If your mother had named you Milton Bradley you would be pissed at the world too.

I guess she was just playing games with him.

I heard he tore his knee when his manager tackled him trying to restrain him from the umpire. I wonder if there will be any repercussions from that?

Chuck, I like your list. I was able to go to PNC Park in Pittsburgh this summer with a couple of friends, and was impressed with the park. It's in a nice part of downtown, and the view is excellent, both inside and outside the park. We did the stadium tour before one game, and for the other we parked across the river and took the ferry right to the park - nice touch. Side note to the game - it was Adam LaRoche bobblehead night, and the bobblehead was sponsored by LaRoche College (no relation).

We're debating making it to NYC next year for the last year of Yankee Stadium. (I'm assuming tickets will probably be easy to get? After all, no one goes there anymore because it's too crowded.)

It was Mike Winters (the umpires) fault.:mad:

"It's terrible. And now, because of him, my knee's hurt," Bradley said Sunday. "If this costs me my season because of that, he needs to be reprimanded. I'm taking some action. I'm not going to stand pat and accept this."

I cracked up when I heard him say that. Regardless of what Winters may or may not have said, I love that he's blaming his own over-reaction on the evil umpire.

Of course not, he's got a blown ACL. :rolleyes:

Chuck,
I don't see Fenway on your list. Where does it fit in?

I wondered the same, but then realized that this was a ranking of the best, most comfortable places to see a ballpark, not the most historically significant or those with the most "atmosphere."

Sox win with Schill looking really good, and the Yankees lose. Sox have already clinched a playoff spot and now the magic number for the division is 3. Yankees are one win from the playoffs as well. Nice to see their bullpen implode last night. Glad it's not just Gagne.

For anybody who doesn't know the background. . . My college roommate and I are in the process of touring all the big league ballparks. We usually visit 2 per summer (although this year was three) and the list comprises only the parks that we have visited together since beginning this "mission".

So even though I've been to Riverfront Stadium, Wrigley Field, the Metrodome and Kaufman Stadium, those aren't included on the list b/c we didn't visit them together. Likewise, my buddy and I have been to Fenway numerous times together (lots of Patriot Day games), but not since we started our official tour.

Next year, I think we're visiting Fenway and the Nationals' park, which I think will still be RFK. (If they're still in RFK, I may try to convince him to skip it until they get into the new park; since we've already seen their old park in Montreal.) So Fenway will shoot to #1 next year. :D Actually, even as a biased BoSox fan, I can't put Fenway in the top 3.

I don't often get to participate in this thread
 

GGOOOOOOO Rockies..........

and Chuck when do you plan on seeing Coors Field??

I used to work with the Parker Brothers (no, not the "real" ones). Whenever they'd do something wrong, their explanation was that they liked to take Risks.

I once asked them if they held a Monopoly on stupidness and one of them replied, "Obviously not". I had to give him points for that.

Since we're talking funny names, I used to know Bunny Tarquinio (her married name - and she has a fairly famous brother) and Forrest Hardwood. I'm not joking.

Also, I worked with a guy whose last name is Cheeseman. When his wife was pregnant, I told him that if it's a boy, he should name him Hammond. He didn't get it. :(

My family actually knows all of the following people:
Mr. Lister
Mayor Dreher
Judge Budge
Dr. Procter

But that's off topic. Indians are still a game ahead of the BoSox in the loss column. Let's hope that today's old-fashioned back-to-back double header in Seattle (where the Tribe is the HOME team for the first game -- thank you, Ohio weather) doesn't change that.

Remember Larry Holmes? He has a brother named Mobile. He was a bigger guy than Larry and served in the Navy as an anchor.

There was a dentist here in Oregon named Dr. Yankem.

Also, when I was a kid, there was a guy in my neighborhood named Gus Mussfuss.

Still - the best sports name ever is former NFL receiver (how appropriate) Fair Hooker. :D

Which reminds me - did you hear about the NFL quarterback who thought he was marrying a tight end, but would up with a wide receiver?

OK - moderate me out of here.

Chuck, when you coming out to Safeco??? Come in late July or early August - it's warm, the park is beautiful, sit where you can watch Puget Sound between innings...it will be in your top ten, even if the M's aren't!

Not to mention all the people out here who'd love to come and make it a party. Including one little Mets fan who LOVES to talk baseball with you!

And/or you can stop here in Portland to see the fence at PGE Park that Rodney McCray ran through. :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mPMfiuCO-E

Mike Winters update (Milton Bradley's Aggravation if you haven't been keeping up)

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Gee, a MLB umpire swore at a player. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell ya!

That's hardly news to anyone that's sat in the first coupla rows near home plate. Umpires, players, coaches and managers have been mofo-ing each other since....well....probably the last time the Cubs won a World Series. Ken Kaiser, for one, was world class at doing that.

Gotta admit that the umps really aren't supposed to be instigating it though, if that's what happened.

I think Patriot's Day is my favorite day of the year to skip class for day baseball.

Actually, they should be in the new stadium on Opening Day 2008.

As reported in the thread in the baseball forum, MLB discourages umpires from swearing back now. For example, with little suspensions at the ends of seasons.

Oh, my !
Now what?

Bos .278 3.87 5-5 W2
NY .288 4.46 7-3 W1
Cle .268 4.07 7-3 L1
LA .286 4.20 5-5 L3

Tough call.

Many different sources available...
 

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/07092...umpire_suspend

So he misses what... 3 or 4 regular season games, and no playoffs?

Nope, according to USA Today, he's gone for the playoffs too.

According to GarthB of the baseball forum (whose son is a pro umpire), sources in pro umpiring report that Winters was being groomed to be crew chief. That's probably gone now, which would be a far more significant punishment than missing a few games (reg. season or playoff).

Are crew chiefs paid extra? Or is it just a bragging kinda thingy?

Btw, it looks like the Yankees might be playing Cleveland, while the BoSox <b>won</b> the right to take 5 hour flights back and forth from the Left Coast. The other plus for the Yankees is that there's just a few less distractions in Cleveland to take the player's minds off of <i>beisbol</i>. Afaik, the night life in Cleveland is restricted to (1) going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and (2) going down to the river and watching it burn.

******I think it is hilarious that the guy sending HR #756 baseball to the HOF has marked it with an asterisk. Hope he put a bunch of them on there, because I am sure the HOF will place it asterisk down in the display case. I don't think I would have paid 720Gs for it, though. Not that I have 720Gs.

Crew chiefs are paid significantly more -- as much as $100K more than rookies.

As for your knowledge of night life in Cleveland, you've obviously never been to the Flats (and if you think the R&R HOF is night life, you must go to bed at 7 pm).

I don't know who won the season series between Cleveland and Boston - would that decide the top team if they finish the season with the same record?

<i>Au contraire</i>, I spent a week there one day.

I've never been much of a baseball fan, until my son started getting interested. Now that I've been to two MLB games in the same season, both Mets, I'm starting to follow a lttle bit. And what happens? The Mets are totally fading! Augh! Losing to Washington?!?! Sheez, it's getting desperate here, and still one game to go against someone dangerous, and then Florida who should be easy to beat, but then so should have Washington been. Fortunately, Mason is the most optimistic little kid you've ever met, and he's "CERTAIN they'll pull it out. But even if they don't, they won both the games we went to! " That's my boy...

Ah...., the purity of youth! :)

Have him repeat this mantra, "It's not all about me." :D

Well, it HAS been all about him for the last four years, with all the hospital stays, the meds, the tests, the procedures, and so forth. He'll outgrow this, at some point, I hope.

Good grammar catch! I meant "no" in the context of him receiving no playoff assignments, not that his playoff assignments weren't affected.

Anyone with 1/2 a Twinkie knew that. :cool:

Well, you just narrowed it down to M&M Guy and JR.

Oh, and according to Dan, Chuck's included also. He said something about mini-donuts.

Hey! Quit stealing my material!!

Yeah, and Josh Beckett shoulda won tonight.

How'd your kid grow up to be a Mets fan being out on the left coast?

I know about Beckett. Unbelievable. All season at the top of their league, and then to drop this close to completely out in the last 4 games. AUGH!!

Mason (and I) have been flying back to Long Island Jewish (Schneider Children's Hospital) this summer for a special treatment for his kidney disease. The good news was that the Mets won both the games we went to, but the best news is that the treatment seems to be working. It's been the best summer we've had in a long, long time.

That's great news, Juulie. I mean about Mason - I don't care about the Mets. :)

Yes yes yes we know already we know!!!

Geeze...anyway...

Why don't you check out this place & post a full report?

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/con...geon_Poop.html

Strobe lights, noise, fake owls, and netting.

But no mention of squirrels?

They should just bring in some politicians. The hot air will keep the pigeons away. Of course, that probably would keep all the fans away, too, so maybe it's not such a good idea after all.

We're not sure. It's one of only 2 remaining parks (Coors Field being the other) that can't be paired with anything nearby. So that will have to be a one-park trip. It probably won't be any time soon; we've got Boston and D.C. next year and then Chicago probably the year after that. I'll give you the heads-up if that plan changes.

I was actually there in '05 when the IAABO interpreters' conference was in Denver. But it doesn't make the list b/c I wasn't there with my buddy. I liked it though. Beautiful view, and $5 bleacher seats the night I was there.

Shut up and drink your tequilla.

(It clearly says, "for those of you who don't know". Kind of like "warning, off topic thread")

Cubbies win the NL Central!!!

The Cubs are in the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Right now their fans are focused on THIS year.

From USA Today---<i>"Red Sox players popped champagne corks in their clubhouse while <b><font color = red>thousands</font></b> of fans jumped up and down in <b><font color = red>nearly empty</font></b> Fenway Park."</i>

Go Cubbies!!!
 

HERE'S A WISH OF GOOD LUCK TO THE CUBBIES FROM A CARDINALS FAN.

I'm happy for the Cubs. I'm glad to see them in the playoffs again. I really feel bad for the Brewers, tho. They seemed to be sitting pretty in that division for a while and they couldn't hold on to it. They're not gonna get the wild card either, so they're left out of the party.

And what's the deal with Cecil and Prince Fielder, huh? What a wierd story that is. It's too bad the two of them can't just enjoy the kid's (and the dad's) success together.

That's an odd quote. It looked like most of the crowd stayed till the end of the the Yanks/O's game. It certainly wasn't "nearly empty". What the (JR's location) happened in the 9th in Baltimore, anyway? Were the Yankees that desperate to avoid flying to Anaheim? And then Giambi can't get it done with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th? And then, you give up a 2-out bases loaded bunt for a hit to lose the game? That's just bizarre. Who would even attempt a bunt with 2 outs and the bases loaded? Was ARod playing on the outfield grass or something?

So the Sox win the AL East for the first time since '95. That's nice and all, but the last 3 times they've won the division, they've been swept in the first round of the playoffs. I don't think that'll happen this year, as they've dominated the Angels, so they shouldn't get swept. One can hope. . .

My wife's favorite part of the night was when the Sox came back out onto the field to celebrate with the fans who stayed. Jonathon Papelbon came out wearing an empty beer box over his head, with eye holes cut out so he could see out of it. I've been trying to find a picture online to post here, but I haven't had any luck. She thought it was hysterical, tho.

Watch it or you'll be dealing with Michelle & Kim.

(Clearly we must read beyond the warning in order to determine into which group we belong.)

If he wants to deal with Michelle & Kim, somebody will have to put him up to it.

<font size =2> :) </font size>

Indians have the best record in baseball, but starting Thursday it's a whole new ballgame. Indians and Yankees -- two teams that have played very well in September -- should be fun to watch! The winner will likely go all the way.

(Maybe next year, Mick!) :(

Lord Byron,
Two years ago I would have been happy at .500.
I ain't changed that much.
It has been a fun year ... twice in a row. :)

http://1000smilies.com/tombstone.gif

<b>NY Mets</b>

Hard to generate much sympathy here when the quote came from their clubhouse recently: "We're so good sometimes we get bored."

As a (somewhat) old Cubs fan, I remember 1969. It seems to remembered more for the Cubs folding that season, but I think it was just as much the Mets being "Amazing" that year. Granted, the Cubs had, I believe, an 8 game lead going into Sept., and finished 8 games back, but I believe the Mets went something like 39-11 over the final 50 games, and Cubs still ended up with 92 wins for the season. But it was a bad enough memory that Ron Santo (ex-Cub 3rd baseman and current radio broadcaster) didn't even like to travel with the club to NY (if you get a chance, watch the video "This Old Cub" for his feelings about NY.)

This season, when the Cubs visited Shea, I saw a sign in the stands that read, "Remember 1969!". So, when I see videos of Mets fans in the stands after yestarday's game, and the looks on their faces, I hope that same guy was there. Because that's what it felt like back in 1969.

I'm still trying to figure out exactly how they would have done the play-in if the Mets had won yesterday and forged a tie with Philly, SD, and CO. Two teams tied for the division lead tied with two other teams for the wild card lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZcc1TXytDA
http://www.ssa.cc/nxblrules.htm

Exactly. Saturday night, addled with cranberry pop, and exhausted from the wild evening of Uno, lying in my top bunk in my sleeping bag, I was losing sleep over this. More play-in games than the play-offs!

Wasn't ARod. They had Wilson Betemit in there. After playing in on the grass for the first two outs, the infield relaxed and moved way back. Betemit was indeed very close to the outfield grass. Perfect bunt by Mora, hard enough that the pitcher couldn't make a play, soft enough that Betemit had no chance.

This came up on a few news stories.

I'm pretty sure that the Mets and Phils would have played a 1-game playoff to determine the division leader. Then, depending on who won that, there'd be a round-robin of sorts to determine the NL wild card.

That makes sense, do the RR between the remaining three teams.

And what it that yields all teams being 1-1? ;)

I don't really know how a tie amongst more than one team is handled. I do know that the division winner is determined first though.

It would have been fun to see. I was rooting for a four-way tie myself.

Who on here knows if the stats from this tiebreaker game between the Padres and Rockies count toward the regular season or postseason?

For example, has Holliday won the batting title already or is he risking it tonight?

They would not have done round robin -- takes too long, and could end indecisively.

More likely: draw lots for a "bye," the other 2 teams play, the bye team plays the winner for the wild card spot. Done decisively in 2 days.

Has to be postseason. Regular season is over.

Yes, that's what I remember reading on Saturday. Somehow the best of the 4 is selected by record for a bye or by lot if needed.

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Nevadaref
Who on here knows if the stats from this tiebreaker game between the Padres and Rockies count toward the regular season or postseason?

For example, has Holliday won the batting title already or is he risking it tonight?
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Do you know for sure as I asked or are you just guessing? Because I happen to think that you are incorrect.

You're right: I am. How odd that a playoff game can affect a batting title.

http://tinyurl.com/2h9fsq

No posts about the Padres/Rockies game? What an unbelievable way to end the regular season. One game playoff that goes extra innings. The best closer in the NL blows the save and loses the game. Controversial calls, little known guys coming up huge for both teams. Ugly uniforms on the Padres, too.

14 wins in 15 games sure will go a long way to making the playoffs!

I don't think the guy touched home plate. If I am correct, why is the runner safe? :confused:

The runner was safe because the umpire ruled that he did touch home. Iow, you aren't correct(even if you are correct).

There's a big discussion on the <i>beisbol</i> forum as to whether the call was missed or not. Moot point now anyway.

I wish I had a chance to see it; I could only catch the scores on ESPN's bottom line.

Weren't there a couple of controversial calls that game besides the play at the plate? Was there something about a home run being called double?

And, if this is considered a regular-season game, why did they use 6 umpires? Don't they only use the extra umpires in post-season?

You can see it. There's a link to the video replay in the thread on the baseball forum.

The "homerun" was a double. It hit the top of the rail and came back into the field of play.

They used 6 umpires because it basically was a playoff game, no matter what they called it.

Sheez, the mets can't even beat the yankees at losing!

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7286840

Looks like you found the correct answer. From what I heard on Sunday night, he would have to have gone 0-for-5 in the tiebreaker game to lose the title.

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by mbyron
They would not have done round robin -- takes too long, and could end indecisively.

More likely: draw lots for a "bye," the other 2 teams play, the bye team plays the winner for the wild card spot. Done decisively in 2 days.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I found out how this would have worked, if anyone cares.

MLB flipped a bunch of coins and Colorado was the big winner. In the event of a four team tie, they had the option of playing two games at home or one game on the road. They selected the single road game because it meant that they got a free win or a "bye".

So what would have happened is the Mets would have played one game at Phili on Monday. The winner gets the NL East and the loser goes into the WC battle.

The NL East loser would head to San Diego for a single game on Tuesday. The loser is out. The winner hosts Colorado on Wed for the WC bid.

But it didn't happen because the Mets couldn't win a game at the end. :(

Yep, that's how I remember it, except I didn't realize Colorado already won their coin flip. I thought it was supposed to be between the 3 reamining teams somehow, looking at head to head play and the like.

Would have been something to see.

Three really good series openers yesterday. Of course, the one I really wanted to see was my Red Sox, but I was teaching a new applicants' class. One of the people in the class had a Blackberry and got updates of the score at the break, and by the time class finished, the game had already ended. :( But Beckett was amazing, Papi was his old self, and Manny even did a good job running the bases. (I think that's one of the signs of the Apocalypse.) Beckett threw his 3rd postseason shutout, and his second in a row. Ellsbury made a nifty catch in left, as a defensive replacement late in the game. Youk got off to a good start, too, which is nice to see after he missed a few games late in the season with an injury.

Rockies grab their Game 1 on the road in Philly, and Sweet Lou is being second-guessed all over Chicago for pulling Zambrano after only 85 pitches, or whatever it was. Brandon Webb (who I got to see pitch in person this season) threw a gem for D'backs.

And Walt Jocketty is out as GM in St. Louis, less than a year after the Cards won the World Series. The team said his departure was a "mutual decision". Kind of puzzling.

I thought it was a puzzling move as well; I figured Z would go out and at least start the 7th, and get pulled at the first whiff of trouble. But then again, the only reason there's second-guessing is because Marmol didn't do what he had been doing pretty much the whole second half of the season - dominating hitters. If he does what he's been doing, Lou would be a genius.

I wonder if there's more to the story, perhaps some sort of friction between Jocketty and ownership? Or has another team (like Oakland) already approached him? I would think someone who is responsible for a World Series one year, and in the race until the last two weeks the next year, wouldn't be forced out due to bad performance.

The Tribe is welcoming the Yankees pitching staff to the postseason tonight. :D

The Indians' radio guy mentioned that, back in the 90's when the Tribe was all hitting and mediocre pitching (in 97 for a while their whole lineup was over .300), Joe Torre was asked how his team would match up in the division series. He intoned with a smile: "In the playoffs, it all comes down to pitching."

Bases loaded and 1 out in the 5th, and the Yanks get zip? And the Tribe scores 5 in the bottom half? I think Joe's onto something. ;)

Did they welcome Lebron James to their house, too? Thanks to King James, this off-topic thread isn't completely off topic. :D

Hall of Famer Jon Diebler would never hav done something so crass.

Tonight the Indians are definitely bugging the Yankees. :D

Ha! <iiiiiiiiiii>

The Tribe now has the Yankees in an 0-2 hole!

http://www.clevelandseniors.com/phot...olan/wahoo.jpg

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/image...4/wpkHTFAX.jpg


No - hat! ;)

Of course, we all know what happened when the A's had the Yankees down two games to none. :(

WOW!

I had a feeling that Ramirez was gonna come up big.

All four series are now 2-0. WOW!

Since the WC was introduced with the 1995 playoffs has that ever happened?

Edit:
Ernie Johnson on TBS just answered it for me. He said that it only happened before in 1995. There were two sweeps, one series went four games, and the other went five.

Okay, so obviously, in three of those series' the team that started out 2-0 won the series. What happened in the one that went to 5 games? To ask the question differently, has anyone come back to win after being down 2-0?

Yes, Juulie, they have. Check today's Oregonian sport section for the info.

Note to Juulie - we just had a guy apply for a job in my department at my company. He's a PBOA member and has the same name as the Immortal Dave, but he's not him. Apparently there are three PBOA members with the same first and last names.

Since 1995? I'll go look in the paper.

Two Dave H's and a Dave T. Was it Dave T? I didn't hear that the other Dave H was looking for a new job. (who btw also posts here occasionally).

Dave T. I'm interviewing him on Monday. Any dirt? ;)

none off the top of my head. I like him a lot. He's very bright and energetic, and observant. He's a very good ref, although he gets impatient sometimes with attitude. But then, don't we all?

Okay, silly me, I can't find it. I looked through all 8 pages, including the big ad on the back. Maybe the Tigard edition carries different stuff?

I think it was in that small print section that tells what happened in the past on this date.