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2017 MLB Facts, Lies, Propaganda, Opinions, & Pictures


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On 10/18/2017 at 8:25 PM, ghost of miles said:

Amazing comeback by the Yankees tonight!  Now they have to face Keuchel at home and Verlander on the road... Catesta, at least we've gotten our wish for an interesting series.

Hell yeah! They really put it on Keuchel tonight.

I'm sorry, but I do believe the Astros are finished.

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2 hours ago, catesta said:

Hell yeah! They really put it on Keuchel tonight.

I'm sorry, but I do believe the Astros are finished.

Yeah, great to see them finally solve Keuchel, but now they have to go up against Verlander on the road. And all bets about "momentum" are off if Houston wins that one and forces a game 7. Yankees are 6-0 at home and 1-4 on the road in the postseason. Definitely another big test ahead on Friday night. 

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I don't quite get home field advantage in baseball.  Didn't we just have three games in New York?  That means 3 games for them to 2 for the Astros.  Yes, final two in Houston, but they have to win them both--and it may take just one more game to end the series (in favor of Yankees).

 

 

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2 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Yeah, great to see them finally solve Keuchel, but now they have to go up against Verlander on the road. And all bets about "momentum" are off if Houston wins that one and forces a game 7. Yankees are 6-0 at home and 1-4 on the road in the postseason. Definitely another big test ahead on Friday night. 

I think Hinch hijacked your keyboard. Fuck it , if I'm wrong, I'm wrong but I say Yanks are going to overcome Verlander too. He's due.

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1 hour ago, Milestones said:

I don't quite get home field advantage in baseball.  Didn't we just have three games in New York?  That means 3 games for them to 2 for the Astros.  Yes, final two in Houston, but they have to win them both--and it may take just one more game to end the series (in favor of Yankees).

 

 

So what arrangement would you prefer, given that the teams need to remain in each of the two cities for a minimum of  two games to forestall extra intervening interruptions of travel days? Two games in their home park to start for the home field-advantage team, and then, if you can't go back and forth between games, what? If it's a seven-game series, the home field-advantage team gets four games  total in its own park, plus the first two games there. That seems about right it to me; I can't think of another arrangement that would be at all fair and would work in practical terms.

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1 hour ago, Larry Kart said:

So what arrangement would you prefer, given that the teams need to remain in each of the two cities for a minimum of  two games to forestall extra intervening interruptions of travel days? Two games in their home park to start for the home field-advantage team, and then, if you can't go back and forth between games, what? If it's a seven-game series, the home field-advantage team gets four games  total in its own park, plus the first two games there. That seems about right it to me; I can't think of another arrangement that would be at all fair and would work in practical terms.

 

In the NBA they go 2-2-1-1-1 in the Finals (and probably the earlier rounds as well).  It's accepted that there are days in between games in the NBA though.  

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2 hours ago, catesta said:

I think Hinch hijacked your keyboard. Fuck it , if I'm wrong, I'm wrong but I say Yanks are going to overcome Verlander too. He's due.

I hope you're right... The 2001 World Series is etched into my bones, though. (Another series in which NY had reeled off some great wins and went on the road for the final two games up 3-2, with many in the media saying Arizona was doomed.) I'd love to see them get to Verlander the way they did with Keuchel tonight. Also, everybody talks about the energy being back again in Yankee crowds, but the Astros stadium sounded deafening on the radio broadcasts I listened to for games 1 and 2. NY proved they could win on the road in the playoffs when they beat Cleveland in game 5, but this will be a bigger challenge (also against a better-hitting lineup that's way overdue itself to start showing some life). At least they'll have two shots at it, though.

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14 hours ago, Aggie87 said:

 

In the NBA they go 2-2-1-1-1 in the Finals (and probably the earlier rounds as well).  It's accepted that there are days in between games in the NBA though.  

Yes, but in the NBA they usually have two travel days between any switch of cities.  In the MLB there's only one.  I don't think the MLB's 2-3-2 format takes away from the majority home team's advantage, though; it gives them momentum out of the gate, and if games 6 and 7 are necessary, they're back at home for them.  Houston may be down 3-2, but given that the home team has won every single game in this series so far, they're still well-positioned for winning the ALCS.  The MLB is also less travel for both teams, which is advantageous to the athletes (not to mention the environment, I suppose!). 

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2 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Hey Dan, what do you think about the reports that Houston bench coach Alex Cora will become Boston's new manager?

Alex Cora to Red Sox rumors

Sounds like he might be a really good fit for the team.

I have no idea if he'll be a good fit or not.  I was more excited at hearing that Jason Varitek was supposed to be in the running.

Their issues wasn't the manager. It was failing to replace Ortiz' bat (Encarnarcion was such an obvious fit I couldn't believe they didn't go after him); terrible luck trading for power middle relievers (Thornburgh from Milwaukee and Carson Smith both instant season-ending injuries after trade); closer who throws consistent strikes about half the time. Also David Price not being in the rotation at the end of the year.

None of those in the control of the former manager.  Whoever gets hired needs a better bullpen and a lot more health.

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Ah, yeah, I read that report about Varitek being a possible candidate as well.  If it is Cora, I gather they probably wouldn't announce it until the ALCS is over, whatever the outcome for the Astros.  Are there any free agents coming on the market this winter that you hope Boston pursues?  Maybe J.D. Martinez, in terms of replacing Ortiz's bat?

On another subject for baseball fans in general (and Dodgers fans, particularly older fans who as kids might have rooted for the team in the 1960s), this looks like a really promising book:

The Last Innocents: The Collision Of The Turbulent Sixties And The Los Angeles Dodgers 

This one also looks good:

Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, And Charley Finley's Swingin' A's

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Well, that's game for tonight. Yeah, you can't predict baseball, but you could damn near well predict that Verlander would shut down NY at home again and that the Astros' bats would finally come back to life. Dangerous to let them back up off the mat and force a winner-take-all game at home. If you're gonna contend for the World Series, you have to beat great teams on the road. NY will now be 1-5 for away games in the playoffs. They did beat Cleveland on the road in a final game, but I think Houston's going to be a much tougher nut to crack.

Edited by ghost of miles
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Nice exchange between Astros fan who ventured over to Pinstripe Alley and some Yankee-fan regulars there.  Much respect to both of these teams and the great series they've played so far:

Hey Yanks

Astros fan here.

No idea what happens tonight.

Just wanted to say this has been a great series for fans to watch! This is the kind of series that turns baseball skeptics into fans.

Whatever the outcome I have been absolutely impressed with the Yankees all around.

You guys have a great team and I look forward to future AL battles!

Siriusrooney

Thank you and same to you!

The pressure is on you guys with it being at your home and all that, but this has been a riveting series. Looking forward to more future battles

The Gif Sgt

thank you

and what a series, you guys have one hell of a team. This will be repeated next year I am sure!

 
Joshua Diemert

 

I look forward to future AL battles!

I’m not, because this series has done frightening things to my blood pressure. Either way tho, both teams earned their WS appearance

Garbage Possum at Pinstripe Alley

Sonny ways, my friends, Sonny ways

Yanks4ever

Thank you sir. We hope to win, but wish you the best!

 
RedHat16

Cheers

both these teams should be ultra competitive the next few years. Probably gonna be some more ALCS’ before all is said and done between these two.

thank you...

and much respect. agreed on the quality and excitement level of this series, obviously. a great one for baseball fans in general, a nerve-wracking one for fans of the teams in question!

long time listener

 

if it can't be us, beat LA

 

@ltl27

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Congratulations to the Astros, who took care of business and showed why they deserve to be going to the World Series. This season's been a great treat for Yankee fans, what with the team not predicted to even make the playoffs, let alone play a full seven-game ALCS. Losing the wild-card game would have been a tremendous let-down, but everything after that was gravy. That said, still disappointing to get so tantalizingly close and fall short of the WS at the end. This team has to get better on the road; they were sub-.500 during the regular season and went 1-6 in the playoffs. Either that or run up the best regular season record so that they maintain home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The offense scored a grand total of three runs in four games at Houston, and the vaunted bullpen wasn't so great on the road either. Lots of decisions to make over the off-season--Tanaka's likely to opt out, and how much should NY be willing to pony up to keep him? Resign CC for a year at a much lower salary? Where and when will Glaybor Torres play once he makes the majors next year? Does NY try to retain Todd Frazier at all? And they definitely need to extend Joe Girardi's contract, if he decides that he still wants to manage. Hot stove league, here I come... But should be a great World Series before that. Hats off to Houston; I hope they finally pull off a WS win. They're now the first team to win a pennant in both the NL and the AL.

Edited by ghost of miles
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4 hours ago, GA Russell said:

Does anyone know the real story of why the owners wanted Houston in the American League?

You tell me what you think the fake story is and maybe I can help you?

Are the Astros now the first to win a pennant in both leagues?

Have not been watching much of all this, are we getting the Harvey Pity narrative for the Astros the way we got the 9/11 Pity in 2001? I sure hope not!

 

 

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