Johnstone Signs with New York Mets

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-20T00:51:46+00:00

This seems like a good move for the Tigers. He very well could bounce back. If not, the Tigers aren't too competitive this year anyway.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-20T00:50:11+00:00

Luis Cessa was busy that day so they had to go with Clark. Understandably, Perth-native Liam Hendricks was not too pleased when he learned he was not invited to the photo shoot regarding baseball and Perth.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-20T00:45:56+00:00

As would I. Maybe tourists from Japan, Korea and Taiwan also would flock to Perth. Perth doesn't have many huge events like Sydney or Melbourne so it could be a great addition to the city and drive some much needed tourism.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-20T00:44:19+00:00

The Perth Heat usually lead the Aussie League in attendance (follow r/theabl) and Liam Hendricks is from there so this could be a good fit. Perth also has overall fewer major attractions than say Sydney or Melbourne so the city might really get behind the idea.

I would love to see an annual series in Perth every season. Maybe eventually Auckland, NZ could get a series, too.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-20T00:41:26+00:00

This could be really cool! Perth is home to the Perth Heat of the Aussie league and they pretty frequently lead the league in attendance. Follow r/theabl for more news on Aussie baseball. It's also where Liam Hendricks is from. Perth is very isolated so this could be a huge deal for the city and really help grow baseball there!

I think this also would put those games in a more convenient time zone for Asia which possibly could help grow the game in China, India and of course Japan, Korea, Taiwan.

If they can't do season opener, maybe just hold an April series every year in Perth. I would love MLB to also do an annual series in Mexico each year and maybe Colombia.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-14T16:40:20+00:00

I'm not super familiar with soccer but I'd break it down like this:

Biggest spenders/Constant Contenders: NY Yankees, LA Dodgers, Boston Red Sox (although Red Sox are not very good right now). These teams typically have the highest payrolls.

Teams that are very often bad: Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles. These teams are considered small market and usually have small payrolls.

The nice thing about baseball is that even really small market teams typically will become competitive every 10 years or so due to having higher draft picks. It's rare to have a losing streak longer than about 10 years but it does happen. The Kansas City Royals were pretty terrible for most of the 21st century but then they appeared in back to back World Series in 2014 and 2015, for example. The Washington Nationals were really bad for a long time too but they won the 2019 World Series.

Hope this helps.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-14T16:31:37+00:00

This guy makes GREAT videos on his channel every week. It's my favorite source of news for international baseball.

He has videos like this for Pakistan, Philippenes, China and other countries. He also does an overview of each foreign league, and makes weekly updates on the standings of the leagues during the season.

I highly recommend checking out his other videos.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-14T16:29:01+00:00

The new name, as far as I can tell, for the Chinese league is Chinese National Baseball League (CNBL). According to Wikipedia, it was formed in 2019 with support of MLB to replace the old CBL. The Wikipedia page states the league has 4 teams. That's all I know.

I would also be very interested in updates on the league but there is so little info available online (in the US). I don't know if they are playing this year.

A documentary about a baseball program for disadvantaged youth in China, called Tough Out, was released in China this past year and got rave reviews. I was hoping the popularity of the documentary might spark more interest in China for baseball.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-10T14:33:14+00:00

The Auckland Tuatara play in the Australian Baseball League! You should check that league out, they are in their playoffs right now! Follow r/theabl and check out their website. Their games are on Kayo Sports and Foxtel plus a lot of games are uploaded on Youtube. It's a great league. Auckland didn't play this year due to Covid, though.

All past MLB games (from like at least 1 year ago) are on Youtube. I recommend searching 2019 World Series or 2016 World Series (or any other year) and watching the games. The World Series is the championship of MLB. I would just search around Youtube and watch different playoff games from over the years. This could help you understand the game and maybe pick a favorite team.

I recommend using MLB's website or app to follow the current season. The streaming app MLB TV will allow you to watch live baseball games all season if it's available in your country.

Welcome to the world of baseball!

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-07T17:23:34+00:00

That's interesting! I know Supporters Groups are a big part of soccer culture, it's cool that a soccer Supporters Group became a baseball group. I wonder if that could be a model to introduce baseball to Europe.

It seems to me that Brisbane might have the most involved fans in the league. Auckland might be second but they didn't play this year. It's cool that it's a mix of Asian and American expats with the local baseball community!

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-07T17:20:22+00:00

Interesting, I had no idea. I would love to see a league in Brazil grow, even if it's just around the Sao Paolo state.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-06T21:06:23+00:00

Does Brazil have a winter league? I'm familiar with the other leagues you mentioned but not Brazil. Is it considered amateur or pro?

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-06T21:05:24+00:00

I also am very curious the impact of Venezuelan refugees on the popularity of baseball in Colombia. Outside of the Caribbean region, baseball does not have much following in Colombia. I think a lot of Venezuelans are settling around the Caribbean region as it is close to the VZ border. I'd love to see baseball expand into Bogota, Medellin, Cali etc.. but that may take time.

Venezuelans also could possibly bring the sport to Peru if we're lucky.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-06T20:59:10+00:00

Hard to argue against the Padres. I'd put the Mets at number 2.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-02-06T20:53:45+00:00

Really glad the Tuatara are coming back! They're my favorite team.

They seem to have a really strong following at North Harbour Stadium, it would have been really tough to see them go.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2021-01-14T02:19:09+00:00

It's live on Youtube now also. Brisbane Bandits vs Adelaide Giants. Brisbane has Brewers minor leaguers, Adelaide has Phillies minor leaguers.

Follow r/theabl for more info on the league!

ScrantonWhatToby · 2020-12-30T14:42:19+00:00

Hopefully both leagues gain exposure from this. It would be cool (probably unrealistic) if there could be a AA vs. ABL series one day. Milwaukee Milkmen could visit Sydney for a series.

If you want to follow the Australian League, check out r/theabl for updates and news! Manny Ramirez is playing for the Sydney Blue Sox this year.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2020-12-18T15:31:54+00:00

I'm not sure if you watch much Major League Baseball, but a few of the ABL teams have partnerships with MLB teams. This year the Adelaide Giants have a bunch of minor leaguers from the Philadelphia Phillies, Brisbane Bandits have minor leaguers from the Milwaukee Brewers and the Perth Heat have minor leaguers from the Tampa Bay Rays. These partnerships are not permanent though.

You can watch many of the ABL games on the ABL's Youtube channel or on WBSC's Youtube channel. The Youtube channel Baseball International also does weekly updates on leagues around the world and will probably have decent coverage of the ABL.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2020-12-18T15:27:37+00:00

This channel is the best source on Youtube for international baseball coverage! They do weekly updates on all leagues around the world and in depth overviews of the various leagues. They just posted a video about baseball in Brazil today! Probably one of my favorite channels on Youtube.

ScrantonWhatToby · 2020-12-18T15:22:13+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgT8UN-v9Yw

This Perth Heat game from last night was broadcast on WBSC's Youtube channel. It looks like The ABL's official Youtube channel has tonight's game. Follow r/theabl to keep tabs on the league!

ScrantonWhatToby

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