MLB Playoffs 2015

[ace2000]

Game on! Nice postseason run for the Cardinals with five straight seasons. And they're going in to the 2015 playoffs with baseball's best record. Hoping to see another one of these this year, but I hate being greedy ... going to the game tomorrow night!

 

[Elan]

If the Cards are going to win it all, this would be a good year, because we all know the Giants win it in even years.

My pre-playoff picks were the Cubs and Jays. But, since the Giants and Angels are absent, I've mostly turned my focus to CFB this fall and don't care much who wins the WS. Will dial back in to baseball more when the LCS's start.

 

[Ironwood]

Lets go Blue Jays....Let's play ball! :whoopie:

 

[DeniseM]

Since my Giants didn't make the playoffs, I'm rooting for the Cubs, who have the longest World Series drought in baseball. They haven't won the WS in 106 years:

Longest World Series Droughts:

106 	Chicago Cubs 	1908 	1945
67 	Cleveland Indians 	1948 	1997
54 	Texas Rangers 	never (franchise began 1961) 	2011
53 	Houston Astros 	never (franchise began 1962) 	2005
47 	Milwaukee Brewers 	never (franchise began 1969) 	1982
47 	San Diego Padres 	never (franchise began 1969) 	1998
47 	Washington Nationals 	never (franchise began 1969) 	never
39 	Seattle Mariners 	never (franchise began 1977) 	never
36 	Pittsburgh Pirates 	1979 	1979
32 	Baltimore Orioles 	1983 	1983
31 	Detroit Tigers 	1984 	2012
29 	Kansas City Royals 	1985 	2014
28 	New York Mets 	1986 	2000
26 	Los Angeles Dodgers 	1988 	1988
26 	Oakland Athletics 	1989 	1990
25 	Cincinnati Reds 	1990 	1990
24 	Minnesota Twins 	1991 	1991
23 	Colorado Rockies 	never (franchise began 1993) 	2007
21 	Toronto Blue Jays 	1993 	1993
20 	Atlanta Braves 	1995 	1999
18 	Tampa Bay Rays 	never (franchise began 1998) 	2008
14 	Arizona Diamondbacks 	2001 	2001
13 	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 	2002 	2002
12 	Miami Marlins 	2003 	2003
10 	Chicago White Sox 	2005 	2005
7 	Philadelphia Phillies 	2008 	2009
6 	New York Yankees 	2009 	2009
3 	St. Louis Cardinals 	2011 	2013
2 	Boston Red Sox 	2013 	2013
1 	San Francisco Giants 	2014 	2014

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_franchise_postseason_droughts

(But as long as the Yankees (eliminated) or Dodgers, don't win it, I'm happy!)

 

[Blues]

Since my Giants didn't make the playoffs, I'm rooting for the Cubs, who have the longest World Series drought in baseball. They haven't won the WS in 106 years

I grew up in Chicago, watching the Cubbies. 1969 was my senior year of high school. My friends and I would periodically ditch school to watch their amazing run.

They broke my heart that year. I have not followed MLB since then. It was that bad. I wish them luck this year, but will not be emotionally invested again.

A few (6?) years back, some pundit posited the following. Suppose you could travel back in time to 1909. What odds do you think you could get on a bet that a black man would be elected President before the Cubs win the World Series? A funny but sad comment

Bob

 

[susieq]

(But as long as the Yankees (eliminated) or Dodgers, don't win it, I'm happy!)

Me too!!!

 

[falmouth3]

S
(But as long as the Yankees (eliminated) or Dodgers, don't win it, I'm happy!)

Sounds like my father. He was a die hard Brooklyn Dodgers fan and never forgave them for moving. When I was growing up, before the Mets were born, my father would watch the Yankees on TV but we always rooted for the other team.

 

[moonstone]

Lets go Blue Jays....Let's play ball! :whoopie:

A nail biter so far! Lets GO Blue Jays!

~Diane

 

[am1]

Let's Go Blue Jays. A few bad plays, calls and bounces.

 

[falmouth3]

I'm hoping for a Blue Jays/Cubs world series.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

jays lose

looking like the Al could end up all Texas The crying you heard in Canada was coast to Coast . Must win 3 in a row now

Go Cardinals - my home from 1978 - 1990
Best baseball town in the world

 

[dioxide45]

I am more of a bandwagon Jays fan these days. Since moving to the US and working full time and traveling, I don't have as much time to watch baseball. I follow them loosely throughout the year along with the local Cincinnati Reds. Most years there isn't much to follow. This year the Jays went big and it might just be to go home.

I had a bad feeling about their chances in the playoffs when they lost four of their last five. They are now down two games going to Texas. Of course, as the Reds know, a team can lose after being up two games after playing on the road after they lost three in a row. The Giants did it to them a few years ago. I don't think the Jays are the kind of team to do that though. Today they weren't playing for runs at the end, they seemed to be playing for home runs. You can't win a lot of baseball games playing those odds.

If the Jays end up going down this season, I will go back to watching YouTube videos of Joe Carter's three run home run in 1993. It was great, and it may seem sad 22 years later, but it will be all we still have as a Jays fan for at least another year. One of the greatest World Series moments of all time. Only two people can say they hit a home run to win the World Series.

I saw an interesting list of the 10 teams (similar to Denise's) in the playoffs this year and when they last won the World Series. Blue Jays were third on that behind the Cardinals and the Yankees. Now the Yankees are out, so only the Cardinals have won in the last two decades.

If my team isn't in it till the end, I will probably root for The Rangers, Astros or Cubs. No one knows misery like these three teams. The two in Texas have no World Series Championship and well the Cubs, they might as well not. Just about no one alive remembers the last time they won the World Series.

 

[Carol C]

Gooo Cubbies!

Since my beloved Pirates didn't make it, I'm now rooting for the Cubs. Last night's game was great...a 6-3 Cubs win after they got shut out the day before. It's a good post season thus far...go Cubbies!!!!

 

[am1]

Will there be anyone still cheering for the Dodgers after last night? There is no place for that in sports. You should be attempting to slide into second base and not tackle the player away from the base.

 

[dioxide45]

Will there be anyone still cheering for the Dodgers after last night? There is no place for that in sports. You should be attempting to slide into second base and not tackle the player away from the base.

I agree, something needs to be done about attempts to break up the double play. Though it can go both ways, Donaldson of the Jays was pulled from the game after he tried to break up a double play and got a knee to the head.

 

[DeniseM]

The "neighborhood play," rule at 2nd base has completely convoluted plays/calls at 2nd base.

Last night, Utley never got near 2nd base - not even close, but after sliding really wide to take out the short-stop, and breaking his leg in the process, he was declared safe, and went on to score.

It's simply asinine!

 

[am1]

I agree, something needs to be done about attempts to break up the double play. Though it can go both ways, Donaldson of the Jays was pulled from the game after he tried to break up a double play and got a knee to the head.

Yes, he was going for second base and thankfully was okay for game 2.

 

[vacationhopeful]

....
Last night, Utley never got near 2nd base - not even close, but after sliding really wide to take out the short-stop, and breaking his leg in the process, he was declared safe, and went on to score.

It's simply asinine!

Chase Utley has spent TOO MANY YEARS associating with the "Broad Street Bullies" .... to be an innocent player.

 

[gnorth16]

Back to the Future Movie predicted the Cubs to win the 2015 world series....

 

[DeniseM]

Joe Torre (MLB Commissioner's Office) has just suspended Utley for 2 games of the NLDS play-offs for an illegal slide. Good for him for having the guts to stand up and make a tough decision.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...rt-game-3-mets-harvey-slide-article-1.2393427

 

[dioxide45]

Back to the Future Movie predicted the Cubs to win the 2015 world series....

The movie also predicted we would be using hover-boards.

 

[DeniseM]

The movie also predicted we would be using hover-boards.

I don't know anything about them, but I've seen them on TV, so apparently they have been invented, but it seems to me that they would only appeal to the skateboard crowd.

 

[pedro47]

Joe Torre (MLB Commissioner's Office) has just suspended Utley for 2 games of the NLDS play-offs for an illegal slide. Good for him for having the guts to stand up and make a tough decision.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...rt-game-3-mets-harvey-slide-article-1.2393427

I agree with Joe Torre decision, Utley wide slide was an illegal slide. Utley should be ban for the whole series not just two (2) games.

 

[am1]

I agree with Joe Torre decision, Utley wide slide was an illegal slide. Utley should be ban for the whole series not just two (2) games.

Most likely the Mets would have won the game as well. But cannot change the past.

 

[dioxide45]

I suspect that the suspension will be overturned upon appeal. Utley will apparently play during the appeal. So any suspension won't be immediate. Had the short stop not been injured, there wouldn't be a suspension. Players practice on how to break up a double play. For the Mets it was unfortunate, for the Dodgers he did his job. I don't think there is ever intent to injure in these plays.

How many other plays are similar where the player does not get injured and there is no disciplinary action? The end result was unfortunate, but this seems to just be part of the game. The risk is there for both players when breaking up a double play.