2010 MLB Season

[JSngry]

Look, what Wash did last night is typical Wash. Sometimes it works, sometimes it bites him in the ass. But that's his style and I give him credit for having the cajones for staying consistent against the massive outpouring of screams to do otherwise (I'm in that massive outpouring, BTW). Hell, it got him this far; at this point, I can't really argue with it anymore.

You know what i finally realized about Was this evening that should be obvious but in this day and age isn't? He ultimately puts the game in his players' hands & then...either you do or you don't, either you will or you won't. In an era of seemingly endless statistics governing damn near every aspect of our life, that's an almost dangerously funky old school way of looking at life, and especially at managing a baseball team. But if you're a player, and if you got skills and soul, I'd think that you gotta love being treated like a full grown man and not just a cog in somebody else's master plan. Take Darren O'Day - the guy had me ready to kill him, but...it's his gig, and after a couple of meltdowns, he comes in with two strong back-to-back appearances. Either you do or you don't, either you will or you won't. Because as does life, that's the way baseball go.

Of course, even at that....WTF was Vlad doing trying to steal 2nd with two out? I mean - HUH?????

[JSngry]

You know Sangrey was sweating dropping those big bills on the game 5 tix....

Nah, it wasn't the bucks, not at all. Got them thru Stub Hub & as a "contingent event" would get a CC refund if Game 5 didn't get played...it was just the whole vibe of maybe being able taking my son to see our team play in the World Series. For a chance like that, money is a secondary consideration (but a consideration nevertheless, as any ticket for the game, even SRO, this evening was not even remotely practical for us, even with a credit card).

Of course, the possibility exists that we'll be going to a game that could see the Rangers lose the Series, but either way....Lee vs Lincecum with high stakes on the table no matter what...wow...

We'll both have memories of that that should last a lifetime. Money well spent, imho.

I am so freaking envious. On a completely unrelated note: My mother's new heartthrob is Buster Posey, I mean, head-over-heals in love...

I feel blessed beyond description to have this opportunity. Still not sure I believe it's happening, and still won't believe that it did until it's over.

I suppose your mom's crush on Buster is understandable, I mean, he's got that classic "baby face" that moms love, but I'll tell you what - me myself, I have developed a serious baseball-lovecrush for Colby MF-in Lewis. You talk about stepping up in the big game and getting it done, this guy....man, talk about a hero...

[BERIGAN]

Jonathan Sanchez SUCKS.

Three bad starts in the playoffs...THREE?!? Apply any pressure and Sanchez caves in like a shore break sandcastle. A pathetic display of non-talent tonight.

Somebody needs to pull him aside and EXPLAIN to him where he is and what is at stake. Does he have any IDEA where he is and the history in SF here?

W-T-F is the matter with him anyway? He's useless, fer crissakes.

Trade him.

Now.

Wow.

I'm sure about 29 teams will gladly take him off your hands.

It's two bad starts though, not 3.

10-10, 7 and a third innings, 1 run against the Braves.

10-17, 6 innnings, 2 earned runs against the Phils.

[MartyJazz]

No wonder that Tampa Bay simply dropped Burrell earlier this season. Simply awful at the plate. Should be either dropped way down in the batting order or benched.

[Tim McG]

Jonathan Sanchez SUCKS.

Three bad starts in the playoffs...THREE?!? Apply any pressure and Sanchez caves in like a shore break sandcastle. A pathetic display of non-talent tonight.

Somebody needs to pull him aside and EXPLAIN to him where he is and what is at stake. Does he have any IDEA where he is and the history in SF here?

W-T-F is the matter with him anyway? He's useless, fer crissakes.

Trade him.

Now.

Wow.

I'm sure about 29 teams will gladly take him off your hands.

It's two bad starts though, not 3.

10-10, 7 and a third innings, 1 run against the Braves.

10-17, 6 innnings, 2 earned runs against the Phils.

Statistics don't tell the whole story, Berigan.

He was hanging more stuff than a clerk at a dry cleaner. And Jeremy Affeldt had to bail his ass out in that Phillies game. Remember the ball throwing incident? Get inside his head and he's done.

Edited October 31, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[Randy Twizzle]

No games here in October

[Quincy]

It's 75 degrees at the start of Game 4? I half expect the game to be cancelled because the weather is too nice.

[Matthew]

Tough break for Texas, Ogando was filthy nasty...

[Matthew]

Lee vs. Lincecum tomorrow. TL better come up big...

[Tim McG]

The MadBum Strikes!

Edited November 1, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[Chalupa]

Expanded Playoffs??

Me no likey. Not one bit.

[ghost of miles]

Expanded Playoffs??

Me no likey. Not one bit.

Ugh, me neither. He won't consider expanded replay but he's all eager to expand the playoffs?

On the Series, great performance by San Francisco's pitchers again--no room for error on Texas' part now. They're in a tough hole, even with Lee pitching Game 5, what with the last two potential games in San Francisco.

Edited November 1, 2010 by ghost of miles

[JSngry]

Hey, Bumgarner showed up in a BIG way. Fullest kudos and props to a young man who was impressive as hell.

Tomorrow...I just asked my son what he wanted to do if the Rangers lost tomorrow night and he didn't hesitate in saying that he wanted to stick around for the post-game ceremonies because, "how often do you get to be in the stadium when a World Series champ gets crowned?"

Right answer!

[Matthew]

The MadBum Strikes!

Pretty amazing performance tonight. Just think, the Giants have Posey, Lincecum, Cain, and Baumgartner, all about the same age on this team. It could be a very special Giants club for years to come.

[Chalupa]

The MadBum Strikes!

Pretty amazing performance tonight. Just think, the Giants have Posey, Lincecum, Cain, and Baumgartner, all about the same age on this team. It could be a very special Giants club for years to come.

Pretty incredible and downright scary for the rest of the NL. Now if their owners will spend the money to keep them all and surround them w/ some better hitting....

[JSngry]

Expanded Playoffs??

Me no likey. Not one bit.

Ugh, me neither. He won't consider expanded replay but he's all eager to expand the playoffs?

Hey - I remember the controversy when divisional play began, how it was destroying the purity of the game, the stats, how you either have the best record in the league and are its champs or you don't and you aren't, and imagine the DISGRACE of having a team with a lesser record go to the Series. Same arguments came up with the addition of Wild Card rounds.

They're long enough as it is. The game is based on an almost supernaturally perfect concept of symmetry. Leave it be lest that symmetry be pushed past the point of no return..

[Tim McG]

Expanded Playoffs??

Me no likey. Not one bit.

Me either.

Bud Selig is an idiot.

The MadBum Strikes!

Pretty amazing performance tonight. Just think, the Giants have Posey, Lincecum, Cain, and Baumgartner, all about the same age on this team. It could be a very special Giants club for years to come.

Pretty incredible and downright scary for the rest of the NL. Now if their owners will spend the money to keep them all and surround them w/ some better hitting....

If the owners are OK with making Zito the highest priced cheerleader in MLB history, I think they will pop for the money, IMHO.

[Big Al]

Hey, Bumgarner showed up in a BIG way. Fullest kudos and props to a young man who was impressive as hell.

Agree all the way. Sometimes all you can say is simply "Wow!"

Certainly not looking good for our guys, but hey, when have we EVER had to choose between trick-or-treating and a Ranger game? I'm still giddy about the notion of a Rangers game in November. November!!! Usually by this time, we've forgotten all about the Rangers and instead are focusing all our energies on why the Cows stink. Well, the Cows still stink but we got a much better thing to be focused on now!

And for that alone, I say "Thank you, Rangers!"

[ghost of miles]

Hey, Bumgarner showed up in a BIG way. Fullest kudos and props to a young man who was impressive as hell.

Tomorrow...I just asked my son what he wanted to do if the Rangers lost tomorrow night and he didn't hesitate in saying that he wanted to stick around for the post-game ceremonies because, "how often do you get to be in the stadium when a World Series champ gets crowned?"

Right answer!

Cool indeed, but I'm betting you won't be witnessing it. I think Lee will pitch a masterpiece.

[JSngry]

Either way, David - something to be thankful for.

I'm like Al, no matter the outcome of the series, the Rangers have given their fans so much to be thankful for. This is a tough sports town (as I suspect most are...) with everybody "loving" a winner and ditching a "loser" like yesterday's kleenex, and l sense a fading fadom amongst the "fandom". In the wake of the Cowboys' & Mavericks' failures, a lot of people just wanted to latch on to a winner no matter what. To them, I say get a life of your own. Be your own winner, raise a son who understands that being a Ranger fan is a subset of being a baseball fan, not the other way around.

Much love here for my boy, and much love for the 2010 Texas Rangers. And if/when they do it, much love - and props - for the 2010 MLB Champion San Francisco Giants.

Of course, I do reserve the right to believe in miracles and to alter "MLB" to "NL" should one perchance occur.

Just in case...

[BruceH]

Expanded Playoffs??

Me no likey. Not one bit.

Ugh, me neither. He won't consider expanded replay but he's all eager to expand the playoffs?

Why is Selig such a douche?

Hey, Bumgarner showed up in a BIG way. Fullest kudos and props to a young man who was impressive as hell.

Tomorrow...I just asked my son what he wanted to do if the Rangers lost tomorrow night and he didn't hesitate in saying that he wanted to stick around for the post-game ceremonies because, "how often do you get to be in the stadium when a World Series champ gets crowned?"

Right answer!

Sounds like you're raising him right!

[Big Al]

Either way, David - something to be thankful for.

I'm like Al, no matter the outcome of the series, the Rangers have given their fans so much to be thankful for. This is a tough sports town (as I suspect most are...) with everybody "loving" a winner and ditching a "loser" like yesterday's kleenex, and l sense a fading fadom amongst the "fandom". In the wake of the Cowboys' & Mavericks' failures, a lot of people just wanted to latch on to a winner no matter what. To them, I say get a life of your own. Be your own winner, raise a son who understands that being a Ranger fan is a subset of being a baseball fan, not the other way around.

Much love here for my boy, and much love for the 2010 Texas Rangers. And if/when they do it, much love - and props - for the 2010 MLB Champion San Francisco Giants.

Of course, I do reserve the right to believe in miracles and to alter "MLB" to "NL" should one perchance occur.

Just in case...

Amen to that!!!

Edited November 1, 2010 by Big Al

[Quincy]

I'm not crazy about expanding the playoffs, although as the system stands now there's no tough penalty for being a wild card. If they did it 2 out of 3 for the wild cards followed by the winner always facing the team with the best record (rather than best record unless that team is in your division) it might actually be a better system. And get rid of some of the weird off days that certain divisional series have where there's a day off between game 1 & 2. The other thing would be tighten up the days between the wild card playoff and the xLDS so the wild card team would not be throwing it's ace in game 1. That'd be another penalty for not winning the division.

The major drawback of expanding the playoffs is that while sometimes the wild card is the 2nd best team in the league my guess is that the 2nd wild card team is likely the 5th best team. Or maybe 4th. So it just increases the odds that a not very good team becomes champ. We already have March Madness for that trip.

*Oh yeah. Very happy to see how our Ranger fans are handling this. That was just one hell of a pitching performance tonight. What can you do? Come back and try your best to send in back to SF, but if not, another city of suffering fans will finally get a title. It's not over yet though. '79 Pirates...

Edited November 1, 2010 by Quincy

[Big Al]

Yes, either way a good ending, AFAIC.

ON an unrelated note, did anyone see Laura Bush yawning during the ninth inning last night? That cracked me up!

On a related note, the following is a transcript from this weekend's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" (the NPR news quiz) about this series. Mods, feel free to delete if you think this crosses the political line. This is being offered, FWIW, with no other agenda than to make folks laugh as I did when I first heard it:

SAGAL: Your last quote is an unusual rallying cry never heard before in the world of sports.

KASELL: Fear the beard.

SAGAL: That's a team slogan, it is.

(Soundbite of booing)

Ms. DICKINSON: Whoa.

SAGAL: Oh I'm sorry, it seems like our entire audience had stomach trouble at one. I don't know why. (edit: they were broadcasting from Philadelphia)

(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: That is a team slogan, referring to the distinct facial hair of one particular player who is participating in this year's what?

Mr. MEHLHORN: World Series.

SAGAL: Yes, indeed.

(Soundbite of bell)

Mr. MEHLHORN: Of baseball.

SAGAL: Exactly.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: Let me just say to our audience here in Philadelphia that it's a relatively unimportant contest.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: The World Series got underway this week in San Francisco. Most sportswriters have predicted that once again, an American team will take home the trophy.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: This year, there's actually slightly more interest than usual because one of the teams has never been in the World Series. That's the Texas Rangers, a team once owned...

(Soundbite of cheering)

SAGAL: All right, all right, see your loyalty. A team once owned by George W. Bush, who sold them back in 1998. So America, now we know it takes about 12 years to recover from George Bush.

(Soundbite of laughter)

(Soundbite of applause)

SAGAL: The Series started in San Francisco and then is going to go to Dallas, marking the first time 40 San Franciscans ever voluntarily went to Texas.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: The two communities have made the usual friendly wager. If the Rangers win, Texas gets to secede from the Union.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: If the Giants win, Texas has to secede from the Union.

(Soundbite of laughter)

(Soundbite of applause)

Edited November 1, 2010 by Big Al

[Dan Gould]

The only way an expanded playoffs work is if they avoid going deep into November by starting the season a week earlier. Most players complain about the length of spring training anyway, and they could always move it up a bit - especially for the purpose of stretching out starters. Then I wouldn't have a terrible problem with the idea - but if they keep the start date and insist on 162 games (which I am not actually in favor of reducing) then it becomes ridiculous.

One other problem is the idea of a "bye" for any team. Baseball isn't like football where teams can use the extra time to get healthy and prepare for their opponent. Pitchers need regular work and if anything, minimal extra rest. I think the best option would be a play-in series between the top two teams that don't win a division crown. Three games only, for the right to face off against the top team in the league regardless of division, as Quincy mentioned.