Report: Astros lash out about games in Milwaukee; Selig explains in ad

[Mad_Hatter]

These folks were so vehement that it never occurred to me that it was just deliberate trolling. That's very possible. I hope that is the case in a way, because otherwise, there are some very delusional people out there with screwed up priorities.

One more parting shot at Lance Berkman:

Just like my two year old nephew, Lance is apparently terrified of lightning. Actually, my nephew doesn't attempt to run away from a storm...

“Major League Baseball has always valued the dollar more than they do the individual, the players and their families,” Lance Berkman said. “That’s illustrated in things like playing through a lightning storm in Chicago (on Aug. 4)."

Uh, Lance, the storm started after the game was officially in the books. In other words, the Cubs had already made their gate money. I'm not sure when they cut off beer sales, but I doubt that was at issue. Apparently, Lance doesn't understand that some teams feel an obligation to give people what they paid for (a complete nine inning game).

you want to talk trolling? shoulda went to the astros forum after the cubs games... every other post was a cubs troll spewing complete nonsense and disrespect.

and berkman lost a sister in-law or cousin or someone from being struck by lightning.
the game was suspended what an hour and half? before it was resumed? it would have been called earlier if the cubs were winning and dont even try to say other wise.

[Reggie Miller]

LOL well I was watching that game (as I do most of the games if they are showing) and the storm was barely coming in. It was like the 6th or 7th, or 8th inning when i happened. I remember Hawkins was on the mound and then there was a lound thunder and Berkman bolted to the dugout hahaha. Everyone else was looking like wtf where you going, and at that time they called the game. Berkman is my boy but he just needs to shut up and play ball.

Look around the Wrigleyville area the next time ESPN or FOX has the game. (They make a big deal about showing the rooftops, while WGN obviously does not.) You'll see a lot of antennas and lightning rods in the area.

I wouldn't care to guess what the odds really are of being struck by lightning at ground level in a stadium filled with 30,000+ people. They would have to be astronomically long odds. (Please kill me for that pun.)

[Reggie Miller]

you want to talk trolling? shoulda went to the astros forum after the cubs games... every other post was a cubs troll spewing complete nonsense and disrespect.

and berkman lost a sister in-law or cousin or someone from being struck by lightning.
the game was suspended what an hour and half? before it was resumed? it would have been called earlier if the cubs were winning and dont even try to say other wise.

1. Fair enough. I was banned from Crawfish Boxes for saying things way less offensive than anything I have said in this thread. (Basically, I pointed out that the Astros had just swept the Cubs at Wrigley.) A lot of other comments from Cubs' fans on that same thread were pretty bone-headed.

2. My cousin was killed due to the negligence of the Indianapolis P.D. (They hit her car at over 100 mph after entering into an unauthorized high speed chase, all over a stolen license plate.) The odds of a policeman running you or I over are much better than of anyone we know ever being struck by lightning. I'm sorry, but the "personal tragedy" angle just doesn't work for me here.

3. The chief of the umpiring crew makes the call. Personally, I would have shut it down, but that's his call to make. The Cubs don't pay his salary. There is an unwritten rule that you try to play as much as possible, probably more for television reasons than anything.

I'm not really sure where the fans of other teams get the idea that the umpires favor the Cubs. I can name several who obviously have some agenda against the Cubs, in fact. (Thank God Bruce Froemming finally retired.) Honestly, I don't think the umpires like calling games at Wrigley. The crowd can be obnoxious, and the facilities flat out suck.

EDIT: It never occurred to me until just now, but I wonder if the umpire's decision to call a game and when takes into consideration crowd control and safety. That is, maybe they deliberately don't encourage people to empty out the stadium and hit the road in the middle of bad weather. Just a thought.

[Mad_Hatter]

its not so much the lightning as tornado warnings and winds which can pick up debris and cause serious injury.

[Reggie Miller]

its not so much the lightning as tornado warnings and winds which can pick up debris and cause serious injury.

The Cubs organization has locked the gates and prevented people from leaving at least once this year. That was the gale/tornado warning back on August 12, 2008, against the Braves. I was greatly relieved that I did not go to that game, because I had the opportunity to grossly overpay for two tickets in the LF bleachers.

[Mad_Hatter]

the Cubs are the best organization ever. MLB is lucky to have them.

[Reggie Miller]

the Cubs are the best organization ever. MLB is lucky to have them.

Both your sense of irony and sarcasm are duly noted and appreciated.

My point was quite the opposite.

Imagine if you will:

1. Paying about $175 for two crappy LF seats.
2. Driving for 300 miles to Chicago.
3. Putting up with being surrounded with guys named Chad, Sully, and/or Cole for an indeterminate period.
4. Getting rained out.
5. Being informed that the gates are locked, thereby robbing you of your freedom to start driving south (out of the storm) and get a head start on the 300 mile return trip.

I probably would have had to be tased, had I gone.

EDIT: I hate Wrigley. I actually prefer the Cell.

[Mister Sinister]

Both your sense of irony and sarcasm are duly noted and appreciated.

My point was quite the opposite.

Imagine if you will:

1. Paying about $175 for two crappy LF seats.
2. Driving for 300 miles to Chicago.
3. Putting up with being surrounded with guys named Chad, Sully, and/or Cole for an indeterminate period.
4. Getting rained out.
5. Being informed that the gates are locked, thereby robbing you of your freedom to start driving south (out of the storm) and get a head start on the 300 mile return trip.

I probably would have had to be tased, had I gone.

EDIT: I hate Wrigley. I actually prefer the Cell.

I can't stand either of them anymore. Cubs fans piss me off too much for me to enjoy the classic nature of Wrigley, and the Cell, my *GOD*, the Cell. Ugh. This is why I go up to Miller Park every so often.

[Reggie Miller]

The Cell is just like any other park if you have good seats. Parking is sketchy as , but I have never had any problems. Again, I had good seats with the local gentry, as it were.

I hate Miller Park just because my experience has been "Wrigley North." Both times I went to see the Cubs, I was surrounded by drunken Cubs' fans and very hostile, drunken Brewers' fans.

I prefer the old Busch Stadium, believe it or not.

EDIT: Turner Field and the GAP (Cincy) are nice modern parks that don't assault you with a bunch of crap. The new Busch Stadium is way too damn "busy." There is some sort of scoreboard or moving ad wherever the eye can see.

[FromWayDowntown]

I guess we might get a chance to put the favoritism hypothesis and the urgency for finishing the regular season on time this weekend. The Mets are scheduled to close at home, but the weather in NYC is supposed to be pretty bad -- not hurricane bad, but bad nonetheless. If MLB is bent on finishing the season on time, will the Mets' weekend games be moved to another location to ensure that there's no delay in starting the playoffs on time? Or will, as some of the Astros have suggested, MLB do the Mets a favor, wait for the weather to pass, and play the games as the conditions permit?

[Reggie Miller]

I guess we might get a chance to put the favoritism hypothesis and the urgency for finishing the regular season on time this weekend. The Mets are scheduled to close at home, but the weather in NYC is supposed to be pretty bad -- not hurricane bad, but bad nonetheless. If MLB is bent on finishing the season on time, will the Mets' weekend games be moved to another location to ensure that there's no delay in starting the playoffs on time? Or will, as some of the Astros have suggested, MLB do the Mets a favor, wait for the weather to pass, and play the games as the conditions permit?

The problem is that it's not exactly a comparable situation. For example, let's say you are able to get one or two of the games in at New York. However, you know #3 is a lost cause. Waiting a day and finishing that one game would also make sense, since it is the last game of the season.

I think your point is a valid one, though. If the forecasts are correct, they won't be able to weasel around like I just explained above. They will have to take some drastic action.

[FromWayDowntown]

The problem is that it's not exactly a comparable situation. For example, let's say you are able to get one or two of the games in at New York. However, you know #3 is a lost cause. Waiting a day and finishing that one game would also make sense, since it is the last game of the season.

I think your point is a valid one, though. If the forecasts are correct, they won't be able to weasel around like I just explained above. They will have to take some drastic action.

I know we're basically in agreement, and I understand that there's a built-in makeup day (in essence) on Monday -- a day to allow for playoffs and things like that. Conceivably, if you could get in tonight's game and Sunday's game, you could get in a double-header on that Monday; but if the Mets and Brewers (or Phillies) end up in a tie, the problems that baseball cited to move the Astros exist in spades.

I don't think any of that would have been a problem if MLB hadn't decided to move the Astros games. The problem is, of course, that the perception that MLB favors teams from New York or other similar markets will be raised if weather threatens a timely end to the season and those games aren't moved. I don't think the league can say that it learned from the mistake of moving Astros/Cubs, either -- I'm not particularly an Astros fan, but as a baseball fan, a different result for the Mets strikes me as a wholly unsatisfactory decision.

Basically, they've got to get 4 games in over the next 4 days. The 10-day forecast for Flushing calls for an 80% chance of rain today, 100% on Friday, and 90% on Saturday. Obviously, the inherent problems that come with a direct strike by a full hurricane aren't there, but Shea doesn't have a roof and there's no way to play baseball legitimately in a downpour -- and a downpour seems inevitable. If there's a rainout tonight (CHI @ NYM), they can't play a double-header on Monday unless it's a double-header that involves a game with the Mets and Cubs and a second game, if necessary, between the Mets and Marlins.

If today and tomorrow are rained out, Selig is going to be in a really bad spot.

[Reggie Miller]

I know we're basically in agreement, and I understand that there's a built-in makeup day (in essence) on Monday -- a day to allow for playoffs and things like that. Conceivably, if you could get in tonight's game and Sunday's game, you could get in a double-header on that Monday; but if the Mets and Brewers (or Phillies) end up in a tie, the problems that baseball cited to move the Astros exist in spades.

I don't think any of that would have been a problem if MLB hadn't decided to move the Astros games. The problem is, of course, that the perception that MLB favors teams from New York or other similar markets will be raised if weather threatens a timely end to the season and those games aren't moved. I don't think the league can say that it learned from the mistake of moving Astros/Cubs, either -- I'm not particularly an Astros fan, but as a baseball fan, a different result for the Mets strikes me as a wholly unsatisfactory decision.

Basically, they've got to get 4 games in over the next 4 days. The 10-day forecast for Flushing calls for an 80% chance of rain today, 100% on Friday, and 90% on Saturday. Obviously, the inherent problems that come with a direct strike by a full hurricane aren't there, but Shea doesn't have a roof and there's no way to play baseball legitimately in a downpour -- and a downpour seems inevitable. If there's a rainout tonight (CHI @ NYM), they can't play a double-header on Monday unless it's a double-header that involves a game with the Mets and Cubs and a second game, if necessary, between the Mets and Marlins.

If today and tomorrow are rained out, Selig is going to be in a really bad spot.

I've almost gotten used to the obvious favoritism to NY teams, to be honest. Remember the 1999 Finals? The NBA was more than prepared to have the Spurs play without a working shot clock. How about the Saints' "home" game at the Meadowlands? Would we have any sort of instant replay in baseball at all if the Mets and Yankees hadn't raised holy ?