Maybe you never did. Maybe the poor start has caused you to start
The question’s in the title.
Up until the first few weeks of this year, I was an emphatic yes for a long time. MLB.tv and the specifics of my day-to-day life made it not just feasible, but enjoyable, to basically watch MLB any time it was available. Plus, the thing now known as Stream Finder (ugh what a name) made the experience even better.
But, I’m not feeling it this year. It’s not really anything to do, directly, with the Braves being bad such that I don’t want to watch other teams not being bad. It’s more just a wide blanket of ennui prompted by a bunch of unpleasant changes at the league level. I’ll spare you the detailed rant, but basically, expanded playoffs, whiplash-inducing changes in the run environment, and league intervention in the rules as though they’re running some sort of popular PvP video game instead of a major sports league has really emulsified the crunch of what I actually liked watching the most. Too many teams are just trying to get through the season, even when the season has just started, and the opportunities for roster construction and in-game tactics as creative expression feel like they’re diminishing rather than growing.
In particular, one thing that I’m not sure is directly true (because it’s annoying to check) but seems to be true enough anecdotally to impact my experience is that games now play out on a more standard script: with fewer lead changes, and fewer runs scored by the losing team. Assuming the game isn’t tied in the middle-to-late innings, the team ahead will use its better relievers, and the team behind won’t, such that games start to feel more predictable. And with expanded playoffs, I’m not blaming any team — just expanded playoffs in and of themselves.
Anyway, what about you?
Daily Notes
Record: 1-8
Yesterday’s wOBA and xwOBA: n/a (Season rank: 28th | 19th)
Yesterday’s wOBA and xwOBA allowed: n/a (Season rank: 20th | 22nd)
Yesterday’s homers: n/a
Yesterday’s homers allowed: n/a
Record when out-xwOBAing: 1-3 (League: 118-33)
Record when out-xwOBAed: 0-5 (League: 33-118)
Record when out-wOBAing: 1-1 (League: 131-21)
Record when out-wOBAed: 0-7 (League: 21-131)
Record when outhomering: 1-1 (League: 78-23)
Record when outhomered: 0-5 (League: 23-78)