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The 2020 World Series

bmfc1 Oct 19 2020 07:08 AM

Live from Arlington, Texas, it's the 2020 World Series beginning Tuesday at 8:09 PM starring The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.

G-Fafif Oct 19 2020 07:12 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Home of the Lakers vs. home of the Lightning. City/Region of Champions braggin' rights are at stake. First two-word place name battle since New York played Kansas City in 2015. (Quick, somebody alert Jayson Stark!)

Frayed Knot Oct 19 2020 07:50 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Cody Bellinger is "likely to play" in Game 1 of the WS despite popping out his shoulder during the celebration following his eventual game-winning HR in Game 7 of the NLCS

Johnny Lunchbucket Oct 20 2020 08:01 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

What a jocky douche Bellinger is. I'm trying not be a get-off-my-lawn fan but if you're going to make a show of your series-winning home run the stand-still-at-the-plate-and-admire-it act, followed by a let-loose-the-excitement-with-a-shoulder-separating-jock-elbow-lovemaking-session-once-you've-completed-the-slow-trot is about 300% more douchier than the sky-high-bat-flip, or the Fisk-Carter manuever, or a hundred other ways I can think of, because its so calculated and gross.

MFS62 Oct 20 2020 10:28 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: What a jocky douche Bellinger is. I'm trying not be a get-off-my-lawn fan but if you're going to make a show of your series-winning home run the stand-still-at-the-plate-and-admire-it act, followed by a let-loose-the-excitement-with-a-shoulder-separating-jock-elbow-lovemaking-session-once-you've-completed-the-slow-trot is about 300% more douchier than the sky-high-bat-flip, or the Fisk-Carter manuever, or a hundred other ways I can think of, because its so calculated and gross. In the spirit of this election season: I'm MFS62 and I approve this message. Later

Frayed Knot Oct 20 2020 08:15 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

GAME 1 Considering how much TBR both touts and relies on its bullpen, I'm surprised they stuck with Glasnow as long as they did after it took him nearly 8 innings worth of pitches just to get through 4-1/3

Edgy MD Oct 20 2020 10:15 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Josh Oller, older brother of Mets prospect Adam Oller. [TWEET]https://twitter.com/josh_oller/status/1318014522779721728[/TWEET]

MFS62 Oct 21 2020 06:37 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Now they're talking about Cody's celebratory foot tap. https://www.mlb.com/news/cody-bellinger-foot-tap-celebration?partnerId=zh-20201021-156906-MLB&qid=1026&bt_ee=AdT%2BUR4d9BAsOzp91cHy9%2Fr%2B05UjLJmxitNvLEG%2BrMJ2qct5%2Fi0jP5zdcOBO9B91&bt_ts=1603279859706 Spare me. Later

Edgy MD Oct 21 2020 07:26 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

I was doing that shit before Bellinger was born.

Frayed Knot Oct 21 2020 07:31 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

If the LAD reliever doesn't snag that liner (and, let's face, that liner caught him) and turn it into a DP, that could have been a very different game in the late innings. I like Smoltz. I mean, sure he talks a lot, but so would anyone in that slot because network bosses abhor what they consider to be dead air (aka: no one talking). Not that I agree with that philosophy -- see the hockey/Mike Emerick thread-- but at least Smoltz isn't just spewing empty calories into the mic when he's filling the space ... although, as always, your mileage may vary.

kcmets Oct 21 2020 09:03 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Smoltzie doesn't bother me so much either and truthfully I'd rather hear him burp and make armpit farts than listen to Joe Buck.

Edgy MD Oct 21 2020 10:53 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Frayed Knot wrote: I like Smoltz. I mean, sure he talks a lot, but so would anyone in that slot because network bosses abhor what they consider to be dead air (aka: no one talking). Not that I agree with that philosophy -- see the hockey/Mike Emerick thread-- but at least Smoltz isn't just spewing empty calories into the mic when he's filling the space ... although, as always, your mileage may vary. This is fair.

Frayed Knot Oct 21 2020 12:51 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Call it 'Yapping with Substance' as opposed to yapping for the sake of yapping which it what seems to be standard operating procedure in sports telecasts these days.

Fman99 Oct 21 2020 07:27 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

I fucking hate Joe Buck. He ruins two sports for me.

Frayed Knot Oct 21 2020 08:35 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

So the bottom 5th was another one of those deals where, w/2 outs, the pitching coach comes out to talk to his pitcher in trouble (walk- HR - walk). Two pitches later he gives up a hard single at which point the game is delayed as they come to remove the pitcher this time. The reliever then retires the batter on five pitches and we're back in another break. iow, probably around 7 or 8 minutes to see about the same number of pitches. When I'm running this sport, pitching coaches are banned from the field. Or, if they do come out to "settle down" their pitcher but he fails to retire the next hitter, he gets a week's suspension ... or maybe an on-field tasing, I haven't decided yet.

seawolf17 Oct 22 2020 06:31 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

I gave up in the fourth inning last night when the Dodgers made their THIRD pitching change in a 1-0 game and it was already 9:30. Fuck Manfred and his stupid "speed up baseball" rules when teams pull this shit.

Frayed Knot Oct 22 2020 09:47 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

But they only used Seven for the game (none for more than 1.1 IP) ... removing the effective ones about as quickly as the ineffective. But at least it worked out for them ... Oh Wait! Rays used five. Travel day today.

kcmets Oct 22 2020 10:10 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Avi wuz here

Frayed Knot Oct 23 2020 01:59 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

TBR did what they had to do and split the first two games on the road. Now they have the home field advantage for the next three.

ashie62 Oct 23 2020 05:01 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Kershaw will get his t**ts ripped off tonight Go Rays!

Frayed Knot Oct 23 2020 08:57 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

=ashie62 post_id=48961 time=1603494065 user_id=90] Kershaw will get his t**ts ripped off tonight

Well, so far he hasn't given up a run all night.







When the Dodgers announce a PH to leadoff top 8th the Rays decide they need to bring in a different reliever ... all of which means that the (already too long) three minute break between innings becomes a five minute gap.

The mid-5th gap with its network-connected 'Stand up to Cancer' promo seemed to be about as long.

Edgy MD Oct 24 2020 08:11 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Yeah, betting against Clayton Kershaw seems to be a dangerous way to wager.

Frayed Knot Oct 24 2020 11:11 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, betting against Clayton Kershaw seems to be a dangerous way to wager. Particularly on nights when he isn't pitching.

Edgy MD Oct 24 2020 12:17 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

He makes everyone around him a better player.

MFS62 Oct 24 2020 12:41 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Edgy MD wrote: He makes everyone around him a better player. Speaking of the player who we all know did that, last night Randy Arozarena wiped that other player's name from the record books for most post season hits by a rookie. https://sports.yahoo.com/rays-randy-arozarena-break-yankees-184851804.html Ain't life grand? Later

Frayed Knot Oct 24 2020 05:32 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Aww man, I thought tonight was going to be a 7 o'clock start! Edgy MD wrote: He makes everyone around him a better player. Speaking of the player who we all know did that, last night Randy Arozarena wiped that other player's name from the record books for most post season hits by a rookie. https://sports.yahoo.com/rays-randy-arozarena-break-yankees-184851804.html Ain't life grand? Later Start off by not paying any attention to any record that contains the words: Post Season. It's not a constant marker and therefore is almost completely meaningless. Justin Turner is in the process of breaking all of Duke Snider's Dodger post season records, mainly because that choke-artist Duke didn't have a single hit in an NLDS or NLCS for his whole career.

G-Fafif Oct 24 2020 08:53 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Wow oh wow It's Brandon Lowe

Frayed Knot Oct 24 2020 09:11 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

This would be a heckuva game .... if only it were about an hour shorter. 3 hours to play 6-1/2 innings

Johnny Lunchbucket Oct 24 2020 09:29 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Yeah pretty long and stupid game

Frayed Knot Oct 24 2020 09:34 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

The Almost Presidential MLB team Willy Adames [B]Willson Contreras

Johnny Lunchbucket Oct 24 2020 10:19 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Wow

Johnny Lunchbucket Oct 24 2020 10:20 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

The double Buckner

Johnny Lunchbucket Oct 24 2020 10:28 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

What a finish!

G-Fafif Oct 24 2020 10:34 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

That's a World Series game.

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 05:20 AM Re: The 2020 World Series Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 25 2020 01:45 PM

That 9th inning was great ... when I watched it this morning because I couldn't stay up while it was actually happening. 4:10 was the official tally The 'Carlton Fisk' game -- 45 years ago this week and which for years stood as the standard for long and wild WS games (13 combined runs, 24 hits, 12 pitchers used) -- ran 4:01 and that was 12 innings, meaning that at the end of regulation they were likely right around 3:00 And at the risk of dredging up ancient history, the 'Bill Mazeroski' game -- 19 runs, 23 hits, 9 different hurlers -- which ended on the 2nd pitch in the bottom of the 9th, clocked in at 2:36

MFS62 Oct 25 2020 07:03 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Frayed Knot wrote: Start off by not paying any attention to any record that contains the words: Post Season. It's not a constant marker and therefore is almost completely meaningless. Of course, but a day without insulting Derek Jeter is a day without sunshine. Justin Turner is in the process of breaking all of Duke Snider's Dodger post season records, mainly because that choke-artist Duke didn't have a single hit in an NLDS or NLCS for his whole career. Them's fightin' woids. Step outside. Later

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 02:19 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

The last WS game in which the team losing won on the game's final hit also involved the Dodgers ... that would be the Kirk Gibson game.

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 07:04 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Game 5 -- Glasnow v Kershaw 52 pitches (not to mention 3 runs) in 2 innings for Glasnow isn't going to get it done.

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 07:50 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Nice job by the replay umps in rejecting both challenges so far tonight. Both calls might have been wrong but neither was clear and the more these 'Coin-Flip' type of calls get rejected the less often managers will be willing to risk their challenge(s).

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 08:29 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Kershaw, with a reasonable pitch count and a two run lead, gets two outs on two pitches in the bottom of the 6th ... and gets pulled from the game.

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 09:10 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Dave Roberts is now the mgr who seems determined to find the pitcher who is NOT on his game tonight.

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 09:16 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Yeah, it's been two batters since we had a mound visit ... so let's have another one.

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 09:34 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

The Dodgers are depending on an ex-Nat reliver to close out a victory (Blake Treinen) ... maybe not the best idea. Leadoff single

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2020 09:40 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

But Treinen comes back to get the next three hitters and the Dodgers lead three games to two.

Frayed Knot Oct 26 2020 12:46 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

A few thoughts on this "travel" day. - if the Rays should pull this out it will mark the third first-ever championship in the last four seasons joining the Nats in 2019 and Astros in 2017 Go back a year further if you want since, although 2016 wasn't the Cubs first championship, it was their first in over a century so that one pretty much qualifies as a "first ever" for just about every living Cubs fan - either winner here will make it 14 different WS winners in the last 20 seasons: Red Sox = 4, Giants = 3, Cardinals = 2, and then one each for the DBacks, Angels, Marlins, White Sox, Phillies, Yankees, Royals, Cubs, Astros, Nationals, and LAD/TBR 20 franchises have been a WS finalist in those same 20 seasons, a number that didn't change this year as all of LAD, TBR, ATL, & HOU had at least reached the WS between 2001 and 2019 - only the Reds, Pirates, and Padres have not at least reached an LCS since 2001, although the Mariners and DBacks both mark their last LCS appearance to 2001 so are in danger of joining this list at the conclusion of the 2021 season. - as a comparison, the NFL, during this same time frame, has had a very similar 13 different SB winners and 20 different SB participants. But they've also had eight different teams who have failed to reach a conference final: [CROSSOUT]Redskins[/CROSSOUT] Washington, Cowboys, Lions, Dolphins, Bills, Bengals, Browns, Texans Good thing they've got a salary cap that ensures parity, eh?

ashie62 Oct 26 2020 02:57 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Cmon Rays!!!

Frayed Knot Oct 27 2020 06:55 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

This is, of course, the debut year for Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. So you'd assume that the home-team Rangers are the winningest team at that park, which they ... although just barely. Thanks to it being the site for some of NL playoffs and now the WS the Dodgers now own a 12-6 record at GLP: 2-1 vs the Rangers in the regular season; 3-0 vs the Padres in Round 2 of the playoffs; 4-3 vs the Braves in the NLCS, and now 3-2 in the WS. Obviously they'll end the year with either 12 or 13 wins. The Rangers meanwhile wound up 16-14 in their inaugural season which better than I thought considering they finished 2020 at 22-38 (yes, that's a stunningly bad 6-24 on the road)

Frayed Knot Oct 27 2020 08:55 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

So a new reliever comes in, gets 2 outs on 4 pitches ... and the Dodgers decide they need a mound conference. 3 pitches later he gives up a single ... and now they want a pitching change. 4 pitches later and they're out of the inning. So that's a three minute break, followed by 4 pitches (2 outs) a 1 minute break, 3 pitches (single) a 2 minute break 4 pitches (K) 3rd out 3 minute break So that's 11 pitches interspersed around 9 minutes of commercials This can't be allowed to continue

metsmarathon Oct 27 2020 09:20 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Ya know, maybe the rays shoulda left snell in the game.

Frayed Knot Oct 27 2020 09:44 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Dave Roberts becomes the first Dodger manager not named Alston or Lasorda to win a WS But of course it's a tainted title this year (that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

G-Fafif Oct 27 2020 10:11 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Justin Turner's reward was a positive Covid test.

MFS62 Oct 28 2020 06:23 AM Re: The 2020 World Series Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 28 2020 06:42 AM

FUCK! Evil has triumphed. And now, Trump will probably win. I'm bummed. (no pun intended) Later

stevejrogers Oct 28 2020 06:23 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

There is already “WHY WAS THIS GAME EVEN PLAYED” outrage due to them knowing about this yesterday with probably a first test, and scorn at Turner for not only getting sick in the bubble and being a Super Spreader, but for being out for the celebration. Not to mention outrage for the celebration being held, including family members, happening after knowing of Turner's condition. Who knows when Game 7 would have been played knowing that a player had tested positive. I can't imagine MLB would have wanted the optics of playing tonight.

Edgy MD Oct 28 2020 07:42 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Turner has never struck me as the sharpest chunk of cheddar cheese.

86dreamer Oct 28 2020 07:58 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

By now, we have all heard about starting pitchers losing their effectiveness the third time through a lineup. I don't doubt that massive amounts of regular season data show that. I wonder though if there is any analysis of the fresh reliever advantage that persists during the regular season, degrading over the course of a longer series as a reliever faces the same team 3 or more times. Of course the Dodgers go to the pen early as well, but it has seemed to me over the last few years that the teams that do that as a planned strategy (especially the MFYs) have fared less well than the teams that do it out of necessity.

Edgy MD Oct 28 2020 08:39 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

I'm gonna come out and say I'm kind of delighted that the team that yanked their starter early ended up screwing themselves.

Johnny Lunchbucket Oct 28 2020 10:15 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Holy mackeral--that's why Turner departed? I barely stayed awake till the end, grateful (I guess) the 9th went quickly, and the dumbest baseball season ever is over. I'll miss it too.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 28 2020 10:17 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

I wish I was more confident that 2021 will be a normal season.

smg58 Oct 28 2020 10:50 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Edgy MD wrote: I'm gonna come out and say I'm kind of delighted that the team that yanked their starter early ended up screwing themselves. Snell had struggled in the fifth inning all season (after posting a 1.25 ERA over the first four inning of his outings) and only made it to the sixth once, so I see the logic. That being said, he'd been stellar up to that point in the game, and it would take more than a single to make me think the roof was about to cave in. Of course, I felt the same way about Aaron Heilman 14 years ago.

ashie62 Oct 28 2020 11:10 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Kevin Cash should be shot. Snell was fine. Mookie Betts was "happy" they pulled him

Frayed Knot Oct 28 2020 11:11 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

So La-La Land finally won for real, eh?

whippoorwill Oct 28 2020 11:14 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Is this over yet?

Edgy MD Oct 28 2020 11:20 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

I don't think it's as true to describe the instances of when Snell "made it to the sixth," as it is to describe those as when "he was only allowed to make it to the sixth." His fifth inning ERA was fine. His sixth-inning numbers were bad, but again, we're looking at 11 plate appearances. The issue to me is a manager and organization getting so trapped in their own ideology that they work against their own interests, even as they know they are doing so.

metsmarathon Oct 28 2020 12:13 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

yeah, in my opinion, any time you bring in a reliever, you're rolling the dice on whether or not he has it that day, and the most ready thing you have to compare that risk against is how well your current pitcher is performing.

batmagadanleadoff Oct 28 2020 12:35 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

If the Rays had won last night, tonight's game would've been canceled because of Turner's positive covid test. And now with the season over, we might not get to find out if other Dodgers or Rays caught covid.

Frayed Knot Oct 28 2020 12:54 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

And now with the season over, we might not get to find out if other Dodgers or Rays caught covid. I think if Blake Snell "got the 'rona" we'd probably hear about it.

smg58 Oct 28 2020 01:12 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Edgy MD wrote: I don't think it's as true to describe the instances of when Snell "made it to the sixth," as it is to describe those as when "he was only allowed to make it to the sixth." His fifth inning ERA was fine. His sixth-inning numbers were bad, but again, we're looking at 11 plate appearances. The issue to me is a manager and organization getting so trapped in their own ideology that they work against their own interests, even as they know they are doing so. Well you can certainly make the argument that Snell has been babied more than was prudent all along. And even when he won the Cy Young Award two years ago, he averaged less than six innings a start. And maybe that's the real issue here. We have teams telling their starters "your velocity is down a notch compared to the first inning, the batters have all had two good looks at you, it's time for you to take a seat" when perhaps they should be saying "your velocity is down a notch compared to the first inning, the batters have all had two good looks at you, it's time for you to learn how to pitch."

Frayed Knot Oct 28 2020 01:53 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Yeah, there's a difference between using analytics and being a slave to them. The stats show that Snell's effectively is diminished once the third time around the batting order starts but: a) as SMG and others point out, that's based on not just a fairly small sample size but in many ways on an intentionally small one b) that tendency, even to the extent that you consider it "true", doesn't necessarily describe last night's version of Snell. I suspect that there have been few games where he's entered the 6th allowing just one hit while notching nine K's on just 69 pitches. It's really been the pitch count that has most often tripped him up so when that lineup is coming around for the third time he's often at or closing in on the century mark already. Eight times this (reg) season he pitched five or more innings -- and "five or more" means 5.0, 5.1, or 5.2 as he never saw the 7th inning even once in 11 starts -- and in only two of those did he have a (just barely) lower than average number of pitches [70 thru 5.0; 73 in 5.1]. Everything else was over the 15 p/IP threshold including three times up over 100 which means he had essentially done seven innings of work just to get to a 6th inning which he was never allowed to finish. Last night he was masterful but that didn't seem to be taken into consideration when the decision was made to remove. That decision was likely made well ahead of time and no one was willing or able to change course on the fly or even slightly alter it. Then throw in the fact that his replacement, Nick Anderson, had been good most of the year but not this week and they pretty much got what they bargained for. All that said, the pitching change only goes so far when your offense scores once on the 4th pitch of the game then takes the rest of the night off. In the 1st inning they had a run in, two on, and still just one out but didn't score, then got two more on in the 2nd and left them there. After that, the TBR offense consisted of a two-out single in the 5th and a two-out single in the 7th. iow, the Rays, in a game where they had the dominant starter, were ironically beaten by a team playing a bullpen game. The 'closer', Urias, wound up going the longest (2.1) of any of LAD's seven pitchers.

Edgy MD Oct 28 2020 10:41 PM Re: The 2020 World Series

Had the game gone any further, Cash was getting ready to pinch-hit Simpson for Strawberry. WHOAH!!

Fman99 Oct 29 2020 05:41 AM Re: The 2020 World Series

Whole thing overshadowed by the fact that Justin Turner is a big dumb mook. So there's that, at least.