Topic: The 2008 Baseball Thread

[metaldams]

Well, I'm too supersitious to say we have this one in the bag, but a 2 - 0 lead, the next two in Fenway, and Beckett and Lester on the mound?  I like our odds.

[JazzBill]

The north side of Chicago was so quite today you could hear a goat fart. ( You might have to be from Chicago to get that one. )

[youtube=425,350]WEAC9NT1CR8[/youtube]

[metaldams]

I'm going to have a heart attack.

Game 3's making me feel the same way.

[shemps#1]

Game 3's making me feel the same way.

You gotta love Gary Matthews Jr. though; one of the biggest high priced busts in MLB history.

[metaldams]

This is pissing me off.  We couldn't put Tampa Bay away in any of these games either, and it's now up to Byrd/Lopez to hold.

Oh yea, and we have Cora and Ross in the line-up.  Think we need to hold 'em here and pray 3-4-5 walks-off in the 12th.

[metaldams]

Why was Lopez facing righties?  Why wasn't Byrd in there?

[shemps#1]

Don't worry, they still have to win two more. Quite honestly, we had no business even being in this game. A 3 run single?

[metaldams]

Don't worry, they still have to win two more. Quite honestly, we had no business even being in this game. A 3 run single?

I'm just tired of these 5 hour games where we leave 20 million runners in scoring position and can't deliver the final blow.  All important games too.

Let's just hope the pre 2008 Lackey at Fenway shows up tomorrow and Lester is his usual self.  If this goes to game 5, I'm nervous.

[shemps#1]

Lester's better at home than he is on the road. They got to one of our lesser relievers (a guy who has more appearances than innings pitched) and were just able to outlast us. I'm confident this will end in 4 (about 90-10).

[metaldams]

Jon Lester is officially a god.  A shame the bullpen could not hold the lead for him, but the failed squeeze play was huge and I am so happy for Jed Lowrie now.  A shame Texiera robbed Kotsay of the walk-off, but I tip my hat to him and a tough Angels team.  We may have beaten them again, but this Angels team was WAY tougher than last year's version.


I can't wait to face Tampa Bay.  This is beyond surreal.  They used to be automatic wins on the schedule up until last year, and now we're facing them in the 2008 ALCS.  May the best team win, and the same goes for L.A. and Philly.

[shemps#1]

And you were worried .

Actually I was too, and did not want the series to go back to Anaheim. I'm sure TBS was worried as well since the Angels are nowhere the ratings draw the Red Sox are. You may think the Rays are alright but I do not. I think a lot of their players have a severe attitude problem when they haven't done shit (coughbalfourcough). Win the championship first, THEN you can walk with a swagger. They also have a fan base that doesn't deserve shit: where were they when this team was putting together a great regular season? All of a sudden they come to the Trop with their gay little cowbells and mohawks...go fuck yourselves you non-supportive front-running bitches.

At least Red Sox fans (and other fans like, as much as I hate to say it, Yankees fans) don't need some retarded gimmick to show some pseudo support for our team. Tampa is a great city, but the Tampa Bay area is horrible for pro sports (except hockey, for some odd reason) and almost as bad as Miami. They deserve nothing.

I'm not liking our chances without Lowell, and we'll probably be the underdogs...but we were supposed to lose to the Angels anyway. I think the underdog role suits this year's Red Sox. Unlike the Fox execs I'm not hoping for a Sox/Dodgers series because the Manny bullshit will be enough to make me vomit.

[metaldams]

Well, if it's the Red Sox Vs. Dodgers, not only do we have the Manny media blitz, but also Nomar, D-Lowe, and the return of Joe Torre to Fenway.  I betcha Bud Selig's on the phone right now trying to fix the results.

On a personal level, a Red Sox Vs. Phillies series will be very tense since I live 45 minutes outside Philly, and with the Eagles sucking again and the city desperate for any kind of sports championship (Though they DID just win in Arena Football with a team owned by Bon Jovi!!!), things will be hostile.

[shemps#1]

Oh yeah...think you'd catch shit if the Sox beat the Phils in the series?

Either way I'm predicting an AL sweep of the World Series. The two AL teams are far superior to their NL counterparts.

Oh, and you probably won't believe me but before the games started yesterday I said outloud to my dog that the Rays and Red Sox would finish up the DS'.

I'm going to make predictions of the Red Sox in 7 and Phillies in 6. I'm more confident in the NL pick than the AL one. If it's the Red Sox and Dodgers how many people do you think will claim fix? First we had the Celtics and Lakers in the NBA, then the Red Sox and Angels in the DS, now a Red Sox and Dodgers series? I'll only believe it's a fix if the Bruins play the Kings for the Stanley Cup as well.

[shemps#1]

Before I go to bed I just wanted to say that even though it didn't go five games Red Sox/Angels was one of the best LDS' I have seen in quite a while. Watching it felt more like a 7 game series than a best of 5 that went 4.

[curlysdame]

Unlike the Fox execs I'm not hoping for a Sox/Dodgers series because the Manny bullshit will be enough to make me vomit.

I don't exactly know the ins and outs of baseball like you guys do, but I also, definitely, don't want to see a Sox/Dodgers series.  LoL, it's no secret that we San Franciscans f*cking hate the Dodgers, and that a**hole Ramirez (and the braids, too.  We think the merchandise created around his haircut is retarded looking).  I went to four Giants/Dodgers games this season at AT&T Park, and every time Manny would come up to bat, all you'd hear were boos and waves of obscenities.   I loved it!

Anyway, the point to my rant:  Speaking as a Giants fan, I'd rather put my money on a team comprised of blind men, then ever, ever root for the Dodgers.  BEAT LA!

[metaldams]

Oh yeah...think you'd catch shit if the Sox beat the Phils in the series?

I'm usually pretty friendly with the Philly fans I work with, as I don't brag about the Red Sox too much and show some knowledge about the Phillies.  Still, when Cole Hamels beat Bartolo Colon earlier this year, I got some light ribbing.  My response was, "Your ace beat our number 5 in your home ball park.  I'd like to see them knock around Jon Lester tonight."  I was at the Jon Lester game, and Lester shut them out for seven innings.    For now, things are friendly, but since there was a little competition during the regular season games, I imagine things would heat up a tad if we meet up in the WS.  Interesting things to look for would be Francona's return to Philly and J.D. Drew's reception.  Both men are hated in Philly, the former because he managed them in bad years and the latter because he was drafted by them and didn't sign.

Oh, and you probably won't believe me but before the games started yesterday I said outloud to my dog that the Rays and Red Sox would finish up the DS'.

When Jason Bay scored the winning run, I yelled so loud my cat ran out of the room.  Seriously.

[shemps#1]

I'm usually pretty friendly with the Philly fans I work with, as I don't brag about the Red Sox too much and show some knowledge about the Phillies.  Still, when Cole Hamels beat Bartolo Colon earlier this year, I got some light ribbing.  My response was, "Your ace beat our number 5 in your home ball park.  I'd like to see them knock around Jon Lester tonight."  I was at the Jon Lester game, and Lester shut them out for seven innings.    For now, things are friendly, but since there was a little competition during the regular season games, I imagine things would heat up a tad if we meet up in the WS.  Interesting things to look for would be Francona's return to Philly and J.D. Drew's reception.  Both men are hated in Philly, the former because he managed them in bad years and the latter because he was drafted by them and didn't sign.


When Jason Bay scored the winning run, I yelled so loud my cat ran out of the room.  Seriously.

They can't honestly blame Tito for those lean years in Philly when they had depleted their farm system. They were a mess before he got there. As for Drew, that would be interesting. Then again, Boras warned Philly not to draft him.

[shemps#1]

Dice-K is getting the start in game 1 and I like the call. This series will mostly go 6 or 7 games and for those games we will have Beckett and Lester lined up to start.

Great strategy from Tito in my opinion.

[Darkhoarse820]

Not really.  We've played much better without him, and Jason Bay's a damn good player without the distractions.  I am glad Boston had Manny all those years, but it was time both sides moved on.

I see that.  Bay is quite incredible and I'm happy he was able to get out of Pittsburgh.  One day, the Pirates will be a contending team but, anyone on those teams that are crossed out early truly wishes they were somewhere else.  They all want to be on a winning team...this is truly a strange feeling for me - this October.  It's still very surreal.

My "Manny" comment had to do with the feelings I have when a former Dodger comes back to our town, or we play their NOW team.  Usually, for us, they'll come back to bite us in the butt and there's no way around that one.  It always happens.  In conjuring up the meaning, may I now direct you all to the fear I have in playing the Phillies?  Jayson Werth!  I loved him as a Dodger and I was one of many fans who was very upset when we didn't resign him.  He's been very productive in Philadelphia and I'm afraid he's going to use us as an excuse to go mad in the LCS. 

[Darkhoarse820]

Lester's better at home than he is on the road. They got to one of our lesser relievers (a guy who has more appearances than innings pitched) and were just able to outlast us. I'm confident this will end in 4 (about 90-10).

I'm so happy you guys knocked off the Angels.  They are forever our rivals to the South.  As far as I'm concerned, they were built as a team of losers in 1961 who somehow got the idea they should take over the league.  Los Angeles?  I think not!

[shemps#1]

I'm so happy you guys knocked off the Angels.  They are forever our rivals to the South.  As far as I'm concerned, they were built as a team of losers in 1961 who somehow got the idea they should take over the league.  Los Angeles?  I think not!

I loved it when the Dodgers came out with the "Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles" in response to the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim".

[Darkhoarse820]

I don't exactly know the ins and outs of baseball like you guys do, but I also, definitely, don't want to see a Sox/Dodgers series.  LoL, it's no secret that we San Franciscans f*cking hate the Dodgers, and that a**hole Ramirez (and the braids, too.  We think the merchandise created around his haircut is retarded looking).  I went to four Giants/Dodgers games this season at AT&T Park, and every time Manny would come up to bat, all you'd hear were boos and waves of obscenities.   I loved it!

Anyway, the point to my rant:  Speaking as a Giants fan, I'd rather put my money on a team comprised of blind men, then ever, ever root for the Dodgers.  BEAT LA!

And I would never root for the Giants, unless you were to help us out like you did this year.  Thank you, by the way.  You know, I've told many Dodger fans that Manny didn't do it.  Blake didn't do it.  They certainly helped out there but, they didn't do it.  This was a weird year for us and it was only when we acquired the "it" guy that everyone said we'd make it.  I'm a true fan - I believed we'd make it back when I saw them lose in Tucson, in March, to the Rockies.  We were awful but, I saw talent.  Manny's arrival created a placebo effect within each and every player on the team.  It made them believe that his prescence alone won the division.  Now, that's a load of bulls***.  They did it themselves because they amped up their play.  One man does not make the team good and I'll stand by that.  Barry Bonds didn't make the Giants good all of the time.  He made them a feared team but, they didn't win all of the time.  Manny is not the Dodgers.  There are 24 other guys that help solve the puzzle and that's all I'm saying.

[Darkhoarse820]

I loved it when the Dodgers came out with the "Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles" in response to the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim".

UGH!  Even I thought that was silly.  I love how the Los Angeles Times is advertized over the right field scoreboard.  Soon it will be advertised at Dodger Stadium and Angels Stadium will have to sell the Orange County register. 

Did you know that Angels Stadium is comprised of more "every other team" fans than their own?  Hell, there are more rats in the stadium than there are fans...and the "Rally Monkey"? 

[metaldams]

Dice-K is getting the start in game 1 and I like the call. This series will mostly go 6 or 7 games and for those games we will have Beckett and Lester lined up to start.

Great strategy from Tito in my opinion.

On paper, it's perfect.

The series starts on the road, and we have Dice-K starting game 1, who's 9 - 0 on the road this year.  Then game 2 is Beckett, who is way better on the road than Fenway this year.  Lester's great everywhere, but even more so at home, so it's good he's pitching game 3.

The only thing is Wakefield historically is money at Tropicana field, but not so much this year.  He'll be starting game 4.  I like Wakefield, but I hate to say the guy hasn't won a big game for us since game 5 of the 2004 ALCS, and that was in extra innings long relief (and what a big performance that was).  I wish him luck, and hope he reverses this trend in '08.

[shemps#1]

Did you know this is about to pass Bad Joke of the Day as the #2 thread all time as far as replies go?