Another lifelong Cleveland fan. Became aware of Major League Baseball starting about a year after that World Series run. Knew they won in 1948 but didn't know this background until now. Wish I had been more aware a year earlier, would have loved following them though that World Series.
Don't see the White Sox causing the Astros any problems. Had a 4-2 lead today and couldn't hold it, no way they beat the Astros three in a row.
Red Sox get the split with the Ray's. I hope this series goes all 5 games and they are all 12 - 11 and both pitching staffs get worn out!
Down go the Tampa Bay Rays! Red Sox to the ALCS. Joel is no doubt very happy right now. Here's hoping Lance McCullers Jr can handle the ChiSox and that the Astros can get to Rondon early and often! He's been good though against the Astros this year allowing only 1 run in 2 starts vs the Astros.
Astros to the ALCS for the 5th straight year! Red Sox v Astros... rematch of the 2018 ALCS! We were 5-2 against the Red Sox in the regular season. Sox are the hot team though, beating the Ray's in 4 games was impressive. But I have to say that I hate the Red Sox more than any other team in Baseball!
Listening to the postgame show when ARod gushed on and on about Alex Cora offered further confirmation that crime pays.
Well, if you are going to get knocked out of the playoffs, it is easier to accept when a class act like Freddie Freeman is the one who knocks you out. Have a bad feeling that Yelich’s chronic back problems are going to turn his contract into a huge albatross for the small market Brewers.
One of my two favorite NL Division Series teams (Brewers) is gone. The other is playing a 5th game vs. the Dodgers. I like the Brewers because of the ND connection, Counsell and Murphy, the Giants because of Kris Bryant. I agree with Bobda re: Freddie Freeman.
It sucks being a sports fan sometimes. However, for you Bobda, you still have the shining light of the 6-0 Wolverines to guide you through the night. Me? Well, my only distractions headed into the deep dark winter are a trip up to MN to go see Mick and company one last time before him or Ronnie croak. It won't be Keef as he is a Vampire. Oh, then there's Girls Volleyball and Bowling.
Lance McCullers Jr left the game yesterday with "tightening of the forearm" No word on his availability for the ALCS, which would be a big blow to the Astros staff in a 7 games series with the rSox. Having started on Tues he wouldn't have been scheduled to start till Sunday, but that's a travel day, so maybe he's ok by Monday in Boston. I hope so!
Dodgers and Giants continue their year long battle and it all comes down to 1 game Thursday in San Franciso...what a year for those two teams.
Bobda..what impact do you think that pitcher who punched a wall and took himself out of the playoffs had on the series with Atlanta?
For the series as a whole, not a great deal as our demise was caused primarily by our lack of hitting. Not going to beat many teams by scoring 2 runs in three games. Game 4 is a different question as the Brewers were missing two key relievers- Williams the wall puncher and Suter, who had an oblique injury. Both would have been used and might have been able to shut down the Braves during their rally innings. But, the Braves had even better players missing from their roster and overcame those injuries. They were the better team.
Comment on today's game where HR's are the dominant thing, and speed, defense, small ball, etc are out. This guy on another board longs for the old days. I used to love the mid-1980s Cardinals' way of playing. I was not a fan, but I appreciated how they were built on defense, pitching and lots and lots of SPEED, taking advantage of the size of Busch Stadium. When they were on they would cause havoc on the psyche of pitchers. Seem like they always had a runner on 2nd base. One year, their #3 hitter, Tommy Herr, drove in 100 runs one year with something like 7 HRs because Vince Coleman and Wille McGee were always in scoring position. Their "slugger" would be the one player in the lineup with more than 20 HRs. The year they won the World Series their clean-up hitter only hit 19 HRs all year. You'd probably assemble a roster like that together today for maybe $10 million and a pack of gum, but they won a lot of games.
This is where I miss JO'Co. He'd have a definite opinion on the 1980 Cardinals' style of play. I don't know what it would be, and it's possible that he and I might disagree, but I'd love the conversation and in the end would feel like I had learned something about baseball that I didn't know before. .
RIP Ray Fosse. Great catcher mostly known though for the collision with Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star game in Cincinnati. He was on 2 Oakland A's WS Championship teams, but was with Cleveland on that play in 1970. Rose barreled over him to score the winning run in the 12th inning of the exhibition at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium. Fosse fractured and separated his left shoulder, and he told The Associated Press in 2015 his body still ached 45 years later. "As much as it's shown, I don't have to see it on TV as a replay to know what happened. It's fresh," Fosse said.
Targeting. Taunting. Ray Fosse was one of my favorites. Blocking the plate was legal. Barrelling into the catcher was legal. The hit was legal. Pete Rose? Well, never mind.