apete6

That's what she said.

The biggest problem with giving it to the team with the better record is timing. You can't just announce where Game 1 of the World Series is going to be two days before the game is played. And that could be a very likely scenario. Um, actually, you are already doing that. For example, last year, no one knew if it would be Boston or Cleveland until after the ALCS was over. They do it for every other round of the playoffs, and in every other sport. That's not the same thing. Cleveland and Boston could both sell tickets to Games 1 and 2 of the World Series last year. Colorado and Arizona could both sell tickets to Games 3 through 5. If they did it based on record, then Boston could've had home field advantage against Colorado and not against Arizona (hypothetical, I don't know what their records were). Which makes it tough on people who buy tickets to Home Game 1. They can't exactly book a flight and hotel for game one, only to find out that they're actually going to game three. What about the NLCS when the Cubs hosted the Marlins, but would have been going to San Fran, those people would have only had 2 days to plan or whatever. Why does the World Series have to be so different. Also, most fans in attendance at a playoff game are likely residents of the metro area of the team involved, or can at least drive less than 5 or 6 hours. For every great Cub fan in Pennsylvania or Florida, there are about 50,000 in Chicago.

25-5 OK then, how about the Bears who got through a weak NFC 2 years ago. Would it have been OK with you if the Super Bowl would have been in Chicago rather than Indianapolis? The Bears were, what, 2-2 against the AFC that year? I definitely think that Super Bowl should have been in Chicago. See clarified/edited post. Obviously its a neutral site game, but that might just be the answer then. Just play all 7 games in an empty Pro Player stadium or something. :D

25-5 OK then, how about the Bears who got through a weak NFC 2 years ago. Would it have been OK with you if the Super Bowl would have been in Chicago rather than Indianapolis? The Bears were, what, 2-2 against the AFC that year? (obviously its a neutral site game, but you get the point)

The biggest problem with giving it to the team with the better record is timing. You can't just announce where Game 1 of the World Series is going to be two days before the game is played. And that could be a very likely scenario. Um, actually, you are already doing that. For example, last year, no one knew if it would be Boston or Cleveland until after the ALCS was over. They do it for every other round of the playoffs, and in every other sport.

Why would you pick team with best overall record? It seems obvious, but when you factor in the unbalanced schedule and league makeup, then doesn't it get to be garbage? Look at the Celtics this year, no way they would have won 65 games (or whatever they won) in the West. League with best interleague record is better because it rewards 1 league for being overall better than the other. Just because, say, the Cubs would have gone 12-0 in interleague and have the best overall record, you could say that they beat a bunch of scrub NL teams for their other 88 or so victories.

So best record is fair, now? The Celtics beat up on the weak Eastern Conference this year and got home court in the NBA finals. Same could happen every year in baseball. Why not use league vs. league interleague record? This way the stronger league gets HFA. The AL is clearly a better league this year and interleague proved it. Let them have HFA.

We may very well see 3 shutouts in this series with Harden tomorrow and Lincecum/Dempster with full bullpens on Sunday due to the all star game.

Hate how his was managed after the leadoff double. Should have bunted w/ Dero. Now we wasted multiple guys and Marquis is forced out. a sac bunt doesn't change the outcome of that inning at all. It does if you squeeze... only if you squeeze successfully. Knowing the Cubs propensity for making outs on the basepaths, there's no sure thing. Better chance of them getting down 2 bunts than getting 1 hit off Cain with those guys up.

Hate how his was managed after the leadoff double. Should have bunted w/ Dero. Now we wasted multiple guys and Marquis is forced out. a sac bunt doesn't change the outcome of that inning at all. It does if you squeeze...

Why did DeRosa not bunt?

Hardon for Harden

OK everyone, tell us what you think of the trade. If you think we gave up too much, let us know now, don't tell us you're happy and then cry about it when the beloved Matt Murton is OPS-ing 900 and Gallagher wins the AL Cy Young. By the way, my Harden Hardon is raging right now. Nice move Jimbo.

sometimes i have felt that way after sex too. If you went 100 years without it, I don't think you'd have the same feeling. Oh please. The Cardinals hadn't won in my lifetime until 06. Everything that happened before me was nice and all, but really had no effect on me. So yes, I would feel the same way. You'll see (maybe), it's an awesome few nights of partying and high fiving and you'll start seeing tons of people donning the gear and give each other the grinning head nod and what not, but it wears off. I will say this though, the biggest difference is you feel a lot less anxiety as a fan when your team loses and doesn't make it. That has lasted for me and has made me a lot more healthy of a fan. I don't know man. I would compare it to if your entire family for the last 100 years lived in small aparments only and never owned anything. If you were fortunate enough to buy your own little house someday, it would mean a whole lot more to you than if someone else, whose parents always lived in nice owned homes, bought that same exact house. Its not that the Cubs haven't won in our lifetimes, its that failure is the defining characteristic of being a Cub fan and we're sick and tired of that. Even when the Cards went 24 years without winning, it didn't really matter because they have traditionally been such a good organization and no one made fun of them for their "drought".

I would think about it if we sold high on Theriot in a trade for a big time pitcher (like Sabathia).

Not official, the article is about DJs contract situation. And good thing the local announcers don't broadcast playoff games--they are all done by the networks (FOX, TBS, ESPN) and the WS is all on FOX. Usually Joe Buck and Tim McCarver (who are definitely worse than Stoney and Hawk would be.)

The Cubs didn't stand pat in 03. Kenny Lofton, Aramis Ramirez, and Randall Simon were all added for the stretch run. I was thinking more in terms of pitching. I do recall Lofton & Simon being added late in the year but I'm not sure I would consider them difference makers. when was Ramirez acquired? The only pitching they needed was maybe a set up guy, but Farnsworth was pretty decent most of that year. I guess they could have upgraded at closer, but Borowski didn't do any bad in the playoffs. What pitcher could they have acquired that would have been better than Prior, Wood, Clement, or Zambrano? Also, how do you forget when the freaking best player on the team was acquired? That move put us in the playoffs. Everyone gives Lofton the praise, but Ramirez was the real difference maker.

Fixed. I didn't realize Betancourt sucked so bad this year until I checked his stats. By the way, did you know Casey Blake is making $6 million this year? That seems high.

Marmol, Cedeno, and Marshall for Sabathia and Betancourt?

Would they think about sending Marshall back to Iowa to keep him stretched out? I would think that any team acquiring him would like him to be a starter and starting at Iowa would probably let them scout him better/more often. Also, when Eyre comes back, then you have to pick between Marshall and Cotts to be the other lefty, and I would rather see Cotts in there as a LOOGY or middle relief guy than wasting Marshall on 1 or 2 batters or in a blowout like they did earlier in the year. Finally, if someone in the rotation gets hurt and Marshall isn't stretched out to be a starter, who would you bring up? Hart, maybe, but the thought of him going through a MLB order more than once at this point would likely make Marquis look like Don Drysdale.

Just saw this today, but the correct answer is "go to hell" for not having to work. Congratulations on being 1 of Lee Elia's 15% (for summers anyway).

We'll have some very important pieces back, so I don't see that happening. And the Cards have no one with stuff in the same realm as Cain's.

Correia sucks. No excuse not to win tomorrow. If we don't, we're in trouble with Lincecum looming on Thursday. Where are all the people who said that Cain sucked now?

Solid game by Murton. Keep him in there Lou (not that he really has a choice right now).

Because international athletic celebrities might not be overly keen on keeping the press and the public appraised on every little thing about their family? Especially when said athlete lives in a 2nd world country where there may be a decent chance of someone pulling some shenanigans at the hospital. Or there could be some complications with the pregnancy and Ram wants to avoid the spotlight for this.