ALDS Game 1: A Step Towards Awfulness

 Because Rays-Astros in the ALCS worked so well last time, from the looks of last night, that's what we might be getting again this year. 

I talked yesterday about how I can't understand why a lot of people don't like the Dodgers, other than the whole 'money' thing. Similarly, I don't understand why a lot of people would be fine with the Rays winning. On one hand, yes, it is perfectly cool to root for a team that has never won a World Series, that is 100% valid, and if it weren't the Rays, I'd be there with ya [I'm a lot more partial to the Brewers in this category]. But I think a lot of people are cool with the low-budget, scrappy, young team, even though the low-budget-ness is, according to recent tweets from one Melvin "Sexual Innuendo" Upton Jr., the result of bad ownership screwing over players and refusing to put in the money for facilities. 

The Rays, to people who are not Yankee fans, are the fun, harmless underdogs that get by without money [because the ownership keeps it to themselves]. This sort of factors into why they don't like the Dodgers, cause they have a lot of money and use it on extraneous empire needs, like the Yankees do. And while on most other issues, I am perfectly in favor of the people without a great deal of money and support succeeding...come on, guys, the Rays aren't likable! I'd rather have the Red Sox win than them!

I think it's honestly just the sting of being trounced by the Yankees recently, considering how much the Yankees have spent to be great. The joke was that we paid Gerrit Cole 300 million dollars to blow a playoff game. Meanwhile, Randy Arozarena is on a standard baseline contract and he's playing like a superstar, with another huge game last night against Boston. That kind of infuriates me. I can't entirely like them if they're gonna make this look so effortless, especially against a team that crushed us a few nights ago.

Now, let me make this clear...if this DOES end up being a Rays-Astros ALCS, I will CERTAINLY root for the Rays. Because I really, really don't want the Astros to get much further, regardless of the fact that they are very good this year. The White Sox are the more likable team, they'd get a lot more out of advancing this year, and it'd just be a good, fun time. Now, granted, if the White Sox do lose, then that means there's a chance they could fire LaRussa, so it wouldn't be a complete loss.

But still, if these two landslide victories on night 1 are an indication of how the rest of these series' are going to go, I am not a fan, and I guess I'll be watching the NL games a little more closely. Which is nice, as they start today.

DeJong the Giant

(Music Pun Streak #20. And to think, I thought I was done with these yesterday)

So. The Cardinals are in first. Again.

I'm not gonna act like they don't deserve it, because they kind of do. The Brewers could have been a perennial first place team, but they chose to blow easy games to sucky teams, so they're gonna do their thing, the Pirates and Cubs are gonna shoot for the wild card, and the Cardinals are just gonna waltz to the end again, right? RIGHT?

[long sigh]

The Cardinals have the best record in the NL...and are tied for the best record in BASEBALL...with the Tampa Bay Rays. So already this is a great start to the season for this writer, a noted Yankee fan and fan of Ryan Howard's fully-functioning achilles.

Paul DeJong already has a 2.1 WAR, best on the team, a .333 batting average and 41 hits. Marcell Ozuna already has 10 home runs, and leads the team in RBIs with 29. Even Goldschmidt already has 9 home runs, as he seems to be doing his slow-burn strategy from 2018 again. Guys like Jose Martinez, Dexter Fowler and Matt Wieters, who haven't hit for average in ages, are doing just that. And John Brebbia, who was the bane of the bullpen's existence last year, has only allowed one earned run in 15 appearances.

...so to say that this Cardinals team has learned from its mistakes is a vast understatement. Oh gosh. This is bad.

The closest things to criticisms I can come up with...you know, besides 'THEY WON'T STOP', is that Matt Carpenter's average is way too low, and the starters have too many ERAs above 4. But...they'll probably fix those in the next week.

Until next Cardinals post....go Pirates.

Coming Tonight: Fun cinderella hero for a slumping team. Nevertheless, a happier post.

There are Some Who Call Me....Tim

So. The White Sox are one of the four teams in the AL Central that are not the Cleveland Indians. So naturally, there's really not much to write about here.

The team is, if you can believe it, even more dilapidated than it was last year. Less pitching, less solid offensive work, less promise. The youth movement that was supposed to be kicking in this year, with guys like Nicky Delmonico and Yoan Moncada, has...sort of worked? I'm not sure. And I don't think the team's sure if it wants to be led by young guys like Moncada, or vets like Jose Abreu. There's some major identity dissonance going on, especially when neither one is performing perfectly.

Tim Anderson appears to be the standout this year, and it's about time; Anderson is still a nice defensive piece, and he's become a pretty nice power-hitter, learning to hit a bit more for average. I'm not sure if he can carry the team yet, and he's certainly not one of the elite shortstops in the game, but...for a team that doesn't have much at all, he's a nice enough constant. Abreu is fine, and he's a crowd-pleaser, but Anderson is doing a lot of the work, and he's doing a nice enough job of it.

...Look, what d'you want me to say? This team feels burned out, and it's not even August.

Coming Tomorrow- Someone I definitely can write about; another shortstop for a Chicago team.

Marlins Update: [Exhausted, Embarrassed Sigh] Edition

On one hand, I was expecting worse from the Miami Marlins. On the other hand, UUUUNNNGHHHHHHHH...

The Marlins lineup has surprisingly rebounded over time, with Derek Dietrich becoming a starter AND a power hitter, Starlin Castro picking up where he left off in the Bronx, and Brian Anderson becoming a starter like we all thought he would. They also seem to have found their everyday shortstop in Miguel Rojas, though JT Riddle has been playing some games as a way of security.

Other than that...dear lord this team is bad.

The pitching? I have not found a silver lining here. Nobody is pitching well, and everybody who was is now injured. Kyle Barraclough is doing his best to hold up the closing pitching, but it's hard to close games for a last place team. The youth isn't really working as well as the team would like.

It's not fun to watch, it's not fun to report on, and...it's not fun to be a Miami Marlin right now. J.T. Realmuto is playing really well right now, and the Red Sox need a catcher. Put two and two together.

Coming Tonight: Reliable defensive shortstop for a second place, but by no means contending, team.

Nostalgic Box Break: 1999 UD Choice (Part Four)

Robin Williams voice: "eight months ago...we started a box. It was a terrible box. It unleashed horrible things. It did terrible things to us. And now...we're all going to *sit down*...and we're going to finish it."

I did the last bit of this box in June. I opened this box in 2015. I am FINALLY....FINALLY GOING TO END THIS TODAY, with the last nine packs. This set nearly broke me. It did not try. And when it did, it tried malevolently.

Let's finish this goddamned thing.

 Pack 28-
This is where we're at. Most of the remaining base cards are either dupes or lone needed ones. Most of the subsets are dupes because they're so badly seeded.

 This is not a well-designed set, but this is one of the few really nice photos they use in this set. Mostly they're very bland and uninspired, kinda like modern Topps, but the Valentin one is good.

 Two hall of famers, Craig Biggio and Chipper Jones, bridging Paul O'Neill, a Yankee legend.

 Pack 29. More of the same. Only the Cover Story cards really stand out, and they're not well designed at all.

 Yes, this is a nicer base card, of Ellis Burks' rare San Francisco stint, but it's cropped a bit too short and we could have seen more of the catcher, too.

 Belle and Galarraga, two of the best hitters of the 90s, in unfamiliar uniforms.

 Aramis Ramirez on the Pirates, always a welcome sight, and Ivan Rodriguez, a Hall of Famer and catching legend.

 Annnnd a Head-Up insert of a guy whose head has definitely inflated a ton, Mark McGwire.

 Pack 30- All dupes

 Pack 31- All dupes. And they're not even FUN DUPES or anything.

 Pack 32- Base dupes and subset highlights:

 Kenny Lofton in his Indians greatness, and Eric Chavez before he got great (and injured).

 Pack 33- All dupes

 Pack 34- Thankfully not all dupes

 A great, zoomed out card for then-rookie phenom Scott Rolen, and a great catching card of then-backstop-great Jason Kendall.

 JOHNNY DAMON, YAY. Even if it's a bland photo.
And Vinny Castilla still being kinda relevant in 1999?

 Pack 35- Okay, I did get a nice-seeded insert in this, but...

 It's one of Greg Vaughn. Yes, it's a YARD WORK one, which is pretty cool, but...Greg Vaughn. His cards have not aged well.

 And, as it's 1999, a rare insert of NOMAH.

 Pack 36- The box ends with a Heads-Up insert of Juan Gonzalez. Uhhh, quick, give me something to make me feel slightly better!

Okay, good, color-coordinated StarQuest of Adrian Beltre. I feel alright now.

So...that was 1999 Choice. I never have to open another pack of this goddamned thing again. I am happy. I am content. Also, now I can focus on posting a much better 1999 product's rip.

ALDS Update: GAAAHHHH Edition

Well, one half of the ALCS spots has been filled with someone I'd really, really rather not be there.

Thanks to a legitimate nail biter tonight, fueled by the batting on both sides coming alive and the Texas Rangers having some fantastic performances...the Blue Jays still won, with Josh Donaldson having an extras-homer that ended the series, and the Rangers' season.

This is something I feared from the moment the Blue Jays snuck into the playoffs, because, like the Giants, they're dangerous when they have the right momentum. You can't stop them. And I'm fearing that they're gonna keep rolling until the World Series. I'd rather like it if the Indians or Red Sox were strong enough to take them out and prevent an unwatchable series.

And elsewhere...

The good news is this is an excuse to show off one of my favorite customs of the year, but sadly, it comes as a eulogy segment in one of these posts.

The Rangers had a great season, and were ahead of the AL for a grand portion of it. The only problem is they lost power, and struggled with some injuries towards the back half, culminating in the series we got, where the Blue Jays easily overpowered them.

Again, very sad day, but...this is how baseball goes. Tomorrow, we get three games. Two are in clinching position. One's...kind of locked up.

Custom Card of the Day: Beltran Edition

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah, he's not as good as he used to be. Blah Blah Blah the Cardinals need to come back after losing their star. Blah Blah Blah they should have gotten a bigger star. Blah Blah they probably won't get back to the postseason without Pujols. Blah Blah Blah good luck to Beltran, as he might infuriate several fans.

Blah.

(You've heard it all before. Why hear the same thing from me?)

Coming Tomorrow- A former NL East rival competes as part of an...NL East team. Wow, who'd have thought he'd just stay in the division and haunt the Phillies.