Yes, every team has a moment like this in its history, but I'm still wondering, since it hasn't been mentioned:

Who among the Phillies fans here can admit that last night's win hinged largely on the god-awful call of home plate umpire Jeff Nelson on Halladay's bunt?!

Tongue in cheek...
 

Er... :no: :no: :no: :no: :no: :no: :no: :no: :no:

Attachment 177894

Well, the Yankees tonight have scored their only run (thus far) on one of the worst calls I've seen by a home plate umpire in years. A Lewis pitched bounced in front of the plate, hit Nick Swisher's shin, and reversed direction away from catcher Bengie Molina. Swisher collapsed in pain until he realized that the umpire had called it a wild pitch, allowing A-Rod to score from third.

I almost agree with Jon Smoltz in the broadcast booth, who said that instant replay should be extended to run-scoring plays.

The Rangers responded, though, with 4 runs in their half of the inning. It's 5-1 now, heading into the 7th.

I love watching the Yankees squirm.

BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!

The Texas Rangers are now going to the 2010 World Series! They defeated the Yankees 6-1. A-Roid struck out to end the game. It couldn't have happened to a bigger jerk.

What a good game!:cool:

Well so far i have one correct pick in the world series, rember before the end of the season i picked Phillies vs Rangers
:yes: Philliefan Jen

:lol:
:lol:

Fortunately the missed Swisher HBP didn't affect the final result. It's great to see the Rangers beat those damn Yankees.

At the start of the season I wonder how many baseball fans picked Texas as their 2010 AL Champs?


Now for Roy Oswalt in Game 6. Has Manuel's odd midweek decision to use Oswalt from the bullpen taken too much out of him?

Although I'm not a Rangers fan.. I do like seeing the NYY lose

It warms my heart, sitting here in Boston, to log on this morning and read these heartfelt words of other baseball fans. :yes:

I remember, Jen. I hope your record stays at 1-1, though. :respect:

Actually, dauls, three of five Boston Globe baseball writers picked Texas to win the division. It's pretty odd for anyone to go so far as to predict post-season outcomes before the start of the season.

Manuel's "odd midweek decision to use Oswalt" is only one of several highly questionable calls by Manuel. For instance, why didn't he have Jimmy Rollins bunt the runner over from second to third, with no outs late in that game?

Of course, since I'm rooting for the Giants, I would like his streak of dumbness to continue.

Well, it's over. The Philly offense was garbage again and good ol' Howard struck out to end the game(that guy strikes out waaaaaay too much).

San Francisco won the game 3-2 and took the series 4-2 and will now host Texas in the 2010 World Series.

I am rooting for Texas to win it all.

I'm also going for Texas. The series has the potential to be quite exciting.

It will be interesting to see if Texas can acclimate to the National League rule of no DH and whether or not it will hurt the offense that was so good against the Yankees.

Phillies 2-3 Giants
 

:censored: :censored: :censored: :frown:

But seriously, the best team won the series. :(

Where was the Phillies offense in the postseason? :confused:


Ryan Howard has always struck out too often, in 2007 he set a new single season record of 199 (played only 144 games).

It was obviously a feat he enjoyed so much because in 2008 he bagged another 199 strikeouts (162 games).

But in the same season his blushes were spared by Arizona's Mark Reynolds, who totaled 204 strikeouts.

Mark Reynolds has since made this record his own with 223 (in 155 games in 2009) and 211 (2010).

Ryan Howard's 13 strikeouts in the 2009 World Series is another all-time record.

Until checking, I always thought Ryan Howard was "Mr. Goes Down Swinging", he averages 192 strikouts per 162 games, but Mark Reynolds is on another planet and averages 221 per 162 games.


The Arizona Swing-'n'-Misses
The season Mark Reynolds helped Arizona D'backs set a new single season team strikout record of 1,529 - breaking the previous record of 1,399 by the 2001 Brewers. How the hell can the D'backs break the record by 130 strikeouts? Do they have a batting coach?

It will be a good series. I'm rooting for the Giants. I usually root for any American League team other than the Yankees, but I have a soft spot for the Giants. They were my grandpa's team from their New York days, and I have some strong connections to the Bay Area.

I can't side with either team, but a close series decided in Game 7 would be ideal.

Nick Cafardo, one of the outstanding baseball writers for The Boston Globe, writes this morning that baseball owners will be discussing adding teams to the playoffs -- something that would have to be negotiated with the players union -- as early as 2012.

According to Cafardo, the thinking is to add an additional wild card in each league, have them play one game or a 3-game series to determine which one advances, and then commence with the division, league, and World Series as they exist now.

There are implications for the regular season. The head of the players union, Michael Weiner, told the Globe a few months ago and just reiterated to Cafardo that "some of the players have said that either we could shorten the regular season because the regular season's too long, or we should shorten the regular season to accommodate an expanded post-season."

There are serious revenue issues for owners if the regular season is shortened, so that's probably a non-starter. So, the likely outcome is baseball well into November, if this idea is adopted.

Commissioner Bud Selig has long stated his pride in the fact that baseball has the fewest number of playoff teams, making it the toughest sport in which to make the post-season.

In my opinion, this is a terrible idea.

I disagree. I would like to see more teams in the post-season. Being in the AL East(the hardest division in baseball in my opinion), I would like the Jays to have more of a chance to make it to the post-season.

smc, what do you think of the following?

1. John Farrell as the new Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

2. The rumours of Manny Ramirez stating that the Blue Jays could be a good fit for him(due to the aforementioned signing of Farrell no doubt).

shadows, I understand where you are coming from, but I agree with smc, four postseason teams per league is just fine. And I wonder how many old-school baseball fans still hate the wildcard?

And this year, for the first time in a while the four teams with the best records in both the AL and the NL qualified for the postseason - so all is good.

World Series Game 1: What happened to Cliff Lee?

He took tips from the Yankee pitching staff.:lol:

Edgar Renteria, former Boston Red Sox, just put the Giants on top with a massive home run to left field. 1-0.

I will respond to the many questions above, shortly.

I think that with the National League winning the All-Star game(first in a loooong time), and gaining home-field advantage due to that, has helped the Giants immesely. Their opponent loses the DH for the first two games, and the opposing pitcher is forcred to bat.

The series is far from over, but the Giants are looking very good at the moment.

My friend, you've let hockey cloud your brain. The solution is not to allow more teams in (hockey has way too many playoff berths!), but to realign the divisions to be more equitable. Forget the geographic divisions and harmonize them in some other way. Or, institute revenue-sharing so that every team has an equal monetary chance at building a playoff-worthy team.

I've been meaning to write about this. John Farrell leaving the Sox is a huge blow; he's an outstanding pitching coach. That said, I have no sense for how he will be as a manager. I know that he is considered to come from the Francona mold -- a player's manager, almost to a fault -- but I'm not sure he's got enough of the skill set to manage a big league club. He's never managed before. His coaching picks will be crucial. Yes, he was a player development chief for the Indians for five years, but ...

I'm one of those people, old-fashioned I guess, who still thinks that nothing prepares you for being a manager like being a big-league catcher.

I doubt Manny's thinking (does Manny actually think?) has anything to do with Farrell other than him not being completely unfamiliar. I know he likes to hit at the Rogers Centre.

I would be content with realignment of the Divisions. I am sick and tired of being in the same one as the Damned Yankees.

Oh! It looks like the Yankees re-signed Joe Girardi to a 3-year, $9 million contract. I have to :lol::lol: at that signing, as he is not that good of a Manager to be honest. A freaking trained monkey could do the job there! I don't think next season is going to be one that the Yankees' fans will enjoy(which will make me VERY happy).

I hate the wild card as a concept. I certainly understand the math that makes it "necessary."

As for Cliff Lee ... I told one of my best friends (he lives in San Francisco, and grew up with his uncle taking him into the Giants locker room at Candlestick Park to meet Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, et al.), just before the game that Lee was due for a less-than-dominating game. I said if it happened in Game 1, the Giants would have a huge advantage in the series because of momentum.

A mutual acquaintance was at his house to watch the game. My friend Alan told him what I said and he got on the phone. "Oh, yeah, wanna bet?" I agreed to a $100 bet that the Giants would knock Lee out by the 6th inning.

My $100 arrived via PayPal today!

Anyone need any crystal ball work done today?

Sure! When am I going to get a girlfriend, Swami SMC?:lol:

There are two things in Baseball that needs to be done away with
1] the DH :eek:
2] the wildcard team in the play offs :eek:
:yes:Jerseygirl Jen

To be honest, I prefer the DH over watching a pitcher have an at-bat. True, there can be more strategy involved in a National League game, but I still prefer the DH.

I also don't mind the Wildcard. I do not think that they will be getting rid of it anytime soon(if ever).

Did that glove break up with you? :lol:


(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Jen, I agree: I hate the DH, too.

I also don't like the wildcard, but how do you think it could be replaced if there are three divisions to a league? What would your solution be?

That was mean! Now you'll have to give me half of your winnings.

Easy make a fourth divison

Or perhaps elimit some teams and have two divisons in each league
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen

The problem with four divisions is that without an equitable structure based NOT on geography it would only ensure that yet another team that wouldn't ever make the playoffs under the old system gets in.

It's a definite conundrum.

As for eliminating some teams, other that the obvious -- Pittsburgh -- who would you eliminate?

1]Rays
2]Marlins
3]Diamondbacks
4]Rockies
5]Braves
6]Astros
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen

The weak postseason team problem already exists with the three division system - in recent years how many teams just scraping a .500 season have qualified for the postseason?

A few years ago San Diego won the NL West with an 82-80 record - you need a much better record than that to win the wildcard spot.

I like the wildcard, remember the wildcard Marlins beat the damn Yankees in 2003. :) And in 2004... (I'll let smc tell the story)

The choice is a tough one between two divisions (old-school), three divisions (works more naturally) or four divisions (potentially lets more weak teams into postseason).

Controversial, but how about two divisions and two wildcard teams?

What is wrong with poor old Pittsburgh?

Apart from Philadelphia (Veterans Stadium) the Pittsburgh is the only other city where I've seen a baseball game - Pirates beat the Expos 6-1, at Three Rivers Stadium - meaning that the two stadia I've seen baseball in have both been demolished!!!

Eliminate: The Nationals - but that's part of the "bring back the Expos campaign".

My mention of Pittsburgh was in passing, and should have been elaborated upon so that it would make sense. I don't actually advocate for dropping the Pirates from MLB, but it is a team that should be put into league receivership since it has an ownership group that shows absolutely no commitment to fielding a competitive team. Other than an incredibly beautiful, relatively new stadium (payed for largely by the taxpayers), there has been no real effort in some time to make Pittsburgh the baseball city it once was.

Do tell, girl: what's the thinking behind each of these on your list?

The Giants slaughtered the Rangers tonight. More accurately, the Rangers bullpen put on one of the most embarrassingly awful displays I have ever seen in a professional baseball game, with four consecutive walks and more than a dozen pitches in a row called "ball"!

the first four were the latest expanson teams and were unneeded to start with and the two FL have poor attendance and i just can't stand the Braves and Texas already has the Rangers so drop the Astros

:yes: Jerseygirl Jen

Jen,

The Braves.:lol: Unfortunately that will never happen - but it's a nice idea.

The presenter on the old live baseball show in the UK (MLB on Five, 1997-2008) was a Braves fan and he used to gloat about winning the NL East every year (1995-2005) - I really enjoy seeing the Braves lose.

ESPN UK has moved live coverage of the World Series to one of their premium channels (that I cannot get) this season :frown: - so I listened to the game on the radio - better than nothing, but it's not the way I want to catch the Series next season.

Well, that's certainly a mixed bag of reasons. I agree on the expansion teams and the Florida teams, although the Rays are starting to build a fan base.

If a state can only have one team (as you seem to argue for Texas), does that mean California has to lose four of its five teams: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco?

I can't stand the Yankees and a certain other team that I should probably leave unnamed. Does that mean they can be dropped from MLB? ;)

That's better than the cricket coverage we find on U.S. TV or radio!

You asked which teams i'd like to see go and that's my top teams to dump i dout that MLB will do what one lone fan thinks
As for Tampa buliding a fan base they have fans as long as they are on top and pretty much only draw big when the Yankees and Red Sox come to play FL is a football ,nascar and WWE state
:yes:Jerseygirl Jen

Oh, Jen, I was only teasing!

Of course, MLB is not looking to contract. It's only a matter of time before there's a team in Mexico, if the drug wars ever end. I wouldn't be surprised to see a team in Puerto Rico in my lifetime.

That would make a lot of sense as Baseball is hugh there and look at all the great players from there so i can see it happing as far as Mexico i believe they have there own league so they may not allow a MLB team to enter the market
:no: Jerseygirl Jen

Are you sure about that? As far as I can tell, the attendance was horrible for the Rays this year, and this was a team that was fighting for 1st place in the AL East pretty much the entire season!

But surely there's more demand for baseball in the UK than there is for cricket in the USA.


After England's glorious Ashes summer of 2005, the only way to now watch live cricket on TV in the UK is by burdening yourself with an expensive contract with the devil Murdoch and his damn Sky Sports channels.

Yes, as measured by growth in non-corporate-held season tickets. But don't get me wrong: it's pitiful the overall lack of support such a good team receives.

You thought I was being serious?! Get some sleep, my friend.

Most Americans would only know cricket if they heard one chirping outside their window. ;)

:innocent: That's me, sleep deprived, missing my girlfriend while she works out of town. :(

The San Francisco Giants have just won the 2010 World Series, 4 games to 1. Tim Lincecum was virtually unhittable, and Edgard Renteria joined Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Berra as the only four players in MLB history to have the game-winning RBI in two different final games of World Series (Renteria did it with the Marlins in 1997).

Who cares it's hockey season now

:yes: Flyersfan Jen

It's been a bit of a pitchers' season:

- Two perfect games (Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay)
- Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game
- Three no-hitters (Ubaldo Jimenez, Edwin Jackson, Matt Garza)
- Roy Halladay's postseason no-hitter
- The lowest league batting average (.257) since 1999

So I suppose it's only reasonable to see, arguably the best pitching teams in the MLB, win the World Series.

And after playing only 72 games this regular season, who would've guessed that Edgar Reneria would come good in the Series?

Question...
 

Q: What happened in baseball on the 25 June 2010 for the first time since the 10th October 1984?

They say that good pitching will always beat good hitting. The Giants certainly proved that during the World Series(throughout the playoffs, actually).

At least we won't have to see BeachBall head on television anymore(at least until his trial starts;)).:yes:

I am too lazy to Google it. What happened?:p:)

As a Toronto fan I thought you would have seen/heard the answer during the season.

The dates refer to:

:) Game 1 of a three game interleague series this season between the Phillies and the Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park; and

:) Game 2 of the 1984 World Series between the Tigers and the Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego.

I believe you mean Vetrans stadium
:yes: Jerserygirl Jen

very gooood ;)

:no: :no: :no: My question has nothing to do with the 1993 World Series - when Game 1 of the series was played in the SkyDome.


I was refering to 25th June 2010 - this season - the first game of the regular season three-game Phillies-Blue Jays series in Citizens Bank Park (25th-27th June 2010).


Question:

What happened in baseball on the 25th June 2010 (Phillies-Blue Jays @Citizens Bank Park) for the first time since the 10th October 1984 (Tigers-Padres @Jack Murphy Stadium)?

Hmmmm. I'm going to guess that someone stole home?:) Twice in one game!

Home?
 

No.

But the 2010 G-20 Toronto Summit (26th & 27th June 2010) was the reason this happened. Does that help?

Just saw on my computer that Sparky [big Red machine] Anderson has passed away :eek:
:( Jerseygirl Jen

He was quite a character. I recommend this tribute to all the baseball fans out there (there's text and video):

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5765272

It includes the story of Sparky's cameo role on the old TV sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati."

Without looking at the following posts, I will say my answer.

It was the first time since 1984 that a visiting team was considered the "home team" due to unforseen circumstances(I can't believe I didn't clue on this right away! D'oh!).:yes:

He was truly one of the classiest individuals in the sport of baseball. Rest in peace, Sparky.:(:(

Here is another article on him from TSN.ca:

Reds fans were taken aback when Sparky Anderson showed up in Cincinnati for his first day as a big league manager, an unknown taking over baseball's first professional team.

Sparky who?

Really?

By the time he was done, this man with the shock of white hair and schoolboy nickname would produce a mighty list of achievements that featured three World Series titles -- including crowns in each league -- and a Hall of Fame entry on his resume.

Anderson, who directed the Big Red Machine to back-to-back championships and won another in Detroit, died Thursday from complications of dementia in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was 76. A day earlier, his family said he'd been placed in hospice care.

Anderson was the first manager to win World Series titles in both leagues and the only manager to lead two franchises in career wins.

"Sparky was, by far, the best manager I ever played for," said former Reds star Pete Rose, the game's career hits leader. "He understood people better than anyone I ever met. His players loved him, he loved his players, and he loved the game of baseball. There isn't another person in baseball like Sparky Anderson. He gave his whole life to the game."

Anderson's teams in Cincinnati featuring Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Rose that won crowns in 1975 and 1976 rank among the most powerful of all time. Led by Kirk Gibson and Alan Trammell, Anderson won with the Tigers in 1984.

"He was a good guy," former Tigers pitcher Jack Morris said, choking up over the news. "Baseball will have very few people like Sparky. He was a unique individual. He was a character with a great passion and love for the game."

Anderson never tried to overshadow his teams, giving his stars great leeway while trying to stay in the background. At Anderson's request, there will be no funeral or memorial service.

"He was a people person," said Morgan, a Hall of Fame second baseman. "I don't think anybody else could have managed that team nearly as well as he did. We had a lot of different personalities. Sparky was able to deal with all of us on an individual basis but also collectively as a team.

"Because he was close to you and cared about you as a person, you were always willing to do more for him than you were for somebody else. I never thought of him as my manager. I thought of him as part of my family."

Always affable, ever talkative and known for a self-deprecating demeanour, Anderson was equally popular among players, fans and media.

"Revered and treasured by his players for his humility, humanity, eternal optimism and knowledge of the game," his Hall of Fame plaque reads.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called Anderson a gentleman and dear friend.

"I recall with great fondness the many hours we would spend together when his Tigers came to Milwaukee," Selig said. "Sparky was a loyal friend, and whenever I would be dealing with difficult situations as commissioner, he would lift my spirits, telling me to keep my head up and that I was doing the right thing."

The Reds put a photo of Anderson on their outfield videoboard at Great American Ball Park on Thursday afternoon, honouring the man who led them to their greatest moments.

"In one way or another, Sparky touched the life of every Reds fan," owner Bob Castellini said.

Anderson's win total of 2,194 was the third highest when he retired after the 1995 season, trailing only Connie Mack and John McGraw. He's still sixth on the career list -- he won 863 games in nine years with the Reds and 1,331 in 17 seasons with the Tigers.

He'll be remembered as much for the little things that made him beloved as for the big numbers that made him a Hall of Famer.

"Being a good baseball player and person went hand-in-hand with him," said Alan Trammell, the 1984 World Series MVP who is Arizona's bench coach. "He wanted us to put our dirty clothes in the bin so that the clubhouse guys didn't have to pick up after us."

In many ways away from the field, he was a teacher.

"He had a lot to do with moulding me professionally and taught me a lot about perseverance," Morris said.

Anderson knew all about perseverance.

George (Sparky) Anderson got his nickname in the minor leagues because of his spirited play. He made it to the majors for only one season, batting .218 for the Phillies in 1959.

Anderson learned to control a temper that nearly scuttled his fledgling career as a manager in the minors, and went on to become one of baseball's best at running a team. And he won with a humility that couldn't obscure his unique ability to manage people.

"I got good players, stayed out of their way, let them win a lot and then just hung around for 26 years," he said during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech in 2000.

Of course, there was a lot more to him.

"To be around me, you have to be a little bit cuckoo," Anderson said on the day he resigned from the Tigers after the 1995 season. "One day it's written in concrete, the next day it's written in sand. I always felt if I didn't change my mind every 24 hours, people would find me boring."

Family spokesman Dan Ewald knew Anderson for about 35 years as a former Tigers spokesman and baseball writer for the Detroit News.

"Sparky Anderson will always be measured by his number of victories and his place in baseball's Hall of Fame. But all of that is overshadowed by the type of person he was. Sparky not only spiked life into baseball, he gave life in general something to smile about. Never in my lifetime have I met a man as gentle, kind and courageous as Sparky," he said.

Anderson's win total trails only those of Mack, McGraw, Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre. His overall record was 2,194-1834 and he was a two-time AL Manager of the Year.

"Sparky was one of the greatest people I've met in baseball," Detroit Hall of Famer Al Kaline said. "He was a leader to his players both on and off the field. He was an incredible person and I cherish the time I was able to spend with him."

While Anderson was often surrounded by top players, there was more to his ability than merely filling out a lineup card.

He had the right touch with superstars, and it came in handy when he led the star-studded Reds to World Series wins in 1975-76. He won four National League pennants in Cincinnati from 1970-78, then was stung when the Reds fired him after consecutive second-place finishes.

Anderson took his disappointment to the other league and won there, too, directing the Tigers to the 1984 championship and a division title in 1987. He was voted into Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee.

Even then, he showed his usual self-deprecation. Anderson had refused to step foot inside the Hall until 2000 because he felt unworthy.

"I didn't ever want to go into the most precious place in the world unless I belonged," Anderson said.

For a long time, he was a longshot to make the Hall.

The only notable thing about Anderson as a player was his prematurely greying hair and his nickname. He was playing for Fort Worth in the Texas League in 1955 when a radio announcer, taken by his feisty play, started calling him Sparky.

The name stuck. He didn't. Anderson made it to the majors in 1959 and singled home the go-ahead run on opening day in Cincinnati, which turned out to be the highlight of his playing career. A light-hitting second baseman, he had 12 extra-base hits -- zero home runs -- and 34 RBIs in 477 at-bats.

Inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, Anderson played six seasons of minor-league baseball north of the border, two with the Montreal Royals and four with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the tail end of his playing career.

He retired after the 1963 season and at age 30, made his managerial debut with Toronto in '64, taking charge of a team stocked with veterans, some much older than him. He assumed a championship that year was coming but he was wrong.

"I learned one major thing (that year)," Anderson said in 2007. "I said, 'If this club doesn't win, than I deserve to be fired.' And then the club didn't win and I was gone. A major thing is don't be saying before the season what will happen. You just never know."

Despite an 80-72 finish Anderson was fired.

He was overly aggressive in his strategy and argued every close call with umpires while in Toronto, showing a short fuse that also contributed to his dismissal. Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam gave him a second chance to manage in the minors, then moved to Cincinnati to build the Reds.

When he needed a big league manager there, he decided to call Anderson, who was shocked to get the chance. The youngest manager in the majors at age 35, he signed the $28,500 contract -- by far the most money he'd ever made -- and set out to make himself known in a city asking: Sparky who?

"Bob Howsam either had to be nuts or have a lot of savvy," Anderson said. "As it turns out, he had a lot of savvy."

Howsam assembled one of the most talented teams of all time -- Bench, Morgan, Rose, Tony Perez, Ken Griffey Sr., George Foster, Davey Concepcion. Anderson was charged with making it work.

Anderson's plaque in Cooperstown calls him "the crank that turned the Big Red Machine," and his players agree that it fit. Bench noted that Anderson treated his players respectfully and was always on top of game strategy.

"It's a lot like a chess game, and Sparky was a chess master," Bench said.

-End of Part 1-

-Part 2-

In Cincinnati, Anderson also got himself another nickname: Captain Hook, a reference to his habit of pulling a starting pitcher when he got into a jam late in a game. He also showed creativity in making lineup changes.

One of the most important moves: switching Rose from left field to third base on May 3, 1975, allowing Foster to play full-time in left. It was the final piece of the Machine, which beat Boston in a dramatic seven-game Series that year, then swept to another title while winning 108 games the following season.

Two second-place seasons led to a surprising firing. The Reds have won only one other NL title and World Series since he left, in 1990 under Lou Piniella. Anderson moved on to Detroit, where he had more longevity and added one more title.

He refused to manage replacement players during baseball's labour dispute in spring training of 1995, angering owner Mike Ilitch. He resigned after a 60-win season, saying the franchise needed a new direction. He hoped to manage somewhere else, but when an offer never came along, he retired.

Survivors include his wife, Carol; sons Lee and Albert; daughter Shirley Englebrecht; and nine grandchildren.

AL V's NL
 

You're part of the way there.

The Blue Jays were the home team for their visit to Citizens Bank Park (25th-27th June 2010).

But back in October 1984 for Game 2 of the World Series @Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego - the Padres (home) hosted the Tigers (away).


Remember these two games are interleague games (AL Team V's NL Team) played in a NL stadium.

So what could have happened this year for the first time since it last occured back in Game 2 of the 1984 World Series?

Note: A rule change was applied before the 1986 World Series to stop this happening every other year.

Didn't the majority of the "gate" go to the Blue Jays since it was supposed to be their home game? Other than that, I'm stumped.

The answer...
 

To put you out of your misery.

It's about the Designated Hitter (DH).

Remember, the Blue Jays (of the AL) were the home team @Citizens Bank Park - AL rules applied to the series.

Answer:
Game 1 of the series @Citizens Bank Park on 25th June 2010 was the first game to use Designated Hitters in a National League ballpark since Game 2 of the 1984 World Series @Jack Murphy Stadium when the Padres hosted the Tigers.

:frown: Even though the DH rule was introduced to the AL in 1973, DHs were not used in the 1973, 1974 and 1975 World Series.

:eek: But starting in 1976, the World Series allowed the use of a DH in both AL and NL ballparks, but only in even-numbered years. This ended in 1985.

:) Finally, in 1986, baseball adopted the current rule in which the DH is used for World Series games played in AL ballparks but not in NL ballparks.

Note:
Next season, as a make-up, the plan is for the Phillies to host the Blue Jays @Rogers Centre, Toronto (1st-3rd July) - playing under NL rules, ie. no DHs allowed - and this will be the first time since Game 7 of the 1985 World Series @Royals Stadium, where Designated Hitters won't be used in an AL stadium.

I never would have guessed that without resorting to cheating.:lol:

And why should they have to "make it up"? It wasn't the Jays fault that the stupid G20 was going on! I disagree with that decision.

It's a 'make up' to Toronto, to compensate the Blue Jays and their fans for losing out on three home fixtures this season - only 78 games were played @Rogers Centre in 2010.

In 2011 it sounds like the plan is to move a three game series from Citizens Bank Park to Rogers Centre - but to even things up the Phillies will be hosts and the games will be played under National League rules.

Therefore the Blue Jays should play 84 regular season games @Rogers Centre next year.

That may be true, but I dislike watching pitchers hit. I remember what happened to the Yankee's pitcher a few seasons ago during Interleague play. Wang got hurt running the basepaths and he was never the same pitcher after that. Yankee or not, I don't want to see anyone get hurt...except maybe A-Roid. Maybe he can get a hemorroid or something.


With the Leafs sucking big time, I cannot wait for baseball to start up again. At least the Jays show up on the scoreboard!

Smc, I am honestly surprised that you didn't make any mention about the Red Sox signing Carl Crawford!:eek:

Wow! If this is true, the Phillies are going to be a great rotation next season! And I would much prefer him going to the Phillies than the damned Yankees.;)

From tsn.ca:

(since it is just a Report, it isn't a full article yet. I'll post more as it comes.)

REPORT: CLIFF LEE REACHES PRELIMINARY DEAL WITH PHILLIES

NEW YORK -- A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Cliff Lee has reached a preliminary agreement on a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

According to the New York Post, the deal is worth more than $100 million over five years.

The deal is subject to the 32-year-old left-hander passing a physical, the person said late Monday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not final.

The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers received telephone calls Monday night telling them they were out of the running, two separate people familiar with those team's negotiations said, also on condition of anonymity.

Earlier this week, MLB.com reported that Lee has passed on signing with the Washington Nationals, who, along with the Rangers and Yankees, were considered the only serious suitors in the Lee sweepstakes.

He was a combined 12-9 with a 3.18 earned-run average for Seattle and Texas last season. Lee was 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight career post-season starts before twice losing to San Francisco in the World Series.
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AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

Big surprise to see him back in Philadelphia. What a great rotation for 2011.

@mlb.com:
A five-year contract with a vesting option for a sixth year - the deal in the $120 million range.

That's gonna stretch the Phillies budget.
I wonder what it will mean for pitchers like Blanton, Kendrick, etc., and also the non-pitching staff? Who will leave Philly?

I've been waiting to provide a fuller assessment of what the reconfigurations of teams look like after Lee, Pavano, et al. are signed -- rather than just rubbing the Gonzalez and Crawford signings in. ;)

Werth has already left(I wonder if he is wondering "Why did I do that?" now?;)). Their main issue last year wasn't pitching, it was their offense(which disappeared in the playoffs). Cliff Lee helps their already imposing pitching staff, but their offense is still the same(except for the departure of the aforementioned Werth). Will the Cliff Lee signing ultimately help them win the World Series? Only time will tell I guess.

With Lee back in Phillie Blanton's days are numbered not because he isn't a decent pitcher but because he's now expandable and i can see him packaged out for some power in thier offense
Holiday, Oswalt, Lee and Holmes all four of these guys tend to go at least 7 or 8 innings witch means a lot less worries of the bullpen blowing games next year