MLB 2016 Season Thread Of Discussions

[paul secor]

Congrats to Cleveland. And it was good to see Toronto lose. Nothing against the rest of that team, but Donaldson and (especially) Bautista are a couple of arrogant poseurs, and it was good to see them leave empty handed.

And it was satisfying to see Andrew Miller have a great ALCS. He's a class act.

Edited October 19, 2016 by paul secor

[Scott Dolan]

2 hours ago, paul secor said:

Congrats to Cleveland. And it was good to see Toronto lose. Nothing against the rest of that team, but Donaldson and (especially) Bautista are a couple of arrogant poseurs, and it was good to see them leave empty handed.

And it was satisfying to see Andrew Miller have a great ALCS. He's a class act.

I'll loudly second every word of this. 

[Dan Gould]

Cleveland has figured out a way to cover up for a severely deficient starting rotation (injuries or not, its still pretty weak after Kluber) and that is scary.

Hopefully the Cubs offense is back, I feel optimistic they can go to Chicago with a 3-2 lead as long as Lester is sharp. But then they have to beat Kershaw or Hill to get thru to Cleveland.

[catesta]

Nothing sucks about Cleveland rolling on.

[skeith]

17 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

Tribe going to The Series

??

[Dan Gould]

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/rob-bradford/2016/10/20/inside-story-injury-eventually-helped-end-dav

Now we know why Ortiz never entertained the thought of playing beyond this season, and the truth makes the last four seasons even more remarkable.

Pull quote: "he was essentially playing on stumps".

[ghost of miles]

Wonderful win by the Cubs last night--so happy for all of my long-suffering Cubs fan friends (they have a big following here in Indiana, as you can imagine), and glad that they were able to take the pennant at Wrigley. Paul Secor, we now get to see the Yankees' former closers square off in the WS... ☺️ And btw, who ya gonna call when your baseball franchise is afflicted with a decades-long "curse"? Theo Epstein, apparently.

[Dan Gould]

Just saw on the mlb scroll that 24 of the last 30 World Series were won by the team with the home field advantage.

The problem with that statistic is that unless it went seven games, its impossible for the team with four games at home to have had a home field advantage.  When the Sox swept the Cards and later the Rockies, it was two games at Fenway and two games on the road. Any series that goes 6 is a 3/3 split. And if the road team splits the first two games and then sweeps at home to win it all, then technically they had a home field advantage, 3-2, in a series that the "home team" lost.

So to me the whole question is how many times a seventh game has been won by the visitors.

And relatedly, can the Cubs avoid having to play a seventh game?

I was with Mom this weekend so we got to enjoy the clincher together which was very nice. I know how much this means to her and I've told her that if the Cubs can win the first three, I'll make another trip to Naples next Saturday to watch game 4 with her.

[GA Russell]

I first collected bubble gum cards in 1959 (MLB, NFL and CFL).  As a general rule, I prefer the teams from that year, without having moved, changed names, etc.

So I'm very pleased with a Chicago Cubs/Cleveland Indians matchup.

[JSngry]

3 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Just saw on the mlb scroll that 24 of the last 30 World Series were won by the team with the home field advantage.

The problem with that statistic is that unless it went seven games, its impossible for the team with four games at home to have had a home field advantage.  When the Sox swept the Cards and later the Rockies, it was two games at Fenway and two games on the road. Any series that goes 6 is a 3/3 split. And if the road team splits the first two games and then sweeps at home to win it all, then technically they had a home field advantage, 3-2, in a series that the "home team" lost.

So to me the whole question is how many times a seventh game has been won by the visitors.

And relatedly, can the Cubs avoid having to play a seventh game?

I was with Mom this weekend so we got to enjoy the clincher together which was very nice. I know how much this means to her and I've told her that if the Cubs can win the first three, I'll make another trip to Naples next Saturday to watch game 4 with her.

Ok, I have no idea, really asking for real...how do the stats break down for the series-winning % of the home team that wins Game 1 vs Road Team that wins Game !?

[Dan Gould]

12 hours ago, JSngry said:

Ok, I have no idea, really asking for real...how do the stats break down for the series-winning % of the home team that wins Game 1 vs Road Team that wins Game !?

No idea but its surely a good question.

If everyone is over the heartbreak of the infamous f-ed up All-Star game, my proposal going forward would be that team with best record gets home field in the Series. 

[paul secor]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

No idea but its surely a good question.

If everyone is over the heartbreak of the infamous f-ed up All-Star game, my proposal going forward would be that team with best record gets home field in the Series. 

That might work, but it could give an advantage to a team that plays in a weaker division that year. It might work just as well to alternate AL/NL each year. I can't remember if that's how it used to go.

[Dan Gould]

4 hours ago, paul secor said:

That might work, but it could give an advantage to a team that plays in a weaker division that year. It might work just as well to alternate AL/NL each year. I can't remember if that's how it used to go.

It is the way it used to be, switching off year by year.

Regarding your first point though, with the rounds of playoffs, I'm not sure how often the team with the best record gets thru to the big dance. It's really a system that would prevent a wild card team (say Toronto if they had played better) got home field advantage just because their league won the ASG.  Doesn't seem right, if it happened.

[Dan Gould]

If the Cub bats keep it up I don't see how Cleveland wins.  But if Tomlin and Bauer are effective, Kluber, Miller and their closer could easily extend the heartbreak.

But head to head, who would pick Tomlin or Bauer over Arrieta or Hendricks? Of course that's why they play the games.

All I can really say for sure is that I've got the champagne "flute" already picked out:

That's a picture I found online but we've owned the three glass-set since 1969 and I took home from Mom's the outfield version with Jim Hickman's autograph. Seems he was my favorite Cub when I was four years old.

[catesta]

Series starts today.

Go Cleveland!

 

[Soulstation1]

I just hope the Tribe can win the Series 

I'm watching every game 

[paul secor]

I don't have a horse in the race and it's 68 years vs. 108 years - a long time either way. I have respect for both managers, so that's not a factor. Whoever wins, I hope I see some good baseball.

[Soulstation1]

30 Years Ago 

[Soulstation1]

Looks like The Tribe won game # 1

[Dave Garrett]

7 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

30 Years Ago 

Buckner gets all the blame, but he didn't lose the game by himself. It would never have gotten to that point if Schiraldi hadn't given up three successive hits with two outs and Stanley hadn't thrown a wild pitch to score the tying run. And I say that as someone who clearly remembers cursing loudly and throwing something at my TV as I watched the ball go right past Buckner. I knew the Mets were going to win game 7 and the Series then. 

[Soulstation1]

Tribe's pitching staff has been lights out during the playoffs 

4th Shutout of the postseason 

 

Edited October 26, 2016 by Soulstation1

[JSngry]

I have a long family & friends tradition of Cubbness, but also a smaller but no less real one of Indianicity.

Planning on remaining neutral for the series and to simply enjoy 4-7 good games, but tell you what, John Lester did not make it easy last night, all that jawing.

[Scott Dolan]

After what Cubs fans did to Bartman, and having personally visited the shithole they play in, I have absolutely zero love or respect for them. I hope the Indians absolutely crush them. Three more shutouts would be fine and dandy. 

[skeith]

5 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

Tribe's pitching staff has been lights out during the playoffs 

4th Shutout of the postseason 

 

oh yeah and thank you Roberto Perez....got us four of the six!!!

Edited October 26, 2016 by skeith
forgot to add a point

[Soulstation1]

Cubs got game # 2