2016 MLB Thread....

Tony Bensley · **Reply #75 on:** October 09, 2016, 06:26:43 PM

Quote from: JazzBill on October 08, 2016, 11:07:51 PM

I'm actually starting to think this might be the Cubs year. Lester has been a big part of that.

There's a long ways to go, but the Cubs reliever Wood hitting that solo Homer was quite impressive!

Regarding the Chicago Cubs regular season record, 2016 was their first with 100 plus wins since 1935! Maybe this is their year?

CHEERS!

Tony Bensley · **Reply #76 on:** October 09, 2016, 10:55:58 PM

The Blue Jays have swept the Rangers, with Josh Donaldson scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 10th on an E4 by Rougned Odor, the guy that decked Toronto's Jose Bautista back in May. It's interesting how things play out, sometimes.

Unfortunately, today's Indians / Red Sox game was rained out, so both Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs will try to close out their respective series tomorrow.

CHEERS!

stoogerascalfan62 · **Reply #77 on:** October 10, 2016, 01:45:35 PM

I'm hoping the Cubs break out of their long-standing pennant drought, and then capture the World Series.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #78 on:** October 10, 2016, 03:56:53 PM

Tonight should be great--Arrieta and Bumgarner; Cubs may not get the sweep tonight...

Tony Bensley · **Reply #79 on:** October 10, 2016, 04:04:34 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on October 10, 2016, 03:56:53 PM

Tonight should be great--Arrieta and Bumgarner; Cubs may not get the sweep tonight...

As near invincible as both pitchers are reputed to be, it could go either way, although it is a home game for the Giants, so I suppose that gives them at least a slight edge.

Frankly, it seems odd neither team's ace has appeared before tonights game 3, although the Giants have an excuse insofar as having used Bumgarner in the NL Wild Card game. Why did the Cubs sit on Arrieta for so long, I wonder?

CHEERS!

metaldams · **Reply #80 on:** October 10, 2016, 04:08:01 PM

Quote from: Tony Bensley on October 10, 2016, 04:04:34 PM

As near invincible as both pitchers are reputed to be, it could go either way, although it is a home game for the Giants, so I suppose that gives them at least a slight edge.

Frankly, it seems odd neither team's ace has appeared before tonights game 3, although the Giants have an excuse insofar as having used Bumgarner in the NL Wild Card game. Why did the Cubs sit on Arrieta for so long, I wonder?

CHEERS!

Arrieta's second half numbers not as good and Lester and Hendricks are far from chopped liver.

Tony Bensley · **Reply #81 on:** October 10, 2016, 04:21:14 PM

Quote from: metaldams on October 10, 2016, 04:08:01 PM

Arrieta's second half numbers not as good and Lester and Hendricks are far from chopped liver.

I hadn't realized that Arrieta's numbers dropped that much. The latter is certainly true! The Cubs did win 103 regular season games for a reason!

I still say that tonight's game could go either way.

CHEERS!

Tony Bensley · **Reply #82 on:** October 11, 2016, 02:42:10 PM

Unfortunately for the Cubs, they lost to the Giants last night (early this morning!) in extra innings, and still needing another victory to advance to the NLCS, now lead their NLDS 2 games to 1. Could this be the start of yet another Cubbies choke job, or is it just a blip in their World Series quest?

Meanwhile,the Nationals beat the Dodgers to take a 2-1 NLDS lead over a team that's seemingly incapable of winning any playoff series! Like Chicago, Washington could wrap up their respective series with tonight's games.

As for the Red Sox getting swept by the Indians I do have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I'm sorry to see Big Papi's career come to an end, but on the other, I'm also glad the Blue Jays don't have to worry about running the risk (However small it might have been!) of having to eat crow in getting bested by David Price. Either way, this year's American League will be represented by a Team that hasn't been to the World Series in a while, although I'm pulling for Toronto, of course!

CHEERS!

Tony Bensley · **Reply #83 on:** October 11, 2016, 11:09:47 PM

The Cubs win their NLDS in dramatic fashion with 4 runs in the top of the 9th, the biggest such comeback in postseason history - WOW!

The Giants, who had a 3 run lead going into the 9th, burned through 5 Relievers in blowing their chance to tie the series, which would have forced it back to Wrigley for the deciding game. San Francisco's Bullpen has apparently been weak going down the stretch, and boy, did it show tonight!

The Dodgers beat the Nationals, and will play their deciding game Thursday.

CHEERS!

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #84 on:** October 11, 2016, 11:21:33 PM

Cubs vs. anybody should be a good draw for the World Series--if they make it....

Tony Bensley · **Reply #85 on:** October 11, 2016, 11:32:12 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on October 11, 2016, 11:21:33 PM

Cubs vs. anybody should be a good draw for the World Series--if they make it....

Agreed!

If any year is the Cubs for getting to the World Series, this would seem to be it. Having Theo Epstein at the helm with a number of top former Red Sox players has certainly boosted their fortunes big time!

CHEERS!

metaldams · **Reply #86 on:** October 12, 2016, 11:53:35 AM

Went to bed when the score was 5-2, pleasantly shocked to wake up to a Cubs victory. Chicago vs. Cleveland would be great. 1908 vs. 1948

Shemp Shady · **Reply #87 on:** October 12, 2016, 12:52:58 PM

A Cubs-Tribe series would indeed be great, met. With the Yankees out of it this year, I have to remember that I'm a baseball fan first—and if one of those teams can finally put an end to its ignominious streak, what a great season this will have been. (Heck—I’m almost half-glad that we no longer have to hear about the Curse of the Bambino!)

Tony Bensley · **Reply #88 on:** October 12, 2016, 06:54:26 PM

Quote from: Shemp Shady on October 12, 2016, 12:52:58 PM

A Cubs-Tribe series would indeed be great, met. With the Yankees out of it this year, I have to remember that I'm a baseball fan first—and if one of those teams can finally put an end to its ignominious steak, what a great season this will have been. (Heck—I’m almost half-glad that we no longer have to hear about the Curse of the Bambino!)

The Cubs of course, bear the dubious distinction of owning the longest droughts in terms of World Series Championships and World Series appearances! I think it would be fantastic to see at least one of those streaks finally put to rest!

Of course, I would love to see the Blue Jays win it all! With their current lineup, I believe Toronto has a real shot at getting to the World Series, at least, but time will tell. At any rate, I think it's really great that all of the remaining teams are those who haven't even been there in a while!

CHEERS!

Tony Bensley · **Reply #89 on:** October 13, 2016, 11:49:05 PM

The Dodgers just won their series, with Kershaw earning his first ever career MLB save, by getting the last 2 outs with 2 Nationals on base; this with only one day rest after pitching 6 2/3 innings in game 4.

The Cubs will have to watch out for Clayton as I have a funny feeling he could be this year's Madison Bumgarner. Just call it a hunch!

CHEERS!

metaldams · **Reply #90 on:** October 14, 2016, 06:03:47 AM

Quote from: Tony Bensley on October 13, 2016, 11:49:05 PM

The Dodgers just won their series, with Kershaw earning his first ever career MLB save, by getting the last 2 outs with 2 Nationals on base; this with only one day rest after pitching 6 2/3 innings in game 4.

The Cubs will have to watch out for Clayton as I have a funny feeling he could be this year's Madison Bumgarner. Just call it a hunch!

CHEERS!

First off, to Shemp Shady above, nice to hear from you!

I'm not ready to predict Kershaw as this years Bumgarner yet. He didn't pitch like an ace in that series, but well enough for his team to win when he pitched, for once. That got the Dodgers further than they normally get, so a good Kershaw would be ideal.

Dave Roberts managed that elimination game brilliantly. Get seven outs out of your closer, putting out the fire in the seventh inning and going to your ace starter for the last two outs. Whatever it takes.

Paul Pain · **Reply #91 on:** October 14, 2016, 07:14:26 AM

Don't bank on the Dodgers so quickly. They have to beat their worst enemy- themselves- first.

Tony Bensley · **Reply #92 on:** October 14, 2016, 09:41:22 AM

From what I saw, two things sank the Nationals; Werth being waved home, when the 3rd base coach obviously should have put up the stop sign; and the Dodgers pitcher's balk (That led to a Washington player getting picked off 1st base!) not being caught by anyone but the commentators, and then. only on the replay. In my opinion, if the replay picks it up, somebody on the Nationals team should have also caught this, and told the umpires (Who should have caught it, but so it goes!), that's their job to catch such things!

Anyway, congratulations to the Dodgers for their NLDS win! That said, I do hope the Cubs win the NLCS this time, although I think that Kershaw could prove a bugaboo in their quest - Again, it's just a hunch, and I could be 100% wrong on this! I for one, would have liked the Cubs chances better against the Nats (Although obviously, they should be able to beat anyone!), but then I did say the same with them facing the Mets and Familia, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

CHEERS!

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #93 on:** October 15, 2016, 08:45:35 AM

Great Game 1 last night--well pitched on both sides. Don't know if Cleveland will sweep, but the Cubs may not be the only team on a mission this year....

Lefty · **Reply #94 on:** October 15, 2016, 01:39:08 PM

While I would soitenly not mind a Cubs/Indians World Series, I was very happy with the Washington Weenies choking again. Chooch, Chutley, and Fat Joe, all members of the 2008 Phillies WFC (an acronym of what Utley called them at the parade), live another round, while Jayson Werthless and Crybaby Bryce Harper are "outta here!" The perfect scenario would have been Jonathan Papelbum being around and blowing a save in the 9th inning while Werthless struck out to end the game, but we'll take the result as is.

Tony Bensley · **Reply #95 on:** October 15, 2016, 01:58:21 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on October 15, 2016, 08:45:35 AM

Great Game 1 last night--well pitched on both sides. Don't know if Cleveland will sweep, but the Cubs may not be the only team on a mission this year....

Of course, I'd rather have a Blue Jays/Cubs matchup (I maintain that, in my opinion, Chicago needs to watch out for Kershaw!), but I tip my cap to Cleveland for getting it done last night! Toronto simply left way too many base runners stranded, and it cost them a win! How ironic that Estrada's first ever mlb complete game came in the form of a tough loss? It definitely wasn't textbook, but so it goes!

Better luck this afternoon - I hope!

CHEERS!

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #96 on:** October 15, 2016, 06:27:45 PM

Another great, well-pitched game won by the Indians. Of course, momentum could always shift when the series goes north to Toronto, but right now Cleveland looks like a machine...

Tony Bensley · **Reply #97 on:** October 16, 2016, 12:00:18 AM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on October 15, 2016, 06:27:45 PM

Another great, well-pitched game won by the Indians. Of course, momentum could always shift when the series goes north to Toronto, but right now Cleveland looks like a machine...

If somebody had told me before Friday's game that the Blue Jays would allow just 4 runs in the first two games, without their bullpen being used, and yet lose BOTH games, I would have probably said NYUH-UH! As it stands, I'm feeling a dreaded sense of deja-vu, at the moment! They desperately need to start turning it around, come Monday!

Now the Cubs and Dodgers game was really SOMETHING to see! I still can't believe that one Dodgers reliever threw three straight sliders to Montreo, especially when he had clearly got away with poor location on the second one!

So LA is using Kershaw on two days rest? OK, he only pitched for two outs Thursday night, but still, that mini outing was one day rest! Perhaps, he's one of those "Rubber Arm" pitchers, who bounce back quickly? I still say he's one to watch out for, although I hope the Cubs prove me wrong in this!

CHEERS!

Tony Bensley · **Reply #98 on:** October 16, 2016, 10:43:50 PM

Quote from: Tony Bensley on October 16, 2016, 12:00:18 AM

So LA is using Kershaw on two days rest? OK, he only pitched for two outs Thursday night, but still, that mini outing was one day rest! Perhaps, he's one of those "Rubber Arm" pitchers, who bounce back quickly? I still say he's one to watch out for, although I hope the Cubs prove me wrong in this!

Sure enough, the Cubs couldn't get squat with Kershaw in his 7 innings pitched, in which he allowed but 2 hits and a walk. It's gotta suck when you lose 1-0 in your own ballpark in the postseason! What's more? With Kershaw not having thrown that many pitches, he could easily be called upon to relieve, if necessary, along with another start, should the series go long!

I do want the Cubs to win, but Kershaw has made that goal a little more difficult, just as I feared!

Hope the Blue Jays fare better tomorrow!

CHEERS!

Tony Bensley · **Reply #99 on:** October 17, 2016, 10:42:05 PM

Words alone cannot express my profound, utter disappointment in tonight's outcome in the Cleveland/Toronto game! That's all I have to say, at the moment!