2013 MLB Season (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Silverman]

Unfortunately, that lease at the Trop has too much of a stranglehold on the team. And I can assume there is no public transportation to the stadium, which prevents a lot of fans from attending the games. Not to mention, in a far away location. I know I had these issues when it came to going to Marlins games, when they played in Dolphin Stadium.

Really? I never found the traffic at Dolphin Stadium to be so terrible (for football or baseball games). The way that it's right off the Turnpike makes it very convenient, although I can see how it's a pain if you want to take public transportation. Traffic to and from Panthers games is usually much worse.

The new Marlins stadium is *much* easier to get to than I thought it'd be, although if they ever start drawing big crowds, that could change.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

And I definitely agree about the 2nd wild card, which is a joke. The idea of 1-and-done in the actual postseason, just doesn't fly in baseball. Hell, there are no scheduled 1-game series in the regular season, so why have one in the postseason. Though, on the other hand, I don't have a problem with the 1-playoff tie-breaking game (considered game 163), as things will actually be settled on the field rather than a system of confusing tiebreakers.

The second wild card is definitely a joke.

As to which two teams to contract, Florida has spring training which residents love to support. But they never seem to rally behind their home state teams to any great extent. The Rays have been playing great baseball for the last several years and rarely draw 20k fans to their ballpark.

You have to remember that they play in a tin can. Probably the worst ballpark in baseball.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Although some of Frezon's ideas are insane, I totally agree about the second wild card. One-game playoffs have no place in baseball (except as game 163 when needed).

And do what you want with the Rays, but leave my Marlins alone! When they get good again, they'll draw. All they need is a decent owner. Easier said than done. . .

Insane? What's insane? I'm totally serious. I'll yield on the Marlins...but someone else would have to go.

The second wild card is definitely a joke.

You have to remember that they play in a tin can. Probably the worst ballpark in baseball.

Probably?

Definitely.

 

[Walter C]

Really? I never found the traffic at Dolphin Stadium to be so terrible (for football or baseball games). The way that it's right off the Turnpike makes it very convenient, although I can see how it's a pain if you want to take public transportation. Traffic to and from Panthers games is usually much worse.

The new Marlins stadium is *much* easier to get to than I thought it'd be, although if they ever start drawing big crowds, that could change.

Yeah, I should have mentioned that the issues with going to Dolphin Stadium, was if I tried to go there by public transportation. I remember asking one of the hotel staff how to get there from South Beach, and he first gave me a vague answer, then admitted that he did not really know.

Plus I remember thinking, how far the stadium was, from I-95, which only told me, if there was public transportation to Dolphin Stadium, it would take so freaking long.

 

[Ockeghem]

With all due respect to Mike Napoli, John Lackey gets my game ball. Phenomenal work out there today. The pitching in both the ALCS and NLCS has been unbelievable this year. What a game today -- yet another 1-0 gem.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The 2013 ALCS is shaping up to be quite an exciting series. Edge-of-your-seat stuff.

Tim McCarver should be thinking about retirement, if he's not already.

 

[TonyD]

I think he has announced a retirement either this or next isnhis last.I didnt didn't watch today becuase I didnt even jnow they played today, what did Timmy Mac do?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Just the usual.

The thing I've noticed in this series is that Buck will throw out a stat or make an observation (something obviously culled from their pre-game production meeting) and then McCarver--a few minutes later--will throw out the same exact information as if we were all hearing it for the first time. This is happening several times a game.

He seems to have forgotten the first rule of communication which is that you also need to listen.


He also wants to drive home the same points over and over and over and over and over. And over.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And you know the things I never get tired of hearing from McCarver--his stories about the guys he played with, for example--are getting fewer and farther between.

I mean the guy caught Bob Gibson for many years. I would love to hear him apply some of those stories to what goes on in the games today.

 

[TonyD]

By the time he became Carlton's personal catcher in the later 70's he wasnt a very good player anymore.Then he retired and was a color guy on the Phils broadcasts and he quickly became a disliked member of that team.So Being disliked as a broadcaster is nothing new to him and started a long time ago.I can only guess that he he became a national tv guy due to being on the Mets tv crew. If he stayed in Philly or went to another smaller market he never would have been an afterthought. Besides the triples thing he may have been the first or is the only player to play in 4 decades.He was a september roster add on in 1980.DDon't quote me on that as I'm not 100 percent.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Besides the triples thing he may have been the first or is the only player to play in 4 decades.

There was once a fellow named Minnie Minoso:

Minoso had been an outstanding third baseman in the Negro Leagues, and would later play several seasons in Mexico. He was nicknamed 'The Cuban Comet" and while playing in Mexico was "El Charro Negro" - "The Black Cowboy". He is second of two players (the first, Nick Altrock; 1890s-1930s) in Major League Baseball history to play in five-decades (1940s-1980s). With brief appearances with the independent Northern League's St. Paul Saints in 1993 and 2003, Minoso is the only player to have played professionally in seven different decades. He was the last major leaguer to have played in the 1940s, to play a major league game.

In 1976, after several years playing in Mexico, Miñoso returned to MLB to play three games with the White Sox. He picked up one single in eight at bats, becoming, at age 50, the fourth-oldest player ever to get a base hit in the Major Leagues (Hall of Famer Jim O'Rourke was the oldest when he hit safely at age 54 on September 22, 1904, Nick Altrock singled on October 6, 1929 at 53, and Charlie O'Leary singled on September 30, 1934, at 51). Miñoso then returned to appear in two more games with the Sox in 1980. His five stints with Chicago cemented his image as a local baseball icon for at least three generations of White Sox fans. When the last game was played at the old Comiskey Park on September 30, 1990, Miñoso was invited to present the White Sox lineup card to the umpires in the pregame ceremonies at home plate. He did so while wearing the new uniform debuted by the White Sox that day, his familiar number 9 on the back.

In his 1980 appearance at age 54, Miñoso became the third-oldest player ever to play in the majors, behind Nick Altrock, who pinch-hit in 1933 at the age of 57, and Satchel Paige, who, at 59, pitched three shutout innings in his one game in 1965. Minoso is one of only two players to have made an appearance in a major league game in five decades, the other being Altrock.

In 1990, he was scheduled to make an appearance with the minor league Miami Miracle and hence become the only professional to play in six decades; however, MLB overruled the Miracle on the idea. Nonetheless, in 1993 at the age of 67, he made an appearance with the independent St. Paul Saints of the Northern League. Then, in 2003 he returned to the Saints and drew a walk, thus becoming the only ball player to appear professionally in seven different decades. The earlier extensions to his career with the Sox were publicity stunts orchestrated respectively by one-time Sox owner Bill Veeck and his son Mike, who at the time owned partial or controlling interest in the teams.

 

[TonyD]

I remember him.Told you not to quote me.

 

[Walter C]

Tim McCarver should be thinking about retirement, if he's not already.

Funny, because I was just thinking, what would his legacy be, after all this time? I doubt anyone will have fond memories of this guy, or Joe Buck, for that matter. McCarver must have horrible pictures of various people in the business, which would only explain why he lasted this long, and how different networks keep hiring this guy. Though, to be fair, he didn't seem so bad when he was with ABC.

I was hoping that FOX would lose the rights to MLB, but unfortunately, we are stuck with them for another decade. But I have to remember, McCarver will go wherever baseball goes. Well, at least no one network has exclusive rights to the postseason.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I think all four teams are batting under .200 for the series (one may be slightly over). Pretty amazing!

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm not a fan of Joe Buck, either. I cringe whenever I have to watch baseball on Fox. I'm often tempted to mute the TV sound and turn on a radio broadcast.

 

[Ockeghem]

Mike,

I think the Dodgers (Greinke) win today, and that the Cardinals get to Kershaw back in St. Louis and take this series in six games. I doubt the Cardinals will blow a three-games-to-one lead two years in a row. I'm going to leave calling the Red Sox - Tigers series to you.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I think all four teams are batting under .200 for the series (one may be slightly over). Pretty amazing!

From today's Boston Globe: The Power of Pitching (in the 2013 post season)

I'm going to leave calling the Red Sox - Tigers series to you.

I'm already on record for a Boston/LA series. I'll take one out of two...as long as it's the "right" one!

 

[Ockeghem]

I'm already on record for a Boston/LA series. I'll take one out of two...as long as it's the "right" one!

Mike,I hope you're right (Boston - Los Angeles). I really do.

Incidentally, the Tigers have changed their line-up significantly for tonight's game.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Incidentally, the Tigers have changed their line-up significantly for tonight's game.

A guy like Jim Leyland doesn't do such things lightly.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Well, so much for the trade deadline.