Frayed Knot

1-1 after 3, but the game's much closer than the score indicates. seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" have hit into some hard outs. And I get all this 'the game is different now' and 'it's a new generation' stuff, and when it comes to overt celebrating and the like I'm fine with all that. But it's Game 7 of the WS, HOW THE FUCK is Fowler not running on his leadoff HR which got over the wall by like 2 feet? If that's off the wall instead of over it he's lucky to get hisself a double instead of what could quite possibly be a sure triple (or more?). Less seriously but still odd is seeing Schwarber immediately making sure that he didn't hurt Lindor on his slide, as if that's his first thought at being thrown out on an attempted double. Or I'm just an old man ranting. oe: and how did the 2nd base ump mess up that earlier force play when Baez tried to bare-hand the ball??

8:08 first pitch That's 7:08 Chicago time which, if translated into 24-hour/military time = 1908 Coincidence?!?!? Of course it's a coincidence you morons!! btw, when I'm elected king, we're all immediately moving to 24-hour time, it's so much more logical.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think UniWatch did a thing a year or so ago where it showcased submitted designs about what modern Cleveland Spiders uniforms might look like. Yeah, this Spiders idea of ours isn't all that original. Apparently some folks hate this proposal on account of the one thing they know about the Spiders of the late 19th century is the 1899 team that posted a 20-134 record. But they were at least reasonably good prior to that (they didn't just have a Cy Young pitcher after all ... they had Cy Young!!) and only crashed after the owner sold all his good players over to the St Louis team which he also owned. That act led to a ban on owners owning more than one team and also led to Cleveland being one of four franchises contracted by the NL as they headed into the new century (also Baltimore, Louisville, and Washington) leaving just the 'original eight' that most fans know. Cleveland was then of course revived as a major league baseball town two years later by the new American League, so while there's not really a direct line from the old Spiders to the Cleveland Blues/Bronchos/Naps and, since 1915, the Indians, there is a connection between the name and the city.

[fimg=250:1pz76yyh]http://joeposnanski.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/wpid-SpidersLogo-2014-03-25-09-56.jpg[/fimg:1pz76yyh]

Minor league and Negro league baseball in Jacksonville dates back, nearly continuously, to 1886. Previous names used include: Clippers, Macedonias (now there's one you don't hear everyday), Athletics Those three were all from the same year in the 'Southern League of Negro BaseBallists' and most likely reflect the more informal nature of sports team nicknames at that time which sometimes depended on what your part of town called them or which newspaper you read. Since then they've variously been the Jays Tarpons Roses Red Caps Scouts Indians Tars For a while there there was a nearly every other year switch between Tars and Red Caps as the team flittered between South Atlantic (Tars) and Negro American (Red Caps) league ball Braves Jets Suns since 1962 interrupted only by a three year stint as the Expos

That's probably the best way to hook whatever fans are determined to hang onto a name simply because it's old and 'original' -- sell them on the idea that the one you're switching to is even older and more original!! SPI-DERS! SPI-DERS! SPI-DERS!

Kwik Kwiz: What -- or, more accurately, Who -- is the is the brief location of the Mets AAA team in Jacksonville (1966-68) responsible for producing? answer below The change of the name to to the Jumbo Shrimps “is a high-energy, impactful, bold move,” says idiot responsible for it. No it isn't, it's stupid. Plus there's the whole half-century-plus of tradition out the window. ** it was during the time he played at Jacksonville that Tug McGraw had a brief affair with neighbor Betty Ann D'Agastino which resulted in her pregnancy and the eventual birth, in May 1967, of future singer/actor Tim McGraw

Chad Ochoseis wrote: I give it another couple of years. Then a respectful retirement, and maybe a special exhibit on the Chief in the Indians HoF, where they could have a discussion about traditions while recognizing that what was cool in 1950 is ugly and racist in the 21st century. At which point the debate will shift to whether keeping the name 'Indians' is just as bad even with Mr. Wahoo gone.

And we'll see you tomorrow night. (or later tonight had this game lasted a few more minutes)

Madden going to Chapman here is pretty shocking IMO.

You people need to get over your Eric Campbell obsessions.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I didn't even know he had an alternate last name of Mojica! Yeah, that too! That came out of nowhere! The whole which side of the family's name to use thing seems to be a bit of a optional and fluid thing with some of the Caribbean/Spanish players. Often the original/alternative is listed on their BB-Ref page but not in Familia's case.

Chad Ochoseis wrote: Don't know if this got beyond the Cleveland media and went national... http://fox8.com/2016/10/28/indians-fans-create-wedding-registry-for-joe-buck-and-cubs-kyle-schwarber/ That's pretty funny, and even prior to that JCL remarked about about 'Buck's boyfriend coming up' during a Schwarber PH appearance. But fans always overdo their complaints about announcer rooting bias. At worst announcers root for stories and, like it or not Cleveland, the biggest story this year would be the Cubs winning it all and the second biggest would be the Cubs NOT winning. In most other years the Indians would be the sentimental choice but not this year and not against the Cubs. It had been something like five years since MLB's WS ratings topped those of the NFL's Sunday night game but they did so significantly this week [15.something to around 11) and that's against a Cowboys game on Sunday, and a good Cowboy team at that vs a big city division rival (Philly). Schwarber is a story within the bigger story so it's not a surprise that the booth latches onto that.

Wilson Ramos's agent tells the Washington Post that his client wants a five-year deal. And I would too if I were a power-hitting 29 y/o catcher, but this is a guy who missed significant chunks of 2012, 2013, & 2014 and any five-year deal beginning in 2017 starts right off with a missed half-season or more built into it. I think Sandy will opt to spend his allowance elsewhere.

Centerfield wrote: Maybe I'm too high on Lugo right now. There are help lines for that. Don't wait too long to call. Lugo is often cited as a gateway drug to harder stuff.

Gwreck wrote: Funnily enough, Reed and Familia each pitched exactly 77 2/3 innings this year. Reed gave up fewer hits, fewer walks, fewer runs and struck out more batters. Put another way, Reed recorded the same numbers of outs while facing 17 fewer hitters; aka: 17 extra guys who reached base facing Familia. Robles, also recording that same number of outs, put 31 more hitters on base compared to Reed, 14 more than Familia. The only stat where Reed was worse than Familia in 2016 was HRs allowed: 4 to 1 ... well, one until the WC game anyway.

And the season isn't done yet. First win in the WS for the Cubs in Wrigley since 12 Presidents ago!

Cubs have still scored in just six of the 43 innings they've batted in so far in this WS, and in only three of the 25 at Wrigley. Indians = 10 scoring innings out of 42 (didn't bat in bottom 9 Game 1)

Odd that Maddon PH'd for Ross (w/2 outs and no one on) in anticipation of removing Lester although Lester's spot never came up and it's obvious that he planned to remove Lester all along even though he'd been pitching well and his pitch count was fairly low. oe: and now he goes to Chapman with one out in the 7th!!!

Does any ML battery look more alike than do Lester & Ross for the Cubs?

Maddon bunts more often than I prefer my manager to do. I mean, 1st & 3rd / no-outs with Addison Russell up (even a cold Russell)?!?!?? And now a 2-strike infield hits gives the Cubs the lead.

Obviously yes. Just sort of alluding to those who thought it was merely a matter of how the Cubs march to the title would go this season, not if. Hell, some seemed to assume that this year was to be the first in a string of championships for the North-siders - which still may happen but let's see it happen once first before we starting counting how many.

A funny thing seems to be happening on the way to Theo Epstein's enshrinement.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: I'm rarely surprised by the outcome of series - but I am totally shocked by how inept the Cubs look while they're in the process of losing. Reminds me of last year's deserving NL rep suddenly playing like crap Somewhat, but this is even worse. Looking like crap during a short series is one thing, but it's multiplied when you're the 103 game winner who held essentially a wire to wire lead on not just the division but on the sport's best record and had by far the biggest run differential in either league (+252) - and now that team is on the brink after being held to 2 runs or less for the sixth time in 14 games (including 4 shoutouts) and scoring all of seven runs over four WS games. In the process they're getting out-pitched, out-HR'd, out-run, and out-fielded.

How cool is it that former SC Justice John Paul Stevens has not only been to previous Chicago Cubs WS games but it wasn't even the most recent ones? The 96 y/o retired justice attended games in both the 1929 & 1932 World Series.