As an Orioles fan, i feel happy for you.
About this time last year, i was in a similar situation. First winning season and first playoff appearance since 1997. And for me, it was the first time i’d ever seen them do that, because i didn’t even come to the US until 2000.
I’ll be rooting for the Pirates in the NL, even if some Pirates fans are also (spit) Steelers fans.
Congrats to the Pirates and their fans. Last time they had a winning season, I was in Little League… playing for the Pirates. So I have a soft spot for the Bucs. 
I watched the Orioles closely last year and rooted for them… Baltimore and Pittsburgh are very similar cities, and unfortunately, we have very similar situations with our baseball teams.
Trust me, I had to hold my nose when I thought about the Raven fans, so I understand. But Oriole fans? They deserved it, and they are my second favorite team behind the Pirates. I used to live in the Baltimore area, and I used to watch games on 33rd street. Loved that stadium, hated the parking!
All fans are welcome! Thanks for the congrats, and please feel free to jump on the bandwagon! Even if some terrible slide happens and we don’t make the playoffs (and it can happen), I’m still on cloud 9… I think 90 wins will get them into the wild card, so we"ll see.
Like FGIS, I think this 6 games against the Reds will be huge in determining the division. I hope it will be the Pirates turn to get the division crown. That would mean a lot, especially in their division which has been competitive all year. If we could get some hitting, score some runs, and pitch as well as we have all season, we should make it!
So apparently, the Mariners have traded SS Brendan Ryan to the Yankees for a player to be named later. Well, congrats, Yankees, I guess. You’re getting a damned fine shortstop with impeccable defensive skills … who can’t hit for shit.
Well, that was worth staying up for. Scott (not Andy) Van Slyke comes off the bench to pinch-hit in the 11th and smacks a walk-off two-run shot against the D-Backs to take the Dodgers’ magic number down to six. Good times at the Ravine!
Well this is embarrassing. Last year, after the announcement that the Astros would be joining the AL West, my Mariner-fan ass posted here, “As a Mariners fan, I welcome the Astros to the AL West”, because I knew it would mean that the Mariners wouldn’t finish the season in the cellar. Okay, the Astros are occupying the cellar, but while the Mariners have a winning record in the division, they have now officially lost the season series against the Astros. Tuesday’s game was just … awful all around.
So is he going to be a late-innings sub for Jeter, or is Jeter moving to 3B to finish his career?
I’m guessing they think Jeter is done for the year and they’re not optimistic he’ll be able to play the field every day next year either. And they’ve seen enough of Nunez. If Jeter’s ankle is permanently compromised I don’t see how third base is an option for him either, really.
So here’s the update on Magic Numbers:
Format is Team (Lead) - Magic# - Games Remaining:
Red Sox (8.5) - 10 - 16
Tigers (5.5) - 13 - 17
Athletics (2) - 17 - 18
Cardinals (1) - 18 - 18
Dodgers (13) - 6 - 18
Braves (12) - 7 - 18
Would it be wrong of me to hope that Kemp stays on the DL for the rest of the regular **and **post-season? He was garbage when he was playing, and that would simplify things for Mattingly so very much.
Simplifying things like the “problem” we had with “too much pitching” when we started the season? I’ll take my chances having to sort things out with four outfielders. Mattingly is paid well to make it work.
This assumes, of course, an actually healthy Kemp, which I’m not sure is very likely at any point in 2013.
Mattingly has made noises that indicate that he won’t play Kemp in the post-season if he doesn’t get any in-season games in, I don’t think we are seeing him again until 2014.
He went 0-20something in hi-A, which is a hitters league…and A ball. It’s been almost a year and a half since he has played regularly, and longer than that since he has played at full health. The last couple of games before the ankle sprain he was starting to look like himself again, but the guy needs to get back into baseball shape before he can be expected to do anything real.
Sounds like off-season trade-bait to me.
Way to go, Pirates for sweeping the Rangers on the road to get back to within a half-game of the Cards (pending tonight’s game). Just when it looked like they were heading for a major flame out after hitting win 81, they finally get 82 and sweep the Rangers. Huge win for them. They are still in the Central race, and they could have folded in Texas.
One thing. Someone needs to tell Clint Hurdle that AJ Burnett is no longer the ace of the staff. If you get five innings out of him, take them and get him out of the game. He almost blew a 6 run lead today with his now-usual one or two inning blow-up. He was pitching a one hitter until the sixth, and the 5-9 AJ showed up.
This is going to be an exciting September of baseball for once!
So the Astros’ season was basically over before it started.
Some good news, some bad news from this year. The good news includes the performance of Jarred Cosart (1.95 ERA in 60 innings) and Brett Oberholtzer (2.5something in 54 innings) since they were called up after the All Star Break. Brad Peacock, who was horrible to start the season, has put up a respectable 3.6 something since getting called back up. Hopefully that’s the core of the rotation and they just need to fill in the 4-5 slots until Mark Appel and some of the other guys are ready. Likely for next year are a couple guys with Polish names that I’m not going to try to spell off the top of my head. (Asher Woj-something and Mike Fol-something-wicz).
Other good news at the major league level was Jason Castro turning into a legit all-star at catcher - he’s the second-best catcher in the AL this year - and Jonathan Villar putting up some respectable numbers (104 OPS+, lots of stolen bases, somewhat below-average but not embarrassing defense) at shortstop. In the minors, the big news was George Springer, who put up a 1.000 plus OPS between AA and AAA, but a bunch of other guys did well for themselves; I think all of the Astros’ affiliates were in the playoffs at their level.
Bad news: Jose Altuve regressed from last year, walking less, striking out more, and hitting for less power. In the minors, Jonathan Singleton (who was the team’s top prospect going into the season) had a terrible season adjusting to AAA and coming off of a suspension. He’s still only 21, so there’s lots of time. Also, the team was terrible and no one else who played at the major league level aside from those mentioned above looks to be a long-term starter.
I think the Astros other big plus was their uniform changes. Very nicely done.
So who is our ace? Liriano? Every other start he gets lit up. Pitches a 2 hit shutout one start and then gives up 11 run in 3 1/3 his next. Our bullpen is shaky (er than it was) now, and Grilli doesn’t seem to have his stuff. Locke imploded
Our pitching needs either a rest or a foot in the ass. Other than that, Let’s Go Bucs!
I actually think he was rounding into form just before the ankle injury. He’s got enough history of excellence that I think Crawford’s the trade bait, and you put Kemp in left next yr.
Who plays center? Ethier? Kemp is better in CF than he is. Personally I think it’s Ethier who is going because he has the movable contract and has had an above average year even though he still can’t hit lefties. I agree that Kemp is going to bounce back, he just needs to get healthy.
I leave Dre in center, he’s doing a more than credible job, and keep Kemp in left to save wear and tear on his wheels. However, I admit I pay next to no attention to contracts.