WARNING!! Annual OT Baseball Thread 2011!! Open at Your Own Risk!

[ChuckElias]

On this date in 1971, Cardinal great Bob Gibson throws his only no-hitter.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

On this date in 1971, Cardinal great Bob Gibson throws his only no-hitter.

1967 World Series against the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox team: 3 starts; 27 innings pitched; 3 wins; 0 losses; 1 shutout; ERA 1.000; 26 strikeouts.

"Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs." (Former Cardinal Catcher Tim McCarver)

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

1967 World Series against the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox team: 3 starts; 27 innings pitched; 3 wins; 0 losses; 1 shutout; ERA 1.000; 26 strikeouts.

"Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs." (Former Cardinal Catcher Tim McCarver)

You'd've thunk* that the year he had the 1.12 ERA would have yielded such a gem. (1968)
*-tribute to former Cardinal great, Dizzy Dean.

[26 Year Gap]

2 CGs from the Rays today in a split with Boston.

[grunewar]

Attended the Phils vs Nats game today in our Nation's Capital. 41K+ in attendance (many of them Philly Phans who came down I-95 for the day). Many a long ball, a one-hr rain delay, a homer in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extra innings, and the game is won in the bottom of the 10th by the Nats on a bases loaded walk-off, hit batter! Amazing* and good fun!

*A few years ago we were at the Brewers vs Nats game and the Nats won on a game ending walk-off, wild pitch! Guess it's me.......

[ChuckElias]

I'm finally poking my head back in here b/c the Sox are back in first place by themselves. For a little while, anyway. I can only say this b/c I know that JR isn't peeking at this thread: but I am really impressed with the Yankees. I can't believe they are putting so much pressure on the Sox, and actually in first place for a while, with all the question marks in their lineup and the shaky (at best) starting pitching after Sabathia.

Anyway, I will be away for the weekend on my annual ballpark pilgrimage. This year, I'm hitting Phoenix and Dodger Stadium. My only worry is flying out of Hartford tonight in the middle of a hurricane.

[26 Year Gap]

Surprised and saddened to hear of Mike Flanagan's passing. Not tons of Northern New Englanders make the bigs.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by grunewar

and the game is won in the bottom of the 10th by the Nats on a bases loaded walk-off, hit batter!

*A few years ago we were at the Brewers vs Nats game and the Nats won on a game ending walk-off, wild pitch! Guess it's me.......

When I was a little kid on the South Side of Chicago, I was at a White Sox game with my dad (I think on a Saturday afternoon) and the Sox won on a walk-off balk! My dad had to explain it to me. I don't remember who they were playing, but it might have been the Tigers. Not sure. This was in the 50s.

[grunewar]

Top of the ninth, Nats at Reds, Nick Masset pitching for Reds against Rick Ankiel with Jason Werth on first.

Masset is in his stretch and as he is bringing the ball from behind his back to his glove, he drops the ball and it rolls off the mound! BALK!

His forth balk of the yr...... Weird.

[ChuckElias]

So in Spring Training, the Red Sox were touted as the best AL team since the Yankees won 120 games in '98. They were going to win 100 games and roll to (and most likely win) the World Series.

Then the season started. They went 2-8.

Then they got to Fenway. They won roughly 73 in a row and made the Spring Training prognosticators look like geniuses.

Now they get hammered by Toronto and get swept by Tampa Bay. They're only 3.5 ahead of Tampa now for the wild card.

Crazy.

[ChuckElias]

Wakefield finally gets his 200th win (thanks to amazing run support for once), but is overshadowed by Mariano's 600th save. Rays finally lose a game, giving the Sox some wild card breathing room.

Phillies stumble a little (against the worst team in the league), but I still think they're the favorite to make the World Series. Tigers, and Verlander, are en fuego -- and would have had Mick smiling big right about now.