MLB '08, Part Dos

[WildHoneyAlways]

I admit I went to bed.

 

[phanan]

Hell, so did I. I gave up after the 10th.

 

[bono_212]

Wait, so this time it counts?



Yes, it was so very difficult to root for JD Drew, but, for one glorious night, we were all enemies under one flag, so, whatever, go AL.

Ashley, how many times do you think I'll mention being a Yankee fan to you before it sort of settles in your head?

It just doesn't want to enter my brain as fact, I like you too much for that i suppose.

Ok j/k. It's those Cubs games that throw me off, after that I can never remember who you're REAL team is.

Congrats then, you obviously got your times worth out of that game

 

[No spoken words]

I admit I went to bed.

If I were watching at home, I'd have gone to bed, too, but since I was in attendance, there was no fucking way I was leaving before it was over.

A few photos, most are lame, please excuse the huge fat guy with the red hair.

The new Stadium:

Our seats sucked, so it was not conducive to great photos, but, here are all the players, current and past, before the anthem:

Here comes a scary plane, but one guy in the stands has his fist out, he's pumped about the military might of THE UNITED STATES OF RECESSION:

Skip ahead to the 9th, Rivera coming in. Oh, agreed with Headache, Francona has a lot of class:

You were warned:

My favorite photo:

And right before we left:

Just an amazing and memorable night. My first All-Star game, at a ballpark I obviously love. Close game that had a little bit of everything, even if it dragged a bit. And, now, I have to run because I have a softball playoff game now....not quite as special as the All-Star game, but, I want to fucking win.

 

[Got Philk?]

I admit it...I stayed up to see it all on tv. I was just happy no Cubbie pitchers gave up the winning run.

 

[corianderstem]

14th inning stretch! That's awesome. I like the first picture you posted - great shot of the whole shebang.

I meant to ask last night - why the heck did the game not start until so late last night? I turned it on at about 6:00 pm Pacific Time ... and Ichiro was up to bat in the 1st inning. Why start it at 9:00 New York time? I don't remember it starting so late in the past.

Also, did anyone interesting sing the national anthem?

PS: NSW, don't you ever smile?

 

[BoMac]

I'm not the biggest baseball fan (anymore ) but I watched the whole thing.

Nice pictures, NSW. I'm jealous. One day I want to visit all the great remaining historic ballparks, like Wrigley, Fenway and Yankee Stadium. I guess I have a couple of more months for the last one.

 

[DaveC]

I'm not the biggest baseball fan (anymore )

Expos?

 

[BoMac]

Expos?

Yes. Don't even mention 1994 when around me.

 

[Schmeg]

delurks to boo NSW incessantly

Isn't there a 14th-inning stretch every time you attend a ballgame? Thanks for that, I dragged myself to bed at the bottom of the 10th.

I'm glad you had a great time.

 

[phillyfan26]

I also hate J.D. Drew, NSW. Supposedly we Philly fans throw batteries at him. But we do boo him.

 

[Hewson]

You were warned:

You met Ray Romano at the game?

 

[zonelistener]

My favorite photo:

Technically, wouldn't you have the second "Stretch" in the 16th inning? I think we need to get some clarification from MLB on this one. Who has a Rule Book handy?

Sweet photos! Glad you stayed to the end.

And, yes, Francona epitomized class last night...and it was cool to see Girardi catching in the bullpen.

 

[No spoken words]

I think that if the stretch is every 7 innings, then the 14th is correct. That's not my first 14th inning stretch, either, as Schmeg pointed out. I've seen some long ass games.

Ha, yeah Hewson, my buddy is a little Raymond-esque.

BoMac, though the following years were kind to the Yanks, 1994 was frustrating for me, too. We had the best team in the AL and had not been to the playoffs since 1981....so, I was disappointed. You guys were loaded, though....Larry Walker, Alou, Grissom in his prime, young Cliff Floyd, Wil Cordero...then Hill, Pedro, Fassero in the rotation, Wetteland AND Rojas in the pen....good team....

 

[MsPurrl]

I admit it...I stayed up to see it all on tv. I was just happy no Cubbie pitchers gave up the winning run.

Yeah, what you said! I was glad to see Dempster take care of an inning, then I went to bed.

 

[zonelistener]

I think that if the stretch is every 7 innings, then the 14th is correct. That's not my first 14th inning stretch, either, as Schmeg pointed out. I've seen some long ass games.

I think we attended to a 14th inning stretch with you at Wrigley last year, right?

Now, if you look at a game being nine innings, the correct stretch would be 16th inning because it would be seven innings into the extended game, no?

 

[No spoken words]

I think we attended to a 14th inning stretch with you at Wrigley last year, right?

Now, if you look at a game being nine innings, the correct stretch would be 16th inning because it would be seven innings into the extended game, no?

We did. I've been at an 18 inning Yankee game many years ago, the Leyritz HR game against Seattle, in the rain, that I think went 15 or 16, and a few more.

Yeah, I'm looking at it the way the Stadium looked at it, every 7 innings.

 

[speedracer]

Technically, wouldn't you have the second "Stretch" in the 16th inning? I think we need to get some clarification from MLB on this one. Who has a Rule Book handy?

Looks like every 7 innings is the standard.

 

[corianderstem]

I'm still curious about the start time of the game - why so late? Is it always so late?

 

[Hewson]

Pretty much

 

[No spoken words]

I'm still curious about the start time of the game - why so late? Is it always so late?

The start time is usually 8pm ET or so. The first pitch was pushed back due to the ceremony on the field.

They start at 8pm ET because they do not want such games starting earlier than 5pm Pacific Time, as they are concerned with ratings. The problem is less about the start time, and more about the length of commercial breaks and the large amount of time batters take between each and every pitch. So, they end up losing a lot of fans after the 11pm hour, as a lot of East Coast people have gone to, or are about to go to bed.

You have to pick the lesser of the two evils when you choose your start time.

 

[corianderstem]

Gotcha. Thanks!

I thought I had remembered the games starting at 4:00 PST when the game was in Seattle in 2001, but I must just be thinking of the normal start time for games on the east coast - I usually miss most of them with that 4:00 start time.

 

[BoMac]

BoMac, though the following years were kind to the Yanks, 1994 was frustrating for me, too. We had the best team in the AL and had not been to the playoffs since 1981....so, I was disappointed. You guys were loaded, though....Larry Walker, Alou, Grissom in his prime, young Cliff Floyd, Wil Cordero...then Hill, Pedro, Fassero in the rotation, Wetteland AND Rojas in the pen....good team....

Indeed. Despite my bitterness, I am very happy that we had at least part of a summer with great big crowds and a fantastic team. Great memories, however fleeting they were.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I haven't sat down and watched an entire baseball game in 13 days.

Severe withdrawal symptoms have set in.

I can't fucking wait to grab a beer, park my ass in front of my TV, and watch Buehrle pitch tomorrow.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

will be in first place by 2+ games by the end of the month. as they should be... the best team in the division on paper is finally playing like it.

Are you willing to bet on this?

like there's really anything to bet...

but i'll play along... what would you like to offer up.

psssst... i'm still waiting for your offer, or are you scared off now that the mets are tied for first

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Gotta say also, that its pretty sad that no one added any comments about the passing of Bobby Murcer. Bobby was a great ambassador for the game and I'll miss his self deprecating humor.

it's very sad about murcer... but, and i don't mean any disrespect to mercer whatsoever even though this comment may come off as if i'm disrespecting him and his passing... but nobody outside of yankee fans really knew anything or cared about who bobby murcer was.

he was a great yankee and a yankee legend... but that's it. it's not like joe d or mickey mantle who were nationwide icons... outside of hardcore baseball fans and people who lived in the area and rooted for the yankees, nobody really knew who he was.

that said, he seemed like a great guy and i'm sure he'll be missed.

 

[MrPryck2U]

it's very sad about murcer... but, and i don't mean any disrespect to mercer whatsoever even though this comment may come off as if i'm disrespecting him and his passing... but nobody outside of yankee fans really knew anything or cared about who bobby murcer was.

he was a great yankee and a yankee legend... but that's it. it's not like joe d or mickey mantle who were nationwide icons... outside of hardcore baseball fans and people who lived in the area and rooted for the yankees, nobody really knew who he was.

that said, he seemed like a great guy and i'm sure he'll be missed.

You could be right Headache but, most people who post here knew about Bobby Murcer.

 

[DaveC]

psssst... i'm still waiting for your offer, or are you scared off now that the mets are tied for first

I'm up for it, I just can't think of anything to bet.

And I had (and still don't really have) no idea who Bobby Murcer is.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I love baseball.

 

[MrPryck2U]

I love baseball.

Yeah, Baseball rules!