The Yankees Are Great for Baseball
I was shaking my head at some of the blogger comments I read this morning that were celebrating the Yankees losing to the Tigers. Many commenters called them “cheaters!”. Huh? How are the Yankees cheating? They have a high payroll. That’s cheating? They operate completely within the boundaries of the rules of signing players. And the other owners don’t complain, in fact they secretly love it, because of how much direct revenue the Yankees bring each time they come to play them in their yard. Not to mention the luxury tax and revenue sharing that they dole out through mlb back to the other 29 teams. They have constructed one of the most successful, BEST cable companies in the world. If you don’t subscribe to the YES network you should know this: they put on the best baseball production (pre and post game included) of any team in the country. It’s not even close.
And another little FACT that everyone seems to miss: most of the time, they aren’t *buying* anything but misery for their fan base. Since their WS win in 2000 they’ve won exactly ONE WS in the last 11 seasons. That’s a percentage of failure that hardly suggests *buying* championships. Forgetting their salaries, that rate of success is right around the same as every other team that’s won a world series over the last 11 seasons. They are “one of the gang” of the more successful franchise’s over the last decade…….
So they aren’t *cheating* and they certainly aren’t *buying* championships, that’s been proven. What they consistently do is put a professional, winning, cash producing product on the field every single year. They also consistently produce a hilarious dysfunctional drama through the press that is better than any soap opera or reality show. Listen, these players are held to a different standard than almost any other player not playing in Boston. They put up with a lot of sh!t and for the most part do it with dignity and honor. Say what you will about A-ROD but he knows what it means to be a Yankee and how to conduct yourself in public. He screws it up all the time, but he knows what he’s supposed to do. In fact, watching him screw it up is another reason that following the Yankees is one of my hobbies. 🙂
They play the villain. Every great story needs one. They know their role. But they aren’t villain’s the way you would look at T.O or Romanowski or guys like that. They play the game the way it is meant to be played and I, for one, have always honored them for that. Watching them lose, and knowing what that does to their pompous fan base, is a sick pleasure to enjoy.
But calling them *cheaters* and the *Evil Empire* just doesn’t make any sense to me…..
By the way, Detroit’s payroll is in the top 10 in all of baseball. This is hardly a case of the poor factory worker taking down his well-off factory owner boss. The Twins, Cubs, Mets and Giants are in the top 10, too. Did they *buy* a World Series this year? Ha, they couldn’t even get into the playoffs. And the Twins, Mets and Cubs were awful this year. Those 3 teams spent about 350 million dollars this year. As Ricky would say, “For who, for what?”
You don’t buy World Series championships. You earn them with a little luck along the way…..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
First off – It was a damn good and entertaining game last night. I found myself rooting for the Tigers not against the Yanks.
Over the years I came to admire old uncle George and how he went out and got what they thought the team needed. Man, I’d say to myself, I wish that guy was our owner (during the Lurie years). The one thing I’ve come to understand is that even All-Star teams lose, you’ve still got to play the game.
My distaste for the Phils and Red Sox is based more on their fans than on the teams themselves. Those two teams I root against, same as the Dodgers (although that’s just more ingrained than anything else). They’re able to get the players they want and I’m OK with that (although, the Phils and Ed Wade of the Stros seemingly in bed together pisses me off), but their whining, crying fan bases put them at a higher dislike category than the Yanks. For me anyway.
Cheating? Nah, it isn’t cheating Flav. Especially since MLB allows them to operate as they do. In fact, they tacitly encourage it. Their business model is excellent and no one can deny that. However it is ludicrous to think that they do not buy Championships. They do. THE YANKEES BUY CHAMPIONSHIPS. It is JUST THAT SIMPLE.
I’m not certain what their payroll was this year, but last year, the New York Yankees’ payroll was $206 million. That number may not mean much to you, but chew on this: the Yankees’ payroll was $44 million more than the next highest team (Red Sox).
That DIFFERENCE between the Yankees and the second highest payroll is higher than the ENTIRE TEAM SALARIES of two teams (Padres and Pirates). Their payroll was $33 million dollars more than the bottom 4 teams COMBINED. The numbers are staggering.
It is simply disgraceful that one team can dwarf the entire league by that much. What kind of skill does it take to buy the best and most expensive player and plop him on your team?
Do you remember those good Braves teams during the 90’s? The Braves earned their NL East crowns and World Series because they needed to constantly revive their farm system and trade talented players like Dave Justice to keep an affordable team salary.
The Yankees never have to worry about that.
A perfect example is what they did a few years ago . . . Yankees fans were enraged that their team had not won a World Series in 9 years. So what was GM Brian Cashman to do? Would he bring up a shining star from the minors? Would he make a trade for a big time player? Would he look for a “diamond in the rough”? Would he make a strategic pickup of a guy at the trading deadline or take a chance on a Rule 5 player?
Of course not! Brian Cashman asked himself, “who is the best free agent player available?” Then bought CC Sabathia. Then found the second best, AJ Burnett, then BOUGHT HIM. Now he needed a hitter. Time to buy Mark Tiexiera.
That is such a joke. What skill does it take to just buy the best free agent available? There’s no risk in that. But that’s what they do in the Bronx. Then the Yankees won the world series and their fans take full credit, citing the history of the organization and how much they deserve it.
Let’s compare them to the team they beat in that World Series back then. The Phillies had a high payroll themselves at $141 million, but there is a big difference: the Phillies grew their talent themselves and those players became the core. Four of their everyday infielders came from their farm system, Shane Victorino was a rule 5 guy and the Phillies took Jayson Werth from baseball oblivion.
When the Phillies wanted to grab a pitcher at the deadline the year before, they needed to trade a bunch of prospects to get Cliff Lee. When they wanted Roy Halladay, they needed to trade Cliff Lee and some more prospects.
But the Yankees don’t need prospects because they just pluck the big name free agent. Don’t mention that to Yankees fans, however. They consider it their God given right to win championships. That doesn’t sound like too much fun to me. It’s definitely not cheating, but THEY DO BUY CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Money has so much less to do with being successful, but it is a definite advantage. Cashman has thrown money at some guys who were washouts, just like Boston and others. Difference btw them and SF is how it impacts what else they do—they can move on and pay teams to take a chump off their hands, while SF kept Zito and Rowand around long past any point they could contribute.
Girardi seems like a class guy—I thought he handled the whole Posada incident very well, and wound up getting a nice contribution from him. The Boss was always kind of funny caricature, the two kids seem a poor imitation. Prince Fielder is far more annoying to me than anyone on the Yanks.
Guys like A-Rod and Swisher realize that being a Yank comes with a huge weight of expectation, and when you are unable to meet that, you are going to hear it. It’s just a bigger stage all the time, with more at stake. All those numbers from the regular season are quickly forgotten when you are eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Gotta take the bitter with the sweet.
I don’t really care who wins it; like Zum said I don’t like anyone. But for pure theater the AL is so much more interesting to me. The boston collapse/tampa resurgence of the last day of regular season, followed by exodus of francona amid rumors of discord in the clubhouse and possible exit of the GM. Tampa wins the first game and then is quickly banished by Texas, which gets to rest and regroup. Yanks and Detroit thrown upside down by the rainout, then unknowns like a Kelly and Young wind up being the heroes, alongside Fister and Valverde and Benoit pitching out of difficulty, and evading (by not very much) Jeter’s revenge.
Interesting to see how all those who get eliminated will spin it, and what they think they have to do to get back on top…and what lessons the rest of the leagues will take from what happens.
That was a good post colorado.
It’s natural to root for the underdog. There are no lessons. Anything can happen. Even Cody Ross can win the MVP in a short series.
I think SF 2010 proved how important pitching was. AZ added Putz to get better pen , Phils added Lee to the rotation and let Werth go. This year Tex went out and got Adams to shore up the pen. Contrast that with Reds PS falling apart, and Red Sox collapsing despite adding AGon and Crawford.
*buying* something suggests that they are getting something for the money they spend. They aren’t getting what they are paying for. They measure success by winning WS’s and that’s it.
And I don’t have a single problem in the world with how they spend their money. It’s THEIR money and they generate it fair and square. They aren’t buying championships. 1 for the last 11 isn’t buying shit. The only way I’d support that claim is if they were allowed to participate in free agency and no one else was allowed to. Clearly, that isn’t the case……
The thing about it is, teams like NY and Boston can get away with free spending, and not be crippled by bad signings (hello Kevin Brown) like all the other teams. After the Giants went all-in with Bonds over the life of his different contracts, they were hamstrung to sign other pricey players.
Why do you think teams like Pittsburgh regluarly shed talent? The pisser to me is teams like Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and the rest of the small-market teams can have the best scouts and minor league systems. What heppens? All the stars they dig out through solid drafts split at the 1st chance for the big money. The Yankees farm system hasn’t done shit since Jeter. They don’t NEED to really have scouts at all. They can wait until any of these up and coming stars hit FA and sign them to ludocrous contracts. The Yankees and Boston treat the small market teams as their own AAA teams and raid them of all their talent.
It’s the reason why moneyball was such a big deal at the time. Beane built a competitive team at 1/5 the salary of the Yanks.
In other words, if a team like Pittsburgh could keep the players it signed, they’d have been 10 times better than they’ve been over the years. The NFL isn’t perfect, but if football was run like baseball, no one would win super bowls except for NE, Dallas, and the Giants. Teams like Green Bay and SF would have folded years ago.
dude, pay attention, they have money, they just don’t spend it.
Smart and prudent!
Yea……the Yanks lost. WOO HOO! I liked them in Mickey Mantle’s day watching as a kid on the family’s black and white set. My mom liked them and I liked whatever my mom liked. Since Steinbrenner and his family took over it was adios for me. Sorry that’s the way I feel.
Chuck– , Minnesota has a new stadium and is like 9th in baseball in spending.
And the Pirates are an example of a team that ISN’T trying to win, it’s not that they aren’t able to compete. They made nearly 30 million dollars in 2007 and 2008— they weren’t spending it on their players or free agents. They were content to lose games year after year and pocket the profits.
What’s worse? The Yankees who make money and spend it on players or the Pirates who make money and put it back into the pockets of ownership?
PIRATES! National league all the way, baby!
The Pirates are a team that is probably more profitable losing then they are if they are winning. If they started winning and bumped the payroll up, they would probably keep winning but would start losing money since they have a ceiling on their gate revenue. But, at least they would be winning.
They choose to not spend and make a profit and lose than spend, lose money and win.
If I’m a Pirates fan, I’m not cool with that…..
At least they’re not stuck with Zito!
Since I missed out on posting last night, Happy Elimination Day! The day after the Yanks get bounced from the playoffs has become one of my favorites for listening to NY sports radio and hearing their fans whine like little girls because they were denied World Series title #28.
Spending all that money may not guarantee championships, but it almost certainly ensures that the Yanks get to the playoffs, which is half the battle. Since the wild-card system began in 1995, the Yanks have missed the playoffs just once. That’s 16 of 17 years, during which they’ve won the World Series five times. As I’ve said before, there is no drama to a Yanks regular season, much as the media may try to manufacture it. And it will only get worse when MLB adds an extra wild-card team.
true dat
I have to defend the ‘evil empire’ moniker. It has been around a while and everyone knows what team(s) you mean. It is not a falsity like cheaters or dismissive like saying the just buy success. they play the villain, they are the rude & in your face jock that everyone likes and makes your life miserable. They need a moniker the rest of us can use to ease the pain of how good they are.
We would never say it to their faces.
The yankees are good for MLB and they play within the rules. I still like watching them lose.
Detroit’s payroll was $102,000, Yankess $202,000. Fact is, it’s a discrepancy that should not be allowed- it’s not the Yankees fault, it’s MLB. As Flavor touches on and I went into in more detail- teams like the Pirates are pocketing revenue money that was intended to level the playing field. Pittsburgh is traditionally one of the least competitive teams but also one of the most profitable. Because there’s no requirement for a percentage of the revenue sharing to go into payroll, the player’s union is is adamantly against revenue sharing, while the owners love it.
No, the Yankees don’t cheat but rooting against them is a tradition that American boys and girls of proper upbringing consider a moral imperative, if your Dad didn’t teach you to hate the Yankees , he was remiss in his paternal duties 😉
hear, hear
Absolutely, twin. Although in my case, it was my mom what taught me.
We love tradition!
OK, maybe Pittsburgh’s a bad example. They are the opposite end of the spectrum. Take Oakland, please . . .
It’s not cheating, but it certainly takes the impetus out of the Yanks to develop or even bother with their farm system when they can pick and choose just about anyone they want from any other team. What has their farm produced in the past 12 years?
Other teams ARE limited by how much they can reasonably spend year to year. The Giants will be hard-pressed to keep this pitching staff together the next few years. Which is why Timmy is not jumping at the chance to sign a multi-year deal with the Giants. Just like McCutchen in Pittsburgh. Their respective teams will try to keep them, but when the Yanks say to Tim, how’z about $300 million for 10 years?
He’s gonna say no?
You would Chuck……you got your standards!
I think Timmy’s deposit on his NY penthouse just went up..
$750,000 security deposit, and $2 mill for first and last month’s rent.
Yeah but who wants to ride an elevator?
Well written intro, Flav
It ain’t wrong, it’s within the rules, but it sucks. It gives them a competitive advantage because of the exorbitant money they generate in other revenues that other teams can’t even dream about.
Like the Joe Torre thing. Everyone calls him a great manager, but who couldn’t pencil in those guys into that lineup? Blind monkeys should be able to win with those teams.
Yeah, they aren’t winning it all, but they are ALWAYS in the playoffs. Someone scuffling in the rotation? OK, sign C.C.Rider for $161 mill. Need a 1st baseman? Sign Tex for $180 mill.
Most other teams can’t do things like that. Most other teams are relegated to picking their spots on how to spend money on FAs. They HAVE to be more strategic. Boston/NY? Not so much.
Flav, Blade: Well fought, gentlemen. Hating the Yankees is a great American tradition of rooting for the underdog and booing the villain. It all began when Col. Jake Ruppert finangled Boston’s opera-loving manager to give up Babe Ruth for filthy lucre to achieve his operatic fantasies. NYY have not looked back since.
Time to change the ownership structure of baseball. Kick out the capitalists and high-rollers and establish community subscription ownership like the Green Bay Packers. Theirs does appear to be a successful model, even in the face of the greed pay backers.
VIVA LA REVOLUCION!
By my check, those still in the running for the playoff contest are:
Craig, Chuck,Blade, Zumie, SanDawg..
If you think I’m mistaken, let me know. BTW- yoyu have to nail this, it’s not “closest”…
Detroit spoiled my shot
Go, AZ and, shit, I picked Philly?
Oh well.
I don’t want ’em to to wn but I guess I want ’em to win.
BLEEP!
Chuck and Craig still in it is the upset of the year. I had to send these guys sympathy prizes last year 😉
agreed. I’ve never been in one of these this long. If I win, I’m strongly considering NOT acting like I’ve been there before……
No wild dancing!
Blade said it well. And it’s certainly the reason the Yankees are so disliked by so many.
And that’s some convenient parsing of facts from BF. The Yankees have won 1 World Series in the last 11, but that ignores the fact they won FOUR out of the previous FIVE before that. The Yankees have won 1/4 of all the World Series in the history of baseball. And about 1/3 since the ’94 strike. There is now a permanent underclass in baseball- the Pirates, Royals, A’s, Orioles, etc. That doesn’t seem good for baseball to me.
“Former greenskeeper. At Augusta. About to be crowned Master champion.
He’s 460 yards away. He’ll hit a 2 iron.”
It’s a Cinderlella story
In other baseball news, US Postal has recalled their baseball commemorative stamps featuring Yankee players — people couldn’t figure out which side to spit on.
(rimshot)
Good game in Milwaukee today. I’m rooting for the Snakes. Even if that does put Chuck in the driver’s seat to win the contest.
I am surprised the Cards have taken Philly to a fifth. Didn’t watch much of this series, but tonight’s match-up looks like a must see game; if you go by the names. My gut tells me Carpenter will choke.
Milwaukee should take the snakes, but AZ is showing some of the stuff that got them to this series and the Brew Crew seems to run hot and cold. bullpen decides it?
Gadds that bat looks small in Fielder’s hands.
Pretty pathetic, Satuday night and I am watching that fan in the yellow top baseball on my computer.
It’s Saturday? Check my pills.
Now, if it was from paulinasia…
it would be Saturday morning and the sun would be up. Being we have an office in Ho Chi Minh I know that one. Actually I keep 3 clocks on my desktop to guesstimate what time it is where you are. (Peking, here and Houston)
What day it is where I am? priceless
Well, it is after midnight and it is dark outside . .
guess I’ve had enough Bourbon
or was it watching those yellow orbs that took me across the date line?
C. Young robs the Brewers with that spectacular catch, and the next batter bloop’s one in for the lead.
Baseball is a sick and cruel game.
Magnus,
Of course you’re right. Every good narrative needs a villain. And the Yanks are it. But they’re not alone. I’ve come to see the Bosox as the Yanks 2.0. For reasons not worth explaining, I’m a nominal Celtics fan, was really into them in the 70s. A team others would love to hate. But my animus [may I use that word here?] against the Yankees goes back to childhookd sibling rivalries, for one thing, simple jealousy, and that 1-0 muthfeckin last game of 1962.
Listen, I’m in Yankees territory. I know tons of their fans. And I shed NO tears, except tears of glee, because Yankees fans are arrogant and merciless when YOUR team loses. In fact, even if your team (OUR team, the Giants) wins, they disregard it and say, “But we have 27.” So, feck their feckin fans. Boo-hoo. You lost. Buck up. If I lived 10 more lifetimes and the Yankees lost every game, I would not feel sorry for them or their fans.
But, yeah, having a target of such vitriol is good for the sport. I guess.
As for “cheating,” the Pirates are “cheating” their fans for being so cheap.
I think that Pittsburgh thing is called work; as in management is working the system.
makes eddy sad
You know why I hope John Axford blows this save? Because he needs a goddamn haircut. That’s why.
Why wasn’t Gibby bunting there after the safety squeeze? First and second, NO Whitey outs in a tie game in the T9? You get that GW run over to third w/ one out. I just don’t get it…
As soon as Fielder did his dance with Axford both managers were extremenessly busy re-writing their strategies, bullpen and double switches. It is Gibson, after all.
You may not be able to buy championships, but you can sure stack the odds. When small-market teams can’t afford to hold on to their home-grown talent, they have little hope of winning it all.
Got to love AZ, though. Fighting all the way to the end. Yeah, got to move that runner to 3rd with no outs.
hernandez six in a row, not bad. 9 in a row for the AZ pen
Cincinnati had a little run. Same with Houston. But those teams, like the A’s, KC, and Seattle are not going to smell a championship ever with the overt disparity in revenue and spending. It has to suck being fans of those teams and realize there’s little hope of winning a WS.
I have not liked the Brewers when we’ve played them, but they’re growing on me. Plus, their fans look like Syracuse fans: overweight, rural, flannel, industrious, ardent. And there’s always Bob Uecker. Speaking of announcers, who are these guys? (Can’t say the Milwaukee stadium looks appealing.)
Is Craig Counsel 53 years old? I thought he was a veteran with the Marlins in 1997.
Shit, I;m the opposite. I’d love to see the upstart Snakes keep rolling.
No one expected anything from them.
Sounds kinda familiar.
One factor is I’m still smarting from them beating us. I’m immature like that — and when I go to the mall.
Nyjer Morgan will win it right here.
The Snakes brought in J.J. Putz in a NON-save situation. Need I say more?
Why don’t you guys just fucking admit it: Denny is right on this one.
Fuck you for ever questioning me.
such a putz
Speasking of Putz, my son’s History teacher is Mike Pitz. He played in the D0odger org back a few years ago.
Boo. Fuck the Fat Prince of Eau Gallie . . .
33 for Halladay in the 1st. Only one stinking run though.
Gibby is going to win NL MOY in a landslide, if not unanimously, but he deserved to lose today.
Not bunting in the 9th and bringing in his closer in a NON-save situation.
He had this shit coming. The only thing he can do tonight to feel better is to call up The Eck, and tell him to fuck off.
So, I’m out.of the running.
Now I really want StL to win.
Nyjer just pulled a Timmy: two F bombs, if I heard right. And that is where the resemblance ends between those two.
Happy for those hearty, kielbasa-eatin’ Midwest folks.
I’m not a fan of La Russa’s, but I gotta tip my hat for what they did the other night. Did you see it? Utley was on 2nd (maybe first), ball hit to left side of infield, a dribbler. Fielder charges it AND THEN Pujols advaces off the bag a yard or too, forgets about the batter running to first — the sure out — and throws out Utley diving in to 3rd, the lead runner. It had to have been a set play. It has La Russa all over it. And I don’t recall ever seeing it before. And it worked, and made sense.
Darn it, I wish we’d traded for that dude..
for whom? c’mon, we all know your views on Nyjer. La Russa? Pujols?
Well, it would have been absurd to trade for him at the time, but no doubt the little wacko’s had a nice year..
Pretty sure I heard on Mike&Mike the other morning that best TV ratings in baseball are in St. Louis and the worst in Tampa. Just sayin’.
Isn’t Placido Polanco an opera singer?
damn, I am so glad the Brew Crew pulled this one out.
Great game all around and the Fielder on Face Fielding will be on the highlights Forever.
more whiskey and fresh horses for my men. Detroit and Texas, north versus south in the middle of the country. Industry v Aggies and no teams from the coasts either.
Dennis–I’m not arguing that they pitch worse or better. I’ve never seen any stats on it one way or the other but it does seem that they do pitch worse in a non-save situation. My argument against you was that you couldn’t ever use your closer in an extra inning game at home if we went by your logic. And since he’s probably the best pitcher in your bullpen, that doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, Flav. I understand the logic to use your closer at home in a tie situation. A manager is almost forced into that situation. Not saying I agree with it, but I understand it. But using your closer on the road, like Gibby just used Putz or using him w/ a 4+ run lead or from behind just spells doom.
The NL MOY DESERVED to lose today. I hope Gibby can sleep well tonight. I have pills for that.
Get thee to a bar!
St Louie has a geographically huge fan base that has television numbers written all over it.
Twin– I added a photo to your Jobs’ thread. Sorry, I didn’t know where else to put it. Move it around or delete it if you want.
It’s great, no prob.
You guys are getting along?
Yes, but we don’t deserve to..
I’ve never agreed with closer in a tie game on the road- remember the Fuentes/Geren flap? Might have been part of what got Geren canned…
What you’re really saying is that, “Denny is right.” But you can’t bring yourself to say, “Denny is right.”
That’s OK, I understand. We all have our issues. It helps to talk…
I’ve always said tha you don’t use your closer in a tie game on the road- long before you ever did. STFU.
Good to see Plush win it for the crazy folk.
Smoltz gave the Giants some praise, noting how we shut down Philly last year in the NLCS.
Lordy! What a CS! That could be the game.
Dennis, since I found out you were Catholic and predicted it based off that *deserved to lose* shit I really don’t pay much attention to it. I now know where that comes from……..
So what would have been your plan instead of bringing in Putz? Seriously, I want to know what your managerial move would have been in the 10th with the season on the line………
Flav, I’m not even gonna bother to look up who the Snakes had left in the pen. Whose day was from the SPs to throw a pen session, Josh Collmenter? I woulda used him for an inning before I used Putz.
Flav, you didn’t need to “predict” that I was Catholic from my “deserved to lose comments.” I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion that I went to Salesian with better the Torretta quarterback. The one that didn’t win the Heisman Trophy.
I get reminded every time I walk three blocks down the street to the Antler’s Tavern that Gino Torretta won the Heisman. It’s plastered on the goddamn wall. His family owns the bar. So there’s that excuse. But that still doesn’t change the fact that his bother, Geoff, was a better QB and Gino stinks on ice.
It’s too late now, but the Antler’s has $10 Prime Rib on Fridays. You can’t beat it with a stick.
But sitting here talking about the closer and the NON-save situation has cost me a dinner.
I hope you’re happy now. 😀
Sorry, but I don’t pay attention to those details. I had no idea you were Catholic. I have just always found your posts obviously negative and self-deprecating, but in a *projection* sort of way since you *project* it on all the players/teams/games that you watch that you hate. All that “deserve* shit, it’s very Catholic. Hey, I think religion is a bunch of jibber jabber, I’m sorry that you or anyone else had their lives influenced by all that……….
Aqe quod agis. Et cum spiritu tuo.
Ego pastor, ego non volo
Pawlie, my Latin is really rusty. After combing through my old text books, I think I meant to say…
Dominus Pastor meus, non egestas.
Regardless, God Bless and safe travels.
That might have been the best throw from a catcher I’ve ever seen. Utley was almost at the bag when Molina shot his ass down. Great hose job.
I agree; and it bugs me that TBS waited so darn long to show the close-up replay of the tag. I’m used to Comcast showing that close-up replay pronto. TBS waited until Pence’s AB was over, and then AFTER the commercial, and then AFTER the first batter for the Cardinals. That’s lame.
The thing the viewers immediately want to know after the play is: was he REALLY out?
and the catcho and the tago by Punto were perfecto
Not sure why — I guess because my daughter lives and works there — but I’m rooting for the Phils. But it’s the Cards who are loose, playing like winners. It looks as if the whole Broad Street Crew is gonna pull a Ryan Howard v. Brian Wilson. Can’t get that big hit. We shall see.
Howard returns to Chinatown… will the bat move from his shoulder this year?
Punto is one of those runts who does everything right. Kruk would say he’s manager material
WoooHooo!
Down go the Phillies!
Booing him when he’s down
Phillies lose!!!!
What was the name of that Philly blog? It’d be a hoot to go hear those guys bitch and moan now. They cried like little girls after we beat ’em last year.
as I said a few days ago, totally bummed I quick-picked my way to a Phillies/Tigers WS with the~~~~~Tigers winning. The Brewers are the team coming out of the NL. If you go back and watch the Phillies Sept, they turned it on a bit in that last series but their offense was dormant for weeks. Amazing that they had this perceived dominant offense, but it wasn’t real and they went out and got Pence and they end their season in a 1-0 game. Well, fuck them. I love hating on Philly fans (see: last Sunday).
But I’m out of the contest! BUzzkill!
Cheese Whiz and shitty steak sandwiches for everyone.
Yup, the Giants didn’t do enough to keep up with the Phillies, Yanks and Bosox this year.
Did any of you guys have the Cards > Philly? You’re a better man than Chuck is.
As Foghorn Leghorn would say, “that’s a joke son.”
Foghorn is one of my faves, son, I say, boy, I say…
I did.
It figures. FUCK YOU BOZO!
DMD – I’ve talked for months (?) on hating the Phillies, why in the hell would I pick em? But, a fuck you Bozo, that always makes me smile. As well as a loss by the blubbering, whining, crying, everyone is lucky, Phils.
great point Bozo. Where are the Phillies, Yanks, Red Sox? They either didn’t make the playoffs or didn’t make it to the NL or ALCS. Nobody buys shit in baseball, boys. You get there, hope you’re hot with some luck running your way and you win that trophy and shake your head like the rest of us……….
no more knowing nods? we’re into shakes now?
Shakes the Clown was one of the greatest movies ever made.
Sheesh. Two years in a row for Ryan Howard. This year he gets the bat on the ball — but makes an out and gets hurt. I’m not kidding, I like Ryan Howard, a lot. But can’t say he’s a money player, can you.
Another lucky team thwarts the Phils. Although their characters are high, not funny.
they are hot now, not lucky. And it happens every year. It happened to us last year. The Cards pitching sucks, especially their bullpen.
But Carpenter is crafting one of the great resurrections of all time. Go look at what he did in September. This is his *last call*, since I think another piece of his shoulder is about to fall off any day now…….
Still, great theater. It’s hard to not root for the Cards right now if Carpenter keeps going *masterpiece*……
So Carpenter nails em with a 3-hit shutout. Amazing. Who wouldda ever suspected that the NL Champs this year would be from the Central Division? No coast to coast coverage of the W.S. this year. Wonderful to see both NY and Philly eliminated in the opening round. Too much arrogance. I’d prefer to see Detroit over Texas as the deRangers were there last year and also the Bu$h connexion. St. Louis has been a winner so often that my preference would be the BrewHaHas.