Bruiser Chong

Boy and people thought the Cubs fans were bad. First of all, despite the fact that I've made it clear that I didn't care for either team, congrats to the Marlins. Regardless of who owns them or where they come from or whatever, they were the best when it truly mattered. The turned it on the last couple weeks of the season, against the Giants, against the Cubs, and finally, against the Yankees. You've got a team right there that took nothing for granted, didn't hold much stock in stats, most of which worked against their favor. They worked hard all season, making a 30-game turnaround during the regular season, and finishing off all three of their postseason series with three straight wins, two of which came on the road, no easy task. I give the Yanks credit for putting it together occassionally, and the majority of the time when it mattered most, but that still doesn't take away from the fact that they seemed to go through the motions the majority of the time. Perhaps the thing that bothers me most about the Yankees isn't that they hold a monopoly over the game, or that they can sign anyone they want, or have a payroll that most teams could only dream of. No, it's more because the team and face it, the fans have come to take winning for granted. I'm sure there are fans out there who remember what it was like to not make the postseason or win it all, but the point is, winning is pretty much a staple over there and it's something that everyone affiliated with the club has taken for granted. Taking nothing away from the Marlins, the Yanks looked awful the majority of this series. They only started to come to life in the later innings in most of the games, while making mistakes on simple plays and showing little hustle the rest of the time. And let us not forget all of the drama that was tied in with the club this year. Perhaps one of the things the Marlins had that the Yanks didn't have was unity. Looking at that Marlins team, you see a group of players and coaches that get along famously, having a good time and looking like they're just out there to have fun. On the other end of the spectrum, you have a senile old man declaring that he's going to start dropping the pink slips if the team doesn't win it all. While talent is a huge element of success, I think that a team that gets along and play as one are often stronger than pure talent. Now as for the specifics, stop blaming Jeff Weaver. Yes he blew the game, but need I remind you that the Yanks DID have a runner at third in the ninth, with the score three up, or did you all forget that? They score that run and Rivera most likely shuts it down in the ninth, allowing the Yankees to go up 3-1 in the series. Then you have Wells who's clearly out of shape and it finally cost them. No one can say for sure if the Yankees would've won or not had Wells stayed in the game and not gotten hurt, but it was pretty clear that it was that factor that cost them the game. So instead of pointing fingers at individuals, remember that the Yankees, a team that have been called the team in baseball, had all the chances in the world to make the series go in their favor, including home field advantage, and they still blew it. A truly great team can rebound and work past problems like a starter being taken out after one inning, and the Yanks didn't do that. That isn't to say that they're not a talented team, but had they been a truly deserving team, they would have gotten the job done and they simply didn't. I'm sure things will blow over, but in the meantime, how bout laying off the deaththreats on the scapegoats for the NY Yankees? They had a rocky season and it finally caught up to them. Maybe they'll play with more heart next year instead of assuming that it's all coming to them. The Marlins didn't play with that notion in their minds and where are they now? Living it up as the 2003 World Champions, while the majority of the Yankees schedule escapes to Mexico until Big Stein's fit of rage dies down. Live and learn.

Three more outs and all of this can be a distant memory. The Yanks have played like bums the majority of the series, coming back briefly before being silenced again. I hope this goes to show you that money can't buy you a great, championship-winning team. Heart and wanting it are definitely factors, and the Yanks just haven't looked like they've wanted it nearly as bad as the Marlins have. I don't care for either team, but at least we'll get to see George go postal. But for the 100th WS, the Marlins winning? Eh. I don't think of the fucking Marlins when I think of baseball, I'm sorry. But at least they're playing like a team that deserves to win it. I apologize that I just can't stand them, regardless.

Big Stein is loading up his shotgun and finishing up a glass of bourbon right about now.

That's completely correct. If Big Show and Henry weren't under such large and insane contracts, they would've never been given this many chances at getting over. All of these pushes are just Vince trying to salvage something out of what could easily be two of the worst contracts in WWF history.

I don't think anyone's really stood out in this series. Maybe Jeter since he's gotten the rallies going in several games, but if the Marlins are on the winning side, maybe someone like Pierre, who basically won them game one and has played a large part in their success in the WS so far. Beckett's start was overshadowed by the fact that they ended up losing the game, IMO.

Unless they get to Beckett early. Remember game one of the NLCS. The Cubs took Beckett to school. But then again, that's key when trying to beat any great pitcher.

Wow, I thought for a second I was watching history in the making, but that damn Pro Player Stadium and its unfriendly offensive surroundings took it away. And I thought Matsui had two on that laser beam to Lee that just ended the game. Now why couldn't they play this way the other eight innings they played tonight? I know Penny was very good, but they certainly had their chances and blew 'em.

Boy, that's gotta be tough for Yanks fans to swallow. They play like schmucks for eight innings and decide to turn it around with only two outs left. They'll have proven me wrong if they manage to tie this one up. Either way, they've certainly made this one interesting, but it may be too little too late.

And THAT'S why you don't bench someone like Giambi. He's got the whole offseason to recover. Prima donnas.

In all respect to the World Series and the teams involved, I like many of you baseball fans are already looking ahead to next year rather than focus on the WS. While I won't live my life for the next several months sitting on my hands and waiting for the 2004 season to begin, I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't been thinking about it, especially since last week. Because most of us who even watch baseball have a favorite team (or two), I thought perhaps we could take our respective favorite teams and talk about some of the changes that need to be made for a successful season to be possible. It's no secret who I'll be talking about, the Cubs. Yes, they basically fell apart five outs away from the WS, but that doesn't change the fact that this is the same team that lost 95 games just one year ago. I think they'll actually be a competing team over the next few years, but obviously, changes are in order. Let's start with the starting lineup. It's expected that Hee Sop Choi will be the top candidate for the starting first baseman role, as the futures of Eric Karros and Randall Simon are in question. Both were big players for the Cubs down the stretch, but everyone's expecting Choi to get back into the swing of things and become that breakout player most are figuring he'll become. I'm a fan of Simon, but I'd say give Choi the nod since he's younger, has more potential and his game is more refined than Simon's is, or Karros' for that matter. It'll be interesting to see what they do, since I doubt that all three will be back next year and I don't see Choi going anywhere. Moving over to second, you have Mark Grudzielanek. Despite performing poorly in the postseason, he's one of the reasons the Cubs got to where they were, and even though he's a free agent, I expect to see him back next season. The shortstop and third base positions seem to be set, barring some sort of move, which would be odd since Gonzalez is probably the best defensive shortstop in the NL despite the big error in Game 6 of the NLCS and Ramirez really started to come into his own once he joined the Cubs, not to mention his defense improved considered where it was before. The catcher's position doesn't seem to be generating much talk, which would indicate they plan to stick with Miller and Bako. Both guys are usually as close to automatic outs as you get, but I really think they bring a lot to the team defensively, so I won't be damning the team if both are back next year. Heading to the outfield, Alou exercised his option to return next season, although it's expected that he will not be an everyday guy. This may turn out to be a good thing, since Patterson will be back and looking for a big spot on the team. Lofton is a free agent and most expect him to be gone, although now that it's been made clear that Alou isn't expected to be an everyday guy, hanging on to Lofton may be a smart move, as he can be an assest in the case of either guy going down. I know Patterson's a CF, but you'd figure he'd fill in for Alou on his days off. We'll have to see how that turns out, but I'm all for keeping Lofton around, that is, if Patterson still gets the chance to shine. Sosa is also a free agent, I believe, but considering how well the Cubs did this season, most expect him to return with little hassle. Leaving the team after their first really good season since he's been around would be pretty silly. Now we get to an area that's in definite need of change, and it's already been said that it will happen. Guys like Alfonseca, Veres, and Guthrie are all free agents and I'd say it'd be in their best interest to not hang on to any of them. They rarely did well and really cost the team in some important situations. Guys like Todd Wellemeyer, Sergio Mitre and Felix Sanchez all have a chance to be valuable in the bullpen and show potential. They've got a lot to learn, but having those three around instead of the potential free agents I named would be a good move, especially since Mitre has shown the potential to one day be a solid starting pitcher. Although they're not easy to come by, I think the Cubs need to go out and find a real closer. Borowski was great considering that he's not a real closer and basically voluntered to take on the undesirable task. He'd work well elsehwere in the pen, but I think it's time to go find a guy who would be more fit for the position. Farnsworth and Remlinger are the only other two mainstays in the pen and I expect to see them both back next season, which isn't all bad, since they werent' nearly as terrible as some of the other guys in the pen. It's encouraging to know that they're already addressing the bullpen situation, since that's the area that was really lacking for the Cubs this season. Speaking of pitching, let's look at the starting rotation. At the moment, you've got Wood, Prior, Zambrano, and Clement who are more or less sure to be back next season, barring an injury or transaction. Unless Zambrano gets hurt, I expect him to start to become as effective, if not more so, than Prior. That fifth spot belonged to Estes most of the season, with Juan Cruz taking over near the end of the season. Although neither guy is that great, I'd go with Cruz who's still young enough and shows more promise than Estes, who's never going to be a really good pitcher. If Mitre comes around, he may just get that fifth spot, as he didn't do too badly in his two starts for the Cubs this season. The bench is also an area in need of some attention. The Cubs pinch-hitters were just piss poor this season. It's expected that it will be an area that's given much attention in the off season, and hopefully, they'll get some more reliable guys on there. As much as people dislike him, I don't mind Tommy Goodwin and thought he stepped up after Patterson got hurt, and did a nice job until Lofton was brought it. He came through with a lot of big hits in pinch hitting roles, as well. Whether Doug Glanville will be back next season remains to be seen, but if he were kept around, he wouldn't be a bad bat to come off the bench. Other than that, they've got Troy O'Leary, who's a good power guy, and to a lesser extent, Augie Ojeda. Aside from the pen, the Cubs bench was the worst area for the Cubs this season. The coaches will most likely be back next season, but I can't help but think that a new hitting coach would help. Not to slam Gary Matthews, but considering that the Cubs had some pretty solid bats in their lineup, they never really went on a hot streak for too long. Surely it's not all his fault, but you look at teams that have the same caliber players and they're hitting much better most of the time than the Cubs, and you can't help but think. Ok, that was pretty lengthy, especially for those who read it that aren't Cubs fans, but the whole idea of this here thread is do what I just did, only using your favorite team. Feel free to make comments on other teams that posters may mention, too. This may seem like a bit of work, but I thought it could be an fun thing to do.

True dat. To me, it's not just the Marlins having more heart at this point, but they're just playing smarter. Taking nothing away from the Yanks, it just seems like they've taken their spot for granted in some areas.

So an obviously tiring Brad Penny loads the bases for the hottest hitter and what happens? Williams swings at the first pitch. Just the thing to do with a guy who's got a blister on his hand and is losing control by each pitch. Genius.

At this point, it's obvious that the Marlins simply have more heart. The Yanks were dealt a big blow last night and tonight, as well, but if they're this great team so many claim that they are (which isn't to say they're not), they'd be able to rebound from them, and so far, they haven't. I really don't care who wins at this point, I just want the series to be over.

The first post of this thread is so...sad. I understand having crushes on celebs and the like at a younger age, but to let that crush get any more extreme than that after you reach a certain age is pretty, well, odd. I can't imagine fawning all over Avril or lying awake at night, wondering if the stars will ever align so that Trish and I can be together.

Bah, figures. There's a reason Weaver never gets in there. When you give up a homer to a guy who's been on base SIX times in the entire postseason, well then you really know you suck. I still say the Yanks take this is six.

Did anyone laugh as much as I just did over this inadvertantly hilarious sentence?

And remember, the runner gets the benefit of the call. As for people not watching the series, can you really blame them? It may seem bitter of them, but if you'll recall, juding by any baseball talk in this folder over the past two months, I could count the number of Marlins and Yankees fans on one hand. I'm watching it sporadically, but I've yet to be glued to my TV like I was for the rest of the postseason. The only thing I've really taken note on here so far tonight is that Clemens has looked quite bad his last two starts. He had a chance to redeem himself after his last start (which seemed for a while that it really would be his last start), but he came out looking worse than before. At least he's settled down since then. Oh yeah, Jeter surprised the hell out of me by just standing there on a hit that I think even the laziest player would try to run out. I know it's an isolated incident, but seeing a guy who's being paid millions to do something he loves and not even be able to show some hustle on the most rudimentary plays gets on my nerves.

When I was scrolling down the main page, it looked like "Emmit Smith reported dead," which made me do a double-take, to say the least. Sad news, nonetheless.

The Mets were awful this season because of all the players they lost to injury and what not. You look at their opening day roster and you've got a team that looks pretty competitive. By the end of the regular season, you pretty much had minor league guys and second-string players substituting for the opening day starters, who had either been lost with injury or traded away once hopes for the postseason were dashed.

The fact the King Curtis brought back this thread originally started by PP was pretty stupid since it basically made it obvious that Curtis IS Prince Paul. Not that it's not being made blatantly clear as I type this since he's already gone on another tired "kidnapping" of the board.

Ahahahahaha. GREAT game. Where was this bullpen during the NLCS?

It wasn't directed towards you in general, but rather, this group of people who constantly talk about SK and say the same old things about him being a hack and being fat. We get the point, but if they hate him so much, why are they always talking about him?

For a second, I thought George Constanza was trying to get fired by the Yankees again.

Thanks, now so do I. But remember, there's never been a right time to say goodbye.

Wow, there's an ignorant comment if I've ever heard one. So because Jake is a druggie him being alive is sad? I can see having little to no regards for him if he were to die, but to say it's unfortunate that he's not going to die soon is just fucking stupid.