BASE-BALL

[triplemultiplex]

Getting swept by Arizona stings a little less after they did the same thing to LA.
Definitely going to root for them over Houston.  That cheating scandal scars the Astros forever in my book.  Doesn't matter if they're not doing it anymore and changes to the league make it virtually impossible to repeat that particular method of cheating.  They will never live down that taint.

[Big John]

Saw a blurb that every team that knocked the Brewers out of a playoff series has made it to the World Series.

[tmoore952]

This season at Camden Yards ends the same way the other 31 did, with no World Series played there. Needless to say, having last played in a Fall Classic 40 years ago (and won too), the Orioles are the new Cubs, with a curse placed squarely on them that has no end in sight.

If the Phillies and Diamondbacks win their respective series (and it looks like the Phillies will after going up 2-1 on the Braves), there'll be no more 100-win teams left standing.

What about Cleveland?

Meh, I don't think too much of them anyway. They're more like the Phillies, if you ask me (either they'll get agonizingly close or suck real bad).

Maybe the Cubs would be more appropriate? What you said would apply to the Phillies at the end of the '70s (at that point they had never won the WS).
But since then --- not including this year (this year's result not known yet), they have been to the WS 6 times since (and including) 1980 and won twice.

[Henry]

I just remembered, the Pirates have not won a World Series since 1979, so they own the longest title drought among the pre-expansion NL teams. But then we have the Padres and Pilots/Brewers, who were both founded a full decade earlier and still have zero championships, so they probably could be tied for the longest current drought overall in the NL.

On the AL side, you have the Senators/Rangers, founded in 1961 and also never winning it all (although they can still get a golden opportunity to end that narrative if they somehow get past the Astros in the ALCS). The Indians/Guardians parallel the Phillies in that their only two World Series titles were won exactly 28 years apart (Cleveland winning in 1920 and 1948, and Philly in 1980 and 2008), so the Phillies are a much better comparison (especially when you consider that they had not won a championship until '80).

[epzik8]

Silly me predicting an Orioles-Braves World Series for this year. I don't know ball at all.

[Buck87]

Saw a blurb that every team that knocked the Brewers out of a playoff series has made it to the World Series.

It is true. The D-Backs have quite a streak to uphold.

1981 - lost in ALDS to Yankees (lost WS)
1982 - lost in World Series to Cardinals
2008 - lost in NLDS to Phillies (won WS)
2011 - lost in NLCS to Cardinals (won WS)
2018 - lost in NLCS to Dodgers (lost WS)
2019 - lost in NLWCG to Nationals (Won WS) 
2020 - lost in NLWCS to Dodgers (Won WS)
2021 - lost in NLDS to Braves (Won WS)
2023 - lost in NLWCS to Diamondbacks (TBD)

*Edited to add 1981

[jgb191]

Astros to their 7TH STRAIGHT ALCS!!

Even the Yankees never pulled that off in their century-long history.

This is the first time ever both Texas teams are playing against each other.....hoping for a great series.

[Big John]

Astros to their 7TH STRAIGHT ALCS!!

Even the Yankees never pulled that off in their century-long history.

A bit misleading as the ALCS began in 1969.

[Flint1979]

Astros to their 7TH STRAIGHT ALCS!!

Even the Yankees never pulled that off in their century-long history.

This is the first time ever both Texas teams are playing against each other.....hoping for a great series.

Well the League Championship Series has only been around for 55 seasons. The Yankees have been to the World Series five straight years twice and have won five straight World Series titles. I don't see that being done again.

[jgb191]

So I guess when people say the Cleveland Browns never went to a Super Bowl, what they're really saying is that the Browns won eight Championships in the NFL.

[Big John]

So I guess when people say the Cleveland Browns never went to a Super Bowl, what they're really saying is that the Browns won eight Championships in the NFL.

Actually the first 4 were not in the NFL.

[triplemultiplex]

Saw a blurb that every team that knocked the Brewers out of a playoff series has made it to the World Series.

It is true. The D-Backs have quite a streak to uphold.

1982 - lost in World Series to Cardinals
2008 - lost in NLDS to Phillies (won WS)
2011 - lost in NLCS to Cardinals (won WS)
2018 - lost in NLCS to Dodgers (lost WS)
2019 - lost in NLWCG to Nationals (Won WS) 
2020 - lost in NLWCS to Dodgers (Won WS)
2021 - lost in NLDS to Braves (Won WS)
2023 - lost in NLWCS to Diamondbacks (TBD)

We are kingmakers in Brew City.

Rangers blanked the 'stros in game 1.  Interesting play in the 8th with Altuve getting doubled up on a ball caught at the warning track because he had rounded second by half a step before turning back, but failed to touch the base again before making it back to first.

[tmoore952]

I just remembered, the Pirates have not won a World Series since 1979, so they own the longest title drought among the pre-expansion NL teams. But then we have the Padres and Pilots/Brewers, who were both founded a full decade earlier and still have zero championships, so they probably could be tied for the longest current drought overall in the NL.

On the AL side, you have the Senators/Rangers, founded in 1961 and also never winning it all (although they can still get a golden opportunity to end that narrative if they somehow get past the Astros in the ALCS). The Indians/Guardians parallel the Phillies in that their only two World Series titles were won exactly 28 years apart (Cleveland winning in 1920 and 1948, and Philly in 1980 and 2008), so the Phillies are a much better comparison (especially when you consider that they had not won a championship until '80).

But not recently. That was my point. There aren't too many people around who meaningfully remember before 1940, when the Cubs won all but 1 of their championships, and all but 2 of their NL pennants.

The Rangers were within one out (and one strike) of winning the WS in 2011, with the lead, but lost that game (Game 6) and eventually the series.

[jgb191]

Rangers have taken both games at Minute Maid Park and return home up 2-0.  Game Two was a nail-biter for the second half of the game.  After falling behind by four runs in the first inning, it was a mountain-climb for the Astros but fell just short by one run.  The Astros had a chance to burst the dam in the fifth innings with bases loaded, but you got to give the Rangers pitching a lot of credit for holding on to the lead.

If the Astros want to take a anything positive out of this: this matchup has been very good to the road team; the Astros won six of seven games at Arlington this summer.  And if the NBA history has something to offer: the road team has won the majority of playoff games in all the Texas series.

[Henry]

Rangers have taken both games at Minute Maid Park and return home up 2-0.  Game Two was a nail-biter for the second half of the game.  After falling behind by four runs in the first inning, it was a mountain-climb for the Astros but fell just short by one run.  The Astros had a chance to burst the dam in the fifth innings with bases loaded, but you got to give the Rangers pitching a lot of credit for holding on to the lead.

If the Astros want to take a anything positive out of this: this matchup has been very good to the road team; the Astros won six of seven games at Arlington this summer.  And if the NBA history has something to offer: the road team has won the majority of playoff games in all the Texas series.

Two more games and justice will be served!

Meanwhile, the Phillies are celebrating a win in their NLCS opener against the Diamondbacks. And although they say you can't script October, these two LCS series are shaping up to be the best in a good long while. (Remember 2003, when we missed out on a Cubs-Red Sox matchup in the World Series?)

[jgb191]

Rangers have taken both games at Minute Maid Park and return home up 2-0.  Game Two was a nail-biter for the second half of the game.  After falling behind by four runs in the first inning, it was a mountain-climb for the Astros but fell just short by one run.  The Astros had a chance to burst the dam in the fifth innings with bases loaded, but you got to give the Rangers pitching a lot of credit for holding on to the lead.

If the Astros want to take a anything positive out of this: this matchup has been very good to the road team; the Astros won six of seven games at Arlington this summer.  And if the NBA history has something to offer: the road team has won the majority of playoff games in all the Texas series.

Two more games and justice will be served!

You predicted correctly....you are right about that!  Justice is indeed served in the form of a tie series 2-2.  Now the Astros unfortunately have re-acquired home field dis-advantage, which means the Rangers now have the upper hand. 

Now Henry, if you were looking for justice in a different form of an Astros elimination, you'll have to wait until Monday when the Astros lose Game Seven.  And Yes I do fully expect the Rangers to knock out my Astros in the ALCS in seven games.  My prediction is that the Astros win Game Five in Arlington and the Rangers  return to Houston and close it out winning Games Six and Seven back in Minute Maid stadium to advance to their first World Series since 2011.  Besides that, you didn't seem to remember that before last year, the Astros were eliminated five straight years since 2017.

As anybody from Texas will tell you that in an all-Texas playoff series, you do not want your team to play at home; the road teams tend to have a big advantage over the home teams (historically speaking) as has been the case in the NBA and apparently now the MLB too.  Having been to several playoff games throughout my years featuring both teams from Texas, I have seen the capacity crowd is usually split almost evenly between fans of the home and visiting teams.

[tmoore952]

Rangers have taken both games at Minute Maid Park and return home up 2-0.  Game Two was a nail-biter for the second half of the game.  After falling behind by four runs in the first inning, it was a mountain-climb for the Astros but fell just short by one run.  The Astros had a chance to burst the dam in the fifth innings with bases loaded, but you got to give the Rangers pitching a lot of credit for holding on to the lead.

If the Astros want to take a anything positive out of this: this matchup has been very good to the road team; the Astros won six of seven games at Arlington this summer.  And if the NBA history has something to offer: the road team has won the majority of playoff games in all the Texas series.

Two more games and justice will be served!

You predicted correctly....you are right about that!  Justice is indeed served in the form of a tie series 2-2.  Now the Astros unfortunately have re-acquired home field dis-advantage, which means the Rangers now have the upper hand. 

Now Henry, if you were looking for justice in a different form of an Astros elimination, you'll have to wait until Monday when the Astros lose Game Seven.  And Yes I do fully expect the Rangers to knock out my Astros in the ALCS in seven games.  My prediction is that the Astros win Game Five in Arlington and the Rangers  return to Houston and close it out winning Games Six and Seven back in Minute Maid stadium to advance to their first World Series since 2011.  Besides that, you didn't seem to remember that before last year, the Astros were eliminated five straight years since 2017.

So far the ALCS home field advantage is playing out just like the 2019 WS.

disclosure - I lived in Philadelphia until 2000 (saw all the Phillies post-1975 successes and failures), and then moved to DC, which was 5 years prior to the Nationals getting there. As a result, I am a dual Phillies/Nationals fan (to the extent that is possible). It's been easy for the 19 years thus far since it's never been the case that the Phillies and Nationals have been good at the same time. WRT to the former Nationals who are now Phillies, I only have an issue with Harper, since he is the only one who left voluntarily - vice trade (although I now also know they had a deal to trade Harper the summer before he left, but that was vetoed by the Nationals management). I am rooting for the Phillies at this point in these playoffs, and I know whatever happens Harper will likely have a big hand in their fate, but it is still hard for me to root for Harper.

[jgb191]

1996 World Series between Braves/Yankees went something like that....the road team dominating in that series.  2019 Nationals/Astros was the another time like that with the road team winning every game.  The Nationals winning 2019 was a feel-good story in sports that year by putting on gutsy performances in games six and seven while visiting Minute Maid stadium and ending their drought.

1995 NBA Western Conference Championship Rockets/Spurs made the term home court disadvantage famous as coined by NBC commentator Bill Walton as the visting team dominated that series as well and the home teams looking completely and utterly hapless.

[jgb191]

The Astros were in this same situation back four years ago in the 2019 World Series sweeping all three games in Washington up 3 games to 2 over Nationals and returning home to Houston; the entire World saw what happened after that in the last two games of that series in Minute Maid Park.  Let's keep that in mind as the Astros return home again up 3-2 games over the Rangers in the ALCS.  The Astros are going to have their toughest challenge Sunday night in Game Six and very likely even Monday night in Game Seven.  This series is still far from over!

[Henry]

1996 World Series between Braves/Yankees went something like that....the road team dominating in that series.  2019 Nationals/Astros was the another time like that with the road team winning every game.  The Nationals winning 2019 was a feel-good story in sports that year by putting on gutsy performances in games six and seven while visiting Minute Maid stadium and ending their drought.

1995 NBA Western Conference Championship Rockets/Spurs made the term home court disadvantage famous as coined by NBC commentator Bill Walton as the visting team dominated that series as well and the home teams looking completely and utterly hapless.

The main difference was that the home team won the deciding game of the 1995 WCF and 1996 World Series, both in Game 6. IIRC, the last time one side completely shut out the other in a seven-game series before 2019 was the 1991 World Series, in which the home team won all seven times. I remember seeing the late, great Kirby Puckett hitting the walkoff HR off Atlanta's Charlie Leibrandt that denied the Braves a chance to clinch in Minneapolis and set up a marathon Game 7, also won by the Twins. And Jack Buck uttered one of the most famous closing lines: "We will see you tomorrow night!"

[tmoore952]

Texas-Houston going to 7 games means they get the prime time TV spot tonight, while Arizona-Philly is at 5 PM (and that was TBD until last night's Texas-Houston game ended!).

Personally, as a Philly fan on the East Coast (but not in Philly), I don't have a problem with them starting at 5 PM, and that is actually preferable from my perspective, since it should be decided by 8 or 9 PM unless it goes massive numbers of extra innings. I will miss the first part of the game due to work, but I won't miss the entire game.

But as a former season ticket holder, things like this would drive me crazy. And Arizona viewers get hosed too, since for them the game now starts at 2 PM.

I know why this is the case, no one needs to reiterate this. I am very very glad that tonight is the last night that a game will not start at 8 PM Eastern/5 PM Pacific.

[jgb191]

Congratulations to the Rangers and to their fans/supporters all over our great state of Texas.  Astros had a good season seven consecutive years of the ALCS is no easy task and a lot to be proud of.  Even my home town in Corpus Christi there are thousands of Rangers fan celebrating and I tip my hat to their team; the Rangers deserve it, and I join the Rangers fan in cheering the AL Champions in bringing their first ever World Series trophy across the state.

On another note, there needs to be a new rule introduced that the team with the better record or tiebreaker gets to choose whether they want home field for the majority of the series or defer to their opponents.  I'm fairly certain that the Astros would have wanted to defer home field to the Rangers; the result probably could have been different.

[jgb191]

Now the Astros unfortunately have re-acquired home field dis-advantage, which means the Rangers now have the upper hand. 

I do fully expect the Rangers to knock out my Astros in the ALCS in seven games.  My prediction is that the Astros win Game Five in Arlington and the Rangers  return to Houston and close it out winning Games Six and Seven back in Minute Maid stadium to advance to their first World Series since 2011. 

Unfortunately when I'm right....I'm right.  This series was so predictable.

[Stephane Dumas]

Now let's see who'll go against the Rangers between Philly and Arizona.

[Henry]

IIRC, the last time one side completely shut out the other in a seven-game series before 2019 was the 1991 World Series, in which the home team won all seven times. I remember seeing the late, great Kirby Puckett hitting the walkoff HR off Atlanta's Charlie Leibrandt that denied the Braves a chance to clinch in Minneapolis and set up a marathon Game 7, also won by the Twins. And Jack Buck uttered one of the most famous closing lines: "We will see you tomorrow night!"

Wrong on that one! It was actually the 2001 World Series, with the Diamondbacks and Yankees winning all their home games. But Arizona ended up winning the series, since it had home-field advantage. Coincidentally, this thought just came to me as the current bunch is seeking to end its 22-year absence on the big stage.