How bout them Astros?

Shanter · Post by **Shanter** » September 30, 2004, 3:07 am

Pretty interesting NL Wild Card Race it turned out to be.

My bet is on Houston, they are on a roll and the Cubs are choking.

Angels with beat out the A's for that division as well.

What do YOU think?

XunilTlatoani · Post by **XunilTlatoani** » September 30, 2004, 8:45 am

Well, they're all tied in the loss column, so if the Cubs and Giants win today we'll be looking at a good weekend of baseball

I'm still hoping for the Cubs to get in of course, but a part of me hopes that they don't so that I might possibly be able to go to a Cubs game next year w/o going through a scalper. Hell, I couldn't even get tickets to see them in Milwaukee.

Another part of me would like to see a three-way tie and have these teams battle each other in single-elimination to determine the wild-card winner.

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » September 30, 2004, 12:08 pm

I would obviously love the Cubs to get in, but it's not so likely.

The last weekend has:

Cubs at home vs Atlanta
Houston at home vs Rockies
Giants at Dodgers

Advantage Houston. But it was the same situation the last series of last season when Houston choked vs the Brewers and the Cubs won. We'll just have to see.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » September 30, 2004, 1:32 pm

Giants, Houston and cubs all tie for wildcard...advantage SF, because of coin flippage the cubs play the houstons, then the winner plays the giants...at pac bell

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » September 30, 2004, 9:07 pm

Well, there goes the Cubs. Such a wonderful outting by Mark Prior, 9 IP 16K 1 ER, and the Cubs can't score him more than 1 run. September choke job at it's worst.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » October 1, 2004, 2:43 am

Giants/Stros tied...should be a great weekend

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » October 1, 2004, 8:58 am

Wow, baseball in CA is going to be wild this weekend. Both the American and the National League really.

While I was just listening to it on the radio, Cubs fans still wanted Dusty to sign their balls at the end of yesterday's game

Houston against the Rockies seems to be the easiest road but CO has been doing a pretty fucking good job as spoiler of late.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » October 1, 2004, 1:44 pm

It's a crapshoot... you can play a good team that is fighting, honestly if the dodgers win tonight they will rest guys the next 2 and the giants could easily win 2/3, play a team with nothing to lose and they are always dangerous as fuck

Mplor · Post by **Mplor** » October 2, 2004, 6:49 pm

Waran · Post by **Waran** » October 2, 2004, 8:37 pm

ROFL Mplor, was just about to post something about that today

The "magical season" is now complete, oh happy day!

Oh and before you start whining about it:

Here's some cheese to go with that whine.

GO CARDS!

XunilTlatoani · Post by **XunilTlatoani** » October 3, 2004, 9:32 am

How can I possibly be upset when the Jonathin Quinn era is starting today!

Mplor · Post by **Mplor** » October 6, 2004, 2:01 am

OK, Voro. WTF is up with Atlanta fans? Astros NLDS tickets have been sold out since like last week. Even the standing room only tickets for Game 4 are all gone.

Out of curiosity I checked the away games for tickets and I was able to get a row 1 seat behind home plate at Turner Field for Monday's potential Game 5 right off the Braves website (which I bought for the hell of it). Roger Clemens would pitch this game in perhaps his last outing ever to decide who goes on and who goes home.

So what gives in Atlanta? And can I sleep on your couch Monday night?

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » October 6, 2004, 8:45 am

Somehow I feel like I've heard that Roger Clemens argument before...

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » October 6, 2004, 8:48 am

Mplor wrote:OK, Voro. WTF is up with Atlanta fans?

We are playing the Astros. We intend to beat them in 3 ....again.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » October 6, 2004, 8:57 am

Try to concentrate on not losing in three

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 6, 2004, 10:14 am

Braves fans dont blow their postseason wad of cash on the divisional series.

Additionally, both of our first 2 starts are daytime games, and people in this town have jobs.

if you are talking shit as an Astros fan you make me laugh.

They have NEVER, EVER won a postseason series.

NEVER

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » October 6, 2004, 11:31 pm

Voronwë wrote: if you are talking shit as an Astros fan you make me laugh.

They have NEVER, EVER won a postseason series.

NEVER

At what point in my five years of posting did you think I was from or backed a Houston team?

Shit, I like good games, good prospects, good mentalities, with strong performances. While I tend to back the Yankees the most, I enjoy listening to Mets games, Phillies games, hell, even Boston games(rarely do I watch games, pretty tied up for similar reasons of your own).

But if you think that a team like Houston will never ever win a post season series even if they outmatch their opponents and are up 1-0 off of the worst starting performance you're ever EVER going to see out of Number 1, well, than that's plain silly

Mplor · Post by **Mplor** » October 7, 2004, 2:46 am

Hey, nothing against the Braves. Sure, they've sent Houston fans home in tears plenty of times in the last few years, but they aren't inherently evil (unlike, say, the Cowboys). It just seems strange to me that Brave fans aren't interested in watching their team in the playoffs.

You can't say it's because they are always in the playoffs, since the Yanks are too and it's pretty tough to get tickets in October in the Bronx. Something different about Braves fans, if ya ask me.

So shall I take it as a No on the couch thing?

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 7, 2004, 11:28 am

cant really compare anybody to the Yankees. But i will draw some distinctions.

within 30 miles of Yankee stadium there are probably 6-10 million more people than within 30 miles of Turner Field (12 million v. 4 million).

a lot more corporate interests in NYC buying tickets than in Atlanta to use as perks, etc.

The Yankees have been building on a tradition of success for about 80 years where the Braves have for about 10 years.

The Yankees are the #1 sports brand in their market. College football is the number one sport in the Atlanta market.

me personally, i watch the games on TV until the NLCS usually, then i will shell out for a ticket or two (since they can be $80-100+). This year, i am probably not going to a game unless it is the World Series, not because I don't care about the games, but i have never been to a WS game, and want to save my money for that if it comes to it.

I think 40,000 people is a decent turnout for a day game on a weekday personally. But it is the lazy journalist thing to talk about Turner Field not being sold out.

Last year they made a big deal out of it, but several other stadiums had more empty seats that nobody said a word about.

Anyway, the Braves really missed out on a lot of opportunities to drive in some runners v. Clemens. I hope they don't have the same problems against Oswalt today. People will come in hyping him as one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. Mike Hampton is 4-0 in his last 5 starts with an ERA of 1.25. But that won't get much play.

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » October 7, 2004, 8:47 pm

Wow. I know Voron had to lve that game. Furcal! Drunken little Mexican puts one out to tie the series. You just know that Biggio and Bagwell are saying "here we go again"

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 8, 2004, 11:49 am

we will rip their hearts out!!

Mplor · Post by **Mplor** » October 9, 2004, 2:35 am

Well, I had faith when the 'Stros were at .500 at the break. I had faith when they were four games under .500 in mid-August and in 4th place. I had faith when they lost two in a row at San Francisco to drop 4 back with 11 to go.

I still think they can beat the Braves. I've already bought NLCS tickets!

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » October 9, 2004, 3:21 am

Atlanta is a HORRIBLE pro sports town, sad, pathetic, weak, whatever you want to call it, they suck!

Mplor · Post by **Mplor** » October 11, 2004, 12:58 am

Well, I bet they'll be up for game 5 on Monday. I'll get to see first-hand from behind home plate!

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » October 11, 2004, 9:09 am

This game was just one more step towards John Smoltz's Hall of Fame induction.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 11, 2004, 11:28 am

John Smoltz is a better career postseason batting average than Jeff Kent, Craig BIggio, and Jeff Bagwell. He has about the same number of postseason at bats as those guys too

They all have between 50-60 ABs

Tonight the Braves are going to bulldoze the Astros. THe Astros got a total fluke break to even get more than 1 run yesterday. That pop-up off of the roof that should have been an out - except the stupid ground rules at Minute Maid Park make it a strike. Other domes have that as being an out.

anyway the Braves won and with the exception of that inning, the pitchers dominated the Astros.

Houston can't have faith in their bullpen at this point. They know they can't bring Lidge in for 3 innings (he blew Game 2 in the 8th when they tried that). They know they can't trust their other guys to shut down the Braves either. They should have already finished the Braves by this point. THye have had 4 games where Giles, Drew, and Chipper have been shutdown. Those guys are all due to break out.

Last night again they threw Drew a fastball in a critical at bat, and got burned doing it. THey did it to Chipper too. Both have had bad cuts at sliders in under their hands, but the pitch selection has not been good in some instances by Ausmus and the pitcher.

They are going to start wetting their pants if they get behind at any point in the game...hell even if it is tied they will probably wet their pants.

I bought my tickets for Saturday's NLCS game 3 today.

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » October 11, 2004, 3:25 pm

The big question is: Has Mark Lemke taken over Adam LaRoche's body?

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 11, 2004, 3:49 pm

i'm just glad the season has gone on long enough to shake enough body fat off of Andruw so he is going thermonuclear on the ball.

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » October 11, 2004, 4:33 pm

that is nukular sir.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » October 12, 2004, 4:56 pm

Mplor wrote:Well, I bet they'll be up for game 5 on Monday. I'll get to see first-hand from behind home plate!

BTW, once again, deciding fucking game and you can't sell out the place... WEAK sports town

Homercles · Post by **Homercles** » October 12, 2004, 5:51 pm

I wouldnt call Atlanta a weak sports town. Theve just grown ambivilant to the regular season success of the Braves. 13 straight years of playoffs. One World Series title. All the fans knew the Braves would be post season losers....again.

Theyve grown accustom to what most fans desire. A successful team. Most Braves fans dont understand what theyve got. They dont understand what its like to root for a team that rarely makes the playoffs. They think the playoffs are par for the course. Nothing special. Nothing to write home about. And as a result the dont come out in mass unless theyre in the World Series (to lose....again)

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 12, 2004, 6:00 pm

i think one thing that has frustrated fans for the last several years when you've really seen the decline in post-season attendance, and that is the continued shrinking of their player investment relative to their competition.

Part of that is unfortunately due to the manner in which their corporate ownership permits the front office to spend that money. The fact is the Braves competition has largely gotten stronger and the Braves have gotten weaker, but they have still performed well enough to be competitive. This year they really overachieved I think.

I mean they led for like 3 out of 47 innings in this series, and still managed to take it to a 5th and deciding game.

Mplor · Post by **Mplor** » October 13, 2004, 12:37 am

Also: Bagwell's HR (3 MB)

If you can tune out my horribly annoying voice, you can hear the plaintive cries of the Braves fans around me screaming "Nooooooooo!" as their season effectively ended.

Having said that, this was the first time I ever got to see the Tomahawk Chop in all its glory and I gotta admit it was pretty cool. Definitely one of those timeless baseball scenes every fan should enjoy one day.

On to St Louis! Actually, on to Houston where I have NLCS tickets for Saturday and Sunday.