@BLUEJAYWAY said:
Why aren't the CUB fans who catch a HR ball not throwing the ball back onto the field? That is their custom.
True Cub fans can't afford to attend these games..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
@Barndog said:
I figure if Cleveland wins the WS, Terry Francona is a lock for the HOF as a manager who ended two SIGNIFICANT WS droughts
Word
Mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@DIMEMAN said:
Stick a fork in them! They are done! They have zero chance of beating the Indians 3 in a row.......ZERO!
I got caught up in all the hype. The Cubs will never win a WS........NEVER! They are the CUBS.
Turn out the lights........the party's over! I feel sorry for Cub fans.
Good thing you weren't a Red Sox fan back in '04. Sheesh.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
When the Cubs won game 2 in Cleveland the cameras were all over the stadium showing Cubs fans. After tonights game 4 I can't recall them showing any Indians fans. The Cubs fans are wearing all kinds of colors. I would think that the stadium would be blue.
@DIMEMAN said:
Stick a fork in them! They are done! They have zero chance of beating the Indians 3 in a row.......ZERO!
I got caught up in all the hype. The Cubs will never win a WS........NEVER! They are the CUBS.
Turn out the lights........the party's over! I feel sorry for Cub fans.
Good thing you weren't a Red Sox fan back in '04. Sheesh.
back in 2004, I remember talking with other fans (family: brothers and step father) after game 3. The Sox had the pitching lined up to get to a game 7: Derek Lowe, then Pedro Martinez, then Curt Schilling. Then one or a combination of those guys would go in a game 7. And that's how it played out.
I'm not saying the Cubs will do it, but they are lined up pitching-wise, to successfully get to a game 7: Lester in game five and then Arrieta in game 6. If you had to choose two SP to pitch in back to back must win games in October, those are two guys who you would be happy to have. Then game seven, anything can happen.
I'm enjoying this WS, since I don't care who wins and I like seeing the moves the managers make (and don't make) have a real impact on the outcomes.
Was hoping the Tribe would win it back in Cleveland, but it looks like they could wrap it up tonite if Bauer's on his game. I honestly didn't think it would have worked out as well as it did pitching Kluber on short rest, but Tito's wisdom was proven right. Too bad for Bryant on those throws...can't do that with Lackey on the mound.
Cleveland has been a pleasure to watch this post-season. Like Mark I saw a lot of this as they feasted on the Royals this year. One of the keys to their year was beating up the Tigers and Royals in their own division.
The last few years have shown that the WS champion is not always about who has the best regular season team. It has a lot to do with whose bats are hot, who avoids mistakes in the field and on the bases and who has the one or two pitchers who are so dominant they can exert their will on a series.
Francona has been magnificent as well.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
I'm not giving up my team. I'm disappointed obviously that the offense has been pretty much terrible this series. The Cubs have driven in runs 4% of the time with less than 2 outs with men in scoring position. Last night the Cubs swung at pitches outside of the strike zone 50% of the time. Bryant,Russell and Baez have been pretty much awful.
The Indians are doing what they did to the Sox and Jays to the Cubs. Taking their bats out of the game. I do give alot of credit to Cleveland. They are rolling and will be tough to beat. The Andrew Miller trade and the way Tito has managed have been brilliant. I'm not though going to give up hope and I still believe the Cubs can do this. One game at a time. The Cubs hitters will have to be patient at the plate, disciplined and stop swinging for the fences.
well, I was "off the grid" for a few days. one of my closest friends is moving to Texas so three of us got together and rented a Cabin for a few days. much to my surprise, when we arrived it came complete with a TV and cable so I was able to watch both games. with that in mind I will share my thoughts........................
first, I feel I must apologize to grote15, you are indeed correct that there is a "drop-off" on the Cleveland staff after Cory Kluber. the thing is, that ain't because the rest of the starters suck it's because Kluber is one of the top starters, bar none, in MLB. at this stage of the season it really isn't even close. I must say, though, that after the game on Friday the fall to Tomlin wasn't very far. I will add that the way Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar had been pitching that the Cubs would have been over-matched even more had those two been healthy. it is as I have maintained the entire play-offs, during Boston, during Toronto and now with Chicago --- the nasty sliders and the 12-6 curve balls that the Cleveland staff offer are a bit too much. the credit needs to go not just to the pitchers throwing the ball, but to Terry Francona, Mickey Calloway and Roberto Perez. the combination has formed a good approach and solved the Cubs very well.
some of our esteemed members need to dispel with the notion that the Cubs are cold, give some credit where it is due.
now, as to the next three games scheduled, I suppose that Chicago may indeed figure out a way to win them and win the WS in seven, I just don't think the odds of that happening are very high. if we look to game five this evening it will be a three part game...................the first inning, the first five innings and the last four innings. if Cleveland scores early and Bauer can make it past the first six batters with no damage things look bad for the Cubs. if the game makes it to the fifth inning and Cleveland is ahead things look bad for the Cubs. if Cleveland has Cody Allen coming out in the ninth inning things look bad for the Cubs.
I want to be clear about this next comment --- Francona has out managed Madden the entire series. for whatever reason, when Francona makes a move it tends to work out in a positive way fro Cleveland, Madden not so much. tonight will be the true test of that. to my way of thinking, the game almost looks like Sparky Anderson vs. Earl Weaver albeit with the roles reversed. the AL manager is making NL moves and they are working, the NL manager keeps waiting for thunder to strike and it never does.
the Indians, in a nutshell, look like they came to play and the Cubs look so tight that if they fart it'll sound like they're butts are Whistlin' Dixie!!! at this point they will be pressing and I expect Francona to take advantage of that, but we shall see.
as I said earlier, it is a shame for the long suffering fans of both Teams that one side has to lose. I will watch tonight and any other close-out games with my 89 year old father. he was at the 1948 and 1854 World Series' and to see one with him will be special. I may be wrong, but I think that will be tonight. I believe that Bauer will step up and be the pitcher that Cleveland fans know he can be. not a Cory Kluber, but that much of a "drop-off" and enough to match Lester.
tonight should be a CLASSIC in the true sense of the word. but I have been wrong before..................................
I rode Kluber to a fantasy baseball championship this season, so I am not surprised at how dominant he has been thus far. He has been lights out for the two of the three wins and in my mind is clearly the MVP should Cleveland win, no matter what else happens.
I would also agree that Francona, should Cleveland prevail, as expected, ascends to the pantheon of all time great managers and is a viable contender for the HOF, too. But you can bet he's using his 2004 ALCS experience to remind his club it's not over yet.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I too would be suprised if this didn't go seven. Suprised not shocked
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@galaxy27 said:
Tap the brakes, D-man. This is not over by any stretch. Chicago has the SP advantage in 5 & 6, and anything can happen once it gets to 7.
Perhaps we should ask every Cav and Warrior what their thoughts are...
I did not mean to imply that it will end tonight. They (Cubs) may one or two more games, but I doubt it. I'm saying it's over in that they will not beat Cleveland 3 straight games.
I predict by Wednesday night DM will be trying to hop back on that Cub bandwagon..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I'm feeling awake, exhilarated and exhausted. Wrigleyville Friday WAS insane. And yes there are passionate Cubs who CAN afford a WS game and all the trimmings. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime baseball fan experience I'll never forget nor will my son. We got home yesterday afternoon after several small delays on the flight home from Chicago, still in time to see the first pitch at home. I'm not disappointed. They're "still alive", to quote the 7th inning stretch singer Pearl Jam dude. I'll jump back in here later with some more details from last Friday, the day my son called the 2nd best day of his life (he recently got married, go figure).
very close game last night, I thought Lester and Bauer were really tight with each only making two mistakes. Lester's were the HR to Ramirez and the double to Santana which he worked around nicely. Bauer's mistakes were the HR to Bryant and the next pitch to Rizzo for a double. unfortunately, he didn't work out of that but what happened subsequently wasn't the result of "mistake" pitches. Cleveland had chances, they just came up short.
Passionate Cubs FANS, I meant to say.....Combined with drunken behavior and a whirlwind of merchandising, a verbal pictorial of October 28th, Game 3 @ Wrigley Field.
We began by taking the train from our hotel in Rosemont into downtown Chicago for some walking and sightseeing. The marketing blitz was evident wherever you looked. The vibe in town was amazing. We strolled Michigan Ave., Lakeshore Dr., and found ourselves on Rush St. sipping cappuccinos in the park before heading to Lou Malnati's for deep dish pizza. Then we jumped on the Red Line and headed north. The intense moment of surreal swirled to the surface as we exited the station onto Addison and saw what was evolving before our very eyes. At this point virtually everything is just a blur. We're walking around, taking it all in, realizing that there's NO WAY IN HELL we're going to find anyplace to buy a beer. Didn't matter anyways. The things we saw blew our minds. My son was like a kid in Fantasyland. At age 26. I think we'd just about covered the area around the stadium once and we needed a breather because it was very claustrophobic everywhere. Suddenly, we're next to the Cubs main office and my son blurts out "Hey, it's Theo Epstein!" He's standing there posing for photos with a small group of people and we're almost face-to-face with the guy. He thanked the group and apologized but "Sorry, I gotta go" and he hurried across the street and jumped into a vehicle which I assume was going to get him safely through the throngs of fans. We walked back up Clark St. to the sports store, which, like all the others was packed with hot, sweaty, joyous people. I politely asked a door security guy if he could tell me where to find a restroom. LOL! Yeah, right? My man told me to head over to the Taco Bell parking lot which was Ground Zero for the TV vans and that there were 4 Porta-Potties over there. Life saver, bro. My first hero of the evening sent me to a short wait where I enjoyed a discussion with the guy standing in front of me about the "best kept secret" getting out in the open. I promised not to tell. I think they opened the gates around 2 1/2 hours before game time and we went in soon afterwards. The moment walking into the park was not so brief as I fumbled around fishing for belongings in my pockets while going through security.
It was warm and the wind was blowing out. The expectations were flowing in. Once inside we automatically gravitated to the retail shops looking for stuff and of course they were packed full as well. We went in anyways and at times I felt like I might faint. Seriously. And I had gas. We fought our way up a flight of stairs to the Team Store and found some things to buy. Then, it was time to go find Section 213, Row 6, Seats 3 & 4, Cubs dugout side parallel with 3rd base. When we arrived and sat down, we just stared. At everything. The activity around us, on the field - incredible how much "stuff" was in front of both dugouts. You couldn't really even see them unless players were filtering out between the microphones, cameras and humans. We looked at the scoreboards and watched the park fill up. All the buildup to this amazing event itself, and it was kind of like the Super Bowl where all the activity surrounding the game makes it secondary. But when they unfurled that enormous American flag it gave me chills up and down. It was actually happening. We recorded some memories on our phones leading up to the game. I felt almost paralyzed. I drank Bud Lite for dinner and couldn't muster up an appetite. The lunch I ate didn't settle as well as I'd hoped so I sacrificed the food experience at the ballpark. Dang it. The bathroom line was long, but moved well and included employees booting out the cheaters and sending them to the back of line. I made it through and only missed the end of a Roberto Perez at-bat in which he made out to end the inning.
So they played a game, a beautiful duel with no scoring and great defense and missed opportunities and Francona/Maddon strategies, until......UNTIL! Some Southern California local guy named Coco dip an ice cream cone into right field and became that nights third hero, though unwanted, while our second hero was the gentleman who served us our beer at approximately 10 bucks a cup, which we could overhear the Cub fan lifers muttering about after a season of fine entertainment amidst a sea of price inflation. Bill Murray provided the 7th inning stretch entertainment while channeling Daffy Duck, appropriately enough as the late innings teased us with hope and ultimately, failure. One to nothing. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? We came all the way from wherever for THIS??!?!?!?!
No, really, how could I be disappointed? It was the time of my life, too. We sat with some wonderful people, had great conversations, they helped me hold up my banner, we stood, we hollared, hugged, high-fived and posed for pics. I was informed that the funds I paid for our seats would help the family which owned them to pay for some college tuition expenses on behalf of their child. Fair enough. I couldn't be any more pleased than to hear that. I hope we see those folks someday when we return. During the game, we also saw Tom Ricketts, the team owner, walking the concourse below where we were sitting and I gave him a shoutout, too. The scoreboards lit up, the music was pumping, the celebs were out in force and the night was crazy. When the game ended, we just sat there for at least half an hour, not wanting to leave. Then, back to the store again to buy something more. I let my son take care of that while I waited in the cooling night air. The security crew was pleading with everyone to exit the stadium, and as we walked through they were shutting the giant green heavy metal doors. Goodnight Wrigley Field, and thank you.
We walked through the madness towards the train station and there must have been a million people waiting to get in. We asked a cop for directions to the closest option and he guided us to the Belmont station where we were able to board a rather somber sardine can to arrive at our hotel stop well after 1am Saturday, October 29th. But, we'll get 'em tomorrow, and yes, eventually we will. As of this writing, there still is a tomorrow. The day after the game was fun for sightseeing while tripping back into town again, but we got a late start.
You outdid yourself, sir. I was captivated by every word. Even the insinuation that you farted a lot.
Sure, you went there hoping to see only 8.5 innings, but let's not lose sight of the big picture. When you're able to take part in an activity that millions upon millions of others -- both living and deceased -- would have offered up multiple limbs to do, the idyllic experience supersedes the actual outcome. Besides, your boys are not done yet. If they're going to go 100+ in between championships, they must do this properly and rise from 1-3, no? ; )
All the pressure is clearly on the Indians shoulders
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
And for what it's worth the Cubs are a decent favorite to win game 6. Game 7 will be a pick em if they get that far.
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@galaxy27 said:
You outdid yourself, sir. I was captivated by every word. Even the insinuation that you farted a lot.
Sure, you went there hoping to see only 8.5 innings, but let's not lose sight of the big picture. When you're able to take part in an activity that millions upon millions of others -- both living and deceased -- would have offered up multiple limbs to do, the idyllic experience supersedes the actual outcome. Besides, your boys are not done yet. If they're going to go 100+ in between championships, they must do this properly and rise from 1-3, no? ; )
Thanks to you as well my friend. I hoped to capture the moment well and share it with fellow sports fanatics, as that is also a fun part of this experience. Some will already know and others will perhaps someday have their chance. I've kept my faith throughout and always tried to stay positive when hearing comments of discouragement from others. Cubs fans are notorious for a lot of things, as you well know. I hope those folks in Chicago become notorious for the most incredible celebration ever.
@sparky64 said: @travis t That, sir, was an amazing post(s) and am sincerely grateful.
What a vivid picture you painted.
Thanks for taking the time.
Yes it was pretty amazing.
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@keets said:
Mark, why do you think all the pressure is on the Indians??
Three shots to win the whole enchilada. One shot missed. No one wants to be remembered as a team that blew a 3-0 or 3-1 lead. At up 3-1 they were expected to win.
Mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Mark, it's clear to me now that you don't know the city, the Team or the manager. the Indians haven't been expected to do anything all season, they've been written off time and time again, seen by the media sort of as a fluke. it's been about the Cubs and their 103 Wins and 1908 drought all post-season. sure, Cleveland might lose the next two games and be leap-frogged by Chicago to become the Team with the longest non-WS victory streak, but that's more a creation of the media and a hand-wringing phantom of the fans, I don't see this Team as being very conscious of it.
a Team typically takes on the personality of the manager. Terry Francona doesn't get bogged down by the past or think about the future, that's the primary reason why the Team is where they are today. the players haven't concentrated on what they could be doing if so-and-so hadn't gotten hurt, where they'd be if this guy had agreed to be traded here, none of that. they have just played Baseball and played it quite well. if there is any "pressure" on the Team I would assume it's nothing past what is on all the players on both Teams --- nothing can be taken for granted, there's no guarantee that as individual players they will ever be in a WS again.
as a parting thought, do you really think any of the Golden State Warriors are currently thinking about what happened to them last season?? do you think they played those last two games worried about how posterity would view what happened?? I think they were just beaten by a better Team which is what will happen here if the Indians lose, not some media or fan-base creation.
if there is any pressure I would see it as being on the Umpires to call a clean game and the announcers to remain objective. MLB wants the drama and ratings of a Game 7.
It has zero to do with the manager, team or city. Cleveland is now expected to win. That's a different pysche then be the underdog or under appreciated. The weight is squarely on their shoulders. Let's se how they handle it.
Hopefully they have what it takes
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Cleveland had a 14 game win streak this year. They know how to be a snowball in an alley. I absolutely believe my team, the Cubs, will need to do something better than just whacking a ball over a fence. The pressure is on whomever can't handle it. Each team has seasoned quality veterans and excellent management and coaching for leadership. The tension and nail biting moments are awesome. Play ball. Go Cubs Go!
@DIMEMAN said:
Stick a fork in them! They are done! They have zero chance of beating the Indians 3 in a row.......ZERO!
I got caught up in all the hype. The Cubs will never win a WS........NEVER! They are the CUBS.
Turn out the lights........the party's over! I feel sorry for Cub fans.
LOL..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Well, game 6 is not a win yet. This is impressive. Last time a team came back from 1-3 to win WS was the 86 Royals and they had the last 2 games at home. Don't get me wrong I am for the Cubs, down 1-3 and the way the Indians were playing....I thought it was over......and it still could be.
Comments
True Cub fans can't afford to attend these games..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I figure if Cleveland wins the WS, Terry Francona is a lock for the HOF as a manager who ended two SIGNIFICANT WS droughts
Stick a fork in them! They are done! They have zero chance of beating the Indians 3 in a row.......ZERO!
I got caught up in all the hype. The Cubs will never win a WS........NEVER! They are the CUBS.
Turn out the lights........the party's over! I feel sorry for Cub fans.
Word
Mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Good thing you weren't a Red Sox fan back in '04. Sheesh.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Do you honestly think they have a chance?? Be honest.
Absolutely they have a chance.
Cubs are in a funk compared to regular season. Obviously.
Doesn't matter to me who wins. Just want to see a better game than tonight.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
That Lindor for Cleveland sure is seeing the ball.
Likeable cuss too.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
When the Cubs won game 2 in Cleveland the cameras were all over the stadium showing Cubs fans. After tonights game 4 I can't recall them showing any Indians fans. The Cubs fans are wearing all kinds of colors. I would think that the stadium would be blue.
Lafayette Grading Set
back in 2004, I remember talking with other fans (family: brothers and step father) after game 3. The Sox had the pitching lined up to get to a game 7: Derek Lowe, then Pedro Martinez, then Curt Schilling. Then one or a combination of those guys would go in a game 7. And that's how it played out.
I'm not saying the Cubs will do it, but they are lined up pitching-wise, to successfully get to a game 7: Lester in game five and then Arrieta in game 6. If you had to choose two SP to pitch in back to back must win games in October, those are two guys who you would be happy to have. Then game seven, anything can happen.
I'm enjoying this WS, since I don't care who wins and I like seeing the moves the managers make (and don't make) have a real impact on the outcomes.
The Cubs blew it in 1989 and that team was better than this one!
Cleveland in 5.
Was hoping the Tribe would win it back in Cleveland, but it looks like they could wrap it up tonite if Bauer's on his game. I honestly didn't think it would have worked out as well as it did pitching Kluber on short rest, but Tito's wisdom was proven right. Too bad for Bryant on those throws...can't do that with Lackey on the mound.
It ain't over until it's over.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
Cleveland has been a pleasure to watch this post-season. Like Mark I saw a lot of this as they feasted on the Royals this year. One of the keys to their year was beating up the Tigers and Royals in their own division.
The last few years have shown that the WS champion is not always about who has the best regular season team. It has a lot to do with whose bats are hot, who avoids mistakes in the field and on the bases and who has the one or two pitchers who are so dominant they can exert their will on a series.
Francona has been magnificent as well.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
It's getting late earlier.
I'm not giving up my team. I'm disappointed obviously that the offense has been pretty much terrible this series. The Cubs have driven in runs 4% of the time with less than 2 outs with men in scoring position. Last night the Cubs swung at pitches outside of the strike zone 50% of the time. Bryant,Russell and Baez have been pretty much awful.
The Indians are doing what they did to the Sox and Jays to the Cubs. Taking their bats out of the game. I do give alot of credit to Cleveland. They are rolling and will be tough to beat. The Andrew Miller trade and the way Tito has managed have been brilliant. I'm not though going to give up hope and I still believe the Cubs can do this. One game at a time. The Cubs hitters will have to be patient at the plate, disciplined and stop swinging for the fences.
well, I was "off the grid" for a few days. one of my closest friends is moving to Texas so three of us got together and rented a Cabin for a few days. much to my surprise, when we arrived it came complete with a TV and cable so I was able to watch both games. with that in mind I will share my thoughts........................
first, I feel I must apologize to grote15, you are indeed correct that there is a "drop-off" on the Cleveland staff after Cory Kluber. the thing is, that ain't because the rest of the starters suck it's because Kluber is one of the top starters, bar none, in MLB. at this stage of the season it really isn't even close. I must say, though, that after the game on Friday the fall to Tomlin wasn't very far. I will add that the way Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar had been pitching that the Cubs would have been over-matched even more had those two been healthy. it is as I have maintained the entire play-offs, during Boston, during Toronto and now with Chicago --- the nasty sliders and the 12-6 curve balls that the Cleveland staff offer are a bit too much. the credit needs to go not just to the pitchers throwing the ball, but to Terry Francona, Mickey Calloway and Roberto Perez. the combination has formed a good approach and solved the Cubs very well.
some of our esteemed members need to dispel with the notion that the Cubs are cold, give some credit where it is due.
now, as to the next three games scheduled, I suppose that Chicago may indeed figure out a way to win them and win the WS in seven, I just don't think the odds of that happening are very high. if we look to game five this evening it will be a three part game...................the first inning, the first five innings and the last four innings. if Cleveland scores early and Bauer can make it past the first six batters with no damage things look bad for the Cubs. if the game makes it to the fifth inning and Cleveland is ahead things look bad for the Cubs. if Cleveland has Cody Allen coming out in the ninth inning things look bad for the Cubs.
I want to be clear about this next comment --- Francona has out managed Madden the entire series. for whatever reason, when Francona makes a move it tends to work out in a positive way fro Cleveland, Madden not so much. tonight will be the true test of that. to my way of thinking, the game almost looks like Sparky Anderson vs. Earl Weaver albeit with the roles reversed. the AL manager is making NL moves and they are working, the NL manager keeps waiting for thunder to strike and it never does.
the Indians, in a nutshell, look like they came to play and the Cubs look so tight that if they fart it'll sound like they're butts are Whistlin' Dixie!!! at this point they will be pressing and I expect Francona to take advantage of that, but we shall see.
as I said earlier, it is a shame for the long suffering fans of both Teams that one side has to lose. I will watch tonight and any other close-out games with my 89 year old father. he was at the 1948 and 1854 World Series' and to see one with him will be special. I may be wrong, but I think that will be tonight. I believe that Bauer will step up and be the pitcher that Cleveland fans know he can be. not a Cory Kluber, but that much of a "drop-off" and enough to match Lester.
tonight should be a CLASSIC in the true sense of the word. but I have been wrong before..................................
It's over......you can stick a fork in the Cubs........they're DONE! Sorry Cub fans, but it is what it is.
first, I feel I must apologize to grote15,
Apology accepted, keets.
I rode Kluber to a fantasy baseball championship this season, so I am not surprised at how dominant he has been thus far. He has been lights out for the two of the three wins and in my mind is clearly the MVP should Cleveland win, no matter what else happens.
I would also agree that Francona, should Cleveland prevail, as expected, ascends to the pantheon of all time great managers and is a viable contender for the HOF, too. But you can bet he's using his 2004 ALCS experience to remind his club it's not over yet.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Tap the brakes, D-man. This is not over by any stretch. Chicago has the SP advantage in 5 & 6, and anything can happen once it gets to 7.
Perhaps we should ask every Cav and Warrior what their thoughts are...
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
I too would be suprised if this didn't go seven. Suprised not shocked
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I did not mean to imply that it will end tonight. They (Cubs) may one or two more games, but I doubt it. I'm saying it's over in that they will not beat Cleveland 3 straight games.
Cubs win,Cubs win! Well someone had to say it.
Good game......I guess. I was watching the Cowboys/Eagles game!
I predict by Wednesday night DM will be trying to hop back on that Cub bandwagon..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Not really.
I'm feeling awake, exhilarated and exhausted. Wrigleyville Friday WAS insane. And yes there are passionate Cubs who CAN afford a WS game and all the trimmings. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime baseball fan experience I'll never forget nor will my son. We got home yesterday afternoon after several small delays on the flight home from Chicago, still in time to see the first pitch at home. I'm not disappointed. They're "still alive", to quote the 7th inning stretch singer Pearl Jam dude. I'll jump back in here later with some more details from last Friday, the day my son called the 2nd best day of his life (he recently got married, go figure).
very close game last night, I thought Lester and Bauer were really tight with each only making two mistakes. Lester's were the HR to Ramirez and the double to Santana which he worked around nicely. Bauer's mistakes were the HR to Bryant and the next pitch to Rizzo for a double. unfortunately, he didn't work out of that but what happened subsequently wasn't the result of "mistake" pitches. Cleveland had chances, they just came up short.
Passionate Cubs FANS, I meant to say.....Combined with drunken behavior and a whirlwind of merchandising, a verbal pictorial of October 28th, Game 3 @ Wrigley Field.
We began by taking the train from our hotel in Rosemont into downtown Chicago for some walking and sightseeing. The marketing blitz was evident wherever you looked. The vibe in town was amazing. We strolled Michigan Ave., Lakeshore Dr., and found ourselves on Rush St. sipping cappuccinos in the park before heading to Lou Malnati's for deep dish pizza. Then we jumped on the Red Line and headed north. The intense moment of surreal swirled to the surface as we exited the station onto Addison and saw what was evolving before our very eyes. At this point virtually everything is just a blur. We're walking around, taking it all in, realizing that there's NO WAY IN HELL we're going to find anyplace to buy a beer. Didn't matter anyways. The things we saw blew our minds. My son was like a kid in Fantasyland. At age 26. I think we'd just about covered the area around the stadium once and we needed a breather because it was very claustrophobic everywhere. Suddenly, we're next to the Cubs main office and my son blurts out "Hey, it's Theo Epstein!" He's standing there posing for photos with a small group of people and we're almost face-to-face with the guy. He thanked the group and apologized but "Sorry, I gotta go" and he hurried across the street and jumped into a vehicle which I assume was going to get him safely through the throngs of fans. We walked back up Clark St. to the sports store, which, like all the others was packed with hot, sweaty, joyous people. I politely asked a door security guy if he could tell me where to find a restroom. LOL! Yeah, right? My man told me to head over to the Taco Bell parking lot which was Ground Zero for the TV vans and that there were 4 Porta-Potties over there. Life saver, bro. My first hero of the evening sent me to a short wait where I enjoyed a discussion with the guy standing in front of me about the "best kept secret" getting out in the open. I promised not to tell. I think they opened the gates around 2 1/2 hours before game time and we went in soon afterwards. The moment walking into the park was not so brief as I fumbled around fishing for belongings in my pockets while going through security.
More to follow about the events inside.....
It was warm and the wind was blowing out. The expectations were flowing in. Once inside we automatically gravitated to the retail shops looking for stuff and of course they were packed full as well. We went in anyways and at times I felt like I might faint. Seriously. And I had gas. We fought our way up a flight of stairs to the Team Store and found some things to buy. Then, it was time to go find Section 213, Row 6, Seats 3 & 4, Cubs dugout side parallel with 3rd base. When we arrived and sat down, we just stared. At everything. The activity around us, on the field - incredible how much "stuff" was in front of both dugouts. You couldn't really even see them unless players were filtering out between the microphones, cameras and humans. We looked at the scoreboards and watched the park fill up. All the buildup to this amazing event itself, and it was kind of like the Super Bowl where all the activity surrounding the game makes it secondary. But when they unfurled that enormous American flag it gave me chills up and down. It was actually happening. We recorded some memories on our phones leading up to the game. I felt almost paralyzed. I drank Bud Lite for dinner and couldn't muster up an appetite. The lunch I ate didn't settle as well as I'd hoped so I sacrificed the food experience at the ballpark. Dang it. The bathroom line was long, but moved well and included employees booting out the cheaters and sending them to the back of line. I made it through and only missed the end of a Roberto Perez at-bat in which he made out to end the inning.
So they played a game, a beautiful duel with no scoring and great defense and missed opportunities and Francona/Maddon strategies, until......UNTIL! Some Southern California local guy named Coco dip an ice cream cone into right field and became that nights third hero, though unwanted, while our second hero was the gentleman who served us our beer at approximately 10 bucks a cup, which we could overhear the Cub fan lifers muttering about after a season of fine entertainment amidst a sea of price inflation. Bill Murray provided the 7th inning stretch entertainment while channeling Daffy Duck, appropriately enough as the late innings teased us with hope and ultimately, failure. One to nothing. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? We came all the way from wherever for THIS??!?!?!?!
No, really, how could I be disappointed?
It was the time of my life, too. We sat with some wonderful people, had great conversations, they helped me hold up my banner, we stood, we hollared, hugged, high-fived and posed for pics. I was informed that the funds I paid for our seats would help the family which owned them to pay for some college tuition expenses on behalf of their child. Fair enough. I couldn't be any more pleased than to hear that. I hope we see those folks someday when we return. During the game, we also saw Tom Ricketts, the team owner, walking the concourse below where we were sitting and I gave him a shoutout, too. The scoreboards lit up, the music was pumping, the celebs were out in force and the night was crazy. When the game ended, we just sat there for at least half an hour, not wanting to leave. Then, back to the store again to buy something more. I let my son take care of that while I waited in the cooling night air. The security crew was pleading with everyone to exit the stadium, and as we walked through they were shutting the giant green heavy metal doors. Goodnight Wrigley Field, and thank you.
We walked through the madness towards the train station and there must have been a million people waiting to get in. We asked a cop for directions to the closest option and he guided us to the Belmont station where we were able to board a rather somber sardine can to arrive at our hotel stop well after 1am Saturday, October 29th. But, we'll get 'em tomorrow, and yes, eventually we will. As of this writing, there still is a tomorrow. The day after the game was fun for sightseeing while tripping back into town again, but we got a late start.
I slept in.
You outdid yourself, sir. I was captivated by every word. Even the insinuation that you farted a lot.
Sure, you went there hoping to see only 8.5 innings, but let's not lose sight of the big picture. When you're able to take part in an activity that millions upon millions of others -- both living and deceased -- would have offered up multiple limbs to do, the idyllic experience supersedes the actual outcome. Besides, your boys are not done yet. If they're going to go 100+ in between championships, they must do this properly and rise from 1-3, no? ; )
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
All the pressure is clearly on the Indians shoulders
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
And for what it's worth the Cubs are a decent favorite to win game 6. Game 7 will be a pick em if they get that far.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Thanks to you as well my friend. I hoped to capture the moment well and share it with fellow sports fanatics, as that is also a fun part of this experience. Some will already know and others will perhaps someday have their chance. I've kept my faith throughout and always tried to stay positive when hearing comments of discouragement from others. Cubs fans are notorious for a lot of things, as you well know. I hope those folks in Chicago become notorious for the most incredible celebration ever.
@travis t That, sir, was an amazing post(s) and am sincerely grateful.
What a vivid picture you painted.
Thanks for taking the time.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
Yes it was pretty amazing.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Thanks guys. Now booking a flight to Cleveland. Not.
I enjoyed your recap of your Wrigley experience.
Mark, why do you think all the pressure is on the Indians??
Three shots to win the whole enchilada. One shot missed. No one wants to be remembered as a team that blew a 3-0 or 3-1 lead. At up 3-1 they were expected to win.
Mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Mark, it's clear to me now that you don't know the city, the Team or the manager. the Indians haven't been expected to do anything all season, they've been written off time and time again, seen by the media sort of as a fluke. it's been about the Cubs and their 103 Wins and 1908 drought all post-season. sure, Cleveland might lose the next two games and be leap-frogged by Chicago to become the Team with the longest non-WS victory streak, but that's more a creation of the media and a hand-wringing phantom of the fans, I don't see this Team as being very conscious of it.
a Team typically takes on the personality of the manager. Terry Francona doesn't get bogged down by the past or think about the future, that's the primary reason why the Team is where they are today. the players haven't concentrated on what they could be doing if so-and-so hadn't gotten hurt, where they'd be if this guy had agreed to be traded here, none of that. they have just played Baseball and played it quite well. if there is any "pressure" on the Team I would assume it's nothing past what is on all the players on both Teams --- nothing can be taken for granted, there's no guarantee that as individual players they will ever be in a WS again.
as a parting thought, do you really think any of the Golden State Warriors are currently thinking about what happened to them last season?? do you think they played those last two games worried about how posterity would view what happened?? I think they were just beaten by a better Team which is what will happen here if the Indians lose, not some media or fan-base creation.
if there is any pressure I would see it as being on the Umpires to call a clean game and the announcers to remain objective. MLB wants the drama and ratings of a Game 7.
Go Cubbies!! One game at a time...
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
Keets what a load of crapola
Very romantic though.
It has zero to do with the manager, team or city. Cleveland is now expected to win. That's a different pysche then be the underdog or under appreciated. The weight is squarely on their shoulders. Let's se how they handle it.
Hopefully they have what it takes
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Cleveland had a 14 game win streak this year. They know how to be a snowball in an alley. I absolutely believe my team, the Cubs, will need to do something better than just whacking a ball over a fence. The pressure is on whomever can't handle it. Each team has seasoned quality veterans and excellent management and coaching for leadership. The tension and nail biting moments are awesome. Play ball. Go Cubs Go!
not crapola, but you can see it like that if it pleases you.
wow this is exciting so far
WOW!!!
ever the optimist I actually see this as a good thing --- it will save the back end of the bullpen for tomorrow with all hands on deck.
LOL..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Well, game 6 is not a win yet. This is impressive. Last time a team came back from 1-3 to win WS was the 86 Royals and they had the last 2 games at home. Don't get me wrong I am for the Cubs, down 1-3 and the way the Indians were playing....I thought it was over......and it still could be.