Open Thread: ALCS Game #5

by Al on Oct 18, 2007 8:24 AM CDT in Game Threads Comment 29 comments

This series could be over tonight unless Josh Beckett repeats his dominant game #1 performance.

And you know what? Manny Ramirez doesn't care:

"We're not going to give up," Ramirez said. "It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

I'm guessing that doesn't sit too well with Red Sox fans. But they'd also probably say that's just "Manny being Manny".

Also, you're not the only one who thinks all these offdays are idiotic.

I'll be on the road most of the day today so I thought I'd open up a discussion thread early this morning, even though the game isn't till tonight.

MLB.com Gameday for the Red Sox/Indians game (7:07 pm CT start)

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always next year...

Hey! The Cubs should totally sign Manny! He'd fit right in here in Chicago!

"They (Expos fans) discovered 'boo' is pronounced the same in French as it is in English." -Harry Caray

by IowaCubs- on Oct 18, 2007 8:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice.

by lemon20pie on Oct 18, 2007 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

has been a mess in my opinion. Like you said a few posts ago, the extra innings games went so late that we all fell asleep. The only thing that would have kept me up past midnight when having to work in the morning is if the Cubs were still in it. It also seems to be a consensus with all of the clubs, that the off-days are hard to recover from. I think De-Ro even said something about that.

by adam316 on Oct 18, 2007 8:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I dont get it

The NLCS yes, but every game Ive stayed up to see the ALCS has been great. What real baseball fans dont like long methodical games??

I also hate the Red Sox.

One of Us!One Of Us!

by HerrProf on Oct 18, 2007 9:17 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Go Indians!!

I'd like Geovany Soto to catch for me everyday. ;-)

by sue369 on Oct 18, 2007 9:53 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I second that! Go Tribe!

by dlansfor on Oct 18, 2007 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ramirez' comments

I think his use of the phrase "so who cares" is probably a bit unfortunate, but I think he's spot on in regards to what I think he was trying to say.

Whether the Red Sox win or not won't change the fact that there's a war going on in Iraq and people are starving in Africa. Those issues have real consequences. If the Red Sox lose, no biggie, it all gets reset next spring.

by NO100 on Oct 18, 2007 9:58 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Also

He was apparently being asked if the Red Sox were feeling the pressure of being behind in the series. He rarely talks to reporters, but he responded with bravado to show he was staying loose. Poor choice of words, but I'd rather have the guy who's comfortable at the plate than the guy who's pressing. Sure, the latter seems like he cares more, but I want production, not attitude.

Look at Lenny Dykstra (ref. Moneyball). He thought he could hit off anybody, and couldn't care less the situation. He was a good player, who became a good businessman, who now writes stock tips on the Internet. Lenny f-in Dykstra! Sometimes brains and heart just aren't worth as much as big cojones.

Geo! (clap-clap-clap) Soto! (clap-clap-clap)

by zambranofan on Oct 18, 2007 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

In Lenny's case, a needle in the butt might have

had something to do with his success as well. He was one of the suspected "juicers" whose name comes up alot. The guy was fearless though.

by billybuck on Oct 18, 2007 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

With all the things to mock Manny Ramirez for, this is a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10. It was a poor choice of words. I don't think Manny meant to say he didn't care if the Red Sox won or not.

Now if we want to go after Manny for posing after he hit that titanic home run that made it 7-3 Cleveland, I'm all game.

The artist formerly known as JoshinLA

by Josh77 on Oct 18, 2007 1:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah,

I thought Manny's posing was bad form especially when the Red Sox were down by 4 in the game and one in the series.

by NO100 on Oct 18, 2007 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

I had to turn off the game for a few minutes I was so irritated by that display. Shut up and run the bases you jacka--. You're still down four and getting closer to elimination. The guy's a tool.

Every spring minor league managers, high school coaches, little league parents... should read Ryne Sandberg's HOF speech to their players until it sinks in and displays like this are slowly eliminated from the game of baseball.

by HectorVillanueva on Oct 19, 2007 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tempest in a teapot

Here's the full article from where the quote came. Like most fakey contrived stupid sports controversies, this isn't that bad when you take it in context, and really isn't that bad out of context either.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/10/18/ramrez_says_hr_antics_just_his_styl e/

by Wreckard on Oct 18, 2007 1:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Torre out as Yankee manager

Couldn't get this on a diary because it was too short. Torre was offered a one-year deal to come back next year and he said no.

The Yankees are looking for a new manager.

The artist formerly known as JoshinLA

by Josh77 on Oct 18, 2007 3:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How about Steve Stone

........oh wait hes never been offered ANYTHING like that. He was on the air spewing that same repeated crap again today.

Hey.....Cubs win!!! Steve Stone is the most overrated scumbag in the business.

by Hammer on Oct 18, 2007 3:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

We get it already.

You don't like Steve Stone. It seems like about 90% of your posts have something to do with your hatred of Steve Stone. Do you have anything else to add to a discussion?

by sackings108 on Oct 18, 2007 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just think its funny

That you all get your panties in a bundle

Hey.....Cubs win!!! Steve Stone is the most overrated scumbag in the business.

by Hammer on Oct 18, 2007 4:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

We get our panties in a bundle

because you're a broken record, who contributes nothing useful to the conversation and doesn't know how to use the reply button correctly.

Nobody cares one way or the other about your point, it's the annoying trawling way you go about making it.

An actual hammer would be more interesting around here than you are.

by Wreckard on Oct 18, 2007 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lenny definitely changed his "training"

habits to produce a different body in a very short time. That, combined with his being a Met and his hotdog habit of waiting back on balls so it looked like many of the diving catches he made were actually necessary made me hate the guy.

I did give him shit once from the first row in right center after one of his fake circus catches and he actually heard me, pointed and smiled sheepishly as if to say, "Fine, you got me." I liked him a little more after copping to his hotdogging bullshit.

by TR on Oct 18, 2007 6:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Wahoo!!!!

Yes, I am rooting for my hometown Indians tonight, but that's not the reason for my "wahoo!". Nope, the real reason for my everlasting joy is that I just registered for the Cubs season ticket list. And I'm number...

69, 613 ! ! ! ! !

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 18, 2007 6:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Can your heirs inherit that number?

If so, your descendants will get season tickets about 500 years from now.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Oct 18, 2007 7:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool!

Can my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grand-kids sit next to your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grand-kids? ;-)

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 18, 2007 8:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Remember what the Cleaning Ladys sang

"Harry Carey's son's son's son's son's son's son's son's son will do the play by play .."

from

When The Cubs Win The World Series

a frightening postmodern prophecy after those in the Old Book

Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!

by cubnational on Oct 19, 2007 2:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now THAT'S definitely Manny being Manny!

Has to be one of the longest 'singles' in MLB history.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 18, 2007 8:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Just playing devil's advocate here

but the longest single in MLB history HAS to be when Richie Sexson hit the flagpole in center field about halfway up at Minute Maid. That ball was hit atleast 460 feet.

Anybody else remember that?

For your information, the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint.

by HoffPowahhh on Oct 19, 2007 3:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think a fan of any team

would like to hear one of their key players take things so lightly. I get what he was trying to convey and I can understand that from a non-Red Sox fan point of view, but I would be hot if I were a fan. It's kind of comparable to Z's comments about the booing. Things get said sometimes that just come out in a bad way.

And about the Torre deal, WTF? Why would they basically set up a deal that they knew he wouldn't take? They obviously wanted to get rid of him, but didn't have the balls to just fire him. Instead they take the weasely way and make him look like the bad guy backing out on his team. I hope someone else snatches him up and that he whips some Yankees ass next year.

Guess that's all I got for now. I have been going through withdrawls not posting on here every day. Just glad there was finally some news to feed the fire. Too bad it isn't looking like the Indiams are going to win this one.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of Opening Day '08

by love the ivy on Oct 18, 2007 10:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I really do not have a problem

with whatever the players 'say' off the field as long as they perform and produce on the field. I don't care if Rich Hill says that he is going to try his best the next day and that it is not the end of the world if the cubs don't win and then goes ahead and pitches a fundamentally sound ball game.

I find it disgusting when players like Rich Hill say that it is exciting that we are down 2 to nothing in a 5 game series and then go ahead and serve up a meat ball to Chris Young high in the Strike Zone.

Anyways it's the media which hypes up what ball players say. So as long as these players perform on the field who cares what they say?

by cubsnlinux on Oct 19, 2007 5:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't mind the break days...

...to travel between cities. I'd much rather they do it like that rather than play and travel to play the enxt day. But the days when they break in the same city is too much, it may negate the advantage that one team may have in terms of pitching depth and that shouldn't be sacrificed for TV ratings. But MLB already sacrifices home field advantage in the WS for TV ratings so I guess lining up play dates for ratings is consistent with their philosophy.

I have enjoyed the ALCS and would have enjoyed the NLCS if I could have watched it via aerial broadcast at home. MLB believes that the NL is an inferior bush league based on how they treat the broadcast rights. Why not just play the ALCS and then call the series with the NL something similar to the NFL Pro Bowl?

Finally, institute a form of instant replay like the NFL has but limit it to fair, foul, fan interference and HR ground rule calls in the outfield. The umpires cannot cover the ground to consistently make the correct calls, but it's the ideal call for instant replay to quickly decide. Making the wrong call on something so huge as a 2 r HR in a playoff game shouldn't come down to how fast the umpire can run and whether he can see where a white dot hits 100 yards away. At the very least they should have umpires in the OF gaps to try and improve upon these calls.

by DudeVf11 on Oct 19, 2007 9:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

And another thing...

...I have seen enough of Boston to know that I want the next Cubs owner to hire someone from Epstien's office or hire him. Hendry did a good job this year in terms of improving this team for the short-run, but it's time to hire someone who can build an organization from top-to-bottom that will deliver a championship.

by DudeVf11 on Oct 19, 2007 9:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs