Home Run Derby

The Chicago White Sox just won the 2008 AL Central Division crown by defeating the Minnesota Twins in a tiebreaking play-in game. 

The game was a thrilling 1-0 pitchers’ duel at US Cellular Field in Chicago, as White Sox pitcher John Danks gave up one less 460-foot longball than Minnesota’s Nick Blackburn did.

Allow me to introduce you to the MVP of the 2008 Chicago White Sox … you might think it’s Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, AJ Pierzynski, or Jim Thome (who homered tonight for the game’s only run) - but it’s not.

It’s the metal slug of currency that was used in the coin flip on September 12th to determine who would host a tiebreaking play-in game between the Twins and White Sox.

That thing should be attached to whatever banner the White Sox unfurl next year.  Because it’s what got them into the posteseason.

Since the White Sox won the coin flip … they got to host the 163rd game of the season.  And between these two otherwise equally matched teams this season … that pretty much meant the ballgame and the AL Central title. 

This season, the Twins and Sox both had equal records at home (good – .654) and on the road (bad – 432).  That disparity played out between the two clubs - neither could win at the other’s ballpark …

• The White Sox were 1-8 in Minnesota
• The Twins were 2-7 in Chicago

Make that 2-8.  Some things working against the Twins: 

• The 56 degree game temperature might have made a difference for the Twins, who play half their games in the always 72 degree climes of the indoor Metrodome. 
• The Twins speed on the basepaths might have been muddled a bit by the soft ground at US Cellular, where it rained for 3+ hours only 30 hours prior to tonight’s game. 
• Ground balls hit by the Twins wouldn’t ricochet off the US Cellular grass like they did off the concrete – I mean FieldTurf – at the Metrodome.

Because of this, you’re going to hear some people (Minnesotans) say that Home Field Advantage (HFA) for a 163rd game shouldn’t be decided by a 50/50 draw like the flip of a coin.  And they might be right – HFA could easily be determined by a number of more relevant tiebreakers, like Head-to-Head record (Minn wins 10-8) or Division record (tied 43-29).  But that’s not baseball’s way.

Now the White Sox move on to play the Tampa Bay Rays … who play in a Dome.  The White Sox crapped the bed this season in Domes … here’s some scary 2008 Dome stats for the ChiSox

• 5-17 Record
• .233 AVG, .295 OBA, .369 SLG
• 3.97 ERA

The White Sox party might be short lived.  Then again … they’ve got a lucky coin.

The Cubs are on the cover of the latest Sports Illustrated. 

Oh No.

There’s been a lot said about the SI Cover Jinx  – it’s the kiss of death – athletes and teams who appear on it will inevitably fail.   You might believe in it, you might not.  But there’s definitely one team whose fortunes seem to crash after showing up on the cover. 

You guessed it – THE CHICAGO CUBS.  Since 1966, the Cubs have been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated nearly twenty times.  And if the Cubs have something at stake when they show up on the cover … bad things seem to happen. 

Especially if that appearance happens late in the season or (gasp) during the playoffs. 

Seeing as Aramis Ramirez and the Cubs are the pre-playoff SI Cover-boys again in 2008 … let’s take a look at the Cubs and the SI Jinx, starting in depth with the late-season appearances …

September 8, 1969

On September 8th, 1969, the Cubs were in the midst of a four-game losing streak and the Cubs and Mets were about to begin a two-game series at Shea Stadium – with the Cubs 84-56-1 and the Mets right on their well-clicked heels at 80-57, a mere 2.5 games back.

The SI Jinx took effect immediately.  Ron Santo (who was on the cover back in June) met the Black Cat in the on-deck circle at Shea on September 9th … and the Mets completed the short sweep, pulling within a half-game of the Cubs, who simply withered up and died.

The Cubs finished eight stinking games behind the Mets.

(more…)

The Chicago Cubs are in the playoffs. 
The Chicago Cubs have clinched the National League Central. 
The Chicago Cubs have clinched Home Field Advantage throughout the National League Playoffs. 

The Chicago Cubs have what is their best chance to reach and conceivably win their first World Series in 100 years.  Goats and Black Cats be damned.

This is tempting fate … but here goes. 

This is what Chicago Cubs 2008 World Series Tickets look like …

………Considering that a World Series at Wrigley Field is probably a once in a lifetime event … $190 to sit in the lower deck is a bargain. 

Is it jumping the gun to share these with the world?  Some might say it is. 

Last year, Deadspin’s Will Leitch said that the existence of Cubs World Series tickets “mocks the natural order of the universe.” 

But Leitch is a Cardinals fan, so indoor plumbing also qualifies as something outside “the natural order of the universe.”

Looking at them does in fact make me, as a Cub fan, nervous. 

But not as nervous as last year.

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Waaay back in March, Home Run Derby showed you the Famous Milwaukee racing sausages doing a little bit of skiing.  They’re so talented.  And tasty, I imagine.

Somehow we missed this event at a minor league hockey game in Rockford, IL – wherein the Sausages took their race to the ice in an intermission at a Rockford Icehogs game, way back in February 2008. 

Wow – that’s some nightmare fuel for you right there.  Especially when Benny the Bull of the Chicago Bulls tried to grab the Chorizo.  If he caught that sausage, would he have eaten him and washed it down with the walking can of Mountain Dew? 

I know I would have. Someone ask that racing hot dog if he’s ever tried to eat himself.

Looks like Chorizo won the race, but only after he checked the Italian Sausage into the boards.  Nice move there.  Was anyone shocked the Polish Sausage took a dive right after the start?

The Racing Sausages also participated in a broomball game with a bunch of other mascots during an intermission. 

We see London, we see France … we see Prince ’s Underpants!!

So last night, Prince Fielder hit a two-run Walk Off Home Run to beat the Pittburgh Pirates and kept the Milwaukee Brewers a mere one game behind the Mets in the race for the National League Wild Card (which they’re going to win).

As he rounded the bases, Fielder started untucking his shirt … which has become a victory celebration for the Brewers this season, as a tribute to teammate Mike Cameron’s working class dad (I learned that from the fabulous Uni Watch).

But as he untucked his shirt … Prince let everybody see his underwear.  Let’s tempt fate and zoom in on the waistline of baseball’s resident vegetarian fattie …

(more…)

Standings have been updated. 

I’m going to call it. 

With five days to go, Team Minivan will be your 2008 Home Run Derby contest champion.  In fact, I think the entire prize board is set. 

Minivan leads all comers with 474 Home Runs and an eleven HR lead over Belichoke (463 HR).  Belichoke seems to have cemented 2nd Place with a six-HR lead over Sultans of Swat (457 HR).  It looks like Poker Pals (450 HR) will finish out of the money.

And the Second Half is shaping up for Minivan as well.  With 193 2nd Half Home Runs, Team Minivan has a six-HR lead over his nearest competition.  But that competition is a name I simply can’t believe is on the leaderboard. 

The Komodos (187 HR) 

You remember The Komodos … they finished in last place last season and caught hell from Nick the Greek all season.   And now it’s almost assured that HRD’s webmaster and resident baseball novice is going to finish in the freakin money. 

There’s a full fledged race for Third Place – as Oaktags (183 HR), Croatian Sensation (182), JoBu (181), Sultans of Swat (180), Evil Toast (178) and Poker Pals (177) are all going to battle for the last spot on the dance card. 

Since we mentioned the turnaround of last year’s last place finisher … let’s bring up Go Yanks (263 HR).  

Go Yanks has trailed eveyone in the Derby since sometime in Week Five and will finish in last place for the season … and will likely be the first in the History of the Derby to accomplish an unenviable feat.   He’s going to complete the HRD Last Place Sweep – Last Place in the 1st Half, the 2nd Half, and thereby … overall.  Never been done before.

Better luck next year.

So we’ve been away for a while.  Lots of things happening in life away from baseball and blogging. 

Standings have been updated. 

And ‘ol Bill has a message for Team Minivan.

Kinda fitting that the NFL kicks off and Belichoke (417 HR) regains the full-season Home Run Derby lead.  Team Minivan (416 HR) drops from the top spot (at least until he gets it back).   

Sultans of Swat rounds out the leaderboard with 409 HR, trailed by Poker Pals (408 HR), Herby’s Heros (405 HR), and a couple others.  But with 3+ weeks to go … this is a two horse race for the top spot the rest of the way. 

The Second Half Standings … well that’s a different story.   Team Minivan and Poker Pals lead the second season with 135 HR (Pals owns the tiebreak) … and they’ve got company. 

Third place Sultans of Swat leads a pack of 12 teams within 9 HR of the lead.  And only one of them (Belichoke) won anything in the First Half. 

This could be fun.  Too bad I’m not contending.