MLB - NEWS & NOTES

yeah been bone dry for so long i knew this was coming. i'll be in the middle of it in Northern NJ at the new Meadowlands tomorrow.

 

i sat upper deck in cliff lee's phillies playoff debut in 45 mph winds. cold as balls. warm walking over to the stadium but cold up top. burr. i hope it stops raining in detroit.

 

Ventura steps down as White Sox manager...

 

The Cardinals have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010: went to the wire...

 

Blue Jays will host WC game...

 

Indians will have home field advantage throughout the ALDS...

 

ALWC - Blue Jays vs Orioles.

 

NLWC - Giants vs Mets

 

The Cubs' NLDS matchup will be the biggest story-line no matter the opponent. They either have a revenge series vs the Mets or they are playing the every other year champs Giants.

 

Good point, Joe. Im pulling hard for the Cubs to go all the way. They are a fun team in a fun city. I like the way they play ball.

Im sick of the Giants and Cardinals in the Post Season... at least the Red Birds arnt there.

 

Scully calls final game in Hall of Fame broadcasting career

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Vin Scully's iconic voice on the videoboard welcomed a sellout crowd to Game No. 162, the regular-season finale, yes, and more notably the last of his decorated, Hall of Fame broadcasting career.

"It's time for Giant-Dodger baseball, the greatest rivalry in all of professional sports," Scully declared.

Scully attended morning Mass in the ballpark as is his usual Sunday routine and then headed for his booth to work as he has done for an astounding 67 years ? exactly 80 years after the Bronx-born Scully became a Giants fan at age 8 in New York.

"It was as if it was ordained," Scully said during San Francisco's 7-1 win that secured the Giants the second NL wild card. "I hope you're enjoying it and I hope I'm not interrupting it too much."

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy cherished his chance to visit with Scully last week at Dodger Stadium, and to be part of Scully's special farewell Sunday.

"This is his last game, and we're honored to think he'd come up here, 80 years to the day that he became a Giants fan," Bochy said. "That's pretty amazing, isn't it? Not just a tremendous body of work but how long he's been doing it and how great he still is. So it's pretty cool."

Fans in the sellout crowd turned to look up at Scully with their standing ovation and held signs as a Scully video welcomed fans on the scoreboard shortly before first pitch at AT&T Park, where he has been riding in and out of the ballpark on Hall of Famer Willie Mays' golf cart and had some time to reminisce with the Say Hey Kid on Saturday.

The 88-year-old Scully politely declined any kind of on-field celebration offered by the Giants. San Francisco then jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first.

"Just as it has been for two years, the Dodgers are in trouble at AT&T Park," Scully said. "The sun has broken through the clouds and it is shining on the Giants for the moment."

Scully's booth featured a special security detail all weekend, and Scully had several personal drivers to get around the city. He handled the Giants' broadcast in the third inning, then said while San Francisco fans might consider it no big deal, it was for him, noting his appreciation of the thoughtful gesture.
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So long, Vin Scully... what a guy and what a broadcaster. Saddens me to see him go... He was/is a huge part of my baseball life.

 

WOW-What a final weekend for contending playoff teams. Hate to be St. Louis to be out by 1 game. 1 stinking game. How many close games did they lose or leads blown to lose 1 game. Damn.

Sorry for the Tigers to as they fell short too.

Well-onto the playoffs. Hoping for some good matches and thank God I don't have to watch the damn Phillies anymore!

 

Orioles and Blue Jays... Tuesday at 8pm et.

Giants and Mets... Wenesday at 8pm et.

 

I won't say no Cubs fans, but I will say most Cubs understand that the World Series is not a given. The tickets being for sale is just how it works. The tickets go on sale in September for all playoff teams. Pretty sure the Cards even sold playoff tickets and they didn't get in.

 

It seems the Vegas consensus is the Blue Jays by a run. People like betting Baltimore on the run line but don't dare put up coin straight up.

 

mary - i hear ya. all playoff contending teams do it for the past 50 yrs as unused tickets are on ebay, so that's how i know. i just think Cubs fans think their team is trotting on easy street to the WS this year...

 

That would be false. Cubs fans in general are cautiously optimistic at best. Starting Friday, they are going to be a nervous wreck until it is over. Baseball post season is a crap shoot and don't forget the "cursed" crap. If Cubs fan think they are going to walk in, haven't been Cubs fan very long.

 

Stroman vs Tillman for AL wild card. So what 8-7 final score?

 

well it's maybe just my college friends from Illinois who have no fear of losing and only accept winning the WS this year and nothing else.

 

It's Cubs bandwagoners that are going all crazy. Most Cubs fans I know are really pumped but still just hopeful. They know nothing is guaranteed, even as a heavy favourite.