MLB Thread

[mojoween]

1956 World Series Game 5 is coming up on the MLB Network at 8.  I won’t spoil it, but it’s a good one!

[Lantern7]

ESPN will be running Game 4 of the 2001 World Series; SNY is airing Game 2 of the 1986 NLCS.

[mojoween]

I know what Game 4 of the 01 Series was but I just can’t bear to watch, knowing how it all ends.  

[smittykins]

CC is looking ripped!

 

[Lantern7]

MLB.com is doing a "Dream Bracket" tournament. Basically, each team is represented by two of their best teams, along with three Negro League teams and the 1994 Expos.

As I would expect, the Mets are represented by the '69 and '86 World Series Champion squads. Miracle Mets look to be the seventh seed of Region I, and they will take on the '97 Marlins (the only team where the players became the affordable merchandise). The '86 team will face the 2018 Rockies. Should be a cakewalk, though that wasn't the case in the NLCS and World Series.

[xaxat]

Has anyone seen details on the 50/50 revenue split plan the owners have proposed? I don't understand what it means to do that in an uncapped league. Are teams going to take half of their individual projected revenues and pay players proportionately? 

Edited May 15, 2020 by xaxat

[Silver Raven]

Art Howe is in the ICU with coronavirus.

https://www.click2houston.com/sports/2020/05/14/former-astros-manager-art-howe-73-in-icu-with-coronavirus/

 

[smittykins]

RIP Bob Watson.

He was the Yankees GM during their 1996 championship season.

[catlover79]

On 1/14/2020 at 4:45 PM, doodlebug said:

This year, MLB has done us an extra special favor in that our home opener will be March 26, because the first week in April is apparently too balmy.

Of course, March 26th in the Cleveland area this year turned out to be sunny and 65 degrees. Unfair! 😢

[Lantern7]

Heads up for Mets fans: SNY will be running Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS tomorrow night. In case you didn't know, this was one of the longest postseason games ever played, at least at that time. SNY will be airing it from 7:30-midnight.

[smittykins]

YES is showing the Astros series from June.  It sounds like the beginning of Michael Kay’s vocal issues.

[Lantern7]

Heads up for Mets fans: SNY will be tackling the 1986 World Series this week. I don’t know if they’ll throw in the pre-game stuff in Game 1, where we heard historic moments (Bobby Thomson’s homer, Bowie Kuhn talking about the strike, an aged Babe Ruth), followed by Bob Costas telling us this would be a play “in seven acts . . . or less.”

Did any other Mets fans reading this own the holy trinity of VHS tapes? That would be the Let’s Go Mets video and “making of,” the team’s highlights from that season, and the World Series highlights tape put out by NBC. Good times. I got to hear memorable calls from Vin Scully and Bob Murphy.

[Lantern7]

Yep . . . the pregame is intact. Costas hyping the Series, Marv Albert doing his "Albert Achievement Awards" (I'm holding off on a really cheap shot), and the introductions.

How much does it cost to clean up a VHS tape? And how long? There were issues with the NLCS games, as well as the footage from the 1969 World Series.

Wait, I thought there were introductions for the non-starters. I remember the only Red Sox player that got any love from the crowd at Shea was Tom Seaver. Huge ovation for him. Would that have been cut, or did I misremember that?

Glenn Close sings the anthem. I think she was the official go-to in that area. Also, I think Fatal Attraction got released in 1987. Just a random synaptic connection for me.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Lantern7

[mojoween]

I’m bummed that last year’s London Series was not on YES because I would love to watch it again.  I was freaking out the first time and know I missed some good stuff.

[smittykins]

Yeah, FOX and ESPN own the rights, so I figured they wouldn’t show them.

(Although it’s long since been resolved, I’m still pissed that I couldn’t watch the first game live due to DirecTV’s dispute with the owners of Channel 68.) 

[Lantern7]

MLB is running the greatest half-innings in history. The Mets are represented by . . .Lenny Dykstra and Todd Pratt’s postseason walkoff homers.

What?!?

That doesn’t seem right to me at all.

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

That doesn’t seem right to me at all.

No it doesn't. How do you not include "A little roller up along first..."

[Lantern7]

First results of MLB Dream Bracket 2 are in. Of course, the 1969 Mets were taken out in six games by the '98 Florida Disposables. And how did the Marlins get home field advantage? You can find box scores, recaps and game logs. The '86 squad had better destroy the '18 Rockies right away.

There were a lot of screwy outcomes. The '96 Rangers took out the '68 Tigers in five games. The '85 Royals swept the '72 A's. The '54 Indians (111 wins) swept the '05 Astros, while the Giants (the team that swept them in the World Series that year) got swept by the '69 Cubs. And the '55 Dodgers -- the only team to win a title in Brooklyn -- got swept . . . by the '84 Padres.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Lantern7

[shoregirl]

The 1980 wirld series is on MLB network today. Which is cool because i was less than a month old when this happened and despite my dad telling me I watched the Phillies win I dont quite remember it 😉

[Lantern7]

Dream Bracket continues. I'm happy to report the '86 Mets have advanced to the Round of 32, dispatching the '18 Rockies in five games, including three straight shutouts to start the series. Their opponents are the Fay Wray of baseball, the successful maiden that gets sacrificed to the best team of that decade: the Padres. Specifically, the '98 Padres. They swept the '12 Giants.

What else . . . the '94 Expos (the "what if?" wild card of the NL brackets) needed seven games to beat the '90 Reds. The '79 Pirates needed five games to oust the '03 Disposables (come at me, Marlins fans! I'll probably hear from Sasquatch before you!) The '04 Cardinals (basically the 1980 Finnish Olympic hockey team of baseball history) beat the '08 Phillies in six. The '95 Braves needed the full seven to beat the '11 Brewers; that series ended on Javy Lopez hitting a walkoff three-run homer with the Braves down by 2 in the ninth inning. The '19 Nationals took out the '77 Dodgers in six (weird that none of the Koufax-era teams were in the tourney), while the '16 Cubs ran out of miracles, losing in six games to the '11 Diamondbacks.

BTW, am I too into this? As a kid, I had Micro League for the Commodore 64, and I used to run a lot of stuff similar to Dream Bracket. Yes, I was an only child.

American League:  '98 Yankees needed six games to beat the '19 Rays. They'll face the '42 Monarchs in the second round; they beat the '05 White Sox in seven.  The '19 Astros swept the '91 Twins. No word if improvised drums were involved. The '93 Blue Jays and '88 A's had to go the full seven to advance (over the '95 Indians and '84 Tigers, respectively). The '01 Mariners took out the '15 Royals in six, the '02 Angels went the distance against the '83 Orioles, and the '11 Rangers beat the '18 Red Sox in five.

Reminder for Mets fans: SNY is airing the '86 World Series, and Games 6-7 will air this weekend.

[Sew Sumi]

You can see Game 6 on NBCSN tonight.

[Lantern7]

Heads up: SNY will be airing the 2015 NLDS between the Dodgers and the Mets this week. Relive the horror of the Coward Chase Utley breaking Ruben Tejada’s leg!

Curious if there’s a huge reason they’re not doing the ‘73 NLCS.

[Calvada]

Damn, hearing Brian Anderson on this golf match with Woods, Manning, Mickelson and Brady is making me miss Brewers baseball more than ever.  

[smittykins]

Tonight, the YES Network is doing something they’ve never done before(that I know of):  broadcasting Yankees Classic losses—1960 World Series Game 7 against the Pirates, followed by 2001 WS Game 7 against the Dbacks.  
 

And no, I’m not watching either one.

Edited May 24, 2020 by smittykins

[Lantern7]

2 hours ago, smittykins said:

Tonight, the YES Network is doing something they’ve never done before(that I know of):  broadcasting Yankees Classic losses—1960 World Series Game 7 against the Pirates,

I just flipped to that, and Mel Allen is announcing. And I keep forgetting to post that I think Fox Sports 1 isn't running episodes of This Week In Baseball anymore.

Caught the tail end of Game 7. Vin Scully told Boston to hold their heads high. I wonder how many TVs were destroyed in the city when he said that. Or how many Red Sox fans were waiting for Vin the first time NBC had a "Game of the Week" at Fenway in 1987.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Lantern7

[catlover79]

What a mess.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29215522/noah-syndergaard-suing-new-york-city-landlord-see-court-pal

1 hour ago, Lantern7 said:

Caught the tail end of Game 7. Vin Scully told Boston to hold their heads high. I wonder how many TVs were destroyed in the city when he said that. 

Try living in Cleveland. 😉

[mojoween]

13 hours ago, smittykins said:

Tonight, the YES Network is doing something they’ve never done before(that I know of):  broadcasting Yankees Classic losses—1960 World Series Game 7 against the Pirates, followed by 2001 WS Game 7 against the Dbacks.  
 

And no, I’m not watching either one.

I just saw your post and even if I had seen it before, I wouldn’t have watched those either.  What’s next, the 2004 ALCS games four through seven?

Actually, they can’t show those, because the 2004 ALCS NEVER HAPPENED.

[xaxat]

13 hours ago, smittykins said:

Tonight, the YES Network is doing something they’ve never done before(that I know of):  broadcasting Yankees Classic losses—1960 World Series Game 7 against the Pirates,

There's a great story behind that tape. It was thought that there was no video of the game until an archivist found a copy in Bing Crosby's wine cellar ten years ago.

[catlover79]

Back in the mid/late 1990s, I thought this guy was a HOF lock. I never would have guessed then that Jim Thome would be inducted and Manny Ramirez wouldn't. How the mighty have fallen.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2892768-manny-ramirez-rumors-taiwan-league-contract-hasnt-materialized

[catlover79]

Speaking of former Indians whose prime is way back in the rearview mirror...

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/05/now-47-bartolo-colon-still-hoping-to-pitch-again-in-major-leagues.html

[Lantern7]

@catlover79 . . . I dunno. Bartolo might have been snacking on Ho-Ho’s since his last MLB game, but he might be good for a few more outings. The guy had a perfect game for 6-7 innings during his final season.

ETA: Watching SNY and Tejada getting injured. That was a dirty slide. I really hope the Dodger fans realized that afterward.

Oh, right . . . Mets fans cheered when Kirk Gibson got injured in the ‘88 NLCS. Still a dirty slide from Utley.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Lantern7

[smittykins]

During the YES Network rebroadcast of last year’s Rockies-Yankees game, Ryan Ruocco and Paul O’Neill discussed Paulie’s (in)famous “kick save” with the Reds, and Ryan mentioned that Paul’s Baseball Reference page lists him as “Bats: Left, Throws: Left, Kicks: Left.”

And he’s right !

Edited May 27, 2020 by smittykins

[mojoween]

I’m probably one of a very few, but I do not think it’s bad optics for the baseball players to ask for their money.

People keep bringing up that record numbers of people are unemployed while the players are fighting for millions, and I get that, but the money they get is obscene no matter what this country is going through.  People are always unemployed and baseball players still make thousands per at bat.

I really do not get that the players are getting the blowback.  I mean, I do get it, but the owners made an agreement in MARCH and now they are trying to change it, and the players are bad?  Nuh-uh.

Edited May 27, 2020 by mojoween

[xaxat]

In addition, if I'm a player, I'm looking at this as the opening owners' bid in the 2021 CBA negotiation. Even if a vaccine is developed, baseball (and other stuff) isn't going to bounce right back to pre-pandemic levels. 

So, as a player, if I accept this deal, I'd be worried that the owners will just turn back around next year and say "Hey guys, revenues aren't great. Remember that deal from last year? The one where we instituted a cap and decided to take money from the richer players and give it to guys making the minimum? Let's try that for the next couple of years."

[DoctorAtomic]

People are going to complain about pro athletes making too much no matter what. What's different is that most people are on salary or hourly wage, and they have contracts. Some people do have contracts but it's not the norm. (I actually have a contract, but we're not a union state.) 

6 minutes ago, xaxat said:

In addition, if I'm a player, I'm looking at this as the opening owners' bid in the 2021 CBA negotiation.

And that's hugely different than an average employee. People don't normally have market value and their job doesn't necessarily raise additional revenue. 

I don't really blame them either. 

[Mittengirl]

It is hard to have sympathy for either side.  It isn’t like the owners can exactly plead poverty.  The team owners and the league make huge money; why shouldn’t the players, as well?  But, the players are the ones the public sees signing contracts that pay them more for one game than most people make in a year.  
 

It is too bad that both sides can’t see that they are hurting the game more than anything, at this point.  
 

The players association should come out with a plan for a large charitable donation for each game played.  The players on each team donate say $500,000 per game to a different charity in their state.  Yes, some people will complain, no matter the amount, that it is a pittance compared to their salaries.  But It couldn’t hurt public perception.  And if it forces team owners to match the donations, then YAY!  But the players need to get out in front.

[mojoween]

I have been waiting all virus season for YES to re-air the game in Minnesota where Aaron Hicks made that fantastic game-ending catch, which was on July 23.

Just checked the schedule, and tonight is a game against Colorado, tomorrow is three perfect games and Friday is ... July 24.  What the hell, YES?

[Lantern7]

Checking MLB Dream Bracket . . .  shit, they sped past the Sweet 16. I completely missed it! My original plan was to tell @mojoween that the '98 Yankees were eliminated by the '42 Kansas City Monarchs. Now I get to add that the '61 Bronx Bombers fell to the '04 Red Sox! If being petty in a pandemic is wrong, who'd want to be right?

The '86 Mets are still in it. They beat the '94 Expos in 7, coming back from 3-1 to get the job done. Their opponent in the quarterfinals: the '95 Braves,. You might remember them as the only Braves team in the Nineties to win a World Series, and that came from beating the Indians AND coming off a 144-game season. The other series: '04 Red Sox vs. '54 Indians, '42 Monarchs vs. '01 Mariners, and '75 Reds vs. '60 Pirates.

Additional news for Mets fans, and this won't come as a shock: SNY will be playing the 2015 NLCS next week.

[mojoween]

Not to worry, the At Bat app felt the need to alert me to the results.  It’s not at all legitimate because I am sure it was total ballot-stuffing.

1986 was the first year I learned to love baseball and Mookie Wilson, so I won’t at all be mad at a Mets victory.

[Lantern7]

8 hours ago, mojoween said:

Not to worry, the At Bat app felt the need to alert me to the results.  It’s not at all legitimate because I am sure it was total ballot-stuffing.

They’re using a computer simulation . . . though I haven’t checked to see if different stadiums are used, or there’s just the one park like in MicroLeague Baseball. Seriously, I’m the only one here who played that? 🤓🤓🤓

8 hours ago, mojoween said:

1986 was the first year I learned to love baseball and Mookie Wilson, so I won’t at all be mad at a Mets victory.

Mookie is hard not to love, isn’t he?

I got SNY on now. Nolan Ryan threw 135 pitches in nine innings of Game 5 of the NLCS. And Dwight Gooden pitched ten innings. Can you imagine that today? ESPN anchors would be choking from the shock of it.

[Harry24]

On 5/27/2020 at 5:41 PM, mojoween said:

I have been waiting all virus season for YES to re-air the game in Minnesota where Aaron Hicks made that fantastic game-ending catch, which was on July 23.

Just checked the schedule, and tonight is a game against Colorado, tomorrow is three perfect games and Friday is ... July 24.  What the hell, YES?

It was already on back in March or early April, I think.  It was AWESOME!!  (I don’t know how often they rebroadcast their rebroadcasts!)

[smittykins]

It’s also on YouTube.

Edited May 29, 2020 by smittykins

[mojoween]

Hey we have YouTube on the PS4 so as soon as I can tear the hubs away from Hulu I will do some searchy-searchy!

[mojoween]

Update.  I started at 9:00.  Chad Green has just come on in the bottom of the tenth.  I’m fighting falling asleep but I will make it.

[Lantern7]

On 2/21/2020 at 11:32 AM, Lantern7 said:

Headline: “ORTIZ TO PLAYERS: QUIT SNITCHING!”

Underneath: “Kenan Thompson sighs, gets Dominican accent back in order”

I forgot to post this when it first aired.

 

[mojoween]

The Roy Halladay E60 was oof.  How sad he went through all that.  His poor boys.

[xaxat]

This judge is savage.

Quote

A judge has dismissed Lenny Dykstra's defamation and libel lawsuit against Ron Darling, ruling that the former New York Mets outfielder's "reputation for unsportsmanlike conduct and bigotry is already so tarnished that it cannot be further injured."

 

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

This judge is savage.

 

I think I speak for all Mets fans who grew up watching the team in the Eighties when I say:

Oh, and the ‘86 Mets advance to the Dream Bracket semifinals. They’ll be facing the ‘75 Reds. The other semi: ‘01 Mariners vs. ‘04 Red Sox.

Is there an index or wiki that lists baseball fights? I’m comparing/contrasting the Mets and Reds in my head, and I’m wondering if the Reds had to empty their bench at any point in 1975.

Edited June 1, 2020 by Lantern7

[xaxat]

I shared that article about Dykstra with a friend and she said "That lawsuit was decided as soon as the judge read Dykstra v Darling."

[Mittengirl]

If MLB wants to getting going by July 4th, they have maybe a week to get a deal together.  That would give the players threeish weeks for “spring training”.  
 

I am beginning to have my doubts that there will be a 2020 season.  Or at least a meaningful season.  Less than 81 games is going to be a farce.