If you want to be rich in 13 months, I've got a sure-fire bet for you. Buck Showalter was fired as Rangers' manager yesterday. That can only mean one thing. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2007 World Series Champions -- the Texas Rangers!!!

It's true, it's true. Call your bookie today!

I had to read all the way through the story to get your point, but I found it.

I wonder how many other managers and former managers have that distinction?

Here's an idea, take the camera off the stupid crowd and focus on the action on the field! :mad: I don't want to see all of those people.

I hate Fox.

I have found one good thing about Fox:

We just recently hooked up our TV to a home theater-type receiver (with a subwoofer :cool:), and you really notice the sound effects compared to listening through the TV speakers.

I'm sure the novelty will wear off in the next week or so, but for now it's neat.

How come when they pan over the wives, you never see 'em do anything interesting....like maybe yawn when their husband's hitting or trying to dig a goober out of their nose? Ya think that they don't <b>know</b> when the camera is on 'em?

The only good crowd shots are like the one that they caught in the Skydome in Toronto of the couple doing the vertical wave in their hotel room while watching the game.:D

You hooked your tv up to a chihuahua? :eek:

Yea, it was a pain trying to figure where to attach the wires... :eek:

Tori Hunter misplays a diving line drive and gives Kotsay an inside-the-park homer. 4-2 A's. They don't want to lose this one, too.

You can't go wrong if you hook 'em up to their peddle-pushers.

What you talkin' 'bout Willis??!

http://www.inkypaw.com/chihuahua.jpg

I'm only able to "watch" on CBS Sportsline - all they said was it was an inside-the-park HR to center. I'll be in the car shortly, so I can listen to the rest of the game.

It would be a shame for the Twins to come this far from where they were, only to fizzle in the first round.

Small tpyo

Awww...where'd you find that cute picture of DJ?

I think I just heard Chuck's head explode (again).

The better team is winning. I know this is news to all the folks back East, but there is good baseball played out West. You just don't see it during the year because you have gone to bed.

I want to see the A's play their home games in the playoffs at 7PM PST. Who cares about the East Coast TV audience?

Let the people who work in CA have the opportunity to come out and support their team without having to take time off.

Me too. That way, we won't have to watch 'em.

The last time the A's won anything was 1989, and it took an earthquake and 2 truckloads of 'roids to win then. Hello there...Bash Bros.

They're doing it with pitching and defense this year.
That makes them dangerous for any opponent.

Yeah, you probably don't want to see it when the Yanks come out West for the ALCS and the A's spank 'em! :eek:

Anybody see two Dodgers get thrown out at the plate on the same play? Unbelievable. When an outfielder hits the relay man and the relay man throws a guy out at the plate, who gets the assist? The outfielder, the relay man, or both? If two guys get put out with the same throw, are there 2 assists on the throw? Do both guys (outfielder and relay man) get 2 assists? Anybody have any idea on this?

I believe something similar happened during a game a few seasons ago, and I think it involved the White Sox?

Now, my guess would be there would only be one assist on the initial out, and the second out would be scored as "2-unassisted".

You've got a pretty good memory for someone whose brain is fried.

It was the Yankees and the White Sox in the mid-80's. Carlton Fisk was the catcher and Dale Berra was one of the runners. Berra was more famous for being Yogi's kid and also for stuffing prodigious amounts of Peruvian Marching Powder up his nose rather than for being a good ballplayer.

The other similar kinda famous play was the one with Buck Martinez of the BlueJays, in about the same time frame iirc. He tagged a player out at home, breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle while doing so, then threw to third from the ground trying to get a runner sliding in. He overthrew, the runner headed home, and Martinez then took a return throw and tagged the runner out while laying on home plate. That was 2 tag outs at home by a catcher too on the same play, but with a couple of throws in between them. Btw, that injury basically ended Martinez' career iirc also.

I know my brain is fried, and I thought somehow Fisk was involved, but then I still thought there was one more recent than that, even though I knew Fisk hadn't played since the 80's.

Maybe I just need a retreat.

I don't think that you could pass the physical. I hear you gotta be a fundy old lady in pedal pushers.

Then again....maybe you could pass.

Watch it - I'm gonna stick these clam-diggers right up your...

This must have been an example of Nevada's great west coast baseball we don't get to see here on the east coast.

btw, the runner who's backside Dale Berra ran up was Bobby Meachum. Here's a fun article...

http://www.nyyfans.com/article/8497

Man, I stop reading the baseball thread for the last 47 or 48 pages, then I come back and Drozqywxcvqpmnqzx (or however you spell that freaking last name) is making fun of me - for no apparent reason. I'm hurt...hurt I tell you...I think I need a retreat.

I'll send you the entrance requirements. How do you look in peddle-pushers?

Btw, if I made any hurtful comments, they were purely unintentional. JR made me do it.

It's true...it's true...

Yanks/Tigers Game 2 starts in a half-hour. All they can talk about is the way the postponement was handled last night.

Geeze, another on-topic post....:rolleyes:

Down goes Sheffield! Down goes Sheffield!!

He's ok, tho. E-6.

Big spot for the Yanks. Bases loaded, two outs. Gee, what'll A-Rod do? Backwards K, of course. Poor guy.

Chuck's making his big play to get to 9000 posts on this afternoon's game

I love to watch Mussina in a big game. It's like a box of chocolates. Quick 1-0 lead for the Tiggers. Next pitch almost hits Inge.

Did I say 9000?

Sorry, meant 9500...

Nah, this just happens to be the first playoff game that I'm going to be able to watch from beginning to end. So I'm trying to get this thread back to baseball.

Matsui reaches on the first pitch of the 2nd inning, BTW.

1st and 2nd, nobody out. Yanks can't score. Boo-hoo-hoo. :)

But the game is not over.. We know better, once the Yanks explode. It's over.

Abreu misses a home run by 2 feet, but can't make it to second base. So, of course, Sheffield grounds into a double play.

How does John Miller get through 3 hours a day with Joe Morgan without hanging himself like the old lady who has to sit next to Ted Striker in Airplane?

LOL, that was funny

All I know is that I thought JR was gonna be lonely down there in hell...but now I know you will be there keeping him company. And for torture, old Lucifer is gonna make you guys spend eternity spelling each other's names correctly..

M&M: "W-o-d-d-y. Damn. Gotta start again."

JR: "D-r-o- oh for crap's sake, I don't know."

Give me a couple of brownpops and <B>I</B> can't spell my name.

Poor guy, my azz!

I wonder if Melky Cabrera can play third base.

I see you're gonna Melk that for all it's worth...

Geez Chuck, I leave you in charge of the store for a few minutes, and I come back and find ex-BoSox'ers hitting HR's.

Unfrozen Caveman Centerfielder strikes again! Gives the Yanks the lead. And JR thought it was a mistake to sign him!

Guillen ties it up. Must be b/c I put on my Anti-Yankee t-shirt. :)

And then Sheff saves Jeter from his second error of the day.

Could be.

I put my anti-Red Sox t-shirt away until next year.

I'm hoping to put this one away before the end of next week.

Considering how much you sweat while wearing it I hope you at least wash it before the end of next week.

http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.c...e/stink(1).jpg

Cute pic. Tiggers take the lead.

Ladies - stop the cat-fighting and just keep this about baseball.

Yeah, well, these things happen...btw when do the Sox play?

April sometime. Hopefully, they have a pitching staff by then.

How many times can Joe Morgan talk about the shadows on the field? He's driving me crazy today.

That's a pretty short drive, Chuck...btw - what time does the Mariner's playoff game start??

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...boy, I crack myself up...

What do you know? Melky makes an appearance in the 9th!

Series tied up, 1-1! See if the Tigers can win a couple at home.

Now, let's check in on that Cards/Padres game. . . :D

Don't you people have jobs?!?

Mets load the bases in the 6th and score 2 runs to make it a 4-0 game. Nomar's 2-for-8 in the series so far.

I did, until I drove my front-loader over a cliff. :eek: You hiring?

Tigers and Yankees.

"Manager Jim Leyland said he sensed the Tigers and Yankees were being characterized here like the freshmen against the varsity." - detnews.com

Entertaining. :)

LOL....Leyland is really using that underdog crap to the nth degree, isn't he?

Good pitching beats good hitting....especially in a short series....and Leyland knows that he's got good pitching. That win yesterday wasn't an upset; it was well deserved. The Yankees are in a dogfight with the Tiggers, and the Yankees know that...no matter what spin Leyland is using to try to pump his guys up with. You never know what Randy Johnson is gonna show up anymore, so tonight's game should be veeeery interesting. Just gotta hope that Rogers remains true to form----> a choking dog. :D

More important though, the Gremlins are still undefeated!:)

Congratulations to Oakland. I said earlier that I thought Minnesota had worked so hard to make the playoffs that they might be outta gas. Sure looked that way in this series.

Go Tigers!

Go Chuck !

One old guy whose back could simply explode at any moment versus another old guy who is no longer on the team he's pitching against because of his rep for never being able to win a big game. Should be interesting.

First ever postseason game with both starting pitchers past their 40th birthdays.

Close one at third. Pudge kinda looked out to me. I never heard of Larry Vanover.

Pretty cool to hear Ernie Harwell do the play-by-play for ESPN. He almost makes Joe Morgan bearable. (Mostly b/c Joe doesn't say much out of sheer respect for Ernie.)

Deep fly to center, but it dies on the track to end the Yankees' fourth. Still 3-zip.

Close one down the left field line. Chalk flies. Called foul. That's two missed by Mr. Vannover. At least it's one each way.

Homer by Granderson. 6-0 Tiggers. How are Dan and JR feeling about relying on Jared Wright to save their season in Game 4?

I'll say good night now, unless the Yanks pull off the miracle.

A gem.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_p.../fr-rogers.jpg

I hope they can put the Yankees away.

BTW, Buck O'Neal died today. May God take care of his soul.

Peace

Let's hear it for the West Coast! :D

The sooner we knock out the NY teams the better. Maybe then the networks will allow night game in CA.:eek:

During the regular MLB season, do baseball fans live in Alabama or Mississippi ?

On which roster are you listed ? :)

And in traditional fashion, MLB will honor him posthumously by inducting him into the HOF when he should have been selected years ago.:(

Start games at 11:30pm EST?

Dream on.....

Ain't ever gonna happen, even if 2 west coast teams played each other.

You oughta email the dodgers to suggest they cooperate with your grand scheme.

Yep, he did pitch a great game.

Too bad there were not 1 but 2 obviously blown calls tho.

By the same ump, too. But as I said, at least one went against the Yanks and one went against the Tigers. Each call ended up costing a run, so it was a break-even night for Vanover.

I'm with you Sparky.
In baseball, and many sports, momentum seems to be a major factor, and there is no telling what effect those calls have on the remainder of a game.
I hope that umpire gets spanked.
...And we know this ain't over, but it sure is fun. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/sp...smiley-025.gif




<HR>
"This boils down to whether we're good enough or not," Leyland said. "There's no magic. You can't reach into your pocket and pull out Sandy Koufax."

Actually the first blown call ended up costing 2 runs. Not that it mattered over-all but the score would have been 1-0instead of 3-0 if NY only had to get 3 outs that inning instead of 4.

And I know the "break-even" comment is made with tongue firmly in cheek...but just for the heck of it try using it when you-know-who visits you in the locker room to quietly discuss something he may not quite agree with.

;)

Even if Torre could have pulled Koufax out of his pocket last night or today it wouldn't help...not on Friday night or Saturday afternoon anyways. ;)

The deep hills of West Virginia...

http://1000smilies.com/tombstone.gif
R.I.P. Yankees

(Go Tigers!)

Oh, my !
 

The kid grew up a bit.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/ba...-bonderman.jpg
:)

As much as I hated to see the Yankees lose, they were definitely out-pitched and out-hit in this series. Guess I'll pull for the Tigers now.:(

dblref,
That's great ! Tigers will need all the help they can get.


I was wonderin':

Will there be a lot of Yankee fans rooting for the METS ?

Not freaking likely!

Go Tigers!!

Good pitching can take you a long way.

Go JR ! <font></font>

Not me. I'm American League first, and my favorite NL team is Atlanta (worked there 6 years). The Braves really sucked this year.

Look, everybody wants to win the World Series, ok? Why does King George think it's his birthright to win it every year? This mentality that the season is a failure if the Yankees don't win the World Series is absolutely insane.

Are you really going to fire Joe Torre after the amazing 2nd half that the Yankees put together? If you fire the manager every time you don't win the World Series, you'll have a new manager every year. Which means you'll very likely never win the Series again. It's just silly.

And is Lou Pinella the answer to this "problem" of not winning the Series in 6 years? I wouldn't bet on it.

Hey JR, your coaching idol made it thru the first round. :D Cards win at home.

Cards vs. Mets
A's vs. Tigers

If LaRussa wins a World Series, I'd probably stick my schlong in my mouth and blow my brains out. Life just wouldn't be worth living. The guy is a <b>lawyer</b>, fer God's sakes. 'Nuff said.

Grumble, grumble, grumble.......

Um, Chuck, does the name <b>Grady Little</b> mean anything to you? Do you really think that Grady morphed straight into a genius from a moron as soon as he hit LA? Bah-stan basically fired him because he left Pedro in too long-- iow because he decided to go with his best pitcher. If it works, he's a genius and he gets his own statue in the Fenway. It doesn't work though and he's run outa town. That's <i>beisbol</i>.

NY has gotta do something. It's either the manager or some players. Personally, I think that their entire starting pitching staff should be blown up except for Ho Chi Minh. Easier said than done though. They're stuck with Randy Johnson for another year. They can get rid of Mussina and Wright though. Mussina has never won a big game in his life, and he's 37. And every time Wright pitches, the Yanks are down 4-0 before they can bat.

Sheffield has gotta go too. No room for him; Melky Cabrera has got to play regularly. As for A-Rod? Heeeeeello LA!

Gonna be a busy off-season in NY methinks.

Grady had detractors, even in the front office, long before the Pedro decision. His handling of pitchers, especially the bullpen, was horrible for most of his stay in Boston. He was also a "player's manager" to the point that he didn't discipline anybody for anything. (A trait that Francona shares, btw.) But they were playing well enough to get into the playoffs, so there was no way that they were going to make a change.

The Pedro decision was simply the last straw. And the problem with the Pedro decision was not that he decided to go with his best pitcher. (That's a real positive face to put on it, tho.) Pedro was done. Every person watching that game knew he was done. My wife asked me why Little came out of the dugout and then left Pedro in. If my wife knows the pitcher needs to come out, he needs to come out. There was no decision to be made in that situation. It was an utter lapse of baseball sense and judgment.

Torre hasn't made one of those, as far as I can see. He hasn't been criticized for mis-handling the pitching staff, or for hitting Jeter ninth, or for letting the clubhouse get out of control. The only possible mistake that I can see in the Tigers series was not pitching Wang on short rest in place of Wright. And even that is a coin-flip. Pitchers generally don't do well on short rest in the playoffs. So the only obvious thing Torre did wrong was that he didn't win the World Series. If that gets him fired, then shame on Steinbrenner.

I don't think he believes it's his birthright to win every year.

I think he believes if he works to assemble the best team on & off the field he will win.

(And yes that translates into paying big money to attract the talent he wants.)

Of course it doesn't always work out, be there ya have it.

The goal of a baseball team is to win the WS. How is it NOT a failure if you fail to attain that goal???

:confused:

Well, you're closer to things there than I am obviously, but I can tell you that it sure seems that way outside of NYC. He never says, "What a great season we had. What a fantastic effort after the All-Star break to win the division. I'm proud of the way the guys played in the face of all the injuries we suffered. We just came up a little short against a very good opponent in this series." You only ever hear, "Heads will roll".

If that's your ONLY goal, then I agree with you. But it's also insane if that's your only goal. Every MLB team would love to win the World Series. But do you really think that the Royals or the Devil Rays had the goal of winning the World Series back in March? Of course not. They had no realistic chance of attaining a winning record, let alone wins in the playoffs. While they would love to make the World Series, they have other more realistic goals by which to judge the success of their season. My goal is to work the NCAA tournament someday. If I don't ever do that, is my officiating career a failure? Of course not.

A more realistic measure of success for a baseball team is to make the playoffs. As every player, coach, and announcer says, anything can happen in a short series. It's very possible for the better team to lose a best-of-5 series. Even after making the playoffs, you only have a 1-in-8 chance of winning the World Series, at best.

And again, if anybody thinks Lou Pinella gives the Yankees a better chance of winning a World Series than Torre does, that's insane, too.

Goals will differ, Chuck, and it has nothing to do with sanity, but probably closer to reality.

It wasn't unbelievable that the Yankees or Red Sox, ... or White Sox, would win this year's WS. And if that was their goal, it was truely reachable.

...Detroit met their goal of .500 ball.

Well......

That's old news Tanner.
Projections are made to be re-projected.
You still like the Cardinals?
Are you that kind of Illinois fan?

Yea, Tanner. Inquiring minds want to know. ;)

Not that there's anything wrong with that. . .

Here's a funny thing about JR's favorite coach - last night Tim McCarver said right before Carpenter got lifted, "If Tony takes off his glasses, he's going to make the change." Sure enough, he takes off his glasses right before leaving the dugout. I had noticed he wears his glasses all the time in the dugout otherwise. I wonder if he takes them off before running out to argue a call? Maybe he worries what the fans think about his eyesight?

Mets vs. Cardinals. Hmm, I can't root for either St. Louis or a New York team. Maybe it's time to root for the Tiggers...