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    • Tuesday, May 21, 2013

    Washington Post: Tom Boswell: Yankees Are Monuments To Baseball Success

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    posted 2 days ago by The Yankee Clapper to aging, great baseball players, injuries, pennant race, veteran leadership, yankees  |  15 comment(s)

    Boz pays homage to the gritty, gutsy, scrappy, first place 2013 underdog Yankees:

    Perhaps for the first time in their history, the Yankees now epitomize exactly the kind of team that always used to try to beat them: a group of inspired-by-adversity, too-old-or-too-young, one-last-chance players who band together to prove that baseball is a team game, not just an aggregation of talent and fat contracts.

    Put a few all-star seasons, such as Cano’s 31 RBI, Kiroda’s 1.99 ERA and Rivera’s 16 ...

    Read More...

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    51. Chris Fluit posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:39 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I can see why MLB didn't want a best of 5 for the wild card round. That would have necessitated a very long layoff for the division winners. But I do hope that they make the switch to a best of 3. It's a nice fit considering the prevalence of the 3 game series throughout the regular season. Plus, they can do it without unduly extending the postseason by reducing the next round to best of 5. Then you would have best of 3 wild card, best of 5 DS, best of 7 CS, best of 7 WS. For this year, I'm just happy to see my O's get in. Any nitpciks about format are entirely secondary.
    52. Best Regards, L.M. posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:40 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    No, it shouldn't. Don't like having to deal with a one-game crapshoot? Then win your f@cking division. Somebody else managed to do it.
    On the one hand, I'd rather see a three game playoff. It feels more like "the playoffs". On the other hand, I don't like the idea of the teams that won their divisions winning a couple of more days. This isn't football, they need to stay sharp.
    53. Steve Treder posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:42 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    On the other hand, I don't like the idea of the teams that won their divisions winning a couple of more days. This isn't football, they need to stay sharp.

    Exactly right. The format should respect and favor the division winners in every regard.

    54. Don Malcolm  posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:43 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Still wondering what they will do if the A's, Angels and Rays all wind up 91-71, which is stlll theoretically possible.
    55. Steve Treder posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:45 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Still wondering what they will do if the A's, Angels and Rays all wind up 91-71, which is stlll theoretically possible.

    Time will stop and all that is across the universe, will cease to be, and all that is not, will become true. It's in the fine print.

    MLB will have hell to pay.
    56. PeteF3 posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:47 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I could be talking about of my rear end here but wouldn't that be a 1-game tiebreaker between the Angels and A's for the division, with the loser playing TB for the wildcard? That was the format the past several years of single-wildcard play.
    57. Eric J can SABER all he wants to posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:47 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Plus, they can do it without unduly extending the postseason by reducing the next round to best of 5.

    The next round is already best of 5.
    58. SoSH U at work posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:47 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Still wondering what they will do if the A's, Angels and Rays all wind up 91-71, which is stlll theoretically possible.


    One game will be played between two of them, then the winner of that game hosts the third team for the chance to be the second wild card.

    The team with the best overall record in games between the three teams (Tampa, in this case) chooses whether it wants to be the visitor in Game 2 or host Games 1 (and 2, if they win). If teams are acting strictly based on what gives them the best chance to advance to the ALDS, they'll take the visitor in Game 2 route.
    59. Eric J can SABER all he wants to posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:48 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I could be talking about of my rear end here but wouldn't that be a 1-game tiebreaker between the Angels and A's for the division

    Given that this scenario gives the Rangers a 96-66 record, I would hope not.
    60. Best Regards, L.M. posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:50 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I could be talking about of my rear end here but wouldn't that be a 1-game tiebreaker between the Angels and A's for the division, with the loser playing TB for the wildcard? That was the format the past several years of single-wildcard play.
    The Rangers are in first place, and the Angels can't catch them.
    61. DKDC posted on September 30, 2012 at 11:53 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    On the other hand, I don't like the idea of the teams that won their divisions winning a couple of more days. This isn't football, they need to stay sharp.


    This one is easy to fix. You create AL and NL all star teams made up entirely of players on the division winners. They play a three game series for World Series home field advantage.
    62. Danny posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:03 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    The team with the best overall record in games between the three teams (Tampa, in this case) chooses whether it wants to be the visitor in Game 2 or host Games 1 (and 2, if they win). If teams are acting strictly based on what gives them the best chance to advance to the ALDS, they'll take the visitor in Game 2 route.

    The A's would get to choose because they won the season series against both the Rays and Angels.

    • If Club 1 has a better record against Clubs 2 and 3, and Club 2 has a better record against Club 3, then Club 1 chooses its designation, followed by Club 2.

    • If Club 1 has a better record against Clubs 2 and 3, and Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another, then Club 1 chooses its designation. Clubs 2 and 3 would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to break their tie to pick the next designation.
    63. Don Malcolm  posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:27 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Thanks for the link, Danny. It was more fun to speculate about it, though, than to read the actual rules!

    Of course, what we are all now waiting for is ultimate parity, when all fifteen teams in each league finish 81-81 and what happens is precisely (or at least approximately) what Steve outlined in #55 above...

    64. Jim (jimmuscomp) posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:36 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Mark Trumbo is pretty close to Mike Trout.


    No. No he isn't.

    At All.
    65. The Ghost of Sox Fans Past  posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:48 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Mark Trumbo is pretty close to Mike Trout.


    No. No he isn't.

    At All.

    I guess you've never had pan-fried trumbo.
    66. Don Malcolm  posted on October 01, 2012 at 01:42 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Best thing to do when faced with a trout-trumbo conundrum is to liberally apply Aunt Mabel's special herb concoction so that everything winds up tasting like chicken.
    67. Walt Davis posted on October 01, 2012 at 03:27 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Trumbo -- gumbo made with trout instead of crayfish.
    68. zachtoma posted on October 01, 2012 at 04:51 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I was at the A's game. Pathetic crowd. I'm wondering if I'll be able to walk and get playoff tix at the gate.


    In that case allow me to praise the wisdom of the masses in staying away. It's an absolutely horrible stadium, a concrete cesspool where the seats all feel like they're about 30 yards further away from the field than they should be, and anyone who pays money to visit the place is nothing but a sucker. Don't blame the fans, the idea that the Oakland Coliseum can pass for a major league stadium is an insult to A's fans. I've been there twice and I would rather dynamite the place under the cover of darkness than see another game there. If you're an A's fan: stay home, watch TV, sorry.

    But yes, I'm sure some people have learned to love it. If you suffer long enough...
    69. Walt Davis posted on October 01, 2012 at 05:23 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Ahh, it'd be OK if they blew up Mt Davis, you'd have a nice view of the hills then. Put some nice beers on the menu, open a couple of good Mexican concession stands and sit back and enjoy the view and the evening desert air.
    70. Matt Clement of Alexandria posted on October 01, 2012 at 06:49 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Now I'm starting to feel bad for the play-in game. People who like the postseason don't like it, and people who don't like the postseason don't like it. Poor li'l play-in game!
    Oh, just wait til it happens. Everyone's gonna love it then.
    71. Fat Al posted on October 01, 2012 at 11:58 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I was at the A's game. Pathetic crowd. I'm wondering if I'll be able to walk and get playoff tix at the gate.


    I know nothing is set yet, but Ticketmaster has Yankees tickets available (plenty) for every potential playoff game from the WC on Friday through the ALCS. Shows you very clearly that the Yankees have reached saturation pricing.

    Edit: And, I guess that the fans have little faith in this team. But of course, the tickets are all refundable, so even us of little faith...
    72. dr. scott posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:02 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Collesium is old and has crappy amenities, but as long as the raiders aren't playing the field looks great and you can always get good cheap seats. If I lived closer I'd go a lot more often. As it is I pass AT&T park every day coming home from work, so go there more often.
    73. Fred Lynn Nolan Ryan Sweeney Agonistes posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:03 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    the idea that the Oakland Coliseum can pass for a major league stadium is an insult to A's fans. I've been there twice

    At least you picked one thing up quickly: being insulted on behalf of someone else is the Bay Area's chief pastime.
    74. PreservedFish posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:12 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Oh, I don't mind the O.Co Coliseum* - I guess it's crappy, but yesterday I got to watch good baseball in perfect weather, so I was pretty damn happy. I grew up going to Shea, so I probably have a low standard.

    And I agree that the fans that do show up are into it. It seems like a very high percentage of the attendees are people that attend dozens of games a year.


    * Is that the worst name in the history of corporate stadium sponsorship? I only yesterday realized that it refers to Overstock.com.
    75. PreservedFish posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:18 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Actually, I'll go farther than that. If you can't (couldn't) enjoy a game at the Coliseum, or Shea, or Veterans, or any of those other old crappy places, I'm not sure you're a real baseball fan. What the #### do you need, a comfier chair, a lush gift shop, sushi? Give me a break.
    76. DCA posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:19 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0


    * Is that the worst name in the history of corporate stadium sponsorship? I only yesterday realized that it refers to Overstock.com.

    I only one minute ago realized that it refers to Overstock.com.
    77. Squash posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:22 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    The stadium was all right before Mount Davis, but all right in the 1980s municipal stadium sense.
    78. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:23 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    This space deliberately left blank.
    79. SoSH U at work posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:33 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    * Is that the worst name in the history of corporate stadium sponsorship? I only yesterday realized that it refers to Overstock.com.


    I believe so. Another Bay Area atrocity, 3Com Park previously held the title (I suppose you could give Enron a bonus here, though the name itself, without the baggage, is actually acceptable). Out of place punctuation trumps numeral before capitalized letter on the scale of awfulness.

    In baseball, Land Shark Stadium had the old record.



    80. Joey B. has ignited his October #Natitude posted on October 01, 2012 at 12:52 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Actually, I'll go farther than that. If you can't (couldn't) enjoy a game at the Coliseum, or Shea, or Veterans, or any of those other old crappy places, I'm not sure you're a real baseball fan. What the #### do you need, a comfier chair, a lush gift shop, sushi? Give me a break.

    Personally, I would go to watch the Nationals in the playoffs if they were playing the game in a big concrete parking lot and I had to bring my own chair, but at the same time I recognize that I'm probably an outlier that way. The stadium clearly does make a difference for a lot of people; if it didn't, Oakland and Tampa would be drawing more fans than they are.
    81. bunyon posted on October 01, 2012 at 01:02 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Joey has a point and that point is that a whole bunch of a team's attendance are people mostly going to casually enjoy themselves. I do agree that if you're a "real" baseball fan, you just want a good game. To taht end, I'd rather have a plain old municipal stadium that was easy to access/move around in than a fancy place in a bad location.

    Of course, having a crappy park in a crappy location is the worst of both worlds. Also, given how much other junk is usually going on at a modern game and much more I dislike crowds as I age, I'm happiest watching from my living room.
    82. PreservedFish posted on October 01, 2012 at 01:16 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Joey has a point and that point is that a whole bunch of a team's attendance are people mostly going to casually enjoy themselves. I do agree that if you're a "real" baseball fan, you just want a good game.


    I guess so, but I want to emphasize that my enjoyable afternoon at the Coliseum yesterday was not spent in hardcore fan mode. I wasn't scoring it, I had never heard of the majority of the Mariners lineup, and I didn't really care about the outcome. I had my wife and infant daughter with me. ABs were missed because of diaper changes. We had beer and hot dogs, saw some great plays, most of all we relaxed, and loved it. I was there to casually enjoy myself. You can casually enjoy yourself in an old municipal stadium. If you can't, you're not a baseball fan, you're just a fan of the various distractions that new stadiums offer.
    83. DL from MN posted on October 01, 2012 at 01:29 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I've been to the Coliseum and despite not measuring up to the latest and greatest it beat watching a game at Metrodome. It has pretty nice facilities compared to some places I've watched a game, especially the open concourses.

    if they were playing the game in a big concrete parking lot and I had to bring my own chair


    Did you attend the MN 15U state house league tournament too? I had to pay a _gate fee_ to sit in a parking lot in my own chair and the nearest john was a half mile walk.
    84. Fat Al posted on October 01, 2012 at 01:31 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    If you can't, you're not a baseball fan, you're just a fan of the various distractions that new stadiums offer.


    I agree with this sentiment. Personally, I find the new-fangled distractions, well, distracting. I can usually resist most of it, since I don't care about most of the distractions, but I do from time to time find myself getting waylaid at one of the bars in the new stadiums where I end up chatting and watching a tv showing the game that's going on mere feet away. And that's a really stupid thing to do in my book.
    85. bunyon posted on October 01, 2012 at 01:33 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Fish, I completely agree. When I say, "casually enjoy themselves" I mean, do things other than watch the game. If you love baseball, all you need is the game (and, I'd argue, good weather). But, if you're not, you need all the frilly distractions. Those folks are going for the social atmosphere, to be outside, to see funny stuff, drink beer, etc. Those people going to games makes it less fun for me. But teams aren't going to draw 2 million people with the game as the focus.
    86. Monty posted on October 01, 2012 at 02:11 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Actually, I'll go farther than that. If you can't (couldn't) enjoy a game at the Coliseum, or Shea, or Veterans, or any of those other old crappy places, I'm not sure you're a real baseball fan. What the #### do you need, a comfier chair, a lush gift shop, sushi? Give me a break.


    I found it very hard to enjoy a baseball game in Candlestick, mostly because of the weather.
    87. BDC  posted on October 01, 2012 at 02:16 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    There are extremes. The old Arlington Stadium featured thousands of bare metal outfield benches that some writer here once called "the world's largest open-air broiler." I guess I'm echoing bunyon's point about the good weather. The Ballpark has a pretty intense sunfield (ie don't sit down the LF line for a day game), but it copes with the weather much better on the whole: more seats are shaded, or get that way by early evening.
    88. zachtoma posted on October 01, 2012 at 02:20 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    It's hard to enjoy a game when you can't even see it.
    89. dr. scott posted on October 01, 2012 at 02:21 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I found it very hard to enjoy a baseball game in Candlestick, mostly because of the weather.


    I never went to any of the really bad fog days at the Stick, but I quickly learned not to get seats near the tunnels that lead to the seats, as there was a fierce wind that sucked anything and everything into that tunnel from the seats. All the flying wrappers wizzing by my head was a bit distracting.
    90. PreservedFish posted on October 01, 2012 at 02:22 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Why so grumpy Zachtoma? You never enjoy sitting in the upper deck or out in the bleachers?
    91. BDC  posted on October 01, 2012 at 02:35 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I am hoping to enjoy the third game of the World Series from the upper deck at the Ballpark. This seemed exactly the right moment to buy tickets, as a gesture of profound optimism :)
    92. zachtoma posted on October 01, 2012 at 05:55 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Why so grumpy Zachtoma? You never enjoy sitting in the upper deck or out in the bleachers?


    I sit in the upper deck all the time here at Dodger Stadium. They had the courtesy not to put the cheap seats in outer Siberia.
    93. The Chronicles of Reddick posted on October 01, 2012 at 06:52 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Well if all the people stayed away from the Coliseum, then that would give Wolfe the excuse to move the team. Especially if they drawn poorly during the playoffs/
    94. bunyon posted on October 01, 2012 at 06:59 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I am hoping to enjoy the third game of the World Series from the upper deck at the Ballpark.

    Wow, the upper deck seats at the Ballpark have TVs?


    :)
    95. salajander posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:24 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Wasn't sure if the Red Sox were going to play extra hard to stick it to their long-time nemesis or roll-over and try to #### over the team that drove the last nail in their hopes last season. Early results are "roll-over", but then it's hard to tell "roll-over" from "crappy team".
    96. Athletic Supporter gangnam style posted on October 02, 2012 at 12:47 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Let's go Oakland!

    The A's just had a half-inning in which all three outs were foulouts. Ah, the Coliseum... (though at least 2 and probably all 3 were catchable anywhere)
    97. Bitter Calculus Instructor posted on October 02, 2012 at 12:57 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    If Oakland holds on, Tampa and LAA will be eliminated. Also, if the Angels also win, then the AL West and AL East will have the eact same records of their top three teams.

    [95] They already did a pretty good job of rolling over for the Orioles, so it's not like they'd be playing favorites.
    98. Athletic Supporter gangnam style posted on October 02, 2012 at 01:08 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Wow, Balfour is cursing up a storm on the mound. That is one pumped-up Australian.
    99. Athletic Supporter gangnam style posted on October 02, 2012 at 01:11 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    100. vortex of dissipation posted on October 02, 2012 at 01:16 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Congrats to Athletics fans! My Dad is one, so I'm very pleased for him.

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