Baseball 2013 (4 Viewers)

[tdubel]

Just like to check in, was at the Pirates game on Sat night where they stomped the Cardinals, I can't tell you the feeling that they are finally back in competition and it is good to see. They are now up 1 game after Monday on division lead, who knows if they can hold it, but it should be fun to watch.

Feel good story, our seats were terrific, we sat on top of the Pirates dugout, my job affords some nice connections! My 9 year old got a ball given to him by the Catcher Martin on an AJ Burnett strikeout to end the top of the 5th. He held on to that ball for dear life the rest of the game, it was nice to see the personableness of the Pirate players with the fans, they went out of their way to interact which was neat to see. Conincidentally, AJ makes his off season home in the town next to ours and we have a mutual friend, so as a memento going to get the ball signed for him!

Great weekend in baseball,

TD

 

[Warrior]

Talk about tough luck. I just heard on ESPN that the Sox have been a shutout 11 times this year and Lackey has started 6 of those games.

Poor John Unluckey, he's gotten virtually no run support in most of his starts.

Interesting stat yesterday by one of the analysts who does the Sox games; they are 4-16 vs the top two starters of the other four AL Division/Wild Card leaders, they beat up on lousy pitching but can't do a thing vs top of the rotation guys on the contenders.

If I had to rank the top 5 AL contenders right now, it would be Tigers, A's, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox.

In the playoffs, it all comes down to pitching.

 

[Combat]

Kershaw gave up 11 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings against Colorado and still got the win for the Dodgers. Better lucky than good sometimes.

 

[lancer]

Talk about tough luck. I just heard on ESPN that the Sox have been a shutout 11 times this year and Lackey has started 6 of those games.

Sometimes it just goes like that in a season. I got curious about pitchers who lose because of lack of run support. HOF Pitcher Walter Johnson lost 65 games in his career because his team was shutout, which includes 26 by the score of 1-0. He also won 38 games by the 1-0 score. Timing is everything. -- Al

 

[lancer]

Congratulations to the Pirates for clinching their first non-losing season in 20 years.:salute:: -- Al

 

[tdubel]

Congratulations to the Pirates for clinching their first non-losing season in 20 years.:salute:: -- Al

Sure hope it is the start of a new era, that is for sure. They are fun to watch, last night came down to a 9th inning homer!!

Go Bucs!

TD

 

[Warrior]

Congratulations to the Pirates for clinching their first non-losing season in 20 years.:salute:: -- Al

Thanks for posting that stat.

Wow.

TWENTY strait losing seasons, definitely long suffering fans, I'm surprised there are any left at this point..........:wink2:

 

[lancer]

Thanks for posting that stat.

Wow.

TWENTY strait losing seasons, definitely long suffering fans, I'm surprised there are any left at this point..........:wink2:

Speaking of fans, or lack thereof, the O's played a WC important game in Cleveland last night (and lost 4-3), in front of 9,962 rabid fans with playoff fever.:rolleyes2: -- Al

 

[Warrior]

Speaking of fans, or lack thereof, the O's played a WC important game in Cleveland last night (and lost 4-3), in front of 9,962 rabid fans with playoff fever.:rolleyes2: -- Al

I can't blame Cleveland fans, those Indians teams of the 1990's stacked, how they didn't win at least one World Series is beyond me, that franchise hasn't won a World Series since the 50's if I am not mistaken.

Then the Cavaliers had a great team with LeBron, he leaves and wins two Championships with the Heat.

And the cherry on top of the gut punch sundae is the Browns leave, go to Baltimore and win two Super Bowls, not to mention those back to back kick in the groin losses to the Broncos in the AFCCG in the 1980's.

Nope, Cleveland fans have had it rough, not one Championship in the city in close to 60 years, that is brutal.

 

[Panzer ace]

Thanks for posting that stat.

Wow.

TWENTY strait losing seasons, definitely long suffering fans, I'm surprised there are any left at this point..........:wink2:

Great season for a great city. As I have mentioned before Pirates fans deserve this type of season. The city has not lacked for champions in the past 20 years with the Penguins and Steelers, however, there is something magical about the Pirates. While I might not be a direct fan, I have been pulling for them all season.

 

[lancer]

The O's path to the playoffs is getting steeper. After losing to the Indians, again, the O's now 3.5 games out of the WC but they trail 3 teams for that last spot. Instead of stepping up their game, they are going in the opposite direction. The main culprit is starting pitching but even the hitting is sputtering right now. 24 games left isn't a lot of time but it is still only 3.5 games. The tough part is the 3 teams ahead of them have to lose while the O's win. Ain't gonna be easy. -- Al

 

[lancer]

News out of Florida is that the Nat's pitcher, Jordan Zimmerman, has developed a devastating change-up. I'm thinking 'Cy Young' winner here.:wink2::wink2: -- Al

Posted this 'observation' on March 20. Zimm won his 16th game tonight to lead the NL. His ERA is 3.30, not bad but not in the top 10. I think he still has an outside chance if he can win another 2 or 3 games. Problem is he only has 4 slated starts left. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

Great season for a great city. As I have mentioned before Pirates fans deserve this type of season. The city has not lacked for champions in the past 20 years with the Penguins and Steelers, however, there is something magical about the Pirates. While I might not be a direct fan, I have been pulling for them all season.

Was a big Pirates fan in the 70's, especially loved that 1979 team that came back from down 3-1 to the Orioles in the World Series to win it in Baltimore, they had great teams with Bonds too, was very conflicted when he left and went to the Giants as I liked them too.

 

[Warrior]

Sox beat the Tigers tonight 20-4, they missed the extra point on the last touchdown.

Now it's on to New York for a four game set with the Bronx Bombers, who are battling for the wild card, trailing the Rays by two games, might be down to one depending on what happens tonight on the left coast.

So with about 20 games to go, the Yankees are right there for the second WC spot.

Unbelievable, those plucky bunch of underachievers, those little trains that could.

I bet the whole country is pulling for them, the feel good story that they are.

 

[jazzeum]

Al,

He has no shot. Kershaw has this locked up. Wins doesn't automatically guarantee a Cy Young like it used to. His ERA is 1.87 and his Whip under 1. Zimmerman's ERA is almost 1.5 runs higher per game and his Whip is 1.10. He only has 2 more wins than Kershaw. Don't see it happening. Plus, he's on a division winner.

 

[Panzer ace]

Was a big Pirates fan in the 70's, especially loved that 1979 team that came back from down 3-1 to the Orioles in the World Series to win it in Baltimore, they had great teams with Bonds too, was very conflicted when he left and went to the Giants as I liked them too.

George:

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

That '79 World Series was the first one I watched. I will never forget Willie Stargell and the rest of that crew made up of the likes of Omar Moreno who would choke up on the bat so high that he looked as if he was holding on to it at the Louisville Slugger emblem. Or Kent Tekulve and that side arm that looked so out of place yet so effective, and my personal favorite Manny Sanguillén. You throw Earl Weaver, a young Eddie Murray and Jim Palmer into the mix for the O's and it was destined to be a legendary Series.

-Jason

 

[jazzeum]

The first WS I remember watching was Dodgers Twins. Koufax and Drysdale. What a combination. Twins had no shot. I think LA was called the Hitless Wonders because they had very little offense, just enough as it turned out.

 

[Warrior]

George:

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

That '79 World Series was the first one I watched. I will never forget Willie Stargell and the rest of that crew made up of the likes of Omar Moreno who would choke up on the bat so high that he looked as if he was holding on to it at the Louisville Slugger emblem. Or Kent Tekulve and that side arm that looked so out of place yet so effective, and my personal favorite Manny Sanguillén. You throw Earl Weaver, a young Eddie Murray and Jim Palmer into the mix for the O's and it was destined to be a legendary Series.

-Jason

And don't forget those uniforms the Pirates wore, 85 different combinations, or those throwback hats they wore.

Bill Madlock was a great hitter and was on that team, plus scrap Iron Phil Garner, I think Omar weighted less than his bat, he was pencil thin.................remember that bomb Willie hit to clinch it, did that one land yet by the way?

 

[Panzer ace]

And don't forget those uniforms the Pirates wore, 85 different combinations, or those throwback hats they wore.

Bill Madlock was a great hitter and was on that team, plus scrap Iron Phil Garner, I think Omar weighted less than his bat, he was pencil thin.................remember that bomb Willie hit to clinch it, did that one land yet by the way?

No, I think that one from Pops went into permanent orbit!

 

[Warrior]

And let's not forget my favorite Pirate on that team, Dave Parker, a cannon for an arm and he used to hit lazers.

What a great bunch of guys that team was..............