JohnS Posted October 9, 2015 Author Posted October 9, 2015 Another tough (extra innings) loss for the Blue Jays to be down 2-0 in their Divisional Series against the Texas Rangers. I hope this isn't the last game for LaTroy Hawkins as he has had a long and consistent career, and at 42, with 20 active years in Major League Baseball, he is the oldest player in Baseball right now. I hope this isn't the last game he pitches in this series as he has indicated that he will retire in 2015 and he took the loss tonight.
canadianbeaver Posted October 9, 2015 Posted October 9, 2015 His pitching was great today! He is so solid and confident. Did you hear the most pitches he has ever thrown against is probably Frank Thomas? The only player of his his vintage still playing is A-Rod. I will actually watch any team play MLB. I learned this from my dad. We just like the game. A quick chat with Joe Maddon just now, manager of the Cubs, is now my signature here: "Don't let the pressure exceed the pleasure".
jackattack Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 The ivy at Wrigley Field was supposedly inspired by similar ivy at Bush Stadium (then Perry Field) in Indianapolis, which is where I grew up watching baseball. We have a pretty popular AAA team, and their old stadium was awesome. They built a shiny, new ballpark downtown in the 90s, and glorious old Bush Stadium was left to decay. In the past couple years they've turned it into a condominium/apartment complex, while retaining some of the old structure, not unlike what Arsenal did with Highbury. Some of the best memories of my childhood came in that old ballpark. WOW! Never imagined cruising this forum, as a newbie, I'd see my old yard. I played there in 87'/88' with the Indianapolis Indians, a Montreal Expo AAA farm team. We scored back to back AAA W..series championships with those teams. With a staff that had Randy Johnson, Mark Gardner and Brian Holman on it definitely helped... Quite a few guys made it to the show from that team. Most with other organizations. Great old-time ballpark. Ole Max Schumacher, the general mgr, used to stack the trash under the stands to save money...it made for some interesting smells coming from the stands during the heat of summer. BTW...that left-field wall had some poison ivy mixed in with that ivy. Thanks for post/photo that brought back some great memories. I knew I'd like this place. 1
JohnS Posted October 19, 2015 Author Posted October 19, 2015 Home-field edge can fuel 0-2 comebacks While home-field advantage did not play a large role at the start of this postseason, things have changed quickly in the League Championship Series. In seven-game LCS history, there have been three occasions in which the home teams in both series won the first two games at home. And in only one of those years (1999 Braves and Yankees) did both teams go on to the World Series. With the Mets and Royals each winning Games 1 and 2 at home against the Cubs and Blue Jays, respectively, this year marks only the third time since the LCS moved to a seven-game format in 1985 that both clubs holding home-field advantage brought a 2-0 series lead into Game 3. Home teams that won the first two games of a best-of-seven postseason series have advanced 78.7 percent of the time (37 out of 47), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Full story and source: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/154911902/mets-royals-both-bring-2-0-leads-into-game-3
JohnS Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 2015 NLCS and ALCS 'on the brink' With victories today by the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets in their respective League Championship Series, both teams are one win away from progressing to the World Series. The Kansas City Royals currently lead 3-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays will be hoping to emulate the 8 teams before them who have come back from 3-1 down in a best of seven series, most recently the 2012 San Francisco Giants. The New York Mets currently lead 3-0 over the Chicago Cubs. Only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have overcome a 0-3 deficit to progress to the World Series (which they did in defeating the New York Yankees). Both the 2012 Giants and 2004 Red Sox went on to win the World Series after their comebacks. Never say never!
khomeinist Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Ahh. Yeah. Jays and Cubs dont have the pitching to come back. Cubs had a nice year but they aren't going to beat the aces four straight. Jays stopped hitting. Not looking good Canada.
MPS Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Let's go Mets! Best young pitching staff I can remember in a long while. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
JohnS Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 Let's go Mets! Best young pitching staff I can remember in a long while. Yes, it's obvious Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard have the support, in the culture of the Mets, to back themselves. To me, it's plainly obvious that the fielding team also backs these guys on the mound to get through games. And it's not just the young pitchers. Before the superstars arrived after the July 31 trade deadline (like Yoenis Cespesdes), it's easy to forget that 42-year old Bartolo Colon was winning most of his games for us. He too, is pitching very well in the postseason, even if it's only for mid-innings relief when starters have maxed their pitch count, it still makes a difference. The old saying, "good pitching beats good htting" is so true!
MPS Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Yes, it's obvious Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard have the support, in the culture of the Mets, to back themselves. To me, it's plainly obvious that the fielding team also backs these guys on the mound to get through games. And it's not just the young pitchers. Before the superstars arrived after the July 31 trade deadline (like Yoenis Cespesdes), it's easy to forget that 42-year old Bartolo Colon was winning most of his games for us. He too, is pitching very well in the postseason, even if it's only for mid-innings relief when starters have maxed their pitch count, it still makes a difference. The old saying, "good pitching beats good htting" is so true! You forgot to mention Matz. Homebred rising young star! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
JohnS Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 You forgot to mention Matz. Homebred rising young star! Indeed, hasn't he come a long way to where he is now? I found it pertinent to note that the Mets Organisation were consistent in their praise of his Game 4 effort in his NLDS loss to Clayton Kershaw 3-1. They emphasised how well he pitched in that game, which he did, and has done in the second half of the season.
JohnS Posted October 27, 2015 Author Posted October 27, 2015 Game 1 of the 2015 World Series and I am very excited. I'd like a competitive series, even though I am a METS fan. What an interesting match-up. Kansas City, the anti-Sabermetric team, who try to be aggressive at the plate and put the ball in play, versus New York, the built around solid home-developed starting pitching.
khomeinist Posted October 27, 2015 Posted October 27, 2015 Not sure if KC is truly 'anti-sabermetric.' When you have the best defense and a top bullpen, you look good on paper just as much as a team that walks every at-bat. I think the larger story is whether home field advantage and experience will overcome NY's superior starting pitching. KC hitters don't strike out much and NY pitchers throw a ton of Ks. Those are the things I am looking at tonight. Regardless this is a very good matchup and really an excellent indicator of MLBs overall health. I stopped watching EPL, for example, when it became obvious that you could not win the league without overspending. In MLB, you can rebuild quickly with a few solid drafts.
ChanceSchmerr Posted October 27, 2015 Posted October 27, 2015 In MLB, you can rebuild quickly with a few solid drafts. Not to mention, @$$hole umps who essentially throw the games in your favour. That B.S. "strike" to Revere in the 9th inning is going to bug me for a long long time. Not to mention that lying cretin who caught the ball over the line and lied on air about where his glove was right afterwards. If nobody could win this World Series, I would be happy. My team was cheated out of a chance at game 7, sucking the joy out of baseball again. I could take it if we lost fair and square, but that was not fair and square. rant over.
MPS Posted October 27, 2015 Posted October 27, 2015 Let's go Mets!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
khomeinist Posted October 27, 2015 Posted October 27, 2015 As an Athletics fan (frequent playoff appearances, zero to show for it in decades). I have a well-used box of tissues for you my friend. PS. Forget the Home Run. Get homefield advantage next year. I agree about that umps strike zone though. Weak sauce. That is part of what makes baseball great though. You should never take strikes in an elimation game. Go down swinging.
khomeinist Posted October 27, 2015 Posted October 27, 2015 Cain scoring from first was classic too. Don't hate on KC. They play really good baseball. Your Jays relied on Joey Bats and Price a bit too much for my taste. Chin up buddy! The comeback against the lame-ass Rangers was epic!
JohnS Posted November 3, 2015 Author Posted November 3, 2015 Kansas City were too good and congratulations to them for coming so close in 2014. The Cubs had a great season. Hopefully they are very, very close to winning the World Series. The Mets won the National League Pennant and a girl at work gifted me a memento below from her travels to NYC a few years ago!
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