BASE-BALL

[Takumi]

1st overall draft pick, baby!

[Alps]

Fuck the Yankees

Fuck you <3

[Henry]

Fuck the Yankees

Fuck the Yankees and Fuck Boston.

For the West Coast variant, it would be "fuck the Dodgers and fuck the Giants."

This would be the first time that all four classic arch-rivals (Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers) made the same postseason, right? Because there were plenty of near-misses, most notably 1951 (when the Yankees were awaiting the winner of the New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers playoff) and 1978 (when the Dodgers won the NL West outright, but the Yankees and Red Sox had to play a one-game playoff to decide the AL East winner); we all know how those ended, with Bobby Thomson and Bucky Dent being one team's hero and the other's villain forever.

[NWI_Irish96]

Fuck the Yankees

Fuck the Yankees and Fuck Boston.

For the West Coast variant, it would be "fuck the Dodgers and fuck the Giants."

This would be the first time that all four classic arch-rivals (Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers) made the same postseason, right? Because there were plenty of near-misses, most notably 1951 (when the Yankees were awaiting the winner of the New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers playoff) and 1978 (when the Dodgers won the NL West outright, but the Yankees and Red Sox had to play a one-game playoff to decide the AL East winner); we all know how those ended, with Bobby Thomson and Bucky Dent being one team's hero and the other's villain forever.

Yes, this is the first. Of course it's only been possible since 1995, as that was the first year of the wild card and both pairs of teams have always been in the same division together.

[gr8daynegb]

Now as Brewers fans we just hope the only reason they finished with a bad week and a half was due to positioning themselves for this coming weekend. Will be fun watching

[Flint1979]

Fuck the Yankees

Fuck the Yankees and Fuck Boston.

For the West Coast variant, it would be "fuck the Dodgers and fuck the Giants."

This would be the first time that all four classic arch-rivals (Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers) made the same postseason, right? Because there were plenty of near-misses, most notably 1951 (when the Yankees were awaiting the winner of the New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers playoff) and 1978 (when the Dodgers won the NL West outright, but the Yankees and Red Sox had to play a one-game playoff to decide the AL East winner); we all know how those ended, with Bobby Thomson and Bucky Dent being one team's hero and the other's villain forever.

I never thought of that really now it makes me want to see the Cardinals and Cubs in it too. We got half that though. Too bad the AL Central isn't a bit better it seems like it's the White Sox and everyone else but I don't mind that at all still though I'd like to see the Tigers or Royals make it. I thought Kansas City's fan base was a bit annoying around their championship year of 2015.

[NWI_Irish96]

The Dodgers-Giants rivalry has much more of a history than Yankees-Red Sox. Before 1978, if you asked any Yankees fan who their biggest rival was, nobody would have said Red Sox. Younger fans would have said Baltimore, and older fans who remember the AL before divisional play might have said Detroit or Chicago. Outside of a good year here or there, the Red Sox were largely irrelevant for decades.

When ESPN started up in Connecticut in 1979, it was staffed almost entirely by New Englanders. It was still that way in 1986 when the Red Sox came within one Buckner of winning the World Series. ESPN did a lot of the work in making the Red Sox as popular as they are today.

[triplemultiplex]

I'm excited for the possibility of a White Sox-Brewers or White Sox-Cards World Series. If it were the former, I could go to a road game and sleep in my own bed that night.

I would not want to face the Brewers pitching staff in the World Series.

If the Boozers don't start hitting better immediately, that won't be an issue. 
We'll see what happens this weekend, but I have the nagging worry that Milwaukee peaked just a little too soon and they're gonna be anemic against the old franchise.

[Flint1979]

The Dodgers-Giants rivalry has much more of a history than Yankees-Red Sox. Before 1978, if you asked any Yankees fan who their biggest rival was, nobody would have said Red Sox. Younger fans would have said Baltimore, and older fans who remember the AL before divisional play might have said Detroit or Chicago. Outside of a good year here or there, the Red Sox were largely irrelevant for decades.

When ESPN started up in Connecticut in 1979, it was staffed almost entirely by New Englanders. It was still that way in 1986 when the Red Sox came within one Buckner of winning the World Series. ESPN did a lot of the work in making the Red Sox as popular as they are today.

Yeah but the Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino as well after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Then the Yankees go onto win several championships and the Red Sox don't win for 86 years. And Boston and New York are rivals in other sports as well like Celtics/Knicks, Jets/Patriots, not so much the Bruins and Rangers as I consider the Bruins rival to be the Canadiens.

[gr8daynegb]

I'm excited for the possibility of a White Sox-Brewers or White Sox-Cards World Series. If it were the former, I could go to a road game and sleep in my own bed that night.

I would not want to face the Brewers pitching staff in the World Series.

If the Boozers don't start hitting better immediately, that won't be an issue. 
We'll see what happens this weekend, but I have the nagging worry that Milwaukee peaked just a little too soon and they're gonna be anemic against the old franchise.

I don't think it's a peaked too soon issue.  It would be more a they flipped off the switch when it was literally impossible for the Cards to catch them and that catching LA or SF wasn't possible either and failing to turn it on vs ATL if the series goes bad.  For the better part of two weeks  their games haven't been all that important and the effort shows that(roster positioning for the players appears to be that motive).

[Flint1979]

What really surprised me is how the Padres fell apart. It was like they were there in the race in June and July and then by the time August and September rolled around it was like they were a 100 loss team compared to how they played earlier in the season.

[Stephane Dumas]

Yeah but the Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino as well after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Then the Yankees go onto win several championships and the Red Sox don't win for 86 years. And Boston and New York are rivals in other sports as well like Celtics/Knicks, Jets/Patriots, not so much the Bruins and Rangers as I consider the Bruins rival to be the Canadiens.

The one time when the Bruins and Rangers got a fierce rivalry was the 1970 first with the 1972 Stanley cup final and then in 1975 when Phil Esposito was traded to the Rangers in exchange for Brad Park and Jean Ratelle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pby-bevCrIQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlfqT1G48AA

[Alps]

The Dodgers-Giants rivalry has much more of a history than Yankees-Red Sox. Before 1978, if you asked any Yankees fan who their biggest rival was, nobody would have said Red Sox. Younger fans would have said Baltimore, and older fans who remember the AL before divisional play might have said Detroit or Chicago. Outside of a good year here or there, the Red Sox were largely irrelevant for decades.

When ESPN started up in Connecticut in 1979, it was staffed almost entirely by New Englanders. It was still that way in 1986 when the Red Sox came within one Buckner of winning the World Series. ESPN did a lot of the work in making the Red Sox as popular as they are today.

Yeah but the Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino as well after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Then the Yankees go onto win several championships and the Red Sox don't win for 86 years. And Boston and New York are rivals in other sports as well like Celtics/Knicks, Jets/Patriots, not so much the Bruins and Rangers as I consider the Bruins rival to be the Canadiens.

In order:
Sox - Yankees, no question
Cheats - Jets, is a modern rivalry forged in the early 2000s. When I grew up it was Jets-Miami and secondary Jets-Bills. The Patriots back then were irrelevant.
Celtics - Knicks, never been that hot of a rivalry. My life has been Knicks-Nets (no National vs. American to keep them separate). Not sure offhand who Celtics' rivals really are. Google suggests Lakers and Sixers.
Rangers have Islanders, Devils, and Flyers to worry about before Boston. Whalers too, once.

[kurumi]

http://www.pennant-race.com/ is a fun visualization of the regular season. You can see the whole thing, or select by division:
* NL West: Dodgers get hot in mid-August, go 37-10 for the rest of the season... and gain 4 games on the Giants, needed 5. Best 2nd place record of all time.
* NL Central:  Cards, nice job
* NL East: the Amazin' Mets with a 10-game lead in June
* AL West: nice job Mariners, soooo close
* AL Central: from July, White Sox were playing only for home field advantage
* AL East: Chaos, and the O's

[KeithE4Phx]

* AL Central: from July, White Sox were playing only for home field advantage

Their best month was May, but they did have a winning record each month, April-September. 

But what matters now is that they were 0-4 in Houston (and 2-1 against them at home).  The Astros have home-field.  LaRussa will have to have this team ready to play.

[Bruce]

I just want to see the Mariners play in the World Series once in my lifetime.

Since the last Mariners playoff appearance in 2001, the following Seattle teams have made it to their league championship games:

Storm (WNBA) - 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020
Seahawks (NFL) - 2005, 2013, 2014
Reign (NWSL) - 2014, 2015
Sounders (MLS) - 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020
Seawolves (MLR) - 2018, 2019

Three of them didn't even begin playing in the top league of their respective sport until long after 2001.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

In fact after the Nationals made it (and won) two years ago the Mariners are the only team to have never made it to the World Series.

[Flint1979]

The last six World Series winners are from each division.

2015: Royals (AL Central)
2016: Cubs (NL Central)
2017: Astros (AL West)
2018: Red Sox (AL East)
2019: Nationals (NL East)
2020: Dodgers (NL West)

[NWI_Irish96]

The last six World Series winners are from each division.

2015: Royals (AL Central)
2016: Cubs (NL Central)
2017: Astros (AL West)
2018: Red Sox (AL East)
2019: Nationals (NL East)
2020: Dodgers (NL West)

Looks like it's the AL Central's turn again.

[Flint1979]

The last six World Series winners are from each division.

2015: Royals (AL Central)
2016: Cubs (NL Central)
2017: Astros (AL West)
2018: Red Sox (AL East)
2019: Nationals (NL East)
2020: Dodgers (NL West)

Looks like it's the AL Central's turn again.

I would love that.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I didn't think the Nats would be able to hold Boston, but I thought that the Rays would beat the Yankees.  Too bad as a Blue Jays fan.  But the Blue Jays sealed their own fate by loosing too many winnable games earlier in the year

They dropped two games to last-place Minnesota in the penultimate weekend series.

[Roadgeekteen]

YANKEES LOSE!

[Takumi]

[KeithE4Phx]

The last six World Series winners are from each division.

2015: Royals (AL Central)
2016: Cubs (NL Central)
2017: Astros (AL West)
2018: Red Sox (AL East)
2019: Nationals (NL East)
2020: Dodgers (NL West)

Looks like it's the AL Central's turn again.

Fine by me.  GO SOX! 

[KCRoadFan]

Congrats Sox on beating the Yankees!

Any chance the Cardinals beat the Dodgers tomorrow?