Not getting the game in tonight would mean that Holland could go in a Game 7 on Friday on full rest. Of course it also means Carpenter could go in a Game 7 on 3 days' rest...

Selfishly I want a rain out. The idea of Game 7 on a Friday night when I don't have to get up early the next day is awfully appealing.

Except that Washington's said that Harrison "has earned" a game 7 start, regardless of the weather.

Looking forward to this evening's game.

And for all those who are tempted to show up in the chatter to complain that the Series stinks, the teams stinks, the players stink, the managers stink, FOX stinks, the weather stinks, the fans stink, cold weather stinks, etc, etc etc please find another hobby to fill your time such as making lawn ornaments out of shards of broken glass or juggling lit sticks of dynamite or maybe making claymation action figures out of C4.

Knock yourselves out.

Drips

Can I say Joe Buck stinks?

And for all those who are tempted to show up in the chatter to complain that the Series stinks, the teams stinks, the players stink, the managers stink, FOX stinks, the weather stinks, the fans stink, cold weather stinks, etc, etc etc please find another hobby to fill your time such as making lawn ornaments out of shards of broken glass or juggling lit sticks of dynamite or maybe making claymation action figures out of C4.

But....but....but....it doesn't PROVE that either of these two teams is the BEST team in baseball! It's all just random chance and dumb luck! Where's the justice?

AG#1

Ok, that gets a pass.

Good call

And for all those who are tempted to show up in the chatter to complain that the Series stinks, the teams stinks, the players stink, the managers stink, FOX stinks, the weather stinks, the fans stink

Fox stinks. Other than that, people who haven't gone ga-ga for the 2011 postseason (beginning with Day 162) must be out of their turducken-stuffing minds. Okay, the LCS's (LCSii?) were a little nondescript, but c'mon.

cold weather stinks

I've been at cold 'n drizzly autumn night games, and blistering hot July games that start at 1:05. I vote for the wool hat and the overcoat.

No, it doesn't, Andy. But it's been a hell of a series - I've had more fun watching this one than any in a long time.

I hate to do this to you guys, but I'm wishing hard for rain. I'll be on a plane from 8-11 EDT. I booked this myself a few months ago so, clearly, I'm an idiot. But a rain out would serve me very, very well.

C'mon game seven, so GO CARDS!

How about a Friday night game seven that goes so deep into extras that both teams run out of pitchers and game seven ends with Pujols getting the last out on the mound and hitting a walk off homer in the bottom of the inning?

A boy can dream, can't he?

How about a Friday night game seven that goes so deep into extras that both teams run out of pitchers and game seven ends with Pujols getting the last out on the mound and hitting a walk off homer in the bottom of the inning?

A boy can dream, can't he?

I approve this message.

Although I am supposed to meet up with friends at a bar to watch the game tonight, so I prefer they get it in, and then cancel thursday when I have theatre tickets, as long as I'm laying out scenarios.

Also, I would like Joe Buck to be eaten by a dinosaur when he makes a surprise visit to the set of Terra Nova.

I'm torn, because I partly want a rainout tonight because I don't have work on Friday, but a Game 6 tomorrow would make me miss Community and Parks and Rec. So, 2 days of rain a la 1975 would probably be the best case scenario for me.

Also, I would like Joe Buck to be eaten by a dinosaur when he makes a surprise visit to the set of Terra Nova.

No dinosaur had jaws large enough to surround Buck's head.

But....but....but....it doesn't PROVE that either of these two teams is the BEST team in baseball! It's all just random chance and dumb luck! Where's the justice?

No, it doesn't, Andy. But it's been a hell of a series - I've had more fun watching this one than any in a long time.

Me, too, at least since 2009. (smile) I hope that my sarcasm wasn't too well concealed.

I'm fixing to travel to an academic conference in Arkansas Thursday and Friday nights. Like several others, I really have to start consulting my calendar when I plan this stuff. Like, "when is this flipping conference again? Potentially on the night of the seventh game of the World Series? I don't think I need another paper on my resumé that badly, thank you" :)

...academic conference in Arkansas Thursday and Friday nights...

There's enough academia in Arkansas to fill two nights? Wow.

Well, it's the South Central Modern Language Association, so it's mostly Texas people. I just hope we don't all come back dumber than when we left.

Bob, I used to check such things. But we've had such a spate of lousy to average WS that I'm out of the habit.

I'm hoping for a ridiculously early rainout call today. FC Dallas is playing a home game tonight, and with a baseball conflict, I can't imagine there will be more than a few thousand in the stands (including me).

Then I'm hopping a plane for Chicago at 6am tomorrow. I'm guessing there will be more than a few honorary Rangers fans I can watch the game or games with this weekend.

There's enough academia in Arkansas to fill two nights? Wow.

Depends on whether college football coaches are included.

Well, it's the South Central Modern Language Association

You'll be in Hot Springs, I see. Neat place -- back when I was at the newspaper in Little Rock (about an hour away), I used to take a week off the first part of every October so I could drive down every day for the Documentary Film Festival there.

It was also, IIRC, one of the very first spring training sites early last century.

Is Hot Springs still a gambling and prostitution mecca? I heard it used to be kind of a hillbilly version of Vegas.

FC Dallas is playing a home game tonight, and with a baseball conflict, I can't imagine there will be more than a few thousand in the stands (including me).

Wouldn't that still be the case regardless of a baseball conflict?

How about a Friday night game seven that goes so deep into extras that both teams run out of pitchers and game seven ends with Pujols getting the last out on the mound and hitting a walk off homer in the bottom of the inning?

This is approximately the plot of TC Boyle's short piece, "The Hector Quesadilla Story." Well worth tracking down, especially if tonight is rained out.

South Central Modern Language Association

C'mon, you gotta have better than that. I'm not falling for that one.

Next he tell us about all the hot chicks who attend.

Me, I'm hoping for a rainout. I've been in work at 5:00 AM** all week -- at least I can try to stay up Friday night.

** Stupid Belgians

Yawn...I'm camping on the beach between Port Aransas Tx and Padre Island Natl Seashore and the last thing on my mind is a ballgame between a second place team and a fourth place team. Sitting in the sun, tapping this on my phone at the moment. There is beer involved.

If they do play it'll be satellite radio for me. And more beer.

Is Hot Springs still a gambling and prostitution mecca?

Now how would I know about such things.

I've been to Oaklawn Park during racing season, but I don't know about other forms of gambling in Hot Springs. Oaklawn's website seems to promote some sort of quasi-casino activity (video poker for valuable prizes?), but I don't think there are any true casinos in Arkansas. I'll check for floating crap games while I'm there.

As I remember Hot Springs, there really is a lot of hot water, plus stuff like alligator ranches, pancake houses, catfish restaurants, and a fair amount of astonishingly beautiful national-park scenery.

I imagine a certain amount of Cardinals fans, too. Better leave my Adrian Beltre T-shirt at home.

Number 24,

may I recommend this to you?

Checklist request

[ ] Announcer makes joke about TLR getting the right relief pitcher up.
-> [ ] Joke involves ancient form of communication (smoke signals, semaphore, morse code, Pony Express)

Game is postponed.

I blame Joe Buck.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

That was blessedly early. The hourly forecast was for 40% chance of rain at 8pm; if it's fixing to be heavy rain that's a ghastly situation for the fans. Of course it's now ghastly for Cardinals fans who had Game Six tickets but are booked to speak at the philately club or something on Thursday. Having endured rain and rainout in Arlington earlier this fall, I empathize.

Game is postponed.

Aw crap! That means I'll have to skip poker tomorrow. The guy hosting our bi-weekly poker game agreed to show the WS in lieu of the Miami-Virginia game, as it would be a game 7. Since it will merely be game 6, I have a feeling he will insist on football.

I have theatre tickets tomorrow. Guess I'm on the DVR. Actually, I have tickets for friday too. Crap.

best case scenario for this series is still alive and well. now we just need a TLR driven 6 run, 5 reliever, 45 minute 8th inning.


*fingers crossed*

Pat -

Attendance has gone up significantly at FCD games this season. Moreover, it is against the Red Bull, so there will be the fans coming in to see Marquez and/or Henry.

Even with the postponement, I'll be astonished if actual attendance is much over 10K. It's a school night, and FCD generally draws horrific crowds for weeknight games. That being said, 10K beats 4K (which would have been my guess with the direct conflict).

Didn't Washington announce a few days ago that even if this game was rained out, he was starting Harrison and not Holland in game 7? Seems foolish after their respective performances so far. I suppose he could still change his mind too.

Game is postponed.

Lance Lynn is now warming up.

Game 5 crushed Monday Night Football, btw.

Is Hot Springs still a gambling and prostitution mecca?

Now how would I know about such things.

I've been to Oaklawn Park during racing season, but I don't know about other forms of gambling in Hot Springs. Oaklawn's website seems to promote some sort of quasi-casino activity (video poker for valuable prizes?), but I don't think there are any true casinos in Arkansas. I'll check for floating crap games while I'm there.

As I remember Hot Springs, there really is a lot of hot water, plus stuff like alligator ranches, pancake houses, catfish restaurants, and a fair amount of astonishingly beautiful national-park scenery.

Hey - I grew up in Hot Springs. I can weigh in here.

It's not exactly a mecca of gambling and prostitution, though I know you can find the latter if you venture down Central Avenue toward the Arlington/Majestic hotels. I don't think there's racing at Oaklawn now (just probably OTB), but it was a quasi-fun activity when the park was open for live races.

You can do the bathhouses, but don't expect the palatial luxury of old Rome. They're relatively depressing and not all that well kept-up. But if you've ever wanted to soak in very very hot water with a bunch of octogenarians, Hot Springs is definitely the place to come. You can drive up the Ozark foothills and overlook the city - the view is pretty nice, and the drive up to the top of the "mountain" near downtown is scenic, probably particularly so now that it's fall and the leaves should be changing.

If you have a lunch time off, go seek out Rod's Pizza Cellar on Central Avenue (if you're coming from downtown, it's past Oaklawn about half a mile). They do a lunch buffet, and their pizza is really very good. I can't recommend much else in the way of restaurants (there's also Rocky's Corner pizza directly across from Oaklawn, which used to be excellent but they changed management about a decade ago and it's only a shadow of its former self).

(If you get really bored, there's a fun miniature golf course out on Lake Hamilton called Gator Golf. It's out off of Hwy 270, IIRC. We spent a lot of time there when I was young, and last time I was in town they were still there and going... well, if not strong, at least going. There's a wax museum downtown, where I girl I used to like worked one summer. As wax museums go, it's definitely one.)

That's about it. Golf, I guess (the country club course isn't terrible). Fishing and whatnot, if you're into the whole outdoors thing. You can pretty much exhaust all that Hot Springs has to offer in the course of a weekend.

don't think there's racing at Oaklawn now

Oaklawn still has a spring season, Arkansas Derby, the whole thing. Thoroughbred racing nationally is not what it used to be, but it's still a major track.

Tomorrow the forecast is for cold rain in Texas and Arkansas – but cold and clear in St. Louis at night, more to the point ...

Booooooo.

I really wanted to watch the game tonight. C'est la vie.

While we're talking horse racing, I'm off to Louisville next week for the Breeders' Cup. Should be awesome.

Oaklawn still has a spring season, Arkansas Derby, the whole thing. Thoroughbred racing nationally is not what it used to be, but it's still a major track.

Oh I know - I meant now as in "late October". The Arkansas Derby was (and maybe still is) one of the major Kentucky Derby tune-up races, and I distinctly remember seeing horses in the Arkansas Derby that later ran in Kentucky.

Among other notable recent winners of the Arkansas Derby are Curlin and Smarty Jones. Big race.

Question: cancellation advantage to whom?
Rangers - Holland could pitch game 7?
Cardinals - Carpenter on short rest in game 7?

Edit: Not that they will, but they conceivably could.

There is no question that it's an incredible lucky break for the Cardinals. In spite of their numerous epic screwups in this series, they still have a real shot to pull this out.

I meant now as in "late October". The Arkansas Derby was (and maybe still is) one of the major Kentucky Derby tune-up races

Cool! I'd love to go some year. As I remember Oaklawn, it's one of those parks where you can walk via tunnel under the track and watch the races from the infield. Nice, inviting feature, if they still do it.

Question: cancellation advantage to whom?
Rangers - Holland could pitch game 7?
Cardinals - Carpenter on short rest in game 7?

Edit: Not that they will, but they conceivably could.

Rangers, even if they don't use Holland as a starter. If Harrison sucks, Holland can pitch a huge chunk of the game. And most pitchers, when they throw on 3 days rest, suck. I'm not worried about that. And I don't care about Lohse vs. Jackson really - pretty comparable.

Game 5 crushed Monday Night Football, btw.

But Bill Simmons is exulting about what a sad state baseball is in because it wasn't trending on Twitter!

i'm not too busted up about the postponement. but the cards have to win tomorrow so i can see a game on friday ... i think i'll have to start eating baked cod for the next couple of nights. it's a long story.

This is a huge break for the Cards. Carpenter on 3 days rest is a much better option than Lohse on regular rest for a game 7.

As I remember Hot Springs, there really is a lot of hot water, plus stuff like alligator ranches, pancake houses, catfish restaurants, and a fair amount of astonishingly beautiful national-park scenery.

When we were living in the married student barracks during my first marriage, the male half of the couple next door came from the family that ran the biggest alligator farm in Hot Springs. He had all his limbs, as did his brother.

We visited Hot Springs when I was 7, & I remember we went to the IQ Zoo, which I see shut down in 1990, sad to say. One of the highlights was certainly

a chicken named Casey who would peck at a small baseball bat to “hit a home run” in a small controlled baseball field. After getting a hit, Casey would round the bases in the correct order and receive an edible reward.

When he wasn't playing, I presume Casey drank beer & ate fried Red Sox pitchers.

Okay, the LCS's (LCSii?) were a little nondescript, but c'mon.

I'll concede the mediocrity of the NLCS, but Games 2 and 4 of the ALCS featured the only extra innings so far this postseason; Game 2, in particular, was probably the best game of the playoffs so far.

So, how do teams usually do the concept of the starter's "throw day"? I hear all the time about pitcher so-and-so should have pitched relief because it was his throw day anyway. But I don't think that I ever see the starter getting in bullpen work during the game. And most games are night games, so that would mean that the throwing part of the throw day would be before the game. Which would mean that the pitcher wouldn't really be available.

Is that right? If so, would it be practical for a team to start making all throw day excercises happen in the 7th inning of their game so that the starter could come in if needed? Or for the Cubs it could be after the day game.

So, how do teams usually do the concept of the starter's "throw day"? I hear all the time about pitcher so-and-so should have pitched relief because it was his throw day anyway. But I don't think that I ever see the starter getting in bullpen work during the game. And most games are night games, so that would mean that the throwing part of the throw day would be before the game. Which would mean that the pitcher wouldn't really be available.

Is that right? If so, would it be practical for a team to start making all throw day excercises happen in the 7th inning of their game so that the starter could come in if needed? Or for the Cubs it could be after the day game.

And didn't Jim Bouton's manager and pitching coach tell him not to throw if he wasn't actually pitching that day because it "look[ed] horse####"?

ESPN's headline column:

Rangers would still Harrison start in Game 7

Good job.

For a totally meaningless diversion you could listen to my police scanner feed out of Key West. They're in the middle of Fantasy Fest week and the folks are there to par-tayyyyyy. I'd imagine that it makes Hot Springs, AR look tame by comparison. Picture, if you will, ladies sauntering down Duval Street wearing not much more than body paint.

It's a hobby for me, I don't make a dime off it, just fun and games for all.

All the details are on my personal web page:
Bote's Streaming Audio

For a totally meaningless diversion you could listen to my police scanner feed out of Key West.

I am listening; thank you for the feed. I have to confess that I haven't seen any reference to WinAmp in about eight years, so this is a bit of a throwback in more ways than one.

Woot! And, to boot, my late meeting got cancelled tomorrow night. Hotel bar here I come.