2007 Baseball Season is about to start--talk about anything you want

[freedom78]

the first place phils!!! damn that sounds good!

for the first time all year they control their own destiny of winning the division. watching the mets-cards score on the scoreboard at the game was as exciting as the game itself.

the problem for the phils is that after hamels goes tonight, it's eaton and then moyer pitching in the two biggest games in the last 14 years. and if we end up tied with the mets, it's Lohse on Monday in philly. so it's not looking too good. in fact, if we don't win tonight, i'd say we're toast.

You sound like a Cubs fan!  Don't worry about your pitching.  If you (as in, the Phils) win or make the playoffs, it's generally in spite of your pitching, rather than because of it.

remember, philadelphia sports fans are about as tortured as Cubs fans. you could argue it either way. we've gone about 105 seasons with no championship (4 major sports teams for 25 years).

we have our hearts broken regularly. you just can't help but expect it. 

i don't think Randolph deserves to be fired. but with a collapse like this, i think its fair to examine the situation. and being in NY, the fans are gonna demand someone be held responsible. if they miss the playoffs, my guess is that he's gone.

There's no question that Philly is more tortured overall.  Chicago has championships in basketball, football, and baseball, all within the last 25 years.  Just not the Cubs...

But I'm from Indy, so I could give a damn about the Bulls and Bears.  We just don't have a major league baseball team, so I've long transplanted those loyalties.

[tim_m]

All this tie breaker stuff confuses me. I'm glad i'm not the one that has to sort it all out. I can't remember ever having such a wild finish to the last weekend of a season. I think all of this proves that the luxury tax IS working.

[tim_m]

ESPN has the tiebreaker coin flip possibilities on their site. Here they are so we all know what could happen.

ONE-GAME PLAYOFFS
Potential tiebreaker matchups based on coin flips:
NL WILD CARD
Philadelphia at San Diego
San Diego at Colorado
Philadelphia at Colorado
Arizona at New York
Arizona at San Diego
Arizona at Colorado
Arizona at Philadelphia
San Diego at New York
New York at Colorado

NL EAST
NY Mets at Philadelphia

NL CENTRAL
Milwaukee at Chicago

NL WEST
San Diego at Arizona
Colorado at Arizona
Colorado at San Diego

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3038686

[Misfits 138]

no need for a tie breaker in the NL central....GO CUBS GO!!!! Cubs clinch nl central tonight, what a terriffic game pitched by Zambrano!!!! if he can do this in october, i will be happy!!! im happy right now caus we clinched. now im off to party!

[tim_m]

And the mets continue to slide and fall out of first wow.

[pasnow]

I'm going to the Phils game today. I can't wait, it's gonna be awesome!!


Sandman did you hear Comcast put a mimi-statue of Billy Penn on top of their new building(now the biggest building in Philly) In hopes that the "Curse of Billy Penn" will be broken. That's pretty funny. For those who aren't aware, up until the 1980's there was an unwritten law in Philly that no building could be higher than that of William Penn's statue which is on top of City Hall. Only problem is it's not very high up, so the city was crippled by it's lack of skyscrapers. Finally in the early 80's then Mayor Wilson Goode approved the building permits etc of a few new skyscrapers which were built around 1985. Since then, Philly has never won a championship. As Sandman said, 4 sports, 25 years, that's 100 seasons & counting. Even reached the championships 6 times (3 hockey, 1 basketball, 1 baseball & 1 football) & lost all 6 )

[freedom78]

no need for a tie breaker in the NL central....GO CUBS GO!!!! Cubs clinch nl central tonight, what a terriffic game pitched by Zambrano!!!! if he can do this in october, i will be happy!!! im happy right now caus we clinched. now im off to party!

What a game!  I was there, and left knowing that San Diego was up 4-3 in the sixth.  On the way back to Indy, we stopped at a rest stop.  I was washing my hands, and noticed two blue hats at the urinals behind me and thought to myself "if those are Cubs hats, I'm gonna ask if they know the Milwaukee result."  I didn't have to.  I turned around and one of the guys goes "You know they clenched?"  Awesome. 

Looks like it'll be Arizona, though I suppose San Diego is an outside shot, if they win the division.  Phils/Mets is about as good a race as I've seen in a while.  Too bad it's been mostly one sided, rather than two great teams going back and forth for a month, but still it's a good race.  I would've picked Philly, until they dropped a game today and NYM laid 13 on the Marlins.

And San Diego was one strike away, before a young upstart with no concern for his roots hit an RBI triple to send it to extras, where SD lost.  Don't see Hoffman blow too many, but I'm thinking the Brew Crew was just a little pissed off, today.  Speaking of which, that team can be good for a long time.  They're so young, and will get better.  They need a little more pitching, but they're a contender next year, barring injuries of the catastrophic variety. 

[Misfits 138]

i dont care that i dont have tickets, im going to chicago on saturday and sunday for those playoff games at wrigley, i will just stand outside or go the cubby bear bar and watch the game there, just going to chicago for the playoff is good enough for me.  and it will be great to just stand outside of wrigley with the rest of the cub faithful!

[freedom78]

i dont care that i dont have tickets, im going to chicago on saturday and sunday for those playoff games at wrigley, i will just stand outside or go the cubby bear bar and watch the game there, just going to chicago for the playoff is good enough for me.  and it will be great to just stand outside of wrigley with the rest of the cub faithful!

Awesome!  Have a blast!

[freedom78]

Uh-oh...Mets down 7-1! 

[tim_m]

And the mets are out the phils are in. Who would've put odds on this two weeks ago?

[freedom78]

And the mets are out the phils are in. Who would've put odds on this two weeks ago?

I'll tell you who...America's newest millionaire! 

Pads at Rockies, for the Wildcard, too!  Bit of a slip up by the Pads.  But the Pads have Peavy scheduled to go.  If they win, though, that might screw up their rotation against Philly. 

I think Cubs @ Dbacks is a guaranteed series, now.  Too bad for my Cubs and the Dbacks, as they're the too rested teams and can't use that to take advantage of unrested teams.  Oh well...being in October is all that matters (right Mets fans?). 

[tim_m]

And the mets are out the phils are in. Who would've put odds on this two weeks ago?

I'll tell you who...America's newest millionaire! 

Pads at Rockies, for the Wildcard, too!  Bit of a slip up by the Pads.  But the Pads have Peavy scheduled to go.  If they win, though, that might screw up their rotation against Philly. 

I think Cubs @ Dbacks is a guaranteed series, now.  Too bad for my Cubs and the Dbacks, as they're the too rested teams and can't use that to take advantage of unrested teams.  Oh well...being in October is all that matters (right Mets fans?). 

Yeah and i wish it was me that had made the bet.

[freedom78]

I just realized that all of us (barring in Clemens-esque peskiness) have seen Craig Biggio play ball for the last time.  As a NL Central fan, I realize what an asset he was to the Astros over the last two decades, and he's a sure-fire hall of famer, in my book. 

[tim_m]

I just realized that all of us (barring in Clemens-esque peskiness) have seen Craig Biggio play ball for the last time.  As a NL Central fan, I realize what an asset he was to the Astros over the last two decades, and he's a sure-fire hall of famer, in my book. 

Agreed. He's been one of the best for a long time and 5 years from now he should be inducted.

[pilferk]

Uh-oh...Mets down 7-1! 

Wow...that was a spectacular end to a spectacular crash.

Who would've expected Glavine, in what might have been the last game of his career, to post a 189.00 ERA...not that his defense didn't help that along.

And all the credit in the world should go to the Phillies!  They played a GREAT last stretch and even without the Mets collapse, would have been in a tie for the WC.

Just a couple of playoff observations:

The teams NOBODY wants to play: Colorodo and the Yanks.

The possible world series matchup everyone wants (but no one would watch): Cubs vs Indians

The 800lb Gorilla series everyone will watch (but no one wants to see): Yanks vs Red Sox in the ALCS.

The "Well, someone's gotta win" series pretty much EVERYONE will watch AND wants to see: Cubs vs Phillies in the NLCS

The 1st round series that will likely feature games lasting untl the sun comes up in their time zone: Yanks vs Cleveland

[sandman]

rollins said the phils were the team to beat. NY fans and players criticized him for it all year, especially after the 1-6 start. but in the end, rollins was right. the phils are the team to beat in the East.

and there is no doubt he is the MVP. and to get his 20th triple on the last day was so exciting. only 4 players in history have had 20 doubles, triples, HRs and steals (and it is kinda strange that 2 were this season).

mets collapse is the worst of all time. there's now something worse than the phils collapse of '64 i've heard about my whole life.

i am still in shock that there are playoff games in philly this week.

[sandman]

And the mets are out the phils are in. Who would've put odds on this two weeks ago?

Pads at Rockies, for the Wildcard, too!? Bit of a slip up by the Pads.? But the Pads have Peavy scheduled to go.? If they win, though, that might screw up their rotation against Philly.?

the pads lost the last two games. and today's game totally screws up their rotation. peavy was all set to pitch the opening game, and now it looks like he won't go until game 4 (assuming they win today).

i thought it was a toss up regarding who i'd rather play - pads or rockies. the pads staff is so good, and they seem like a team built for the playoffs. but the rockies are the hot team, and have alot of people stepping it up.

but if the pads win, their ace will only pitch once in the series (game 4?). i'm assuming Maddux would pitch game 1 and although he's got all the experiece in the world, i think the phils could get to him. 

[GeorgeSteele]

I'm beyond stunned at what became of my beloved Mets this season.  That's baseball I guess, gotta take the bad with the good.  At least I have my health.  Sigh.  Fuck everything and everyone to hell.

[freedom78]

And the mets are out the phils are in. Who would've put odds on this two weeks ago?

Pads at Rockies, for the Wildcard, too!  Bit of a slip up by the Pads.  But the Pads have Peavy scheduled to go.  If they win, though, that might screw up their rotation against Philly. 

the pads lost the last two games. and today's game totally screws up their rotation. peavy was all set to pitch the opening game, and now it looks like he won't go until game 4 (assuming they win today).

i thought it was a toss up regarding who i'd rather play - pads or rockies. the pads staff is so good, and they seem like a team built for the playoffs. but the rockies are the hot team, and have alot of people stepping it up.

but if the pads win, their ace will only pitch once in the series (game 4?). i'm assuming Maddux would pitch game 1 and although he's got all the experiece in the world, i think the phils could get to him. 

I think Peavy could be moved up to game 3, for the Pads, as it would be a Saturday game, which would be normal rest after he starts today.  And I can't IMAGINE them risking losing a series without Peavy ever pitching, which would be the case if the hot Phils beat them in the first three and Peavy was scheduled fourth.  We'll see...still have to get past Colorado.

But Maddux can still be dominant, in his own way.  If he's on, he's on, and you'll hit ground ball after ground ball right back to him.  If he's not on, then he's very hittable.  But the Pads NEED their pitchers to be on, as their offense is very meager, especially now that they've lost Bradley. 

I'm beyond stunned at what became of my beloved Mets this season.  That's baseball I guess, gotta take the bad with the good.  At least I have my health.  Sigh.  Fuck everything and everyone to hell.

It was brutal.  Much sympathy.