This Week in Baseball

[CanadianChris 0]

Crucial series starting today:

 

Toronto @ Boston

NY Yankees @ Baltimore

Chicago White Sox @ Detroit

LA Angels @ Oakland

NY Mets @ Philadelphia

San Francisco @ San Diego

 

One team can clinch a playoff spot today -- Atlanta would clinch their 14th straight division title with a win over Colorado and a Philadelphia loss.

[devo 0]

Mets have a chance to finish the season with their heads held high if nothing else. With a three-game series against the Phillies, who they've been pretty good against this year, and a four-game homestand against the Rockies, the Mets' chance of finishing the year with a winning record (which is in itself a vast improvement over last year) is pretty good.

 

There's lots of AL Series I'll be keeping my eye on this week. I still think the Indians have a decent shot at winning the Central; they just gotta play well against the D'Rays and hope Detroit can take at least one from Chicago.

[Mik 0]

All I really care about now is Dontrelle winning the Cy Young.

 

I'm too lazy to dig up the article, but yesterday AJ Burnett ripped the entire Marlins organization, most of all Jack McKeon, and punctuated the rant by saying, "All I know is I have one more start here, that's all I'm worried about."

 

See you later, AJ.

[BruiserKC 0]

As a Cardinals fan I have high hopes this year...just so long as they don't stay in neutral come playoff time. It's easy to just ride out the rest of the year when you're set but they'll have to remember to turn it back on.

 

As for the Cy...Dontrelle can have it next year...this is Chris Carpenter's year.

 

I hope the Yankees don't make the playoffs for two reasons...1. More shots at the Cards getting prime-time playoff games since the Yanks always seem to get them.

2. The entertainment value alone of watching Steinbrenner go nuclear on his ballclub, especially if the Red Sox eliminate them at the end of the season.

[Cuban Linx 0]

Texas have already hit the most Home Runs @ home in Major League history this year, Arlington surpassed Coors Field '96 for most Home Runs hit at a ballpark in a season, the one target left is the '97 Mariners record for most Home Runs in a single season (264). Six Home Runs behind with six games to go, and suitably Texas is at Seattle for their next 3 games. A shame all those Home Runs didn't equal wins though.

 

With not much else to play for besides individual accomplishments, Mark Teixeira also has a shot at the AL Home Run lead as well as the MLB RBI lead, 3 Home Runs behind Ortiz/A-Rod and 2 RBI's behind Ortiz. Hopefully Texas can win 4 of 6 to end the year and at least settle for a .500 record to end the year on a fairly positive note.

[Guest Smues]

Assuming Atlanta clinches here pretty soon I'm curious to see what the Division Series schedule will look like. Last year pissed me off because Atlanta had the earliest game of the day scheduled for all 5 of its games. The only reason they got an evening game for game 5 was because the Cardinals finished the Dodgers in 4. I don't expect Atlanta to get prime time all the time as they aren't a huge draw, but getting the first game of the day all 5 games last year was crap and I hope it's not scheduled like that this year.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Mets have a chance to finish the season with their heads held high if nothing else. With a three-game series against the Phillies, who they've been pretty good against this year, and a four-game homestand against the Rockies, the Mets' chance of finishing the year with a winning record (which is in itself a vast improvement over last year) is pretty good.

 

There's lots of AL Series I'll be keeping my eye on this week. I still think the Indians have a decent shot at winning the Central; they just gotta play well against the D'Rays and hope Detroit can take at least one from Chicago.

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You're funny. It won't happen, but you're funny.

[Guest TheDon]

As a Cardinals fan I have high hopes this year...just so long as they don't stay in neutral come playoff time.  It's easy to just ride out the rest of the year when you're set but they'll have to remember to turn it back on.

 

As for the Cy...Dontrelle can have it next year...this is Chris Carpenter's year.

 

I hope the Yankees don't make the playoffs for two reasons...1. More shots at the Cards getting prime-time playoff games since the Yanks always seem to get them.

2. The entertainment value alone of watching Steinbrenner go nuclear on his ballclub, especially if the Red Sox eliminate them at the end of the season. 

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Watching the Cards choke and suck ass in the World Series to a team that hadn't won it since 1918 was priceless. Did any of their big 3(Pujols, Edmonds or Scott Rol) get a hit in that sweep?

[Guest TheDon]

Assuming Atlanta clinches here pretty soon I'm curious to see what the Division Series schedule will look like. Last year pissed me off because Atlanta had the earliest game of the day scheduled for all 5 of its games. The only reason they got an evening game for game 5 was because the Cardinals finished the Dodgers in 4. I don't expect Atlanta to get prime time all the time as they aren't a huge draw, but getting the first game of the day all 5 games last year was crap and I hope it's not scheduled like that this year.

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Thats what happens when the Braves cant even sellout a playoff game in the first round. Plus they haven't got out of the first round in what 4 years?

[Guest Fishyswa]

That wasn't the world series, it was some random consolation prize for St Louis. They were honored to be playing the team that beat the Yankees for the title.

 

And how could you NOT want another Sawx/Yanks ALCS!? The story and drama involved in the last two, the fact that they have 1, we have 1, it's set up for the finale. They got rid of the curse crap, now it's time to make it clear, curse or no curse, who the better team is.

 

It's like seeing a 2/3 falls match, having the first two falls be absolutely amazing, and then saying "eh, I don't want to see the last fall, it's getting too much hype". WELL DUH!!!!

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

No because it doesn't has any appeal to the rest of U.S. The west coast will want to see their Angels in. The midwest will want to see either White Sox or Indians (whoever makes it in).

[Fökai 0]

Assuming Atlanta clinches here pretty soon I'm curious to see what the Division Series schedule will look like. Last year pissed me off because Atlanta had the earliest game of the day scheduled for all 5 of its games. The only reason they got an evening game for game 5 was because the Cardinals finished the Dodgers in 4. I don't expect Atlanta to get prime time all the time as they aren't a huge draw, but getting the first game of the day all 5 games last year was crap and I hope it's not scheduled like that this year.

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Thats what happens when the Braves cant even sellout a playoff game in the first round. Plus they haven't got out of the first round in what 4 years?

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Three; they all went to five games.

[Guest Fishyswa]

"No because it doesn't has any appeal to the rest of U.S. The west coast will want to see their Angels in. The midwest will want to see either White Sox or Indians (whoever makes it in)."

 

But it's baseball at the highest level. I mean do you really need allegiance to a team to enjoy a comeback in epic fashion from 3-0? Or a seven game battle ended with a 11th inning walk off? I mean what more can you possibly want out of it aside rfom it being your team involved?

 

If you're a fan of baseball, you should enjoy it.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

If NY/Boston does happen to be the ALCS, fine I'll enjoy it. I'm not going to look forward to it when I have my team still alive.

[The Czech Republic 0]

No because it doesn't has any appeal to the rest of U.S. The west coast will want to see their Angels in. The midwest will want to see either White Sox or Indians (whoever makes it in).

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The Angels hardly "belong" to the whole west coast

[cabbageboy 0]

No offense Porter but did anyone really give two shits about the last non Yanks/Sox ALCS? Wasn't it the Twins vs. the Angels? I'd like to see a ratings comparison between that series and the past two Yankees/Sox series.

 

I think the best series are those that involve the entire country, like the Yankees/Diamondbacks World Series.

[Guest Fishyswa]

I can understand rather having your team win, but the people groaning about another possible 7 game ALCS between two teams built to beat eachother, that's just crazy.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Yeah Twins vs. Angels sucked a big bunch of dick. The Angels are generally ratings death.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Yeah the Angels was a bad example. Their damn fault for not knowing where to hail from, "Umm I'm from Anaheim...no Los Angeles...no California...no Anaheim of Los Angeles..."

 

Oh to Cabbageboy, shut up. You don't speak for everyone.

[Fökai 0]

Just thought I'd throw it out there, relevant or not.

 

1995 ABC / NBC, 19.5 rating, 33 share (Braves/Indians)

1996 FOX, 17.4 rating, 29 share (Yankees/Braves)

1997 NBC, 16.8 rating, 29 share (Marlins/Indians)

1998 FOX, 14.1 rating, 24 share (Yankees/Padres)

1999 NBC, 16.0 rating, 26 share (Yankees/Braves)

2000 FOX, 12.4 rating, 21 share (Yankees/Mets)

2001 FOX, 15.7 rating, 25 share (Diamondbacks/Yankees)

2002 FOX, 11.9 rating, 20 share (Angels/Giants)

2003 FOX, 13.9 rating, 25 share (Marlins/Yankees)

2004 FOX, 15.8 rating, 25 share (Red Sox/Cardinals)

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Since I know people might have already read what I said, I'll edit it in a new post. I shouldn't have said "Shut up" to Cabbageboy. He was being nice about it. However, if Minnesota fans can help me out on this but aren't the Vikings more popular than the Twins? The playoffs coincides with the regular season of NFL so I can see people there rather watching the Vikings. Angels' "fanbase" is just horrible. It is justified though, by the owner's jerking their chains around. Put two teams not named Twins or Angels, and you might have a better viewership. Maybe Cleveland vs Boston, Chicago vs New York, Cleveland vs New York, Boston vs Chicago, etc take your pick would do better. Boston/NY, while historic, has been overplayed the last few years to the point that I know of a lot of people who don't want to see that happen again this year. Yes it's exciting baseball, but now that Boston had won the World Series again finally, I think that took 1/2 of the appeal to the matchup.

[Guest Fishyswa]

Marlins/Indians was much higher than I thought. Had a good ending though right? Wasn't the win a walk off in game 7?

 

Oh and clearly the people of NY care more about baseball than the people of CA.

 

 

EDIT: I don't see how you can say the appeal is gone now that the whole curse thing is over. To me, it was overcoming the curse that really spawned the rivalry, and now we're seeing a true rivalry where both teams are equal and have to play eachother to see who's just a bit better. I think it's more exciting now that the Red Sox have found equal ground so to speak.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Yes, California is generally a bad place for baseball. Hell outside the Padres, there's no minor league teams nearby. Not like the PA/NY area where you can't go 15 feet without landing into a parking lot of a minor league team's field.

[CanadianChris 0]

Marlins/Indians was much higher than I thought. Had a good ending though right? Wasn't the win a walk off in game 7?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I don't understand that one at all. It was bad baseball played in bad weather for the most part.

[Fökai 0]

Oh and clearly the people of NY care more about baseball than the people of CA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Both ratings sucked, though.

 

Judging by past ratings and sheer population, Cleveland would do a good rating against anyone if they reached the World Series.

[Guest Fishyswa]

Isn't cleveland also in a historic slump in terms of Championships though? Is that somewhere else I'm thinking of?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Cleveland last won in the 1940s for baseball, 1960s for football, and never for basketball (not sure about that one, since I don't follow the Cavs or anything).

[CanadianChris 0]

Isn't cleveland also in a historic slump in terms of Championships though? Is that somewhere else I'm thinking of?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

57 years for the Indians...but 88 years for the White Sox.

[Guest Fishyswa]

That's who it was, the chisox. No title since the black-sox scandal right?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Yes.