ALDS Gamethread: Indians vs Astros

Sad Sam Jones

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Yeah, I'm fine with Orsillo and Eckersley. Cleveland's radio team is great, but the best I can say for their TV guys (Rick Manning & Matt Underwood) is that more often than not they're easy to ignore. Manning provides no real insight and his grammar is terrible, and Underwood thinks repeating the little factoids he's read will impress people... sounds like what I would have when I was a 14-year-old reading Baseball Weekly.

As for this game, same disappointment that the regular season was. Klubot died sometime in June... that's not to say he couldn't still shut down the Astros in a Game #5, but he's been unreliable for half a season now.

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Sad Sam Jones

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Good point, but at least Eck comes off as folksy. Manning doesn't have the personality to pull that off.

But while we're on the topic of Eck, Manning and baseball broadcasts...

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TheYaz67

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Justia Omnibus
Yup, I think the Indians are badly outclassed in this match up - will be surprised if they win a game. I mean, they had 2 teams in their Division that lost 100+ games and the other 2 were below .500, and they still somehow only won 91 games? They are not as good as some recent past versions of this team, that is for sure....
 

Sad Sam Jones

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The talent is there. They have 7 guys in the starting lineup with an OPS+ over 100, and if the pitching staff was fully healthy and performing to their true potential, I'd take it over anyone else's. However, they sleepwalked through the past 6 months, dealt with injuries and screwed up mechanics, and prayed they could pull it all together and hit the on switch at the right time. It's been an uninspiring season and yesterday was a microcosm of it. I'm still holding out hope for a '97 type season. That was by far the worst of the Cleveland teams of the second half of the 1990's, and it looked like a wasted season until Sandy Alomar homered off Mariano Rivera in Game #4 of the ALDS. It turned out to be the closest they've come to a World Championship since 1948. Either way, I hope they show a little more life during the regular season next year, because they'll win 91 games again without breaking a sweat in the AL Central.

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johnmd20

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Yup, I think the Indians are badly outclassed in this match up - will be surprised if they win a game. I mean, they had 2 teams in their Division that lost 100+ games and the other 2 were below .500, and they still somehow only won 91 games? They are not as good as some recent past versions of this team, that is for sure....
It's baseball, so the Indians could win, but they have a pretty large uphill climb. Houston is relentless. Still, one gem and it's 1-1 and who knows?
 

sean1562

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Either way, I hope they show a little more life during the regular season next year, because they'll win 91 games again without breaking a sweat in the AL Central.

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That is what everyone said about the Nats this year. The White Sox have money to sign FAs, and could have a pretty soild 1-2-3 if any of the improvement from Giolito and Lopez was real. With Cease and Dunning in the minors pitching wise, and Eloy lurking there as well, I could see them making a splash in the FA market and improving a lot.
 

Brand Name

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Moving the Line
If you're a fan of either of the teams in the other ALDS, who do you root for here? That's an honest question. Houston is personally the best team in the MLB this season, but what if you root for Cleveland to advance, and they do (just go with it), but your team (New York, Boston in this example) fails to do so? You've made it that much easier for your rival to advance to the World Series against a lesser NL opponent, favored with home field.
 

brandonchristensen

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If you're a fan of either of the teams in the other ALDS, who do you root for here? That's an honest question. Houston is personally the best team in the MLB this season, but what if you root for Cleveland to advance, and they do (just go with it), but your team (New York, Boston in this example) fails to do so? You've made it that much easier for your rival to advance to the World Series against a lesser NL opponent, favored with home field.
Cleveland.

Astros won it last year, fuck them.
 

mostman

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Has Orsillo’s voice changed? Or maybe he just has a better microphone now.
 

johnmd20

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This.

Then throw in they were originally called the Colt .45's and when they first built their current stadium, there was a hill in center field with a flag pole in the middle of it.

So fuck them is right.
You're angry today. You ok?
 

54thMA

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You're angry today. You ok?
Dealing with some customers the past few days, one in particular, who are working my last nerve.

One of the joys of owning your own business...……….;).

Maybe I should listen to some Killers music and dial it down a couple of notches?
 

johnmd20

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Dealing with some customers the past few days, one in particular, who are working my last nerve.

One of the joys of owning your own business...……….;).

Maybe I should listen to some Killers music and dial it down a couple of notches?
It's ok. I'm here and I'm sorry. Throw on some Battle Born and rage, against Matthew McCoughany, Failure to Launch, and hills in the outfield.
 

54thMA

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It's ok. I'm here and I'm sorry. Throw on some Battle Born and rage, against Matthew McCoughany, Failure to Launch, and hills in the outfield.
Think of how my mood would be if Voit hit a game winning home run last night...…….

McConaughey was brilliant in True Detective season one, so he can hang his hook em horns on that.

Plus Orsillo mentioned the hill and he didn't like it either, so there you go.

Or maybe I should break out the Christmas village earlier this year...……….;).
 

JCizzle

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I missed giggling Don so much, such a treat having him and Eck team up
 

johnmd20

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Think of how my mood would be if Voit hit a game winning home run last night...…….

McConaughey was brilliant in True Detective season one, so he can hang his hook em horns on that.

Plus Orsillo mentioned the hill and he didn't like it either, so there you go.

Or maybe I should break out the Christmas village earlier this year...……….;).
This post, in so many ways, is a step in the right direction. You can start your day over at any time in the day. And the hill sucked, I agree.
 

Brand Name

make hers mark
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Moving the Line
Nominating fondue for Eck's term on higher-end fastballs. It's fun to say, plus it's melted cheese. That stuff is coming in HOT!

That was super NESN of Don that inning, between the giggles, Hazel, and down by way of the K. I think I have bingo!
 

54thMA

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This post, in so many ways, is a step in the right direction. You can start your day over at any time in the day. And the hill sucked, I agree.
It's all about perspective; I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter, send me the link to enroll.

And your avatar rocks.
 

InsideTheParker

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As we watch this series, some rooting for one team, some for the other, I can't imagine any non-Yankees fan rooting for them over us. But I guess it is possible.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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I'd be OK with giving Greg Allen a shot in CF... Kipnis doesn't look like he's going to provide anything of value anytime soon.

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johnmd20

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This game for Cole is like that Pedro game against the Yanks in 1999. Total dominance, except for a Chili Davis homer.