Al playoffs

[DaveW]

 

Although it's not over, I'd say KC just advanced and Houston is done. Both Texas teams out should make Dave happy.

HELLS YEAH!

[DaveW]

 

 

So far, the post season has been some pretty darn awesome baseball.

It's a shame the Twins weren't in it.

[jokin]

 

So far, the post season has been some pretty darn awesome baseball.

 

So it turns out that that Kendrys Morales fella can still hit a little bit?  3 HRs and 1.037 OPS.

 

And despite all previous evidence to the contrary, I guess that Cueto guy can still pitch, too.

 

Some pretty awesome stuff going on, indeed. The next round is yet another nice clash of styles and a number of interesting stories on the relative changes in roles and fortunes for both teams and players. Let's get it started. 

[jokin]

 

It's a shame the Twins weren't in it.

 

Boy, if that isn't the truth...

[jimmer]

I am happy for the Blue Jays.  They went for it at the deadline big time and it paid off big time.  Their fans today were equally awesome (for as loud and enthusiastic as they were/are) and embarrassing (throwing stuff) tonight.  Hoping they can toss out the embarrassing aspect in the next round.

 

They playoffs have been very good this year.

[Squirrel]

So far, the post season has been some pretty darn awesome baseball.

That sounded so petty jealous, too.

[DaveW]

 

I am happy for the Blue Jays.  They went for it at the deadline big time and it paid off big time.  Their fans today were equally awesome (for as loud and enthusiastic as they were/are) and embarrassing (throwing stuff) tonight.  Hoping they can toss out the embarrassing aspect in the next round.

 

They playoffs have been very good this year.

 

The Royals went for it at the deadline as well and it paid off (Zobrist and Cueto)

 

You think Royals or Blue Jays fans are worrying about 4 years from now if a couple of the prospects they gave up "pan out"?

 

nah....

[jimmer]

Blue Jays were barely over .500 and 6 games back in the AL East at the time of the deadline. They won the division by 6 games by having, I believe, the best record after the deadline.

 

Royals already had an 8 game lead in the division at the deadline.  Yeah, they got some good players and it helped them expand their lead a few games but the division was theirs already.

 

The Royals biggest boost was playing the Twins at the end of the season and beating that behind to ensure home field advantage.

 

Other than that, yeah I doubt the majority of fans are worried about how the guys they gave up at the deadline might turn out.

[Willihammer]

Top of the 7th, 18 minute delay? Sounds like Canadians trying to delay last call.

[jokin]

 

The Royals went for it at the deadline as well and it paid off (Zobrist and Cueto)

 

You think Royals or Blue Jays fans are worrying about 4 years from now if a couple of the prospects they gave up "pan out"?

 

nah....

 

Cueto's contribution to the Royal run has essentially been one game (tonight). But yeah, both teams really helped themselves now, without obviously crippling themselves in the future.

[DaveW]

 

Cueto's contribution to the Royal run has essentially been one game (tonight). But yeah, both teams really helped themselves now, without obviously crippling themselves in the future.

As you said though, they already had the division wrapped up, they traded for him for him to pitch in October. Came up huge when it counted.

[Willihammer]

Would've been funny if the umps had called Pompey for the Posey rule and awarded Tex a double play in the bottom half of the inning.

[jimmer]

Now, Jose Bautista knows how to perform a bat flip!  Hits the HR, stands at home plate and stares cause he knows what he just did, then an epic bat flip!  So far, only Plesac at MLB Network said it was over the top (at least from what I heard) but then in perfect Plesac common sense, he said it wouldn't have been disrespectful if it was a game winner in the 9th inning. 7th inning, not so much. Love that logic.  That logic is right up there with saying it would be okay if a veteran did it because he's earned it.

 

Eric Byrnes disagreed. He said after playing in the DR for five winters, and seeing that kind of stuff on a nightly basis, he learned to open his eyes a little bit and be more tolerant of emotion.  That it's just due to the fact that they like to show emotion.

 

Imagine that, a guy who played for quite some time in the game who understands the cultural differences and show tolerance. Isn't just a guy who says American way or the highway. Took him some time in the DR to get it, according to him, but he finally did.  Good for him.

 

And it was like 100 times more exuberant (and awesome, IMO) than the one we all debated here a couple weeks or so ago (whenever it was) when a young batter did it against us.

[Mike Sixel]

I loved the bleep out of that bat flip. Pure joy and emotion, in a huge, huge, huge moment for him. Anyone that doesn't like that, well, I don't get it. I can't imagine how happy I'd be if I did that, and how I'd celebrate. That was pure fun.

 

And yes, it's funny how the teams that went for it at the deadline all made the final four, and the team that most went for it is in the final 2 for the AL. Sometimes you try to win.

[USAFChief]

That's the thing, Mike. There was zero joy or emotion, zero spontaneity.

 

Celebrate joyless, calculated taunting if you wish. From my perspective, the game is better without that kind of crap.

[Mike Sixel]

Then we saw two very different things. He, imo, was totally caught up in the moment. 100% joyful.

 

Given that we DON'T know what he was thinking, maybe we could make positive assumptions about him, not negative ones.

[Willihammer]

Poor sportsmanship IMO, and it spoiled a great moment.

[zenser]

It will be interesting to see if the Rangers will hit Bautista on May 2nd when they play again.

[twinsnorth49]

I don't think what Bautista did was in any way calculated, he was completely jacked at belting a 3 run HR in the 7th inning of the deciding game to take the lead, in front of 50,000 delirious fans.

 

If that's not a moment to maybe lose yourself a bit, I don't know what is.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I don't think what Bautista did was in any way calculated, he was completely jacked at belting a 3 run HR in the 7th inning of the deciding game to take the lead, in front of 50,000 delirious fans.

 

If that's not a moment to maybe lose yourself a bit, I don't know what is.

 

He should have sipped his tea, curtly bowed, and remarked that he was "ever so sorry to have helped his team win".

 

Clearly.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Being from Germany, if Max Kepler ever hits a game winning HR for the Twins, I predict he will emotionlessly set his bat in the dirt away from the plate and them run in straight line 90 degree angles to each base, instead of taking the nice arc around them that everyone else does.

[zenser]

 

I don't think what Bautista did was in any way calculated, he was completely jacked at belting a 3 run HR in the 7th inning of the deciding game to take the lead, in front of 50,000 delirious fans.

 

If that's not a moment to maybe lose yourself a bit, I don't know what is.

I agree.  I don't know if my bat flip would have been as good as his, but I am probably sure I would have done the same thing.  Big time jack in a big time situation, I would have done the same thing.

[DaveW]

Hunter would have flipped the bat so high it would have ended up in the 2nd deck.

 

And Bautista freaking MURDERED that ball.

[Hrbowski]

 

It will be interesting to see if the Rangers will hit Bautista on May 2nd when they play again.

I doubt it. The Rangers are a pretty classy organization, and I don't think they will let that carry over to May 2nd. What bothers me about Bautista and Encarnacions' bat flips are the fact that the whole goal of them was to try to irritate the Rangers, not just a celebration. You won't be seeing Shin-Soo Choo doing that on a big home run, and he is Korean! Another example would be Kyle Schwarber's home run, he watched it, but he was not trying to taunt the pitcher or the dugout of the Cardinals. You can celebrate without being a jerk.

[DaveW]

I doubt it. The Rangers are a pretty classy organization, and I don't think they will let that carry over to May 2nd. What bothers me about Bautista and Encarnacions' bat flips are the fact that the whole goal of them was to try to irritate the Rangers, not just a celebration. You won't be seeing Shin-Soo Choo doing that on a big home run, and he is Korean! Another example would be Kyle Schwarber's home run, he watched it, but he was not trying to taunt the pitcher or the dugout of the Cardinals. You can celebrate without being a jerk.

Rangers, classy, lol. Was it classy that Dyson went over and talked smack to Tulo after the pop up and gave him a pat on the ass? Was it classy that he was whining about it after the game?

 

They will hit him in spring training and that will be that.

 

Bautista wasn't trying to irritate the Rangers, he was pumped up for what was one of the biggest home runs in baseball history. (Top 50 for sure)

[Mike Sixel]

I doubt it. The Rangers are a pretty classy organization, and I don't think they will let that carry over to May 2nd. What bothers me about Bautista and Encarnacions' bat flips are the fact that the whole goal of them was to try to irritate the Rangers, not just a celebration. You won't be seeing Shin-Soo Choo doing that on a big home run, and he is Korean! Another example would be Kyle Schwarber's home run, he watched it, but he was not trying to taunt the pitcher or the dugout of the Cardinals. You can celebrate without being a jerk.

I'm curious, how do you know that was the intent? It isn't possible, at all, that it was the most awesome moment of his 15 year long quest to have the moment (or 10, or whatever)? It isn't possible that he was overcome with the moment? I find your stance a bit hard to understand, frankly.

[Mike Sixel]

http://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/blue-jays-rangers-seventh-inning-jose-bautista-bat-flip-russell-martin-throw/

 

I enjoyed this read.

[Squirrel]

 

They will hit him in spring training and that will be that.

Really? How will that happen? Last I knew the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues didn't intermingle at all.

[DaveW]

Really? How will that happen? Last I knew the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues didn't intermingle at all.

some site mentioned they play each other in ST, of course that could be wrong, I don't keep up with my spring training MLB schedules

[Squirrel]

 

some site mentioned they play each other in ST, of course that could be wrong, I don't keep up with my spring training MLB schedules

Obviously. But to be fair, it could be one of those preview games where it's technically still within the ST time frame but playing elsewhere like an exhibition game. That I wouldn't know. But the Jays train in FL and the Rangers in AZ. I keep up on it somewhat as I'm in FL every spring.