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MLB 2023: how ya like it now?


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On 10/5/2023 at 12:56 AM, jlhoots said:

Brewers lose 2 in a row at home. Saves me multiple hours of watching baseball games I don't care about. Good luck to everybody else.

Well that worked out perfectly then, the Brewers are out and my friend at the 'O' isn't bothered by it. (Insert old Green Laughing Smilie here)

11 hours ago, JSngry said:

Elon doesn't like your link.

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7 hours ago, jlhoots said:

At least the Cubs didn't make the playoffs. Otherwise back to "not caring". 😎

Ouch. I tried to keep it not personal but here you go with the dagger in the heart. 🤔

5 minutes ago, JSngry said:

whew

What's this, a bullpen game that the Rangers give up only one run over the last 6? And on the road? 

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On paper is one thing. In real time...other than Will Smith's one batter (which is enough) and Jose Le Clerq giving Jonah Heim a good pitch to CS a leadoff single in the 9th...in other words, Josh Sborz and Aroldis Chapman, we saw all of their drama and none of their bedshitting. 

It was an unexpected treat , but one that's only gonna work until it doesn't.

On the upside, watching Josh Jung play the hot corner like his hero right there in the town where the GOAT did it, that was neat. The Rangers DO have some leather! 

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29 minutes ago, JSngry said:

On paper is one thing. In real time...other than Will Smith's one batter (which is enough) and Jose Le Clerq giving Jonah Heim a good pitch to CS a leadoff single in the 9th...in other words, Josh Sborz and Aroldis Chapman, we saw all of their drama and none of their bedshitting. 

It was an unexpected treat , but one that's only gonna work until it doesn't.

On the upside, watching Josh Jung play the hot corner like his hero right there in the town where the GOAT did it, that was neat. The Rangers DO have some leather! 

Go, Rangers. Ooops, I forgot I don't care.

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The Os are a scrappy bunch. Listened to a few of their games over the season and they just don't quit. If they get ahead in the next games, I'd look for them to rage on.

But that's if, and another if is if Eovaldi is dealing and the bats are raking. Home energy has been frequently good for the Rangers. 

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3 hours ago, felser said:

HUGE win for my Phillies on Saturday.  To beat Braves/Strider in Atlanta with basically a bullpen game?  Great stuff, and totally changes the trajectory of the series for now.

I was surprised Thomson pulled Ranger Suarez as early as he did in that game.  It didn't have to be a bullpen game, the way Suarez was pitching.  Lucky it worked out though.  Did Thomson ever explain why Suarez had such a short leash?  Suarez sure didn't seem happy about being pulled when he was.

Edited by Aggie87
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Wow.  I thought the Braves were kaput.  They looked terrible for most of the game.  But -- somehow -- they clawed out a win.

Riley's HR and Harris' catch might have saved the Braves' season.  Going up to Philly in a 0-2 hole likely would've been insurmountable.

Now, the series is still up for grabs.  It'll be interesting to see what happens. 

 

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I still like the Phil's chances coming home for two. That park gets incredibly loud, I am told.

(I turned on the game and saw the homerun in the 7th, and flipped back right after the game winner in the 8th, but didn't anticipate such a finish and stayed away from TBS after that.)

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Glad the Rangers finished it and get to rest a little - no muss no fuss. Hoping Minnesota makes them go 5 as I imagine it takes Verlander out of game 1 of an ALCS if Houston advances.

And very curious to see how the NL goes from here ... but probably not curious enough to watch much or any of the games. :)

 

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Dodgers down 0-2 against the Diamondbacks -- and the next two games are in AZ.  I didn't see that coming.

The Braves somehow squeaked by the Phils in game two after looking lifeless for the first fifteen (!) innings of the series.

And now the Rangers have swept the Orioles.

It sure does look like the wildcard teams have had an unexpected advantage in the division series -- despite starting their respective series on the road.  Any rest that the teams with byes received has been outweighed by the wildcard teams staying in rhythm, having continuity.

Admittedly, the Astros are up 2-1 on the wildcard Twins. 

Still, the continuity thing definitely seems to be having an impact.

 

Edited by HutchFan
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Very small sample size.

100+ win teams should be able to figure out how to "stay ready" during a little down time. The layoff is a poor excuse imo.

Then again, thee whole expanded Wild Card paradigm is a bit of a sham, imo. My team is benefitting from it, but that doesn't alter my opinion. 

Then again again, I became a baseball fan in 1964, before there were divisions at all, never mind 3 of them, never mind interleague play, and for sure never mind THREE wild card teams. 

The "drama" of the AL West this year was real, but also a bit of an artificial construct. Compare it to the should-be-legendary 1966 NL race, where three teams were in contention going into the final week of the season. https://sabr.org/journal/article/a-season-ending-doubleheader-and-its-impact-on-the-1966-world-series/

In today's business, all three would end up in some kind of Wild Card scenario, which is it's own kind of "drama", but... it's a constructed drama. This shit was REAL in a way that an only one possible outcome scenario can be. You play the season and when it's over, it's over. Done. Straight to the WS, no second chances. If you can't say it in 162 games, sorry, better luck next year. 

Wild Cards are more than Participation Trophies, but let's not pretend that they're not an invitation for teams, including the Rangers, to get a second chance...why, exactly, other than money money money and more money.

Color me old and grumpy. 

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Yep.

The arc of progress, is it arcing upwards or downwards?

Or does it matter as long as people are "happy"?

Define happiness for people and you got 'em right where you want'em. 

Oh yeah, remember when the AL & NL were genuine honest to god different business entities?

Centralization...inevitable. But so is separation. Push/pull, yin/yang.

But Go Rangers anyway!!!

Just...do better next year, ok? 

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45 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

The same thing is happening in college football.  A regular season followed by a playoff tournament

There's too much $$$ to be made for it not to happen. 

 

Has there been a decision to go to 8 or 16 teams?

I actually thought top 4 facing off meant being crowned National Champion meant a little bit more and not having teams on the outside with legit claims bitching anymore (though anywhere you draw the line, you get teams on the outside looking in).

So, mark me down for four team playoff but I think I'd draw the line at 16 teams or 8 teams. 

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