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Yeah, I may be from Minnesota, but I’m not much of a hockey guy. I think it’s a terrible sport for TV. But sitting in a cold arena watching your buddy play in junior high is definitely exciting. Also, if I had season tickets to the Gophers at Mariucci Arena, I’d probably be a hockey guy. Those games are fun.

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I know that Oakland has a lot of baseball fans who show up when the team is good. Having never lived there myself, I can’t confirm how many there are, but I know the fans who do exist are rabid, to say the least. It’s sad what they’re doing to that team.

Also, I don’t know if that’s fair to compare Beane to Jordan and Tiger. Both of those guys played (well Tiger still is) with tons of emotions. Analytical, yes, but very emotional too. And while management is supposed to be analytical, and not emotionally involved with the players (owners have always viewed players as commodities) front offices also should know what goes on in the clubhouse and how their decisions affect the culture there.

And while Bill James is the father of analytics, true, he wasn’t really taken seriously until Billy Beane and the A’s. Oh, but James did invent WHIP, which I think is one of the best stats for determining the effectiveness of pitchers.

End of the year, and I’ve been super busy. Missed last night’s game, but saw the first five runs of the previous game and went to bed.

6/7

6/8

Um, that quote implies that there is not such a thing as momentum - if there were momentum, it’d be momentum driving you more than it being dependent on the next day’s starting pitcher. ;D

Right? That’s why George was so successful in the 80s. :stuck_out_tongue:

The Angels started out in LA.

Fans are boycotting. For good reason.

“opponents” of chemistry? is there such a thing? a better example of a clubhouse that didn’t get along would be the Bronx Zoo Yankees though.

Ah, didn’t know that!

To be fair, they were only in LA for a few years. They were the Los Angeles Angels then. Their name change to California Angels happened just before their move to Anaheim. Then they were renamed Anaheim Angels in the 90s because the city chipped in to their stadium renovation, with a condition the team and stadium name contain the name Anaheim (pretty cheap for partial naming rights - they only chipped in $30M). And that’s why they went with the convoluted Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim name 2005 - 2015 (they renegotiated the stadium lease in 2013 which removed the Anaheim requirement, but it stuck around for a couple years).

Well the Twins became only the second team ever to start a game with back to back to back home runs and lose the game. Last time and only other time that happened was the Padres in '87. Cole gave up 5 home runs but Yankees got to the Twins bullpen and did their thing. And btw, I have Holmes on both of my fantasy teams but haven’t really seen him pitch yet. That dude is nasty.

Edit: Oh, and LaRussa issued an intentional walk to Trea Turner today when it was a 1-2 count and two outs, which set up a Max Muncy 3 run blast. Whities lost by two. That dude needs to go.

That’s what I was saying. Why go to the game when the team has traded away everyone good. I can generally name most starters on any given team. I really can’t with the A’s. I wouldn’t go either if I lived there.

Yes. There have been many many debates whether chemistry and clubhouse culture are real. Way too much ink spilled writing about whether or not it even exists.

That was kinda my point. Momentum is what have you in baseball, it’s what you make of it. There’s a thousand quotes about it in the sport, both for and against. I just chose one of my favorites to show the convoluted nature of it. If the Phillies started a wining streak, it was a momentum shift with Girardi getting fired. With the Angels continuing their losing streak after Maddon got canned, it either wasn’t enough of a momentum switch, or just bad luck. If that makes no sense to you, it’s fine. Baseball doesn’t need to make sense sometimes.

We can score runs. Period.

I don’t see how anyone could debate it in a team sport.

Or, they just didn’t play well. “Momentum” is one of those nebulous things that there could be something to, or just might not exist at all. We’ll never know :slight_smile:

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I’ll sit back and enjoy it. We know what it’s like to have all the right pieces on the board and still fail miserably, so — yeah. Suck it up Angels.

Yankees and Cubbies in da Bronx.

13 innings, and a pitch hit walkoff single by Trevinio – again.

Clint Frazier shoulda kept his big mouth shut. Feel for the guy. The mind is willing but the flesh in Clint, has always been weak.

Clint just needs to learn how to hit if he wants to talk. Was so excited early on during his Yankee tenure and sort of bummed that he ended up sucking

Next man up gave him a career to talk about. He was fun to watch.

Sucking is a little harsh. Frazier hit decently with the Yankees when he played, but just knowing the potential he had with that crazy batspeed… Bummer. That concussion really derailed him, and finding out he hid ongoing symptoms and another concussion from the team bought his ticket out of NY. (And he’s got a real point about the Yankees - it’s the beard conversation from earlier. They’re grown men - let them pick their freaking haircuts man. This ain’t a corporate job (actual corporate jobs are largely less restrictive these days)).

The players are free to go elsewhere if they don’t like the contract. The Yankees are more than equitable depending upon what you bring to the table. The Rocket showed up once every five games, the day he pitched. That said—- clean shaven.

Uh, no, not until they hit free agency.

Uh yeah, of course.

Well, we were talking about Frazier, so… :wink:

This is also debatable for pre free agency players, doubly so for pre arb. :wink:

True, yet my example was the Rocket.