MLB Thread

[Lantern7]

In regards to what I said about Cubs fans in the afterlife: this was NOT what I was thinking at all. Eerie, right?

[pennben]

Nice piece on Cubs' fan reactions.  I love that folks have been signing the wall at Wrigley all week for family and friends who had died prior to seeing the Cubs in the WS.

[rcc]

What a series! Congrats to the Cubs and their fans. The thing I love about baseball is that it doesn't matter if your team is out of it you can still enjoy and root for another team for the love of the sport.

I feel bad for Cleveland and their fans but the team played hard and this year just happened to be the Cubs year.

[Maximum Taco]

3 hours ago, basiltherat said:

Can any baseball nerds out there tell me (or refer me to website) how those players who get rings is determined?  Is it just those on the last roster or do you need to have put in x number of games?  "cuz it seems almost unfair to give a ring to Schwarber who played 3 games in the regular season and not one to the fifth starter, Jason Hammel or a great utility/pinch hitter like Matt Szczur?

Rings are given out by team management, and is under their full discretion. 

They may give rings out to anyone they deem fit. They could even give one to you for being a great fan! They almost certainly won't. But they could. 

Edited November 3, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[King of Birds]

For Chicago, a relatively mild celebration- only 14 arrests! And other stuff.

[Ohwell]

5 hours ago, topanga said:

I know this is a baseball thread, but why do you hate LeBron so? 

Because the sportscaster asshats injected LeBron into just about every fucking discussion about the Indians before they played the Cubs, and I think LeBron happily bought into it.  He just can't stay away from being King James which is why he made that video.  So yeah, he can just. suck. it.  

[movingtargetgal]

In 2004 when the Red Sox finally won the World Series, we lived near a cemetery.  In the days after "The Curse" was broken there was a flood of visitors who left behind pennants, hats and other Red Sox memorabilia on their loved one's graves.  I expect that many Cubs fans will be doing the same thing as they remember the Cubs fans in their lives, who never lived to see their beloved Cubbies break the Curse.    

[ElDosEquis]

13 minutes ago, King of Birds said:

For Chicago, a relatively mild celebration- only 14 arrests! And other stuff.

It was 'Steal a base, Steal a Taco" not "Steal the Taco Bell Sign"... Sheesh!

[ElDosEquis]

1 minute ago, movingtargetgal said:

In 2004 when the Red Sox finally won the World Series, we lived near a cemetery.  In the days after "The Curse" was broken there was a flood of visitors who left behind pennants, hats and other Red Sox memorabilia on their loved one's graves.  I expect that many Cubs fans will be doing the same thing as they remember the Cubs fans in their lives, who never lived to see their beloved Cubbies break the Curse.    

Wait until dark and score that sweet Ron Santo jersey you always wanted........for opening day, ya know?

[pennben]

35 minutes ago, Maximum Taco said:

Rings are given out by team management, and is under their full discretion. 

They may give rings out to anyone they deem fit. They could even give one to you for being a great fan! They almost certainly won't. But they could. 

When the White Sox won, they gave rings to every single person working for the Sox (including ushers, etc.) and held a lottery (for free, as I recall) for one fan to win a ring.  Very, very classy all around on the southside in 2005.  I hope the Cubs do the same.

[DrSpaceman73]

I rarely watch baseball on TV.  In fact, I don't recall the last full baseball game I watched. 

But I stayed up to finish this one.  Almost lost me at the rain delay, but I wanted to see the end. 

A classic game and series

[Ohwell]

ok then

Edited November 4, 2016 by Ohwell

[NUguy514]

Thank you. :)

Edited November 4, 2016 by NUguy514

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

NOOOOOOO, don't post it!!!  It FEEDS off of our posting of it!!

What?

[Mittengirl]

I could watch that outfield camera shot of Rajai's homerun all day.  That is just an amazing perspective.

[King of Birds]

Damn so it's only one day after the WS, and the offseason moves started!  Cameron Maybin traded from Tigers to Angels.

[Lantern7]

Meanwhile, the Mets sprung for the options for Jose Reyes and Jay Bruce. Yeah, that's not going to bite them in the ass next year.

[Bort]

Astros picked up Aoki from the Mariners on waivers.

[Silver Raven]

The Giants picked up Josh Johnson, who hasn't pitched in three years, and has had three Tommy John surgeries.  At least they only signed him to a minor league contract.

[xaxat]

AT&T and DirecTV colluded in an illegal plot that kept Dodgers games off the air, DOJ lawsuit alleges

Quote

The anti-collusion suit alleges that DirecTV — and its corporate parent, AT&T — shared private negotiating information in 2014 with other TV providers, including Cox Communications and Charter Communications, to gain a collective advantage over Time Warner Cable, which was selling licenses to air the Dodgers Channel on other networks. By simultaneously agreeing not to carry the channel, each TV provider could breathe easier knowing their customers would not be able to switch to a provider that did carry live Dodgers games, according to the suit.

[Magog]

That parade was a lot of fun to watch. It was just as good as the Cavaliers parade that I watch in June. So who gets the Lovable Losers label now that the Cubs don't have to deal with that anymore?

[rippleintime17]

I have a weakness for crying ballplayers, ilu Anthony Rizzo.

[Bort]

3 hours ago, Magog said:

So who gets the Lovable Losers label now that the Cubs don't have to deal with that anymore?

The Indians. They now have the biggest drought since last World Series win. Then the Rangers, then the Astros (which are never for them, but they have been there, at least).

But there are also two teams that have never made a World Series appearance ever. 

[MyAimIsTrue]

I cannot believe I missed posting about the last few games of the WS with you guys.  My work trip was extremely busy and we put in long hours on site with the client so I was almost too tired at night to even type.  However watching the Cubbies win while in Cubs territory was really exciting.  We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Clinton, IA and each game night there was a group of fans in the common area/breakfast room with pizza and beer cheering on the Cubs.  While watching the last few innings of game seven in my hotel room I could hear the person in the room next to me scream SHIT!!!!!!  when Rajai Davis hit the game tying homer...

In typical "me" fashion I went to sleep when the tarp rolled out as I expected a lengthy rain delay, and it was past 11:00PM CT by that point.  Little did I know.  On Thursday I wore the overpriced Cubs t-shirt I bought during my layover in Chicago and the client loved it, and so did everyone at the Quad City airport in Moline.  Only the folks in Dallas (where I made my connection) didn't care.

I have to admit that the 2016 World Series will surpass the 1991 Series as the Greatest Ever.

[ElDosEquis]

Somewhere in PA there is a woman that was three years old when the Cubs last won a World Championship.

She is 111 years old - I thought what has this woman seen in the mean time?

All the Yankees' Championships? Babe Ruth, Joe D, Jackie Robinson?

-------

Next weekend I am going to eat me some goat tacos, with all the fixin's.

Had the Cubs lost?

Indian Casino Gamblin'!!!!!

[Lantern7]

Thinking about it, Washington has been waiting for a World Series title since 1924. I'll have to do the math eventually, subtracting the time between Senators II and Nationals. I expect DC to be neck-and-neck with Cleveland.

[jennifer6973]

I think Expos/Nats is at 50 years.  I think I saw something like that roll through my twitter timeline around the time the LDS' were starting up.

 

But I think the thing of it is, Washington baseball has been to the WS but I think the Senators/Twins sort of own that.  So between Senators2/Rangers and Expos/Nationals it's very convoluted and there may be an algorhythm or two involved.

Edited November 5, 2016 by jennifer6973

[Silver Raven]

Rangers/Senators, Expos/Nationals and San Diego have never been to the WS, have they?

[Bort]

Mariners and Nationals/Expos have never been to the World Series. Everyone else has been at least once.

[Lantern7]

Padres made it in 1984 and 1998. Both times, they got steamrolled by uberteams from the American League.

[Iguessnot]

On 11/3/2016 at 7:53 AM, roamyn said:

I have no words.

I'm angry, sad, hurt.

I thought I'd be happy for the Cubs, but I hate the fact that there are none to few people of darker skin in their stands.

Maybe I would be if Chicago won in 6, rather than tease me with a Game 7 tie for extra innings.

Tito's biggest mistakes were starting Travis f*g Bauer the 2nd time and Josh Tomlin on short rest.

This one hurts worse I think.  At least in '97 we were down 3-2 in the Series before winning Game 6.

We were up 3-1 $!#$%/_!^&  WE HAD THREE GAMES TO WIN ONE - TWO AT HOME!

ETA : Now I have Travis f*g Bauer to go with Jose f*g Mesa.  

Well as a darked skinned Southsider, born and raised in Chicago, I've always been a Cubs fan. In my teens I often took the L to Wrigley field. Nothing exclusionary there. If the Yuppies like the Cubs, so be it. I never liked the White Sox and believe me there was no deep benevolence coming from south side whites as opposed to those on the north side.  Heck, when I was young, going to Cominsky Park would have been like going to a sporting event in Mississippi. Maybe neighborhood location, parking accessibility, etc have a major effect on who attends games, however, amongst friends and family, no one ever expressed a racial reluctance to support the Cubs. 

Sometimes people have a preference. I never paid any attention to the Black Hawks. There might not be an overwhelming presence of dark skinned folks at a hockey game, but it's not necessarily sinister in nature.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

On 11/2/2016 at 11:14 PM, rallymantis said:

Did it on the field, IIRC, for some team at the K in 2014.

Royals had to make do in the visitor's clubhouse last year.

"some team", eh?

[MVFrostsMyPie]

On 11/3/2016 at 4:53 AM, roamyn said:

We were up 3-1 $!#$%/_!^&  WE HAD THREE GAMES TO WIN ONE - TWO AT HOME!

 

Lebron jinxed y'all with his '3-1 lead' taunting at his Halloween party. ;) 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

On 11/3/2016 at 10:03 PM, kariyaki said:

Astros picked up Aoki from the Mariners on waivers.

Aw I loved Aoki when he played with the Giants. Too bad Arrieta and his fake-looking beard beamed him in the head and put him on an extensive DL when he was with us. 

[roamyn]

I would like to apologize to everyone for my sullenness since Wednesday.

Especially the Cubs fans, because if it couldn't be the Indians or Royals, then I  am happy they finally won.  And they had one hell of a parade yesterday.

I've been in agony with the move & staying up late over the course of a week. (I've had several back surgeries), and it didn't help that our new place had a huge water bubble in the dining room ceiling Wednesday morning at 4am.

I'm still hurt (I cried all the way to work Thursday when a car passed with a Cubs flag).  I really wanted Tito to win, and I hate Fox Sports and ESPN.

My only condolence is that the Cavs lost the finals in 2015 against the best team in Basketball due to an injury depleted team.  Hopefully we can come back next year as well.

Because it's starting to look like the Indians are the Buffalo Bills of baseball.  (I read an article that said the Indians are the saddest team in pro sports, while the Lions are the most futile.)

Edited November 5, 2016 by roamyn

[MyAimIsTrue]

Roamyn, I can imagine you feel as I did after the 1991 World Series.  The Braves were up three games to two going back to Minneapolis and then Kirby Puckett happened in extra innings in game six, and game seven went to extra innings while still scoreless when a bloop single won in for the Twins.  I was in a fog for days after that.  Surely the series wasn't over and there was more baseball to be played!  After all it wasn't supposed to end that way!

I'm sorry you're hurting and I get it.  Cleveland is a damn good team and they will be back.

[mojoween]

As long as there are Browns, I don't think the Indians can ever be the saddest team in pro sports.

[Bort]

6 hours ago, MattDuffysCat said:

Aw I loved Aoki when he played with the Giants. Too bad Arrieta and his fake-looking beard beamed him in the head and put him on an extensive DL when he was with us. 

Ohhhh, that explains why Aoki is the only player who wears that new batting helmet that makes you look like a bobblehead (he's the only one I've seen wear it).

[roamyn]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

As long as there are Browns, I don't think the Indians can ever be the saddest team in pro sports.

It's because the Indians have been there four times without winning.  In 1954 we won 111 games, when there were less than 150 in the regular season.  In 1995 we came across a great pitching team in the Braves, and we all know how devastating the 1997 WS was.  By all logic we should've won in 1954 & 1997 & aft going up 3-1 this year.  

The Browns have never been to the SB (though the writer conceded that for most futile team it was close between the Lions & Browns).

Tho the Browns are going to win the NFL Draft Championship. 

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, kariyaki said:

Ohhhh, that explains why Aoki is the only player who wears that new batting helmet that makes you look like a bobblehead (he's the only one I've seen wear it).

I haven't seen that.  I know David Wright wore one of those Great Gazoo helmets a few seasons ago after being hit in the head with a pitch.

[ElDosEquis]

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/cubs-fan-dies-after-world-series-darel-sterner-iowa/1iv2818a9dawx1mgkw9w8jhsb3

Listening to Joe Buck would have probably killed him anyway?

[Ohwell]

He died happy.  Good on him.

[King of Birds]

11 hours ago, Moose135 said:

 Great Gazoo helmets

Fantastic callback. Thanks Moose.  I wonder if more younger players will wear the helmets like Javier Baez wears.

[Lantern7]

In case you don't watch Saturday Night Live, three Cubs popped up twice tonight. They sang "Go Cubs Go" with Bill Murray.

ETA: Cespedes opted out. Of course he did. Sports Illustrated projects him to go to the Phillies. Another NL East rival? Oy.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

They also gave a dead granny a lap dance. I did not want to see that. I never want to see Rizzo twerking in booty shorts again (or Ross or Fowler). Ew. I wish there had been a warning beforehand of disturbing images. 

Is it 2017 yet? 

[MyAimIsTrue]

I haven't regularly watched SNL in about 25 years and even Lin-Manuel Miranda hosting a few weeks ago couldn't hold my interest past his opening monologue but I saw clips from last night's show and Rizzo twerking was pretty damn funny, and I loved the singing with Bill Murray at the end of Weekend Update.  Dexter Fowler may be my new baseball boyfriend as I'm a sucker for a great smile.

[rcc]

[Ohwell]

Lol, they sound awful.  That's great!

Love the junk bumps too.

[mojoween]

I feel like Joe Maddon is going to win the NL Manager of the Year even if it's a regular season award but I'm not sure if Tito is a slam dunk.  I mean, the Rangers DID have the best record, didn't they?

[jennifer6973]

I think so too, even though I'm a Nationals fan, I think Dusty and Dave are gonna split some votes.