i'm going to use this no show and the potential one after it with a family that never shows up to congratulate dan on his al east championship. many orioles fans may be unfamiliar with competitive baseball so may be unaware that their aaa team the norfolk tides also won the international league championship last night. jackson holliday was hitting a home run during the top of the 9th of the orioles game. there's even more talent on the way within the orioles system.

camden yards is my favorite stadium in baseball. it deserves quality baseball. it's a shame it was starved of it for so long. a phillies-orioles world series would obviously be fun but there's a long way until that point. the idiots in sports media are trying to jinx the phillies for not letting an emotional support alligator into their game. the real question is why somebody would even try to bring an alligator to a baseball game especially when the phillies are clear with their policy that it can only be service dogs.

the REAL real question is why any doc would give somebody a letter that says this is ok. i'd like to see the peer reviewed journal article that backs this up. we get tons of frivolous portal messages all day/every day and while it's easier to just say yes...sometimes the right thing to do is say no. if he wants to haul an alligator around...let him do it at his own risk.

meanwhile the mets are being total jerks about how they're handling their series with the marlins. just forfeit the damn game. nobody understands what it means to "do the right thing" these days. the cubs will contend it should be finished...but don't drop a fly ball in the outfield to lose a game and maybe it doesn't come down to that one game. i love suzuki seiya too. can't cut him a break for that though.

(09-29-2023 09:51 AM)hiroshimacarp Wrote:  the real question is why somebody would even try to bring an alligator to a baseball game especially when the phillies are clear with their policy that it can only be service dogs.

It's almost like the person did it because they knew they could boost their social media following.

Quote:meanwhile the mets are being total jerks about how they're handling their series with the marlins. just forfeit the damn game.

This whole series in NY was weird. The doubleheader on Tuesday was totally the Mets fault for not putting the tarp down over the weekend. But it happened to the Phillies too back in 2018 against the Nationals when Harper played for the Nats. Phillies grounds crew forgot to put the tarp down and the field was unplayable at game time and the Phillies lost a day of gate revenues.

Last night's circumstances were very strange. But finishing the game on Monday is really the only fair option. I don't think that any team in the history of baseball has voluntarily forfeited a game. And the Mets shouldn't have to either. Also, if it is a meaningful game, it's not fair to the Cubs or Reds or Diamondbacks, as a possible Mets forfeit could cost those teams a shot at the playoffs.

I'm going to the doubleheader at Citi Field tomorrow night, and we're hoping that with tonight's game rained out, they'll be able to get the field ready to play tomorrow.

Thanks. It has been a nice season and I am hoping the O's make the ALDS so I can attend a game (have to be in Dallas this coming weekend so it kills hope of going to an ALCS game). I went to a game in Cincinnati last year, and have been trying all summer to go to one this season, and it just hasnt worked out (being in the midwest for an east coast team is tough, as one can imagine). I still fear the orioles can't score enough consistently to go very far. I for one was hoping Houston would miss the playoffs altogether, but at least they are on the opposite side of the bracket. The AL series should all be very exciting, not many easy outs. I just hope the pressure doesnt get to this young team and they flame out. But I always thought 2024 was going to be a really good year for them, so they are a year ahead of my expectations. Such a fun team to watch though.

And yes I was well aware Norfolk won the AAA championship. They had been good all year long even with so many players getting called up to the bigs as the season went on. I think it was their first international league title since 1983? so it was also a long time coming.

I have to believe that alligator was a publicity stunt. No way someone could be so messed up they thought that was a legitimately good idea. They didnt even have the alligator muzzled. Yikes.

I think Atlanta is a shoo in from the NL and even the world series. That team is flat loaded. Tampa is so good too, if they havent been fighting so many injuries to their pitchers. Should be a really good playoffs though.

How about Tampa drawing just around 19,000 for a playoff game yesterday? This was the lowest attended non-Covid playoff game since game 7 of the 1919 World Series. And there were weird circumstances surrounding the low attendance for that game. Back then, they sold WS tickets in 3 game blocks, and this was the Reds' 4th home game, and nobody knew when or where to buy tickets for game 7, since there was no radio, or internet to report it.

I was curiously looking at their website for tickets for today's game and there were large sections of open seats with most upper deck tickets selling for $55 and outfield seats selling for $30. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, a raucous crowd of 45,000 took over Citizens Bank Park, and resale tickets were selling for hundreds of dollars.

The Rays are building a new stadium in St. Petersburg and that's going to be a total disaster. People don't go to the Trop, not because it's a bad stadium, but because most TB area residents have a tough time getting to St. Pete. So instead of fans not showing up at an old, crappy stadium...they won't show up to a fancy new one.

Its a bad stadium. But the location is absolutely the problem. I cant believe they didnt get approval to go to tampa and get out of st pete for the traffic/access alone. That being said, 3pm start on a Tuesday. Not the easiest ask last minute

(09-29-2023 09:51 AM)hiroshimacarp Wrote:  i'm going to use this no show and the potential one after it with a family that never shows up to congratulate dan on his al east championship. many orioles fans may be unfamiliar with competitive baseball so may be unaware that their aaa team the norfolk tides also won the international league championship last night. jackson holliday was hitting a home run during the top of the 9th of the orioles game. there's even more talent on the way within the orioles system.

camden yards is my favorite stadium in baseball. it deserves quality baseball. it's a shame it was starved of it for so long. a phillies-orioles world series would obviously be fun but there's a long way until that point. the idiots in sports media are trying to jinx the phillies for not letting an emotional support alligator into their game. the real question is why somebody would even try to bring an alligator to a baseball game especially when the phillies are clear with their policy that it can only be service dogs.

the REAL real question is why any doc would give somebody a letter that says this is ok. i'd like to see the peer reviewed journal article that backs this up. we get tons of frivolous portal messages all day/every day and while it's easier to just say yes...sometimes the right thing to do is say no. if he wants to haul an alligator around...let him do it at his own risk.

meanwhile the mets are being total jerks about how they're handling their series with the marlins. just forfeit the damn game. nobody understands what it means to "do the right thing" these days. the cubs will contend it should be finished...but don't drop a fly ball in the outfield to lose a game and maybe it doesn't come down to that one game. i love suzuki seiya too. can't cut him a break for that though.

(10-04-2023 11:07 AM)dan10 Wrote:  Its a bad stadium. But the location is absolutely the problem. I cant believe they didnt get approval to go to tampa and get out of st pete for the traffic/access alone. That being said, 3pm start on a Tuesday. Not the easiest ask last minute

I actually liked the Trop. I don't like that they closed the upper deck, but it's open for the playoffs. It's better than Fenway....and I don't care if anyone gets pissed off by my comment. But when you get to the playoffs, people aren't going to be like....I don't like the stadium so I'm going to stay home. If fans cared about their team, they'd show up anyway. Minnesota had a 3:00 game that was sold out. And the Phillies games were all sold out long before the game times were announced. If Tampa does win the next two games, and play Baltimore, the Trop will be filled for the ALDS, but will be with 50% Orioles fans.

I get it. But will disagree on quality of stadium. I have been several times. Its just not a good stadium, especially for when it was built. That being said I think they have the fans, the problem as we both noted is its location and lack of downtown planning for parking. They dropped that stadium in a bad spot to get to and didnt prepare for it, so many locals down there dont find it worth the hassle. That is why staying in St Pete was curious and I was surprised Tampa wouldnt have desired it and put in bids to get it. That being said, its moot since they no showed as a team anyhow and Texas has started to remember how to play (how they played earlier in the year)

ALDS
Baltimore vs. Texas
Hoston vs. Minnesota

NLDS
Philadelphia vs. Atlanta
Los Angeles vs. Arizona

I didn't give the AL Wild Card Series much thought. Congrats to both teams advancing.
Phillies are a much better team than Miami. In a short playoff series, anything can happen, but we got the expected result with the Phillies sweep.
I was totally shocked by the Arizona/Milwaukee series. I thought that the Brewers had some of the best starting pitching of any team in the playoffs, and don't think much of Arizona. I'm shocked by that series sweep. And now, the D-Backs are set up to get a few starts out of Gallen and Kelly against LA.

(10-05-2023 07:27 AM)dan10 Wrote:  I get it. But will disagree on quality of stadium. I have been several times. Its just not a good stadium, especially for when it was built. That being said I think they have the fans, the problem as we both noted is its location and lack of downtown planning for parking. They dropped that stadium in a bad spot to get to and didnt prepare for it, so many locals down there dont find it worth the hassle. That is why staying in St Pete was curious and I was surprised Tampa wouldnt have desired it and put in bids to get it. That being said, its moot since they no showed as a team anyhow and Texas has started to remember how to play (how they played earlier in the year)

That's what happens when you play baseball in a hockey facility.

(10-05-2023 11:53 AM)DrachenFire Wrote:  

(10-05-2023 07:27 AM)dan10 Wrote:  I get it. But will disagree on quality of stadium. I have been several times. Its just not a good stadium, especially for when it was built. That being said I think they have the fans, the problem as we both noted is its location and lack of downtown planning for parking. They dropped that stadium in a bad spot to get to and didnt prepare for it, so many locals down there dont find it worth the hassle. That is why staying in St Pete was curious and I was surprised Tampa wouldnt have desired it and put in bids to get it. That being said, its moot since they no showed as a team anyhow and Texas has started to remember how to play (how they played earlier in the year)

That's what happens when you play baseball in a hockey facility.

Oh yeah, the "THUNDERDOME", Lol....I would have loved to have seen an ice hockey game at a place like that. Would have been an interesting experience. They also had an NCAA Regional and a Final Four there too in the 90's, but no other basketball games since then. Probably didn't go over too well.

Tough loss for the Phillies. I am sure there will be lots of "worst world series ever" due to the 2 teams, but I have enjoyed these playoffs. I think its been fun and good baseball. Still surprised that Houston never did figure out how to win at home (they struggled badly in the regular season too). I think the rangers have too much offense for Arizona. Give me the Rangers in 5

(10-25-2023 06:25 AM)dan10 Wrote:  Tough loss for the Phillies. I am sure there will be lots of "worst world series ever" due to the 2 teams, but I have enjoyed these playoffs. I think its been fun and good baseball. Still surprised that Houston never did figure out how to win at home (they struggled badly in the regular season too). I think the rangers have too much offense for Arizona. Give me the Rangers in 5

everything up to game 3 of the ncls had me forgetting how flawed the phillies really are. it was bound to catch up to them but thought they might sneak through to a title. too many guys who just want to hit home runs. bullpen probably overachieved through the braves series. people are trying to blame thomson but i think he gets as much out of this group as you can expect.

he's certainly not perfect. every choice he made didn't have a great alternative. like i thought rojas was getting too much slack for his bad offense...but who are going with instead...pache? cave? one of the wip guys is hammering him for going with kimbrel in game 4. i thought maybe he should gone to alvarado sooner...but kimbrel is the closer your gm gave you.

one season ends and another begins. drexel basketball in less than 2 weeks by my count. i'm going in with no expectations despite some of the hype.

Crazy to lay the NLCS loss at Thomson's feet. Look at how the highest-paid hitters did in the 4 losses. Awful across the board.

(10-25-2023 09:55 AM)JonP Wrote:  Crazy to lay the NLCS loss at Thomson's feet. Look at how the highest-paid hitters did in the 4 losses. Awful across the board.

Agree. Thomson is one of the best managers in baseball. It's easy to second guess his decisions. Much of his smart managing is what got them to the NLCS to begin with. But no manager in baseball history is perfect. Jon, you said it best. Players have to perform. This is a streaky team, and all the big hitters in the lineup got into a major slump at the worst possible time. Whether or not they pinch hit for Rojas or pulled starters too early was not the reason they lost. Their hitters didn't hit.

Even as a diehard Phillies fan, I'm looking forward to the World Series. Two teams that I don't hate are duking it out. Rangers were one strike away from a title 12 years ago, and their fans want to avenge that devastating defeat. The Rangers are the hot offense, and as long as they don't get into an offensive funk like the Phillies did, they should roll over the D-backs, who have little offense, and didn't even hit that much in the NLCS.

Was a fun world series. Congrats to the Rangers. That hot to cold within a game and relying on momentum was interesting to watch. That fifth game felt like it was in Arizona's hands with the Texas injuries and they just couldnt come through early on with ample opportunities. I dont think Texas really wanted a long series with Scherzer and Adolis out so it worked.

I enjoyed the World Series as well. As a Phillies fan, I was really hoping for Texas to beat the crap out of Arizona, which they pretty much did. And then I was glad to see the Rangers win and celebrate on Arizona's home field, just as Arizona did in Philadelphia. Congrats to Arizona for pulling out a hard fought series against the Phillies. It shows you that anything can happen in the playoffs, and anything pretty much did. But in reality, Arizona was not a World Championship caliber team. Their lineup may have been one of the weakest ever to appear in the World Series, rivaling the 1988 Dodgers. As I see it, Texas is really good, and there's no guarantee that the Phillies would have beaten them anyway. Had Arizona won, it really would have felt like a super missed opportunity for the Phillies to win it all.

Congratulations to the Rangers for capturing their first ever World Championship.