2023 LCS Game/Discussion Thread: Battle of Texas, Philly vs NL West WC Redux

[DeadlySplitter]

Rangers @ Astros
D-backs @ Phillies

All but one team (D-backs, 84) finished at 90-72 this regular season.

Schedules:

Spoiler

 

[LogansDad]

I am tired of Houston but just can't generate sports hate anymore, except for the Canadiens. These should be two really fun series.

I will be pulling for Arizona, but there are going to be a lot of dudes who deserve to win in a couple weeks.

 

[Ale Xander]

Anyone but the Phillies please.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

I'm all in on the D-Backs by default since it would take a lot for me to root for Philadelphia and almost nothing could make me want to see Houston win again. I'm petty, but until Cleveland breaks their drought, I'll root against any other team winning its first World Series championship... so I'm all in favor of Texas making it to the World Series and then losing in excruciating fashion again.

 

[E5 Yaz]

I'm all in for Arizona-Texas, but I know what that probably means

 

[Ale Xander]

I'm all in for Arizona-Texas, but I know what that probably means

No snow during the World Series?

 

[Leskanic's Thread]

For me, it's clearly gonna be "Go NL team" in the World Series.

That said, the Phillies are my top choice. From here on the other side of the country, I maintain that there should be an uneasy but firm alliance between the baseball fans of Boston and Philadelphia. Sure, sure, the towns have been rivalries in hockey and basketball, and that split of Super Bowls. But these are two prominent, sports-obsessed northeast cities with baseball teams in different leagues and a shared hatred of New York clubs. Of course, I'm biased from having spent my college years there and having friends who remain...but, again, now that I'm across the country, it's easy to see there's more uniting Sox and Phils fans than dividing us.

Beyond that, it's a long-standing baseball city, not one of these desert stopoffs with fly-by-night teams. I mean, the Phillies are over 75 years older than the oldest of the other three teams. Where's the love for history? Where's the connection to the past? Ken Burns would be spinning in his grave if he knew folks were rooting for a 1990s team over an 1880s one.

(I clearly don't really mean that last paragraph. But I also don't not mean it, y'know?)

Anyway, I have it as Phillies >>> D'backs >>>> Rangers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Astros

 

[B H Kim]

After the Braves started whining about Jake Mintz, I jumped on the Phillies bandwagon and I’m sticking with it.

 

[canderson]

Would looove a Texas v Philly series, but don’t see Texas winning a 7 game series vs Houston.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Love being an Astros fan this time of year.
View attachment 72445

 

[jcaz]

I bought the Sunday package - 2 tickets to all Phillies home games on Sundays in the summer of 1991. Games were at the Vet. It was regularly 127 degrees in the stadium. The heat coming off of the artificial turf created visual waves that made it hard to see the ball. I've got fond memories of Terry Mulholland, Dutch Dalton and Lenny Dykstra. Go Phils!

 

[Bozo Texino]

Fuck the Rangers.

That's all.

 

[Marciano490]

Crazy to think the Rangers made it this far without DeGrom, but even still their season thus far seems like a point in favor of buying FAs.

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Lost in all of this, is that TX and Houston were in fact, probably the two best AL teams, no matter what their W/L or Pythag record or where they finished the season. Texas put tons of money to go for it all for the next few years and Houston has just been constructed (and allowed superstars to walk) perfectly since their long fallow period.

 

[LogansDad]

Crazy to think the Rangers made it this far without DeGrom, but even still their season thus far seems like a point in favor of buying FAs.

Thing is, even though they spent a lot of money, IMO they did all of it with a purpose. They didn't just sign players to spend money, they did it to shore up weaknesses, and they did it while supplementing their up and coming younger players, not by blocking them.
The Mets and Padres, on the other hand, never really felt that way. Now they have guys playing all over the field who would make them better playing a different position, but they can't because someone else is already there.

 

[derekson]

Seems likely the Rangers will add Scherzer to their roster for the ALCS:

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2023/10/13/rangers-starter-max-scherzer-pronounces-himself-good-to-go-for-al-championship-series/

That could be a game changer. It seems like the upside makes it worth trying out.

 

[j-man]

my root list
1 arizona
2 texas there 1b coash went to the same high school as me only 2 years older than me
3 philly
4 houson

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Will Philly allow the guy with the alligator to attend any of these games?

 

[spiritof1967]

For me, it's clearly gonna be "Go NL team" in the World Series.

That said, the Phillies are my top choice. From here on the other side of the country, I maintain that there should be an uneasy but firm alliance between the baseball fans of Boston and Philadelphia. Sure, sure, the towns have been rivalries in hockey and basketball, and that split of Super Bowls. But these are two prominent, sports-obsessed northeast cities with baseball teams in different leagues and a shared hatred of New York clubs. Of course, I'm biased from having spent my college years there and having friends who remain...but, again, now that I'm across the country, it's easy to see there's more uniting Sox and Phils fans than dividing us.

Beyond that, it's a long-standing baseball city, not one of these desert stopoffs with fly-by-night teams. I mean, the Phillies are over 75 years older than the oldest of the other three teams. Where's the love for history? Where's the connection to the past? Ken Burns would be spinning in his grave if he knew folks were rooting for a 1990s team over an 1880s one.

(I clearly don't really mean that last paragraph. But I also don't not mean it, y'know?)

Anyway, I have it as Phillies >>> D'backs >>>> Rangers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Astros

All this and more. I’m thinking especially of the fans, i.e. the ones whose butts are in the seats (or not, since they’re standing for much of the game when it matters). They know their team, they love their team, they also get mad at their team when they screw up, they can maintain a certain amount of angst-filled fatalism until the last out, but they keep screaming for them anyway. And all that stuff about nasty A-holes who boo Santa Claus is ancient history — not with the Eagles, granted, but definitely with the Phils. They’re great fans.

Plus which, Schwarber became an instant favorite in both towns.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Fuck the Rangers.

That's all.

Why? I'm not a huge fan of the Phillies, and the Astros can fuck themselves. I'd be fine with the D-Backs. Is there any reason to hate the Rangers I'm forgetting about?

Also, this is kind of weird...

 

[Ale Xander]

Why? I'm not a huge fan of the Phillies, and the Astros can fuck themselves. I'd be fine with the D-Backs. Is there any reason to hate the Rangers I'm forgetting about?

Also, this is kind of weird...

View attachment 72502

Chapman

 

[mauidano]

Chapman

Hate the player; don't hate the team.

 

[Bozo Texino]

Why? I'm not a huge fan of the Phillies, and the Astros can fuck themselves. I'd be fine with the D-Backs. Is there any reason to hate the Rangers I'm forgetting about?

Also, this is kind of weird...

View attachment 72502

Because Dallas. That's why.

Plus, Creed? Fucking CREED?

 

[Ale Xander]

Hate the player; don't hate the team.

I agree
Just giving the reason

 

[Boston Brawler]

I’m 100% rooting for Eovaldi and the Rangers over Houston. Don’t really care about who comes out of the NL, both teams are likeable enough.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Great note from MLB.com: Evan Longoria has been at this for so long that the first time he played the Phillies in the playoffs, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley made up the heart of the Philadelphia infield.

 

[joe dokes]

Great note from MLB.com: Evan Longoria has been at this for so long that the first time he played the Phillies in the playoffs, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley made up the heart of the Philadelphia infield.

He was, IIRC, the first "sign early and buy out some FA years" guy. Now an accepted strategy, but a bit earth-shattering then.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

He was, IIRC, the first "sign early and buy out some FA years" guy. Now an accepted strategy, but a bit earth-shattering then.

The first to do so as soon as he reached the majors. Making a deal 2-3 years into a player's career became pretty popular 30 years ago.

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

MLB: I say we go head to head with Sunday Night and Monday Night football to kick off the LCS. Any objections?

 

[Remagellan]

MLB: I say we go head to head with Sunday Night and Monday Night football to kick off the LCS. Any objections?

It's Giants at Bills on SNF, so that should be no problem. THE MNF clash between the Cowboys and the Chargers will probably be a much different story.

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

Giants v Bills will shit stomp Astros v Rangers in the ratings.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Giants v Bills will shit stomp Astros v Rangers in the ratings.

Of course, but so would college football on Saturday

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

Army v. Navy?

 

[E5 Yaz]

Army v. Navy?

I thought you meant if the ALCS started today

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

Oh, gotcha. I'd imagine you're right. Really, I'm just salty there wasn't a game on tonight.

 

[Remagellan]

Giants v Bills will shit stomp Astros v Rangers in the ratings.

From my friend who is a big Giants fan:

Andrew Thomas, the rookie center, and Evan Neal probably are not playing on Sunday due to injuries. Two of their guards (Lemieux and McKethan) are 50-50 whether they play or not. Backup tackle Matt Peart will not play due to injury.

So they only have 3 offensive lineman (and 0 tackles) that are not injured in some way. One of those linemen (Bredeson) played the worst game of his career last week. Another (Ezeudu) was reduced to tears in front of his locker after being benched because his whiff led to Jones' injury.

They will be playing at least 2 guys who were street free agents two weeks ago, and the 3 healthy veteran guys all stink. Justin Pugh and Yodny Cajuste were signed this week. Pugh will probably start at RT if Neal can't play. They'll probably start Ezeudu at LT, and he may be playing as badly as any LT I have ever seen.

Plus Jones and Barkley are not playing

And now Adoree Jackson is injured and may not play.

People might start out watching that game, but they'll probably be looking to flip over to something else before the first half is over unless Josh Allen serves up a turnover fest like he did against the Jets to keep the Giants in the game.

 

[SemperFidelisSox]

The Phillies would have home-field over the Astros in the World Series despite being a wild card team.

 

[Remagellan]

The Phillies would have home-field over the Astros in the World Series despite being a wild card team.

That's kind of wild. I'm guessing it's because of their head to head advantage? But if so, it's weird to think that HFA for the World Series was decided by one game played at the end of April. At least it was in Houston, so there may be less grousing about it, if any. (Phils took the first two games of a three game series in Houston.)

And looking at the Phils game results, if that's the tiebreaker, then Texas would get HFA over the Phils because of they swept the Phillies in the first three games of their seasons!

 

[derekson]

View: https://twitter.com/McFarland_Shawn/status/1713576828852424882


"Max Scherzer and Jon Gray are on the Rangers’ ALCS roster."

If Scherzer can be even 80% of his usual self in Game 3 the Rangers become REALLY interesting.

 

[jon abbey]

Yeah, TEX has seven SPs now, Montgomery, Eovaldi, Scherzer, Gray, Heaney, Dunning and Martin Perez, ton of flexibility with that staff.

 

[NJ_Sox_Fan]

Texas/DBaks WS would be fun

 

[Humphrey]

I'm all in on the D-Backs by default since it would take a lot for me to root for Philadelphia and almost nothing could make me want to see Houston win again. I'm petty, but until Cleveland breaks their drought, I'll root against any other team winning its first World Series championship... so I'm all in favor of Texas making it to the World Series and then losing in excruciating fashion again.

Senators/Rangers only team from that expansion who haven't won it all (Mets, Astros, Angels all did). 0 for 62 heading into these playoffs.

 

[simplicio]

At some point in the future teams are going to realize how awful the LED "light show" looks and stop doing it, right?

Right?

 

[Ted Cox 4 president]

Oops.

 

[InsideTheParker]

I don't think Chapman is enough not to root for the Rangers. Heck, half the Astros are known to have cheated, so nobody's perfect. Anyway, I'm inclined to root for any team Eovaldi is on, and I am strongly motivated to root against Houston.

 

[Ted Cox 4 president]

Siddown, Bregman.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Nice catch by Carter!

 

[simplicio]

I don't think Chapman is enough not to root for the Rangers. Heck, half the Astros are known to have cheated, so nobody's perfect. Anyway, I'm inclined to root for any team Eovaldi is on, and I am strongly motivated to root against Houston.

I mean if somebody has to win this series I'd rather it be the Rangers, but whoever it is I hope they get no-hit in four straight games in the WS.

 

[Ted Cox 4 president]

Everybody hits!

 

[InsideTheParker]

I love it when they get to Verlander.