orange100
time to hop on the wife
Man I hope that doesn't hold true for The Barves.
World Series 2021: Atlanta Braves v Houston Astros
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
The difference is, Astros had home field advantage in the WS while the Cubs did not.
After blowing a 3-1 lead in the NLCS last year agains the Dodgers, can the Braves blow the WS this year?
Historically, teams that come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie 3-3 win 70% of game 7s.
Historically, teams that come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie 3-3 win 70% of game 7s.
frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
Yes, that's correct. Isn't it amazing, though, that for 15 straight games, both teams are following the exact same order of wins and losses? I'm sure it's happened in the past between two teams, but that's a heck of a parlay to win if you predict it.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
For sure...
No, the difference is that the Astros did not bankrupt the minors to build the team and they did not sign a average pitcher for 22 million dollars or trade prospects for trash pitchers. If you look at the Astros lineup in 17, it’s different than it is now other than a few core pieces. Theo wins with a cost, Houston is good because they do not sell off the future.
Not sure what you’re saying has to do with what the previous posters were talking about. However, until the Astros actually win a WS without cheating, I’ll take Theo’s road, thank you. The Astros had a losing season all the way back last year. So it’s not like they’ve been consistently great.
They’ve managed to stay under the luxury tax. We’ll see if they can keep that up once they start paying Bregman and Altuve $30mm a year each into their 30s.
ETA - They’re also losing their best player - Correa - to free agency. So they’ll either need to pony up some serious dough to re-sign/replace him or take a major step back.
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Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Their core pieces continued to hit, ours did not. They also had good young arms, we did not. Jimenez, Cease, and Torres are not the difference in this team being a WS contender or not.
Also, check the farm system rankings. The Astros are pretty universally in the bottom 5 across all analysts. The Cubs are all over the map due to all the new guys coming in and some uncertainty due to injuries.
Instead of this World Series finals being played on the South Side of Chicago as it should be right now... it is being played in two football cities that are both freeway off-ramps looking for a place to go. Chicago would be rocking right now and getting people’s minds off the Bears and Blackhawks misery.
The Astros think they will vindicate themselves to the World and have the last laugh by winning the Series this year. But they are fooling themselves. Everyone knows what they did a few years ago and that they were not punished for it. Winning this series does nothing to change that history.
Tipping-off batters to what pitch is coming is about the worst thing you can do in the game of baseball. It is all about the mind and body one-on-one battle between pitcher and hitter with one trying to fool the other and one trying to outguess the other.
If you know what pitch is coming... this is like a football defense knowing what play the other team is going to run. It is an unfair advantage and takes away the element of outguessing and outperforming your opponent. In short, this destroys the very purpose of playing the game at all.
Maybe the Astros can win a title without the help of a garbage can this year. But whether they do or not... the Astros and garbage cans will be forever linked. In more ways than one.
The Astros think they will vindicate themselves to the World and have the last laugh by winning the Series this year. But they are fooling themselves. Everyone knows what they did a few years ago and that they were not punished for it. Winning this series does nothing to change that history.
Tipping-off batters to what pitch is coming is about the worst thing you can do in the game of baseball. It is all about the mind and body one-on-one battle between pitcher and hitter with one trying to fool the other and one trying to outguess the other.
If you know what pitch is coming... this is like a football defense knowing what play the other team is going to run. It is an unfair advantage and takes away the element of outguessing and outperforming your opponent. In short, this destroys the very purpose of playing the game at all.
Maybe the Astros can win a title without the help of a garbage can this year. But whether they do or not... the Astros and garbage cans will be forever linked. In more ways than one.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
Your hatred of Theo doesn't really have anything to do with what was discussed above.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
Really? Have they been at the bottom for long? They seem to get a one or two rookies every year to make it to the bigs so I guess they are lucky?
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
They had their chance at the Astros and failed miserably...
Rick Renteria with the full schadenfreude experience.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
The Astros have made it to the WS 2 of the past 4 years. I won't even count 2017 but if we do, it's 3 of the last 5. Dodgers also in two of the last four. Both teams with impressive runs. The Giants run in the 2010, 2012, 2014 was more impressive since they won all three of those.
Unless the Astros are caught cheating again, if they end up winning, they would vindicate themselves in my opinion. They were stupid to cheat in 2017 because they already had the best team in the league. What they did in 2017 shouldn't reflect on what they did in 2021. Unless of course, they end up getting caught cheating again.
You can't say the Astros weren't punished. You can say they weren't punished enough. Take that up with the Commissioner. He wasn't going to get any players to agree to talk if they weren't given immunity. After all was said and done, he could have stripped them of the title (that's what I would have done) but didn't for the Astros (or the Red Sox) for whatever reason.
Regarding sign stealing: Are you against a runner on second base helping the batter with the pitch or location? Are you against a team looking for tells on a pitcher, acting on a pitcher if he's tipping his pitches? Because I would bet that 100% of the hitters would love to know what's coming.
Full disclosure: I live in Houston but check my avatar to see what I think about the Astros...
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Puzzled about the slow roller that freeman tossed to fried.....He initially missed the base and brantley stepped on his ankle and never touched first base and as fried fell down he tagged the base with his glove and also touched it with his foot...Shouldn't that be an out or did he have to tag brantley since he had ran past first base...
I'm confused
I'm confused
No disagreement from me on anything you say, just want to chime in with my opinion on the sign stealing.
I think a runner on base helping the batter is fine. That's gamesmanship. Same for a team looking for signs from a pitcher and taking advantage of a pitcher that's tipping his pitches.
The line that the Astros crossed was the use of technology, specifically video, to do it. That's what made it cheating, not gamesmanship.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
Totally agree, 100%. Some non-baseball fans down here that I talk to have a hard time discerning the difference.
Happy for Soler getting that MVP.
Freddie Freeman is one of my favorite non-Cubs. Cool to see him add a WS title to his Hall of Fame resume.
Braves probably have the best infield in the Majors in terms of offense with Freeman, Albies, Swanson and Riley.
Amazing they were able to reconstruct their outfield on the fly acquiring Duvall, Soler, Ortega and Pederson during the season. That’s insane.
Amazing with all the 100-win teams they had in their 90s-early 00s heyday, they finally bust through with an 88-win team.
They have a lot of young talent. They’ve won 4 straight division crowns and should have Acuna and Soroka back next year. They’ll probably keep being good.
Freddie Freeman is one of my favorite non-Cubs. Cool to see him add a WS title to his Hall of Fame resume.
Braves probably have the best infield in the Majors in terms of offense with Freeman, Albies, Swanson and Riley.
Amazing they were able to reconstruct their outfield on the fly acquiring Duvall, Soler, Ortega and Pederson during the season. That’s insane.
Amazing with all the 100-win teams they had in their 90s-early 00s heyday, they finally bust through with an 88-win team.
They have a lot of young talent. They’ve won 4 straight division crowns and should have Acuna and Soroka back next year. They’ll probably keep being good.
The Astros really... really... really... wanted to win this. It was more than ‘just’ a World Series to them. And as badly as they wanted it... they came up short.
Sadly, much of America wasn’t paying attention. When you play a World Series in November... people have just moved on to other things. Football well underway. Hockey gaining speed. The NBA drama. MLS playoffs. College ball.
And the World Series games are pushing FOUR HOURS now. This is not baseball but a test of patience and endurance – and not for the players but for the VIEWERS. And the games end well after bed time for most people in the Eastern and Central time zones.
Baseball’s World Series used to be THE sporting event of the year. And now it is well hidden among the others sports and into the darkness of night. But they don’t care to fix this so it’s all on them.
Congratulations to teams like the Braves that just go out there and grab hold of the Series and take it.
Houston has now lost two recent World Series when played on a 'fair' field. And they got one that wasn’t so fair. A lesson there for them.
Best wishes next season to all the favorite teams of all Illini fans.
And one more thing... ‘LET’S GO WHITE SOX!’
Sadly, much of America wasn’t paying attention. When you play a World Series in November... people have just moved on to other things. Football well underway. Hockey gaining speed. The NBA drama. MLS playoffs. College ball.
And the World Series games are pushing FOUR HOURS now. This is not baseball but a test of patience and endurance – and not for the players but for the VIEWERS. And the games end well after bed time for most people in the Eastern and Central time zones.
Baseball’s World Series used to be THE sporting event of the year. And now it is well hidden among the others sports and into the darkness of night. But they don’t care to fix this so it’s all on them.
Congratulations to teams like the Braves that just go out there and grab hold of the Series and take it.
Houston has now lost two recent World Series when played on a 'fair' field. And they got one that wasn’t so fair. A lesson there for them.
Best wishes next season to all the favorite teams of all Illini fans.
And one more thing... ‘LET’S GO WHITE SOX!’
