The MLB Thread

The World Series has begun! Prepare for an epic matchup of...

...what the heck was that?

Yeah, that was ugly. Somehow Wainwright just hasn't pitched all that well since the NLDS. Still, it's only one game. Wacha's going tomorrow, and he's been absolutely incredible so far. Take that game, and suddenly it's a five game series with three games in St. Louis and two in Boston.

That was beautiful was what it was.

a few more games like that and I can drink the delicious tears of my rl cardinals fan friends for mon ths.

So are you a Red Sox fan or just a Cardinals hater?

I'm torn. On one hand, I'm usually an unreconstructed National Leaguer, and seldom fail to pull for their representative in the Series.

On the other hand: we Braves fans have suffered far more from the Cardinals than the Sox (the '82 NLCS still stings). And despite their two recent world championships, the Red Sox had a pretty awful 8.5 decades of WS failures; the universe still probably owes them to some degree. So looks as if I'll be pulling for Boston over the next week+.

Not gonna lie, all other things being neutral, lately the Cardinals have fit all the criteria of a team I would normally hate. They've been dominating their division for years and keep making deep playoff runs at the expense of likable underdog teams like the Nationals and Pirates. But they're my team. I've been a diehard fan for years, and it's fun to see at least one of the teams I like be genuinely dominant. In St. Louis, the Blues always seem promising but have yet to take that next step, and I've basically stopped following the Rams seeing as I've decided I'm not that big of an NFL fan, and they're probably moving back to LA soon anyway. And up here in my adoptive home state, following just about any sport, pro or college, feels like an exercise in masochism (not that that stops me; someday my Gophers will get that axe back from Wisconsin...)

And that, oddly enough, was Boston's first World Series loss since Game 7 way back in 1986. Interesting measure of both their curse era futility and their modern era dominance right there.

I'm neither.

But given I live in missouri, I've grown a deep, abiding, absolutely all-consuming hatred for Cardinals fans.

Some of them are the single most condescending, self-righteous braggarts you will ever meet. And god forbid if they lose a game. Those kind of fans have ruined any chance of me ever taking any pleasure in hearing the Cardinals won a game/

edited 24th Oct '13 8:48:53 PM by midgetsnowman

Well... sorry you feel that way. Not all of us are like that, or at least I try not to be.

I know not all of them are. I just have the luck to know some of the kind who when the Royals beat them one game, we got treated to them posting entire facebook posts about how statistically superior the Cardinals are.

I guess there aren't as many irritating Red Sox fans there as there are here then.

Meh, any sufficiently large and passionate fanbase is bound to have at least a few irritating people in it. I think that goes for any team, any sport, hell, anything that has fans.

For whatever it's worth though, it seems that most of the people where I am are content to completely ignore the World Series and talk about the Vikings, even though they've been terrible this year.

Well, disappointing end to the season for me, but I can hardly say the same for the season as a whole. Kinda cool though that the Red Sox clinched their first World Series at home since 1918.

...And now begins the long, cold wait for Spring Training 2014.

And the horse trading, free-agent signings, and arbitration drama.

I just remembered the All Star Game is going to be up here next year as well. I doubt I'll be lucky enough to get to go, but it'll still be a treat. Target Field is such a great new ballpark.

edited 31st Oct '13 11:40:15 AM by CombatC122

And just for retrospective fun, here's are SI's World Series predictions.

Six out of seven people picked the Cardinals to win it.

I'm happy just because yankee fans are probably pissed off.

Meh, I thought it was enough that the Yankees missed the playoffs. If an AL team had to win this year, I would've preferred to see a team like the Tigers take it. Although I guess the whole Boston recovery angle made for a good story too.

In an interesting bit of news out of Missouri, apparently the Red Sox took out a full page ad in the St Louis Post Dispatch thanking the Cardinals for a great world series matchup and hoping to see them again next year at the world series for a rematch,.

I actually hadn't heard about that. Classy move by the Red Sox organization for sure.

Yeah, apparently even the team owners signed it and all, so it was a really nice move.

edited 5th Nov '13 10:00:01 PM by midgetsnowman

Now, why can't more young minor leaguers be as smart about building their careers as this guy? (For every one guy who makes it to the majors, there are three who don't.)

Teenage Mutant Fresno Grizzlies? Really?

Sorry for double-post, but I'm crossposting this where relevant: White House petition to make MLB opening day a national holiday.

I personally think the MLB baseball season is too long to have a specific focus on one day, especially compared to other sports. (There would be a better chance getting the Super Bowl made into a national holiday.)

Season has already started. What are your thoughts?

Also, 300th post. This, is, SPARTA! (Cliche meme is cliche)

edited 21st Apr '14 3:58:30 PM by DynamiteNinja