Brews and Baseball: The Cost of Tipping Back a Pint While Watching Your Local Nine

How many days until pitchers and catchers report? As the snow piles up in many parts of the country, the thought of sitting in the bleachers with a beer in one hand, peanuts in the other, warms the soul a bit. During these dark days, when we have to endure Scott Boras monologues and some team giving Matt Garza $10 million plus a year, don't forget, that cost will be passed on to us, the fans, one way or another.

Every so often, a list comes out of the most expensive beers in the big leagues. It comes as no shock that a beer at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium will set you back a bit. However, a beer anywhere in Boston or New York City is not going to be cheap. Most things are expensive in New York and Boston. When you factor in the local price index for beer, is a beer at Yankee Stadium more expensive than a beer at Miller Park?

To settle the score, I calculated the markup on a pint of beer compared to the cost of a price of a domestic pint a local bar. Below are some important notes:

• Costs per ounce of beer were compared
• Teams submitted their average cost for an ounce of beer to Team Marketing Report's Average Fan Cost Index
• The median price of a local beer was taken from Numbeo's Cost of Living Indices, which includes the costs of various items in cities, such dining out, transportation, groceries, etc. 
• It is assumed that 1 liter = 16.9 ounces = 1pint

The table speaks for itself. It looks like the Reds are trying to compete with the Cardinals in more ways than one. Remember this table next time you head out to the ole ball yard. Might be time to invest in a flask (a plastic one). 

Team	Avg. Price of Pint of Beer at MLB Stadium	Avg. Price of Beer Per Ounce at MLB Stadium	Median Price of Pint of Beer in Local Area	Median Price of Beer Per Ounce in Local Area	Markup
St. Louis Cardinals	$9.46	$0.56	$3.00	$0.18	215%
Cincinnati Reds	$7.77	$0.46	$2.75	$0.16	183%
Boston Red Sox	$10.14	$0.60	$3.95	$0.23	157%
Atlanta Braves	$7.61	$0.45	$3.00	$0.18	154%
Detroit Tigers	$7.10	$0.42	$3.00	$0.18	137%
Tampa Bay Rays	$7.10	$0.42	$3.00	$0.18	137%
Kansas City Royals	$6.93	$0.41	$3.00	$0.18	131%
Miami Marlins	$6.76	$0.40	$3.00	$0.18	125%
Milwaukee Brewers	$6.42	$0.38	$3.00	$0.18	114%
Houston Astros	$6.08	$0.36	$3.00	$0.18	103%
Baltimore Orioles	$6.42	$0.38	$3.25	$0.19	98%
Pittsburgh Pirates	$5.75	$0.34	$3.00	$0.18	92%
Chicago Cubs	$7.61	$0.45	$4.00	$0.24	90%
Cleveland Indians	$5.58	$0.33	$3.00	$0.18	86%
Washington Nationals	$8.79	$0.52	$4.81	$0.28	83%
Chicago White Sox	$6.93	$0.41	$4.00	$0.24	73%
Seattle Mariners	$7.77	$0.46	$4.50	$0.27	73%
Arizona Diamondbacks	$4.90	$0.29	$3.00	$0.18	63%
Colorado Rockies	$6.42	$0.38	$4.00	$0.24	61%
Minnesota Twins	$6.42	$0.38	$4.00	$0.24	61%
Toronto Blue Jays	$8.79	$0.52	$5.50	$0.33	60%
Philadelphia Phillies	$6.25	$0.37	$4.00	$0.24	56%
Oakland Athletics	$6.08	$0.36	$4.00	$0.24	52%
San Diego Padres	$6.08	$0.36	$4.25	$0.25	43%
San Francisco Giants	$7.10	$0.42	$5.00	$0.30	42%
New York Yankees	$8.45	$0.50	$6.00	$0.36	41%
New York Mets	$8.11	$0.48	$6.00	$0.36	35%
Los Angeles Dodgers	$6.59	$0.39	$5.00	$0.30	32%
Texas Rangers	$5.24	$0.31	$4.00	$0.24	31%
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	$4.73	$0.28	$5.00	$0.30	-5%

The Cincinnati Reds A.D. (After Dusty)

The news is breaking that Dusty Baker will no longer be the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. After six years at the helm, with a record of 509-463 (.524 winning percentage), the Reds decided they needed another voice. For better or worse, whether it's his fault or not, Dusty is the baseball Moses. He'll get you to the rock, but he can't take you into the promised land.

Season	Wins	Losses	Finish
2008	74	88	5th place in Central
2009	78	84	4th place in Central
2010	91	71	Lost in NLDS to PHI 0-3
2011	79	83	3rd place in Central
2012	97	65	Lost in NLDS to SF 2-3
2013	90	72	Lost in WC to Pit
Total	509	463	.524 Winning Percentage

Any outside analysis of whether a manager should be sacked or not, should come with the preface of, "I'm not in the clubhouse/dressing room/locker room everyday, so I don't know the dynamic." We can also debate whether a manager's in-game deficiencies are outweighed by his rapport with his players, which helps him get the best efforts of his players. Dusty's in-game managing has always been perplexing. Ask any Giants, Cubs or Reds fan, and he/she will most likely go on and on about questionable lineups or decisions. However, in 2013, the underachievement wasn't saved for the postseason. It was spread evenly from April to September.

With a shrinking window, it's clear the Reds need a new voice. Dusty seems like a good, smart, interesting man. He's into different types of music. He's a cool guy. However, this is about hanging banners.

My in-game qualms:

1. Lineup: i.e. his insistence on batting his CF and SS 1-2 or 2-1 in the lineup everyday. Shin-soo Choo is perfect for either of those spots. Drew Stubbs, Corey Patterson, Wily Tavarez, Edgar Renteria and Zach Cozart are not. 
2. Leaving starters in too long: Not to have them injured of course, but to go five innings to get the win. Dusty wants to take care of his guys. I get it, but it shouldn't come at the sake of the team getting the win.
3. Deployment of his closer: His Chapman pitches the final three outs only if the Reds have a lead devotion was maddening and led to a waste of one of the team's strongest assets. Aroldis Chapman was a total non-factor down the stretch and for long parts of the season for the Reds.

In short, it comes down to a lack of imagination. Dusty managed by the book, an old book at that. It was exemplified by his handling of Chapman. It, no doubt, cost the Reds games. Dusty's six Reds teams had flaws, but every team does. Each team goes through injuries, decline of skills, etc. You have to adapt. 

Couple Dusty's in-game flaws with the recent nonchalance that the Reds took through the '13 season and this had to happen. Guys were underachieving. That needs to change. Here's to hoping the Reds bring in the right fit for the team to go forward. 

Thanks Dusty for six years and getting the Reds back to the playoffs. Go Reds!

Maybe This Time: Will Matt Harvey Save the Mets?

Ever since I was a kid, my father has regaled us with tales of the greatest talents ever to grace the Mets – Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden, each a triumph and a tragedy in their own right.

Seaver, nicknamed “The Franchise,” is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He led the 1969 Mets, a team which finished ninth in the National League the year prior, to an improbable World Series win. The trade that sent him to Cincinnati in 1977 is known as one of the great betrayals of the Mets’ fan base, who adore Seaver even now. Gooden earned his nickname “Dr. K” when he arrived in baseball with his 98mph fastball and a curve that fell off the table. He was the ace of an excellent 1986 Mets pitching staff that stole the World Series out from under the heavily-favored Boston Red Sox (or, as many put it, out from between Bill Buckner’s legs). Gooden, so talented and so young, fell from grace when he became addicted to cocaine. Drug abuse and overuse in his early career combined to reduce him to a more pedestrian talent, and he ended his career as a journeyman.

But the stories of these men persist: Seaver’s dominance, Gooden’s terrifying presence. My father’s stories always ended the same way: “You will probably never see a pitcher as good as either of these guys in their prime who pitches for the Mets.”

And then Matt Harvey came along.

I’ve seen players dominate at their position. I’ve watched Darrelle Revis, Patrick Ewing, and Mike Piazza all play for my teams in their primes. And I’ll say this without hesitation – no one, repeat: no one, has been better than Matt Harvey.

The term “phenomenon” barely begins to describe Harvey. He takes no-hitters into the 6^th and 7^th innings with regularity. He throws fastballs down the middle of the plate, and players like Joey Votto and Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton and Paul Goldschmidt and Bryce Harper can’t keep up. His slider makes hitters look silly, his change is dirty, his curve buckles knees, but oh, that fastball. It’s a thing of beauty.

And here’s the real kick to the shorts: he hasn’t played a full season of baseball yet. The guy is 24, he’s got 30-odd starts under his belt, and people are throwing the names Verlander, Smoltz, Cone, and yes, even Gooden andSeaver around. And I can’t help but agree. Why? Because I’ve watched him play. He’s not always perfect, and he certainly doesn’t win every time he goes to the mound. But his drive, his talent, and his cold, bulldog stare turn his numbers into something more than just a young pitcher having a great start to his career.

I feel that as a Mets fan I’ve been conditioned to expect the worse. Infield pop-ups give me heart palpitations, opposing pitchers terrify me when they come to bat with runners on base, and Mets bullpen appearances drive me to drink in order to dull the pain. But now, with our young hero on the cusp of a start in the All Star Game, I can’t help but think… You know what, Dad? I think this is the guy I’ve been waiting for in vain my entire life. Maybe this is the start of something better than what I’ve witnessed before. Seaver and Gooden were yours, but Matt Harvey… he’s mine.

Written by friend of the blog and lifelong Mets, Jets and Knicks fan, Mike Landes