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Post by Bill Yowell on Jul 12, 2012 7:54:28 GMT -5
Most of the All-Star games of late have been useless. Home field advantage for the winning league doesn't seem to be incentive enough to promote All=Star level play from most envolved. Perhaps it is because many of the players are from teams that are already not on track for post season play. I am all for the recognition of outstanding players in the leagues, but would just as soon give those players a patch for their sleeves and do away with the game itself. Home field advantage should be based on the performances and records of the teams envolved at the end. Just my opinion.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 12, 2012 9:59:51 GMT -5
I seldom watch the AS Game; didn't watch much this year & actually missed Harper and Strasburg. I don't like the fan voting and don't get reasoning behind giving WS home team advantage to the winner. Makes no sense. This should just alternate each year like it used to. All gimmicks.
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Post by loucapitano on Jul 12, 2012 15:30:08 GMT -5
You're right Allen, it must look really bad from the Red Sox side after their Yankee whupping! But the dark side of me fears the Sox will get better and the Yanks will get worse. I shouldn't think that, but I always get a bad feeling this time of the season. PS: The Allstar was such a waste of effort. It's th last time I ever watch it - for sure this time!
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jul 13, 2012 20:24:41 GMT -5
Or, decide it with a coin toss. Why mess with a boring excuse of a baseball game when a mere flip of the coin can achieve the same thing.
I'm guessing they feel the need to set the home field early so that teams in the hunt can make some kind of plans for ticket sales. Waiting until the last minute would be difficult, I suppose, but simply alternating it year to year would take care of that problem.
I found the HR Derby interesting enough to watch, but not the game.
Paul
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Post by Valerie Hyatt Martin on Jul 18, 2012 22:25:31 GMT -5
Cal and Billy Ripken suggested home field advantage be given by the team with the best winning record (Cal) or the team (league) who won the last World Series. Cal suggested they return it to an exhibition game. As for the HR derby, Cal suggested fewer rounds...and more players. Reduce the possible exhaustion factor and more of the HR hitters might join in. If you're a fan and you voted and your guys get in, then it might be more interesting if it was exhibition. I thought the idea to play for home field advantage was to make it more interesting...not sure that happened. It puts pressure on managers and players, but not sure that pressure produced an interesting game or a fair way to pick home field advantage.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 18, 2012 22:42:52 GMT -5
It was a bad idea, especially given the DH/no-DH rules of interleague play. Although I hate the DH and think it should be retired, as long as it exists, the AL team is always playing a man short when visiting the NL team. The All-Star game was a lot better when the players voted for the teams and it was strictuly an exhibition; that's all it should be.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 21, 2012 10:17:11 GMT -5
OK, just to be clear: last night's Nats-Braves game never happened. Are we clear on that?
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Post by Valerie Hyatt Martin on Jul 21, 2012 22:04:32 GMT -5
What game? I have no memory of a Nats-Braves game.
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jul 21, 2012 22:36:42 GMT -5
Apparently a heartbreaker of a loss in extra innings. After seeing the Dead Sox blow a 3-0 lead and lose to the Jays 7-4 tonight, I'm glad I can still rally behind the Rangers. Same ol', same ol' tonight. The Sox scored all three runs via a single (three-run) homer, and left people on base the rest of the night.
"The stars at night, are big and bright (clap, clap, clap, clap) -- deep in the heart of Texas ... "
Paul
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 22, 2012 9:03:13 GMT -5
Well, the Nats managed to salvage one game from Atlanta and stay in first place. Hope they can do it again this afternoon. Meanwhile, the Os are on a hot streak of their own, but the Yanks just have too big a lead and will probably cruise to another title (ho, hum). Oakland has beaten them 3 straight, however, so maybe there's some hope that the AL East will see something of a race before it's over.
No, Paul; I don't see the Sox being part of that either. What a mess that team is!
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 22, 2012 13:02:55 GMT -5
What game? I have no memory of a Nats-Braves game. No idea what you're referring to, Valerie. I draw a blank here.
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jul 22, 2012 13:54:36 GMT -5
No, Paul; I don't see the Sox being part of that either. What a mess that team is! I think the problem is they prefer to settle for anything less than best. The Yanks ALWAYS shoot straight for the pennant -- aiming to win their division outright, taking no prisoners along the way. For almost as long as there has been a "wild card" option, the Sox figured they could play less-than-best and still slip into the playoffs via the WC. So, this year, we have TWO (count 'em, TWO) wild card slots and the TV announcers are talking about how great it is that Boston has managed to stay in the distant hunt for the SECOND ewild card slot. WTF? Truth is, Boston is near the botton of the also-rans for that, too. Today's game has Boston losing to Toronto 9-3 in the top of the third, so this looks to be a sweep for the Jays and another lost weekend and opportunity for Boston. And there still are Red Sox fans wearing "Yankees Suck" T-shirts to games a Fenway that they overpaid for a ticket to attend? Man, that's messed up .... Paul
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Post by loucapitano on Jul 22, 2012 15:01:53 GMT -5
Thanks Paul for agreeing that "Yankees Suck" T-shirts are not going to get Boston any closer to the Wild Card. It's a lot harder to find anti - Boston Tshirts - even around the Stadium here in NY. But the three games the Yanks just lost to the A's (and maybe a fourth one today) just might be a peek into how the Yankees could blow the playoffs by single run losses. As long as they fail to hit with RISP they will be outpitched right out of competition. They had a good streak going, but they have to get some "small ball" players who can save them in 5 and 7 game series. Of course, it might come down to a slugfest against the Rangers. In that case, it's anybody's game. Lou from Long Island
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nybob
Full Member
Posts: 26
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Post by nybob on Jul 29, 2012 0:46:02 GMT -5
Well it's July and the Mets have faded into the dust. I wish the d**n Wilpons would just sell this team. Oh well i haven't gone to a game in two years and now its on to summer reality t.v. Bob
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 29, 2012 8:30:38 GMT -5
We are 100 games into the "long season" and things have shaken out quite a bit. Most teams are out of the races, but there are several divisions up for grabs. Maybe we'll have a final night as exciting as last year's! Everyone around here is delighted with the exciting and surprising Nats. They seem to be on course for a post-season appearance, but from that point on it's a crap shoot. And Atlanta is not going away, so that division is going to stay interesting. The Orioles gave us some excitiment for a change, but have now folded and are in their old form. Still, there is hope that something more can be done to improve the team. They Yanks had the division sewed up a while ago, even with a few key injuries and are looking to the playoffs. I see no other credible team in that division, which was once so exciting and competitive. This year, it's the dullest division in baseball. Texas is not a shoe-in and faces stiff competition from L.A. and Oakland, but I'd still bet on the Rangers winning the division. The Giants and Dodgers have resurrected their old rivalry, going back to N.Y. days and the NL Central has heated up with the Pirates a big surprise (at least to me). The season's best days are probably yet to come, so stay tuned!
P.S. I forgot to mention the AL and NL Central Divisions. The White Sox seem to have taken flight since Yuke arrived, but we have not heard the last from Detroit or Cleveland yet. In the NL, the Reds have the lead, but also stiff competion from Pittsburgh and don't count St. Louis out yet (everyone had written them off at this point last year, too, and we all know how THAT ended!). Still a long way to go!
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