September 30, 2005

Baseball Apocalypse II Pretty exciting weekend coming up, yes?

This is the last weekend of regular season baseball this year, and there are still four races yet to be decided: The NL wildcard, the AL wildcard, the AL central and the AL east. The American League has the more exciting story line right now. The New York Yankees are in first place, by one game, over their arch-rival Boston Red Sox. Their final three games are against the Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston (where Boston has the best home winning percentage in baseball). Both of these teams are very strong and very flawed and it is easy to imagine either one running away with three games. It seems more likely that these three games will be excruciatingly hard won and hard lost, and that heroes and goats will be cemented. Ah, baseball. I've enjoyed re-reading last years baseball threads, you might too.

  • Also, the wild card situation is just insane, insane!! Here is what the weekend holds: CHI 3 CLE 0 - BOS 3 NYY 0: BOS wins division, NYY wins WC (no playoff), CLE out CHI 3 CLE 0 - BOS 2 NYY 1: NYY wins division, BOS wins WC (no playoff), CLE out CHI 3 CLE 0 - BOS 1 NYY 2: NYY wins division, BOS wins WC (no playoff), CLE out CHI 3 CLE 0 - BOS 0 NYY 3: NYY wins division, BOS plays CLE in playoff game for WC CHI 2 CLE 1 - BOS 3 NYY 0: BOS wins division, NYY plays CLE in playoff game for WC CHI 2 CLE 1 - BOS 2 NYY 1: NYY wins division, BOS wins WC, CLE out CHI 2 CLE 1 - BOS 1 NYY 2: NYY wins division, BOS plays CLE in playoff game for WC CHI 2 CLE 1 - BOS 0 NYY 3: NYY wins division, CLE wins WC, BOS out CHI 1 CLE 2 - BOS 3 NYY 0: BOS wins division, CLE wins WC, NYY out CHI 1 CLE 2 - BOS 2 NYY 1: BOS plays NYY for division, then loser plays CLE for WC CHI 1 CLE 2 - BOS 1 NYY 2: NYY wins division, CLE wins WC, BOS out CHI 1 CLE 2 - BOS 0 NYY 3: NYY wins division, CLE wins WC, BOS out CHI 0 CLE 3 - BOS 3 NYY 0: BOS wins division, CLE wins WC, NYY out CHI 0 CLE 3 - BOS 2 NYY 1: CLE wins WC, BOS plays NYY in playoff game for division CHI 0 CLE 3 - BOS 1 NYY 2: NYY wins division, CLE wins WC, BOS out CHI 0 CLE 3 - BOS 0 NYY 3: NYY wins division, CLE wins WC, BOS out
  • This has been a quicker and sloppier effort than I would've liked. I'm late for work. I stole the playoff breakdown possibilities chart from The Sons of Sam Horn. I am a Red Sox fan, and if you are not please allow me to hereby apologise for the ongoing media saturation that Red Sox fans enjoy.
  • I'm hoping rematch. Go Cards. Well, more accurately, I would be hoping rematch if it weren't for the Cards' stunning ability to choke in the postseason, no matter what their momentum.
  • I'd love to see the Cards get back to it. They were great last year and just happened to come up against a good team that was hot as hell. In a comical, unrealistic way I'd like Padres to get swept this weekend so they end up under .500(!) and THEN make it all the way. Baseball is all about anomalies, and that would be a pip.
  • My beloved Padres have been under .500 all season, why stop now? But sooner or later, they're going to run up against a real team and get stomped. So it goes. They suck, it's undeniable, but they suck less than the rest of the massive suckage that is the NL West. This sure isn't 1998, but you know what? I'll take it!
  • no love for the Astros? one last stab at glory for the wounded Bagwell?
  • I'll give some love to the 'Stros. With Pettitte, Oswalt and Clemens as their front three they could make some real noise in the playoffs. and they are, what, 2 up with 3 to play? Not too shabby. Hopefully they make it through the first round and get to go rematch with the Cards. That'd be sweet. I'd be torn who to get behind, but I think as a recently sworn in Texan I'd have to go with the spacemen.
  • I'll have to see how things play out for the first couple of games. Ever since my beloved Expos left me for another, I've been adrift. I suspect that I'll root for the underdoggiest, whoever THAT turns out to be. But when the world falls apart, some things stay in place. My sheer loathing of the Yanks and/or Bosox isn't likely to abate any time soon. Same with expat Yanks and/or Bosox. So Old Man Clemens is out. Last year, I didn't root for the Bosox -- I rooted for Pedro Martinez. Him alone. Cards, Padres -- I could get behind them, I think.
  • Go Mets! HA! Oh man. I'm funny.
  • Go Royals! kidding, no one likes the Royals
  • Meh. The Rangers have been around 12 games back since the All-Star break, the rats. Last year, with the same guys, they contend until the last day of the season. This year they stink up the joint. Such is baseball, I guess. I like the Royals just because Buddy Bell is managing them, and he's my favorite baseball guy ever!!! /Rangers fan
  • You know what I like best about the Rangers? Texiera. That kid is SICK.
  • Go Mariners!!! Errrr in '06
  • Texiera has been a bright little ray of sunshine this year. He's shaping up to be a pretty good team leader, too. (I just hope he sticks around long enough for us to be on a winning team)
  • Go Mariners!!! Errrr in '06 *smirk* In your dreams, grover96, in your dreams.
  • OK, exciting night. Boston beat New York, Cleveland lost. Boston and New York are tied for first in the east and/or the wildcard, with Cleveland one game behind. Houston lost, Philadelphia won. Astros are still in first for the National League wildcard, but Philly is now just one back with two to play.
  • I got Capt. Renault's Expos, neener neener neener. Captain, the ex-Expos and I are deliriously happy and they *never* mention you. What's that? Teams that are actually going to make the playoffs? Oh.