MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

Oh sh-t that's mean.

But how true is it?

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

Is the AL East pennant race essentially over? My gosh, the Yankees now have a seven game lead over Tampa Bay and a nine game lead over Boston.

I don't care what anyone says that Boston will get it together eventually, if they don't win both games in England, they are flat out going to run out of time.

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

Is the AL East pennant race essentially over? My gosh, the Yankees now have a seven game lead over Tampa Bay and a nine game lead over Boston.

I don't care what anyone says that Boston will get it together eventually, if they don't win both games in England, they are flat out going to run out of time.

Does it matter? Aren't the two losers headed for WC anyway?

And please don't call it a pennant race. There are only two pennants. The rest is post-1969 TV Revenue BS.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

Does it matter? Aren't the two losers headed for WC anyway?

Perhaps not, but I don't think my heart could take watching the Yankees in yet another WC game. (BTW, the race for the two WC spots in both leagues could be quite the humdinger. A lot of teams are still in the running.)

And please don't call it a pennant race. There are only two pennants. The rest is post-1969 TV Revenue BS.

LOL. I agree, but I'm using that nomenclature to save typing. Which you just prevented me from doing...

[JF_Gophers]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

I think we are overestimating the Yankees a bit. Just like every other team, they will hit a slump or two during the rest of the season.

So nothing is a forgone conclusion. Especially, since there is so much head-to-head.

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

LOL. I agree, but I'm using that nomenclature to save typing. Which you just prevented me from doing...

My work here is done.

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

I think we are overestimating the Yankees a bit. Just like every other team, they will hit a slump or two during the rest of the season.

So nothing is a forgone conclusion. Especially, since there is so much head-to-head.

The Yankees are infuriating because they're not just a big, dumb, rich kid beating up kids half his age. They're a big, smart, rich kid beating up kids half his age. The worst thing about the Yankees in not that they buy titles -- the Red Sox and Dodgers (kind of) do that too. It's that they're incredibly smart within their organization. They have the bottomless pockets advantage which should absolutely be ended with a salary cap, but on top of that they don't make many mistakes. So basically the money doesn't really buy the title, it just gives them unlimited get out of jail cards for when they do dumb things, but they do dumb things very rarely.

Likewise, the Met's problem isn't really that the Ponzis are cheap and run them like a small market team -- after all, the A's are cheap. It's that the Ponzis are incompetent and also make tons of mistakes, and then don't pay to fix them.

[SJHovey]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

The Yankees are infuriating because they're not just a big, dumb, rich kid beating up kids half his age. They're a big, smart, rich kid beating up kids half his age. The worst thing about the Yankees in not that they buy titles -- the Red Sox and Dodgers (kind of) do that too. It's that they're incredibly smart within their organization. They have the bottomless pockets advantage which should absolutely be ended with a salary cap, but on top of that they don't make many mistakes. So basically the money doesn't really buy the title, it just gives them unlimited get out of jail cards for when they do dumb things, but they do dumb things all the time.

Likewise, the Met's problem isn't really that the Ponzis are cheap and run them like a small market team -- after all, the A's are cheap. It's that the Ponzis are incompetent and also make tons of mistakes, and then don't pay to fix them.

The Yankees make their share of mistakes. What they probably do better than some other teams is recognize them quickly and cut them loose. They have the financial wherewithal to do that, but you don't see them too often riding that bad signing into the side of the mountain with the hope that somehow it works out for them.

They've also been fairly fortunate this year. They've had a ton of injuries that would have derailed many teams, but they've plugged in some pieces and had those guys produce career years (thus far).

I do not, however, believe they are a championship caliber team as presently configured. They just don't have the starting pitching. Tanaka has been fine, until he starts getting that sinker up and baseballs leave the yard in droves. Sabathia is probably the most dependable, but how much more does he have left. Happ's a servicable #3 playoff pitcher, which means he might give you a good start but you better not rely upon him to win you some games. Paxton has been all over the place.

Having to go with an "opener" basically every fifth or sixth start is going to blow out their bullpen by the end of the year.

If they get Severino back and he pitches quality innings, and if they can make a trade for someone like Bumgarner on a one year rental basis, they can win the WS. Otherwise I don't see them getting by Houston.

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

The Yankees make their share of mistakes. What they probably do better than some other teams is recognize them quickly and cut them loose. They have the financial wherewithal to do that, but you don't see them too often riding that bad signing into the side of the mountain with the hope that somehow it works out for them.

I mistyped the end of that paragraph but you understood thanks. I've corrected it -- my argument (which you understood and don't agree with) is they don't make many mistakes. They're well-run. They don't skimp on stuff like scouting and development.

Yankees: spend tons of money smartly -- good enough for championships
Dodgers: spend tons of money stupidly -- good enough for pennants
Athletics: spend little money smartly -- good enough to compete
Mets: spend little money stupidly -- bad enough to kill my soul

[French Rage]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

Dodgers: spend tons of money stupidly -- about what their fans deserve

fyp

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

fyp

Fans?

[French Rage]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

Fans?

Those people who show up in the 3rd and leave in the 7th and then beat EMTs into a coma in the parking lot.

[JF_Gophers]

Those people who show up in the 3rd and leave in the 7th and then beat EMTs into a coma in the parking lot.

So Dodger fans specifically.

[Kepler]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

I have Edwin Diaz on my fantasy team. His ERA for today was 135.00.

[JF_Gophers]

Re: MLB 2019: Every Year at Playoff Time, The Dodgers Find A Way to Choke.

This Twins game has been embarrassing in the late/extra innings. Not a single batter has tried to cut down their swing to get a base hit.

All strikeouts, and no chance of scoring.