While the rest of CL seems to have been caught in a 1970s time-warp of "women and their handbags" and "women, aren't they crazy (I dread the return of the mother-in-law "joke") Baseball has just been getting on with it.
We're now 40-ish games into the 162 game season so roughly a quarter gone.
The Mighty Cardinals are the form team (.667) but only one team is running away with their division as yet. The Cards lead the National League Central by 2.5 games from the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs are as useless as ever.
In the National League East the Atlanta Braves started like a house on fire but have now been pegged back by Washington. Could be the best race of the lost and with a potential World Series finalist coming from the two. Miami are statistically the second worst team in the whole of the MLB
In the NL West World Series champions San Fran are 0.5 games ahead of Arizona.
In the other league The Yankees started badly but typically are now back at the top with Baltimore and Boston 2 games adrift
Detroit and Cleveland are within 0.5 of a game (22 wins each but the tigers have a game in hand)
Only in the AL West does it look like a one-horse race as the Texas Rangers are a whopping seven games clear. Houston's switch to the AL has brought no change to their fortunes. at .268 they are the worst team so far.
It should be a slugfest between Atlanta and Washington in the NL East from here on out. Both are good enough to make the playoffs. Considering how the Braves' season ended last year, they'll want to avoid the wild-card game at all costs, which means winning the division.
Houston might lose 110 games, which has only happened eight times since 1901 (the year the AL came into existence, and what's considered the start of baseball's modern era).
Don't know what it's like to deal with asshole Man U fans, but they can't be any worse than Yankee fans. I say that as an Atlanta fan who had to deal with all of the bandwagon fans who came out of the woodwork in the early 90s. I started high school in the fall of 1993 - very few Yankee fans were around, even though games were televised here (Rochester, which is up near Lake Ontario and about six hours from Manhattan). By the time I graduated in the spring of 1997, they were the defending MLB/World Champions and the logo was everywhere you looked. There was the little matter of seeing them rally from being two games down against the Braves in the 1996 World Series.
Early days, but not looking great for the dodgers so far. Thought we would make it a real run for it this season, but doesn't look like it at the moment.
Why I fail to understand any Charlton fan following the Yankees KF. The antithesis of a real club.
Well, that '96 team was built on the back of a good run by their minor league system after years of trying to buy their way with free agents. Apparently they gradually slid back into that habit (George Steinbrenner was a very impatient man), and that's why the team has belly-flopped in the playoffs year after year. There's a terrific book called The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty by ESPN's Buster Olney that details that period. Worth a read, even if you despise the franchise like I do.
I'm in Toronto at the moment. Just watched the O's blow a ninth inning lead to the Rays on tv. That team is a by-word for failure.
Actually, the O's are playing well - there's a sizable fanbase here, since Baltimore was the affiliate for Rochester's Triple-A team for 40 years. Last night's loss was the first time in 109 games (a ridiculous amount and a modern record) that they've blown a lead after seven innings.
There's something not right with the Giants at the moment. The 2 things where they are usually so strong is letting them down - their starting pitchers and their defensive play. Bruce Bochy is not a happy camper at all. Let's see if he can work his magic. Early days yet though.
Go Jays you mean good game - was pretty exciting. Some awful relief pitching from Lueke. Janssen nearly blew a 4 run lead when he came in but just about saw it out in the end.
Well look at that. An inside the park walk off home run in the 10th for the Giants against the Rockies today. First for them since 1932 and the first in MLB for 10 years. Not too shabby
Great day for the DBacks yesterday sweeping a double against the AL West's top team, Texas Rangers. I don't know if we can keep it up, but we're having a great season so far
Red Sox slowly putting the nightmare 2012 season behind them. Nava has been a revelation, and Ortiz is showing no signs of age - having his best season for ages. Thought the Blue Jays would look stronger this season.
Cards lose 4-2 after a 4 hours 32 mins rain delay during top-half of the 9th innings. Came off at 10.32pm, re-started at 3.04am, finishing at 3.14am!.........Cards were 2-1 ahead after the 8th aswell. AGGHHHH!
Game 2 between the 2012 and 2011 World Champs also goes to the Cards 7-1. Waino pitches a complete game and secures a 12th series win so far this season for the Cards. Get your brooms out!! SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP......
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bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rqnr8
Also available as a podcast -
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Red Sox top of the AL East.
All is right with the world.
We're now 40-ish games into the 162 game season so roughly a quarter gone.
The Mighty Cardinals are the form team (.667) but only one team is running away with their division as yet. The Cards lead the National League Central by 2.5 games from the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs are as useless as ever.
In the National League East the Atlanta Braves started like a house on fire but have now been pegged back by Washington. Could be the best race of the lost and with a potential World Series finalist coming from the two. Miami are statistically the second worst team in the whole of the MLB
In the NL West World Series champions San Fran are 0.5 games ahead of Arizona.
In the other league The Yankees started badly but typically are now back at the top with Baltimore and Boston 2 games adrift
Detroit and Cleveland are within 0.5 of a game (22 wins each but the tigers have a game in hand)
Only in the AL West does it look like a one-horse race as the Texas Rangers are a whopping seven games clear. Houston's switch to the AL has brought no change to their fortunes. at .268 they are the worst team so far.
Houston might lose 110 games, which has only happened eight times since 1901 (the year the AL came into existence, and what's considered the start of baseball's modern era).
Don't know what it's like to deal with asshole Man U fans, but they can't be any worse than Yankee fans. I say that as an Atlanta fan who had to deal with all of the bandwagon fans who came out of the woodwork in the early 90s. I started high school in the fall of 1993 - very few Yankee fans were around, even though games were televised here (Rochester, which is up near Lake Ontario and about six hours from Manhattan). By the time I graduated in the spring of 1997, they were the defending MLB/World Champions and the logo was everywhere you looked. There was the little matter of seeing them rally from being two games down against the Braves in the 1996 World Series.
I might be a little bitter over that one. Maybe.
COYRedbirds.
PS Mind you I guess we have the advantage of having the Cubs to routinely thrash ;o)
Marlins have lost 9 straight and are at the very bottom of the pile.
Game two coming up
Get your brooms out!! SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP......