Baseball 2012!

[professordeb]

Alas for this Blue Jay fan, I have no reason to really watch any baseball. We seemed to be getting smack-gobbed this weekend on the diamond and then there's the whole Escobar thing. Around where I live and with the channels I get, if I'm not watching the Jays, the only alternative is those damned Yankees and I refuse to watch any of their games. To matters even worse, there's little likelihood that there will be anh NHL games on TV soon either. Whatever shall I watch on TV to replace those sports?

[Rob]

Anyone else wondering just how high Rob's floating off the ground right now on his way home after seeing the Nats clinch at the very least a Wild Card spot? (As I understand it from what the commentators are saying during the massacre of the Jays at the hands of the Yankees going on at the moment...) Aaron must also be in the same situation right now too.

And the Reds also clinched a Wild Card at the very least too tonight?

If so...Congrats to Heather and the rest of the Reds fans around here and to Rob, Aaron and the rest of the Nationals/Expos fans around here. If what I've heard was right, you're off to October Baseball!!

Thank AE! It was so great! definitely over the moon! But I landed with a bump
At today's game v the Brewers. We still need 6 wins/ Braves losses to clinch the division.

Congrats to Reds fans too!

[Cyn]

Thank AE! It was so great! definitely over the moon! But I landed with a bump
At today's game v the Brewers. We still need 6 wins/ Braves losses to clinch the division.

The race in the NL East is coming down to the wire -- Right now, my beloved Braves have a 6-game lead in the Wild Card race, and depending how the remaining games in the regular season shake out, the NL East winner will be either Washington or Atlanta.

As much of a nail-biter as this could be, I much prefer a tight race that goes to the end of the regular season to a team running away with their division lead with weeks to go until the post-season.

The Braves have been playing really well as of late (7-3 in their last ten games); I just hope they can keep the momentum going and not collapse like a flan in a cupboard. Washington has gone 4-6 in their last ten, but they're a strong team -- Watching the rollercoaster of the Braves throughout the '90s taught me to never underestimate or get too cocky about any of the pennant race contenders.

[PrincessLeppard]

My name didn't get picked in the ticket lottery for Giants play off tickets.

I guess I will have to go to my friend's wedding after all.

[HeatherC]

My name didn't get picked in the ticket lottery for Giants play off tickets.

I guess I will have to go to my friend's wedding after all.

Well, you can always take a radio and earphones with you to the wedding!

[PrincessLeppard]

[HeatherC]

Hehe, the stealth leopard will follow her team to the playoffs no matter what! You go girl!!

[AragornElessar]

Holy Crap what a finish for the Braves tonight!!! Talk about dramatics in a Pennant/Playoff Race.

As for the Jays...I think the guy who does the late night Sports on CTV Toronto hit it on the mark tonight. Our GM's got one hell of a tough off season ahead of him. Not only do we need Starters, and to attempt to get rid of Escobar (if they can), but for the guys to just give up the way they have during this month is disgusting. Instead of going, "Hey...We're playing everyone who has a shot for October Baseball and who we could spoil, so let's go get em!!!", we've got a bunch of guys who are in dire need of their asses being kicked into next week for acting the way they have.

Then again...Most of the Veterans who would do that are on the DL too. Regardless, they do need a huge attitude adjustment. It wouldn't shock me to see there be a huge overhaul of the support staff, including a new bench boss, happen during the Off Season. We'll see.

However...Just because the Blue Jays have decided to act like a bunch of brats doesn't mean I'm giving up on Baseball or the upcoming Playoffs. I can't wait to see what happens, because anything actually *can* happen and it's a whole lot of fun to watch too. Just because my team's going down, they're not taking me w/them or taking away my enjoyment of this game either.

Bring on October!!!

[Cyn]

Holy Crap what a finish for the Braves tonight!!! Talk about dramatics in a Pennant/Playoff Race.

Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman

Not only have we clinched a playoff spot, we're in striking distance of winning the division -- with 8 games left, Washington's lead is down to four games -- the NL East has a great race for the top spot that could go all the way to the last game of the season.

[milanessa]

I don't like Chipper Jones. He's an ass.

[Zemgirl]

I don't like Chipper Jones. He's an ass.

Granted as a Braves fan I'm biased, but everything I've read suggests that Chipper is well-liked and respected throughout the game. He's a great mentor to the younger players on the team, and it will be strange seeing the Braves without him...

So - is it because he cheated on his first wife? Because while I can't condone that sort of behavior, it was a very long time ago, he took responsibility for what he did, and he seems to have a great relationship with his oldest son.

[milanessa]

He cheated on his second wife, too. He's from my little-bitty town and he used to go to the downtown sports bar and just be an ass. The place was upstairs from a small restaurant and he and his buddies would get drunk and raise all kinds of hell playing pranks on folk leaving the restaurant. He was mean and arrogant and way too full of himself. A player through and through with the girls in town. I'm sure he's quieted down now, he's older and not much of a looker anymore - I'll bet he's feeling more mortal than he used to.

I'm not disparaging his baseball skills, they speak for themselves but as a person...meh.

[Zemgirl]

Hmm. This is why I prefer to remain ignorant about famous people - it's always nicer to believe everyone is kind and classy at all times . Well, one would hope that whatever mistakes he's made, he's learned from.

But if you hear anything bad about Martin Prado, don't tell me. That would be depressing.

In non-Braves news, this is nice. It's obviously being done mostly (entirely?) for publicity, but it's still nice. Can't believe I'm saying that about something involving Jeffrey Loria.

[galaxygirl]

If I ever hear anything bad about Edgar Martinez, I think I'll lose the will to live since my faith in humanity will have been completely destroyed.

If anybody has heard anything bad about him, please don't tell me. I prefer to live in ignorance.

[milanessa]

But if you hear anything bad about Martin Prado, don't tell me. That would be depressing.

I promise.

[sk8er1964]

Well, you can always take a radio and earphones with you to the wedding!

We were at a reception when the Tigers were playing in the World Series. We kept sneaking into another reception where they had a tv and reporting back to ours what the scores was.

Keeping my fingers crossed for my Tigers. They've found ways all season to give things away - hopefully they can hang on to their lead, since wild card is out of the questions AFAIK.

[PrincessLeppard]

They would be about 4 games back in the Wild Card standings.

I was kinda hoping for the White Sox to take the division. I met Robin Ventura back in the 80s and he seemed really cool. Now milanessa will come tell me he's an asshole.

[milanessa]

I was kinda hoping for the White Sox to take the division. I met Robin Ventura back in the 80s and he seemed really cool. Now milanessa will come tell me he's an asshole.

Rumor has it he kidnapped the Lindbergh baby.

[HeatherC]

HOMER FREAKING BAILEY THREW A NO HITTER TONIGHT!!!!!!!

I can't believe how insanely awesome this season has all ready been for my Reds and now they add their first no hitter in 24 years to this awesomeness!! This is insane. I'm so used to disappointment here in Cincy that I almost don't know how to act over all this stuff. I love having baseball to cheer for again at this time of year and I AM SO EXCITED FOR MY GUYS!!

[PrincessLeppard]

Rumor has it he kidnapped the Lindbergh baby.

But he was nice while doing so, right?