Anyone Believe Me Yet?

[Zeno]

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Which is tougher, do you think: being a fan of a team that fails to make the playoffs year after year, (say, Tampa Bay or Milwaukee); or being a fan of a team that comes close but no cigar year after year (Oakland recently)?

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That's a tough question. Sort of like which is better -Long slow torture year after year or a good time for awhile and then all your high hopes get crushed like a ping pong ball with a sledgehammer, then the same thing next year. Egads. That's ugly. Since we are in the thick of the political season, I will abstain from voting on this issue.

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I LOVE your 10:1 bet on the Dodgers.

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Thanks, I thought it would be a fun bet. I put $20 on it. I also put $20 on the Dodgers to win the NL pennant at 7:1. I was thinking a C-note on each one but pussied out. I am a baby at sports betting and do it more as a thinnly veiled joke than for serious reasons.

-Zeno

[Sooga]

I got 70:1 on the Anaheim Angels winning the World Series in 2002 a couple months into the season..... good thing I bet a whole $5 on it. :P

[Zeno]

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I didn't think their win tonight was too bad. Timlin was back in tip-top form which was a welcome sign. But why all the fastballs? I guess he's got a lot of confidence in the heater... or he was afraid to throw one in the dirt with Alomar on third.


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I watched the last part of that game. I was thinking along the same lines - why not a sinking fastball or low slider. Does Timlin have a good one? Guys on Second and Third may have had something to do with it. But you don't win games by being timid. You should pitch to your strengths, IMO.

He still did well and got one batter to fan.

-Zeno

[Dominic]

betting on the Angels this year wouldn't be a horrible bet...they just swept the Yankees...personally, I do fel it'll come down to one of the West teams in the American League...

as for which is tougher, rootign for a perenial loser or a perenial almost-wins-it-all...well, I'm an Angels fan and a Buffalo Bills fan so I've seen it from both sides...

I'ev got to say, watching the Angels actually win the World Series in 2002 after 25 years of rooting for them...wow...can't imagine feeling that good being a Yankees fan an watching them win yet again...but we'll see how I feel after the Angels win it all again this year... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Toro]

It's beginning to look like the Red Sox trading of Nomar could be addition by subtraction. Apparently Nomar wasn't too tight with his teammates and maybe it's just a coincidence but they didn't start playing up to what everybody expected until he left.

But I agree with you about the Yankees and doing it with mirrors. And where would they be without El Duque? And can he keep it up at his age after coming off rotor cuff surgery.

The Red Sox could be a very scary team to meet in the playoffs. Two stud starting pitchers and a lineup that can score some runs with a decent closer. Their achilles heel is their middle relief, kind of shaky.

But it's great that they've closed the gap so the last 6 games with the Evil Empire should be great to watch.

[andyfox]

I always felt the Yankees had an advantage in the playoffs during Pedro's great years in that, since they were in the same division as the Red Sox, they never had to face them in a 3 out of 5 series. Torre said the best way to deal with Pedro was to be up 2 games to 0 when he pitches.

St. Louis looks like the team to beat.

[Toro]

After looking extremely vulnerable for that recent bad stretch, the Bombers win their 2nd game in a row on their last at bat for a league leading 48th come from behind victory. Their players are tough in the clutch. That's how they are doing it!

[andyfox]

Can't hit, can't field, can't pitch. They're in trouble. They're surviving on Gordon and Rivera and when Gordon doesn't do the job, like tonight, they've got very little left.

[nothumb]

Z-

Timlin has a nasty splitter. He hadn't thrown one yet and probably didn't want to bounce it.

I thought that inning, while it wasn't the most efficient way to go about it, showed incredible persistence and control for Timlin. He had to have placed the fastballs very well to keep guys from really unloading on him, since they probably had the timing down.

The victory last night backed up my growing sentiment that Timlin is returning to post-season form from last year, when he was truly unhittable. For those that missed it, he came in with the bases loaded, nobody out, and dominated three Jays hitters - striking out two and getting the third to ground out to short. I think he gave up a run the following inning, however, but he showed that he is one tough SOB in the clutch.

NT

[Zeno]

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they've got very little left.


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What's that old Jackson Browne song - Running on Empty. The Red Sox are only 5.5 games back. The Mariners and Airzona and the Dodgers lost tonight. Thank you Jose Lima.

Chin up Andy. Things will turn around.

-Zeno