#basesball

R.I.P.

I was on the phone a couple of days ago, talking baseball with my daughter, who lives in Dodgerland but, needless to say, roots for the Tigers.

She was gauging my temperature, probing the degree of my emotional fragility.

I expressed pessimism about the Tigers’ chances against the Seattle Mariners (a standard defense mechanism), which prompted her to ask where I might fall - if the unmentionable occurred - on a scale from "disappointed," to "refusing to eat."

I told her that no matter what happened, the Tigers entertained me all season (not always in a good way) and, after all, professional baseball is, in the end, entertainment.

Then she said she would remind me of that if/when the Tigers fell short … again ... which they did on Friday night.

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

Pick Threshold: -115

The Take: The hottest team in baseball is throwing their best pitcher at -105 odds. That is a really good deal. Stay hot Cards!

For the Numbers People:

Point of View: Cardinals

Gut Odds: -140

Vegas Odds: -105

Fair Odds: -200

Past Profit with Cardinals: +1.95

Past Record with Cardinals: 6-4

Past Profit against Brewers: +0.38

Past Record against Brewers: 2-2

Result: Win

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack…with the touch of a finger?

That’s right.

In this new, fast-paced era, professional sports team in Seattle, have partnered with a company called CLEAR, to allow fans to purchase concessions with the tap of a finger. Fans can also gain entry to the stadium or prove their age for beer purchases. The touch links to a credit card with information loaded to finalize the purchase.

So, if you want to get a hot dog with all the works at a Seahawks game, boom. Swipe of a finger. Want those Cracker Jacks at a Mariners’ game, ditto.

Biometric technology has not yet made it to Braves Country. Still, as modern as SunTrust park is—as well as the area around it known as “The Battery”—you could imagine the technology arriving soon.

If proven popular you could see the appeal. Fans avoid long lines and get back to see the action on the field sooner.

As for me…I’m not quite sure I’m ready to take this step just yet.

I will admit, going through international airports recently, with touchscreen kiosks that snap your picture and valid a passport did make travelling a bit snappier. But, do I really need that slice of ballpark pizza that fast?

There are times, of course, when it is appealing to just go ahead and have a quick bite in the seat while the game is going on before you.

I tend to avoid sports concessions as a general rule because of the high prices. Better to enjoy something elsewhere if possible. So, I’m not sure the technology would benefit me. And, to be honest, I’m not sure it’s geared toward me anyway.

It does dovetail with the MLB initiatives to speed up the action. The Commish’s aim is to keep the action on the field moving; the finger touch purchases let your fingers do the walking (as it were) to feed you faster.

Then, you can go back to letting your feet do the walking…back to your seat and back to the action.