The MLB 2010 Season Thread

[Moyank24]

Either that or no one will watch.

I say that only half joking I'm not sure if these two teams and their stories will be compelling or not. The ratings could remain seedy, or they could be way, way down. We'll know soon.

I have a feeling the ratings will be way, way down. The stories are compelling to the fans of the teams, and maybe to die-hard baseball fans, but other than that, I can't imagine most of the US caring about this match-up.

I can definitely see an east coast bias, especially living in Texas now after spending my first twenty-some odd years in New York. But, ESPN, and everyone else, goes where they think the ratings are.

 

[fcortese]

It's because they're force-fed a steady diet of Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies by ESPN: the Eastern Sports Promotion Network.

It's all about listener numbers. Many of the announcers on ESPN will admit that when they start talking baseball the numbers drop. If they talk baseball, they need to at least bring in the "big" listening markets-such as NY and Boston and LA. No listeners, no advertising money. No advertising money, no station. Football has taken over as the "national past time" and this does not seem to have the same attachments, or at least not as strongly, to the big market cities. There is interest in say the Alabama v Auburn game-both SEC teams-in the NE, West, etc.

 

[yg17]

I have a feeling the ratings will be way, way down. The stories are compelling to the fans of the teams, and maybe to die-hard baseball fans, but other than that, I can't imagine most of the US caring about this match-up.

And most of the US would care if it was Phillies vs. Wanks again?

I, for one, would not be watching the series if it was the same old teams again, but I'll be watching this World Series. 9 of the last 12 World Series have had either the Yankees, Phillies or Red Sox in it. I think baseball fans all across the country are glad to finally be seeing some new teams and new faces playing and they will watch it.

 

[aloofman]

Speaking as a lifelong Dodger fan and also a guy who likes seeing different teams in the World Series every year, I'm very conflicted on who I should root for in the NLCS.

I'm in the same boat with the World Series, but have no such conflicts. I cannot possibly root for the Giants to win. It's not possible.

This guy may be small and thin, but he produces game after game. When a good, yet fat pitcher is too injured by the time he is 35, little Tim will just be at the peak of his career. He's in great physical shape, much like the big unit was, and this will render Tim a few all time records for a career, regardless of what team he pitches for.

I think the only thing that's worrying is his weird mechanics. His motion looks like it will really wear on him. Then again, the Dodgers thought Pedro Martinez was too small to hold up as a starter too, so who the hell knows.

He was an Astro for 8 years a Ranger for 4.

Nine as an Astro, five as a Ranger. Most of his single-season records happened when he was with the Angels, and his only World Series team was with the Mets, but he has pretty much been associated with the Rangers since he retired.

You will be the only one Can wait to see the national ratings

It may be what Fox worries about, but every baseball fan outside the northeast is fine with it. Besides, it frees you up to complain about whatever local team is still playing.

 

[63dot]

I think the only thing that's worrying is his weird mechanics. His motion looks like it will really wear on him. Then again, the Dodgers thought Pedro Martinez was too small to hold up as a starter too, so who the hell knows.

I hope Lincecum has the strength to hold up for seven more games, then he can spend the offseason injured all he wants.

Actually, there are other pitchers who pitch like him, but Tim's the only one with those types of records (three seasons MLB NL S.O. leader in as much as three seasons playing), so it seems to work for him. Think of all the pitchers who go a whole career and never get close to that in strikeouts, or a Cy Young.

I think when people do get that rare hit off of Tim, they like to say he's overworked or tired. When other great pitchers don't pitch up to their regular high stats, then people seem to say they had a bad game. People seem to forgive the Big Unit or CC when they don't have a vintage shutout (or near shutout) game, but with Lincecum, people expect the "freak" or the "franchise" every time he goes out to pitch.

 

[fcortese]

It may be what Fox worries about, but every baseball fan outside the northeast is fine with it. Besides, it frees you up to complain about whatever local team is still playing.

Speaking of FoxSports, Fox's Joe Buck as an announcer just drives me nuts! Tim McCarver is informative and almost makes up for Buck's ramblings. I wish there was a selective mute button. He must have taken after his mother, for clearly he's not anything like his dad was.

 

[63dot]

Nine as an Astro, five as a Ranger. Most of his single-season records happened when he was with the Angels, and his only World Series team was with the Mets, but he has pretty much been associated with the Rangers since he retired.

Before the retirement of the Big Unit, nobody in baseball besides Ryan pitching came close to resembling a pitcher who was able to produce well after age 40, and was arguably at their best (physically and psychologically) in their last third of their career.

Being out on the left coast, I think of him as an Angel first and foremost even though he did great things with other teams, like being on the amazing Mets. On the same home town type of thinking, or maybe listening to Bay Area news, I will always think of Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson, and Mark McGwire as Oakland A's legends though they also did amazing things with other teams. When Mark broke 61, we here out in the Bay Area went nuts. The bars were screaming like it was another 49ers Super Bowl victory and nobody here saw or cared that Mark had a Cardinals uniform on.

Many of us suspected steroids, of course, but it was still one of those moments you never forget. Until he beat the old Maris record, I stressed over all the things that could go wrong and believed 61 regular season home runs was a sports record seen in a way the speed of sound in flight was once thought of...impossible.

There are certainly numbers that could never be achieved in baseball, such as pitching a perfect game first time on the mound as a rookie, or hitting five home runs in a playoff game, or hitting 300 regular season hits in a single season, or hitting 100 home runs in a season. If anything close to that happens, I will eat my hat.

 

[robo]

I just came up with a great halloween costume. It's me in a Ryan Howard jersey with a bat on my shoulder Do you think I'll get any treats?

Peace

 

[63dot]

I have black hair so I may grow a black beard. The only problem is I remember the Giants in the Chris Speier days, so my black hair is more gray-like so I may have more of a ZZ top beard vs. a true black beard.

Two Time Cy Young and Three Time NL S.O. leader Tim Lincecum, and post season high numbers getter, possible 2011 high money man Cliff Lee will do their best, but the series may also hinge on previously mediocre non-producers to hit key singles and get walks with tying runs and winning runs.

Batters from both sides who average a hit or no hits in four up at bats will hit two and even three in four at bats and things like that will turn the tide in close one or two point games. We all know both teams are way above average when it comes to pitchers and closers.

I can't remember a WS that has been so close and that has two traditional underdogs in the driver's seat, with greats like the Rays, Yankees, Braves, and Phillies on the outside looking in.

This whole thing is surreal and and will start in just a few short hours.

I am primarily, for the last three decades as a football (NFL) fan, so glued to this WS that I won't care about what happens with the pigskin until the WS winner emerges from this most unlikely of matchups.

Remember that Vegas Odds had SF and Texas at 25-1 early on at best, and for both to be in WS concurrently is completely unheard of. You are pretty much more likely to have SJ come over to your house to be your in-house Apple Inc. Genius for a week than for freaking SF and Texas to be in the big series.

 

[Silencio]

I have black hair so I may grow a black beard. The only problem is I remember the Giants in the Chris Speier days, so my black hair is more gray-like so I may have more of a ZZ top beard vs. a true black beard.

You mean the early 70's Giants, where Speier started his career, or the late 80's Giants, where Speier ended it?

I was too young to have watched Early 70's Speier, but I grew up watching him play for the Expos and was always a big fan of his. It was great he was able to come back to San Francisco to contribute to two division winners and a pennant winner.

Game time in less than five hours! I'm getting nervous / excited! Hope the Giants can scratch out just enough offense against Lee, like they did against Lowe, Halladay, and Hamels before.

 

[63dot]

You mean the early 70's Giants, where Speier started his career, or the late 80's Giants, where Speier ended it?

I was too young to have watched Early 70's Speier, but I grew up watching him play for the Expos and was always a big fan of his. It was great he was able to come back to San Francisco to contribute to two division winners and a pennant winner.

Game time in less than five hours! I'm getting nervous / excited! Hope the Giants can scratch out just enough offense against Lee, like they did against Lowe, Halladay, and Hamels before.

4 to 2 in bottom of the 5th so they are doing OK. I hope they hold the lead.

 

[quagmire]

All these supposed great pitching duels are just collapsing.....

 

[63dot]

All these supposed great pitching duels are just collapsing.....

nerves

 

[quagmire]

nerves

If it is nerves, it should be the freak that should be nervous considering this is his first WS while Lee has some experience already.

 

[Sayhey]

It was ugly, but a win is win. Three more to go and I can start breathing again. I've got to like the Giant's chances tomorrow with Cain pitching. The best pitching depth I've seen on a Giants team since I started watching in 1962. Love this team.

Good to see you still posting on this site, aloofman!

 

[aloofman]

Good to see you still posting on this site, aloofman!

Of course you show up again when the Giants are riding high!

The Giants will live and die in the series based on whether they hit. They definitely did last night, which was fortunate since Lincecum wasn't that sharp. Unfortunately for them, momentum is pretty much irrelevant in baseball, so it's not like they can expect it to carry over to tonight.

On the bright side, it is nice to see a west coast team in the Series again!

 

[mscriv]

Yep, the Giants bats definitely showed up last night. But hey, the Rangers hit well too. It looks like this is going to be a good series.

 

[-aggie-]

With my luck with Texas teams this year, the Rangers will lose the series. Here's hoping my luck changes.

 

[rhett7660]

Wow.... The Giants are looking pretty tough. I have yet to seen anything from the Rangers.

 

[Moyank24]

Wow.... The Giants are looking pretty tough. I have yet to seen anything from the Rangers.

No joke! And they were supposed to be the light hitting team.

 

[Sayhey]

Of course you show up again when the Giants are riding high!

The Giants will live and die in the series based on whether they hit. They definitely did last night, which was fortunate since Lincecum wasn't that sharp. Unfortunately for them, momentum is pretty much irrelevant in baseball, so it's not like they can expect it to carry over to tonight.

On the bright side, it is nice to see a west coast team in the Series again!

A west coast team you're rooting against, right?

The Giants will live and die with their pitching. True, Lincecum wasn't as sharp as he normally is, but he did enough to win. Cain dazzled tonight. Sanchez can be even more dominant than the first two, if he is on his "A" game. He still has troubles controlling his temper, nerves, or whatever you want to call it - as the last start against Philly showed - but he also makes major league hitters look downright silly at times. He just has filthy stuff. I'm obviously hoping he is alright on Saturday in Texas. Bumgarner is the reverse. Nerves of steel. Very good pitcher, but the thing that jumps out at you is how fearless he is at such a young age. Right now, I'm on cloud nine, and loving every torturous pitch. Just wanted to share those thoughts with some old friends.

Say, I saw the Dodgers signed Lilly, right? Their rotation should be pretty damn good next year. The NL West is going to be a pitcher's division going into the future. Good to see.

 

[63dot]

It was ugly, but a win is win. Three more to go and I can start breathing again. I've got to like the Giant's chances tomorrow with Cain pitching. The best pitching depth I've seen on a Giants team since I started watching in 1962. Love this team.

Good to see you still posting on this site, aloofman!

Game 2 was also ugly. We failed to make double digits on the scoreboard. I think the Giants are certainly slipping.

 

[63dot]

Game 3 was stressful for both sides. I saw Texas falling apart late and I thought the Giants may cash in and I was hoping for a rally, but in the end, it was a solo homer and nothing more. 4-2.

That Feliz dude from Texas really saved the day and gave Texas some hope. Now this is a series. I have to give Texas credit for holding up under what may have been the most pressure they have ever seen in their 50 years.

Anyway, congrats to them for their first WS win in franchise history. It's just weird to be seeing a team with so much past heartache and failure actually write their own history with every pitch and at bat in their first World Series.

The Rangers, win or lose this series, at least can boast:

1) they won an ALCS, finally
2) they played in the WS, finally
3) they won their WS debut game at their stadium

Watching this game was like watching a game 7. Those Rangers fans were so behind their team and I could feel the whole stadium holding their breath in the late innings. With 20 points scored by the Giants in their first two games, Texas never had a safe feeling tonight.

 

[Silencio]

What a fantastic game from 21 year old rookie Madison Bumgarner last night. Eight shutout innings, the Rangers never looked like scoring. Wish he could've gotten the complete game and been the first rookie to do so in the WS since, IIRC, Jim Palmer.

He and Buster Posey made the first all-rookie World Series starting battery since 1947. Who says the Giants are grizzled retreads? None of the previous contending Giants teams I've seen in 30+ years have relied on rookies in such critical roles. They are special young players.

 

[iJohnHenry]

None of the previous contending Giants teams I've seen in 30+ years have relied on rookies in such critical roles. They are special young players.

Careful, you edging closer to chest-beating, like a New Yorker.

Be gracious, oh, and I called the Giants in 5, but only in my head.