MLB Playoffs?

[jgln]

He was a gentleman about it

Do you Philly fans remember a pitcher named Cliff Brantley from the early '90's? He was a very good friend of my family and I used to come to your games all of the time, at Veterans stadium and at Shea. It was a great 2 years for me being I was only like 14. We used the players entrances, met all of them, and sat in the best seats to every game. A lot of great memories from old Veteran's Stadium.

No I don't, but I am not really a baseball fan. I just like the playoffs and the world series. If the Phillies win I will be excited but just until about 15 minutes into the celebration at the stadium then after that I don't really care about it until next year.

 

[DubbelDach]

LET'S GO PHILS!!!

 

[dontman]

My wife kept telling me that the weather can't be a "*********" but that is what I've been calling it for the last hour and a half.

 

[jgln]

Anything good on TV tonight?

 

[uglygoat]

lee better man up and pitch the next three games....

 

[jgln]

I hate to be a quitter and not give my full support but I just don't see them winning all the remaining games. I would rather not watch them die and the Yankees celebrate. Ok, I will tune in and watch only if just a minute to see how things are going but tonight being one of my favorite TV nights I may just watch my shows.

 

[Airborneguy]

After hearing all the very ill-advised "Yankees Suck" chants... I am praying for a win tonight so they can all pile on each other on Philly's field. I might actually take a picture of my TV screen if it happens just to remember it

If Burnett brings it, it's over tonight. Then Rollins can explain why Phils in 5 turned into Yanks in 5!

 

[jgln]

After hearing all the very ill-advised "Yankees Suck" chants... I am praying for a win tonight so they can all pile on each other on Philly's field. I might actually take a picture of my TV screen if it happens just to remember it

If Burnett brings it, it's over tonight. Then Rollins can explain why Phils in 5 turned into Yanks in 5!

I really hate that kind of stuff, but I have to remember those are just fans (??) and not the actual team members, I am for the team not the fans.

 

[Airborneguy]

Well it's not looking like it's gonna happen in Philly, unless the Yankees pull out one of their amazing come-from-behinds...

 

[Dwain]

They should let Pettitte pitch again. They could get his buddy Clemens to give him some more HGH and hook A-roid up with a little fix, I mean pressure being on him and all. Of course, the Phillies picked up Lights Out Lidge, so they shouldn't have any worries. - Dwain

 

[Airborneguy]

Wow... someone's jealous that the Rangers (or Astros), suck.

 

[Airborneguy]

Even with a 7-3 lead in the top of the 7th.. I'm biting the crap out of my nails right now!

 

[Weissbier]

Even with a 7-3 lead in the top of the 7th.. I'm biting the crap out of my nails right now!

First post here and all I can say is....I'm with you bro.

 

[Airborneguy]

And that's 27

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Yep. #27. Bought and paid for. I hate the damned yankees

 

[Dwain]

I have a friend of mine from NY. He and I always give it hell about the Yankees. It's like he says, the rest of MLB is the Yankees farm team. It's kind of like the Lakers in basketball.

 

[Parker36]

Guy interviewing Jorge Posada: "This is your first World Series championship since 2000. How does it feel to finally win it again after all these years?" hey man have you ever heard of the Blue Jays or Orioles or Rays or Twins or Indians or Royals or Tigers or Athletics or Mariners or Rangers or Braves or Mets or Nationals or Cubs or Reds or Pirates or Astros or Brewers or Giants or Dodgers or Padres?

 

[SourHopHead]

I hate the Yanks, but gratz on the 27th. Hardest will be the guy I went to school with who is a PITA Yankee Fan. At least I can still ***** about the CowBoys!!!

 

[whalenutz]

ok to those who choose to believe the yankees bought the ws i say wtf look at the last eight winners and look at payrolls and attendance then factor in the yankees have not won, why because this is baseball and you can not buy a ws if you still believe that then pass the pipe cause we need to get high and sell my land so i can go buy a ws untill then all you haters who can not under stand winning, suck it cause the yankees are back and you will understand one day but not today suck it!!!

 

[yummybeer]

damn yankees!

 

[jgln]

ok to those who choose to believe the yankees bought the ws i say wtf look at the last eight winners and look at payrolls and attendance then factor in the yankees have not won, why because this is baseball and you can not buy a ws if you still believe that then pass the pipe cause we need to get high and sell my land so i can go buy a ws untill then all you haters who can not under stand winning, suck it cause the yankees are back and you will understand one day but not today suck it!!!

So what is it then? The air? The water? Sweet spot on the surface of the earth?

 

[Airborneguy]

Guy interviewing Jorge Posada: "This is your first World Series championship since 2000. How does it feel to finally win it again after all these years?" hey man have you ever heard of the Blue Jays or Orioles or Rays or Twins or Indians or Royals or Tigers or Athletics or Mariners or Rangers or Braves or Mets or Nationals or Cubs or Reds or Pirates or Astros or Brewers or Giants or Dodgers or Padres?

Are you implying that someone interviewing POSADA about HIS World Series win and experiences should mention other teams and ask him about them? What exactly are you getting at?

And to everyone who rants about money, I have one question:

Are you a communist?

If you're answer is no, guess what: TOO BAD!!!!

WE, the Yankees' Fans, PAY a lot of money to this organization through ticket sales, concessions, gear, memorablia, etc... Good for us for having an ownership family which turns a lot of that money right back to us, by building the best team possible.

If you are happy with your ownership keeping the money and getting cheap players (see Kansas City for a big example...), then that's your problem!

I would be PISSSED if next year the Steinbrenners changed thier mission to one of "Profits first, quality second".

That money comes from the fans and we got it back 27 times! No shame there baby! We gave him enough money to buy us one next year, and he better do his best to do it again!!!

Look WAY BACK to the last time one of your teams won the WS and ask yourself, "did I get in my car at 12am and drive up and down the main streets of my town waving flags, beeping my horn, and cheering with tons of other people, even though I had to wake up for work in 5 hours?" Well I did last night! and this diehard fan is happy as hell that his owners pay him back for it!!!

 

[jgln]

Are you implying that someone interviewing POSADA about HIS World Series win and experiences should mention other teams and ask him about them? What exactly are you getting at?

And to everyone who rants about money, I have one question:

Are you a communist?

If you're answer is no, guess what: TOO BAD!!!!

WE, the Yankees' Fans, PAY a lot of money to this organization through ticket sales, concessions, gear, memorablia, etc... Good for us for having an ownership family which turns a lot of that money right back to us, by building the best team possible.

If you are happy with your ownership keeping the money and getting cheap players (see Kansas City for a big example...), then that's your problem!

I would be PISSSED if next year the Steinbrenners changed thier mission to one of "Profits first, quality second".

That money comes from the fans and we got it back 27 times! No shame there baby! We gave him enough money to buy us one next year, and he better do his best to do it again!!!

Look WAY BACK to the last time one of your teams won the WS and ask yourself, "did I get in my car at 12am and drive up and down the main streets of my town waving flags, beeping my horn, and cheering with tons of other people, even though I had to wake up for work in 5 hours?" Well I did last night! and this diehard fan is happy as hell that his owners pay him back for it!!!

Not sure if this was intended toward my comment above but that was in reply to the other statement saying you could not buy a World Series win (good team) and I disagreed with that to some degree. You can buy the best players if you have the money and anyone that thinks a team of the best players has no advantage is wrong IMO.

You say good for you that your fans can support a winning team by hiring the best players in baseball for your team. Thing there is NY is a BIG city with a huge population, big enough there are often 2 teams locally. Some cities have none. I know fans in north NJ are generally NY sports fans and south NJ are generally Philly fans. Even there the population in north NJ is way larger than SJ. So yes, you have one of the biggest fan populations and the money goes into your team and you build good teams. No argument there but that was the point I guess.

Notice for example Pittsburgh (Pirates) are #60, NY is #1. Can't help but see a trend with some of the ones on the top. Some cities probably put more into one sport than another like Pittsburgh. NJ devils? Really a NY team.

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[shecky]

Red Sox fan checking in, somewhat in defense of the Yankees, who are evil incarnate itself.

Yes, the Yankees spend money to help them win. A-Rod, Teixeira (who was putrid in the WS), Burnett (get another tattoo), Damon, Swisher (average player at best), Sabathia (love to have him) were all products of the Yankees having more money than anybody. However, if they have it, let them spend it. It's the best way to do business. They fleece their fans but at least make it worth it for the fans.

On the other hand, the Yankees also do it quite a bit the old-fashioned way. Jeter, Mariano, Joba, Cano, Posada, Cabrera, Gardner are all products of the farm system. Jeter, Mariano and Posada are obviously linchpins in this current dynasty.

So, the Yankees do it the right way. They just have more money than anybody else to play with. Keep in mind they also pay more luxury tax than anybody else. Until a salary cap is put into baseball, which will never happen, the Yankees will continue to win.

Believe me, I hate the Yankees with every fiber of my being. It pains me to see them celebrate, but they are doing it within the rules and staying true to their fans.

 

[Mike M]

The Yankees won because throughout the series they had better pitching, they hit - especially with 2 outs and when the Phillies made a mistake and the Yankee's bullpen was better.

It was a great ride this year with the Fightins.

 

[springer]

I am not a Yankees fan or a Mets fan in fact I don't watch any sports. But to say they bought the WS is just well stupid. Yes the Yankees have more money to pay their players . But that still doesn't insure a WS where were they last year? Sorry money will bring the best talent whether its sports or hospitals .

I really don't think any or them are worth what they get paid and they don't make a dime off of me.

 

[jgln]

I am not a Yankees fan or a Mets fan in fact I don't watch any sports. But to say they bought the WS is just well stupid. Yes the Yankees have more money to pay their players . But that still doesn't insure a WS where were they last year? Sorry money will bring the best talent whether its sports or hospitals .

I really don't think any or them are worth what they get paid and they don't make a dime off of me.

Not sure about the others but I am not saying they bought the WS. But if you can pay players more money and get better players I think it is stupid to say it does not play in as a factor to the success of a team (27 wins). Again, if not the money factor then what? They just got lucky with managers, players, etc. all those years while other teams never even won one? The water? The air? Soft spot on the earth? Teams that never made it just happened to pick bad managers and players all those years and NYY almost never?

Hey, if they can and do well then good for them. Last year? (27 WS wins). I just can't understand why anyone would think that is not a factor. Even a racecar driver with the faster car is going to make a mistake and lose now and then.

I only watch the WS games and not a lot of sports either.

 

[jgln]

This year I heard it was the whole Pirates team. Good for him, means nothing though why most never hear of the Pirates.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3324199

 

[springer]

Not sure about the others but I am not saying they bought the WS. But if you can pay players more money and get better players I think it is stupid to say it does not play in as a factor to the success of a team (27 wins). Again, if not the money factor then what? They just got lucky with managers, players, etc. all those years while other teams never even won one? The water? The air? Soft spot on the earth? Teams that never made it just happened to pick bad managers and players all those years and NYY almost never?

Hey, if they can and do well then good for them. Last year? (27 WS wins). I just can't understand why anyone would think that is not a factor. Even a racecar driver with the faster car is going to make a mistake and lose now and then.

I only watch the WS games and not a lot of sports either.

I agree the money has a lot to do with it , Its they buy the talent and so what would the natural outcome be mostly wins. But like I said i don't give a rats ass who won... It wont put food on my table or beer in my glass.

 

[uglygoat]

they should have trotted old ass pedro out there three times and ended it sooner. seriously, some questionable pitching by the phillies.

 

[jgln]

I agree the money has a lot to do with it , Its they buy the talent and so what would the natural outcome be mostly wins. But like I said i don't give a rats ass who won... It wont put food on my table or beer in my glass.

Ok But now if you know anything about Brett L. using fresh berries please go answer my guestion in that forum.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

ok to those who choose to believe the yankees bought the ws i say wtf look at the last eight winners and look at payrolls and attendance then factor in the yankees have not won, why because this is baseball and you can not buy a ws if you still believe that then pass the pipe cause we need to get high and sell my land so i can go buy a ws untill then all you haters who can not under stand winning, suck it cause the yankees are back and you will understand one day but not today suck it!!!

$160 million for one pitcher and you don't think the Yankees bought the WS? You've already been sampling that pipe, buddy. And telling us to "suck it"? Typical Yankee fan.

 

[Airborneguy]

No offense here at all.... but capitalism sucks, when you are on the losing end of it, and judging by your name, you were on the losing end of that $160 deal!

 

[neuron555]

Sure the Yankees spend alot of money, but as others have pointed out, if that was the main factor, they should win every year. It sure helps, but look at the teams in the playoffs this year. The number listed is the ranking of the payroll for 2009.
Yankees 1
Phillies 7
Dodgers 9
Angels 6
Rockies 18
Twins 24
Cardinals 17
Red Sox 4
So, on average a better payroll helps in the playoffs (except for Boston), but it obviously wasn't the main factor in getting there.

 

[jpc]

Sure the Yankees spend alot of money, but as others have pointed out, if that was the main factor, they should win every year. It sure helps, but look at the teams in the playoffs this year. The number listed is the ranking of the payroll for 2009.
Yankees 1
Phillies 7
Dodgers 9
Angels 6
Rockies 18
Twins 24
Cardinals 17
Red Sox 4
So, on average a better payroll helps in the playoffs (except for Boston), but it obviously wasn't the main factor in getting there.

I think that misses the point completely. It's not only a question of "who wins", but who gets to the playoffs to begin with. It would be more telling to see which teams haven't made the playoffs for years on end, and the result would be that small-market teams are at a distinct disadvantage.

It really sucks for a small-market team; the only way they have to build a team is through the draft and the farm system. They spend a lot of time and effort grooming young players, only to see them go for high $$$ (that small-market teams can't match) with the liberalized free agency. It's a never-ending cycle; they can't pull in fans with a crappy team, but when they become a better team they lose the players that helped make them better and draw the fans.

Every other sport seems to have figured this one out: salary caps work. But baseball allows the "haves" (like the Yankmees and Mets) to continue to lead the league in dollars spent (or, in the case of the Mets, my favorite team, dollars pissed away), stacking the deck, while the "have nots" languish in the middle of the pack.

 

[Dwain]

Airborneguy,

[Wow... someone's jealous that the Rangers (or Astros), suck./I]

I have been an Astros fan since the Nolan Ryan days. I don't have any problem saying they didn't make the play offs because they weren't good enough. The only time they got to the World Series, they backed in and their performance showed they were in over their heads.
What I'm pi$$ed about, not jealous of, is that Pettitte and A-roid cheated the game. You can use the excuse that "everyone" was doing it or whatever makes your (not yours personally) conscience feel better. The end result is just like Bonds, McGuire and Sosa. A routine fly out turns into at least a lower deck home run. In the case of Andy, and Clemmens, less recovery time, arm able to take more abuse, etc. And everyone seems O.K. with it. As long as your team wins, no foul.
If you listen to interviews with Brad Lidge when he is winning, he is a punk. No one can be suprised at his performance. I can't believe the Phillies didn't have a plan for when he started failing.

 

[Airborneguy]

It's all in fun

My opinion on the steriod matter is this. Basically, MLB has to stop messing around and get on the ball with a plan to really combat this. Right now, it is a joke, and a lot of people think that the enforcement has been lopsided against certain teams. The Mitchell report names released were almost all people who played for or are playing for the Yankees. Of course the senator's association with the Red Sox had nothing to do with that... and even if it didn't, well the abilty to infer that influence is definitely there because of his association with the team.

Until a serious plan is in place and enforced evenly, while we know certain people used them, we don't know about a ton of other people, and until that time, I really don't see what can be done but let the people play and just make sure that your children know that certain guys are not role-models for them.

This is MLB's problem and they need to fix it. It is a major blight on this league administration's record.

 

[Airborneguy]

PS... here's some of the Mitchell/Red Sox controversy:

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2007/12/13/mitchell_report_is_on_deck/

http://volokh.com/posts/1197608171.shtml

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060330&content_id=1374385&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

[Dwain]

Airborne,
Yeah, sorry. This steroid thing really pushes my buttons. I just can't believe all of the sportscasters act like it never happened. I'm not sure what I expect them to do, but every time I hear the commissioner tell how great their testing program is, I want to choke him (roid rage?). At least with a guy like Jeeter, like him or hate him, that guy changes games. Although, with that double steal, Damon pulled those guys into the winners circle. - Dwain