still got tons and tons of free ‘advice’ in Italy?
I am curious how the American non spanish speaking players
are able to communicate with their fellow players and the coaches. I also wonder what the father and son were going on about in the McDonald’s commercial. Otherwise I enjoyed the whole thing.
The 2009 Pregame Picks Winner and Iron Man of Halos Heaven.com
It seems visits to the mound would be awkward.
The 2009 Pregame Picks Winner and Iron Man of Halos Heaven.com
I imagine that once you get into the pros you have at least a basic understanding of Spanish
if only for baseball topics
by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 27, 2009 10:54 PM PDT up reply actions
It must be like if you work in a restaurant with Latino busboys, you learn busboy Spanish.
If you play baseball in Latin America you learn Baseball Spanish.
The 2009 Pregame Picks Winner and Iron Man of Halos Heaven.com
My dad spent some time growing up in New Mexico
and said he learned playground Spanish while in elementary school.
[DELETED ZOMG NO POLITICS]
Luis Sojo is the manager of Lara
and probably knows a little english.
I guess I must be one of those quiet fans that you hate.
I only ever make much noise if something really exciting happens. The rest of the time I mostly keep score and/or chat with my dad.
I do the same at M's games - maybe keep score, maybe chat with a friend. However, I yell a lot at Sounders games.
I’m not really sure why, but there it is.
I am also very quiet as it is very important to me that I never offend anyone.
by Sec 108 on Oct 28, 2009 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yes, I could tell that about you straight away.
You look almost apologetic when you give your little golf clap at M’s home runs.
by marc w on Oct 28, 2009 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Because baseball games are so quiet that nobody wants to be that guy who tries to start a chant
Safeco (and all other American venues) needs a catalyst
by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 28, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions
The scoreboard tells me when to cheer!
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Oct 28, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions
I think because 99% of the time, when someone wants to start some kind of coordinated cheering
it’s the wave.
We have tons and tons of catalysts, it’s just people really don’t want to do ‘crowd hijinx’ together.
I'm about as new as it gets here...
…but the comment about being patently and utterly aware of every little nuance (and how annoying that can be given the lack of talent in alot of national PBP and color guys) was kinda cool. And yes, fuck American sports fans, we really do suck. Thirty games in the bleachers at the Safe only served to convince me more that I loathe everyone sitting below nosebleeds in foul territory.
Couple of things
The “Sabor Venezolano” thing is just a slogan for the beer company who sponsors all 8 teams and the league itself, so they obviously get a lot of publicity, annoying as fuck.
On the “Ole” chants I think you’re most likely talking about the “Leo” chants, they use the same tune but it’s “Leo” because of “Leones”
To be honest with you I don’t know half of the players either, mostly the american imports who change every season, and same with the numbers enhacing my baseball experience I’d kill to have something like Fangraphs for the VWL or hell a blog like this.
Also If you want to see a crazy crowd tune in a Caracas – Magallanes if you can, they play tonight!
Oh yeah I’m Venezuelan , so feel free to ask.
Leones!
THAT’S who they were playing!
Thanks a ton
by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 28, 2009 8:08 AM PDT up reply actions
John Olerud sucks.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Oct 28, 2009 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Indeed....
My wife’s cousin’s sister’s boyfriend recently saw him in a Bellevue Japanese restaurant eating Zaru-Soba, so I can darn near directly confirm indeed that John Olerud sucks…
SHOW FiFi THE MONEY!!!!
by PositivePaul on Oct 28, 2009 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions
How in the Eff did the founder of L43 lose that little detail????
SHOW FiFi THE MONEY!!!!
by PositivePaul on Oct 28, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Red Light, Green Light?
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
I don't know about all American sports fans.
I know some friends who are pretty big soccer fans and they rave about the crowds we draw for Sounders games and how they wish their MLS team of choice had a group that passionate.
The visiting teams from Europe seemed pretty impressed too.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
Even at Sounders games there are a couple of quiet sections.
A customer of mine was given free club seats to last Saturday’s game and she was turned into security for cheering too loudly and standing too much.
That being the case, the majority of the stadium is into the games where at Safeco it is a huge minority.
Can one be "into" baseball in the same way as soccer?
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
Not at Safeco
but yes, it is definitely possible.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
Yes, I realized I was wrong immediately after posting
I’ve definitely seen it in international competition a lot more than in the U.S. though, and as pdb pointed out, it’s just not possible at Safeco.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
Ridiculous.
I hope they chewed the crap out of security for that pestering.
Shouldn't be sitting, anywhere.
But I can tolerate it in the 200s.
God, why must we fight this every home game? I saw people in the 300s not standing while defense was on the field last Hawks game.
Sounds like the Sounders are going to try and move a lot of people next year
Specifically, they’re moving a lot of the people who’ve complained about the ECS from GA to the north stand. That’s a really good solution.
What bothers me more than the fact that some people want to sit (make some random section in the 200s a sitting section), is that they complain to the Sounders. If you sit in GA and are angry, screw you. If you’re the only person in my section not standing, the problem may not be with the hundred people around you.
Those people should watch from home.
I fucking hate you Mariners
And I'm actually impressed we've been able to hold of these 'sitters' all year long.
I figured we’d have a couple games and the team/security/stadium staff would make everyone sit during games.
I fucking hate you Mariners
But it's NEVER _MY_ fault
it’s always everyone else’s fault!
College football fans in some parts of the country
are every bit as loud and passionate as sports fans from other countries.
[DELETED ZOMG NO POLITICS]
Louder, Better,
AMERICAN!
Don't believe the lies Bill!!!! look at the sparkly ERA!!! Sparkly, Sparkly!!! - McCovey Chronicles
Well any college sport
has ridiculously passionate fans. I think that’s part of why, despite having leagues with superior athletes playing for them, college sports do so well. Safeco is a fucking daycare center, at best, and it’s slowly killing me inside.
Although Huskie Stadium was really quiet this past weekend!
I fucking hate you Mariners
I can't say that any other baseball stadium I've been in has had the crowd chanting and yelling all game long.
except maybe Safeco during the playoffs.
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