Topic: 2016 MLB Thread....

[Tony Bensley]

I wonder what Garfield thinks of this...

Do you mean this Garfield? 



CHEERS! 

[Paul Pain]

In the cartoon series GARFIELD AND FRIENDS from the 80s and 90s, the writers constantly had Garfield make cracks about the Cleveland Indians in reference to their World Series misery (this was prior to their 95 and 97 appearances).

[Tony Bensley]

In the cartoon series GARFIELD AND FRIENDS from the 80s and 90s, the writers constantly had Garfield make cracks about the Cleveland Indians in reference to their World Series misery (this was prior to their 95 and 97 appearances).

Now that you've mentioned it, I believe that I do vaguely recall at least one of those Cleveland Indians World Series misery references, which weren't uncommon in the pre 1995 era.

While I'm pulling for the Chicago Cubs, that one very long World Series Championship drought (1908 vs 1948!) will soon be over is an incredible thing!  May the team that plays best, win!

CHEERS! 

[TTS#1]

It is so nerve wracking just waiting for the next day and a half until Game 1 starts. One of the two longest Championship droughts will be over very soon and that it just tremendous. The three franchisers with the longest standing Championship drought in North American Sports are the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Indians.

It's no wonder not many people expected this World Series matchup before the season started, however, even though I don't watch AL Baseball, everything I've heard is the Indians were the best team in their league. And there was no one remotely close to the Cubs for best team in the NL. So it's a suitable matchup.

[JazzBill]

There's really no bad guy in this series. May the best team win. Being from Chicago I hope it's the Cubs.

[TTS#1]

Well, we had our chances tonight. Double in the 2nd with no outs, almost homer by Schwarber, bases loaded with no outs, 1st and 3rd with 2 outs in the 8th. We couldn't capitalise. Cleveland did.

We again again tomorrow night. Split in Cleveland is all we can hope for.

[Tony Bensley]

Well, we had our chances tonight. Double in the 2nd with no outs, almost homer by Schwarber, bases loaded with no outs, 1st and 3rd with 2 outs in the 8th. We couldn't capitalise. Cleveland did.

We again again tomorrow night. Split in Cleveland is all we can hope for.

Apart from the higher score on Cleveland's end, I got a sense of deja vu from Game 1 of the ALCS when Toronto failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities with annoying regularity!  We all know how THAT series turned out!

Hopefully, they can get game 2 in before the crappy weather hits Cleveland.  On that note, the game time has been moved up by an hour (In an apparent attempt by the front office to avoid having to make controversial decisions, due to inclement weather interruptions!) for those who didn't catch last night's game, but wish to watch tonight's! 

7 pm ET is the scheduled time for first pitch, I believe.

CHEERS! 

[TTS#1]

Apart from the higher score on Cleveland's end, I got a sense of deja vu from Game 1 of the ALCS when Toronto failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities with annoying regularity!  We all know how THAT series turned out!

Hopefully, they can get game 2 in before the crappy weather hits Cleveland.  On that note, the game time has been moved up by an hour (In an apparent attempt by the front office to avoid having to make controversial decisions, due to inclement weather interruptions!) for those who didn't catch last night's game, but wish to watch tonight's! 

7 pm ET is the scheduled time for first pitch, I believe.

CHEERS! 

Yes, that's correct! The Game 2 start time has been pushed forward an hour, I think 2 hours would've been a better solution. It's the World Series and whatever sees the game finish all in one night has to happen.

[TTS#1]

Glad to get the series back to 1-1 with 3 in a row coming to Chicago. Jake Arrieta had a few issues tonight with command but he got through it with a 1-hit effort. Ben Zobrist continues to be lights out and has shown us why the Cubs acquired him and Kyle Schwarber had some excellent AB's in his DH role.

I wish we could take more of an advantage at the plate tonight but at this stage all that matters is who wins these games. Hendricks vs Tomlin and Lackey vs Kluber are the next two matchups.

[Tony Bensley]

Glad to get the series back to 1-1 with 3 in a row coming to Chicago. Jake Arrieta had a few issues tonight with command but he got through it with a 1-hit effort. Ben Zobrist continues to be lights out and has shown us why the Cubs acquired him and Kyle Schwarber had some excellent AB's in his DH role.

I wish we could take more of an advantage at the plate tonight but at this stage all that matters is who wins these games. Hendricks vs Tomlin and Lackey vs Kluber are the next two matchups.

I felt that the Cubs needed to win this one, and thankfully for them, the Indian's starter wasn't at his best, and Arrieta was as good as he's been, of late.  It'll be interesting to see how Kyle Hendricks fares in his followup to that excellent start at Wrigley last Saturday!  Unfortunately, Kyle Schwarber can likely only pinch hit at most, but Chicago did get to the World Series without him, so I see his bat as more of a bonus at this point, but oh, what a bonus!  I wouldn't have known Kyle Schwarber was out all season the way he's swinging the bat!  It's also nice to see Zobrist breaking out offensively!

It's good they were able to get the whole game in tonight with that dreary forecast in Cleveland.  I agree with a previous comment that starting the game 2 hours early would have made more sense; and of course, the game took 4 hours!  So much for starting an hour early, but thankfully, it worked out!

Of course, the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945 will take place this Friday evening, weather permitting!

CHEERS! 

[metaldams]

Oh, but some of  the Indians best starters are hurt....

They're still putting up zeros.

[Shemp_Diesel]

I don't want to count the Cubs out yet--and you never know how Kluber will be on short rest, but if the Indians take it tonight, Chicago may be toast....

[Tony Bensley]

I don't want to count the Cubs out yet--and you never know how Kluber will be on short rest, but if the Indians take it tonight, Chicago may be toast....

Cubs fans also need to make some noise!  Quiet as they often were last night, one might think they were down by 10 runs! 

Yes, Chicago definitely needs to win tonight to have a realistic chance in this series.  It was heartbreaking that they failed to cash in on their late inning opportunities, but the fact is, the Cubs were lucky it was a one run game.

We'll see what happens tonight!

CHEERS! 

[Lefty]

I don't want to count the Cubs out yet

One, two, three, and four is ten -- the winner!

That said, it would be great to have the wind blow out at Wrigley Field, as it did on May 17, 1979, when the Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22.  That game took 4 hours.  A game like that tonight, and we could wake up tomorrow morning with it still going on, what with the eleventeen commercials between innings and pitching changes.

[TTS#1]

Cleveland ahead 7-1 in the 7th. They have completed outplayed and outmatched the Cubs today, really, in the three games they will have won when this one is over. Down 1-3 seems like an insurmountable deficit to come back from. Our inability to get runners in from second base with no outs is killing us, two relievers this series (Rondon and Wood) have both given up 3-run homers, infield errors have killed us. We won't win playing the way we have.

[Shemp_Diesel]

Yeah, so far this hasn't been the "great" World Series I was hoping for. The Cubs bats have been anemic for most of the playoffs and it's really hurting them against Cleveland. I think the Tribe close it out tomorrow--happiness for the city of Cleveland again, and more misery for the Northside of Chicago...

[Tony Bensley]

Yeah, so far this hasn't been the "great" World Series I was hoping for. The Cubs bats have been anemic for most of the playoffs and it's really hurting them against Cleveland. I think the Tribe close it out tomorrow--happiness for the city of Cleveland again, and more misery for the Northside of Chicago...

This Series has been such a massive disappointment on so many levels!  While I don't begrudge Cleveland their success, I thought for sure the Cubs would have won at least ONE of their first two games at Wrigley!  I quit watching after the Kipnis 3 run shot in the 7th, as the slaughter simply became too painful for me to bear!  Ironically, Kipnis grew up a diehard Cubs fan, but so it goes!

The Series may not be technically over, but emotionally, it sure feels like it!

[Tony Bensley]

This Series has been such a massive disappointment on so many levels!  While I don't begrudge Cleveland their success, I thought for sure the Cubs would have won at least ONE of their first two games at Wrigley!  I quit watching after the Kipnis 3 run shot in the 7th, as the slaughter simply became too painful for me to bear!  Ironically, Kipnis grew up a diehard Cubs fan, but so it goes!

The Series may not be technically over, but emotionally, it sure feels like it!

What a difference a day makes sometimes!  And what an EPIC 8 out save by Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman, for a hard earned 3-2 Chicago victory at Wrigley to send the series back to Cleveland Tuesday night at Progressive Field!

The 1908 vs 1948 World Series is STILL very much alive! 

CHEERS! 

[Shemp_Diesel]

Yeah, finally a little juice to this series--but I still see the Tribe taking it all Tuesday...

[Tony Bensley]

Yeah, finally a little juice to this series--but I still see the Tribe taking it all Tuesday...

Realistically, that's where the smart money is at the present.  At least the Cubs haven't gone out without winning a World Series game at home.  Too bad it couldn't have been more, but so it goes!

I had initially expected a 6 or 7 game series, and that's exactly what we're getting.  Heck, there's even been two 1 run victories, so far.

CHEERS! 

[Paul Pain]

A drought shall end soon, and it looks like Cleveland's!  Too bad the Browns suck!

[Tony Bensley]

CUBS WIN!!!

Series Knotted At 3!

Game 7 Tomorrow Night At Progressive Field, With The 1st Pitch At 8 PM On The Dot!

What A World Series This Has Turned Out To Be!

CHEERS! 

[TTS#1]

This is massive! I wouldnt have guessed this would go to a Game 7 after going 3-1 down but this team has shown time and again there is nothing they can't do. Arrieta says he can go tomorrow if called upon, so we could potentially see Hendricks, Montgomery, Arrieta, Lester and Chapman all tomorrow. Just no Strop, Rondon and Lackey and the obvious Grimm and Wood. We have the pitching to do it, I am hopping the bats light again. Kluber won't be easy though even on short rest and Miller and Allen as well.

Win or lose, I am glad we live to fight another day rather than the poor sight earlier on this series.

[Tony Bensley]

This is massive! I wouldnt have guessed this would go to a Game 7 after going 3-1 down but this team has shown time and again there is nothing they can't do. Arrieta says he can go tomorrow if called upon, so we could potentially see Hendricks, Montgomery, Arrieta, Lester and Chapman all tomorrow. Just no Strop, Rondon and Lackey and the obvious Grimm and Wood. We have the pitching to do it, I am hopping the bats light again. Kluber won't be easy though even on short rest and Miller and Allen as well.

Win or lose, I am glad we live to fight another day rather than the poor sight earlier on this series.

I just wish that Maddon would start Ross behind the plate, as he's far less prone to passed balls.  While I understand that he wants Contreras' bat, it's been dead ALL series!  Besides, with his retirement imminent, I get the sense Ross is hungrier than Contreras, at the moment!  Just my opinion.

That said, Game 7 is a crapshoot in which ANYTHING can happen!  Kluber's the only pitcher that the Cubs haven't successfully adjusted to after their initial meeting, but hopefully that'll change with tonight's game! 

CHEERS! 

[Tony Bensley]

Here is tonight's starting lineup for both teams:

Pitching matchup: RHP Corey Kluber (Indians) vs. RHP Kyle Hendricks (Cubs)

Lineups

Indians

1. DH Carlos Santana

2. 2B Jason Kipnis

3. SS Francisco Lindor

4. 1B Mike Napoli

5. 3B Jose Ramirez

6. RF Lonnie Chisenhall#

7. CF Rajai Davis

8. LF Coco Crisp

9. C Roberto Perez

Cubs

1. CF Dexter Fowler

2. DH Kyle Schwarber

3. 3B Kris Bryant

4. 1B Anthony Rizzo

5. LF Ben Zobrist

6. SS Addison Russell

7. C Willson Contreras*

8. RF Jason Heyward

9. 2B Javy Baez


* In my opinion, a slumping at the plate Willson Contreras, who tends to allow too many passed balls being in the Cubs starting lineup instead of David Ross, who's clearly better defensively at the backstop, is a HUGE mistake on Joe Maddon's part!  Hopefully, it doesn't come back to bite the Cubs in this deciding game!

# As for Terry Francona using Lonnie Chisenhall in Right Field, I believe his options are limited in this case.  Indians fans can't be too happy about it, however!

CHEERS!