2021 MLB Thread...

HomokHarcos · **Reply #50 on:** September 27, 2021, 05:39:01 PM

Quote from: metaldams on September 18, 2021, 03:23:43 PM

I’m too old for that. My heart would give out.

I’m OK with Boston being eliminated by anybody else if they must be eliminated.

Can you handle this tight race right now? The Red Sox might have to play a tiebreaker just to get into the Wild Card game.

metaldams · **Reply #51 on:** September 27, 2021, 06:19:56 PM

Quote from: HomokHarcos on September 27, 2021, 05:39:01 PM

Can you handle this tight race right now? The Red Sox might have to play a tiebreaker just to get into the Wild Card game.

If they win somehow, I won’t complain.

That said, I have seen championship Red Sox teams and I have seen collapsing ones. This team is the latter. I completely expect Red Sox baseball to be over no later than next Tuesday.

This was built to be a 4th place team. They’re only still in it because they overperformed the first half.

Hey, I hope they prove me wrong, but they have nothing now.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #52 on:** October 03, 2021, 06:53:38 PM

Some thoughts about the upcoming playoffs: I think it goes without saying that I'll be rooting for the Sox to bounce the Yankees, although the winner of that Wild Card game will have a potential buzzsaw in Tampa waiting for them.

In the NL, I could really see a St. Louis upset over the Dodgers in that Wild Card matchup.

In closing, Go Giants...

HomokHarcos · **Reply #53 on:** October 03, 2021, 11:47:24 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on October 03, 2021, 06:53:38 PM

Some thoughts about the upcoming playoffs: I think it goes without saying that I'll be rooting for the Sox to bounce the Yankees, although the winner of that Wild Card game will have a potential buzzsaw in Tampa waiting for them.

In the NL, I could really see a St. Louis upset over the Dodgers in that Wild Card matchup.

In closing, Go Giants...

The Dodgers won 106 games and are playing in a Wild Card game.

Paul Pain · **Reply #54 on:** October 04, 2021, 06:29:34 AM

That was an absolute dud of a way to end the regular season. Seattle pulls an epic choke job against one of the worst Angels teams of all-time; Washington pounds the living $#it out of Boston two days in a row and finds a way to lose both games in the 9th inning; Toronto does everything right but still barely misses; and the Yankees get embarrassed at home all weekend only for the Rays to pull one of their most epic choke jobs of the entire season in the bottom of the ninth.

Man, though, these wild card teams have a steep hill to climb.

metaldams · **Reply #55 on:** October 04, 2021, 06:47:31 AM

The Red Sox have been mediocre since the all-star break and I’m hoping they can win one against the Yankees. We shall see. Either way, no matter who wins, I don’t think they’ll get by Tampa Bay.

Boston’s bullpen is so weak and overused Cora went to E-Rod and Nick Pivetta to pitch the last two innings yesterday. They’re both starters. If Boston does somehow make a long playoff run, expect to see more of that.

As far as The Dodgers - a 106 win wild card team? Yeah, the system ain’t perfect.

As far as Seattle, they haven’t made the playoffs in 20 years. MLB can change the format and lower the bar for getting in the playoffs and Seattle will find a way to lower themselves that much more.

Paul Pain · **Reply #56 on:** October 04, 2021, 07:15:20 AM

Yeah, the system isn't perfect. But then again maybe the Dodgers should have won more than 9 against the Giants and vaulted themselves to the better NL West team.

If the DH becomes universal next season, is there really any reason left to keep the AL and NL around any longer? We have already proven by the league's forced movement of the Brewers to the NL and the Astros to the AL that maintenance of historic divisional alignments is not of importance to the commissioner's office.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #57 on:** October 04, 2021, 07:24:33 AM

I thought the hot rumor all season was that the DH was going to be added to the NL in 2022? I'm hoping that is just a rumor, but who knows...

Btw, I'm not going to complain if the Dodgers get bounced by the Cards in the Wild Card--I'll just say that the Giants were better than them, so to quote Chris Russo, "play baseball & win some games"...

Paul Pain · **Reply #58 on:** October 04, 2021, 07:53:47 AM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on October 04, 2021, 07:24:33 AM

I thought the hot rumor all season was that the DH was going to be added to the NL in 2022? I'm hoping that is just a rumor, but who knows...

Btw, I'm not going to complain if the Dodgers get bounced by the Cards in the Wild Card--I'll just say that the Giants were better than them, so to quote Chris Russo, "play baseball & win some games"...

I can't speak English is all. It's my second language, apparently.

Allen Champion · **Reply #59 on:** October 05, 2021, 05:57:13 AM

Screw the wild card. Two divisions, two leagues. Winner of each division plays each other, winners play the WS. Screw the DH. Screw interleague. Best team wins, period. And most of all, SCREW WOKE!! Let's get back to baseball as God intended it to be played!!

metaldams · **Reply #60 on:** October 05, 2021, 10:58:06 AM

Quote from: Allen Champion on October 05, 2021, 05:57:13 AM

Screw the wild card. Two divisions, two leagues. Winner of each division plays each other, winners play the WS. Screw the DH. Screw interleague. Best team wins, period. And most of all, SCREW WOKE!! Let's get back to baseball as God intended it to be played!!

I am a fan of the DH but agree with the rest.

Pitchers batting are rally killers and less competitive. I understand pitchers batting were League wide tradition until 1973.

The rest though, agree for sure. I also wish they’d control this insane amount of shifts being used these days.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #61 on:** October 05, 2021, 11:30:29 AM

Well--maybe I'm too "old school" sometimes--but adding the DH to the National League would kill for me what makes the NL superior to the AL in a lot of ways as far as manager strategy and all the little idiosyncrasies that go with managing a game--like when to put the bunt on, when to take your pitcher out of a game for a pinch hitter, etc, etc...

Not that I'll stop watching--the only way they could get me to stop watching is robot umpires--but still, I remember last season, I felt like something was off having the DH in both leagues...

metaldams · **Reply #62 on:** October 05, 2021, 11:00:07 PM

The Red Sox just eliminated The Yankees. After all childhood crap about being “perennial losers,” the “Curse of the Bambino,” 1918, 86 years, 1949, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, etc. - since 2004 it’s now 4 championships to 1 and 3 - 0 in the playoffs. It feels good, I just wish my Grandpa were around.

No matter what happens here on out, this is a good season.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #63 on:** October 06, 2021, 04:00:37 AM

The Yankees never looked like they had a chance of winning that game.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #64 on:** October 06, 2021, 04:06:13 AM

This was before last night's game, but the Dodgers were listed as the favorites to win the World Series. Surprising, since they could be out today.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #65 on:** October 06, 2021, 08:42:07 AM

Quote from: HomokHarcos on October 06, 2021, 04:00:37 AM

The Yankees never looked like they had a chance of winning that game.

I guess Gerrit Cole needed his Spider-Tack. Any time the Yankees get bounced is a cause for celebration.

Going forward, I'm really liking the Cards to upset the Dodgers tonight. Should be a great pitching matchup regardless.

Go Giants...

metaldams · **Reply #66 on:** October 06, 2021, 04:00:53 PM

Let the entertainment begin.

metaldams · **Reply #67 on:** October 11, 2021, 10:27:58 AM

Last night was, along with game 5 of the 2004 ALCS, the best Fenway game I ever watched. Both extra inning Sox wins, both games they were saved by ground rule doubles.

Glad there have been no sweeps, this has been a good playoffs so far.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #68 on:** October 11, 2021, 11:11:03 AM

I thought for sure the White Sox were toast, but maybe they have more spirit than I thought...

metaldams · **Reply #69 on:** October 11, 2021, 04:23:04 PM

…and my Aunt, a Braves fan, was at the game today. If it’s Sox vs. Braves, admittedly a long shot, that would be a family feud.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #70 on:** October 11, 2021, 10:07:41 PM

I thought for sure the Rays would have won that series.

metaldams · **Reply #71 on:** October 11, 2021, 10:31:21 PM

Quote from: HomokHarcos on October 11, 2021, 10:07:41 PM

I thought for sure the Rays would have won that series.

The Red Sox have gotten much further than I thought….and their bullpen still can’t hold leads.

But yes, congrats to them. They’re grinders who don’t give up and I’m thrilled they made the ALCS. I’m proud of them.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #72 on:** October 12, 2021, 08:19:03 AM

Yeah, I'm a little gobsmacked myself, I think most of the experts had the Rays possibly winning the World Series. But so much for that.

I fully expect Houston to close out the White Sox today & maybe the G-Men will bring down the curtain on Los Angeles...

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #73 on:** October 12, 2021, 02:54:41 PM

It looks like the Astros are on the verge of busting this game open. They have such a great hitting lineup--I think if they do advance, they may feast on Boston's pitching staff...

metaldams · **Reply #74 on:** October 12, 2021, 08:17:24 PM

Braves win. It’s a long shot, but if it somehow ends up being Boston vs. Atlanta, there will be an epic family feud. My Mom is also a Red Sox fan and her sister a huge Braves fan, she was at game 3. That would be fun, lots of emails will be exchanged.

If it’s Boston vs. San Francisco, the Yastrzemski story would be all over the news. Carl’s grandson plays for The Giants. It was a big enough story a few years ago when he played a regular season game - and homered, in Fenway.