A Thread For The Playoff Games Of A Sport That Matters...

Burning Petard · Post by **Burning Petard** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 1:22 am

I can't believe I am doing it--actually watching a baseball game on tv. First time in MANY years.

The coverage of the action is better than I remember. And the Cubs really look good.

snailgate

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 1:53 am

Burning Petard wrote:I can't believe I am doing it--actually watching a baseball game on tv. First time in MANY years.
The coverage of the action is better than I remember. And the Cubs really look good.
snailgate

The Cubs do look good -- could it be their year? Anyway, if you want to watch one of the all time best Westerns, PBS is airing "Unforgiven."

dales · Post by **dales** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:19 am

Cubs beat Dodgers to clinch spot in World Series, end 70-year drought

Well I suppose those poor pissants from Chavez latrine are out of it until next season.

GO CUBS ALL THE WAY TO WIN THE 2016 WORLD SERIES!

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:21 am

Well, it's official .... SOMEONE is going to break a decades-long drought.

And Cleveland should tell MLB to go fuck themselves and start making arrangements immediately for Charlie Sheen to throw out a ceremonial first pitch in Game 2 ... provided, of course, that he is introduced on the PA and he then comes onto the field — from the center-field bullpen, of course — in full Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn mode, #99 uniform, haircut, glasses, music, girls dancing on the visitors' dugout, and all.

It would be a thing for the ages:

The Absolutely,
Positively,
No Discussion About It,
Greatest Ceremonial First Pitch in the History of Baseball
Past, Present, and Future.

-"BB"-

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:30 am

It appears Wild Thing will be persona non grata at the World Series.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ml ... /92491214/

Econoline · Post by **Econoline** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:39 am

I'll be 70 next month. The Cubs have never won the NL pennant in my lifetime (the last time was the year before I was born)--all the more amazing considering that for my first 22 years there were only 8 teams in each league and there were no playoff games: the team with the best record in each league won the pennant and played in the World Series.

As a rule the south-siders (White Sox fans) despise the north-siders (Cubbieheads) and vice versa, but this year I think most of us are making a once-in-a-century exception.

C'mon, Cubs. Let's get it over with.

Lord Jim · Post by **Lord Jim** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 9:27 am

The Cubs have never won the NL pennant in my lifetime (the last time was the year before I was born)--

Other notable news stories from that year:

You could get a Pepsi for a nickel...

Buy yourself a new TV:

Or enjoy a rodeo featuring Roy Rogers...

Of course all of that is going to seem like recent history, if the Cubs actually win the World Series...

ETA:

You have to love the naive innocence reflected in the sub-headline in 1945 Tribune story:

"After Seven Years, Chicago Has A Champion Again"...

Apparently at that time, seven years was considered a long dry spell for winning the NL pennant...

Little did they know what awaited them....

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 2:49 pm

RayThom wrote:It appears Wild Thing will be persona non grata at the World Series.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ml ... /92491214/

The article Ray links to says

"Major League Baseball said the choices have already been made.

A spokesman told the AP on Friday that MLB has worked with the Indians to identify 'former franchise greats' to throw out the first pitch for the games in Cleveland. An announcement is expected early next week."

Which is why I said Cleveland should tell MLB to eff themselves.

And for whatever it's worth, at run-of-the-mill regular season games I have seen as many as five or six ceremonial "first pitches" as a virtual parade of people come to the mound to toss the ball while the PA announcer shills for their particular cause, corporate sponsor ("And now, throwing out the first pitch, is Miss Wanda Rottencrotch, representing APPLE — the Association of Puppy and Pussy Lovers Everywhere — whose network of animal rescue shelters reminds you to spay or neuter your pets!") or tenuous connection to the team. So it should be no problem to bring out the only remaining player from the 1948 Indians still living (95-year-old Eddie Robinson) as well as members of the cast of the 1989 "Major League" movie for a whole series of "first pitches".

-"BB"-

Long Run · Post by **Long Run** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:06 pm

It will be quite the matchup on the mound in Game 1.

BoSoxGal · Post by **BoSoxGal** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 3:00 pm

Go Cubbies!!!!!!!!!!!!

oldr_n_wsr · Post by **oldr_n_wsr** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 5:28 pm

Congrats tothe Cubs and Indians.
Maybe I will watch some of the games. If I happen to sit down in front of a TV when the games are on.
When does this start?

I'll probably catch more of the games on the car radio as I go to/from meetings or my daughters house.

Jarlaxle · Post by **Jarlaxle** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:57 pm

Game one is tomorrow, all games are 8pm (eastern time) first pitch.

oldr_n_wsr · Post by **oldr_n_wsr** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:09 pm

Jarlaxle wrote:Game one is tomorrow, all games are 8pm (eastern time) first pitch.

Tomorrow is an MC ride to center moriches for a 7:30 meeting. Nice 30-45minute ride over the back roads. Maybe a stop at the diner afterward (about 8:45). Another 30-45 minute ride home. Maybe I'll tune in for a bit after that.
Thanks Jarlaxle.

Jarlaxle · Post by **Jarlaxle** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 9:29 pm

No way to listen while you ride?

Long Run · Post by **Long Run** » Tue Oct 25, 2016 4:44 pm

oldr_n_wsr · Post by **oldr_n_wsr** » Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:13 pm

Jarlaxle wrote:No way to listen while you ride?

I have a radio I sometimes take with me but most of the time it is too annoying to bother. The reception gets crappy out east where I live/ride. Even on the car radio reception drops out.

Guinevere · Post by **Guinevere** » Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:31 am

Long Run wrote:

Perfection!

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Wed Oct 26, 2016 2:43 am

My impression is that Gustave Caillebotte could have created a similar painting. The Cubs franchise was already 24 years old when the artist died.

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Wed Oct 26, 2016 9:48 am

After Game 1, it is the Cubs fans who are feeling the familiar sting of defeat as they witnessed their team go down to a 6-0 loss.
By scoring two runs in the first innings – on little more than a few hits and some lucky running – the Indians took the lead and never gave it up

.

Good start then!

Lord Jim · Post by **Lord Jim** » Wed Oct 26, 2016 9:35 pm

When you load the bases with nobody out, (as the Cubs did in the 7th, when they were only down 3-0) and come away with bupkis, it's not a good sign...

That had to have a very negative and deflating psychological impact on the players that no doubt contributed to the final score being twice as bad...

The question now is whether the Cubs have the mental discipline and poise to shake that off and turn things around...

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