Take Meowt to the Ballgame
August 24, 2021 4:49 PM Subscribe
Is a Feral Cat Responsible For the Orioles Losing 18 Games in a Row? An Important Investigation This was going to be a single link post to Molly Knight's substack The Long Game (now you know what you're clicking on), but then I found:
this recent piece on the St. Louis Cardinals Rally Cat of 2017.
Please convince your cats to watch baseball from the couch with you - stadiums are stressful.
this recent piece on the St. Louis Cardinals Rally Cat of 2017.
Please convince your cats to watch baseball from the couch with you - stadiums are stressful.
I don't know how that cat got wedged into that losing streak or how.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:04 PM on August 24, 2021 [27 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:04 PM on August 24, 2021 [27 favorites]
I went to one of those games (sigh)is it easier to be a Cubs fan?
posted by childofTethys at 5:23 PM on August 24, 2021
posted by childofTethys at 5:23 PM on August 24, 2021
I always wonder how animals get onto the field
The field is not the easiest place to get to
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 5:29 PM on August 24, 2021 [2 favorites]
The field is not the easiest place to get to
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 5:29 PM on August 24, 2021 [2 favorites]
Have you met cats?
All your bases are belong to them.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:42 PM on August 24, 2021 [51 favorites]
All your bases are belong to them.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:42 PM on August 24, 2021 [51 favorites]
I love cats and I always feel terribly bad for and worried about the cats that make it onto the field.
posted by rednikki at 5:46 PM on August 24, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by rednikki at 5:46 PM on August 24, 2021 [7 favorites]
failure to adopt the cat and issue it a roster number probably explains the losing streaks
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:48 PM on August 24, 2021 [16 favorites]
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:48 PM on August 24, 2021 [16 favorites]
O's are currently down by 11 runs in the bottom of the 4th, so the curse doesn't look like it's lifting tonight!
I went to one of those games (sigh)is it easier to be a Cubs fan?
As a Cubs fan who has adopted the Orioles as my American league team since moving to Baltimore, I would borrow from Tolstoy and say that each unhappy fan base is unhappy in its own way.
The St. Louis Rally Cat story is genuinely kind of bonkers - Rally Cat is in hiding to this day. People are still offering to buy him!
posted by the primroses were over at 6:01 PM on August 24, 2021 [5 favorites]
I went to one of those games (sigh)is it easier to be a Cubs fan?
As a Cubs fan who has adopted the Orioles as my American league team since moving to Baltimore, I would borrow from Tolstoy and say that each unhappy fan base is unhappy in its own way.
The St. Louis Rally Cat story is genuinely kind of bonkers - Rally Cat is in hiding to this day. People are still offering to buy him!
posted by the primroses were over at 6:01 PM on August 24, 2021 [5 favorites]
I love when animals invade sports fields. They just want to play too!
I don't know if that cat cursed the Orioles or not. Honestly, I think they were already cursed.
(I'm a Nationals fan and I wish we could blame some animal running out on the field. But even if we lost Max Scherzer, at least he & his wife covered the adoption fees for a week at the D.C.-based Humane Rescue Alliance before he left for the Dodgers. So that was a nice thing.)
posted by edencosmic at 6:01 PM on August 24, 2021 [6 favorites]
I don't know if that cat cursed the Orioles or not. Honestly, I think they were already cursed.
(I'm a Nationals fan and I wish we could blame some animal running out on the field. But even if we lost Max Scherzer, at least he & his wife covered the adoption fees for a week at the D.C.-based Humane Rescue Alliance before he left for the Dodgers. So that was a nice thing.)
posted by edencosmic at 6:01 PM on August 24, 2021 [6 favorites]
I want to know the p value of this.
posted by clawsoon at 6:20 PM on August 24, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by clawsoon at 6:20 PM on August 24, 2021 [3 favorites]
That’s no way to pick up a cat. Fuck you and your sports club, too.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:27 PM on August 24, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:27 PM on August 24, 2021 [3 favorites]
Is a Feral Cat Responsible For the Orioles Losing 18 Games in a Row?
Not unless Peter Angelos's kids are feral cats.
posted by escabeche at 6:28 PM on August 24, 2021 [2 favorites]
Not unless Peter Angelos's kids are feral cats.
posted by escabeche at 6:28 PM on August 24, 2021 [2 favorites]
“Is a … cat responsible for …”
You can usually just stop right there because whatever comes after the second ellipsis, the answer’s likely to be Yes.
posted by armoir from antproof case at 7:01 PM on August 24, 2021 [6 favorites]
You can usually just stop right there because whatever comes after the second ellipsis, the answer’s likely to be Yes.
posted by armoir from antproof case at 7:01 PM on August 24, 2021 [6 favorites]
Stray cats provided the Dodgers and Yankees with winning percentage boosts of .343 and .317, respectively. Those same cats hurt the Rockies winning percentage by .251, and the Orioles’ by .362.
I mean, that's just science.
Too often, these days.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:10 PM on August 24, 2021 [2 favorites]
1969 Mets win division over Cubbies bc of black cat. So obviously the cat is always the answer.
As a Yankees fan (I know, I know), the boys are purring on an 11 game win streak bc of that cat.
Great post!
posted by AugustWest at 9:35 PM on August 24, 2021 [2 favorites]
As a Yankees fan (I know, I know), the boys are purring on an 11 game win streak bc of that cat.
Great post!
posted by AugustWest at 9:35 PM on August 24, 2021 [2 favorites]
Clearly this signifies we need a competitive arena friendly spectator sport revolving around petting cats that has vestigial DNA of the game of baseball.
Here's what I'm thinking.
We keep the innings gameplay structure and all of the weird statistical arcana that some people go in for with baseball, we get rid of the bat and ball and replace these with professional grade cat toys like the ever popular balls of feathers on the end of a string and stick.
Imagine, if you will, such a toy on a string and stick where the string is 20-30 feet long and the stick is 8-10 feet long, made of fiberglass or carbon fiber and of a quality suitable for a very nice fishing rod.
Then as one team takes to the field and pitchers mound, the batter is given their choice of approved cat toys such as laser pointers, a cardboard box, balls of feathers on a string and stick and what have you.
Game play begins when some large number of cats - say, 50, or 100 - are released roughly evenly around the field. Players in the field are stationed as normal to baseball positions and must attempt to attract cats to them for petting through the normal ways one attracts a cat, such as whispering ps-ps-ps-pst at a given cat and making beckoning finger motions indicating to the cat that petting is available.
The fielding team tries to occupy and pet as many cats as possible and prevent them from being distracted by the batter.
If the fielding team manages to collectively pet all of the cats on the field either sequentially or simultaneously the batter is struck "out" and replaced with the next batter.
Meanwhile the batter is attempting to distract the cats from the other players by way of their choice of cat toys and scores a "hit" by successfully distracting a given cat from a player and is able to make contact with it for petting, and may proceed to first base to continue to try to distract cats from being pet by the fielding team.
Points are scored when a given batter or runner makes it back to home base. As batters/runners take their bases they get to pick one toy out of the selection of toys they started with on their way around the basis where they play on trying to distract cats from being petted through play.
I haven't thought this part all of the way through yet but we'll need some quantifiable metric to determine base hits, perhaps by the number of cats distracted by playing at the same time. Or perhaps a home run is scored by managing to distract and play with a cat so well that the cat gets the zoomies, does a back flip, or manages to follow a laser pointer dot from home base to the fence without being pet by any of the fielding team.
I also propose that the entire play field be made somewhat smaller and more cat friendly while still visible from the stadium and cameras for broadcast. Perhaps the turf should be replaced by carpeting. Perhaps the bases should be replaced with cat trees, and field positions have box fort shelters to aid in reliably attracting cats from around the play field.
Game play should take roughly as long as an MLB baseball game.
Obviously I still need to work out some of the game mechanics for how the fielding team strikes or tags a batter out through petting cats but you get the rough idea. Perhaps the cats are fitted with small microphone collars that can detect purrs, and an out is scored when some number of cats are all purring at the same time or every team member on the field has made at least one cat purr.
Perhaps "doping" in the form of catnip or catnip infused toys, cat treats and the sound of a can opener should be encouraged.
Further, all baseball teams will be renamed and rebranded to involve cat related names and titles.
The end result should be about 4-6 hours of people competitively petting, coddling and playing with a whole lot of cats and should be very suitable for viewers for a nice, long nap on a weekend.
After the last inning when gameplay ends a select amount of stadium visitors decided by a seat number lottery are allowed to take to the field and join in petting cats.
And the cats put into play on the field are, of course, shelter cats ready for adoption. Spectators may bid on cats for adoption through a silent auction, and the cash that is raised through the adoption auction is donated to the animal shelters and rescues that provided the cats.
posted by loquacious at 10:47 PM on August 24, 2021 [24 favorites]
Here's what I'm thinking.
We keep the innings gameplay structure and all of the weird statistical arcana that some people go in for with baseball, we get rid of the bat and ball and replace these with professional grade cat toys like the ever popular balls of feathers on the end of a string and stick.
Imagine, if you will, such a toy on a string and stick where the string is 20-30 feet long and the stick is 8-10 feet long, made of fiberglass or carbon fiber and of a quality suitable for a very nice fishing rod.
Then as one team takes to the field and pitchers mound, the batter is given their choice of approved cat toys such as laser pointers, a cardboard box, balls of feathers on a string and stick and what have you.
Game play begins when some large number of cats - say, 50, or 100 - are released roughly evenly around the field. Players in the field are stationed as normal to baseball positions and must attempt to attract cats to them for petting through the normal ways one attracts a cat, such as whispering ps-ps-ps-pst at a given cat and making beckoning finger motions indicating to the cat that petting is available.
The fielding team tries to occupy and pet as many cats as possible and prevent them from being distracted by the batter.
If the fielding team manages to collectively pet all of the cats on the field either sequentially or simultaneously the batter is struck "out" and replaced with the next batter.
Meanwhile the batter is attempting to distract the cats from the other players by way of their choice of cat toys and scores a "hit" by successfully distracting a given cat from a player and is able to make contact with it for petting, and may proceed to first base to continue to try to distract cats from being pet by the fielding team.
Points are scored when a given batter or runner makes it back to home base. As batters/runners take their bases they get to pick one toy out of the selection of toys they started with on their way around the basis where they play on trying to distract cats from being petted through play.
I haven't thought this part all of the way through yet but we'll need some quantifiable metric to determine base hits, perhaps by the number of cats distracted by playing at the same time. Or perhaps a home run is scored by managing to distract and play with a cat so well that the cat gets the zoomies, does a back flip, or manages to follow a laser pointer dot from home base to the fence without being pet by any of the fielding team.
I also propose that the entire play field be made somewhat smaller and more cat friendly while still visible from the stadium and cameras for broadcast. Perhaps the turf should be replaced by carpeting. Perhaps the bases should be replaced with cat trees, and field positions have box fort shelters to aid in reliably attracting cats from around the play field.
Game play should take roughly as long as an MLB baseball game.
Obviously I still need to work out some of the game mechanics for how the fielding team strikes or tags a batter out through petting cats but you get the rough idea. Perhaps the cats are fitted with small microphone collars that can detect purrs, and an out is scored when some number of cats are all purring at the same time or every team member on the field has made at least one cat purr.
Perhaps "doping" in the form of catnip or catnip infused toys, cat treats and the sound of a can opener should be encouraged.
Further, all baseball teams will be renamed and rebranded to involve cat related names and titles.
The end result should be about 4-6 hours of people competitively petting, coddling and playing with a whole lot of cats and should be very suitable for viewers for a nice, long nap on a weekend.
After the last inning when gameplay ends a select amount of stadium visitors decided by a seat number lottery are allowed to take to the field and join in petting cats.
And the cats put into play on the field are, of course, shelter cats ready for adoption. Spectators may bid on cats for adoption through a silent auction, and the cash that is raised through the adoption auction is donated to the animal shelters and rescues that provided the cats.
posted by loquacious at 10:47 PM on August 24, 2021 [24 favorites]
Game play should take roughly as long as an MLB baseball game.
A thirty plus inning game, maybe. Talk about herding cats....
posted by vrakatar at 11:27 PM on August 24, 2021
A thirty plus inning game, maybe. Talk about herding cats....
posted by vrakatar at 11:27 PM on August 24, 2021
for all their trouble, these cats never catch any birds
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:08 AM on August 25, 2021
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:08 AM on August 25, 2021
The Orioles won the World Series in 1983 and have graciously allowed other teams to feel that same sense of achievement every year since.
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:54 AM on August 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:54 AM on August 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
That’s no way to pick up a cat. Fuck you and your sports club, too.
Seriously, right? All these years I've been seeing stories of rogue cats on the field, and still these grounds crews have NO IDEA how to safely & humanely capture the terrified cat, and seem to think that lunging at it, as if it were a fumbled football, is the best way. Watching this I was honestly hoping that one of those jerks was going to lose a limb.
posted by JanetLand at 6:14 AM on August 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
Seriously, right? All these years I've been seeing stories of rogue cats on the field, and still these grounds crews have NO IDEA how to safely & humanely capture the terrified cat, and seem to think that lunging at it, as if it were a fumbled football, is the best way. Watching this I was honestly hoping that one of those jerks was going to lose a limb.
posted by JanetLand at 6:14 AM on August 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
Hey, at least it was just one feral cat. What if it had been 30-50 feral hogs? Stop and think about that for a minute, why don't you?
posted by Naberius at 10:54 AM on August 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Naberius at 10:54 AM on August 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
My assumption is that cats running around on a beautifully maintained grass field and being chased by players, umps, and/or groundskeepers is a popular bucket list item in the cat world.
posted by rhizome at 12:41 PM on August 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 12:41 PM on August 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
ORIOLES WIN ORIOLES WIN ORIOLES WIN
posted by escabeche at 7:43 PM on August 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by escabeche at 7:43 PM on August 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
Sorry baseball writers, gotta find another storyline. The O's did not break their own AL losing streak record from 1988.
posted by the primroses were over at 7:54 PM on August 25, 2021
posted by the primroses were over at 7:54 PM on August 25, 2021
Yankees winning percentage in the three weeks after cat incident: .850
Yankees winning percentage in their other 105 games: .533
Orioles winning percentage in the three weeks after cat incident: .000
Orioles winning percentage in their other other 105 games: .362
Science!
posted by kirkaracha at 7:44 AM on August 26, 2021
Yankees winning percentage in their other 105 games: .533
Orioles winning percentage in the three weeks after cat incident: .000
Orioles winning percentage in their other other 105 games: .362
Science!
posted by kirkaracha at 7:44 AM on August 26, 2021
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posted by mollweide at 5:02 PM on August 24, 2021 [3 favorites]