Wild Card Game(s) Thread ← FREE KRAUT!

Wild Card Game(s) Thread 108

Tonight it’s birds v birds, tomorrow night an old NY team v current NY team. I used to always root for the Orioles, but may have to pull for Toronto tonight. No halloween colors beyond these games, please.

108 thoughts on “Wild Card Game(s) Thread

  1. MikeV Oct 4,2016 5:00 pm

    Fuck the Giants. Don’t care really.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  2. Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 5:25 pm

    Dark alt jerseys for both teams. Disgusting. Especially the Orioles.

  3. ptbnl Oct 4,2016 5:29 pm

    Huzzah – hooked up a link, though Lily had to surrender her laptop.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  4. ptbnl Oct 4,2016 5:31 pm

    I saw Donaldson managed to avoid the shift, grounding out 3-1, but didn’t see the whole at-bat. Did it look like he trying to use the space?

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  5. dmoas Oct 4,2016 6:03 pm

    Man. Talk about a Spoiler Alert. The RNC announced that Pence won the debate an hour before it started.

  6. Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 6:10 pm

    Pence is the human embodiment of Generic Indiana Republican.

    • dmoas Oct 4,2016 6:12 pm || Up

      Clearly having mic problems.

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 6:17 pm || Up

      Can there be any voter anywhere who will cast a ballot this year based on the VP candidate?

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • colin Oct 4,2016 6:21 pm || Up

        no.

        Well, maybe Mike Pence’s daughters?

      • Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 6:23 pm || Up

        Nope.

      • AV Oct 4,2016 6:27 pm || Up

        wait. as opposed to which year?

        88? 08?

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 6:44 pm || Up

          I mean, Lloyd Bentsen made Dan Quayle a living joke for the rest of his political career and Bush still cruised.

          Dick Cheney was the most hated man in America by ’04 and it didn’t mean a thing.

          Palin is probably the exception that proves the rule.

          • ptbnl Oct 4,2016 6:58 pm || Up

            the exception that proves the rule

            Pet peeve that the mis-translation of “proves” from tests to validates has given us that ridiculous logic-fail.

            If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
            • dmoas Oct 4,2016 7:01 pm || Up

              Obama would have won anyway so it had no impact? Does that fix the statement?

              • ptbnl Oct 4,2016 7:11 pm || Up

                No, because I think the central point – that Palin was a VP candidate that did have a significant impact on their candidate – is valid. Just that it was as a rule-breaker not -prover.

                Wild hypothesis: did Palin pose Angry Old White Men the dilemma of voting woman or black?

                If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
                • nevermoor Oct 5,2016 9:55 am || Up

                  No, because they thought she was hot.

                  And angry old white men love hot women. See, e.g., Trump.

                  "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • dmoas Oct 5,2016 10:26 am || Up

                  Trump isn’t a hot woman. /s

            • Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 7:04 pm || Up

              Noted.

            • AV Oct 5,2016 8:11 am || Up
              *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
              • ptbnl Oct 5,2016 8:45 am || Up

                Very – though there still seem to be people in the “prove” camp.

                If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
          • AV Oct 5,2016 5:44 am || Up

            palin swayed something? i really don’t remember.

            i do remember that when someone busted into the room and said, the Rs are announcing the VP choice, i immediately guessed, “it’s a woman, huh?” i felt it was identity-tactically sound. split the non-AOWM vote. i *could* vote for the first black prez, or i *could* vote for the first female VP.

            but then she was who she turned out to be, and i don’t remember anything swaying. but that’s honestly what i mean. i just don’t remember what happened. until pretty much the honking on the street.

            but yeah, on quayle et al. if this is a season where the co-candidates are the normalizers to rein in the divisive heads, i did wonder if there was ever a year when more-divisive and most-divisive co-cans actually sent votes in either direction. doesn’t seem they would.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
            • Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 6:51 am || Up

              McCain was going to lose anyway because of Bush. But I think Palin probably made the margin bigger. Impossible to know.

              In this election I think Kaine is basically irrelevant outside of a point or two in Virginia.

              Pence is less irrelevant. I do think he has helped Trump keep some religious conservative types in the fold. I think he is pretty meaningless outside that group, though, and they were going to hold their noses and vote Trump anyway. It was mostly about placating them through the convention (and that no other generic republicans wanted to toss their careers away).

              • andeux Oct 5,2016 9:50 am || Up

                That’s how I remember it too. Palin was kind of a desperation move, because he was already behind. And it ended up backfiring, once it became clear what an idiot she was.

                TINSTAAFK
                • nevermoor Oct 5,2016 9:56 am || Up

                  Well, IIRC it was that he really wanted Liebermann so didn’t do any vetting of other choices, then was finally convinced he couldn’t do that so picked her essentially on the fly.

                  "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 11:03 am || Up

                  Man, I forgot all about that. He ran such a bad campaign.

      • dmoas Oct 4,2016 6:28 pm || Up

        Depends. Do you think Donald will be arrested for all of his criminal activities before taking office? If so, then potentially yes.

    • dmoas Oct 4,2016 6:50 pm || Up

      Did Pence get punched in the face and have it stick with it indented?

  7. FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 6:18 pm

    Go Jays!

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • elcroata Oct 4,2016 7:22 pm || Up

      Seconded. But mostly to get potentially five games of Jays vs. Rangers and hopefully at least three brawls

      Because survival is insufficient
      • FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 7:28 pm || Up

        Yes, I would enjoy that a lot. And honestly I’m kinda rooting for Texas this postseason, at least to a point.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • Future Ed Oct 4,2016 7:30 pm || Up

          i can’t see a reason not too. we are pretty far removed from gwb and tom hicks money laundering

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
  8. sslinger Oct 4,2016 6:32 pm

    Is JJ Hardy really Bobby Crosby?

  9. Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 6:35 pm

    That was suboptimal baserunning.

  10. ptbnl Oct 4,2016 6:43 pm

    The base-running blunder ended up not hurting, but Showalter’s moves have been uncannily successful so far.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  11. elcroata Oct 4,2016 7:19 pm

    Wow, I hope this guy goes to jail

    Because survival is insufficient
    • Future Ed Oct 4,2016 7:28 pm || Up

      for those of us not paying attention, this comment is interesting.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • elcroata Oct 4,2016 7:33 pm || Up

        Somebody threw a beer can at Kim trying to make a catch in deep left field, missing his head by a couple of feet.

        Because survival is insufficient
        • FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 7:37 pm || Up

          From the replays we’ve seen you can’t tell, but if that seemingly full beer came from the upper deck it could actually kill someone.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 7:39 pm || Up

          Molson’s or Labatt’s?

      • ptbnl Oct 4,2016 7:33 pm || Up

        I spent a few minutes trying to connect it to the VP debate.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • nevermoor Oct 5,2016 9:59 am || Up

          #ChrisChristie

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  12. FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 7:27 pm

    Toronto fans have a history of bad behavior as I recall.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  13. ptbnl Oct 4,2016 7:41 pm

    Too soon.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  14. ptbnl Oct 4,2016 7:53 pm

    With a runner on 2nd and none out in the bottom of the 9th, it’s not either/or but one or both.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  15. doctorK Oct 4,2016 7:56 pm

    1. FK the Giants
    2. I hope they tossed the beer-can thrower out of the stadium, and then banned him from all other ball parks, major and minor leagues.
    3. Very poor AB by Joey Whiffs with 1st and 2nd with no outs (although at least he didn’t GIDP).
    4. FK the Giants

    • doctorK Oct 4,2016 8:52 pm || Up

      Oh well, it was a plastic water bottle. Ban his ass anyway.

  16. doctorK Oct 4,2016 7:57 pm

    Also, Suck It Russell Martin

  17. FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 8:28 pm

    Ubaldo Jimenez vs Francisco Liriano, battle of aces (circa 20)0).

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  18. ptbnl Oct 4,2016 8:33 pm

    DONALDSON TAKING 2ND DOESN’T MATTER!

    Gah.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • ptbnl Oct 4,2016 8:33 pm || Up

      OK, now it really doesn’t matter!

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  19. lenscrafters Oct 4,2016 8:34 pm

    So the O’s lose the game with Ubaldo on the mound and their best reliever having never pitched.

    • sslinger Oct 4,2016 8:35 pm || Up

      Yeah, rough.

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 8:35 pm || Up

      Buck has his Manager’s Manual. Didn’t this exact thing happen last year too?

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  20. elcroata Oct 4,2016 8:35 pm

    At least Britton is well rested for Spring training

    Because survival is insufficient
    • Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 8:37 pm || Up

  21. Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 8:36 pm

    “We Came to Reign”? That’s lame.

  22. elcroata Oct 4,2016 8:37 pm

    #neverbritton

    Because survival is insufficient
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 4,2016 8:42 pm || Up

      #Brittexit

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  23. elcroata Oct 4,2016 8:41 pm

    Because survival is insufficient
    • Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 8:55 pm || Up

      “Zach Britton pitched in that game.”

      -Mike Pence

      • nevermoor Oct 5,2016 10:00 am || Up

        “Zach Britton was tremendous in that game. Everyone said so. He threw strikes bigly.”

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • lenscrafters Oct 5,2016 7:38 am || Up

      I have no emotional interest vested in the Orioles, but I woke up today and was still ticked off.

  24. Glorious Mundy Oct 4,2016 9:10 pm

    Plot twist: both of these sources are actually Trump

    • Future Ed Oct 4,2016 9:30 pm || Up

      unbelievable

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • nevermoor Oct 5,2016 10:01 am || Up

        Not really, it was clearly Kaine’s goal.

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  25. elcroata Oct 5,2016 9:47 am

    You know who *else* wanted to make a clear distinction between nationals and foreign workers?

    In her speech the home secretary warned businesses that foreign workers should not be able to “take jobs that British people should do”. Later it was made clear that the consultation paper will include an option to require companies to publish their proportion of international staff they employ.

    Because survival is insufficient
    • elcroata Oct 5,2016 10:18 am || Up

      Here’s a good summary of where UK is heading to

      Fallon announced 150 new army cadet units for state schools, with the first launched on Tuesday at the Birmingham school at the centre of the “Trojan horse” row over alleged attempts to introduce a hardline Islamist ethos.

      Rockwood Academy, Fallon said, was “a phoenix from the ashes of a Trojan horse school that is now instilling British values”.

      Because survival is insufficient
    • elcroata Oct 5,2016 10:30 am || Up

      And here’s a funny thing: United kingdom announces no visa policy for Filipinos

      The first funny thing is that a citizen of Philippines is called Filipino. How bout some consistency here?

      The second is that the decision took into consideration human rights policies of the countries in question. Rodrigo Fucking Duterte’s Human Right Policies?!

      Because survival is insufficient
  26. elcroata Oct 5,2016 10:09 am
    Because survival is insufficient
    • Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 11:10 am || Up

      Bill Weld has always seemed like a smart, reasonable guy. And very obviously not a libertarian.

      Maybe he can finally be ambassador to Mexico.

      • doctorK Oct 5,2016 11:24 am || Up

        If the Libertarian ticket was Weld/Johnson rather than Johnson/Weld, then I’d be willing to bet they’d be pulling a lot more weight.

        Although I’m not sure people would want to Weld their Johnson.

      • andeux Oct 5,2016 11:50 am || Up

        He’s a libertarian in the very broad sense of believing in small government on both economic and social issues. But he also seems like more of a technocrat who understands that there is often a trade off between different sorts of rights, unlike Johnson who seems inclined to oppose the government ever doing anything, because Freedom!

        The first election I voted in was the 1990 MA governor’s race, where the Republican (Weld) was more liberal than the Democrat (John Silber). That was perplexing. There were still a few others like him in the Republican party at the time, especially in New England (Jim Jeffords, Lowell Weicker). Now, the idea that he might “rebuild the GOP” in his image just makes me laugh. Good luck with that.

        TINSTAAFK
  27. elcroata Oct 5,2016 12:34 pm

    Because survival is insufficient
    • nevermoor Oct 5,2016 2:03 pm || Up

      Also, global warming isn’t real so long as it still snows in winter.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • AV Oct 5,2016 2:06 pm || Up

      plus they suck up all the sunlight.

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  28. FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 5,2016 2:44 pm

    Rex Ryan and Richie Incognito vs unnamed African-American Bills. This election just keeps on delivering.

    thelab.bleacherreport.com/donald-trump-is-tearing-the-nfl-apart

    More broadly, 21 out of 21 white nfl players surveyed plan to vote for Trump. Yikes.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • dmoas Oct 5,2016 3:16 pm || Up

      So they surveyed all 21 white dudes in the NFL? Man, that’s one hell of a polling job. Not easy to get 100% surveyed.

      • FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 5,2016 4:14 pm || Up

        I confess that my first reaction was to check to see if Trump-pal Tom Brady had an all black O line. Alas, they’re 3/5 white.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 4:20 pm || Up

      Oblivious under-educated white dudes, doing their thing.

      • andeux Oct 5,2016 4:40 pm || Up

        And probably very similar in baseball.
        The part that’s interesting is that my stereotype of Trump supporters is that they are either explicitly racist and/or don’t actually have much interaction with non-whites. Pro athletes (with the exception of the occasional John Rocker) don’t fit either part of that.

        TINSTAAFK
        • FreeSeatUpgrade Oct 5,2016 4:44 pm || Up

          Another interesting takeaway is that while pro athletes traditionally skew conservative because they’re wealthy, that appears to be unimportant to the wealthy athletes of color in this election.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • nevermoor Oct 5,2016 5:09 pm || Up

        And rich. So double whammy.

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • Future Ed Oct 5,2016 7:58 pm || Up

        (some college)

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • batgirl Oct 5,2016 6:44 pm || Up

      I hopped over to read that and got distracted by the lure of a “candy striped” uniform. Could not be more disappointing.

  29. Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 4:44 pm

    Dallas Braden’s vest-no-jacket look during the pregame show is certainly something.

  30. Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 5:56 pm

    New Era flags on the side of the caps. Yuck.

  31. Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 6:20 pm

    Dammit Yo.

  32. Soaker Oct 5,2016 6:58 pm

    Putting the obvious rooting interest aside, this is a pretty terrific postseason game, through 5-1/2 anyway.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 7:00 pm || Up

      Yup

      • Soaker Oct 5,2016 7:09 pm || Up

        I don’t always “love” nasty starting pitching but I certainly respect it.

        What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  33. Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 7:02 pm

    I don’t like that the ESPN zone box thing shows a “K” when a pitch is in the zone. “K” does not stand for strike.

  34. Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 7:16 pm

    Blevins alert

    • Future Ed Oct 5,2016 7:59 pm || Up

      the only clinton supporter. But from Ohio!

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
  35. Glorious Mundy Oct 5,2016 8:10 pm

    of course

    • Future Ed Oct 5,2016 8:13 pm || Up

      work is going to get more something something.

      Does Castilla come out for the 9th?

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Future Ed Oct 5,2016 8:13 pm || Up

      casilla

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Future Ed Oct 5,2016 8:14 pm || Up

      oh, I see now, just leave bumganer in.

      I wish bochy would have left lincicum in for the 2010 game.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
  36. ptbnl Oct 5,2016 8:12 pm

    Greatest Giant Gillaspie.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  37. Soaker Oct 5,2016 8:29 pm

    I suppose I’m rooting for the Dodgers in all of that as it would erase “the last time they won was…”. My problem with the Cubs is my petulance over the Rose Bowl thing; need a longer stretch of futility out there.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • Future Ed Oct 5,2016 8:38 pm || Up

      dodgers: my aunt died last year, The need no special treatment, they can suck it

      Cubs: lackey? lester? hammel? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK thoses guys. (zobrist too)

      nationals? dusty baker. Not the expos. that fucking laroach kid throwing out first pitch

      Giants; something something something

      Blue jays? bautista, beer throwers, increasingly donaldson

      Clevlands chief wahoo cf coco

      red sox; anyone need to ask?

      rangers Adrien beltre.

      I am rooting for the rangers v clevland and rangers winning

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • andeux Oct 5,2016 8:45 pm || Up

        And Coghlan.

        TINSTAAFK
        • 5Aces Oct 6,2016 11:20 am || Up

          Thats his name! I was reading Ed’s copmment and had to stop because I knew he was the one I wanted to see listed after Lester.

          I’ve always had a soft spot for the Cubs. I loved the ’84 team and am thankful that Buckner took over for “Bull” Durham in the “old offense only 1B who misplayed a GB to destroy a team” all stars.

          But man is it hard to consider rooting for Coghlan and Mr I dont know how to hold a runner on.

          Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  38. Glorious Mundy Oct 6,2016 1:24 pm

    Spreadsheet of nationwide presidential voting results by county since 1836!

    Random California trivia:

    -The only counties not to vote for Reagan either time were San Francisco, Alameda, and Yolo.
    -Marin and Santa Cruz voted for Reagan in 1980, but not in 1984. And both voted for Carter in 1976.
    -Lincoln won California in 1860 despite winning only 8 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz.
    -Los Angeles and San Diego were surprisingly slavery-friendly, voting against Lincoln twice and Grant once.
    -Hoover won only won California county in 1932: Riverside. They came around to FDR in 1936, giving him a clean sweep.
    -Oddly, the only other candidate to run the table in California was Warren Harding in 1920.

    • Soaker Oct 6,2016 5:30 pm || Up

      My county has voted for the Republican every time since 1940 (guess we thought FDR should have observed the two-term tradition) and we’ll make it 20 in a row in November. I see that, among California counties, we are matched only by Orange County.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone

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