MLB Thread

[Lantern7]

Has anyone kept track over the number of times there was a matchup in the NFL, NBA and/or NHL where the teams came from the same cities as the World Series opponents, and both were happening at the same time? That can’t be a common thing.

[cambridgeguy]

6 hours ago, Jane Tuesday said:

I don't think it diminishes the Astros accomplishment to say it was a combined no hitter, because it was. In fact, it could be argued it's more impressive to have multiple pitchers excel and Dusty perfectly deploy them as needed, rather than having one guy who's hot at the right time. 

How is it more impressive?  A lot of pitchers can toss one or two no-hit innings when they have the advantage of not having to hold something back for later innings, only have to face a batter once, etc. 

[Carey]

5 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Has anyone kept track over the number of times there was a matchup in the NFL, NBA and/or NHL where the teams came from the same cities as the World Series opponents, and both were happening at the same time? That can’t be a common thing.

Not off the top of my head.  I think they've occurred within a week of each other, but I can't recall it happening on the same night.  That's probably something people like Adam Schefter or Darren Rovell would know / keep track of.

For what it's worth, the double Houston / Philadelphia thing wasn't supposed to happen in the first place.  And I'm not talking about the new sixth seed and the latter's rally

[Carey]

Here is the list (NFL Games Only)

The NHL and NBA isn't so common but may have happened; those seasons usually get going right as MLB wraps up, I think sometimes after baseball is done.  It's more possible that NBA Finals & Stanley Cup Finals matchups featured the same teams playing on a day MLB teams from the same areas had games in the spring.  Especially when you factor in the nature of a multi-game series

Edited November 4, 2022 by Carey

[Mean Machine]

Be honest, can anyone honestly say they miss watching pitchers hit in this postseason?

[Carey]

I'll be honest, if I were to make it to the next decade (at least: looking back), I wouldn't even have thought about it if you hadn't asked.  More specifically, that includes the games played in Philadelphia

[Danielg342]

4 hours ago, Mean Machine said:

Be honest, can anyone honestly say they miss watching pitchers hit in this postseason?

I'll miss the nostalgia of it, at least, and I think pitchers batting made the NL look unique.

Ultimately, though, the universal DH just made sense. For every Shohei Ohtani and a moment of magic from Jake Arrieta there were many more pitchers that just looked out of sorts in the batters' box. The game is just better not asking pitchers to hit.

[shoregirl]

Bryce Harper wouldn't even have played this season if it wasn't for the universal DH. He has a torn UCL and can't throw. 

Ok the other hand Joe Blanton hoy a home run in the 08 World Series and it was awesome

[ProudMary]

I've been advocating for the universal DH for years and years. As a Yankees' fan, I have only one thing to say: Chien-Ming Wang. I'm still angry 14 years later.

So no, I don't miss seeing pitchers hit in the least.

[Lantern7]

17 hours ago, Carey said:

Here is the list (NFL Games Only)

The NHL and NBA isn't so common but may have happened; those seasons usually get going right as MLB wraps up, I think sometimes after baseball is done.  It's more possible that NBA Finals & Stanley Cup Finals matchups featured the same teams playing on a day MLB teams from the same areas had games in the spring.  Especially when you factor in the nature of a multi-game series

Thanks. I still think it would be rare for that to happen with NBA or NHL, especially if the World Series teams hail from both coasts. A few of those games seem dubious . . .  I don't think the Yankees and the Staten Island Stapletons count as coming from the same area. That's just picking nits on my part.

[Xeliou66]

Yordan Alvarez with a bomb to dead center to put the Astros ahead 3-1, and inching them closer to winning the Series!!

[mojoween]

I think, and I’m going to have to ruminate on this for awhile but I’m like 95% sure, that I hate the godforsaken Astros more than I hate the Dallas fucking Cowboys.

Edited November 6, 2022 by mojoween

[Salacious Kitty]

Never mind. My post doesn't make sense anymore. 

Fuck the Ass-tros.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Salacious Kitty

[Carey]

Well, whatever happens, Philadelphia will always have the flyers.  All you need is the time-travel app to go back about a half century & you're cool!

[twoods]

I usually pretend that the teams I hate don’t win championships by refusing to watch them win, and then not reading anything about their win on ESPN. This is how I’ve blacked out half of the Patriots SB wins, Alabama and the Warriors championships. It works wonders on my mental health- I didn’t see it, therefore it doesn’t exist.

Edited November 6, 2022 by twoods

[shoregirl]

7 minutes ago, Carey said:

Well, whatever happens, Philadelphia will always have the flyers.  All you need is the time-travel app to go back about a half century & you're cool!

What does that even mean? No matter what happens the Phillies are still National League Champions and this post season was incredible. The Eagles won the Superbowl in the 2017 season and are 8-0 this season. The sixers are in the playoffs every year recently . The Union just played in the MLS final.

[Carey]

7 minutes ago, shoregirl said:

What does that even mean? No matter what happens the Phillies are still National League Champions and this post season was incredible. The Eagles won the Superbowl in the 2017 season and are 8-0 this season. The sixers are in the playoffs every year recently . The Union just played in the MLS final.

It was a joke.  That was directed at some of the Philly fans.  I'm aware about the Phillies success in other sports.

To be honest, it's a disgrace that people in general are still upset about Houston as if they're still the 2017 cast.  As if they're cheating.  I'd bet that if and when the Astros succeed later on in the decade, people across the country and worldwide would bet on them cheating on the 2017 level

[NUguy514]

21 minutes ago, Carey said:

To be honest, it's a disgrace that people in general are still upset about Houston as if they're still the 2017 cast.  As if they're cheating.  I'd bet that if and when the Astros succeed later on in the decade, people across the country and worldwide would bet on them cheating on the 2017 level

Nope, no way.  The disgrace is that they weren't even remotely appropriately punished for their cheating.  There is nothing disgraceful about hating a franchise that embraced cheating to such a blatant degree and were never held accountable.  Plenty of sports fans hate plenty of franchises for MUCH pettier reasons.

[Carey]

The Houston Astros are your 2022 Champions!  First World Series win for Manager Dusty Baker!

[AimingforYoko]

1 minute ago, Carey said:

First World Series win for Manager Dusty Baker!

However you feel about the Astros, you have to feel good for Dusty.

[Xeliou66]

And the Houston Astros win the 2022 World Series!! Congratulations to Dusty Baker and the Astros!! They were clearly the best team in MLB this season, they are very complete and deep and strong all around. Regardless of how people feel about the scandal from a few years ago, the 2022 Astros were the best team in MLB from start to finish this season. They pitched really well for the most part in this series, and they have a strong, deep lineup that came through for them in key moments. 

[xaxat]

Bad day for P:hilly. The Phillies get eliminated in the World Series and the Union looses in the MLS Cup.

[Carey]

2 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

4 minutes ago, Carey said:

First World Series win for Manager Dusty Baker!

However you feel about the Astros, you have to feel good for Dusty.

I have to be clear, I am not a Houston Astros fan.  Philly hate is sports related.  There is respect for most of their teams, and definitely the city.  Great place.

To be clear, my joy of this win was totally for Dusty Baker.  Exclusively. That's it.  If he's not there, I'm not happy for an Astros win.  There's no reason to get excited

[jennifer6973]

1st thing:  congrats Dusty.

2nd thing:  Bryce still not having a World Series ring is awesome.

Edited November 6, 2022 by jennifer6973
Needed to add a word to make more sense.

[Lantern7]

“And they lived happily ever after . . . until it was revealed most of the batters had vibrating anal beads that let them know what pitch he’s were coming.”

On 11/5/2022 at 11:23 PM, xaxat said:

Bad day for P:hilly. The Phillies get eliminated in the World Series and the Union [loses] in the MLS Cup.

I don’t follow MLS. I remember that the bulk of the team sidelined by COVID, and the fans were bitches about how NYCFC beat them on their way to the title. Sometimes, I need to be reminded that people in Philly can be assholes.

ETA: The Onion wastes no time getting in their licks. Also, I’m guess Buck is now the oldest manager without a World Series title.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Lantern7

[ebk57]

And baseball is over.  I'm sad. 

[shoregirl]

I'm sad but still really proud of this team. They were 8 games below 500 at the start of June and the last team in the playoffs. What Rob Thompson did and what these players did after Girardi was fired . How the young guys stepped up especially after Harper got hit and missed all that time. They beat three very good teams to get to the World Series. They fell short but it was still a great run. Every guy had at least one moment the contributed to getting to the World Series and I can't wait for next season. 

Its only like 100 days till pitchers and catchers report 😂

Edited November 6, 2022 by shoregirl

[Lantern7]

8 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

And baseball is over.  I'm sad. 

Spring Training in . . . four months? All we gotta do is endure the NFL, World Cup and whatever else the 2020’s has in store for us.

[voiceover]

Dear Phillies fans,

In honour of our Bro Link (Jason & Travis Kelce), and when you’re ready for a staunching of the wound, have a look at this.  It’s a little thing we call “The Miracle at Minute Maid; or ‘From “Doom!” to “BOOM!”’

And even though, since then, our teams have travelled in opposite directions, that top of the 8th will forever be a top 10 in my SportsFan memory.

This call from Matt Vasgersian (“…OFF CORREA, ON INTO CENTER FIELD! KANSAS CITY HAS TIED IT IN THE EIGHTH!”) was my ringtone for a reallllllllllly long time.

eta: and yes, I can work this story into anything; I once footnoted an essay on Little Women with it

Edited November 6, 2022 by voiceover

[roamyn]

Congratulations to Dusty Baker.  He, alone is the only one I really wanted to win a WS.  Classy guy, for the most part.  He took this team in turmoil and calmed the waters.

[Danielg342]

2 hours ago, Carey said:

As if they're cheating.

Everyone cheats.

The difference between the Astros and everyone else is that they got caught. Now, I'm not saying that they didn't deserve the punishments they did get (and maybe should have been punished harder), but I think we're kidding ourselves if we think the Astros were the only "dirty" team in all of baseball- and, really, in all of pro sports. The stakes are just too high from a prestige and a financial aspect for competitors to not think about ways they can get to the edges of the rules if not outright flaunt them. Some are more willing to go further than others, but I hardly doubt the Astros are alone in flouting the rules.

[mojoween]

9 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

However you feel about the Astros, you have to feel good for Dusty.

Nope.  Dusty is a whiny baby.

Everyone may or may not cheat, but the Astros were caught, and their punishment was…nothing.  Not a thing.  Just some boos when the stadiums filled back up.  The 2017 banner is still up, they have their rings, and the hunk of junk trophy still says they are champions.  Fuck the Astros.

And speaking of things that never happened, all of my calendars went from 2003 to 2005.

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Everyone may or may not cheat, but the Astros were caught, and their punishment was…nothing.  Not a thing.  Just some boos when the stadiums filled back up.  The 2017 banner is still up, they have their rings, and the hunk of junk trophy still says they are champions.  Fuck the Astros.

Yup. And that annoying, little gnat, Jose Altuve still has an MVP Award that truly belongs to Aaron Judge, who should be looking at his second MVP award this year.

It's even more troubling that MLB didn't do a deep dive into the Astros' 2019 cheating. They gave a few in management a slap on the wrist for 2017, gave immunity to the players who cheated, for their testimony and moved on like nothing happened. 

Manfred and MLB can go to hell.

[nittany cougar]

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

Nope.  Dusty is a whiny baby.

Everyone may or may not cheat, but the Astros were caught, and their punishment was…nothing.  Not a thing.  Just some boos when the stadiums filled back up.  The 2017 banner is still up, they have their rings, and the hunk of junk trophy still says they are champions.  Fuck the Astros.

And speaking of things that never happened, all of my calendars went from 2003 to 2005.

I don't see how it can be said that there were no consequences. Their manager and GM were both suspended and then fired.  Manfred explained that he did not punish individual players because he did not want to deal with grievances from the MLB players association. I think he knew that any grievances would mess up multiple teams that had signed Astros players in free agency.

[jennifer6973]

12 hours ago, roamyn said:

Congratulations to Dusty Baker.  He, alone is the only one I really wanted to win a WS.  Classy guy, for the most part.  He took this team in turmoil and calmed the waters.

And Trey Mancini, who was traded from Baltimore.  He's been through a lot.

[cleo]

My position was always if the Astros don't want to hear the boos and complaining they could try giving back their rings and donating all the bonus money they received. They don't want to do that so they have to take all that goes with it.

That being said it was 5 yrs ago and for me personally life is too short to waste on agonizing over it- but my team wasn't affected by it so probably easier for me. 

The team the Astros put together this year is impressive. Framber and Christian Zaiver (?) did great, Pena and Yordan Alvarez are great players. I read about Alvarez and it was nice his parents were there.

Congrats to the Astros fans.

[NUguy514]

1 hour ago, nittany cougar said:

I don't see how it can be said that there were no consequences. Their manager and GM were both suspended and then fired.  Manfred explained that he did not punish individual players because he did not want to deal with grievances from the MLB players association. I think he knew that any grievances would mess up multiple teams that had signed Astros players in free agency.

So, what were the consequences, then?  What you just wrote makes it seem like there were no consequences.  Because there weren't.  The two fall guys, neither of whom masterminded the cheating, are doing just fine: Jeff Luhnow now owns a soccer team, and A.J. Hinch now manages the Tigers.  Meanwhile, Alex Cora, who did mastermind the cheating with the Astros and continued it with the Red Sox, was only suspended for part of the shortened COVID season and is still managing the Red Sox, and the players never received so much as a slap on the wrist.  Those players deserved to be kicked out of the sport, as happened to the Black Sox players a hundred years ago, but Manfred just couldn't be bothered because he's a lazy, cowardly piece of human garbage.  Tough shit that it would have messed up other teams.

[nittany cougar]

13 minutes ago, NUguy514 said:

So, what were the consequences, then?  What you just wrote makes it seem like there were no consequences.  Because there weren't.  The two fall guys, neither of whom masterminded the cheating, are doing just fine: Jeff Luhnow now owns a soccer team, and A.J. Hinch now manages the Tigers.  Meanwhile, Alex Cora, who did mastermind the cheating with the Astros and continued it with the Red Sox, was only suspended for part of the shortened COVID season and is still managing the Red Sox, and the players never received so much as a slap on the wrist.  Those players deserved to be kicked out of the sport, as happened to the Black Sox players a hundred years ago, but Manfred just couldn't be bothered because he's a lazy, cowardly piece of human garbage.  Tough shit that it would have messed up other teams.

How is someone being fired from a job not a consequence?

[twoods]

Fire the people not responsible for the cheating- that should show the organization never to cheat again! They lost 4 picks over only two years, none of the players got penalized, they didn’t get stripped of their championship, and they paid a laughable fine. I’m sure everyone would love to cheat for a WS ring with these ridiculous consequences. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by twoods

[Carey]

To be fair, Major League Baseball and Rob Manfred haven't really been on the positive end of anything within their sport.  I think I'd be more upset with MLB than anyone else. 

As Danielg342 mentioned (actually something I thought of earlier this morning) everyone cheats.  Similar to New England in the NFL, the Houston Astros were caught.

While I'm on the same page as cleo in terms of my team not being involved, I'll never know how I would've felt if my team was involved.  However, if I had to guess, I'd feel the same way former HOF Steelers HC Bill Cowher felt in the aftermath of Spygate. Each of the last 2 times Pittsburgh was the one seed, New England, as the 2 seed won at Heinz Field right before winning the NFL Title.  Tough loss, and then Spygate became a thing.  Not great, but Cowher said that the issue was on the team not on the Patriots.  New England was good enough to win the game anyway.

Was Houston disciplined? I'd say yes.  Were they disciplined to the pleasure of those that hate the Astros?  I'd say no.  As mentioned, MLB usually gets things wrong, so I didn't expect anything off-script from them

[Danielg342]

2 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Those players deserved to be kicked out of the sport, as happened to the Black Sox players a hundred years ago, but Manfred just couldn't be bothered because he's a lazy, cowardly piece of human garbage.

How much of that is on the Astros and their players and how much of that is on MLB? We can complain all we want that the Astro players and the organization didn't get punished enough, and it's a fair complaint- but why hold that against the members of the Houston team? It's MLB that is responsible for doling out the punishments, so if Houston got off easy, that's purely on MLB's shoulders.

Should the Astros have returned their banner, awards and rings? Maybe, but, then again, MLB ruled they didn't have to do it so why should they relinquish something that MLB said they still earned?

Again, I'm not trying to make apologies for the Astros. I'm just saying that if we're mad they didn't suffer enough, then getting mad at the Astros is misplaced. Major League Baseball and Rob Manfred are responsible for determining punishments, if the Astros got off easy, then that's solely on MLB.

1 hour ago, Carey said:

As Danielg342 mentioned (actually something I thought of earlier this morning) everyone cheats.  Similar to New England in the NFL, the Houston Astros were caught.

Speaking of the NFL, my analogue would be the New Orleans Saints and "Bountygate" because it's a similar idea. The Saints can't be the only team that ran a bounty scheme- many other teams have before and I'm sure in 2009 there were other bounty systems but it was only the one in New Orleans that got caught.

Similarly, the Astros are far from the only team that stole signs. They just happened to get caught. Now, Houston's system is far more elaborate than what other teams did, but the truth is they're not the only sign-stealers known to baseball.

[Crs97]

16 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Everyone cheats.

The difference between the Astros and everyone else is that they got caught.

If that argument doesn’t work for 5 year olds, it shouldn’t work for multi-millionaires supposedly at the top of their game.

For those who want to dismiss some of us as “haters,” I held my rehearsal dinner at the new Astros ballpark.  I should be able to revel in these victories, but their complete and utter lack of remorse and accountability have completely ruined my love for them.

[Mittengirl]

The Yankees were accused by MLB of sign stealing, and they weren’t punished either.

 I think it is a slippery slope when we start picking nits about the level of cheating - this level is bad, that level is benign.   This kind of cheating “works”, that kind doesn’t, so is ignorable.  All cheating is with the intent of giving an edge, so, IMO, it all should be treated the same.  Whether or not it worked should be of no consideration.  If you are going to strip a team of a WS win, you should also strip a team of a third place finish.

[twoods]

Third place gets you something in the MLB? I honestly am asking because I don’t know.

[Mittengirl]

No, you don’t get anything for third place.  I would strip any team caught cheating of all wins - season record: 0 wins, 162 losses.

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, twoods said:

Third place gets you something in the MLB? I honestly am asking because I don’t know.

Three wild cards qualified for the first time this season. Philly was the third NL wild card. The Mets and Padres were the other two. So yeah, third place in the NL East was rewarded.

[ProudMary]

29 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Three wild cards qualified for the first time this season. Philly was the third NL wild card. The Mets and Padres were the other two. So yeah, third place in the NL East was rewarded.

In the AL East also. Toronto and Tampa Bay both earned Wild Card slots (along with Seattle.)

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

In the AL East also. Toronto and Tampa Bay both earned Wild Card slots (along with Seattle.)

True, but neither team sniffed the Series. 

[Lantern7]

Well. Shit.

Seriously, how does that happen?!?

”Deadspin: Ready To Depress All Baseball Fans, Not Just The Mets!”

Edited November 8, 2022 by Lantern7

[ProudMary]

18 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

True, but neither team sniffed the Series. 

The third place Rays were rewarded with a slot in the playoffs, which was the original question.