I’ve never minded the Yankees. As a Cubs fan who was always pissed off the team wasn’t doing everything they could to win, I never developed the hatred for a team that did everything it could to win. The Yankees were always what I wanted the Cubs to be.
I bet the slice of the Venn diagram that shows overlap between Cubany other team’s fans and Yankees as an acceptable choice to root for is quite small.
If I could easily switch to the Dodgers, I would in a heartbeat. I’d also probably switch to a handful of other teams as well without a second thought. Unfortunately I made the bad decisions to become a Cubs fan a long time ago and it seems to be one I can’t undo.
I think I’d have trouble rooting for a team if I knew it would definitely not win a World Series over that span, just because part of the fun of baseball is that weird stuff can happen.
Even a team in a rebuild has a chance of hitting on trades and drafts earlier than expected and catching fire. While the goal of any franchise should be sustained long postseason runs, the point of those postseason appearances is to try to win a World Series.
I’m the opposite. Tell me when I’m 10 years old that one team is going to play in the LCS every year and the WS 35% of the time, but never win and the other team is going to win it all every 15 years, but generally suck in between and that’s an easy decision for me. I’d gladly trade never getting to root for a team that won for a team that wins every damn season even if it doesn’t win it all. Those last few games of the playoffs are huge, but they’re small when it comes to the overall enjoyment for me anyway.
I’d disagree with this. Psychologically, we typically best remember the highest peak of an experience and the way it ends, and our overall enjoyment level of the memory is roughly the average of those two feelings. So every season you’d remember some great moments and a totally frustrating one.
1984, 1989, 1998, and 2003 stand out vividly as some of my favorite disappointments. (dying laughing). 2015 was ridiculously consistently fun and surprising, and when they lost in the NLCS it felt like the Cubs were on the cusp of something amazing (somewhat accurately, it turned out). And because my hopes that finished the year did turn out to be realistic, that’s the only non-championship year that doesn’t carry a bitter aftertaste in my memory.
Basically this question is, would you rather be a Braves fan (minus the one championship) or have a Cublike chance at another WS? I just can’t buy into a decade assured of no titles. I’ll take the Cubs’ one-in-a-million shot, thank you.
Obviously I’ve been afflicted by the disease of Cubs fandom, but at this point the thing I would miss the most is not the current players, playoff chances, etc., but having Pat Hughes in my ears every summer.
Once Pat retires (and I think it will be sooner than many of us might guess) that link to all the Cubs teams that I’ve been a fan of will be a lot weaker. I noticed this year that they’ve been slipping in a lot more Zach Zaidman clips into the Cubs promos this year, and Pat has had a lot more days off.
andcounting: Basically this question is, would you rather be a Braves fan (minus the one championship) or have a Cublike chance at another WS? I just can’t buy into a decade assured of no titles. I’ll take the Cubs’ one-in-a-million shot, thank you.
For me, that’s easy. I’d be a Braves fan. I see what you’re saying and you may well be right, though I think we can probably look at how many people like being Marlins fans to assess that. Not many people like being Marlins fans and they’ve won a couple championships already out of nowhere. They’ve sucked ass other than that. I don’t think that one championship or the possibility of a championship keeps as many fans interested as you think it does. Winning and contending year in and year out keeps fans around. In fact, I think that’s the only thing that keeps fans interested in their favorite team these days. There is way too much other stuff to watch or go do than to sit around and watch if your team isn’t winning.
The frustrating thing about the Cubs right now is that from 2015-17, it looked like they’d be the solution to both of those fandom options. It’s remarkable how much less than the sum of its parts the team has been.
I wouldn’t say the recent run of Cubs winning has been at all fluky – it was the product of quite a bit of thought and deliberate action. The machine has just been a lot worse at sustaining itself than it reasonably should have been.
I’m the opposite. Tell me when I’m 10 years old that one team is going to play in the LCS every year and the WS 35% of the time, but never win and the other team is going to win it all every 15 years, but generally suck in between and that’s an easy decision for me. I’d gladly trade never getting to root for a team that won for a team that wins every damn season even if it doesn’t win it all. Those last few games of the playoffs are huge, but they’re small when it comes to the overall enjoyment for me anyway.
(dying laughing). You must have been an interesting ten year old. Ask me when I’m ten years old and I’ll say gimme the World Series win every fifteen (and tbh I’d probably say it now too).
Why? Because as a ten year old in the backyard swinging a bat, when I imagined hitting the walkoff grand slam to win the game for the Cubs, it wasn’t for a fourth consecutive division title.
I will add that now that the Cubs have won the World Series, I’d be far more satisfied with a 10 yr stretch with lots of winning but no championship than I would have been before. That 108 year thing cast a helluva shadow.
Yeah, I would definitely not want the Marlins fan experience at all. That was a malicious commitment to losing between championship bookends. To be worth following, a team has to maintain some semblance of loyalty to at least a few players from one year to the next.
I’m assuming the Cubs don’t completely gut the team, but if they do? I’d consider switching allegiances. But I still wouldn’t entertain an offer that guaranteed no championships.
Being a Marlins fan is no doubt more painful, but Braves fandom at large was taunted for years for not selling out home playoff games towards the end of their run.
Smokestack Lightning: You must have been an interesting ten year old. Ask me when I’m ten years old and I’ll say gimme the World Series win every fifteen (and tbh I’d probably say it now too).
I’d probably have taken the WS at that age too, but I’m in my mid-40s at this point and I basically know what rooting for a team that sucks my entire life feels like. It sucked, though it’s been a bit better lately and there’s reason to be hopeful. I didn’t know what that felt like when I was 10.
So yeah, at 10 I’d have taken the instant World Series because I’m 10 and instant gratification is awesome and all, but in my mid 40s I’m going to take the team that performs better overall with all things considered. That’s just me though.
andcounting: I’m assuming the Cubs don’t completely gut the team, but if they do? I’d consider switching allegiances.
That’s the thing, if I was going to switch, I’d have already done so. I’m one of them suckers at this point that would still be a Cubs fan if the best player on the team next season was Alvin Yellon. I made the deal to stick with this team through all kinds of shitty baseball a long time ago. That deal literally said “shitty baseball” and it’s a lifelong contract.
So much bad baseball. For all the justified talk of the juiced ball, there sure does seem to be a shit ton of unearned runs being allowed this postseason.
Also, if the perennial winner was doing it with the likes of ARod, Ty Cobb, Clemens, Bud Norris and Clint Hurdle, that would make it even easier for me to root for the team with Rey Sanchez, Scott Sanderson, Joe Borowski, CJ Jr, AA Jr, Starlin Castro, Fowler, Heyward, and core 4 types.
Yeah, I was thinking yesterday about what sports would be like if I knew the results ahead of time. I realized the not knowing is a huge part of enjoying it. I know this for sure now that most of my baseball watching and listening is through streaming. When the score changes during Cubs game I get notifications on my phone a few seconds before it happens on TV. Knowing what happens even a few seconds before I get to see it drives me nuts, so a full decade in advance would absolutely take all the fun out of it. Occasionally I’ll be at someone’s house where they pause the game during meals and stuff, and I may occasionally murder someone, I kinda black out, I don’t really know.
andcounting: Occasionally I’ll be at someone’s house where they pause the game during meals and stuff, and I may occasionally murder someone, I kinda black out, I don’t really know.
It’s perfectly acceptable to murder someone who pauses a live Cubs game. I may or may not have done it.
Joe espada is interesting…I don’t know a ton about him but pretty much anyone coming out of the astros organization is pretty good in my book. Girardi would be fine too.
I’m not really excited about Girardi, but I wouldn’t hate it.
I think Espada wpuld be interesting too, and agree with sentiment about poaching from Astros.
I assume the new guy will want to replace pitching and hotting coaches, but that’d be 3 yr in a row. Ugh. That would seem to give an insider the leg up…Loretta, Venable, Ross.
But Theo says previous managing experience preferred. After Girardi, there is Gibbons, Bochy, Farrell, Showalter, Sveum again, Ausmus, Wakamatsu (maybe he was only an interim ), the guy who Snitger replaced in Atlanta who was previously with Miami or TB (obv don’t remember his name, but his tactical skill HHorrible), and others fired this year. Aside from Bochy and maybe Ausmus, that’s a pretty meh group.
I kinda think all Theo’s talk about experience being important and Ross’s relationships with guys from 2016 meaning nothing was just window dressing to make it look like he won a legit competitive vetting and hiring process. In reality they’ve had him pegged as the next manager since last winter.
I’ll be really surprised if they hire someone other than David Ross. I have no idea who is the best person for the job, but based on the last several years of what people have said about Ross, the Cubs absolutely love him and he’s well respected by the players.
I also don’t mind. The stress on accountability, I think, is something they see as a strength with Ross. His teammates at the time seemed to think he had the ability to call someone on their bullshit without losing them/pissing them off, i.e. doing it constructively and positively. That quality alone is really valuable and rare. If that’s a skill he has, great. You could argue that his presence/absence made a huge difference in the overall mojo of the team (2015-2016 vs. 2017-2019). People would argue with you, but you could argue that. Regardless, I wouldn’t hate the move.
Yeah, Theo would hate the perception he’s being predictable or sentimental, but I think everyone knows they value him. Kinda like picking the GM to be with him in the front office and hiring Maddon were no-brainers, this seems like the same thing.
anyone here check out season three of true detective? i was unaware of its existence but really liked the first season and BN Brett says that season three is legit. worth checking out?
I actually think it’s funny there’s a game five that could have ended up being used as a rest day for a bunch of players after the top of the first. The Cardinals could have taken out almost every starter and rested them if they had enough bodies.
While I’m bummed that the Nats finally won a postseason series, it’s pretty hilarious that the Dodgers are done. Honestly, I’m happy seeing all the NL teams in this year’s postseason lose.
How many times do I have to tell you guys that they already won the World Series. It’s a done deal. Sealed.
I’ve often wondered if I actually died immediately after the Cubs won the World Series and everything since then has actually been Hell. This would be another data point in support of that hypothesis.
I suppose that’s possible. I don’t actually believe in Hell, but it would be pretty on-brand to start with something great and hopeful only to chase it with a complete horror show.
So the premise of the show is a Cubs fan named Perkins goes into a coma to protect himself from the shock of the stunning 9th-inning collapse by overused closer Aroldis Chapman in the Cubs’ tragic Game 7 loss to Cleveland. In his coma, he experiences an alternate reality in which Chapman records the final out in the 9th, rain delays the game, and the Cubs rally to win in 10 innings.
For the rest of the show, his brain plays out this alternate world where the reality he knows struggles against the results he had hoped for in what turns out to be a hellish paradox. The Cubs never return to the World Series, Donald Trump becomes president, and western civilization starts moving backward.
The whole point is to drive home the perils of trying to force ridiculous fantasies into reality and how the fabric of our universe unravels when we grapple for what we want instead of enjoying what we’re given.
You know, when you pitch it as a television show, it sounds a lot cooler.
But within the two weeks after the Cubs won the World Series, I lost faith in the American people and system (and continue to question the point of my having served in the Army), and one of my cats died suddenly of pancreatic cancer. That month basically broke my brain to some extent, so it has not been fun to live it.
But I’d totally pay to watch that as a TV show or movie (dying laughing).
andcounting: For the rest of the show, his brain plays out this alternate world where the reality he knows struggles against the results he had hoped for in what turns out to be a hellish paradox. The Cubs never return to the World Series, Donald Trump becomes president, and western civilization starts moving backward.
To think that some Cubs fans wouldn’t trade away that championship to be rid of Trump is worth a spinoff show itself.
Yeah, I’d definitely take the 10 NLCS appearances, 3 WS losses, and no championship in exchange for no Trump or watch Back to the Future IV if it involved interfering with Game 7 to turn the tide of the election in 2016. And if I could pull myself out of this fascist coma and wave goodbye to that ridiculous joy, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
I think most people around this blog would be happy to trade that WS for no Trump, but there’s a sizable number of Cubs fans who would not and many of them would describe themselves as liberal or Democrat.
This series seems eerily familiar to the 2017 NLDS against the Cubs when the Nats spent the entire series flirting with no-hitters (and somehow lost, because baseball is a cruel bastard).
If no injuries, I could see them going 11-5 and making a little noise in the playoffs. But I’d like to see them against a really good team before I get too excited.
Also, it appears the Nats fanbase is trying to catch the Cubs in the all-important “Needless hate for the greatest player on your team in recent memory” rankings.
Are they hating on him? Personally I find it funny/great that the year they lose one of the highest paid players in baseball they make it to the World Series, but I am not hating on Harper by any means.
It’s not exactly as bad as it would have been if the Cavs went to the finals when LeBron left, but it’s embarrassing. But the Nats did sign 9 WAR worth of FA starting pitching in the offseason to damper the loss. Just goes to fuel that conspiracy theory that improving your team helps in the long run.
Adam: If you’re into high-ceiling but risky prospects, are Brailyn Marquez and Brennan Davis — and not Nico Hoerner — the best Cubs’ prospects?
Keith Law: Hoerner does seem lower upside, and he didn’t perform well after an aggressive assignment to AA this year. If you think Marquez is a likely starter, he’s their best guy. If not, it’s probably Davis.
Cora was announced before the World Series a couple years ago. I assume the Cubs will make an announcement before the WS if they are done with interviews. Supposedly they are.
Yeah, whoever it is, I imagine the announcement will arrive the day after the Yankees or Astros advance.
I really don’t know who the right choice is. More than likely either Ross or Espada will be fine, so long as the front office can muster the resolve to try to make the team good again.
If I’m leaning anywhere, it’s probably Espada, because if it’s Ross it will be impossible for me to resist the low-hanging fruit of posting this picture after every Cubs win.
I’ll still be surprised if it’s not David Ross. I’m sure Espada would be fine and maybe even better (who knows at this point?), but the Cubs have more familiarity with Ross and he with them.
Even if the coach is on the WS team they would announce him? Huh TIL
Cora was announced before the World Series a couple years ago. I assume the Cubs will make an announcement before the WS if they are done with interviews. Supposedly they are.
Word may leak out, but there’s not going to be an announcement until after the World Series unless the Cubs got approval from MLB. I think they did that one year and announced during an off day. I’m guessing the whole thing gets pushed at this point until after the cardinals win it all.
I worked at a Sbarro at a mall in Michigan as a teenager. Worst job I ever had. Lasted 3 weeks. Would have been better maybe if I hadn’t worked at a family pizzeria first before corporate.
On a serious note, one of the best pizza places in NYC (di Fara) is in my neighborhood. The wait is usually over an hour, and it’s cash only. Absolutely worth a trip.
Ryno, is it okay if I hop on the SF bandwagon for the rest of the season? Strong defense, good running game, manageable QB. Seems like a good fit. I also have Kittle and 49ers D on fantasy and my only other tie to SF is liking the Dead and I’ve been there once, though I do have another trip planned there later this year.
Assuming Cubs announce new manager the day after World Series is over, do I want a 7 game series to prolong baseball, or a short series so I get the answer sooner?
WaLi:
Ryno, is it okay if I hop on the SF bandwagon for the rest of the season? Strong defense, good running game, manageable QB. Seems like a good fit. I also have Kittle and 49ers D on fantasy and my only other tie to SF is liking the Dead and I’ve been there once, though I do have another trip planned there later this year.
Yes. I’m starting to believe a bit myself.
Though now that the team plays in Santa Clara, they’re closer to San Jose than SF. You might have to alter your trip a bit.
Yeah, I’m hearing the voices from outside my head, too. (dying laughing)
If the Cubs want to make people feel really good about this choice they’ll let leak that players believe Ross had more to do with the clubhouse tone in 2015–16 than Maddon did.
MLB will be dealing with the KB/MLB issue over his call-up this week according to Kaplan. Will determine whether he’s a free agent after 2020 or the following year. If you’re the Cubs and you lose, which I think they should, what do you do? Seems to me you’ve either got to sign him to an extension or trade him at that point.
It’s an insult in my opinion. Espada has a real job at the moment and Ross is out golfing. Of course Ross is going to be better prepared when Thoyer calls them up and asks them to come up with a creative writing assignment. I’m sure there are more factors that went in to picking Ross as the manager, but to say that this put him over the top is bullshit.
A) it has to be pretty standard fare for an interview, especially a second interview for any manager position.
B) it also has to be pretty likely that the difference it made is getting blown out of proportion. I think it’s most likely that Ross gave a really good speech that impressed them. There is a certain quality that they were hoping to see and they saw it. If David Ross has a good understanding of what this team needs to hear or needs to have an a manager, or if his mentality is running parallel with the way Theo and Jed are thinking, that’s great.
I get the feeling from people’s reactions that this choice is some kind of rejection of analytics or something. As far as I’m concerned, the analytics portion of the interview could have consisted of this: will you listen to us when we tell you what the data says you should do as a manager?
Yes.
Ok.
I do not understand why anyone would expect a manager to need some type of data analysis degree. That’s not his job. All you need from a manager in that regard is someone who trusts what the data people tell him. If the front office isn’t absolutely sure that David Ross will trust their input from a statistical standpoint and make in-game decisions accordingly, they aren’t giving him this job.
I don’t think what the Cubs did is that different (or any different) than what other organizations do for interviews. I’m sure Espada can multi-task. Not sure I’d want him as the manager if he couldn’t. Honestly, I think Espada was going to have to be so, so much better than Ross to get the job. The job was David’s unless something went wrong. You can spend 10-12 hours interviewing someone, but it’s not going to replace the decade of familiarity you’ve got with Ross. The Cubs know what they’re going to get with Ross and this is probably the last managerial hire they’ll get so they’re going to go with someone who makes them feel comfortable.
(dying laughing) at Smoltz’s answer to why pitchers often give up runs on the first inning and settle down later (correct answer: because they’re facing the top of the order).
It’s an insult in my opinion. Espada has a real job at the moment and Ross is out golfing. Of course Ross is going to be better prepared when Thoyer calls them up and asks them to come up with a creative writing assignment. I’m sure there are more factors that went in to picking Ross as the manager, but to say that this put him over the top is bullshit.
Eh. I’ve had an extensive job interview a time or two, and stuff like that was part of it. It’s pretty silly but really not that big of a deal.
So Ross did the better Matt Foley impersonation. Good for him. If the Cubs don’t fix the roster, he’s gonna need it.
“Once I read what I had tweeted, I realized the violence in those words.”
Riiiiiight. Because advocating armed insurrection isn’t intuitively and inherently violent. At least say you were on cough syrup or huffing paint or something.
Pretty obvious fire mandate, right? I’m buying a rifle to rebel against the government if they decide to take appropriate action against the president if it turns out the transcript he published of his corrupt behavior in office turns out to be accurate? That’s gotta be borderline prosecutable. I’ve been nervous to voice a wish that Lindsey Graham’s characterization of a “lynching in every sense” could please oh please be true. I’d imagine if I tweeted that I was buying a noose just in case, I may lose my high-profile, top-level job in sports.
Drake tweeted late Tuesday that he planned to buy an AR-15 rifle “because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020.”
1. There’s nothing wrong with preparing for a military conflict over the archaeological site in the Petén Basin region of the southern Maya lowlands.
2. Love it or leave it. Yeeeeeeee-hawwwwww!! *fires pistol in the air*
I’d think so, but there is still the argument that one has the right to express their opinion on their own time. Otoh, MLB is an industry in the public eye.
Could be a small opening for public service, perhaps with immigrants or underprivileged communities.
He must be ok behind the plate, because I don’t know his name.
dmick89:
Should the Cubs go after Cole this offseason and if so, how high would you go?
Presumably cole is some sort of white supremacist? If so, then yes.
But seriously, no price is too high for cole. I am all in. Cubs rotation will be hendricks, darvish, q, and a big huge question mark in lester. Desperately need an ace. If the question is deciding between cole and rendon, I guess that’s tougher. But I think IF you have to decide between fixing the shitty outfield and fixing what will be a shitty rotation, you put the dollars into the rotation and get creative with the outfield.
Figure 6 WAR next year, and then 5/5/4/3/2/2 for the remaining years of a 7-year contract. That is 10m per win, which is I think above market value. But I don’t see a better alternative.
Yeah, they need a top of the rotation starter and they can get Cole without giving any other players up. It will cost a ton, but if they want to contend that’s probably what it’s going to take.
That’s an option too and I’m not opposed to it. You’ve got some pieces that could bring you some top prospects and hopefully the turnaround would be fairly quick in terms of when the Cubs could contend again. I don’t want to see the Cubs half ass it like they have the last year, year and a half. Either go for it now or in a few years.
It seems like if you have a few players who could yield top quality prospects in return, you should be competitive without making the deals (like when the Marlins unloaded Yelich, Ozuna, and Stanton…I still struggle to understand how that happened). So it pains me to imagine the Cubs dealing Baez, Bryant, and Contreras, or really any of them.
But if the Cubs instead decide to go sign Cole and/or Rendon, I imagine they’re going to feign financial inflexibility for the next decade or so and we’ll be facing this same conundrum every year.
But I’m expecting them to trade Bote or someone like that, sign no one of consequence, and replace the entire coaching and development staff.
I’d think so,but there is still the argument that one has the right to express their opinion on their own time.Otoh, MLB is an industry in the public eye.
Could be a small opening for public service,perhaps with immigrants or underprivileged communities.
He must be ok behind the plate, because I don’t know his name.
In the pyramid of fireable offenses, I think voicing a shitty opinion is on the low end (lots of people do it, but depending on the situation, you might get fired, probably reprimanded, and some kind of sensitivity training may be in order.) Spousal abuse is somewhere above that (maybe a step above threatening a spouse with violence—a similar but more severe range of punishment/treatment). I have to think publicly threatening terrorism is higher up the pyramid. It’s rarer, more freakish, more indicative of potential future damage, and not protected free speech. And I have to imagine if he had expressed this same sentiment in defense of Senator Omar, armed agents would have stormed his front door in a matter of hours.
andcounting: I have to think publicly threatening terrorism is higher up the pyramid. It’s rarer, more freakish, more indicative of potential future damage, and not protected free speech.
This. The man essentially threatened to go to war with people who disagree with him with an a gun that kill a shitload of people in a hurry. This is the kind of threat that we look back on and wonder why nobody did anything at the time. At the very least the man needs serious help before re-entering society. He’s either an individual that deserves to be locked up or needs to be hospitalized. Threatening to kill hundreds of people is not protected speech.
I keep seeing these articles about how difficult it might be for Ross to manage some of his old teammates are his friends. Is it really? I’ve managed friends before. I’ve managed people I’ve been coworkers with before too. It’s a little weird at first, but that’s about it and I never had trouble being their boss. Not to mention, there’s this thing called parenthood where people essentially manage a couple underlings that they love to death. If you can be a mother or father, managing your friends or former coworkers is nothing. Besides, if Jon Lester wants to throw a fit about how Ross manages him, that’s an issue Lester was going to have with any manager.
Every person who writes that kind of article has a boss who used to be their colleague that they resent and disrespect with a passion. (dying laughing)
Yeah. That’s dumb reporting. Plus assuming Russell non tender and Strop not re-signed, then only 8 players remain from 16 and if we dump Almora then 7.
Max Scherzer had issues with his upper back and neck yesterday. Today, he woke up with the pain much worse, leaving him unable to pitch tonight. Joe Ross will pitch today.
I’d argue that it was, even if he beat the throw by a very narrow margin, simply because his presence in fair territory (and he was in fair territory the entire way) made it more difficult for the first baseman to receive the throw. I find it pretty impossible to be certain that the first baseman couldn’t have extended further, seen the throw better, or made any other adjustment to get his glove on the ball earlier (or that the player making the throw wasn’t adversely affected by the runner’s illegal position OR that the runner didn’t reach base earlier by neglecting to adjust his running lane in accordance with this rule we’ve all known about since we were 6).
I can see being upset about it if he crossed the baseline at the last second or if he beat the throw by a half step. But it was a very close play during which he never got anywhere close to the legal running lane.
I do think the rule should be changed and an extra base added, but according to current rules, he’s out and really stupid.
Honestly why the fuck not (other than the fact it looks fucking stupid). If it can prevent people from sliding into first and prevent a few injuries they should do it.
The assertion that he called it a ball because he was getting shown up doesn’t make sense to me.
One of two things happened: the catcher got up out of his crouch so early that it affected the ump’s ability to make the call, or he didn’t.
If he did, it is the catcher’s fault.
If he didn’t, the ump had already made up his mind before the catcher got up. You can see from his other calls that he rings up the batter just about immediately after the ball hits the catcher’s mitt.
The ump’s comment could have been influenced by the catcher showing up, but I don’t see how his call could have been unless he had already raised his arm to call him out and then dropped it..
I’m not sure putting an extra base in foul territory would help the situation. Right-handed hitters would still take the shortest route to the base, which is in fair territory. I’d probably change the rule so that the fielder throws to first at his own risk, just as for every other base.
1. The pitch was a strike and should’ve been called as such.
2. The catcher in no way obstructed the umpire’s view (get it?).
3. The umpire handled the situation improperly.
imo
Some umpires seem to have a warped view of their responsibilities. I think it’s time for someone to remove their judgment from the game and put them in their place.
Yeah, I really don’t dispute 1 or 2. 3 I don’t really agree with or really care. I think it’s a high-pressure situation where everyone handled it like they were pretty stressed out. I look at it like this:
1. The pitch was close enough to be difficult to call, especially breaking the way it was,
2. Any umpire has to know they’re about to catch serious shit on that pitch no matter which call they make.
3. Catcher gets up and runs toward the dugout before hearing the call. Knowing he’s not calling it a strike, that has to irritate the fuck out of the umpire.
The ump could have said nothing, but the catcher could have waited to hear a call before celebrating. I don’t think either was that bad. It started going bad when the catcher said, “Oh, so it’s my fault?” I mean, are these two dating?
Some umpires seem to have a warped view of their responsibilities. I think it’s time for someone to remove their judgment from the game and put them in their place.
The really crazy thing is the dynamic between umpires and the league/players. As umpires, you have to have authority that means something, because everyone fucking hates you half the time.
I can’t think of too many jobs you could have where you have at your disposal something that a) can almost completely prevent you from making mistakes and b) everyone else uses to learn instantly and irrefutably when you do make mistakes . . . yet you and all your colleagues refuse to use it. You keep on making mistakes for everyone to see and judge.
But they have fought for respect for so long and taken pride in what they do for so long, that they have had to inoculate themselves against all criticism. The single thread holding their identity together is that their sense of judgment is the only one that matters, and allowing some system that can be shared by all to replace their high and mighty scrutiny would render them almost powerless. It’s like they’re Christians.
Ryno: Some umpires seem to have a warped view of their responsibilities. I think it’s time for someone to remove their judgment from the game and put them in their place.
sure sounds like you are advocating for some sort of robot uprising
can any of the site admins please check to make sure ryno passed the “I am not a robot” test at the bottom of this page
I don’t envy them at all and I do acknowledge they’re kind of in a no-win situation. It’s almost like some organization should help them by removing their judgment and making them a buffer between player and rule enforcer.
The rumor mill suggests Ross’s former manager bench coach could be Riggleman, Farrell or Fredi Gonzalez. They’d help with in game strategy/management. I watched a lot of Braves games with Fredi as manager. He’s about the worst strategy/game manager I’ve ever seen.
You know how many times I had to run to cover first base for him to win the gold glove? I’m 60 feet away from first base, but him? He’s only 10 feet away.
Interestingly, looks like the players aren’t fans (or at least one player)
Arizona Fall League players, who wrapped up their season last month, were not advocates of the automated strike zone. Angels prospect Brandon Marsh told Baseball America’s Josh Norris he is “not a fan,” and several players — both hitters and pitchers — said they essentially had to re-calibrate their strike zone because more high pitches were being called strikes.
Michael Lewis’s podcast on society’s referees starts with a look at how nasty the relationship between players/coaches and refs has been since the NBA has implemented huge improvements to how fairly and accurately the games are called. There’s basically this huge backlash over losing the rule-bending advantages the biases of the human element used to afford them. I can see the same thing happening in baseball when machines don’t give a shit how many Cy Youngs you’ve won or that it’s a 3-0 count or a 2-strike count or you’re crowding the plate or you framed it well.
Hope the labor went well and all the baby smiles and gurgles are making your recovery and transition to nursing, new sleep schedules, and parenthood smooth as….
I read an article about this some time ago. The upshot I got was the “stars” were upset because they couldn’t carry the ball for 15′ etc. Same premise in the podcast?
I’m fine w robot umps now, having seen the playoffs.
Comments
Go Nats, I guess.
berseliusQuote Reply
Go Yankees.
PerkinsQuote Reply
berselius,
The Nats without Harper would be fun to watch win. Living in FL though I’ll root for the Rays.
WaLiQuote Reply
Anyone but Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, or Cardinals. I realize I’m essentially picking the final four teams, (dying laughing).
andcountingQuote Reply
I don’t care who wins it.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Not all paths lead to disappointment, but the ones that do all start at caring.
andcountingQuote Reply
Perkins,
I bet the slice of the Venn diagram that shows overlap between Cub fans and Yankees as an acceptable choice to root for is quite small.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I’ve never minded the Yankees. As a Cubs fan who was always pissed off the team wasn’t doing everything they could to win, I never developed the hatred for a team that did everything it could to win. The Yankees were always what I wanted the Cubs to be.
dmick89Quote Reply
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I’m a New Yorker at this point and they’re my wife’s team, so they’re my team when the Cubs are out of it.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Weird how Kershaw is not the Dodgers’ game 1 starter, though Buehler might actually be a better pitcher at this point.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing), Cardinals
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
So the NL Central is just one giant error.
andcountingQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Is Kershaw their #3? If that’s the case, they have a decent shot at winning some ballgames.
andcountingQuote Reply
It’s a little sad watching Andrew Miller now.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
andcounting,
They have Kershaw in game 2 and Ryu in game 3. That’s still not as scary as the Astros’ top three, though.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Barves
berseliusQuote Reply
If the Braves don’t win this series, I’ll have to root for the Dodgers, since they have the best chance of preventing a Cardinals pennant.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Eat shit, Barves.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
You guys must not have seen my comment about the Cardinals winning the World Series.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
You don’t root for the Mets to keep things spicy?
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I already root for one team that fails in frustrating ways. No reason to make it two.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Somehow I find myself half rooting for the cardinals because of Dexter.
andcountingQuote Reply
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Interesting thought exercise for some of you:
Assume you know the Dodgers will appear in the next seven NLCSes and three of the next seven World Series, yet never win it all.
Assume you only what you know right now about the Cubs,
Which team would you rather be a fan of from 2016-2025?
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
If I could easily switch to the Dodgers, I would in a heartbeat. I’d also probably switch to a handful of other teams as well without a second thought. Unfortunately I made the bad decisions to become a Cubs fan a long time ago and it seems to be one I can’t undo.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ryno,
I think I’d have trouble rooting for a team if I knew it would definitely not win a World Series over that span, just because part of the fun of baseball is that weird stuff can happen.
Even a team in a rebuild has a chance of hitting on trades and drafts earlier than expected and catching fire. While the goal of any franchise should be sustained long postseason runs, the point of those postseason appearances is to try to win a World Series.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I’m the opposite. Tell me when I’m 10 years old that one team is going to play in the LCS every year and the WS 35% of the time, but never win and the other team is going to win it all every 15 years, but generally suck in between and that’s an easy decision for me. I’d gladly trade never getting to root for a team that won for a team that wins every damn season even if it doesn’t win it all. Those last few games of the playoffs are huge, but they’re small when it comes to the overall enjoyment for me anyway.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I’d disagree with this. Psychologically, we typically best remember the highest peak of an experience and the way it ends, and our overall enjoyment level of the memory is roughly the average of those two feelings. So every season you’d remember some great moments and a totally frustrating one.
1984, 1989, 1998, and 2003 stand out vividly as some of my favorite disappointments. (dying laughing). 2015 was ridiculously consistently fun and surprising, and when they lost in the NLCS it felt like the Cubs were on the cusp of something amazing (somewhat accurately, it turned out). And because my hopes that finished the year did turn out to be realistic, that’s the only non-championship year that doesn’t carry a bitter aftertaste in my memory.
Basically this question is, would you rather be a Braves fan (minus the one championship) or have a Cublike chance at another WS? I just can’t buy into a decade assured of no titles. I’ll take the Cubs’ one-in-a-million shot, thank you.
andcountingQuote Reply
Also: I have no idea what it would be like as a baseball fan to see my team lose the World Series, let alone 3 times in ten years.
andcountingQuote Reply
Ryno,
Obviously I’ve been afflicted by the disease of Cubs fandom, but at this point the thing I would miss the most is not the current players, playoff chances, etc., but having Pat Hughes in my ears every summer.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Once Pat retires (and I think it will be sooner than many of us might guess) that link to all the Cubs teams that I’ve been a fan of will be a lot weaker. I noticed this year that they’ve been slipping in a lot more Zach Zaidman clips into the Cubs promos this year, and Pat has had a lot more days off.
berseliusQuote Reply
For me, that’s easy. I’d be a Braves fan. I see what you’re saying and you may well be right, though I think we can probably look at how many people like being Marlins fans to assess that. Not many people like being Marlins fans and they’ve won a couple championships already out of nowhere. They’ve sucked ass other than that. I don’t think that one championship or the possibility of a championship keeps as many fans interested as you think it does. Winning and contending year in and year out keeps fans around. In fact, I think that’s the only thing that keeps fans interested in their favorite team these days. There is way too much other stuff to watch or go do than to sit around and watch if your team isn’t winning.
dmick89Quote Reply
The frustrating thing about the Cubs right now is that from 2015-17, it looked like they’d be the solution to both of those fandom options. It’s remarkable how much less than the sum of its parts the team has been.
I wouldn’t say the recent run of Cubs winning has been at all fluky – it was the product of quite a bit of thought and deliberate action. The machine has just been a lot worse at sustaining itself than it reasonably should have been.
PerkinsQuote Reply
(dying laughing). You must have been an interesting ten year old. Ask me when I’m ten years old and I’ll say gimme the World Series win every fifteen (and tbh I’d probably say it now too).
Why? Because as a ten year old in the backyard swinging a bat, when I imagined hitting the walkoff grand slam to win the game for the Cubs, it wasn’t for a fourth consecutive division title.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I will add that now that the Cubs have won the World Series, I’d be far more satisfied with a 10 yr stretch with lots of winning but no championship than I would have been before. That 108 year thing cast a helluva shadow.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, I would definitely not want the Marlins fan experience at all. That was a malicious commitment to losing between championship bookends. To be worth following, a team has to maintain some semblance of loyalty to at least a few players from one year to the next.
I’m assuming the Cubs don’t completely gut the team, but if they do? I’d consider switching allegiances. But I still wouldn’t entertain an offer that guaranteed no championships.
andcountingQuote Reply
Justin Verlander might be good, you guys.
berseliusQuote Reply
Being a Marlins fan is no doubt more painful, but Braves fandom at large was taunted for years for not selling out home playoff games towards the end of their run.
berseliusQuote Reply
I’d probably have taken the WS at that age too, but I’m in my mid-40s at this point and I basically know what rooting for a team that sucks my entire life feels like. It sucked, though it’s been a bit better lately and there’s reason to be hopeful. I didn’t know what that felt like when I was 10.
So yeah, at 10 I’d have taken the instant World Series because I’m 10 and instant gratification is awesome and all, but in my mid 40s I’m going to take the team that performs better overall with all things considered. That’s just me though.
dmick89Quote Reply
That’s the thing, if I was going to switch, I’d have already done so. I’m one of them suckers at this point that would still be a Cubs fan if the best player on the team next season was Alvin Yellon. I made the deal to stick with this team through all kinds of shitty baseball a long time ago. That deal literally said “shitty baseball” and it’s a lifelong contract.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yellon as Cubs best player? Sign me up for that season. I’ll watch every game. (dying laughing)
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Maybe, but as we all know, the name of the trade game is acquiring a really good contract.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Hey Chicago, what do you say? Al can’t argue with you today.
andcountingQuote Reply
Flaherty is clearly a bust. Maybe the Cubs could swap Almora for him.
berseliusQuote Reply
Call it sour grapes, but getting to the NLCS every year without ever winning a title would get so frustrating after a while.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Cardinals lose.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
So much bad baseball. For all the justified talk of the juiced ball, there sure does seem to be a shit ton of unearned runs being allowed this postseason.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
The Cubs would have fit right in!
berseliusQuote Reply
Ryno,
To Ryno’s question…if you take a 10 mile hike, or a 1000 mi toad trip, is the last 200 yards/20 mi the part you enjoy most?
I’ll take the journey, with its blisters, mosquitoes, and dull spots or potholes, tailgaters, and speed traps, over just the ending.
I also choose Amtrak over airlines on the East Coast if the train is 10 hr or less.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Also, if the perennial winner was doing it with the likes of ARod, Ty Cobb, Clemens, Bud Norris and Clint Hurdle, that would make it even easier for me to root for the team with Rey Sanchez, Scott Sanderson, Joe Borowski, CJ Jr, AA Jr, Starlin Castro, Fowler, Heyward, and core 4 types.
BVSQuote Reply
That’s a good way to put it.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, I was thinking yesterday about what sports would be like if I knew the results ahead of time. I realized the not knowing is a huge part of enjoying it. I know this for sure now that most of my baseball watching and listening is through streaming. When the score changes during Cubs game I get notifications on my phone a few seconds before it happens on TV. Knowing what happens even a few seconds before I get to see it drives me nuts, so a full decade in advance would absolutely take all the fun out of it. Occasionally I’ll be at someone’s house where they pause the game during meals and stuff, and I may occasionally murder someone, I kinda black out, I don’t really know.
andcountingQuote Reply
It’s perfectly acceptable to murder someone who pauses a live Cubs game. I may or may not have done it.
dmick89Quote Reply
FS1 commentators are advising Rays hitters to stop striking out against Cole, though they admit it is “easier said than done.”
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I’m assuming they’re regulars here.
andcountingQuote Reply
Ryan Helsley, Cherokee nation member, has things to say about Braves’ traditions. Nice how the Braves can speak out of both sides of their mouths at once.
BVSQuote Reply
I have decided I would not be too upset if the Cubs made a run at signing Gerrit Cole this offseason.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Stupid Barves
berseliusQuote Reply
Swanson!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Swanson!
berseliusQuote Reply
Martinez! (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Duvall!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wait. The Cardinals intentionally walked someone with a runner on 3rd, 2 outs, and a 3-run lead? What could possibly have been the reason?
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Wait, I can’t read. Never mind.
andcountingQuote Reply
Cardinals lose again.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
What a TOOTBLAN by Kendrick.
berseliusQuote Reply
Sac fly double play might be the most disappointing “In Play (Run)“ result ever.
andcountingQuote Reply
Is there a manager out there you guys wouldn’t hate for the Cubs to hire?
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I wouldn’t mind Ross. Girardi could also be good as long as he doesn’t push the Yankees “no facial hair” stuff.
PerkinsQuote Reply
andcounting,
Al Yellon.
berseliusQuote Reply
Perkins,
The Cubs should go in the other direction and make facial hair mandatory.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
andcounting,
Joe espada is interesting…I don’t know a ton about him but pretty much anyone coming out of the astros organization is pretty good in my book. Girardi would be fine too.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Stupid Yadi.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Nats!
berseliusQuote Reply
I’m surprised no one has mentioned A-Rod with all the odd-run leads the Cubs blew this year.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Plus he was so well plugged into the Darvish situation last year
BVSQuote Reply
andcounting,
I’m not really excited about Girardi, but I wouldn’t hate it.
I think Espada wpuld be interesting too, and agree with sentiment about poaching from Astros.
I assume the new guy will want to replace pitching and hotting coaches, but that’d be 3 yr in a row. Ugh. That would seem to give an insider the leg up…Loretta, Venable, Ross.
But Theo says previous managing experience preferred. After Girardi, there is Gibbons, Bochy, Farrell, Showalter, Sveum again, Ausmus, Wakamatsu (maybe he was only an interim ), the guy who Snitger replaced in Atlanta who was previously with Miami or TB (obv don’t remember his name, but his tactical skill HHorrible), and others fired this year. Aside from Bochy and maybe Ausmus, that’s a pretty meh group.
BVSQuote Reply
Sounds like Maddon –》 LAAoA
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
It would have been as shocking if he didn’t go there as it would have been if the Cubs didn’t get him when he opted out of his contract with Tampa.
andcountingQuote Reply
BVS,
I kinda think all Theo’s talk about experience being important and Ross’s relationships with guys from 2016 meaning nothing was just window dressing to make it look like he won a legit competitive vetting and hiring process. In reality they’ve had him pegged as the next manager since last winter.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I’ll be really surprised if they hire someone other than David Ross. I have no idea who is the best person for the job, but based on the last several years of what people have said about Ross, the Cubs absolutely love him and he’s well respected by the players.
dmick89Quote Reply
andcounting,
I also don’t mind. The stress on accountability, I think, is something they see as a strength with Ross. His teammates at the time seemed to think he had the ability to call someone on their bullshit without losing them/pissing them off, i.e. doing it constructively and positively. That quality alone is really valuable and rare. If that’s a skill he has, great. You could argue that his presence/absence made a huge difference in the overall mojo of the team (2015-2016 vs. 2017-2019). People would argue with you, but you could argue that. Regardless, I wouldn’t hate the move.
andcountingQuote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, Theo would hate the perception he’s being predictable or sentimental, but I think everyone knows they value him. Kinda like picking the GM to be with him in the front office and hiring Maddon were no-brainers, this seems like the same thing.
andcountingQuote Reply
Man, I don’t know who this Verlander guy is, but he doesn’t seem to be very good.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
anyone here check out season three of true detective? i was unaware of its existence but really liked the first season and BN Brett says that season three is legit. worth checking out?
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Yes. Loved season 1, didn’t finish season 2 and really liked season 3.
RynoQuote Reply
Eat more shit, Barves.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I miss Dexter.
andcountingQuote Reply
(dying laughing) @ Barves. This is something.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Cards———>NLCS
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Old news.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
(dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
The Braves can ask for a mulligan, right?
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Wouldn’t matter. In 30 billion simulations of this series, the cardinals won every single time.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
This must be the competitive balance playoff win that the Cards got from the last CBA.
berseliusQuote Reply
I actually think it’s funny there’s a game five that could have ended up being used as a rest day for a bunch of players after the top of the first. The Cardinals could have taken out almost every starter and rested them if they had enough bodies.
dmick89Quote Reply
Then again, the Barves deserve to lose anyway
https://deadspin.com/braves-announce-plan-to-only-use-the-tomahawk-chop-when-1838920963
berseliusQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
dmick89,
PerkinsQuote Reply
If I were running the Cardinals, I would definitely leave Flaherty in to pitch 100+ pitches with a 12 run lead.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
To be fair, the Cubs let Mark Prior throw 116 pitches in a 2003 NLCS game where the offense scored 12 runs and look how well that turned out.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
This is true. It was memorable.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
The Braves outscored the Cardinals from the fourth inning on.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Unwritten rules dictate allowing that to happen is mandatory when arriving at a double-digit lead in the postseason.
andcountingQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I don’t think the Nats are pulling this one off.
andcountingQuote Reply
Wait. Why is Stras being allowed to hit/bunt here down three runs with his team facing elimination?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Holy shit.
andcountingQuote Reply
Dodgers announcer: that was a breaking ball that didn’t break at all.
Other dodgers announcer: except hearts.
(three seconds of dead silence)
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
wow I really do not want to see a nats cards series. damn it all.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Nats!!
berseliusQuote Reply
The legend of Playoffs Kershaw embiggens further.
berseliusQuote Reply
Bet the 2nd guessing is strong with David Roberts tonight.
Joe Kelly, (dying laughing).
BVSQuote Reply
And Playoffs Friedman.
MLB postseason is a big meanie. Both deserve better.
Otoh: Suck it, Dodgers_in_5.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
While I’m bummed that the Nats finally won a postseason series, it’s pretty hilarious that the Dodgers are done. Honestly, I’m happy seeing all the NL teams in this year’s postseason lose.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I’m for whoever wins tonight’s game starting a 9 game winning streak
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I’m still rooting for the Yankees, but I’d be okay with any of the AL teams.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Congrats to the NL Champion Cardinals.
/heaviest sarcasm
RynoQuote Reply
Gabe Kepler———> curious to know if prior managing experience is super important to Theo because he knows a guy with some and is suddenly available.
andcountingQuote Reply
Ryno,
How many times do I have to tell you guys that they already won the World Series. It’s a done deal. Sealed.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’ve often wondered if I actually died immediately after the Cubs won the World Series and everything since then has actually been Hell. This would be another data point in support of that hypothesis.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I’m curious what prevents you from wondering if they actually didn’t win it at all?
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I suppose that’s possible. I don’t actually believe in Hell, but it would be pretty on-brand to start with something great and hopeful only to chase it with a complete horror show.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
So the premise of the show is a Cubs fan named Perkins goes into a coma to protect himself from the shock of the stunning 9th-inning collapse by overused closer Aroldis Chapman in the Cubs’ tragic Game 7 loss to Cleveland. In his coma, he experiences an alternate reality in which Chapman records the final out in the 9th, rain delays the game, and the Cubs rally to win in 10 innings.
For the rest of the show, his brain plays out this alternate world where the reality he knows struggles against the results he had hoped for in what turns out to be a hellish paradox. The Cubs never return to the World Series, Donald Trump becomes president, and western civilization starts moving backward.
The whole point is to drive home the perils of trying to force ridiculous fantasies into reality and how the fabric of our universe unravels when we grapple for what we want instead of enjoying what we’re given.
andcountingQuote Reply
Welp, Cole probably has all the run support he needs already.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
andcounting,
You know, when you pitch it as a television show, it sounds a lot cooler.
But within the two weeks after the Cubs won the World Series, I lost faith in the American people and system (and continue to question the point of my having served in the Army), and one of my cats died suddenly of pancreatic cancer. That month basically broke my brain to some extent, so it has not been fun to live it.
But I’d totally pay to watch that as a TV show or movie (dying laughing).
PerkinsQuote Reply
andcounting,
To think that some Cubs fans wouldn’t trade away that championship to be rid of Trump is worth a spinoff show itself.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
Man, that’s a rough WS honeymoon.
andcountingQuote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, I’d definitely take the 10 NLCS appearances, 3 WS losses, and no championship in exchange for no Trump or watch Back to the Future IV if it involved interfering with Game 7 to turn the tide of the election in 2016. And if I could pull myself out of this fascist coma and wave goodbye to that ridiculous joy, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I’d gladly never see the Cubs win a World Series if it meant no Trump.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I think most people around this blog would be happy to trade that WS for no Trump, but there’s a sizable number of Cubs fans who would not and many of them would describe themselves as liberal or Democrat.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Kinda crazy that the owners would much rather have Trump than another World Series.
andcountingQuote Reply
I agree 100 percent but this…this might be the shittiest thing I have ever read.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
andcounting,
It’s the sort of thing that can make someone not give a shit about the team he grew up rooting for.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Nothing says “I’ve stopped caring about the Cubs” quite like “Cards are taking the World Series, bank on it.” (dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Gomes!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Nats!!!
berseliusQuote Reply
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvU26k8Fsv0
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
not sure about this series but the last one definitely wasn’t even close to selling out at busch
honest question, does anyone know where the bfib moniker/reputation came from?
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
This series seems eerily familiar to the 2017 NLDS against the Cubs when the Nats spent the entire series flirting with no-hitters (and somehow lost, because baseball is a cruel bastard).
andcountingQuote Reply
Gleyber!
andcountingQuote Reply
Doea MLB allow longer commercial breaks in the playoffs? Seems like it.
BVSQuote Reply
This NFL season seems to be going okay for Ryno.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
So far, so good. It’s surreal, though.
If no injuries, I could see them going 11-5 and making a little noise in the playoffs. But I’d like to see them against a really good team before I get too excited.
RynoQuote Reply
(dying laughing), apparently Sam Fuld is getting some buzz as a managerial candidate around MLB
berseliusQuote Reply
Kendrick!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Yeah Natinals
berseliusQuote Reply
The Cardinals can only score when the Nationals outfielders misplay the ball.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Die, Cardinals, die.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
anyone think the nats have a chance in the world series? regardless of who they play, i am kinda thinking it might only go 4 games, maybe 5…
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Yeah. With that rotation they always have a chance, especially if they sweep and have more rest than the AL winner.
andcountingQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
I’m sticking with the Cardinals.
dmick89Quote Reply
CardEnals
berseliusQuote Reply
This is a Nationals rally I am currently enjoying.
BVSQuote Reply
Wow. It’s almost like Shildt’s profanity-laden inspirational speech prior to the series didn’t even work.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
False.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Sour grapes may be all I have at the moment, but it’s really satisfying to watch the Cardinals get ground into dust.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I second this. I can’t stop smiling.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Actually, I can.
Eat shit, Corbin.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I’ll take that bet
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
I almost want to root against the Nats so that I don’t have to hear “Baby Shark” again.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
More like St. Lose, am I right?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Also, it appears the Nats fanbase is trying to catch the Cubs in the all-important “Needless hate for the greatest player on your team in recent memory” rankings.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Is this harper? What’s the story here?
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
He didn’t want to take a pay cut to stay in DC, I think?
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Are they hating on him? Personally I find it funny/great that the year they lose one of the highest paid players in baseball they make it to the World Series, but I am not hating on Harper by any means.
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
It’s not exactly as bad as it would have been if the Cavs went to the finals when LeBron left, but it’s embarrassing. But the Nats did sign 9 WAR worth of FA starting pitching in the offseason to damper the loss. Just goes to fuel that conspiracy theory that improving your team helps in the long run.
andcountingQuote Reply
Big, if true.
berseliusQuote Reply
this “theory” is little more than a hoax which is perpetuated by non-white supremacists. frankly I don’t even know why you’d bring it up.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
(dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
Joe Maddon———> slightly more officially angelic
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Can’t wait to see Trout’s outfit on animated Disney Movie day.
BVSQuote Reply
“…the list.”
RynoQuote Reply
andcountingQuote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
What’s the latest on their next manager?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I heard the
Astros guyEspada interviewed really well and is making them reconsider Ross.Edit: source
https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-reportedly-exceptionally-impressed-joe-espada-managerial-search
WaLiQuote Reply
If the Cubs don’t make an announcement before the World Series on October 22nd then I think it’s safe to assume Espada is the favorite
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
Cora was announced before the World Series a couple years ago. I assume the Cubs will make an announcement before the WS if they are done with interviews. Supposedly they are.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, whoever it is, I imagine the announcement will arrive the day after the Yankees or Astros advance.
I really don’t know who the right choice is. More than likely either Ross or Espada will be fine, so long as the front office can muster the resolve to try to make the team good again.
If I’m leaning anywhere, it’s probably Espada, because if it’s Ross it will be impossible for me to resist the low-hanging fruit of posting this picture after every Cubs win.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I’ll still be surprised if it’s not David Ross. I’m sure Espada would be fine and maybe even better (who knows at this point?), but the Cubs have more familiarity with Ross and he with them.
dmick89Quote Reply
WaLiQuote Reply
It’s happened before (and recently).
dmick89Quote Reply
I hate the Astros.
andcountingQuote Reply
I don’t think openers are supposed to work like that.
andcountingQuote Reply
Aaron Judge just got doubled off first base from left field after the left fielder had to leave his feet to make the catch. Great play, but yeesh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Altuve!
berseliusQuote Reply
Farts.
andcountingQuote Reply
The 2010s are the first decade in which the Yankees did not win a pennant since the 1910s.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Espada is getting a second interview.
dmick89Quote Reply
I expect an announcement of the new Cubs manager today. My expectations are routinely denied, so, grain of salt and what not.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Word may leak out, but there’s not going to be an announcement until after the World Series unless the Cubs got approval from MLB. I think they did that one year and announced during an off day. I’m guessing the whole thing gets pushed at this point until after the cardinals win it all.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
The fact that Maddon hasn’t been formally announced Los Angeles California of Anaheim is probably good indication no announcement is forthcoming.
I can’t wait to see how the Cardinals come back from this 0-4 series deficit, but Trump is still president, so I guess anything can happen.
andcountingQuote Reply
https://mobile.twitter.com/NYMag/status/1186361652784128002
Sad to hear that your favorite NYC pizza place has closed, Perkins.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I worked at a Sbarro at a mall in Michigan as a teenager. Worst job I ever had. Lasted 3 weeks. Would have been better maybe if I hadn’t worked at a family pizzeria first before corporate.
BVSQuote Reply
berselius,
On a serious note, one of the best pizza places in NYC (di Fara) is in my neighborhood. The wait is usually over an hour, and it’s cash only. Absolutely worth a trip.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Bears are fucking shit.
Ryno, is it okay if I hop on the SF bandwagon for the rest of the season? Strong defense, good running game, manageable QB. Seems like a good fit. I also have Kittle and 49ers D on fantasy and my only other tie to SF is liking the Dead and I’ve been there once, though I do have another trip planned there later this year.
WaLiQuote Reply
It really seems as though the Astros are trying to position themselves as the villain in this story.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
It’s always struck me as an Asshole organization, I can’t put my finger up why.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Their hiring practices are discriminatory against left-handed pitchers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Alrighty.
andcountingQuote Reply
Assuming Cubs announce new manager the day after World Series is over, do I want a 7 game series to prolong baseball, or a short series so I get the answer sooner?
🤔
BVSQuote Reply
Natinals!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Nats!
andcountingQuote Reply
BVS,
I’m hearing Thursday day-off announcement.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Are you hearing voicing again?
dmick89Quote Reply
Yes. I’m starting to believe a bit myself.
Though now that the team plays in Santa Clara, they’re closer to San Jose than SF. You might have to alter your trip a bit.
RynoQuote Reply
Kaplan says a deal is being worked on for Ross.
dmick89Quote Reply
andcounting,
Looking like those voices were right.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, I’m hearing the voices from outside my head, too. (dying laughing)
If the Cubs want to make people feel really good about this choice they’ll let leak that players believe Ross had more to do with the clubhouse tone in 2015–16 than Maddon did.
andcountingQuote Reply
I hear those voices too. Wonder if we hear the same ones.
dmick89Quote Reply
MLB will be dealing with the KB/MLB issue over his call-up this week according to Kaplan. Will determine whether he’s a free agent after 2020 or the following year. If you’re the Cubs and you lose, which I think they should, what do you do? Seems to me you’ve either got to sign him to an extension or trade him at that point.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I got a notification from the MLB AtBat app, so I’m banking on it.
andcountingQuote Reply
dmick89,
Imagine if they had signed him to an extension in 2015 instead of playing this petty little game. Or don’t. ICTYWTD.
andcountingQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1187019049349406721
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Fuck that roleplaying shit (dying laughing) I imagine Espada said fuck you guys, I’m trying to win the World Series, and bounced.
WaLiQuote Reply
Ryno,
Thumbs up for Clue.
andcountingQuote Reply
I imagine he did exactly what they asked for. I bet he was happy to do it too.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
It’s an insult in my opinion. Espada has a real job at the moment and Ross is out golfing. Of course Ross is going to be better prepared when Thoyer calls them up and asks them to come up with a creative writing assignment. I’m sure there are more factors that went in to picking Ross as the manager, but to say that this put him over the top is bullshit.
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
A) it has to be pretty standard fare for an interview, especially a second interview for any manager position.
B) it also has to be pretty likely that the difference it made is getting blown out of proportion. I think it’s most likely that Ross gave a really good speech that impressed them. There is a certain quality that they were hoping to see and they saw it. If David Ross has a good understanding of what this team needs to hear or needs to have an a manager, or if his mentality is running parallel with the way Theo and Jed are thinking, that’s great.
I get the feeling from people’s reactions that this choice is some kind of rejection of analytics or something. As far as I’m concerned, the analytics portion of the interview could have consisted of this: will you listen to us when we tell you what the data says you should do as a manager?
Yes.
Ok.
I do not understand why anyone would expect a manager to need some type of data analysis degree. That’s not his job. All you need from a manager in that regard is someone who trusts what the data people tell him. If the front office isn’t absolutely sure that David Ross will trust their input from a statistical standpoint and make in-game decisions accordingly, they aren’t giving him this job.
andcountingQuote Reply
I don’t think what the Cubs did is that different (or any different) than what other organizations do for interviews. I’m sure Espada can multi-task. Not sure I’d want him as the manager if he couldn’t. Honestly, I think Espada was going to have to be so, so much better than Ross to get the job. The job was David’s unless something went wrong. You can spend 10-12 hours interviewing someone, but it’s not going to replace the decade of familiarity you’ve got with Ross. The Cubs know what they’re going to get with Ross and this is probably the last managerial hire they’ll get so they’re going to go with someone who makes them feel comfortable.
dmick89Quote Reply
(dying laughing) at Smoltz’s answer to why pitchers often give up runs on the first inning and settle down later (correct answer: because they’re facing the top of the order).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
There Astros just issued their first intentional walk of 2019 (it backfired spectacularly).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
To be fair, I think I’d’ve walked Soto, too, especially with no southpaws in the pen.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
(dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
Eh. I’ve had an extensive job interview a time or two, and stuff like that was part of it. It’s pretty silly but really not that big of a deal.
So Ross did the better Matt Foley impersonation. Good for him. If the Cubs don’t fix the roster, he’s gonna need it.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27922980/umpire-rob-drake-apologizes-says-learn-threatening-tweet
Gotta love how this was framed as “made a tweet that referenced a rifle” instead of “advocated for armed insurrection against the US Government”
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
It can’t be terrorism if it’s in the name of whitey.
andcountingQuote Reply
berselius,
“Once I read what I had tweeted, I realized the violence in those words.”
Riiiiiight. Because advocating armed insurrection isn’t intuitively and inherently violent. At least say you were on cough syrup or huffing paint or something.
PerkinsQuote Reply
berselius,
Perkins,
andcounting,
Fire this guy? Demote to the midwest league? Something else?
BVSQuote Reply
Out of a cannon?
berseliusQuote Reply
Into a brick wall?
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Without a helmet?
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Pretty obvious fire mandate, right? I’m buying a rifle to rebel against the government if they decide to take appropriate action against the president if it turns out the transcript he published of his corrupt behavior in office turns out to be accurate? That’s gotta be borderline prosecutable. I’ve been nervous to voice a wish that Lindsey Graham’s characterization of a “lynching in every sense” could please oh please be true. I’d imagine if I tweeted that I was buying a noose just in case, I may lose my high-profile, top-level job in sports.
andcountingQuote Reply
1. There’s nothing wrong with preparing for a military conflict over the archaeological site in the Petén Basin region of the southern Maya lowlands.
2. Love it or leave it. Yeeeeeeee-hawwwwww!! *fires pistol in the air*
RynoQuote Reply
I can’t tell if the existence of this makes me really happy or really depressed
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Maybe this will help.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I’d think so, but there is still the argument that one has the right to express their opinion on their own time. Otoh, MLB is an industry in the public eye.
Could be a small opening for public service, perhaps with immigrants or underprivileged communities.
He must be ok behind the plate, because I don’t know his name.
BVSQuote Reply
After all, Russell and Nuñez are still in baseball…
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I meant Osuna
BVSQuote Reply
Should the Cubs go after Cole this offseason and if so, how high would you go?
dmick89Quote Reply
Presumably cole is some sort of white supremacist? If so, then yes.
But seriously, no price is too high for cole. I am all in. Cubs rotation will be hendricks, darvish, q, and a big huge question mark in lester. Desperately need an ace. If the question is deciding between cole and rendon, I guess that’s tougher. But I think IF you have to decide between fixing the shitty outfield and fixing what will be a shitty rotation, you put the dollars into the rotation and get creative with the outfield.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
dmick89,
It sounds like 7/270 is the expectation. I think that’s justifiable.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Figure 6 WAR next year, and then 5/5/4/3/2/2 for the remaining years of a 7-year contract. That is 10m per win, which is I think above market value. But I don’t see a better alternative.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Yeah, they need a top of the rotation starter and they can get Cole without giving any other players up. It will cost a ton, but if they want to contend that’s probably what it’s going to take.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
For some reason that makes me want to just say fuck it and start over.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
That’s an option too and I’m not opposed to it. You’ve got some pieces that could bring you some top prospects and hopefully the turnaround would be fairly quick in terms of when the Cubs could contend again. I don’t want to see the Cubs half ass it like they have the last year, year and a half. Either go for it now or in a few years.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It seems like if you have a few players who could yield top quality prospects in return, you should be competitive without making the deals (like when the Marlins unloaded Yelich, Ozuna, and Stanton…I still struggle to understand how that happened). So it pains me to imagine the Cubs dealing Baez, Bryant, and Contreras, or really any of them.
But if the Cubs instead decide to go sign Cole and/or Rendon, I imagine they’re going to feign financial inflexibility for the next decade or so and we’ll be facing this same conundrum every year.
But I’m expecting them to trade Bote or someone like that, sign no one of consequence, and replace the entire coaching and development staff.
andcountingQuote Reply
Odorizzi still getting no respect. (dying laughing)
BVSQuote Reply
In the pyramid of fireable offenses, I think voicing a shitty opinion is on the low end (lots of people do it, but depending on the situation, you might get fired, probably reprimanded, and some kind of sensitivity training may be in order.) Spousal abuse is somewhere above that (maybe a step above threatening a spouse with violence—a similar but more severe range of punishment/treatment). I have to think publicly threatening terrorism is higher up the pyramid. It’s rarer, more freakish, more indicative of potential future damage, and not protected free speech. And I have to imagine if he had expressed this same sentiment in defense of Senator Omar, armed agents would have stormed his front door in a matter of hours.
andcountingQuote Reply
This. The man essentially threatened to go to war with people who disagree with him with an a gun that kill a shitload of people in a hurry. This is the kind of threat that we look back on and wonder why nobody did anything at the time. At the very least the man needs serious help before re-entering society. He’s either an individual that deserves to be locked up or needs to be hospitalized. Threatening to kill hundreds of people is not protected speech.
dmick89Quote Reply
I keep seeing these articles about how difficult it might be for Ross to manage some of his old teammates are his friends. Is it really? I’ve managed friends before. I’ve managed people I’ve been coworkers with before too. It’s a little weird at first, but that’s about it and I never had trouble being their boss. Not to mention, there’s this thing called parenthood where people essentially manage a couple underlings that they love to death. If you can be a mother or father, managing your friends or former coworkers is nothing. Besides, if Jon Lester wants to throw a fit about how Ross manages him, that’s an issue Lester was going to have with any manager.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Every person who writes that kind of article has a boss who used to be their colleague that they resent and disrespect with a passion. (dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
The stupid fucking Astros are going to end up winning this stupid fucking series.
dmick89Quote Reply
Well, the good news for the Nationals is that if the current trend of the home team losing continues, they’ll win it in seven.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah. That’s dumb reporting. Plus assuming Russell non tender and Strop not re-signed, then only 8 players remain from 16 and if we dump Almora then 7.
BVSQuote Reply
wait are you giving up on the cards
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Best fans in baseball, my ass.
andcountingQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Isn’t he the WWE commentator cowboy?
andcountingQuote Reply
A lot of fans saying “TROOOOOOOOOOOOUMP” last night.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Are they saying “boo” or “Boo-urns”?
JKVQuote Reply
JKV,
They could have been saying, “BOOBS,” I guess.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Very possible
https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-bans-two-women-after-they-flashed-gerrit-cole-at-world-series-182719679.html
WaLiQuote Reply
Observation: Trea Turner is fast.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Remember when Dusty or Lou told Theriot to swing harder and he hit a couple homers and then he thought he was gonna be a power hitter for five minutes
SKQuote Reply
Wait, there was a four-minute delay on a play that wasn’t even reviewable?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Mark Prior…now in charge of towel drills for the D’s
BVSQuote Reply
How can you interfere with the throw when you beat the throw
SKQuote Reply
SK,
It’s interference if you’re in the base line, apparently.
RynoQuote Reply
The umpiring in this series should be the tipping point for some kind of umpire assistance program.
https://sports.yahoo.com/umpire-lance-barksdale-blamed-catcher-133113341.html
This type of thing should get someone demoted. Barksdale seems like one of those guys who became cops so people would have to respect them.
RynoQuote Reply
“in order to be the man, you’ve gotta beat the man” – ric flair
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
“WooooOOOooo!”
WaLiQuote Reply
If that was technically interference as I’ve seen some argue, they need to change the rules. Add a secondary base in foul territory and call it a day.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
https://twitter.com/kschwarb12/status/1189374438795599873
RynoQuote Reply
dmick89,
I’d argue that it was, even if he beat the throw by a very narrow margin, simply because his presence in fair territory (and he was in fair territory the entire way) made it more difficult for the first baseman to receive the throw. I find it pretty impossible to be certain that the first baseman couldn’t have extended further, seen the throw better, or made any other adjustment to get his glove on the ball earlier (or that the player making the throw wasn’t adversely affected by the runner’s illegal position OR that the runner didn’t reach base earlier by neglecting to adjust his running lane in accordance with this rule we’ve all known about since we were 6).
I can see being upset about it if he crossed the baseline at the last second or if he beat the throw by a half step. But it was a very close play during which he never got anywhere close to the legal running lane.
I do think the rule should be changed and an extra base added, but according to current rules, he’s out and really stupid.
andcountingQuote Reply
Ryno,
Honestly why the fuck not (other than the fact it looks fucking stupid). If it can prevent people from sliding into first and prevent a few injuries they should do it.
WaLiQuote Reply
Ryno,
The assertion that he called it a ball because he was getting shown up doesn’t make sense to me.
One of two things happened: the catcher got up out of his crouch so early that it affected the ump’s ability to make the call, or he didn’t.
If he did, it is the catcher’s fault.
If he didn’t, the ump had already made up his mind before the catcher got up. You can see from his other calls that he rings up the batter just about immediately after the ball hits the catcher’s mitt.
The ump’s comment could have been influenced by the catcher showing up, but I don’t see how his call could have been unless he had already raised his arm to call him out and then dropped it..
andcountingQuote Reply
I’m not sure putting an extra base in foul territory would help the situation. Right-handed hitters would still take the shortest route to the base, which is in fair territory. I’d probably change the rule so that the fielder throws to first at his own risk, just as for every other base.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Interference calls are so rare that it makes sense for runners to just ignore the rule and focus on getting to first as quickly as possible.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
andcounting,
You can’t dispute that:
1. The pitch was a strike and should’ve been called as such.
2. The catcher in no way obstructed the umpire’s view (get it?).
3. The umpire handled the situation improperly.
imo
Some umpires seem to have a warped view of their responsibilities. I think it’s time for someone to remove their judgment from the game and put them in their place.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Yeah, I really don’t dispute 1 or 2. 3 I don’t really agree with or really care. I think it’s a high-pressure situation where everyone handled it like they were pretty stressed out. I look at it like this:
1. The pitch was close enough to be difficult to call, especially breaking the way it was,
2. Any umpire has to know they’re about to catch serious shit on that pitch no matter which call they make.
3. Catcher gets up and runs toward the dugout before hearing the call. Knowing he’s not calling it a strike, that has to irritate the fuck out of the umpire.
The ump could have said nothing, but the catcher could have waited to hear a call before celebrating. I don’t think either was that bad. It started going bad when the catcher said, “Oh, so it’s my fault?” I mean, are these two dating?
andcountingQuote Reply
I still totally agree with this in general.
andcountingQuote Reply
Ryno,
The really crazy thing is the dynamic between umpires and the league/players. As umpires, you have to have authority that means something, because everyone fucking hates you half the time.
I can’t think of too many jobs you could have where you have at your disposal something that a) can almost completely prevent you from making mistakes and b) everyone else uses to learn instantly and irrefutably when you do make mistakes . . . yet you and all your colleagues refuse to use it. You keep on making mistakes for everyone to see and judge.
But they have fought for respect for so long and taken pride in what they do for so long, that they have had to inoculate themselves against all criticism. The single thread holding their identity together is that their sense of judgment is the only one that matters, and allowing some system that can be shared by all to replace their high and mighty scrutiny would render them almost powerless. It’s like they’re Christians.
andcountingQuote Reply
I’m really bummed about the Josh Hamilton news. Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow, Kendrick
berseliusQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Holy shit.
andcountingQuote Reply
berselius,
Also holy shit, but more upbeat.
andcountingQuote Reply
Soto looks like the MVP unless the Nats blow it.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow, that strike call on Correa.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Seriously, what was the umpire looking at here?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
sure sounds like you are advocating for some sort of robot uprising
can any of the site admins please check to make sure ryno passed the “I am not a robot” test at the bottom of this page
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
If anyone before the playoffs began picked the Nats to win it all, they deserve about $1 million.
andcountingQuote Reply
Looking good for the Walgreens squadron.
berseliusQuote Reply
I’m so tried of hearing about the Senators.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Die, Astros, Die.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Man the Nats radio guys are forgettable af
berseliusQuote Reply
Home teams were 0-7 in the WS. Weird.
JKVQuote Reply
PerkinsQuote Reply
Did George Will pick the series MVP?
berseliusQuote Reply
As I was saying…
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I mean, the Twins part was off just a touch.
andcountingQuote Reply
Really amazing the Nationals faced what, 5 elimination games? Good on them
WaLiQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Circumvented.
RynoQuote Reply
andcounting,
I don’t envy them at all and I do acknowledge they’re kind of in a no-win situation. It’s almost like some organization should help them by removing their judgment and making them a buffer between player and rule enforcer.
RynoQuote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
Darvish ————> Cubs
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Did anyone really think he’d opt out? I was kind of hoping he would, but I figured there was almost no chance whatsoever that he would.
dmick89Quote Reply
Big, if true.
Then again, maybe not. Have to consult Phil Rogers to see how the +/- scale works in this situation.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
dmick89,
I didn’t think he would, but there were some takes here and there that said he might after he figured out how to pitch again.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
How the fuck did Juan Soto not win World Series MVP?
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
He carried his bat to first once after hitting a huge home run in the World Series, rather than immediately genuflecting to George Will.
berseliusQuote Reply
Soto also had a couple of defensive flubs. Of course, he also slugged over .700 and had several big hits.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Pat Hughes ———> Frick award finalist
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I really hope he gets it. He’s ridiculously good at what he does.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
My experience with the HOF suggests that fellow finalist Hawk Harrelson will win.
berseliusQuote Reply
The rumor mill suggests Ross’s former manager bench coach could be Riggleman, Farrell or Fredi Gonzalez. They’d help with in game strategy/management. I watched a lot of Braves games with Fredi as manager. He’s about the worst strategy/game manager I’ve ever seen.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Farrell would probably be my pick based on the little info I have about them.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Me too. But I thought Rig did a decent job as Cubs manager back in the day. My ranking would be:
1. Farrell
2. Riggleman
3-25. Just about any other former manager
26. Guillen
27. Fredi
Based on pitcher/game management.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I really like Riggleman.
andcountingQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
really hoping the cubs pick up brandon morrow’s $12m extension today you guys
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
They already dropped it.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I guess I should make a post-postseason open thread at some point. Or not. I can’t tell me what to do.
berseliusQuote Reply
Carl Edwards Jr = free agent
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
WaLiQuote Reply
David Ross is the biggest signing the Cubs are going to make this offseason isn’t he?
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Next to the Daniel Descalso extension? Yes.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-commissioner-says-automated-strike-zone-will-come-to-minors-in-2020-in-some-ballparks/
Interestingly, looks like the players aren’t fans (or at least one player)
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
Michael Lewis’s podcast on society’s referees starts with a look at how nasty the relationship between players/coaches and refs has been since the NBA has implemented huge improvements to how fairly and accurately the games are called. There’s basically this huge backlash over losing the rule-bending advantages the biases of the human element used to afford them. I can see the same thing happening in baseball when machines don’t give a shit how many Cy Youngs you’ve won or that it’s a 3-0 count or a 2-strike count or you’re crowding the plate or you framed it well.
andcountingQuote Reply
Hey guys. Just wanted to let you know I had a baby. His name is Javy.
JKVQuote Reply
Big, if true.
Congrats, dude.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
It’s true. I showed him a picture of Yellon and he soiled his diaper.
JKVQuote Reply
JKV,
Hope the labor went well and all the baby smiles and gurgles are making your recovery and transition to nursing, new sleep schedules, and parenthood smooth as….
can be.
Great name.
BVSQuote Reply
andcounting,
I read an article about this some time ago. The upshot I got was the “stars” were upset because they couldn’t carry the ball for 15′ etc. Same premise in the podcast?
I’m fine w robot umps now, having seen the playoffs.
BVSQuote Reply
http://www.obstructedview.net/offseason-open-thread/
berseliusQuote Reply
New shit.
andcountingQuote Reply