Rays 11, Orioles 6: Hey, Evelyn...

by SC on Sep 25, 2008 1:31 AM EDT Comment 17 comments

(NSFW, y'all. Little bit o' cursin'.)

Hey, pitching staff? Can we ask you a question? Have you got a moment?

May Matt Wieters come to Baltimore and be our Dottie Hinson.

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Thanks heavens for the Mariners, whose sucktitude mitigates even ours.

Of course, there’s always the Pirates, the D-bags and the truly abominable Gnats— but they suck in a league that sucks, so who cares.

And speaking of the NPL, isn’t it great to watch all the “excitement” over the Wild Card “race”— as though any of the teams in that league could advance through a single playoff round against anything but another team from the same league. The actual World Series is the AL Championship.

But then you knew that.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Sep 25, 2008 3:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

come on

The White Sox and Twins are not better than the Cubs.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Sep 25, 2008 3:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Their IL results suggest otherwise

Twins IL: 14-4
CWS IL: 12-6
AL Central IL: 58-32
AL IL: 149-102

Cubs IL: 6-9…and this despite the widely-held opinion that “The Cubs 2008 Interleague Schedule [was] a bunch of cupcakes. One has to wonder if the MLB schedule makers want the Cubs to make the playoffs …” [http://homerderby.com/archives/1877]
That they managed a split with the CWS was remarkable. I mean cripes, the Orioles beat them up at Wrigley.

Hey, I never say weird things don’t come outta nowhere (hello 2006 World Champeen St. Louis Cardinals) and “Anything can happen in a short series” may be among the oldest and truest cliches in baseball— but c’mon, being the best team in a crap league doesn’t make the Cubs either good outright or better than these two fair AL teams.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Sep 25, 2008 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So they didn’t play great for 15 games. I’m not sold on the lame White Sox and Twins over the Cubs, who have a nice lineup and a good pitching staff.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Sep 25, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think what Titov is saying that is that their records are a deceptive measure of team quality, not that the Cubs didn’t play great for 15 games. The Cubs have a superior record, but the WS and Twins could perhaps have a similar record (maybe better but I doubt it) if they played in the NL Central given that the league quality is vastly different as evidenced by the interleague record.

Zartan says, "Sign Dan Johnson."

by birdman on Sep 25, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I understand this

But I have my doubts that the White Sox or Twins would be ten games better. 10 games is a big swing, and the Cubs are a good team, whatever league they’re in.

After the Cubs, though, there’s a pretty fair drop in NL quality, especially when you throw in the entire NL West, which is again a joke.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Sep 25, 2008 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But I have my doubts that the White Sox or Twins would be ten games better. 10 games is a big swing, and the Cubs are a good team, whatever league they’re in.

Oh yeah, I don’t think the WS or Twins are 10 games better than the Cubs even when factoring in interleague differences. But I’m just saying that the records of the Twins/WS and Cubbies could be about the same if they switched leagues. The Twins/WS would just need to switch five losses into wins in the NL central while the Cubs would need switch five wins into losses in AL Central. A five game swing isn’t all that huge.

Zartan says, "Sign Dan Johnson."

by birdman on Sep 25, 2008 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's still pretty big

It’s the raw difference between the Red Sox and Yankees (well, they’re six apart, but you know what I mean).

I think honestly my point is less the Cubs being so great as it is the White Sox and Twins both being lucky that the Indians happened the way they did. I wouldn’t bet money on the Cubs beating any of the AL playoff teams, but they’re also the only team I consider any threat from the NL to win the World Series.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Sep 25, 2008 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s the raw difference between the Red Sox and Yankees (well, they’re six apart, but you know what I mean).

Sure, the raw difference is big. But let’s say you stick, let’s say the Blue Jays in the NL Central, and they I think you could switch 2-5 of their loses into wins.

Zartan says, "Sign Dan Johnson."

by birdman on Sep 25, 2008 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What happened to the nightly Sox updates?

I so looked forward to those and then, poof, they were gone.

by Awesome Mike Awesome on Sep 25, 2008 6:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whoops, my bad! This just in: Sawx celebrate runner-upness with champagne! Shouts of "We're No. 2!" shake walls!

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Sep 25, 2008 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hardy Boys

and the Mystery of the Very Sour Grapes, Part II.

by Awesome Mike Awesome on Sep 25, 2008 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Do you really think we care?

I can’t speak on behalf of the community, but personally I feel absolutely no animosity towards the Red Sox heading to the playoffs. Being an O’s fan has boiled down to following a losing team; I can’t even fathom what a playoff apperance would be like and therefore am not at all jealous.

Maybe that snark comment would work on Tampa fans if you were taunting them about their history of futility, but I really could care less about how the Red Sox edged out the Orioles.

My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver

by Baltimo on Sep 25, 2008 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

by Baltimo on Sep 25, 2008 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

Tito over there and Dr. J have certainly expressed an “eww, the wild card? Gross!” opinion, as if it’s not something worth winning (good news for the Orioles I guess).

by Awesome Mike Awesome on Sep 25, 2008 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs