Baseball

[njbill]

Shibe Park, later Connie Mack, and Baker Bowl

I went to Connie Mack (as it was then called) in the 60s a number of times to watch the Phillies. The name change (Shibe to Connie Mack) took place a few months before I was born (had to look that up).

The neighborhood was sketchy in the 60s. Had to pay to have your car "watched" while you attended the game.

Went to a funeral a couple of years ago (for the father of a fellow poster) a block or so from where the park once stood. Neighborhood is not good these days.

The Phillies played at Connie Mack until 1970. The Vet (an abomination of a stadium if there ever was one) replaced it, and the Phils started play there in 1971.

Citizens Bank Park (which is a great stadium for spectators) opened in 2004. Hard to believe this is the 20th year of the stadium. I entered a lottery for tickets to opening day in 2004 and was lucky enough to get seats.

[10stone5]

Connie Mack was a great place to watch a game as a kid,
never mind that the team stunk,

Bat Day, Baseball Day — watch a game up close,
wait outside to get player autographs after the game,

Larry Hisle, as nice a guy as any ballplayer gave me his,
even with his wife moaning that she wanted to get home.

[DMac]

Geezuz H, I'm surprised these Phillies' bats don't burst into flames. Man they're hot!!
Gotta hope they're not burning too fast, njb, law of averages has a way of catching
up.

[njbill]

Yeah, I would’ve liked to have saved some of those runs from tonight for the desert. But we’ll see. The aces from both teams are now done. We’ll see what the second and third line starters can do later in the week.

[youthathletics]

Orioles bond over faith, Bible study, beliefs bigger than baseball: 'We're Christians first'

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/ ... MRt3h4Pgmg

[njbill]

You called it, Dmac.

[DMac]

Those bats got a little cooler in the desert, little different look to the series now.
Don't know how Harper runs so fast on the bases, those are some pretty big brass
balls he's carrying, very aggressive on those bases. Got home on a passed ball but
not a lot of O for those Phils tonight.

[DMac]

Absolute bullschidt!!!
NFW Abreu gets tossed.
Garcia, absolutely.
Stros in trouble, down 2,
3 outs left. No dog in the hunt.

Geezuz H, the diminutive one is
ever big year in and year out. HR,
Altuve. Stros aint down no mo'
Rangers down to 3 outs down 1
now.
Gotta love baseball.

Height/length matters. Kessinger able to
go up and snag the hot line drive. Altuve's
length (lack of) doesn't allow him to reach
the hot grounder. All's well that ends well
though, Stros hold the 1 one run lead to win it.
Back in the driver's seat.

[njbill]

Who tipped off Altuve on the pitch? What sign stealing method are the Astros using this year?

[DMac]

Uh oh, went to bed with the Phillies up 2, thought it was over but nope, Yogi knows best.
The desert aint a friendly place, tough place to survive.

Hear ya on the Stros, njb.

[njbill]

Not a good game for the Fightins. Up 5-2 with two out in the bottom of the seventh. I texted my brother that these last 9 outs are going to seem like 90.

Kimbrel has blown the game two nights in a row. Looking like a really bad signing for us now.

If the Phillies think they can lose three games in the desert and then take the two back home, they are playing with fire. That’s a real high wire act.

Best of three now. I like our pitching matchups, but we gotta turn things around and pronto.

[6x6]

Surprised the juvenile cheating BS is going on here. No doubt about what took place and they got off easy. The fine should’ve been $50 million not $5, taken more drafts slots and what maybe have hurt them the most, Manfred should’ve vacated the World Series title.

I saw the Blue Jays play the Astros in Toronto and Buffalo( during Covid when that was home for the them). The fans were giving the crap to Altuve, Bregman and Gurriel but the loudest and worst to Altuve. Funny though George Springer was cheered. Twins fans love Correa but give the business to Altuve and Bregman. Other players are scattered elsewhere. I’m guessing Yankee fans love Cole, was Charlie Morton booed pitching for TB and the Braves? Didn’t catch any Mets games, how was Verlander treated?

Cora a leader of the cheating, still getting paid by the Red Sox, Hinch hired again. The hypocrisy by fans is sad, he’s a cheater but our cheater.

NJB, you may get your revenge for last year if the Astros can find a way to win a game at home, which is doubtful. More likely the Phillies will do their part, so we’ll see. I remember Astros-Phillies NLCS 1980 series more than last year. Some great players on both teams then, many HoF studs. Best of 5 won by your guys, with 4 of the 5 games going extra innings. I also remember a few of the trades between the teams and you always seem to get the best of those transactions. One final thought, I met Jimmy Rollins at the All Star game one year and he needed some help for his family. Great guy and great shortstop.

[njbill]

Great post.

Agree the Astros WS title should have been vacated and that other, much more severe, punishments should have been handed out to the individual players and the team. Where is Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis when you need him?

Phils need to get back on track ASAP. Starting tonight would be nice. Can they win two at CBP, if necessary? Yes, but we'd really like a win tonight to calm our nerves which are pretty darn frayed right not.

If this series goes 7, it would be the first time in their entire 140 year history that the Phillies would have played a game 7. The 1980 Astros series did go to the max of five games. That was a great series as you mention. In game 5, the Astros tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the 6th then scored three in the 7th to lead 5-2 going into the 8th with Nolan Ryan on the mound. Phillies scored five in the 8th and the Astros got two in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up at 7. No scoring in the 9th. Phils got one in the top of the 10th and held the Astros in the bottom of the inning to get the win and the pennant.

There was bizarre play in the 4th game of that series. Phillies had runners on first and second with no outs. The batter hit a soft liner to the pitcher who either caught it or trapped it. He threw to first before the runner on first could get back. Then they threw to second before the runner on second got back. The home plate umpire didn't make a call because he'd been screened by the batter. After the play was over, he asked the first base umpire for a ruling. Logically, it was either a triple play (if the ball had been caught) or a put out at first on the batter (if trapped). The first base ump said the ball had been caught. In their infinite wisdom, the umps decided their initial failure to make a call had misled the baserunners so they called it a double play. Both teams protested. Both protests were denied. Gotta love baseball.

Jimmy is a great guy. Love the back and forth on TBS with Pedro and him.

[DMac]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPcFeaLLltY
Phillies bats burnin' hot tonight, 7-3 Phils.

LLers aren't learnin' how throw a ball from the
D'BACKS tonight. Geezuz H.

Wasn't way off on the call.
Should be able to get to sleep fairly easily tonight, njb.
That's a big win.

[njbill]

Good call, DMac. Yes, it’ll be easier to sleep tonight. I broke out my Johnny Callison jersey tonight for good luck. Johnny came through.

[youthathletics]

Rootin' for Dusty.....just another ex-Washington professional doing well elsewhere.

[DMac]

Dusty's easy to like, would like to see him win it too. Game seven, don't get no bigger.

Not a lot of calm, not such a relaxing evening, might need a little help tonight, njb.
Six outs left, down 4.

[njbill]

I didn’t expect Nola to be as good as he was in game two, but I thought the Phillies would hit. They didn’t. Pretty much the story of the game. Also, Kelly pitched really well which shouldn’t have been a surprise.

I resisted my sister’s plea to wear my Johnny Callison jersey tonight. Told her I can’t trot it out for every single game. Told her I didn’t wear it tonight because tonight wasn’t an essential game. I will wear it tomorrow night.

P.S. DMac, perhaps you could provide me with a different substance.

[DMac]

I would have been all in with the sister, was actually going to strongly recommend you wear it for this one after the last game.
Stay with what's working. Still available for the seventh game though.
At your request other substance is available....much more enjoyable than the pills too.

[DMac]

I hope you didn't wash that shirt, njb!!!!!

Phils come out bangin' tonight, take this one by four.
8-4, Phillies. On to the WS.
Oh, and don't wash the shirt.