World Series: Texas Rangers vs St. Louis Cardinals

[windward]

This. If they don't win tonight, they become the new cursed team and despite this team not even being in their prime yet, I would be shocked to see them ever come back to a World Series for years, maybe decades. Coming into this seres, even if we didn't win it all, I would've said that we were more like the early 1990's Braves that had a young Glavine/Smoltz and just couldn't win it all until a few years later when they had more experience and added Greg Maddux. But a choke job like this has gotten me thinking we are more like the 1986 Red Sox

That's just gibberish. The results of this season will have minimal effect on future seasons.

 

[juck]

I feel like slapping someone still. This was worse then 94 Championship and Mavs 06.

 

[TheCoolFan]

After an epic collapse like that, it's definitely possible. The talent will always be there, it's just the inability to finish that will haunt them and stick with them. On a lesser scale from the Cubs/Red Sox, it took the Giants nearly a decade to overcome that loss to the Angels and win it all. It's not easy to make it to the World Series and the Rangers have done it twice in a row. If you don't capitalize on the rare opportunity, who knows when the next time will be?

 

[windward]

It's also possible they win the world series next year.

There's a myriad of possible outcomes to this loss.

 

[Stautner]

The term choking usually refers to either (A) an overwhelming favorite that fails to win or (B) a team that blows a big lead. Obviously, the bigger the lead (and the later in the game you have that lead) the bigger the choke job.

(A) doesn't really apply here but (B) certainly does. Sorry, but with 2 2-run leads needing only 3 outs, that was a choke job pure and simple. You can't say the Cardinals choked because they never had the lead (except very briefly in the 1st inning).

A lot of people around the country are saying there's no way the Rangers bounce back after this, but this game reminds me of 1975's game 6 where the Red Sox won an incredible on a Carlton Fisk 12th inning home run. Despite all the emotion, a depleted Red Sox team couldn't close out the deal the following night at home.

yes, we had 2 run leads needing only 3 outs, but we had just gotten those 2 runs in the top of the same inning. We scored 2 runs, they scored 2 runs. we scored 2 off their closer, they scored 2 off our closer. We traded off. How can it be treated as if the 2 they scored were any less probable than the 2 we scored?

 

[WV Cowboy]

I dont' follow MLB, .. haven't been to a game in over 20 years.

But I always love to watch the ALCS and the NLCS and then the World Series.

I get to see a lot of great players each year that I didn't even know existed. LOL

So about a month ago, my youngest son and I, went to see the Pirates play. He lives in Pittsburgh. And they played the Cardinals. So just because I saw them play this season, I thought it would be cool to see them win the WS. Then I would know that I saw the WS champs play in person. I'm sure that would be a first in my life.

But as I have watched this WS play out, I have really gotten to like a lot of the players on the Rangers.
I coach youth baseball (15 yr olds) and I see a lot of kids on the Rangers that I would love to coach. Tough, hard-nosed baseball players.

So, long story short, .. I went from hoping the Cards win to liking both teams and not caring who wins, as long as the games are good.

Sadly, I fell asleep last night at the start of the 8th, it was 7-4.

It was about 11:30 EST and I had to work today.

I like the Rangers manager as a person a lot, but he doesn't project the image I am used to seeing as a manager. He really gets excited when the Rangers are scoring runs, doesn't he?

 

[CoCo]

I dont' follow MLB, .. haven't been to a game in over 20 years.

But I always love to watch the ALCS and the NLCS and then the World Series.

I get to see a lot of great players each year that I didn't even know existed. LOL

So about a month ago, my youngest son and I, went to see the Pirates play. He lives in Pittsburgh. And they played the Cardinals. So just because I saw them play this season, I thought it would be cool to see them win the WS. Then I would know that I saw the WS champs play in person. I'm sure that would be a first in my life.

But as I have watched this WS play out, I have really gotten to like a lot of the players on the Rangers.
I coach youth baseball (15 yr olds) and I see a lot of kids on the Rangers that I would love to coach. Tough, hard-nosed baseball players.

So, long story short, .. I went from hoping the Cards win to liking both teams and not caring who wins, as long as the games are good.

Sadly, I fell asleep last night at the start of the 8th, it was 7-4.

It was about 11:30 EST and I had to work today.

I like the Rangers manager as a person a lot, but he doesn't project the image I am used to seeing as a manager. He really gets excited when the Rangers are scoring runs, doesn't he?

And FOX never misses putting him on camera for him. I'm a big Card's fan and Washington's little idiosyncricies annoy me when the Cards are losing.

I was too emotionally attached to last night's game. Deliberately stopped watching after the BTB HR's. Nice surprise this morning.

 

[danielofthesaints]

And FOX never misses putting him on camera for him. I'm a big Card's fan and Washington's little idiosyncricies annoy me when the Cards are losing.

I was too emotionally attached to last night's game. Deliberately stopped watching after the BTB HR's. Nice surprise this morning.

"I'm a big Card's fan" & "Deliberately stopped watching after the BTB HR's"

 

[yimyammer]

Is anyone pissed the freaking wildcard team has the home field advantage in this series?? It infuriates me they decide this based on the all star game. These last two games should be played in Texas under American league rules and I think this is an undeserved advantage for a team that just squeaked into the playoffs, chaps my hide!!

 

[Stautner]

Is anyone pissed the freaking wildcard team has the home field advantage in this series?? It infuriates me they decide this based on the all star game. These last two games should be played in Texas under American league rules and I think this is an undeserved advantage for a team that just squeaked into the playoffs, chaps my hide!!

That thought has crossed my mind, but considering the fact that the two teams aren't playing on the same field in building their record (meaning teams doen't play a diverse schedule against teams throughout the whole of MLB the way they do in the NBA and NFL), I don't know that records are really the best way of deciding home team in the series. Who knows how the Cards would have fared if they played an American League schedule, or how the Rangers would have fared had they played a Natinal league schedule.

 

[Red Dragon]

It's also possible they win the world series next year.

There's a myriad of possible outcomes to this loss.

Losing in such agonizing fashion must devastate the psyche.


If the Rangers lose tonight, it's possible they won't even win the AL West next year.

 

[yimyammer]

That thought has crossed my mind, but considering the fact that the two teams aren't playing on the same field in building their record (meaning teams doen't play a diverse schedule against teams throughout the whole of MLB the way they do in the NBA and NFL), I don't know that records are really the best way of deciding home team in the series. Who knows how the Cards would have fared if they played an American League schedule, or how the Rangers would have fared had they played a Natinal league schedule.

Its seems like they could come up with something less arbitrary than the Allstar game, I just don't believe under any circumstances a wildcard team should have home field advantage

 

[Stautner]

Losing in such agonizing fashion must devastate the psyche.


If the Rangers lose tonight, it's possible they won't even win the AL West next year.

I don't think winning or losing tonight hurts their chances next year. It will hurt if they lose, but I don't by the idea that they are so irreparably harmed they will be incapable of competing in a season that doesn't start for another 5 months.

 

[windward]

Losing in such agonizing fashion must devastate the psyche.


If the Rangers lose tonight, it's possible they won't even win the AL West next year.

I think their fortunes next year will be independent of what happens tonight.

Injuries, free agency, trades, the rise of young players, the decline of older players will all play a huge role in next years results.

But let's leave next year for next year. I'm only concerned about tonight right now.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

 

[Rogah]

yes, we had 2 run leads needing only 3 outs, but we had just gotten those 2 runs in the top of the same inning. We scored 2 runs, they scored 2 runs. we scored 2 off their closer, they scored 2 off our closer. We traded off. How can it be treated as if the 2 they scored were any less probable than the 2 we scored?

Because, as unfair as it may seem, the term "choke" is applied to a team that blows a big lead. 2 runs with 3 outs to go is a pretty big lead in baseball and Texas blew it - twice.

 

[Rogah]

Is anyone pissed the freaking wildcard team has the home field advantage in this series?? It infuriates me they decide this based on the all star game. These last two games should be played in Texas under American league rules and I think this is an undeserved advantage for a team that just squeaked into the playoffs, chaps my hide!!

I think the alternating-leagues thing which they did before the all-star thing was just as bad. They really should just go with best record, which may not be perfectly fair either but is still a whole lot better than the status quo.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

I think the alternating-leagues thing which they did before the all-star thing was just as bad. They really should just go with best record, which may not be perfectly fair either but is still a whole lot better than the status quo.

They do it based on record in the NBA and that seems to work fine. Not sure why they have to trick it up.

 

[CowTech]

I'm already nervous. I would love nothing more than a win, but if we lose, please put us out of our misery quick. I don't even want to think what I'd do with another meltdown.

 

[TheCoolFan]

It was more about MLB panicking after that All-Star game tie and wanting to "add incentive" to the game so a tie would never happen again. One of the dumbest things ever. The players shouldn't complain though, they consented to it. This year's All-Star game didn't even feature the best players possible due to all the injuries and yet it decided something as crucial as homefield.

Out of all the pro sports all star games, the MLB's needed the least tinkering but due to that tie, they made one of the worst knee-jerk decisions in pro sports history.