1992casey

You're not a fan of hair, are you?

Mets vs. Dodgers, Game 1 Mets RF Curtis Granderson (L) 3B David Wright ® CF Yoenis Céspedes ® 2B Daniel Murphy (L) C Travis d'Arnaud ® 1B Lucas Duda (L) LF Michael Cuddyer ® SS Rubén Tejada ® RHP Jacob deGrom (L) Dodgers LF Carl Crawford (L) 2B Howie Kendrick ® SS Corey Seager (L) 1B Adrián González (L) 3B Justin Turner ® RF Andre Ethier (L) C A.J. Ellis ® CF Joc Pederson (L) LHP Clayton Kershaw (L)

Cubs vs. Cardinals, Game 1 Cubs CF Dexter Fowler (S) RF Kyle Schwarber (L) 3B Kris Bryant ® 1B Anthony Rizzo (L) 2B Starlin Castro ® LF Chris Coghlan (L) SS Addison Russell ® C David Ross ® LHP Jon Lester (L) Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter (L) 1B Stephen Piscotty ® LF Matt Holliday ® CF Jason Heyward (L) SS Jhonny Peralta ® RF Randal Grichuk ® C Yadier Molina ® 2B Kolten Wong (L) RHP John Lackey ® I wonder if there's an error in the Cubs' lineup and if it's possibly Schwarber in LF and Coghlan in RF.

trwi7, where do you have a problem with MLB Network? I like the fact that there isn't going to be an issue when games overlap. With the NL games all on TBS, we're likely to have to tune into an oddball channel with little notice at some point. I can see the advantage of TBS, though. Almost everyone has it. Viewers may have to buy a higher tier to get MLB. I don't know where FS1 typically fits in.

Astros vs. Royals, Game 2 (same lineups as yesterday) Astros 2B José Altuve ® RF George Springer ® SS Carlos Correa ® LF Colby Rasmus (L) DH Evan Gattis ® 3B Luis Valbuena (L) 1B Chris Carter ® C Jason Castro (L) CF Jake Marisnick ® Royals SS Alcides Escobar ® 2B Ben Zobrist (S) CF Lorenzo Cain ® 1B Eric Hosmer (L) DH Kendrys Morales (S) 3B Mike Moustakas (L) C Salvador Pérez ® LF Alex Gordon (L) RF Alex Ríos ®

I can't help you with specifics about St. Louis, but it would seem to me that crime rates might higher in most downtown areas simply due to population density. Maybe you can gauge St. Louis by comparing it to the downtown areas of other cities. This doesn't relate to housing, but watch out for Provel.

The presentation of [cite]O Canada[/cite] was kind of a throwback. The organist played and the fans sang.

There've also been reports that Harper can rub his teammates and manager the wrong way. I wouldn't stretch things to say he plays the wrong way "period," but I think it's fair to say that that things happen from time to time. I don't know that the popup was one of those "things." It seems to me that Papelbon was looking for a fight and found a weak excuse to start one. Harper was wrong about taking the HBP stuff to the press (although his angle on it was right). But Papelbon's actions created a "two wrongs make a right" situation, and that never works.

Rangers vs. Blue Jays, Game 2 Rangers CF Delino DeShields Jr. ® RF Shin-Soo Choo (L) DH Prince Fielder (L) 1B Mitch Moreland (L) SS Elvis Andrus ® LF Josh Hamilton (L) 2B Rougned Odor (L) C Chris Giménez ® 3B Hanser Alberto ® Blue Jays LF Ben Revere (L) 3B Josh Donaldson ® RF José Bautista ® DH Edwin Encarnacion ® SS Troy Tulowitzki ® 1B Chris Colabello ® C Russell Martin ® CF Kevin Pillar (R 2B Ryan Goins (L)

Astros vs. Royals, Game 1 Astros 2B José Altuve ® RF George Springer ® SS Carlos Correa ® LF Colby Rasmus (L) DH Evan Gattis ® 3B Luis Valbuena (L) 1B Chris Carter ® C Jason Castro (L) CF Jake Marisnick ® Royals SS Alcides Escobar ® 2B Ben Zobrist (S) CF Lorenzo Cain ® 1B Eric Hosmer (L) DH Kendrys Morales (S) 3B Mike Moustakas (L) C Salvador Pérez ® LF Alex Gordon (L) RF Alex Ríos ®

The primary function of the divisions is to keep it somewhat regional to keep travel in check. If you play a completely balanced schedule the travel would even more grueling. Fan interest is a also reason, although that may work out better in some divisions than others. But the idea is that at the end of September, a lot of teams will be playing within their divisions. And there's more opportunity for rivalries to develop. We've been there and done that with balanced schedules. The American League had one for about two decades, beginning in the late 1970s. The main reason was that the AL West was composed primarily of expansion or relocated teams. The National League had a balanced schedule for several years, beginning with the 1993 expansion.

The lead post will be updated as more information becomes available, so take a moment to check it periodically. If you have information that should be included, especially rotation information, feel free to post it. As of now, it appears that the wildcard winners and the Cardinals haven't announced any pitchers past Game 1. And of course, please holler if you see any mistakes. EDIT: The Astros' rotation has been announced. Games 1–3 (Collin McHugh, Scott Kazmir, and Dallas Keuchel) are posted above. The Game 4 starter will be either Lance McCullers or Mike Fiers.

Chris Archer's appearance in the booth during Tuesday's game is getting wildly positive responses. Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports mentions the umms that trwi7 pointed out. But I thought that what he said was interesting and well articulated. You don't expect a guest analyst to be polished. Objective observers are also giving positive marks to Jessica Mendoza. The negatives seem to be mostly in the form of sexist tweets from people who don't want to see any woman in that job. I think she was polished and offered interesting commentary.

The prospect of 4-team divisions offers a lot of nice symmetry. But I'd be concerned about the possibility of a woefully substandard team qualifying for the postseason. At least a handful of times, we've come close to having a sub-.500 team qualifying, even with 6-team divisions. Had the 1994 season been completed, it almost certainly would have happened. At the time of the strike, the four worst win-loss records in the American League were in the West, with the first place Rangers having a poorer record than either of the last place teams in the other divisions.

[h1]Thursday, October 8, 2015[/h1] [h2]Rangers (Yovani Gallardo) vs. Blue Jays (David Price), Game 1[/h2][margin]2:30 PM CDT, Rogers Centre, Toronto TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Rangers win, 5-3; Rangers lead series, 1-0 Rangers at Blue Jays Game 1 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Astros (Collin McHugh) vs. Royals (Yordano Ventura), Game 1[/h2][margin]6:30 PM CDT, Kaufman Stadium, Kansas City TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Astros win, 5-2; Astros lead series, 1-0 Astros at Royals Game 1 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [hr=60][/hr] [h1]Friday, October 9, 2015[/h1] [h2]Rangers (Cole Hamels) vs. Blue Jays (Marcus Stroman), Game 2[/h2][margin]11:30 AM CDT, Rogers Centre, Toronto TV: MLB Network Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Rangers win, 6-4, 14 innings; Rangers lead series, 2-0 Rangers at Blue Jays Game 2 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Astros (Scott Kazmir) vs. Royals (Johnny Cueto), Game 2[/h2][margin]2:30 PM CDT, Kaufman Stadium, Kansas City TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Royals win, 5-4; Series tied, 1-1 Astros at Royals Game 2 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Cubs (Jon Lester) vs. Cardinals (John Lackey), Game 1[/h2][margin]5:30 PM CDT, Busch Stadium, St. Louis TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Cardinals win, 4-0; Cardinals lead series, 1-0 Cubs at Cardinals Game 1 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Mets (Jacob deGrom) vs. Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw), Game 1[/h2][margin]8:30 PM CDT, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Mets win, 3-1; Mets lead series, 1-0 Mets at Dodgers Game 1 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [hr=60][/hr] [h1]Saturday, October 10, 2015[/h1] [h2]Cubs (Kyle Hendricks) vs. Cardinals (Jaime Garcia), Game 2[/h2][margin]4:30 PM CDT, Busch Stadium, St. Louis TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Cubs win, 6-3; Series tied, 1-1 Cubs at Cardinals Game 2 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Mets (Noah Syndergaard) vs. Dodgers (Zack Greinke), Game 2[/h2][margin]8:00 PM CDT, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Dodgers win, 5-2; Series tied, 1-1 Mets at Dodgers Game 2 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [hr=60][/hr] [h1]Sunday, October 11, 2015[/h1] [h2]Royals (Edinson Volquez) vs. Astros (Dallas Keuchel), Game 3[/h2][margin]3:00 PM CDT, Minute Maid Park, Houston TV: MLB Network Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Astros win, 4-2; Astros lead series, 2-1 Astros at Royals Game 3 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Blue Jays (Marco Estrada) vs. Rangers (Martín Pérez), Game 3[/h2][margin]7:00 PM CDT, Globe Life Park in Arlington, Arlington TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Blue Jays win, 5-1; Rangers lead series, 2-1 Blue Jays at Rangers Game 3 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [hr=60][/hr] [h1]Monday, October 12, 2015[/h1] [h2]Royals (Yordano Ventura) vs. Astros (Lance McCullers), Game 4[/h2][margin]12:00 PM CDT, Minute Maid Park, Houston TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Royals win, 9-6; Series tied, 2-2 Astros at Royals Game 4 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Blue Jays (R.A. Dickey) vs. Rangers (Derek Holland), Game 4[/h2][margin]3:00 PM CDT, Globe Life Park in Arlington, Arlington TV: FS1, MLB Network Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Blue Jays win, 8-4; Series tied, 2-2 Blue Jays at Rangers Game 4 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Cardinals (Michael Wacha) vs. Cubs (Jake Arrieta), Game 3[/h2][margin]5:00 PM CDT, Wrigley Field, Chicago TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Cubs win, 8-6; Cubs lead series, 2-1 Cardinals at Cubs Game 3 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Dodgers (Brett Anderson) vs. Mets (Matt Harvey), Game 3[/h2][margin]7:30 PM CDT, Citi Field, New York TV: TBS, TNT Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Mets win, 13-7; Mets lead series, 2-1 Dodgers at Mets Game 3 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [hr=60][/hr] [h1]Tuesday, October 13, 2015[/h1] [h2]Cardinals (Lance Lynn) vs. Cubs (Jason Hammel), Game 4[/h2][margin]3:30 PM CDT, Wrigley Field, Chicago TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Cubs win, 6-4; Cubs win series, 3-1 Cardinals at Cubs Game 4 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw) vs. Mets (Steven Matz), Game 4[/h2][margin]7:00 PM CDT, Citi Field, New York TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Dodgers win, 3-1; Series tied, 2-2 Dodgers at Mets Game 4 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [hr=60][/hr] [h1]Wednesday, October 14, 2015[/h1] [h2]Rangers (Cole Hamels) vs. Blue Jays (Marcus Stroman), Game 5[/h2][margin]3:00 PM CDT, Rogers Centre, Toronto TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Blue Jays win, 6-3; Blue Jays win series, 3-2 Blue Jays at Rangers Game 5 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [h2]Astros (Collin McHugh) vs. Royals (Johnny Cueto), Game 5[/h2][margin]7:00 PM CDT, Kaufman Stadium, Kansas City TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Royals win, 7-2; Royals win series, 3-2 Astros at Royals Game 5 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin] [hr=60][/hr] [h1]Thursday, October 14, 2015[/h1] [h2]Mets (Jacob deGrom) vs. Dodgers (Zack Greinke), Game 5[/h2][margin]7:00 PM CDT, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio ---------------- Mets win, 3-2; Mets win series, 3-2 Mets at Dodgers Game 5 Wrap, MLB.com[/margin]

It's always nice to see the benches clear.

Thanks for the lineups.

According to Wikipedia (which likely beats my memory), Sedar became third base coach the year Ron Roenicke was hired. Roenicke's philosophies may be the cause of some of the habits we complain about. Starting the season with Counsell and his more conservative baserunning philosophy could make a difference in what we see.

rickh150, I notice that you were there in April, possibly on days when the team played games. You might have seen something completely different in February.

I don't rate "amateurs" based on umms. It was kind of funny when he managed to call one of the plays.

Chris Archer is in the booth. Jessica Mendoza made a comment, and he answered with "yes sir" before correcting himself and saying "yes ma'am."

Good Guys 2B José Altuve RF George Springer SS Carlos Correa LF Colby Rasmus DH Evan Gattis CF Carlos Gómez 3B Luis Valbuena 1B Chris Carter C Jason Castro LHP Dallas Keuchel Bad Guys CF Brett Gardner LF Chris Young RF Carlos Beltrán DH Álex Rodríguez C Brian McCann 3B Chase Headley 1B Greg Bird 2B Rob Refsnyder SS Didi Gregorius RHP Masahiro Tanaka

They'd have to wait until Tuesday, at least, in case there are 1-game playoffs in both leagues to determine the WC representatives or division winners. There's also the issue of rain, either in the form of a rainout or a long rain delay. As an example, back in 1999, the final game of the Brewers season started around 9:00 PM after being delayed from its scheduled mid-afternoon start. After beating the Brewers, the Reds had to head home for a one game playoff vs. the Mets. I'm a little wary of byes simply because they have the potential to undermine the natural rhythm of playing regularly. On the other side of the coin, when teams finish a postseason series early, they seem to like being able to reset their starting rotations. In the not so distant past, there weren't always built-in travel days, and the participants weren't pleased. Figure that flights can potentially be longer than they might typically be during the regular season. And there are oddball game times to accommodate both TV and fans attending at the park. And of course, there's always the possibility of postponements.

Plush, I think the barriers to expansion apply most everywhere, and most involve the ability of a team to generate revenue. Mexico City would benefit from a national TV contract, but it would still have the peso to deal with. As Briggs said, it certainly has enough population that can afford Major League prices and can fill a ballpark. And I'm sure that there'd be private and/or public money to build a park. Mexico City's more unique barriers can possibly be overcome with proper planning to take the edge off of the things that those used to living in the States would find inconvenient. The team or MLB could provide a liaison that could help players find proper housing and assist when they need services (like getting a plumber when the toilet stops working, finding a doctor when a family member is sick, etc.). Maybe a per diem could be provided to cover cab rides and such that wouldn't be so necessary in the US and Canada. I think that there are several locations both in and out of the States that could draw enough to fill a ballpark. But as we see with the Brewers, that isn't enough. Adding franchises that find themselves in the same financial position as the Brewers, Reds, Royals, etc. doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If revenue sharing were increased, which is something that would help the majority of teams, then I think it would make sense to talk expansion. When the Expos left Canada, I thought that Montreal was done with Major League Baseball. But in recent months I've seen enough people argue for its viability that I think it probably could succeed if things are done right. The Expos were successful for a lot of years despite the fact that Olympic Stadium never really worked out. Good ownership and a proper facility could go a long way toward having a viable team there.

I'd rather they test the waters with a AAA team in Mexico City first. The current Mexican League team, Los Diablos Rojos del México (Mexico City Red Devils), is AAA and is part of Minor League Baseball. I don't know if affiliation with a Major League team would be considered an upgrade or downgrade by fans. It's hard to gauge the Red Devils' recent success based on attendance. This year, they averaged 2,787 fans per game in a 5,200 seat temporary facility. Previously, they played in a stadium that apparently wasn't suitable for baseball. They're getting a new 13,000 seat facility in 2017 that looks gorgeous: Mexico Creates a Temple of Sports Baseball stadium for Mexico's Red Devils to feature a three-pronged roof JAHN and ADG Unveil Mexico City’s Newest Baseball Stadium paul253, keep in mind that the Marlins have the same crummy owner that the Expos did.