MLB Thread

[King of Birds]

Mmm. Garlic fries. Love ya Aim, but... I'm with your ex on this one.  My other ballpark fav is a fresh pretzel with light salt and some mustard. And yeah, Dodger Dogs are just regular hot dogs, but what were you expecting?

Edited June 17, 2016 by King of Birds
crap on a stick. Top of the page?

[xaxat]

This season PNC Park started selling a hot dog topped with jalapenos, Cracker Jack and mac and cheese.

The local announcers who have tasted it swear it is good, but is looks and sounds like stuff they swept up off the floor after a long shift.

[caracas1914]

Went to Chavez Ravine last year after many years to catch a Giants road game versus the hated Dodgers, and no doubt due in part to that awful incident a few years back where the Giant paramedic fan was violently bashed, personnel was wery welcoming to all the Giant fans.

Hate to admit it, but the upgrades to Dodger Stadium were nice, and it's still an ideal stadium in many ways.  

However a group of us Giants fans were seated in a couple of rows among other Dodger fans and this jackass Dodger fan was berating all of us thoughout the game.   IN particular he was harassing two guys wearing Posey Jerseys, so of course the "p*ssy" and Pissy play on names, then he pulled the usual homophobic taunts toward  SF fans (I mean really? It's frigging 2015) and when Sergio Romo got up to pitch came the racist Mexican rants, which made even the Hispanic Dodger fans next to us uncomfortable.  So finally one of the Posey guys who noticed his speech patterns turns around and yells "How long ago did you move over from the East coast, jerk?" To be met by silence.  Even the Dodgers fans around us were chuckling over that one.

Listen I understand the reasoning behind it, but I still can't get over the Dodgers fans started to leave from the 6th inning on.  WTF?  The game I went to was a pitcher's duel that went extra innings but even by the 7th so many  fans had left,  I know LA traffic/congestion is a bitch, but still.....

Edited June 17, 2016 by caracas1914

[MyAimIsTrue]

6 minutes ago, caracas1914 said:

So finally one of the Posey guys turns around and yells "How long ago did you move over from the East coast, jerk?" To be met by silence.  Even the Dodgers fans around us were chuckling over that one.

I'm a lifelong east coast resident and damn proud of it but that had me chuckling anyway!

[tom87]

3 hours ago, King of Birds said:

Mmm. Garlic fries. Love ya Aim, but... I'm with your ex on this one.  My other ballpark fav is a fresh pretzel with light salt and some mustard. And yeah, Dodger Dogs are just regular hot dogs, but what were you expecting?

I don't know a better  than average hot dog?   :)

[Moose135]

4 hours ago, King of Birds said:

And yeah, Dodger Dogs are just regular hot dogs, but what were you expecting?

Not baseball related, but speaking of hot dogs...I'm a big auto racing fan, and for years had heard people rave about the "World Famous Martinsville Hot Dog" served at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.  A few years ago, after moving to Charlotte, I went to Martinsville for a NASCAR race, and tried the WFMHD for myself. For the "full experience" you need to get them with cole slaw, onions, and chili, although I went for just kraut and mustard.  On the plus side, they are only $2 each, but once you get past the preternatural red color, they are just hot dogs, I didn't see what the big deal was.

[caracas1914]

Well I tried the Chicago Dogs at Wrigley field, but I suppose  I'm biased, but they are really just a version of street Mexican hot dogs so I enjoyed them.

When my Mexican cousins  come to  Cali they invariably ask about the hot dog before them, "but where's the tomatoes"?

[cleo]

Does anyone know why there are a couple Jays fans at Camden Yards dressed as bananas? Yesterday there were a couple dressed as yellow birds but with Jays shirts. Or are they making fun of the Blue Jays?

[Maximum Taco]

1 hour ago, cleo said:

Does anyone know why there are a couple Jays fans at Camden Yards dressed as bananas? Yesterday there were a couple dressed as yellow birds but with Jays shirts. Or are they making fun of the Blue Jays?

Might be a Munenori Kawasaki reference, even though he's with the Cubbies now.

He gave a pretty weird interview once after he left a game due to cramps that he needed to eat more bananas, because "monkeys never get cramps"

And then after the Jays clinched the AL East last year he drunkenly slurred that "we don't need bananas, we need champagne"

He was a weird guy. We liked him a lot in Toronto.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[xaxat]

It's also possible they just wanted to dress up like bananas. 

I went to a game at PNC Park and found myself sitting next to a guy dressed like a banana. Because he felt like it. 

Our seats were right behind the visitor dugout, an area that receives a lot of camera coverage, so it wouldn't surprise me if there is tape of the announcers saying "Look at that guy trying to pretend he's not sitting next to a banana!"

[prican58]

I have a question for any Twins fans. How is Eduardo Nunez doing at 3rd base? I know he's hitting .318 but he could always hit when he was a Yankee. We traded him because he wasn't very consistent defensively in the infield. I always liked him and I am curious how he has been received. Glad he has found a home.

Let me just say that I adore DiDi Gregorius.  Derek who?  (just kidding)

Edited June 19, 2016 by prican58

[cleo]

19 hours ago, Maximum Taco said:

He gave a pretty weird interview once after he left a game due to cramps that he needed to eat more bananas, because "monkeys never get cramps"

Thanks. That is indeed weird, but interesting.

 

2 hours ago, xaxat said:

Our seats were right behind the visitor dugout, an area that receives a lot of camera coverage, so it wouldn't surprise me if there is tape of the announcers saying "Look at that guy trying to pretend he's not sitting next to a banana!"

The funny thing was the camera panned over these guys, two of them, and neither of the announcers said anything so I wondered if it was some well known joke I didn't know- this is the first season I've watched baseball. 

It's always interesting seeing what's going on in the stands :) 

[Lantern7]

Mets just got swept by the Braves. I think moves need to be made. They got a wild card spot, but they need to catch up with the Nationals.

[King of Birds]

The Braves? Swept the Mets?  Teheran with a one-hitter?  Braves winning FIVE in a row?

Edited June 19, 2016 by King of Birds

[rippleintime17]

Eight in a row for the Giants! I hope they can keep this hot streak going, I'm heading to SF at the end of the week! 

[jennifer6973]

Awesome of the Brave, congrats boys.

 

Hopefully this situation keeps up with the Mets and the Marlins pass them.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

3 hours ago, rippleintime17 said:

Eight in a row for the Giants! I hope they can keep this hot streak going, I'm heading to SF at the end of the week! 

Woohoo! I wish the smurfs would have lost today, it would have made it extra awesome. 
Hope Duffy's Achilles heel won't give him too much trouble and he'll be able to play in Pittsburgh! With today's game, he became the leader in the major leagues to consecutive games played. I'm excited for the end of the week! Going to all 3 games vs. the Phillies :)

[ebk57]

Lovely afternoon at the ballpark.  Os win.  8 1/2 inning game only took 3 1/2 hours...  Of course part of that was switching out the home plate ump when he was hit in a very sensitive area with a foul tip.  Ouch.  

Dinner was also lovely.

[Magog]

Oops. Sorry about that. I was too excited that the Cavaliers won the title that I posted in the wrong thread by accident. So Cubs fans, there is hope for you guys.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Magog

[tom87]

2 hours ago, Magog said:

Oops. Sorry about that. I was too excited that the Cavaliers won the title that I posted in the wrong thread by accident. So Cubs fans, there is hope for you guys.

I was thinking  Cubs will be  more like the Warriors everyone hyping them all season just to lose in the end. 

[pennben]

Well, aren't you a grumpy gus:)  As a Cubs fan, I'm just having a hell of a lot of fun this season.  I know it can turn south at any moment, or at the worst moment and break my heart.  Nothing new there.

What is surprising to me, is this new feeling that I have that the Cubs can actually be good for awhile and if not win it all this year, I'm going to have fun next year.  And if they don't win it all next year, I'm still going to have fun....it's an entirely different feeling about what that old mantra "wait til next year" means these days.

I hope they win it all this year, but I'm having a blast watching along the way regardless.  And I think I'm going to have fun for many years to come seeing as how this team is built.

Edited June 20, 2016 by pennben

[MyAimIsTrue]

I see a rust belt/Great Lake phenomenon happening with the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup and the Cavs the NBA championship so why not the Cubbies?

[rcc]

Red Sox fan here and I'm pulling for the Cubs in the NL this year because of Lester and the other former Sox players plus it's time for the Cubs to shine. Theo put together a fine team. The Cubs fans have waited long enough.

Red Sox/Cubs in the WS sounds good to me.

[tom87]

3 hours ago, rcc said:

Red Sox fan here and I'm pulling for the Cubs in the NL this year because of Lester and the other former Sox players plus it's time for the Cubs to shine. Theo put together a fine team. The Cubs fans have waited long enough.

Red Sox/Cubs in the WS sounds good to me.

So you would want the Cubs to beat the Sox?

[rcc]

4 minutes ago, tom87 said:

So you would want the Cubs to beat the Sox?

No, I wouldn't go that far but I want them both in the WS. If the Red Sox don't get in then I want the Cubs to go all the way. They're my favorite NL team and I'm pulling for them.

[Lantern7]

http://Daily News writer wonders about the lack of statues at Citi Field. Apparently, the Marlins and Rays have those at their parks. For whom? The Statue Of The Theoretical Season Ticket Holder?!?

ETA: I have troubles linking stuff on my iPad. Trying this again.

[Moose135]

I don't see the big deal about player statues.  I'm there to watch the game.

[Lantern7]

I would have thought the same as a kid, going to Sunday home games at Shea with my parents. I've been to Citi Field a grand total of five times, and I took pictures like a tourist for most of them. Off the top of my head, the Mets should consider two statues: Tommie Agee on one knee after recording the last out of the 1969 World Series, and Jesse Orosco on his knees after striking out Marty Barrett to end the '86 Series.

[Moose135]

They still have the Butch Huskey monument in the front rotunda, don't they?

[King of Birds]

Oh yeah that Butch Huskey is top notch Met.  So I took a minute and made a poll for you, Lantern7, and all the rest of the Met faithful: Which Mets player should get a statue?

You get to pick 4 - I figure one statue for every couple of interesting places at Citi Field. I did some decent albeit half-assed research (I did live in upstate NY at one point of my life, I was around Mets fans.)

[jennifer6973]

Seems the Mets aren't having any good luck.

 

Hope Bartolo Colon is okay

[MyAimIsTrue]

27 minutes ago, King of Birds said:

So I took a minute and made a poll for you, Lantern7, and all the rest of the Met faithful: Which Mets player should get a statue?

I may not be a faithful but I did grow up not too far from Shea so I voted:  Tom Seaver (had to be serious with at least one pick), Doc Gooden, Keith Hernandez ("I'M Keith Hernandez!"), and John Franco just because he's a city boy.

[Lantern7]

I got the pitchers confused. I thought Thor was pitching, and when I tuned in to SNY and saw Hansel Robles on the mound with the Mets in front, my first thought was, "Did Noah get run again?!?" But no, Bartolo got hit by a line drive. It'll suck if he's out of action, because he's more or less America's Fifth Starter.

[mojoween]

I'm nosy.  King where in Upstate New York?

My husband grew up a Reds and A's fan.  Well too bad for him, he's been married to me for 20 years next month so he watches all Yankees all the time and we see the Didi/Starlin commercial eleventy seven times a night.  My husband also says "yep" to nearly every question asked of him.  "Are we taking the scenic route to the Catskills?"  "Did you let the cat out of the garage before you shut the door?"  "Is your store open regular hours on July 4th?"  "Yep, yep and yep."

Naturally, every time he says yep I now say "will you be my best friend?" and he can't help himself, he says "YEP" complete with exaggerated neck waggle.

And now you know more about me than you every knew you didn't want to.

[ratgirlagogo]

2 hours ago, King of Birds said:

Which Mets player should get a statue?

Given that at this point the ballpark is obsessively arranged around Jackie Robinson WHO WAS NEVER A MET no matter how important and admirable he might have been - I almost feel like any Met would do.  I think I might actually go for Marvelous Marv Throneberry just because the press alone with him helped cement the team in the city's affections.

[Lantern7]

At the base of the statue: "Don't bother, Casey. He missed second, too." How about Johan Santana, with a list of all the pitchers who lost no-hitters from 1962-2012 at the base?

ETA: Here's my near no-no experience: one time, I saw Doc Gooden pitch seven no-hit innings. Bottom of the seventh, he gets a huge ovation at the plate . . . and he homers. For real. Bad news: he gets too amped afterward, and he loses the no-hitter and the shutout in the eighth.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Today was such a good game for the Giants! 15-3. perfect birthday present for me ;)

[MyAimIsTrue]

Happy belated birthday to you!

[Lantern7]

Daily News is making the statue thing an issue. It made the front of today's edition, with Nancy Seaver saying its a shame her husband doesn't have a statue. The story itself was in the back pages. The News needed the room to shame Congress.

[Moose135]

11 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Given that at this point the ballpark is obsessively arranged around Jackie Robinson WHO WAS NEVER A MET no matter how important and admirable he might have been - I almost feel like any Met would do.  I think I might actually go for Marvelous Marv Throneberry just because the press alone with him helped cement the team in the city's affections.

That was my "Butch Huskey monument" reference - the giant number 42 in the rotunda.  Not that the Wilpons would ever allow it, but when the stadium was going up, I had hoped Ralph Lauren would buy the naming rights and call it the Polo Grounds.

 

9 hours ago, MattDuffysCat said:

Today was such a good game for the Giants! 15-3. perfect birthday present for me ;)

Happy Birthday!

 

8 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Daily News is making the statue thing an issue. It made the front of today's edition, with Nancy Seaver saying its a shame her husband doesn't have a statue. The story itself was in the back pages. The News needed the room to shame Congress.

The Daily News is on the same level as the NY Post when it comes to news coverage, and it ain't world class...I guess both the Daily News and the Seavers have gotten past the paper's role in driving him out of New York in the first place:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/midnight-massacre-article-1.224970

Nonetheless, the Mets' own internal feud, slowly simmering since February when Tom Seaver had blasted board chairman M. Donald Grant for not trying to improve the team, suddenly erupted onto the front burner of the city's consciousness in mid-June, culminating with what will be remembered forever in New York baseball lore as "The Midnight Massacre."

The principals were Seaver, "The Franchise" and arguably the most popular player in the city; Grant, the buttoned-down, authoritarian Wall Street stockbroker whose tight-fisted fiscal policies had contributed mightily to the Mets' decline and evoked widespread criticism from players and the media; and Dick Young, the Daily News' acerbic columnist, whose siding with Grant in the dispute evoked conflict-of-interest charges from rival colleagues and the enmity of Met fans.

In the end, it was a column by Young -in which he invoked the names of Seaver's wife, Nancy, and Nolan Ryan's wife, Ruth, and claimed that the Seavers were jealous that Ryan was making more money with the California Angels - that ultimately forced the June 15 trading deadline deal that would live in Met infamy.

"That Young column was the straw that broke the back," Seaver said from his vineyard home in Calistoga, Calif., the other day, when asked to reflect on the trade 30 years later. "Bringing your family into it with no truth whatsoever to what he wrote. I could not abide that. I had to go."

[MyAimIsTrue]

5 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

Not that the Wilpons would ever allow it, but when the stadium was going up, I had hoped Ralph Lauren would buy the naming rights and call it the Polo Grounds

I love you.

[DXD526]

The Mets statue should be of the that great 'dream rotation' that was going to last for 20 years - Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson. They're a can't-miss, I tell ya!

[Lantern7]

Dude. I dare you to come to Citi Field and bring up Generation K.

Who are the geniuses that make the schedules at MLB? My current job is to walk through Metro North train cars. The Mets and Yankees have home games starting at 1 today. About 80 percent of the folks I squeezed past were baseball fans from Connecticut. I can't imagine the traffic.

[King of Birds]

It's MLB Wednesday "getaway day."  It's maybe the one day that the MLB does schedule day games so teams can shuffle off to the next series.

 

ETA: Hey mojo, forgot to answer you when I posted earlier. I lived ever so briefly in Gloversville, and then Saratoga, and did four years in Ithaca. Now, there are those New Yorker people who'll get their nickers all-aflutter will say "That's not upstate!!" but most of the world thinks anything above Westchester, as upstate.  As for your Reds/A's hubby : Come on. When the Yankees sucked in the Donnie era, and the A's won in '89 and Reds in '90 .... he must've been King of the World!  Or does this pre-date your marriage?

Edited June 22, 2016 by King of Birds

[Lantern7]

Right. But we're talking two teams in the same metropolitan area. Scheduling two day games at the same time is a recipe for congestion.

[Moose135]

3 hours ago, King of Birds said:

Now, there are those New Yorker people who'll get their nickers all-aflutter will say "That's not upstate!!" but most of the world thinks anything above Westchester, as upstate.

Yes, as a native Long Islander, that's about how we see it.

[mojoween]

I met my hubby in '94 so the Reds and A's championship seasons predate our glorious union.

Ithaca is upstate.  Saratoga is the capital region, heh.  Gloversville is closer, but also capital.  I actually don't even like the term upstate but that's because I've lived just west of Syracuse my entire life so I'm a Central New York snob.

[MyAimIsTrue]

3 hours ago, King of Birds said:

and did four years in Ithaca. Now, there are those New Yorker people who'll get their nickers all-aflutter will say "That's not upstate!!" but most of the world thinks anything above Westchester, as upstate.

Yep, to me anything above Westchester is upstate!

My father did four years in Ithaca way back when and somehow Ithaca College is still standing.

[mojoween]

Did Starlin Castro just hit a walk-off home run?

YEP!

[xaxat]

ESPN is airing a promo for Sunday's Bucs/Dodgers game featuring Andrew McCutchen. At one point they refer to him as the "Captain of the Pirate ship."

To quote Micheal Ray Richardson, "The ship be sinking."

I was worried going into this season, but this team hasn't been competitive for an entire month.

(Coincidentally, as I was typing this Tony Kornheiser used the same quote about the Bulls.)