MLB - NEWS & NOTES

........It's probably better for Phillies fans to root for the Pirates. That way it brings in more money to the state and they don't have to keep raising the taxes all the freakin time! But we know they'll raise them anyways, right? *NO*

 

Let's be honest, Bartman was a scape goat. They were out of the inning on the next pitch and Gonzalez booted the double play ball. If the Cubs just keep playing baseball they win a pennant but they let it get in their heads.

 

They also had the series lead if I remember correctly. And if the ball is out of bounds, the fans are allowed to to try and get it. I hate the fans that reach for a fair ball and the play has to end where the fan touched it. It's just a freakin baseball. Why are they disrupting play on the field? I guess only the idiots do that?

 

Well Dodgers clinched the West. Surprisingly it wasn't inevitable because if the Giants were able to sweep at home the Magic number would have stayed at 2 with 3 games remaining.

The Jays magic number is 1 and can do no worse than a tiebreaker now. They could have clinched yesterday but the game got postponed by rain. 3 chances to clinch today. Twice with the doubleheader and once via the Red Sox beating the Yankees. Jays also have a magic number of 4 to clinch the top seed in the AL (who would have thought months ago?). That number can drop to 1 today. Crazily it can be clinched before the final series.

The real craziness may be from the AL West and wildcard.
Texas 2 games up on LA and 2.5 games up on Houston.
LA 0.5 games up on Houston (Astros have extra loss, so ouch) and 1.5 games up on the Twins who have a doubleheader today.

The real interesting thing about that is that the Angels play the Rangers in the final series starting tomorrow (4 games). Houston is actually going interleague at Arizona after a day off tomorrow and will have to have their 2 star pitchers step into the batter's box. The Twins get the Royals and they better hope KC is out of the top seed running, or at least gives up on it, and rests. Then again the Royals sucked in September (10-17 not counting today).

So while the Rangers and Angels battle for 1st, the Astros will be trying to leapfrog one or both for the division or the wildcard. Astros fans don't even know who to cheer for. They'd love LA to win games but then the Astros likely have to sweep the DBacks. If the Rangers do well then the Astros look good to face the Yankees. Yankees haven't clinched but, especially with the Rangers and Angels against eachother, they should be there.

After tonight we will see the Astros situation better and if they still control their own destiny.

Crazy scenario though. If all 3 AL West contenders win tonight, the Astros sweep the DBacks, and the Angels take 3 of 4 from the Rangers then there would be a 3-way tie.

 

The ball was out of play, but was being blown back into the ball park. There is only about 1' of follow territory in that part of Wrigley. So it is very close quarters. If Alou doesn't throw his hissy fit, no one ever blames the fan. Yes the Cubs were up 3-2 in the series with 5 outs to go with the lead in the game (don't ask me by what). But we still had Kerry Wood on the mound the next day. It was just a complete meltdown.

The only outfielder currently on the Cubs that I could see doing the freak out is Fowler. Maybe Soler, but Schwarber or Coghlan or even Bryant are pretty even keel. I can't imagine Bryant flipping out about ANYTHING. Maddon calls him a robot. I also can't see Maddon allowing it to hang over them. Maybe he would bring in a magician or a petting zoo. But he would do something crazy to take the pressure off the team.

 

Lots of rainouts last night.

Cubs had a long delay in Cinci. The beat writers said the worst thing about it was the clubhouse stunk from the Mets celebration over the weekend. Now tell me, I know the Reds have given up which stinks because they are playing the Cubs and Pirates to end the year (I guess it is fair if they have the same motivation for both teams). But did the cleaning crew give up too? How does a clubhouse still stink several days after the celebration?

 

Pirates cleaning crew?

 

mlb is the only sport that celebrates like that when clinching a playoff spot! taping over lockers and getting beer and champaign showers per round?? plus it damaged the rugs etc. odd. stale beer - nice.

a lot of rain this weekend too could be problematic for teams that are tied and gotta play.

the bartman thing...the other fan is just as guilty. and alou was not as close as he thought. once they brought him back and showed the height of bartman's seat and where he would've had to jump, it made a difference. to run the guy out of town and he changed jobs, name etc is freaking insane.

 

That kind'a attitude belongs on "Talking about Dicks" thread.

Sheesh, let the Cubbies fans enjoy the moment.

 

Game #1 Pirates up on Cards in 7th, 7-2.

 

8-2, Pirates dump Cardinals.

 

Due to rain yesterday there is a double header that started at 4 today between the Jays and Orioles. The game tomorrow is moved from 7 to noon because of a possible storm. They are now playing 3 games within 24 hours. Holy shit. MLB would never accept this if it wasn't the end of the season. Hopefully the Jays clinch everything after tomorrow. Magic number 4, looking to be 3 after first double header.

 

The Cubs lead the series 3 game to 2 and were leading game 6 3-0 with 1 out in the top of the 8th with a runner on 2nd. It was a 3-2 pitch that Luis Castillo fouled down the line. Prior then walked Castillo on a wild pitch advancing Pierre to 3rd. Then this:


-Iv?n Rodr?guez, on an 0?2 pitch, singled to drive in the first run of the inning, making the score 3?1.
-Miguel Cabrera hit a ground ball to Alex Gonzalez, who misfielded the ball. Had Gonzalez fielded the ball, the Cubs could have either ended the half-inning with a double play, still ahead by two runs, or at minimum, added the second out. Instead, all runners were safe and the bases were loaded.
-Derrek Lee doubled, tying the score and chasing Prior from the game.
Relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth issued an intentional walk to Mike Lowell, then gave up a sacrifice fly to Jeff Conine, giving Florida a 4?3 lead. Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa missed the cut-off man, allowing Lowell to move up to second base. This forced the Cubs to issue another intentional walk to Todd Hollandsworth which again loaded the bases.
-A bases-clearing double from Mike Mordecai broke the game open, making the score 7?3.
-Mike Remlinger replaced Farnsworth and Juan Pierre singled to put Florida ahead 8?3.
-Finally Luis Castillo, whose foul popup initiated the controversy, popped out to second to end the inning. In total, the Marlins had sent twelve batters to the plate and scored eight runs. Florida won the game 8?3.

 

Jays game 2 lineup
CF Pompey
3B Pennington
1B Hague
DH Colabello
RF Carrera
LF Diaz
C Thole
SS Kawasaki
2B Barney

P Dickey


That is zero starters. Barney started game 1 but normally it would be Tulo or Pennington for an injured Tulo. So truly we have half a starter out there. Colabello alternates starts at 1B with Smoak. But he is playing DH anyways lol!

 

Joe, if the Cardinals had won the day game today I'd wondered if they'd just send you guys out to play tonight while the vets all got blasted in the clubhouse.

 

Wow, I had just about wiped than from my memory. Makes me want to puke a little bit.

 

Sorry Mary, it's a fond memory for me.

 

They probably do what the Jays did. No celebration in the room until after 2nd game and everyone is in the dugout watching the scrubs play.

 

Ours was a split double header though, all that time between games you've got to kill.

 

Talking about scrubs, the Bisons can't score on the Orioles through 7 and in the 7th Tepera comes in for Dickey and allows back to back homers. After he gets pulled the bases get loaded without recording an out yet. Playing like the minor league lineup they are.