STLtoday.com

An Old Friend wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 15:46 pm

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 02:03 am I just read a few posts where somebody asked, “have you ever played baseball” or said “obviously you’ve never played baseball”.
So who on here has ever played baseball? I’m not talking little league, high school or senior league. Who has played pro ball?
Not a camp where everyone is invited to try out. I’m looking for the legitimate prospect. I’m guessing nobody.

To go further, who has owned a team? Who is a billionaire? People have lots of advice for billionaires. I figure there has to be a couple on here. NOT.

Just admit as you drive to your middle management job or Taco Bell, you have no idea what it takes to run a $billion corporation.

It’s highly likely that the 1 hour a day thinking about how a team should be ran, doesn’t make you an expert on the subject.

Face it, like me, you’re a fan with an opinion that doesn’t normally make sense.

I had a bit of juice before Tommy John surgery but never was able to get back to my pre-op velocities.

I do not work at Taco Bell.

Voldemort wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 20:48 pm

rockondlouie wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 09:57 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 09:47 am There is a thought that thinks those type people, those that observe verse play, make the best coaches and the nstructors; while stars, and the rest of us, coach, but can’t understand how a person Cant do it and make bad coaches.

Those who can..........do

Those who can't.......,teach

Louie, I hate this quote. I taught for just under 4 decades.

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 02:03 am I just read a few posts where somebody asked, “have you ever played baseball” or said “obviously you’ve never played baseball”.
So who on here has ever played baseball? I’m not talking little league, high school or senior league. Who has played pro ball?
Not a camp where everyone is invited to try out. I’m looking for the legitimate prospect. I’m guessing nobody.

To go further, who has owned a team? Who is a billionaire? People have lots of advice for billionaires. I figure there has to be a couple on here. NOT.

Just admit as you drive to your middle management job or Taco Bell, you have no idea what it takes to run a $billion corporation.

It’s highly likely that the 1 hour a day thinking about how a team should be ran, doesn’t make you an expert on the subject.

Face it, like me, you’re a fan with an opinion that doesn’t normally make sense.

Melville wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 08:48 am

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 02:03 am I just read a few posts where somebody asked, “have you ever played baseball” or said “obviously you’ve never played baseball”.
So who on here has ever played baseball? I’m not talking little league, high school or senior league. Who has played pro ball?
Not a camp where everyone is invited to try out. I’m looking for the legitimate prospect. I’m guessing nobody.

To go further, who has owned a team? Who is a billionaire? People have lots of advice for billionaires. I figure there has to be a couple on here. NOT.

Just admit as you drive to your middle management job or Taco Bell, you have no idea what it takes to run a $billion corporation.

It’s highly likely that the 1 hour a day thinking about how a team should be ran, doesn’t make you an expert on the subject.

Face it, like me, you’re a fan with an opinion that doesn’t normally make sense.

I had to stop playing competitively after high school.
I was the best defensive shortstop I ever saw at that level - but I could not hit a lick.
High school version of Brendan Ryan - with even less bat relative to the level of competition.
The world of business was a much better fit.
That said, your assumption that one must excel at playing a game to understand what produces a high performing organization is nonsense.
The factors which produce excellence at the individual leader level and high performance at organizational level vary little from one industry to another.
Baseball is no different.
Which is precisely why Bloom has a job right now.
Fact is, some of us DO KNOW a lot more about how a team should be operated and how success is achieved than Super Slo Mo ever did.
I am one.
There are others.
Your questions and assumption are not relevant.
The real question is whether Bloom is equipped for what he is doing and will DeWitt allow him to succeed?
(As a organizational performance consultant for many years, I can assure you those 2 foundational questions are at the very core of success or failure in nearly every instance.)
Bloom will make mistakes - and already has.
Everyone does.
But I am convinced he has the intelligence and skills to succeed - unlike his predecessor.
Whether he will be provided with the support and resources to do so is another matter entirely - and that is the single most pressing question that will be answered in 2026 and 2027.

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 15:22 pm

Melville wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 08:48 am

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 02:03 am I just read a few posts where somebody asked, “have you ever played baseball” or said “obviously you’ve never played baseball”.
So who on here has ever played baseball? I’m not talking little league, high school or senior league. Who has played pro ball?
Not a camp where everyone is invited to try out. I’m looking for the legitimate prospect. I’m guessing nobody.

To go further, who has owned a team? Who is a billionaire? People have lots of advice for billionaires. I figure there has to be a couple on here. NOT.

Just admit as you drive to your middle management job or Taco Bell, you have no idea what it takes to run a $billion corporation.

It’s highly likely that the 1 hour a day thinking about how a team should be ran, doesn’t make you an expert on the subject.

Face it, like me, you’re a fan with an opinion that doesn’t normally make sense.

I had to stop playing competitively after high school.
I was the best defensive shortstop I ever saw at that level - but I could not hit a lick.
High school version of Brendan Ryan - with even less bat relative to the level of competition.
The world of business was a much better fit.
That said, your assumption that one must excel at playing a game to understand what produces a high performing organization is nonsense.
The factors which produce excellence at the individual leader level and high performance at organizational level vary little from one industry to another.
Baseball is no different.
Which is precisely why Bloom has a job right now.
Fact is, some of us DO KNOW a lot more about how a team should be operated and how success is achieved than Super Slo Mo ever did.
I am one.
There are others.
Your questions and assumption are not relevant.
The real question is whether Bloom is equipped for what he is doing and will DeWitt allow him to succeed?
(As a organizational performance consultant for many years, I can assure you those 2 foundational questions are at the very core of success or failure in nearly every instance.)
Bloom will make mistakes - and already has.
Everyone does.
But I am convinced he has the intelligence and skills to succeed - unlike his predecessor.
Whether he will be provided with the support and resources to do so is another matter entirely - and that is the single most pressing question that will be answered in 2026 and 2027.

I don’t blame you for not getting to true meaning of what I write. It’s kind of garbled. Your assumptions are incorrect of what I intended.
Let’s see if I can put it more simple.
The Little League guy telling the person that didn’t play little league that they don’t know what they’re doing or talking about because they never played Little League isn’t more qualified than the person that didnt play Little League.

Now go up the scale. Just because you played college you don’t necessarily know more than the person that played high school. The higher your level of play does not make your opinion more relevant than the next persons. That was my intent. Because I’ve read more than once, “you must’ve never played the game”.
Which I don’t think really backs an opinion. If your level of play is the only thing that determines how good your opinion is, only major league Hall of Fame managers should have an opinion.

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 15:22 pm

Melville wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 08:48 am

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 02:03 am I just read a few posts where somebody asked, “have you ever played baseball” or said “obviously you’ve never played baseball”.
So who on here has ever played baseball? I’m not talking little league, high school or senior league. Who has played pro ball?
Not a camp where everyone is invited to try out. I’m looking for the legitimate prospect. I’m guessing nobody.

To go further, who has owned a team? Who is a billionaire? People have lots of advice for billionaires. I figure there has to be a couple on here. NOT.

Just admit as you drive to your middle management job or Taco Bell, you have no idea what it takes to run a $billion corporation.

It’s highly likely that the 1 hour a day thinking about how a team should be ran, doesn’t make you an expert on the subject.

Face it, like me, you’re a fan with an opinion that doesn’t normally make sense.

I had to stop playing competitively after high school.
I was the best defensive shortstop I ever saw at that level - but I could not hit a lick.
High school version of Brendan Ryan - with even less bat relative to the level of competition.
The world of business was a much better fit.
That said, your assumption that one must excel at playing a game to understand what produces a high performing organization is nonsense.
The factors which produce excellence at the individual leader level and high performance at organizational level vary little from one industry to another.
Baseball is no different.
Which is precisely why Bloom has a job right now.
Fact is, some of us DO KNOW a lot more about how a team should be operated and how success is achieved than Super Slo Mo ever did.
I am one.
There are others.
Your questions and assumption are not relevant.
The real question is whether Bloom is equipped for what he is doing and will DeWitt allow him to succeed?
(As a organizational performance consultant for many years, I can assure you those 2 foundational questions are at the very core of success or failure in nearly every instance.)
Bloom will make mistakes - and already has.
Everyone does.
But I am convinced he has the intelligence and skills to succeed - unlike his predecessor.
Whether he will be provided with the support and resources to do so is another matter entirely - and that is the single most pressing question that will be answered in 2026 and 2027.

I don’t blame you for not getting to true meaning of what I write. It’s kind of garbled. Your assumptions are incorrect of what I intended.
Let’s see if I can put it more simple.
The Little League guy telling the person that didn’t play little league that they don’t know what they’re doing or talking about because they never played Little League isn’t more qualified than the person that didnt play Little League.

Now go up the scale. Just because you played college you don’t necessarily know more than the person that played high school. The higher your level of play does not make your opinion more relevant than the next persons. That was my intent. Because I’ve read more than once, “you must’ve never played the game”.
Which I don’t think really backs an opinion. If your level of play is the only thing that determines how good your opinion is, only major league Hall of Fame managers should have an opinion.

Melville wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 18:45 pm

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 15:22 pm

Melville wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 08:48 am

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 02:03 am I just read a few posts where somebody asked, “have you ever played baseball” or said “obviously you’ve never played baseball”.
So who on here has ever played baseball? I’m not talking little league, high school or senior league. Who has played pro ball?
Not a camp where everyone is invited to try out. I’m looking for the legitimate prospect. I’m guessing nobody.

To go further, who has owned a team? Who is a billionaire? People have lots of advice for billionaires. I figure there has to be a couple on here. NOT.

Just admit as you drive to your middle management job or Taco Bell, you have no idea what it takes to run a $billion corporation.

It’s highly likely that the 1 hour a day thinking about how a team should be ran, doesn’t make you an expert on the subject.

Face it, like me, you’re a fan with an opinion that doesn’t normally make sense.

I had to stop playing competitively after high school.
I was the best defensive shortstop I ever saw at that level - but I could not hit a lick.
High school version of Brendan Ryan - with even less bat relative to the level of competition.
The world of business was a much better fit.
That said, your assumption that one must excel at playing a game to understand what produces a high performing organization is nonsense.
The factors which produce excellence at the individual leader level and high performance at organizational level vary little from one industry to another.
Baseball is no different.
Which is precisely why Bloom has a job right now.
Fact is, some of us DO KNOW a lot more about how a team should be operated and how success is achieved than Super Slo Mo ever did.
I am one.
There are others.
Your questions and assumption are not relevant.
The real question is whether Bloom is equipped for what he is doing and will DeWitt allow him to succeed?
(As a organizational performance consultant for many years, I can assure you those 2 foundational questions are at the very core of success or failure in nearly every instance.)
Bloom will make mistakes - and already has.
Everyone does.
But I am convinced he has the intelligence and skills to succeed - unlike his predecessor.
Whether he will be provided with the support and resources to do so is another matter entirely - and that is the single most pressing question that will be answered in 2026 and 2027.

I don’t blame you for not getting to true meaning of what I write. It’s kind of garbled. Your assumptions are incorrect of what I intended.
Let’s see if I can put it more simple.
The Little League guy telling the person that didn’t play little league that they don’t know what they’re doing or talking about because they never played Little League isn’t more qualified than the person that didnt play Little League.

Now go up the scale. Just because you played college you don’t necessarily know more than the person that played high school. The higher your level of play does not make your opinion more relevant than the next persons. That was my intent. Because I’ve read more than once, “you must’ve never played the game”.
Which I don’t think really backs an opinion. If your level of play is the only thing that determines how good your opinion is, only major league Hall of Fame managers should have an opinion.

Thanks for clarifying.
I understand that perspective.

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026 00:30 am

Melville wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 18:45 pm

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 15:22 pm

Melville wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 08:48 am

Cardinals1964 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 02:03 am I just read a few posts where somebody asked, “have you ever played baseball” or said “obviously you’ve never played baseball”.
So who on here has ever played baseball? I’m not talking little league, high school or senior league. Who has played pro ball?
Not a camp where everyone is invited to try out. I’m looking for the legitimate prospect. I’m guessing nobody.

To go further, who has owned a team? Who is a billionaire? People have lots of advice for billionaires. I figure there has to be a couple on here. NOT.

Just admit as you drive to your middle management job or Taco Bell, you have no idea what it takes to run a $billion corporation.

It’s highly likely that the 1 hour a day thinking about how a team should be ran, doesn’t make you an expert on the subject.

Face it, like me, you’re a fan with an opinion that doesn’t normally make sense.

I had to stop playing competitively after high school.
I was the best defensive shortstop I ever saw at that level - but I could not hit a lick.
High school version of Brendan Ryan - with even less bat relative to the level of competition.
The world of business was a much better fit.
That said, your assumption that one must excel at playing a game to understand what produces a high performing organization is nonsense.
The factors which produce excellence at the individual leader level and high performance at organizational level vary little from one industry to another.
Baseball is no different.
Which is precisely why Bloom has a job right now.
Fact is, some of us DO KNOW a lot more about how a team should be operated and how success is achieved than Super Slo Mo ever did.
I am one.
There are others.
Your questions and assumption are not relevant.
The real question is whether Bloom is equipped for what he is doing and will DeWitt allow him to succeed?
(As a organizational performance consultant for many years, I can assure you those 2 foundational questions are at the very core of success or failure in nearly every instance.)
Bloom will make mistakes - and already has.
Everyone does.
But I am convinced he has the intelligence and skills to succeed - unlike his predecessor.
Whether he will be provided with the support and resources to do so is another matter entirely - and that is the single most pressing question that will be answered in 2026 and 2027.

I don’t blame you for not getting to true meaning of what I write. It’s kind of garbled. Your assumptions are incorrect of what I intended.
Let’s see if I can put it more simple.
The Little League guy telling the person that didn’t play little league that they don’t know what they’re doing or talking about because they never played Little League isn’t more qualified than the person that didnt play Little League.

Now go up the scale. Just because you played college you don’t necessarily know more than the person that played high school. The higher your level of play does not make your opinion more relevant than the next persons. That was my intent. Because I’ve read more than once, “you must’ve never played the game”.
Which I don’t think really backs an opinion. If your level of play is the only thing that determines how good your opinion is, only major league Hall of Fame managers should have an opinion.

Thanks for clarifying.
I understand that perspective.

My perspective is always correct.
Based only on fact.
Never biased.
100% correct half the time.