This Week in Baseball

[CanadianChris 0]

Right. Their last title was in 1917. They've only even APPEARED in one Series since the Black Sox scandal.

 

The Cubs, of course, are even worse off...in three years, they'll be "celebrating" the centennial of their last WS win.

[mike546 0]

Yankees have Wang, RJ and Moose going in the Sox series. I'm terrified of the Friday night game. Wang pitched ok against the Sox in mop up work, but that was in a 9-2 loss. Although, Wang has been a complete ground ball machine lately. I think whoever wins the Friday game wins the division.

[Guest Fishyswa]

Wang should actually do pretty good against the Sox if he pitches his game. They survive on lifting the ball, he survives on making sure it stays on the ground. If he keeps the ball down he'll be fine.

 

Moose is the pitcher I'm worried about the most, his last start could of been a monster fluke. If it was, we might be in trouble.

[The Czech Republic 0]

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

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

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Chicago owns the longest droughts in the NHL, NL, and AL! Thank goodness for the Bulls

[KingPK 0]

Looks like we're in for a good dose of rain tonight, so they might have to play a doubleheader tomorrow. If that happens, I believe that would push Schilling back to Sunday (unless the Sox clinch on Saturday). That must make Fox happy, since I think Saturday's game decides the division and all.

[the max 0]

I'm glad that it looks like it's probably going to be either Red Sox OR Yanks in the playoffs, not both. I'm obviously a Red Sox fan, but really. Do we really need another LCS between the teams? I think I'm down the road to having a heart-attack at 25 years old if they play another dramatic LCS (which it would be, of course).

 

Don't get me wrong, I like good baseball, but there's plenty of it to be had elsewhere and without FOX foaming at the mouth and ready with Star Wars videos and Tim McCarver calling Bronson Arroyo "Brandon" numerous times and then suggesting that Brandon's start AGAINST Pedro Martinez in game 2 would be the biggest start of his career. Stuff like that drives me up a wall. FOX makes the games practically unwatchable and I'll be more than happy to enjoy baseball being played, even if it means no Red Sox v. Yanks in the LCS.

[Precious Roy 0]

I think, if it does indeed come down to win or go home for the Yankees and Sox this weekend, that I'll find it more stressful than any of their playoff series. The Max, I don't believe you for a second. If the Red Sox don't get in you'll want to take back everything you just said.

 

None of the Mets fans answered my Beltan query from last weeks thread? Bust or good long-term investment? Are you still happy with the signing? Or did all the Mets fans pack it in on baseball discussion?

 

And wouldn't AJ Burnett be a perfect fit for the Texas Rangers? Hmm....

[devo 0]

None of the Mets fans answered my Beltan query from last weeks thread?  Bust or good long-term investment?  Are you still happy with the signing?  Or did all the Mets fans pack it in on baseball discussion?

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Musta missed that, sorry.

 

He's a bust. Don't get me wrong, I think that he'll get better over the years and that this season is the worst he'll have with the Mets. But there's no way in hell he's worth $17 million a year. With that kind of money, Minaya could have signed both a CF and a 2B (a position that produced neither defensively or offensively throughout the year). Hell, even if they had thrown it at Carlos Delgado it would have been a better investment.

[Big McLargeHuge 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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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.

 

Wait, what?

[Guest]

There's minor league teams all over CA, but not in the San Diego area.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Right. And? I'm talking locally. You two can speak for your areas.

[iggymcfly 0]

The huge Giants/Padres series starts tonight for the NL West. The Giants are four games back entering this four game series, so they still control their own destiny with a record of 73-82.

 

They have to go against Peavy tonight, so I think that if they win this one, they've got a good chance to sweep the series and tie for the division lead. I honestly think they can do it.

 

The Giants have gotten a huge emotional lift from getting Bonds back, and the Padres are still dicking around, just trying to win as many games as they lose. Furthermore, if the Giants do make up a 7.5 game lead in the last month of the season, it would give them a bigger lift that could allow them to actually go far in the playoffs.

 

Mark my words, we could easily see an 87-88 Giants team representing the National League in the World Series this year.

[Hektik 0]

There's minor league teams all over CA, but not in the San Diego area.

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The Lake Elsinore Storm play in the Inland San Diego area. They are the Padres single A affiliate.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Not exactly 15 feet away...

[devo 0]

Mark my words, we could easily see an 87-88 Giants team representing the National League in the World Series this year.

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Actually, we couldn't, 'cause that means they'd have to play 175 games.

[Hektik 0]

Not exactly 15 feet away...

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The San Diego Surf Dawgs play at Tony Gwynn Stadium. They are in an Independent Baseball League. They even had Rickey Henderson playing on the team last season.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I know about the Dawgs. Didnt count them as they are independent and not a minor league affliated with MLB.

[Guest]

Lake Elsinore is much closer to me than it is to Porter.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I think baseball is not as big as it is in the East, and I actually had a discussion with Al about this, but he said it was because of the weather. California would have brutal heat in the summer and only diehards might go to the games. However I probably underestimated baseball's worth in California. I still maintain it's not really a big deal here in San Diego. I see more people at Chargers' games than I would at Padres' games, and I've been to over 20 of them (due to work).

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

To address the Angels/Twins series from 2002, it was obvious the people broadcasting the game didn't give a damn, and their ratings reflected that. The last half-inning was almost wiped out by an eight-minute commercial break (and believe me, that was INFURIATING). Fox never bothered to explain the Angels' failures of 1979, 1982, 1986 and 1995 to the fans, which would have put the win in perspective for fans unfamiliar with their history.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think baseball is not as big as it is in the East, and I actually had a discussion with Al about this, but he said it was because of the weather. California would have brutal heat in the summer and only diehards might go to the games. However I probably underestimated baseball's worth in California. I still maintain it's not really a big deal here in San Diego. I see more people at Chargers' games than I would at Padres' games, and I've been to over 20 of them (due to work).

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It's the other way around. Football's bigger in the South because the warm weather lasts longer, and that cuts into baseball's popularity.

[Hektik 0]

I think baseball is not as big as it is in the East, and I actually had a discussion with Al about this, but he said it was because of the weather. California would have brutal heat in the summer and only diehards might go to the games. However I probably underestimated baseball's worth in California. I still maintain it's not really a big deal here in San Diego. I see more people at Chargers' games than I would at Padres' games, and I've been to over 20 of them (due to work).

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I agree that San Diego is probably more of a football city. But that has to do with fans having more of an attachment to the Chargers because they were the first pro sports team to come to SD. Even though the Chargers haven't won in recent years, long time fans can still remember the 1960s when they were the AFL's glory franchise and the 70s/80s with Air Coryell. The Padres don't really have that.

 

In the recent 15 years San Diego has become a good baseball town. They weren't in the 60s/70s, but they are now. The reason you don't have a buzz with this team this year, is because they suck. I am a huge fan but I know they suck. If they were at least 10 games above .500 you would hear it. In terms of drawing power, despite a bad year they are still 7th in attendance.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

In the recent 15 years San Diego has become a good baseball town. They weren't in the 60s/70s, but they are now. The reason you don't have a buzz with this team this year, is because they suck. I am a huge fan but I know they suck. If they were at least 10 games above .500 you would hear it. In terms of drawing power, despite a bad year they are still 7th in attendance.

 

In fairness, the Padres have gotten only 99 games from Mark Loretta, 93 games from Ramon Hernandez, 115 from Khalil Greene, and 115 from Dave Roberts. Injuries have hurt the offense. However, the home park disguises the fact that outside Jake Peavy, their pitching staff could very well be the worst in the National League. Three of their five are above 5 in ERA.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

No doubt there's a huge draw between the Yanks and Red Sox, but with the promotion and publicity they get everytime they lock up, what do you expect? When they play, you'd swear it was a once-in-a-lifetime happening. They don't need to promote other series as intensely, but like Al said, some effort to make the people care would've helped.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

It's raining in Philly...DELAY~!

[cabbageboy 0]

It's interesting that more people don't really care about the curse aspect of the White Sox. You hear it about the Red Sox and the Cubs, but I never hear anyone ever say "Gee I wish the White Sox could reverse the curse and win the World Series." Could it be the 1919 World Series? Does that still leave a sour taste? I have to admit I don't feel real sorry for them considering if they are cursed it might well be justified. The Red Sox made a foolish business move in selling Ruth, and the Cubs have some goofy goat curse...but the White Sox threw the World Series. Not exactly sympathetic.

 

As far as the Angels' past failures in 1979, 82, 86, and 95....truthfully I don't think many people would care even if they did mention that. The Angels were perceived as a franchise who could occasionally make the playoffs but not much else. In 95 they flat out choked a lead away to Seattle, so it's hard to feel sorry (didn't help the Mariners lost in the ALCS anyway). In 86 all people care about was the Red Sox trying to reverse the curse, so nobody would care about history lessons on the Angels blowing a series lead. And are the 79 and 82 Angels runs even notable really? Correct me on this but wasn't the 79 one Angels/Orioles and 82 Angels/Brewers? I don't think even if Fox had pimped the Angels hard it would have mattered....it's hard to care about a Brewers/Angels series from 20+ years ago.

[CanadianChris 0]

Shit, all the important games are delayed.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

It's interesting that more people don't really care about the curse aspect of the White Sox. You hear it about the Red Sox and the Cubs, but I never hear anyone ever say "Gee I wish the White Sox could reverse the curse and win the World Series." Could it be the 1919 World Series? Does that still leave a sour taste? I have to admit I don't feel real sorry for them considering if they are cursed it might well be justified. The Red Sox made a foolish business move in selling Ruth, and the Cubs have some goofy goat curse...but the White Sox threw the World Series. Not exactly sympathetic.

 

The main problem is that the White Sox simply failed to develop really noteable teams or players. After the Black Sox, it took the Go-Go Sox in '57 to even finish SECOND. Flat out, they haven't really given their fans a team to get excited about. They did outdraw the Cubs in several eras, so it is not a historic discrepancy.

 

As far as the Angels' past failures in 1979, 82, 86, and 95....truthfully I don't think many people would care even if they did mention that. The Angels were perceived as a franchise who could occasionally make the playoffs but not much else. In 95 they flat out choked a lead away to Seattle, so it's hard to feel sorry (didn't help the Mariners lost in the ALCS anyway). In 86 all people care about was the Red Sox trying to reverse the curse, so nobody would care about history lessons on the Angels blowing a series lead. And are the 79 and 82 Angels runs even notable really? Correct me on this but wasn't the 79 one Angels/Orioles and 82 Angels/Brewers? I don't think even if Fox had pimped the Angels hard it would have mattered....it's hard to care about a Brewers/Angels series from 20+ years ago.

 

You can say they failed. Failure is a part of baseball. Another part of baseball is redemption. First off, people did care about the teams back then. The Angels of '79 and '82 had HOFers Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, and other stars. The Brewers of '82 featured Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Don Sutton and Rollie Fingers. I don't think the big market/small market situation was as notable as it is now. Getting back to the subject, 2002 was the Angels' chance to redeem themselves for choking in '95 and '86, and falling an inch short in 1982. It's part of what makes baseball a beautiful sport.

[Mik 0]

I know at this stage, most people could care less about the Marlins, but Miguel Cabrera was held out of tonight's game due to a discipline issue. Team isn't revealing what, but just another boot in Jack McKeon's ass out the door.

[Precious Roy 0]

All I remember Angels hype wise from 2002 was Joe Buck talking about Gene Autry every other fucking inning and the constant shots of his widow