A new baseball season, Wahoo!

[Thundarr]

Ahh, spring is in the air and with it comes the great American past-time of baseball. Having lived in upstate NY and NYC for many years previously, I am a Yankees fan. Now living in Seattle, I have also become a Mariners fan, although they are mutually exclusive when it comes to them playing against each other. SafeCo field is a great venue to watch baseball and I already have my tickets lined up for a number of games. Can't wait to go to the ballpark.

So, what are your picks for the World Series? I will root for the Mariners, my new home team, the Twinkies for SnobbyRobby, but the Yankees make it to the WS again. I know boos, but hey, they are good (money does that ya know). And I think it will be a rematch. The Diamondbacks will make the repeat trip. Only to meet their demise against the Yankees, of course. No Mo won't blow it again I will assure you!

[xchanyazy]

Tigers all the way baby!

You laugh now, but just you wait.

Actually, laughing is probably the correct response.

Go Giants!

[Andrew LaGow]

The (now) mighty New York Mets will crush those has-been Yankees in another, even less dramatic Subway Series. But this time the Tables Will Be Turned (tm)!

Andy

[poocat]

i'm pulling for pedro to lift boston, but that's just because i can't stand the yankees.
i admire their class, i respect their abilities, but i can't bear the truth:

they win because they are rich.

series picks?

i'm a cardinals fan all the way, and i hope like nobody's business they manage to get past the diamondbacks this year, because i think their offense is (clearly) far superior.

now if only they can hit johnson & schilling (impossible?! perhaps, but maybe not!)
i'd also love to see the a's beat the yanks.
and the mets beat the braves, but lose to the cards...

eh...
no matter what happens, i know i now have to check espn more than any other site.
i miss baseball... sure, they have it in japan, but that whole language thing really makes for some difficulties... plus, no pedro, no magic, no popcorn, no beer... no poocat, if you know what i'm saying.

poocat.

[maxelson]

Alright, I'll just get this out in the open right out of the gate: I am a Red Sox fan. I kind of liken it to being a Mac user. Yes, we are forever in second place, and we know that and accept it. It is frustrating, however, because we KNOW we have a better product, we have intense customer loyalty and evangelism and we are the butt of every friggin' joke in the book. We also have that BIG CORPORATE OTHER that we lothe and detest. Maybe Steve Jobs should have bought the Sox.

So, Pedro (who's worth I only occasionally question) is on fire again. Nice Baltimore sweep. Veritek is healthy. Nomar. This Clark guy is looking like something to watch. Manny's attitude seems to have sweetened. Trot is his usual business as usual self.
I'll tell you, I am on fire for this season. It always helps to see Clemmens get his booty chunked, too. It does not happen often, but I love to see it.
So. I wonder how Rocker and Everett and waltzing down in the Ranger Clubhouse? Are they wooing each other with blackjacks yet? I tell you, I LOVE cosmic justice.

[Andrew LaGow]

Hey poocat, if the Yankees win because they're rich, how do you explain the Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Rangers? Big payrolls, no playoffs last year.

While dollars play a part it's the quality of the organization that makes a huge difference. I hate the Yankees as much as anyone (being a Mets fan), but they won those championships largely as a result of their farm system. Their payroll began to balloon several years ago because contracts came due and they had to reward guys like Jeter and Williams for jobs well done or lose them to free agency.

And how about the Cardinals? Small market team that somehow finds ways to win every now and then. What a great organization. I think the last mistake they made was giving up Keith Hernandez to the Mets 20 years ago.

Andy

[lerkfish]

I grew up in St. Louis, which genetically made me a Cardinals fan, even though not much of a sports nut. harry Carey was at St. Louis before he was Chicago. I used to get straight-A tickets to Cardinal games.
but in general I don't watch sports, except one time..and thereupon hangs the tale...

When I was in the hospital recuperating from cancer surgery (had all my lymph nodes removed) it was 1985, and the cards were in the series against KC. I had a WEIRD roomate who didnt want me to turn on the tv (try sitting in a hospital bed without tv for 17 days! anyways, I played up what a big cardinals fan I was , yadda yadda yadda, so he relented and let me watch the series games, so I have fond memories of that series, even though we waz robbed.

Why didn't I insist on watching tV? This was in Las Vegas, and the elderly gentleman of italian descent was registered as "joe", and every hospital personnel referred to him as "Joe", but every visitor called him "Armando". And he had visitors, every day, paying huge respects, Thanking him for their jobs, etc, etc. Once I was half-asleep and overheard him talking with a visitor..

"They dont wanna deliver by cab no more"
"This is disrespectful. How can they even think to refuse?"
"I just came to tell you, Mr. (name deleted to protect privacy). What do you want to do?"
"I want YOU to take care of it, capiche?...I want you to..."
-- at this point I made a show of pretending to wake up. I had my eyes barely cracked open and saw Armando make a gesture of a knife across a throat. They stopped talking. Now, this could have meant what he wanted him to do, or to stop talking because I was waking up...but I gotta tell you, you get a roomate like that, you listen when he says he don't want to watch tv.

Months later, I was at my oncologist to get my blood drawn, and someone slapped me on the back hard enough to eject false teeth, If I'd had any. It was Armando, congratulating both of us on still being alive.

whew!

[griffeymac]

Um... Go White Sox!

:D

G.--

[poocat]

right.

look, i know the yanks do a great job of managing their talent, creating a team based atmosphere, not having anyone be loud, blending in, being corporate. they're the ultimate team. they're a giant money-making monster. and they do it very well.

but that bores me.
i love jeter.
think what he would do if he were allowed personality?!

he'd still not be nomar, but come on, who could be?

the red sox are so much fun, until they crumble.
i love pedro. he's like no other.
nomar is more fun than breakfast.


but the cardinals?!
now that's a team.
jacked at first, second, third, right, and center.
great pitching.
brilliant defensive catcher (best in league at throwing out runners)
a bench of starters for any other team (except yanks)
eli marrero, placido polanco, mike defilice...

and a great manager (best?)
they lost mark, and it's no worries.

i love those guys.
small market brilliance, build a team, keep the core intact, and build, build, build.

poocat.

[maxelson]

Sox are 4-1. Casey FOssum is really doing some nice stuff. And Clark... DAMN! What is he? 6'9"? Several excellent plays between he and Hillenbrand last night. Manny seems to be improving. IF we cold only have a team of Nixons, Veriteks, Clarks, Nomars and Pedros. Pedro is getting me down, though. He's like a bank account you can't touch. The wealth is there, but you only get to see the interest lest the funds themselves should be depleated.
How 'bout those Tigers?

[xchanyazy]

0-7, firing the manager, general manager, pitching coach, third base coach, anyone else smelling a come back?

Well, at least the Wings/Pistons are winning.

[Andrew LaGow]

Looks like the Mets are the most mediocre team money can buy. I'm dying watching how well Robin Ventura is doing with the Yankees. Dying.

I guess I'll have to see what happens when Mo comes back in late April, but really--losing to the Cubs after taking two of three from the Braves. Tsk.

Andy

[Thundarr]

Andy, can't say I know your pain being a Yankees fan, but Ventura sure was a great steal of a deal. When Giambi starts kicking in (2 homers tonight) they will be hard to stop. How sick is it when you have Nick Johnson batting ninth! I wouldn't mind seeing another subway series either, though the rest of the country would yawn.

[Andrew LaGow]

Thundarr, the Mets are infamous for their boneheaded personnel decisions. It took me years to get over the Lenny Dykstra/Juan Samuel trade. The Mets traded straight across to the Phillies for Samuel and what happens? They put Samuel in center--which was not his natural position--and watched him drop balls while back in Philadelphia Dykstra nearly hits .400.

As of today the Mets are 4-4 with what has to be the most porous infield in baseball. I don't get it. Ray Ordonez is every bit as good--maybe better--defensively than Jeter yet he committed four errors in two games! It's like someone put a weird hex on the Mets that absolutely prevents these guys from reaching their potential.

Personally, I'd love a subway series, even though there is a serious problem with the fact that my kids are Yankees fans and their parents love their Mets. Let the rest of the country sleep!

Andy

[poocat]

arright, we're a bit further in (though not much) and here's poocat's updated calls:

the mets suck.
the mets always suck.
the mets are about as reliable as john rocker.
they'll still suck, no matter how hard phillips works.

let me clear up a few facts.
i like the mets.
i LOVE robbie alomar.
he's one of my favorite players, and i'd trade anything for him at any time...
well, almost anything.

second:
pedro will make it.
i know he will.

you know why?

cause i have faith.

third:
did i mention i'm a cardinals fan?!
did i mention that the cardinals are full of woop-ass like a can full of hand grenades?
they rock. and matt morris is 3-0, just like...

four:
the randy, curt, and pray bonds gets hurt show...
...wait. what? he's hurt? d'backs are 1-5 w/o schilling/johnson?

ha.
i sense imminent cardinals power.
i love the cardinals because tino martinez is the worst hitting man on our team.

woo-woo!

poocat.

[Andrew LaGow]

Awright, poocat, them's fightin' words. I've NEVER met a Cards fan who likes the Mets; the kindest thing I've ever heard anybody from St. Louis say is, "Those stinkin' Mets." I know where you stand--don't try to fool me.

It warms my heart that you like Alomar so much, because he's finally breaking out of his slump (by way of Mike Piazza's borrowed bat) and was instrumental in the Mets' win over Montreal yesterday. He'll probably be instrumental in Mets wins over the Cardinals when St. Louis visits later this month. By that time Mo will be off the DL and the Mets will DOMINATE. Yes, dominate. The only question going into this season for the Mets has been pitching and that question has largely been answered.

Bring on the Cards, baby. The difference between being 8-4 and 7-5 is one lousy win. God, I miss the old NL East.

Andy

[poocat]

ha!

jim edmonds hits for your whole team.
jd drew hits for half your team (ie not vaughn piazza alomar burnitz)
pujols... we all know what he will do.

polanco/vina get on base like nobody's business,

pitching?
as soon as williams comes back (may?!) we're untouchable. until then we've got to put up with andy benes. (do we?! that's absurd. he's AWFUL, and i've been saying so for years!)

besides... the way rey sanchez makes errors, we don't need to play.
;)

it's all good.
my dad's a mets fan and has been all my life (and all of his, too) so i'm not actually that angry about it... (in case any of the mods are worried :)) but i do want to get you back for 1999... we had a MUCH better shot of touching the yankees, and you went and made a mess of things...

god.
t'was andy's turn in the rotation again last night.
guess what, we got KILLED.

12 runs?!
someone cut that man loose!
he's got a 83 mph FASTball and NO slider/curve/change/ANYTHING!

back to a-league for you, son.

where oh where are you rick ankiel (with your control, that is...)

whatever.
eventually ankiel will show up.
eventually williams will be back.
stephanson should be ok.
morris rules
kile is bomb
smith is solid
bullpen's pretty deep

and tino has to hit sometime.

poocat.

[Andrew LaGow]

LOL!

I think the Mets host St. Louis on Monday for three games. Should be fun.

Andy

[maxelson]

So, while it is still very early in the season, I have to say I am bustling with joy (yes, I DID use the word bustling).
Red Sox, 8-4. And, as a bonus, we get to see them Yanks looking like... well, they way the Sox did at the end of last season, frankly. Keystone Cops, defensively speaking. Yes, I AM enjoying it. Yes, I have hope (all Sox fans, we hope, live so).
Biggest hope boosters?
Pedro is important... but he ain't the end all be all. THe rest of the bullpen is putting up marvelous stuff... for the most part (whither El Guapo?).
Tony Clark may bumble behind the plate, but DAMN! Have you seen that guy at first base?
Shea Hillenbrand- our little slugger is growing up. Discipline. All about that.
Trot Nixon and Jason Veritek are their usual out performing happy-to-be-playing-ball professional selves.
On the defensive side, the machine is well oiled. Better lubed than it has been in YEARS.
Now, now. Before yoiu guys so rightly give me the "yes, but is this not how them Sox ALWAYS start out? On top? Later in the season, they will crumble like Hamlet in Act V. Yeah, true. But you know, Hamlet DID get the job done.
Let's see what happens.
Hey. Tigers won last night, huh?

[poocat]

after the cardinals just lost three to the brewers i'm not discussing baseball any more.

;)

but they will be back!

kick ass!

and you're right.
there's one constant.

THE RANGERS SUCK.

[Andrew LaGow]

I'm still trying to figure out what the heck is going on with the Mets. Without Mike Piazza they'd be in some serious trouble. As it is, they dropped two of three to the Expos--the Expos...!--and have been knocked out of first place in the NL East. C'mon Mo!

Andy

[bakaDeshi]

Microsoft will be broken up.
Apple holds 90% of the market.
Everyone embraces Unix and dumps GUIs.
This is blamed on Apple for bringing Unix to the mainstream.
Broadband is given away for free, as Pres Bush says "Every American is born with the right to Broadband Internet Access."
Record companies lower prices of music cds to under $5.
and … The Cubs win the World Series! ;)

Hey, it's been almost a century, it's about time, right?

poocat, Ohayo gozaimasu, tokyo ni ii otenki desu ka?
sorry, I felt the need to make use of the 2 semesters of Japanese I took:p

go Cubs

[poocat]

ohayo!

you clearly (by taking the initiative to use it) have proven your infinite superiority over me in the "comprehension of japanese" area.

oops.
i just live here.
(but i'm learning to read/speak more and more every day...)

it ain't easy.
those 2,000,000,000,000+ kanji really make my life hell.
:)

and i love every minute of it.
but back to baseball.

what the frick is wrong with my beloved cardinals?!
they have the best team in baseball (to hell with you yankee fans! :))
and they lose to the brewers?
and they lose to the mets?
and they lose at all?

wack. mad mad wack.

luckily the cubs and 'stros aren't any better,
and i believe (how could i not?!) that the pirates will fall apart soon.

whooof. what a way to start though.

poocat.

[Thundarr]

Big clash between my favs the Yankees and my hometeam the Mariners this weekend. Have tickets, will be schizophrenic. Should be a blast.

Don't worry about the Cards, poocat. We are still in the beginning of the season. I still see big things from that team soon.

What I think is the best story this season is the Expos and the Twins winning. The best way to beat contraction is to win. Get the fans involved. Show that small market teams can play exciting baseball, and the 'Xpos and Twinkies are doing just that. Screw Bud Selig.

[maxelson]

Well, not a bad weekend for the Spankmees. 2-1 for the series with the Mariners. Still a game and a half behind, though. Now, now. Not gloating. When it comes to the Sox, I will not gloat until the WS is in hand. At THAT juncture, no one will begrudge the Sox fan a little gloating.
So. Lowe in a No hitter. Nice turn around for him, even if it was against one of the worst teams in Baseball. If no hitters were easy, they would not be so special.
About theose Rangers. I giggle. Johnny Rocker to the minors. I giggle uncontrollably. Everett sucking. I raise my fists and wave them around in glee. Any misfortune for the Yanks (pick one of late) is cause to celebrate.

[Thundarr]

Thought I would resurrect this thread now that we are at the halfway mark. Just some of my thoughts...

How sad it has been with the deaths of Jack Buck, Darryl Kile, and Teddie Ballgame. They will be missed dearly.

With the Yanks and Braves firmly entrenched in first, looks like the usual culprits are at it again. the Bo Sox are going through their usual mid season swoon. Can they stop the bleeding?

Love those Twinkies standing up and giving ole' Bud the bird when it comes to contraction. Contract this, Buddy-boy.

The M's all of a sudden find themselves in a dog fight with Anaheim and the A's. Who would've thought after their big season last year. Are they in danger of missing the post-season?

Schilling is dominating. Woe to all who meet up with the D'backs in the post-season.

Castillo had that nice hitting streak run. Wished he could have made it longer. It was exciting for a team in the tank.

No strike please! Players, let the owners lock you out next year if necessary, but do not disrupt the integrity of the game with another strike this year. I guess the All-star game already demonstrated that the fans are only a secondary concern, but I am hoping for someone to step up and make it right this year.

Add in your thoughts!

[clyde2575]

I'm in Az and I say the Diamondbacks all the way.

[hoytt]

I'm a Braves' fan since I got introduced to baseball back in 1993. As for the Daimondbacks' fans, the Braves recently took the series 2-1 :p .
Atlanta will make the play-offs and after that it's a whole new ball game. I think that the NLCS will be the Braves against the Daimondbacks this year.

The one thing I'm hoping for is to see those Yankess get kicked out of the devisional series by the Red Sox. As long as the Yankees don't make it to the World Series I'm quite happy.

[Thundarr]

I'm a Yankees fan hoytt, and would want them in every year if I could. But I am also a baseball fan and realize that that scenario would not be great for baseball. There is one world series matchup that I would love to see this year that doesn't include the Yankees. The D'backs versus the BoSox. Imagine a Pedro-Schilling matchup the first night, followed by a Lowe-BigUnit matchup the next. Wow, would that be great baseball. That might generate some real interest in the world series again.

[Andrew LaGow]

It'd be great for baseball, Thundarr, except the Sox would, inevitably, lose.

I'd rather have the Yankees in there because at least there'd be some question as to who might win.

Andy

[Craig R. Arko]

Well, given that the Twins played the Dodgers in '65, the Cards in '87, and the Braves in '91, I guess I'm rooting for Barry and the Giants to pay a visit to the Dome this year. :cool:

[beus]

Hey Craig,

Me too! I am definitely rooting for the Giants, and Barry to win his first World Series ring. Last year I actually wanted the Diamondbacks and Johnson to win -- I felt Johnson, with his consistantly brilliant pitching, deserved to go all the way. Besides, I must admit, I was truly getting tired of watching the Yankees win (don't tell my Dad -- I am from New York and he is still a definite Yankees fan ;) ) But this year I have wanted the Giants from the beginning. Bonds to me is one of the greatest players to have ever played the sport. This year, after his astonishing, almost mind-boggling numbers of last year, he quietly went on to put up record breaking numbers again! He shattered the walks record for a single season (which he also broke last year), just missing the 200 mark, and he had the most unbelievable on base percentage. He is having the best years of his life -- truly peaking -- in his late 30s. I love it! :) Whatever you may think about his personality, you have got to admire the guy as a baseball player.

Anyway, enough rambling... I was thrilled when I saw that the Giants beat the Braves in game 5 -- and on some Bond's heroics no less. Bring on them Cards -- another great match-up! Can't wait...

Cheers...

[Thundarr]

As a Yankee fan, I am of course disappointed. As a baseball fan, I am thrilled. This is the best thing that could have happened to baseball in a year that almost left us without a post-season. Four brand new teams, each scrappy and each with a shot to win. My personal favorite match-up: the Cards versus the Twinkies. The sentimental favorite versus the up-yours Bud Selig favorite. The outcome of the playoffs this year puts everyone on notice that good team dynamics and never-quit playing is what gets you to the show, not money, egos, or anything else. Hopefully more fans can get involved in this year's outcome and the spirit of what baseball is truly about can be resurrected.

BTW, my favorite moment in baseball history that I was around to see, Gibson's home run in 1988 to win the World Series. That was guts and class. Yours?

[edlake]

My favorite moment was the 1969 Mets winning the World Series. I was working nights at the time and was able to watch all the games (they came on in the daytime in those days). I celebrated the final out with a small bottle of champagne before I went to work.

When I got to downtown Manhattan, it looked like the ticker-tape parade was all over town!

What a great day that was.

[beus]

One of my favorite moments had to have been the NLCS in 1986 between the Houston Astros and the Mets. The World Series that year with the Red Sox was also amazing. But the last game with the Astros was astonishing. I remember feeling dizzy from all the excitement of that game and my voice was gone after all the shouting! The Mets didn't necessarily have the best team in baseball that year, but they were so much fun to watch -- magical!