In other news (apolitical thread)...

[MarqHusker]

if you don't throw a baseball regularly and hard, long toss, short toss, you're simply not going to do much better than mid 50s.     always love seeing dudes winding their arms up like their gonna get nimble at the speed pitch at the ballpark/county fair.       Cincy's about right on the distance metric equivalent.

I used to catch my younger brother and those balls would hiss.  Hated it when he would throw breaking balls.   he was in peak throwing years when we were at Tiger Stadium in its final year or two and he got that speed pitch clocked in the 80s.     surrounded my much larger meatheads who couldn't break 56.

[OrangeAfroMan]

I've been told by golf instructors that throwing (pitcher, QB) makes it easier to learn the golf swing than a good hitter in baseball. Although hockey players apparently take to it quite naturally.

Baseball hitters, as some of you apparently have learned, have a tendency to slice it off the planet...

It's only a slice if you're facing the right way.  Set up about 45 degrees to your left, and it's straight as an arrow!!!

[Brutus Buckeye]

So they ended up doing a destination wedding--Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

My then-girlfriend (now wife) and I flew out for it, routing in and out of Louisville. We took the redeye, and spent the first night in Louisville, so we had all day to sightsee/etc.

Naturally, one of the places we went was the Louisville Slugger factory. Very cool tour, very good time. But one of the exhibits they had there was a pitching cage with a radar.

 

Frankfort is a state capital that a large percentage of the population doesn't retain beyond their sixth grade geography test on the states and capitals. so a great trick question is "How do you pronounce the capital of Kentucky?" and they'll generally pounce on "Louisville," since that's the first Kentucky city that comes to mind that might be tricky to pronounce. 

[SFBadger96]

I think most baseball players lead their swing with their shoulders; allegedly golfers lead with their hips. There are a thousand fix-your-slice-quick ideas, none of which are really quick (because all of them require you to retrain yourself). It's all a question of physics. And the physics of a golf swing are different than the physics of a baseball swing. Making things even trickier for baseball--or former baseball--players, in baseball a closed stance hits to the opposite field (right field for a right hander), an open stance to pull the ball (left field for a right hander); in golf, a closed stance is more likely to hook (to the left for a righty), and an open stance is more likely to slice (to the right for a righty). 

And I agree with all of the above: a pro in any sport--any close to somewhat major sport--is way, way, way better than a really good beer leaguer. In golf, it's just you, the course, the sticks, and the ball. And physics tells you how much worse than the pros you are.

I used to work with a guy who was an ATP pro tennis player for a year, and was a hitting partner for one of the all-time great women's players during her prime (a few decades ago). He loves golf--and is very good at it. He also said that the only thing he could think of that would be more boring than being a professional golfer is being a professional tennis player. So much practice doing the same things over and over and over and over and over again.

[Honestbuckeye]

What do you guess you'd shoot on Sunday in the Masters from the champ tees with the crowd?

120?

That’s about right.  

[Cincydawg]

I think most baseball players lead their swing with their shoulders; allegedly golfers lead with their hips.

The most common coaching we get at fantasy camp is "Stay back".  All of us, nearly, tend to "lunge" at the ball which means we leave most of our power (such as it is) in the box.  The average pitching speed there is probably 60.  Stay back stay back stay back NOW!!!

And I'd say "we" lead with our front leg more than shoulders, at least that is the first move made.  That is one obvious difference with golf of course.  I try and focus on keeping my back "closed" in baseball, stride forward still closed, and then open with everything in the swing.  If that back side opens too early, well, you've lost any power.  Of course, for most of us, the goal is to get it out of the infield and ahead of the OFers.  A few guys can really hit pretty well, I've seen homeruns over the fence twice now, both by former college players now about 35.

The other commonality is to "keep your head down". it tends to fly open in baseball as well.

My pitching coach described the process as akin to a castwheel, you should kind of "spin" off the rubber, driving with your back leg, again not opening up too soon.  It's interesting, to me, how prematurely opening up is such a problem for most of us.  I hear major leaguers get into it at times as well, and of course on off speed pitches, many do it.

If anyone here has a bit of room, take a baseball out (by yourself) and see how far you can heave it (after loosening).  So far as I know, the only way to "warm up" for throwing is ... to throw.  I'm always amazed that major league pitchers warm up in the pen and their first pitch usually is 85+, you can heat the catcher's glove "snap", I used to love that sound.  These guys have probably thrown a bit under the stands, and before the game of course, so they aren't dead cold.

I do think that golf is one game where you can fully appreciate just how far your skills are from a pro when by yourself.  Maybe you try playing from the back tees on a municipal course and imagine the fairway as being a third as wide as it is and the rough being ... rough.

These guys are the elite of the elite of the elite.  It used to be in fantasy camp that we'd play an inning against the former pros, it was pretty amazing to see these guys pick ground balls and pitching (their arms are mostly shot badly now).  They got too old for it apparently and we don't any more.  I recall "batting" off one of our coaches who was still young and I fouled a couple off and he told me later "Enough of this", and he went from BP+ speed to real speed.  The ball sounded angry.  I flailed away.  Not a chance.

[847badgerfan]

I just cancelled The Athletic.


https://twitter.com/jessetemple/status/1913237224197365882?s=46&t=NLf0PagvHTrGtAG-YzTBhgDamn

[847badgerfan]

My wife lived in Fremont, Concord, Walnut Creek and Pleasanton as a little girl.

[SFBadger96]

And those are in the East Bay, i.e., the "lower cost" part of the Bay Area. The Silicon Valley (Santa Clara) and Peninsula (San Mateo) are even more:

[utee94]

[847badgerfan]

Those prices are just nuts.

[Cincydawg]

Midtown
Midtown is a hot spot for condo buyers, known for its vibrant lifestyle and proximity to cultural attractions. The median price for condos here is approximately $450,000, with units selling quickly due to high demand. Midtown's appeal lies in its lively atmosphere and convenient location, making it a top choice for many buyers.
Buckhead
Buckhead offers luxury condos with top-tier amenities. The average price for a condo in Buckhead is around $550,000. This area is popular among professionals and families seeking upscale living environments. The neighborhood's blend of sophistication and convenience makes it a highly desirable location.

I am surprised to see Buckhead pricier than midtown, maybe it's not so.  A 2 BDR in our building usually is priced around half a mil if they are reasonably updated.  The residential area just to our north is fancier.  Most of these are quite large, 5 BDR plus, and building around 1910-1920, usually upgrade by now of course, some were demolished to build new.


Ansley Park is a popular neighborhood for home buyers who can afford to buy a home in the median price range of $1.68M.

[FearlessF]

So, even at the Masters was good for a tie at 29th.  The weather was pretty good this year.  The winner tied at -11.  Two players made the cut and finished at +9. 

I'd guess a real 18 HDCP player playing the back tees but with no audience could shoot in the 90s from the back tees?  He might also shoot 110.

playing from the back tees would be a real challenge for most.......... Masters course measures 7,545 yards with a par of 72
When I was in my late 40s I played from tees at 7,085 yards. that was long. but, I was young and could hit it 300+ with the driver and 200+ with a 5 iron.   I'm now playing 6731 or 6348
There's also a big difference between Pebble Beach setup for the US Open and for normal play by the members.

Was a great experience to play Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis the Monday following the 2009 PGA Championship.  Crews were tearing down the bleachers and crows nests and TV camera stands while we played.  Yes, the greens were lightning fast.  We did NOT play the tips/PGA tee boxes.  Probably around 6500-6800 yards, not 7500. I played somewhat conservatively, trying to stay below the hole around the greens to avoid chipping and putting downhill on those slippery SOBs.  I had a "good" day by my standards and shot 90.  I was probably about a 10 handicap at the time.  Playing from the tips at 7500 yards would have killed our group.

the day before "Y.E. Yang" won his first major title, three strokes ahead of runner-up Tiger Woods, a four-time champion. It marked the first time that Woods had failed to win a major he had led after 54 holes.

[Cincydawg]

My wife's daughter's house in San Diego is probably 1,000 SF 3 bdr and was a million plus.  They have a nice back yard.  It's in an older working community section, I'd guess the houses sold originally for $10,000 in 1950 or so.