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Bud Selig Passing New Rule: Postseason Games Must Be Completed

November 21, 2008

Filed under: MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs

Remember Game 5 of the World Series? Both parts of it? There was major fallout after the game was suspended, because it seemed convenient of the game to get called immediately after the Rays scored the tying run. On the flip-side, had the game been called before the Rays scored and the rulebook was explicitly followed, you would have had a champion crowned after only playing half of a game. Today, Bud Selig revealed that baseball is doing the right thing:

"All postseason games, All-Star games and that, will be full-length affairs, and the rule will be so written," Selig said Thursday following an owners' meeting."

That's a good move, because I'm pretty sure no baseball fan wanted to see that game end after 4 1/2 innings.

Of course, in true Bud fashion, we're left with questions. It was asked if regular season games in late September would be covered in this rule.

"Any game that has significance for the postseason," he said. "It will be very clear now. Everybody will know exactly."

Let's hope it's clear. I immediately question what you would call "significant" to the postseason.

Let's say a team is trailing by four games in their division with two weeks left in the season. They are losing by one run and there's an extended rain delay in the seventh inning. I'd have to assume this game is not covered in the rule, but -- if you were that team's manager -- wouldn't you argue this game was significant to deciding the postseason? I sure as hell would.

What if a team ends up one game out of the playoffs after having this situation happen to them in April? Would they then be allowed to petition the league so they could play the last few innings and try to turn that "L" into a "W?" Definitely not, but how is that fair, when you are allowing games in late September finish?

I like the rule for the postseason, but I don't think you can start placing more significance on different regular season games. You can't just arbitrarily say that September 28th means more than April 15th. Every team should play under the same rules for the entire 162-game regular season.

Bud Selig Passing New Rule: Postseason Games Must Be Completed originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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The Oakland A’s Will Do Anything They Can to Try and Win a Playoff Series

November 19, 2008

Filed under: Athletics, AL West, MLB Playoffs

Anytime a powerhouse regular season team (I'm looking at you, Cubbies) gets knocked out in the baseball playoffs, you'll hear someone say "Anything can happen in a short series!" It's true. A bad start from your ace, a mis-timed error and, whoosh, you're playing golf before the next Frank TV commercial. And that's when you've got to lose three of five games.

Imagine if it were just one game? If Lew Wolff, owner of the Oakland A's, had Bud Selig's job, we might find out just how harsh that feeling would be.

"I'd make it one-game-and-you're-out for the first series. It would be exciting. It would be great."

Why bother with a whole game? Whoever scores first wins. And use that Olympic rule where the players start on first and second and you can start your lineup wherever you want. That's excitement, buster!

Look, I get the A's have had a hard time over the years once playoff series move past the first game but this is a real stinker of an idea. No team in baseball history has ever won more than 116 games in a season, which means every now and then you lose to the Royals. That's baseball and that's why, imperfect as they are, five and seven game series are the way to determine the champion.

Not much chance of it happening, though. Wolff says he hasn't said anything to Selig because he's afraid of him. On that, Lew, we are agreed.

The Oakland A's Will Do Anything They Can to Try and Win a Playoff Series originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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Phillies Fan With Flipped Car Needs Help

November 5, 2008

Filed under: Phillies, NL East, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs

After the Phillies won the World Series, thousands of fans poured out in the streets of downtown Philadelphia and celebrated in an extremely peaceful manner. Of course, we only remember the idiots. Unfortunately for those who like to park in the street, a favorite pastime among celebrating idiots is flipping over cars.

We saw them in action last week, and in the video above you can see one poor guy dealing with the aftermath. As the car owner explained on his blog, since he wasn't able to afford an insurance policy that covered vandalism, the drunken decision made by a handful of fans has left him completely screwed. So he's asking for help:

So I was thinking...

There was alot of people on Broad Street last night. If all the people who were hanging out near Broad and Washington (where the car was flipped) gave me ten dollars I could probably buy a new car... or if all the people who actually flipped my car gave me a thousand dollars that could work too.

You can go to his blog and make a donation via PayPal. Hopefully enough fans, even if they weren't even out celebrating that night, will feel bad for the guy and toss him a few bucks.

Phillies Fan With Flipped Car Needs Help originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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Chase Utley Is Super F’n Excited

November 1, 2008

Filed under: Phillies, MLB Playoffs, MLB Video

You'll have to excuse Chase Utley here. After all, winning a World Series is pretty awesome, and when you get to celebrate that achievement in front of all your fans, sometimes the emotion can get the best of you. So what if your celebratory rally is being broadcast on live television throughout Philadelphia, sometimes you really need that F-bomb to drive your point home. Oh, and the video is NSFW if you haven't figured that out already.


Damn f----n straight.

Chase Utley Is Super F'n Excited originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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The Dugout: The End/Movin’ On

November 1, 2008

Filed under: Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies, White Sox, MLB Playoffs, The Dugout

While the Phillies celebrate a well-deserved World Series victory, life (and business) goes on for Major League Baseball. 65 players filed for free agency on the first day of the filing period for eligible players, and it's a completely normal but somewhat sad thing to see so many building blocks from playoff teams packing up and hittin' the old dusty trail.

Tonight's Dugout is a two-parter to give Philly their mad, Hammer-like propers, to find out where the Dugout regulars who didn't reach the mountaintop might be headed, and to officially end our season with FanHouse. Tomorrow the season starts over again when we find out what the hell happened to the Twins.

Part 1 of 2 is after the jump.

The Dugout: The End/Movin' On originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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Philly Celebrates With Vandalism, Mob Thinking

October 30, 2008

Filed under: Phillies, NL East, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs, MLB Police Blotter, MLB Video

When a regular city wins a championship, they celebrate. When Philadelphia wins one, they burn the city down. Philly Riots chronicles a city finally pushed over the edge.



Alternate title, if only the gag weren't overused: Phillies Phans Phlip Cars Phor Phun!

In the light of day, with the hangover subsiding and memories from before blacking out re-entering the consciousness, a lot of fans in Philly are realizing just how stupid they acted last night. Sadly, too many fans cross the line from "just plain dumb" to "just plain cruel." It's dumb to climb an extremely tall traffic sign; it's cruel to try maiming a guy climbing said sign by chucking a bottle of vodka at his face. Or, like the video above: it's dumb to jump on some stranger's car, but it's downright cruel to flip it completely over. (via WW & PWD)

Then again, who leaves their car on the street when everybody in the country was predicting a riot? As seen on LBS, fans would have been safer had they simply taken the subway:



Of course, what that video didn't show was that someone ended up lighting the train on fire, sending it hurtling through the darkness to its next stop like a comet of death.* Yay Phillies! Yay senseless violence and vandalism!

* This may or may not have happened but is within the realm of possibility.

Philly Celebrates With Vandalism, Mob Thinking originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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Man Robs Bank in Order to Pay for Phillies Gear

October 30, 2008

Filed under: Phillies, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs, MLB Police Blotter

When a regular city wins a championship, they celebrate. When Philadelphia wins one, they burn the city down. Philly Riots chronicles a city finally pushed over the edge.

Just when you think Philadelphians can't be any more whacked out about their sports teams, just when you start to believe that maybe this whole Philly World Series thing will be kind of calm, well, some guy decided to go and rob a bank in order to purchase Phillies merchandise.

But one fan may have taken his devotion a bit too far when police say he robbed a bank and later allegedly funded a shopping spree for Phillies gear with the stolen cash.

About 10 a.m. yesterday, a man, who police did not identify, entered a PNC Bank on Welsh Road near Roosevelt Boulevard and slipped the teller a demand note.

[...]About 20 minutes later, cops found the suspect, who police have not identified, a few miles away coming out of the Modell's Sporting Goods store at the Roosevelt Mall, Cottman and Bustleton avenues.

Nothing says "staying classy" like hijacking a bank in order to hop on a bandwagon. No, seriously, there's nothing cool about breaking the law just to pretend your a Phillies fan because they're winning the World Series.

Also, what makes a guy think that this is somehow going to improve his life in any fashion? And, alternately, if you're going to rob a bank, don't you immediately get as far away from said bank as possible and then use the cash to purchase a ticket to the game? Classy and smart.

Man Robs Bank in Order to Pay for Bandwagon Phillies Gear originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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Phillies Fan Climbs Traffic Light Pole, Takes Bottle of Grey Goose to the Dome

October 30, 2008

Filed under: Phillies, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs, MLB Video

When a regular city wins a championship, they celebrate. When Philadelphia wins one, they burn the city down. Philly Riots chronicles a city finally pushed over the edge.

While calling Philly citizens out for their early World Series parade plans, we were besieged by kind words like "HEY! &#%!FACE -- how can you say Philly fans are rioters?!?!?!!!1" and "YOURZE A BLOGGER FOR LIVES, WILL BRINZON!!?" So it's encouraging to get (relative) proof that Phillie fans are in fact doing stupid and dangerous things. Like climbing traffic poles and getting beaned in the head by what appears to be a Grey Goose bottle.



Yeah. So how you like us now. (Disclaimer: Yes, I am aware that all people who live in Philadelphia are not represented by this idiot, and I hope he's alright.)

Gracias to Busted Coverage for the find.

Phillies Fan Climbs Traffic Light Pole, Takes Bottle of Grey Goose to the Dome originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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From the Windup: Welcome, Tampa Bay Rays Fans, To Club Misery

October 30, 2008

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs

From the Windup is FanHouse's extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.

You've hopefully heard the news by now. The Philadelphia Phillies are the World Series champions of baseball after knocking off the heavily favored Tampa Bay Rays.

The other night, during a live chat, I mentioned something about how the die-hard Phillies fans deserve this more than the Rays fans. It's a slippery slope to be sure, and likely just a bad choice of words, to say something like this. Frankly, no fan deserves anything. We voluntarily spend our time and money on these teams, and probably care way too much about them -- if you ask the majority of Americans. That's the thing, though, we die-hards know this and embrace it.

You want to know why I said the fans of Philly deserve it more? Because they've had more suffering. The only reason a fan puts himself/herself through the ringer for six months every season is the hope that there will eventually be some sort of payoff. The fans of Philadelphia had been waiting for another one since 1980. The Rays didn't even come into existence until 1998.

Philadelphia hadn't even had a pro sports title within this time span. At least the Tampa Bay area had the Bucs take the 2002 Super Bowl (yes, I know the Rays play in St. Petersburg ... they are still called the Tampa Bay Rays).

Now, I can see the uprising from the Tampa/St. Pete area right now ... the Rays never even won more than 70 games until this year. That's a ton of suffering, more than almost any other team in the majors. Well, not really. Being a Cubs fan, I've had a lot of ups and downs in my 30 years -- six playoff appearances to go with a handful of seasons with more than 95 losses. I can tell you with all sincerity, the easiest years on me are the ones where the team loses 95 games. I can move on with my life by August. The worst seasons for me are the ones like this one (this was actually the worst, by far). All fans of teams that have had drastic turns between 95 losses and 95 wins (without winning it all) are nodding their heads in agreement.

It just hurts more to have a good team lose in the postseason than it does to root for a crappy one during the regular season.

And that is why I want to officially -- finally -- welcome the true die-hard Rays fans to being a battle-tested unit of baseball fans. Welcome to Club Misery. Population: Every single person that truly cares about their team unconditionally.

Just ask the fans of...

... the Atlanta Braves. They were treated to 14 straight division titles, and only won the World Series once. After this year, however, I'm guessing they are clamoring more for a wild card berth.

... the Baltimore Orioles. The once-proud organization hasn't won it all since 1983, making the playoffs only twice since then and more recently relegated to the role of AL East punching bag.

... the Boston Red Sox. Oh, trust me ... they remember the misery.

... the Chicago White Sox. So do they.

... the Chicago Cubs. Yeah, ours is well-documented, even by me.

... the Cincinnati Reds. Long gone are the days of the Big Red Machine and Nasty Boys. Now, some people even claim it's not a baseball town anymore.

... the Cleveland Indians. They won it all in 1948. For the next 46 years, they only saw the postseason once. Then, in the mid-90s, the team surged, making the playoffs in six of seven seasons. Of course, they blew the World Series to the Marlins in 1997 and lost to the Braves in 1995. Last year they choked away a 3-1 lead in the ALCS to the Red Sox. So, yeah, 60 years and counting without a title despite several chances. If not for my Cubbies, this would be the sport's poster-child for fan misery among franchises.

... the Colorado Rockies. What a magical run last year was ... until they got swept in the World Series and fell apart this year.

... the Detroit Tigers. They hadn't even been to the playoffs since 1987 until they came from out of nowhere in 2006. Then they lost to an inferior St. Louis team in the World Series and haven't made it back to the postseason, despite tons of payroll and talent.

... the Houston Astros. Zero championships in 46 seasons. From 1997-2005 they had six tries, too. They even won 102 games in 1998 before losing in the divisional round. From the famed Albert Pujols tater to being swept after watching Scott Podsednick hit a rare homer, there have been plenty of stomach punches to these people.

... the Kansas City Royals. From 1976-1985 they went to the playoffs seven times and won a World Series. Since then, nothing but futility.

... the Los Angeles Dodgers. No World Series titles since the Kirk Gibson series in '88. When they took down the Cubs in the first round this year, it was actually the first postseason series they had won since then.

... the Milwaukee Brewers. This season marked 39 years without a championship. They went to the World Series in 1982, but didn't return to the postseason until this year. The Phillies made sure it was a short stay.

... the New York Mets. Yeah, they won the crown in 1986 and lost in the Subway Series in 2000. Other than that, though, it's been a series of failures -- relative to expectations -- in Queens since the magical run of 1969 ... especially the past two seasons.

... the Oakland A's. From the Bash Brothers to the Moneyball teams, there were nine playoff appearances in two separate windows of opportunity. The A's won the title only once, and that was 19 years ago. Those three straight rings in the '70s are a distant memory.

... the Pittsburgh Pirates. A wildly successful franchise in the '70s was resurrected in the early '90s with three straight playoff appearances, which came with subsequent exits before the World Series. Since then, 16 straight losing seasons.

... the San Diego Padres. 39 years. Two World Series appearances. Zero championships.

... the San Francisco Giants. The Giants franchise hasn't won a World Series since 1954, when it played its games in New York. The San Fran Giants have never won a title. They did hold a 3-2 lead heading into Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, and a 5-0 lead in the middle of the seventh inning in that game. Things didn't turn out well, I'm told.

... the Texas Rangers. 47 years and counting, with three playoff appearances -- and of course, zero championships -- to show for it.

... the Toronto Blue Jays. No postseason appearances since back-to-back championships 14 years ago. In a division with the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox, there doesn't appear to be much change in the near future, either.

So you see, Rays fans. You were only fledglings before having your heart ripped out this year. You're now joining quite a large and suffering group. Some might instead call us insufferable. We just like to think about the payoff we'll see one day, the one the Phillies fans received last night. The problem is that only one fraction of us is freed each season, and that's assuming it's a new team winning every year (the Yankees screw up that equation frequently). There's only so much success to go around, so that means the overwhelming majority of us just keep on suffering, yet coming back for more with hope that next season is our payoff.

And now you are members of the group. God help you.

From the Windup: Welcome, Tampa Bay Rays Fans, To Club Misery originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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Playoff Pulse: Bask in the Glow, Philly

October 30, 2008

Filed under: Phillies, MLB Playoffs

In the Playoff Pulse series, our MLB editor takes on a hot October topic.

Things move fast in the Internet Age. That's the nature of a 24-hour news cycle or maybe just the short attention span of Americans. Either way, before you know it we're going to be talking about CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira (And Jake Peavy and Manny Ramirez and maybe even Prince Fielder).

So let's take the chance, while we still can, to pay tribute to the 2008 champions. With a cheesesteak in one hand and a Yuengling in the other, here's to you Philadelphia.

- Here's to the Phillies fans, first and foremost. You're not always the easiest folks to understand. You've booed just about everyone including many of your own players. Even among East Coast baseball fans you can seem like a cynical, sour bunch. But your passion and loyalty is undeniable.

In frigid temperatures and pouring rain on Monday night, Citizens Bank Park was packed to the hilt. In more than 100 years of existence, you've been rewarded for your devotion with a title only twice. It hardly seems like enough.

- Here's to Cole Hamels, who at just 24 has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, and just maybe its greatest changeup artist.

Until his magical October run, Hamels wasn't widely recognized by casual fans for his dominance. He wasn't even an All-Star this year. Hope you enjoyed the relative anonymity while it lasted, Cole.

- Here's to Jimmy Rollins. Over the last two seasons he's become the heart and soul of this team, lending it the swagger it needed to succeed in the NL East and beyond.

- Here's to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley -- one of the game's most feared sluggers and it's greatest second baseman, bar none, respectively -- and to Pat Burrell and Brett Myers too. The Phillies were built the right way, increasingly the only way as free agents get more and more expensive, with elite homegrown talent.

- Here's to Jamie Moyer. The crafty old man was at the parade the last time the Phillies won the World Series in 1980. He'll be part of the procession this time around. It took him 22 seasons just to get to baseball's biggest stage, and even a stomach virus couldn't keep him from shining in his only start.

- Here's to the role players -- the bench bats and bullpen arms -- the guys you can't win a World Series without. Here's to Eric Bruntlett and Greg Dobbs, Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero and Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins.

- Here's to Brad Lidge. The last time he was in the playoffs, things didn't end so well. Up until Wednesday night, the defining moment of Lidge's career was an Albert Pujols moonshot that might still be in orbit somewhere over Houston. Now people will think of something else: Lidge on his knees, hands raised up to the sky, with his teammates rushing toward him in celebration of a moment they had all dreamed of since they were boys.

- Here's to GM Pat Gillick, who has succeeded in three different places and built title-winners in Toronto and Philadelphia. Ironically, Gillick's 1993 Blue Jays team was the one that broke Philly's heart in its last appearance in the Fall Classic. By all accounts, Gillick will ride off into the sunset after this season, handing the reins of the Phillies to Ruben Amaro Jr. What a way to go out if this is indeed it.

- And here's to Charlie Manuel, the leader of this band in the dugout all season long. He's been given plenty of room to work in Philadelphia, and now he'll be given plenty more. His mother June was expecting this all along.

The Phillies weren't a mediocre team that got hot in October like the 2006 Cardinals or the 2007 Rockies. They weren't a clear juggernaut either. They were just one of the best teams in baseball all year long and they stepped their game up when it counted most.

The winter can be very long for baseball fans. It can be cold and bitter and filled with questions about where their team went wrong. After 27 long winters, the die-hards in Philadelphia won't have to wonder about their beloved Phillies. The glow of a championship can be awfully distracting.

Playoff Pulse: Bask in the Glow, Philly originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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• Recent Posts

  • Bud Selig Passing New Rule: Postseason Games Must Be Completed
  • The Oakland A’s Will Do Anything They Can to Try and Win a Playoff Series
  • Phillies Fan With Flipped Car Needs Help
  • Chase Utley Is Super F’n Excited
  • The Dugout: The End/Movin’ On
  • Philly Celebrates With Vandalism, Mob Thinking
  • Man Robs Bank in Order to Pay for Phillies Gear
  • Phillies Fan Climbs Traffic Light Pole, Takes Bottle of Grey Goose to the Dome
  • From the Windup: Welcome, Tampa Bay Rays Fans, To Club Misery
  • Playoff Pulse: Bask in the Glow, Philly

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