2023 World Series: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Texas Rangers

I don't know if there's a more admirable franchise on the payroll/results spectrum than the Rays.

I mean, they're so great they end up right in the middle of two conflicting narratives: the scrappy underdog who's annoying because they win every single year.

i believe the 1987 twins are the only precedent for a team with a negative run differential in the regular season winning the world series. would be kinda cool to see it happen again, though it really exposes just how swingy baseball is

xp that’s a bit of an exaggeration I think, they’ve won two pennants in their entire history.

I also disagree a bit with felicity about the low payroll aspect: the teams who get results with lower payrolls are usually able to do so cos they draft high and don’t have to pay those players yet, or they’re unusually good at picking up low risk high upside guys who have some flaw another team couldn’t fix.

The Mariners are tremendously frustrating because almost every fan wants them to spend in free agency to bring in some decent bats- and to bring in a bat to a pitcher-friendly stadium you’ve got to overpay, right? But the owners are notoriously stingy and would probably prefer to trade away the great young players once they want to be paid so the window isn’t going to be as long as it should be. The A’s as well, all that revenue sharing money going into the owner’s pocket rather than on players, shouldn’t be allowed. But if that model had succeeded, all the billionaires who own teams would want to copy it to cut out the biggest expense on their payroll - players.

Well...you put a lot of emphasis on the postseason as a determinative measure of success. Since their turnaround in 2008, I think most fans would view the Rays as having had a very successful, sustained run (with a four-year dip midway). Being in the same division, I'm generally in awe.

Me and every single players going. Everyone wants a ring.

Fans and players are going to measure "success" the same? Kind of moving the goal posts there...If you're arguing that the Rays aren't really all that successful because they've "only" been to two World Series, I just don't see that as a credible argument.

Baseball players are competitive. Of course they want to win the World Series? It’s the biggest accomplishment you can achieve in baseball. Individual awards are nice but they are just that, individual.

No argument re players. I'm looking at this as a fan, a Jays fan in particular, and the Rays are a great success story post-2008 to me.

Unrelated side note: I'm in a 5/6 today, kind of a rough one (or at least till I, uh, ejected two guys--much quieter since). There's one guy named Ripken, a baseball fan, who says that yes, he's named after the other Ripken. (Not the coach of the "fuckface" guy, the one who played a lot.)

("or," not "of")

xp this won’t mean much to you I suspect but I once was served in a shop in north London by a young man with the name tag Maldini. “Like the player?!” I said, somewhat obviously. “Yeah,” said the kid, who was clearly just that bit too young to remember his prime.

I was able to guess the sport!

Before leaving today, I told Ripken he had to be in school for the next 2,632 consecutive days--no sickness, no trips, nothing. I think he was one of the 5s...that should take him into his first graduate degree, at least.

i believe the 1987 twins are the only precedent for a team with a negative run differential in the regular season winning the world series. would be kinda cool to see it happen again, though it really exposes just how swingy baseball is

― ciderpress, Thursday, October 26, 2023

They might be the only other team to even reach the Series with a negative RD. Checked the '73 Mets, and they steamrolled the opposition with 608 runs scored and 588 given up.

This thread nearly broke me out of my stupor but we all know Bryce already has a ring from last year and there’s nothing anyone can say to convince me otherwise

It must be nice for Max Scherzer or Tommy Pham to be offloaded at the trade deadline and suddenly find themself in the position of possibly being part of a World Series team. One of them will get some jewelry.

And then I loved seeing the Angels win the 2002 World Series with many of the same players (sorry gyac).

― felicity, Thursday, October 26, 2023 10:06 AM (eight hours ago)

https://i.imgur.com/2EBoxmn.jpg

he's been out of the game for six years but christ do i still hate john lackey

I always felt like I could hear him breath and smell his teeth through the tv

Sorry that’s not very nice, there’s much better reasons to dislike Lackey than his face

lol the Rally Monkey

And count former Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp among those who didn’t like seeing the Rally Monkey on the screen as an opposing player.

“I don’t like the Rally Monkey,” Kemp told the Associated Press in 2012. “I’m scared of the Rally Monkey. You’re out there in the outfield and the monkey just pops up on the screen. That’s kind of scary.”

Diamondbacks fueled by doubters during World Series march

this kind of shit is just exhausting; see also the crap with harper and the braves' shortstop

possibly being in the world series or simply wanting to play well is enough motivation in itself?

i mean they couldn't even get a tommy pham quote

Nah, sports are the one arena where pettiness is a virtue, I’m all about that.

Gallen telling Phillies fans where to buy tickets for their next game (spring training) is great, and in this current moment, give me more of it.

Also as a big market team supporter, there’s a devilish joy in seeing the small market boys take so much pride in being small market boys

“Atta boy Harper” was totally ruined though by people taking it seriously, so yeah that whole saga was a bit lame

Max Scherzer puts finger on ALCS woes: a cut on his thumb. But feels like he has a better grip on the problem heading into #WorldSeries.

"I found a way to throw some cotton on it and some glue," Scherzer said. #MLB https://t.co/tPPqAncgyW

— David Lennon (@DPLennon) October 27, 2023

never change

Bochy was the reason the Rangers lost in 2010. He'll be the reason they win this time.

Rangers in 6

Not saying you're right or wrong, just wondering if you're thinking of some specific reason.

There's a baseball writer whose colloquial name rhymes with Jay-Z who has a shareable preview up, but I won't link. People with seize on the sixth or the eleventh or the twenty-third sentence and proclaim "That's the most ridiculous thing ever written." If you're interested, probably not hard to find.

I'd be happy for either team but the idea of a franchise winning its first ever World Series is magical.

speaking of here's a fun fact - every single time the Brewers have been in the postseason, the team that beat them eventually made the World Series, and 6 of 8 of them wound up winning it. so I guess we are kind of a lucky charm.

(xpost) The primary reason I'm rooting for Texas. Arizona was gifted arguably the most thrilling moment this century (short list, for sure), in their fourth year of existence no less. Texas has been living with one of (or two of, a few minutes apart--plus the bat-flip) the most heartbreaking for over a decade.

Clarification no one asked for: your rationale for who you're rooting for changes--or may change--from series to series. I wanted Houston over Texas because I thought Astros-Phillies was the best WS matchup, and because I wanted to keep watching Alvarez (and, to a lesser extent, because I like Verlander and Baker and Brantley). That ain't happening; with the two teams left, franchise history now guides my rooting interest.

I wanna root for the Diamondbacks because if they win a WS, surely the Brewers could some day too. I kinda like that about baseball, yes the payroll discrepancies are very unfair, but when the chips are down ultimately it's all about who runs hot in October. having a massive payroll won't save you. random rookies or journeymen relievers can make all the difference. on the other hand I'm pulling for the Rangers because I still remember how brutal that 2011 World Series was. so I dunno. I just want everyone to have fun and take lots of pictures!

I wanna root for the Diamondbacks because if they win a WS, surely the Brewers could some day too

don't worry 2006 already happened we don't need another one

https://wv.localnews.com/meet-the-billionaire-owners-facing-off-in-the-world-series/

Sometimes you are better off not knowing.

Scrappy billionaires.

I could have sworn I was talking about the team and not the owners.

Why would you think that was meant for you?! I was having fun with the narrative, geez.

I’m simply cheering for 7 competitive games of baseball. I don’t mind who wins the “piece of metal” in the end

*holding my tongue* 🫢

I think all five MLB guys picked the Rangers tonight, so I'm counting Arizona as up 1-0 already.

Eovaldi currently proving them right. He looks dialled in

Big game Nate at it again

I'm watching the pre-game show on the MLB network, attention divided, I notice Carl Yastrzemski's on there talking about 1967, realize it's 8:15 and I seem to be watching a whole documentary on the Impossible Dream team, little voice tells me to change channels.

CHANGE CHANNELS

I recognize Marcus Semien--I'm dialed in.

Hell yeah let’s get this game going

I hope they've got Garcia running on contact this series.

Gallen just cannot get a clean first inning

How many regular season games of theirs did you watch, just out of curiosity? Because the win total never reflected their season - they had a bad stretch that tanked their numbers but they were good on either side of that.
― mojo dojo casas house (gyac)

I think those games count too...Anyway, you might want to direct these kinds of questions here:

but honestly i don't really care about this at all. good team, nowhere near the best team. also fuck texas
― mookieproof

I said Texas is a very credible WS winner. But if you think Texas is "nowhere near the best team," by extension, I'm thinking you have next to no regard for the team that was just convincingly beat by them in five games.

I’m not sure why I should answer for a post I didn’t make

Ya’ll are talking past each other. The bad games count, how good they are depends on what sample size you use to categorise good. Clem thinks April to November, others take a different approach. Been mulled over, new topics please!

(xpost) I don't get that...Anyway, I'm just saying that you're focussing your ire or disappointment or whatever on me for saying I didn't want a team with 84 wins to win the WS instead of someone who, I'm guessing from the comment I highlighted, thinks even less of them than that. And asking me how many games I saw them play seems really weird. I watch the Jays, don't have an mlb.com subscription--how would I watch the D-backs? I didn't see Ronald Acuna or Mookie Betts play much this year either, but I'm using their records to deduce that they played really well. And I've seen a lot of Arizona the past two or three weeks.

(I will clarify that I think your approach lacks a bit of nuance Clem, but I’ll defer that thought to your many more years of baseball wisdom and my hopeless optimism. The disagreement probably is reducible down to us using different definitions of “good baseball team”)

xp not really, but that that 84 win total isn’t reflective of their quality as a team. That’s why I asked did you watch them in the regular season. I won’t argue that they played like shit in the WS and deserved to lose.

I also don’t really understand why mookieproof’s opinion is being quoted at me.

I'm trying to point out--doesn't matter, forget it. On to awards and the HOF.

By your own logic, clem, an 84 win team who swept the Dodgers with ease are even worse their record - being 2 games over .500 - suggests? Is that really what the argument is? I just can’t understand that. If I’ve misunderstood I’m all ears.

He never said that?

Shohei Ohtani 30.6
Mookie Betts 29.7
Marcus Semien 29.0
Aaron Judge 27.9
Juan Soto 25.7

That is pretty amazing--would have guessed Freeman (24.4) for sure, and maybe one of Goldschmidt or Arenado or Machado.

Degrom being out all season and then watching his team win the world season without him has got to be so cruel for a guy as talented as he is, and is running out of time to establish his HOF candidacy. Him in the rotation dominating this post season probably improves his standing. But he also needs to stay healthy and be awesome for at least 5 more years.

His one short cut might--might--be winning a third Cy Young, if you believe in the rule-of-three as an automatic (non-PED) HOF pass. But yeah, being a core part of the this year's team would have helped him a lot there.

Yeah another cy, some post season heroics, and something flashy like a no hitter or a strikeout record of some sort is probably what it would take. But staying healthy might be even tougher for him.

didn't realize he was already 35! time def might be running out – but he's not far off from where he needs to be if you compare him to Koufax (tho it might be a little harder to make the hall now than it was back then). i think another Cy would guarantee him a spot - but maybe two more seasons of just above average pitching with 20+ starts could also be enough. tho Michael is right - staying healthy IS going to be the hard part for him. 4 seasons now he he hasn't made it past 15 starts (one because of the short season)

He's got a pretty impressive career bWAR considering all the time he's missed, I wonder if rather than getting the counting stats up if he can continue to add to that if it could put him over the top. It does feel like perhaps increasingly there is a sympathetic shift towards briefly dominant guys being considered, and not just the long-term dominant guys, or the "pretty good guys who never got injured and played 22 seasons" types.

Seager obviously helped his HOF case a lot. I'd say he's about where Bumgarner was before he fell apart: solid regular-season resume, building a storied postseason career. Semien--who's just as obviously a long shot--helped his case a little. I wouldn't count him out yet (see above chart).

if Semien has 3-4 seasons in the same ballpark as his last 3-4 (not counting the pandemic season), he'll get into the HOF. he's gone beyond the peak territory of guys like Ian Kinsler, now he just needs to extend that peak a bit longer. Seager is a few years younger and if he can avoid that injury bug, he'll be in good shape.

Turns out I was right:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38804549/world-series-was-least-watched-fall-classic-tv-history

The Texas Rangers 5-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first championship on Wednesday night drew the largest audience of this World Series. However, it was not enough to prevent the five-game series from being the least-watched Fall Classic in recorded TV history.

Nielsen and Fox said Thursday the World Series averaged 9.11 million viewers, less than the 9.79 million average from the 2020 series, when the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.

It was a 23% decline from last year's series, when the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games and averaged 11.78 million.

Any idea of how many people watch online? I'm not sure if that's tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions.