It's baseball season

“Watching the Indians has now overtaken marraige as the leading cause for liver damage in the greater Cleveland area. The tribe is, what can I say, surprising in the least! I knew we made some good moves in the past few years, and that the farm system was packed, but I never thought we'd be so damned stacked at this point, especially with the WalMart-wage payroll we have to work with.

Fans

True baseball fans have known all year that we had an above avaerage club, yet the lack of a big name (you have to remember how spoiled we have been for the last 10 years) player has kept attendance low in comparison to the late 90's. Now the band wagon jumpers/I'll-take-a-latte-instead-of-a-hot-dog-crowd have begun to buy up tickets. This is good, and bad, but a direct response to the teams' performance.

The Reason for Success

Being a long time baseball fan, like most of the thread contributors, I can chalk up the tribe's success to 2 main things:

1. Great Trades. The Indians were a model for MLB in the 90's for thier foresight in signing young, talented players to long term deals at an affordable price. This model is now gone due to the fact that everybody except the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers have been following the model since 96'. The new model of the tribe is this: dump your stars at the end of thier prime, and get bona-fide prospects to help you compete in the future. The Indians simply took advantage of a greedy arsed market (teams in contention with money), and pirated thier farm system for the latter teams' instant gratification. This model is now ineffective because other teams have realized how to work it (see the A's, Angels, etc.) The players that we picked up in those deals, combined with great drafting in our 3 "off" years have produced great talent.

2. Consistancy.

Here is what I love about the Yankees. They pay massive bucks for guys at the end of thier prime (all big names), yet struggle when those players get injured. The Indians, on the other hand, have mastered the use of young prospects, combined with former superstars that were thrown on the trash heap due to injury (Millwood, Boone, Howry) at a low to nothing cost, and the gamble paid off. The consistency of this team is incredible. We have had the same starting pitchers in a rotation the entire year! And they have all been relatively consistent and injury-free. This also applies to the fielders. No major injuries all year, and a consistant rotation since the end of June.


The reward is, hopefully, a playoff spot. I realize that we are competing with teams that have paid their way to the post season (Boston, NY), but hopefully we can prevail.

Go Tribe! Ban Palmiero & Bonds or reinstate Shoeless Joe & Pete Rose! May the best TEAM win.

BB”

“Here is what I love about the Yankees. They pay massive bucks for guys at the end of thier prime (all big names), yet struggle when those players get injured.

How True! Very fustrating for a Yankee fan! Their practice of dishing out young talent does help the rest of the league though, and it's fun to watch those young players mature.”

“Wow! Whatta game last night! Giants hang in against Peavey, then, down 2-1 in the 9th, stage a rally to win 3-2!! The best part was when Randy Winn smacked one the farthest you can hit one without it being a homer, Giant-killer Brian Giles gloves it, smashes into the wall, then drops it! Winn ends up at 3rd, and the game is tied. Snow then singled for the go-ahead run. All of this off of Trevor Hoffman, who had saved 38 games in a row! Woo hoo - we're still alive!!


PS: Barry was 0 for 5....”

“J-Roll hit in his 32nd consecutive game, breaking a 106-year-old team record, but the Fightins lost to the Mutts for the 11th time this season and are just about down for the count.”

“Argh!

Tomko's been crying about lack of run support all season, so his mates go out and get him 3 in the 1st (Bonds' #708) and he gives them right back. Then, leading 6-5 with 2 outs in the 4th, the idiot relief pitcher walks two. Snow makes only his 3rd error of the season at first, then Ramon Hernandez whacks a grand salami. One more loss to the Pads and we're done.”

“The Phutiles have played out their string again. It would take a miracle to take the wild card, and I don't think the Astros are going to lose all their games against the Cubs at home. If Houston wins tonight, the best the Phutiles could do is a tie.

This is one baseball season I am happy to see coming to an end. Unlike past seasons, I won't be starting the countdown to the day pitchers and catchers report on Monday. It's been a long season watching other teams take extra batting practice against our sorry excuse for pitching.”

“We're out too. The paper pointed out that the Giants have played only something like 14 games out of contention in the past 8 years. Not bad!”

“Depends on whether the goal is to contend or be a champion. That seems to be the fatal error of the Phutiles and their absentee ownership group (or is it grope?).”

“With all the injuries the Gigantes had this year (and, yes, their uniforms did have "Gigantes" on them for several games this year), it's amazing that they were still in it with only 5 games to play!”

“After trying mightily to give it away, the Phutiles were still in it up to Monday night. However, there is a not-so-subtle difference between being in it and being the Braves.”

“The Chicago White Sox are the 2005 American League Central Division Champions!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“That's yet another reason to get this season over with and get on with hockey and football.”

“So here's where we are now. The Stro's lost last night, which means if they lose the rest of their three games and the Phutiles win all three of theirs, the two teams are tied and have to play a one-game playoff to determine the wild card winner.

The Stro's are 6-0 against the Phutiles this year.

I guess the Phutiles will make their tee times after all.”

“Hey Geo, ya never know. The Cubs have had an annoying habit this season, of beating up on the good teams in the big series, and losing to crappy teams when it doesn't matter. Maybe the Cubs will sweep the 'Stros and off you'll go.”

“Are you sure about that geo? How many do they have left? 3? If the Phils win 3 and the stros win only 1, don't they tie?”

“You're right, Bowlder. I got confused. If the Stro's had won that would have been the scenario. So if the Stro's lose all three and the Phutiles win all three, the Phutiles would win. If the Stro's lose three and the Phutiles win two, they tie and the Phutiles lose in the one-game playoff.

And if the Stro's win one and the Phutiles win three, the playoff happens.

Magic number for the Stro's is two.

Okay, the Phutiles still make their tee times.”

“On another topic, I'm reading a book called "Perfect" about the 16 (at that time) perfect games that had been pitched. It goes one by one, chronologically, and tells about the game, as well as the other circumstances surrounding each game. Not a great work of literature, but a fun read. I'm about to start the chapter on Len Barker's perfecto; just finished the Koufax one.”

“Who cares. My teams are out, so I'm switching to college football and BowlderSon's soccer....”

“I think I'm gonna be cheering for the Cards.”

“I hate the Cruds!”

“I should; I'm a Cub fan. But it's difficult to dislike that kind of talent.”

“I'd root for the Stro's before the Cruds. I'd root for the Braves before the Cruds.
Hell, I'd root for the stinkin Mutts before the Cruds.”

“Oh, can't stand the Stros.

The Braves have my undying enmity for sucking during my formative years.

The Mets? Hate 'em.”

“Ahhh yes, Grasshopper, but the Cruds took Scott Rolen.”

“Faves: Giants, A's, Tigers

Hates: Dodgers, Angels, Yankees, Astros, Rangers, Braves

Neutrals: Everybody else”

“I did like last year's World Series. ABTC! (anybody but the Cruds)”

“Aw, come on Geo, it's not like they kidnapped him in the middle of the night and are forcing him to play baseball in St. Louis against his will!”

“That's just it bit. He's a whining twit. Don't care if he is on the DL.”

“It's the Curse of the Geobeeto.”

“Well well, J-Roll ran his consecutive game hitting streak up to 34. With two more games left he can get to 36. Anybody know if hitting streaks carry over to the next season?”

“I think the general consesus has been that it does carry over, at least among the commentators I've read and listened too, most also seem to feel that it will also be more difficult to carry over, having to start over again cold in the spring.”

“Unnnnnb elievable. The Stro's lost and the Phutiles won. There's still life. The magic number is two with two games left. Stro's have to win tomorrow. Oh the pressure.

I kno”

“Unnnnnb elievable. The Stro's lost and the Phutiles won. There's still life. The magic number is two with two games left. Stro's have to win tomorrow. Oh the pressure.

I know they're just setting me up!
last edited: 9/30/05 10:23:37 PM”

“Yanks win the AL east, and win the season series against Boston.WoooHooo, I know a certain TT'er who's gonna be doing some pushups!!! ;-)”

“The Stro's have to lose today and the Phutiles win to force a playoff tomorrow.

There could be two playoff games tomorrow, depending on outcomes today.”

“The Phutiles make their tee times. yay!”

“OUCH! Well, I guess you get what you pay for.

Yankees Payroll - $208,306,817
Red Sox Payroll - $123,505,125
Angels Payroll - $97,725, 322
White Sox Payroll - $75,178,000

Heck, who needs physical steriods, when you can steriod your payroll?

Go....... ahh who cares. :)”

“The Phutiles built a contender, not a champion.”

“Sorry about the fillies, geo. The Gigantes won Game #162 today - guess that means they'll go into 2006 on a 1-game winning streak. Woo hoo!!”

“All I want to see now is a house cleaning of management, a new third baseman, a catcher who can hit his weight, and perhaps starting pitchers who don't fall to pieces when the umpire makes a bad call. Oh yeah, and a sign in the clubhouse that reads, "No Excuses!"”

“At least J. Roll has something to look forward to for next year....”

“There were a lot of good things - Chase Utley is the real deal and Ryan Howard as well. I just don't trust current management to put it all together. A team that does not wake up until the final days of the season is not a winner. Losing all six games to the Astros was crucial, but there were other parts of the season when they went south as well. They could have caught the Braves this year. And dammit, they should have.

Charlie Manuel sticks with pitchers in trouble too long and lifts pitchers who are doing well too soon. He's like an automatron. It says here 85 pitches, so he comes out no matter what. It says here 85 pitches, so leave him in until the game's out of reach! No way to manage.

And sending David Bell to the plate with a runner on first and one out is an invitation to end the inning right there. When you're playing for a championship you have to put in somebody who's not likely to hit into a double play.

And in must-win games he goes with pitchers who fall apart under pressure. When the guy obviously has lost it, you have to take him out. Either that or kick him in the arse, and they can't do that.

It's been an exasperating year!”

“Astros 4-1 middle of the 4th, Chipper's at bat.”

“Beat those stinkin Creeps!

Lar-ry ... Lar-ry ... Lar-ry!”

“Astros looked good last night, hope the rain lets them get tonites game in. Clemens vs Smoltz, sponsored by Geritol.”

“Die Braves Die!

Die Cardinals Die

Die Yankees Die

Die Red Sox Die

I think that about covers it.”

“You must be for the White Sox then huh?

How about that Buckner move in last nights game?”

“I'm rooting for a scoreless tie in all of the series.”