MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

[joecct]

I became a Yankees fan during the years of Horace Clark, Gene Michael, Roy White, a cleanup hitter who choked up on the bat, when Steve Kekich and Floyd Patterson traded wives (seriously, for those who don't know about this, look it up) for the biggest headlines of those years, Ron Herbst (I think I got it right), and trading the rookie of the year, Stan Bahnson, for Rich McKinney who wound up playing a month before being sent to the minors.

Besides, I'm also a Jets fan. I have a right to be an arrogant Yankees fan.

Strat O Matic had Roy White as LF-2 +4. Reggie was RF-2 -4. The difference? Roy could not throw anyone out and Reggie had a bazooka.

I think I watched the Mets because of Kiners Korner (except When the Yankees played the Red Sox or the Mets were on the Left Coast).

Right after the Yankee game on Ch. 11, they went right to Action News (Daily News production) which was guaranteed to lead off with a murder.

[Hammer]

Right after the Yankee game on Ch. 11, they went right to Action News (Daily News production) which was guaranteed to lead off with a murder.

95% chance of that happening in Detroit back in the day, too. Either that or a fire. But at least your Action News anchor probably didn't challenge the mayor to a fight right there in the middle of the 11:00 news. Or do this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VuLNtRvU0CU

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

I think I watched the Mets because of Kiners Korner (except When the Yankees played the Red Sox or the Mets were on the Left Coast).

Kiners Korner was pretty cool. I watched that a lot.

I also liked Lindsey Nelson (and his suits). But that was mainly because he was also a big auto racing fan.

Right after the Yankee game on Ch. 11, they went right to Action News (Daily News production) which was guaranteed to lead off with a murder.

Those were the days... Wouldn't want to go back to them.

[SonofSouthie]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

Kiners Korner was pretty cool. I watched that a lot.

I also liked Lindsey Nelson (and his suits). But that was mainly because he was also a big auto racing fan.



Those were the days... Wouldn't want to go back to them.

I also liked Lindsey Nelson

A favorite of mine. Always watched the Cotton Bowl, didn't care who was playing, because he was doing the game.

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

LOL. Yes, that's all correct.

I was getting Kekich mixed up with the pitcher Steve Kline.

And to Kepler's point, yes us Yankees fans were always arrogant. Even when they sucked (and when I became a fan) we still had all that history to rub into other fans. So, I get your point. But, I still became a Yankees fan (mainly because of my mother's side of the family; my father was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, but when they left town, baseball ceased to exist in his mind, so he didn't care what we did) when they sucked, and stuck with them even when the Mets were the ones doing the winning. Remember, I was responding to Jen's original comment.

And wasn't Celerino Sanchez the one who replaced McKinney at third?

My Yankee watching began with Sanchez. For some reason as an 8-year old I loved the meter of his name.

Other Yankees I remember from that time: Roy White, Bobby Mercer, Horace Clarke, Ron Bloomberg, Ron Swoboda. Mercer was the only one who was worth spit. I was very confused to discover Swoboda's place in Mets lore (I was too young to be cognizant of the 69 miracle) because when you first follow the sport the situation at that moment freezes in your mind as if it has always been. I actually think this is a reason I have no issue with the Yankees. To me, their psychologically "correct" level, even all these years later, is still that they suck. For me, mentally, the Pirates and Orioles and A's and Reds and Dodgers will always "naturally" be good, and the Yankees and Angels and Indians and Padres and Astros will always "naturally" suck. That's just where they belong, by Divine Fiat.

The Yankee fans were arrogant but that isn't actually what bugged me. It was (is) that sort of mewling entitlement that when the slightest thing goes wrong they whine like they have been denied their Constitutional rights. Yankee Fan is not the braggart athlete who really can throw the ball 50 yards who demands to be the neighborhood team QB. He's Richy Rich, who grabs a second helping of cake at the birthday party before every kid has gotten his first, because he's just entitled to it. The canonical Yankees fan is Donald Trump. There are equivalents in other sports. Patriots fans. Lakers fans. Azzuri fans. Minnesota hockey fans. Hell, Notre Dame football fans, of which I am one.

Now, none of that is real, probably (except Note Dame fans -- we really are as-sholes -- more than you know). I'm just talking about the perceptions of an 8-year old who had to choose an allegiance. The Yankees weren't the dark side because they were arrogant. They were the dark side because they would cry when the wind hit them the wrong way. They had a glass jaw, but because Mother always kept them safe from harm they felt like they were The Golden Child.



You just can't help wanting fans like that to endure an eternity of losing. They deserve it.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

I love your post for so many reasons.

My Yankee watching began with Sanchez. For some reason as an 8-year old I loved the meter of his name.

Other Yankees I remember from that time: Roy White, Bobby Mercer, Horace Clarke, Ron Bloomberg, Ron Swoboda. Mercer was the only one who was worth spit.

What "first" does Ron Bloomberg hold? To the purists, what he did was blasphemy (not that it was his fault, he just happened to be the first).

BTW, it's Murcer. I know, because he was by far my brother's favorite baseball player. Heck, probably his favorite athlete. My brother worshipped the guy. Made sure to attend Bobby Murcer day. I think the happiest day of my brother's life was when Murcer was traded back to the Yankees. (And for that reason, my brother hated Bobby Bonds, no matter how good Bonds was, because he was the guy Murcer was originally traded for.)

when you first follow the sport the situation at that moment freezes in your mind as if it has always been.

That is so true.

The Yankee fans were arrogant but that isn't actually what bugged me. It was (is) that sort of mewling entitlement that when the slightest thing goes wrong they whine like they have been denied their Constitutional rights.

Ask a Yankees fan about the 1960 World Series, even if we weren't born yet. We still believe there is no way in heck we could have lost that World Series or Pittsburgh deserves it.

But just remember, anytime you Yankee-haters give us sh*t, we just respond with "Wake me up when you can count to 27."

Now, none of that is real, probably (except Note Dame fans -- we really are as-sholes -- more than you know).

As a USC fan, you are so right. You Notre Dame fans are d*ckheads. And the biggest hypocrites of all. (All said in good fun of course ... well, maybe only a bit...)

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

What "first" does Ron Bloomberg hold?

I am such a purist that I refuse to acknowledge it.

He knows what he did.

[MissThundercat]

Kepler, 11 years ago today, Carlos Beltran stared at strike 3. Didn't take the bat off his shoulder.

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

Kepler, 11 years ago today, Carlos Beltran stared at strike 3. Didn't take the bat off his shoulder.

Sigh. We'll always have Endy, though.

[Hammer]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

Multiple reports have Alex Cora as the next Red Sox manager.

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

How many games have there been this post season where every run was scored by someone hitting the ball out of the park. One day during the division round three of the four teams in action generated every run off a homer. When my team is playing and winning I mind less, but if I was a casual fan watching playoff baseball with no dog in the hunt, I don't know that it would be so enjoyable.

[Hammer]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

It's the Dodgers in the NL.

The Cubs' run is over.

[mookie1995]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

Kepler, 11 years ago today, Carlos Beltran stared at strike 3. Didn't take the bat off his shoulder.

mookie vividly remembers a buccos game in 1986 when steve kemp was sent up as a late ph with guys on and the pirates (of course) behind. kemp must have had 8 bats in his grasp on the ondeck circle waving them mightly... he drops all but one and then walks to the plate --- where he watches 3 straight strikes go by him to end the inning

[mookie1995]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

It's the Dodgers in the NL..

has a team ever won a WS that had an 11 game losing streak (and 16 out of 17)?

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2017: Playoffs, World Series, and Off-season.

has a team ever won a WS that had an 11 game losing streak (and 16 out of 17)?

According to "Mas-shole Sports," and really why would we doubt them:

the longest losing streak by a team that went on to win the World Series was nine by the 1953 Yankees. They lost nine consecutive games from June 21 - July 1. They eventually beat the Brooklyn Dodgers to win the World Series.

The second longest losing streak by a team that went on to win the World Series was seven. That has happenned to the 1914 Braves, 1933 Giants, 1983 Orioles, 1990 Reds, 1991 Twins, 2000 Yankees and 2010 Giants.

The 1951 Giants lost 11 consecutive games and went on to win the pennant but lost in the World Series to the Yankees.