Traditional Fall Classic Open Thread

Does anybody, even in Texas, care whether the Rangers win the World Series? I am in a jam here - I always root against California teams and almost always root against Texas teams.  However I always prefer San Antonio over LA (on those rare ocassions when I notice the NBA), so I guess I can root for Josh Hamilton and his Texas Strangers.

Comments

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--Does anybody, even in Texas, care whether the Rangers win the World Series?--

Terrible how the Yankees can turn even the most genial of men into an angry, quarrelsome, spiteful brute, draining the bitter cup of defeat.

[centralcal]

oh dear - how can we hide this from Sue?

[Sue]

Grrrrr....you can't. Does anybody care? Hell yes we care! Evil, just evil, that's what Yankee's fans are.

[Elliott]

Giants in 5.

[Sue]

The 1st baseman for the Giants graduated high school with my son in law. It was a fairly large high school so he probably doesn't remember my son in law. However, he probably remembers my son in law's best friend and best man since they played on the high school baseball team together. My claim to fame...six degrees of separation.

[Sue]

No freaking way, Elliott. Rangers in 7.

[bunky]

Texas in 6

[MarkO]

No earthquake? What's up with that?

[PD]

Will the Yankees win tonight?

[PD]

Oh, wonderful. An intro video by Ken Burns.

I am so in awe.

[PD]

Even the voice of "Stanley the homeless guy" can't salvage the schlock.

[peter]

Two parity teams, living on the corporate welfare of the luxury tax.

[MarkO]

Winning isn't everything. I've had winning and I've had everything. They're not the same.

Elvis is not only a hit, he's a hitter.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Good version of the National Anthem, though.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Since this is an open thread, Jesse Jackson came out today against NPR and for Juan Williams and actually made some cogent points without bombast or cant. Link LUN courtesy of Hot Air

[daddy]

Alaska update:

Fagan is interviewing on air the Dem Senate Candidate Scott McAdam's. It is nice to hear, amidst all this Joe Miller lied bruhaha, that McAdams is P.O.'d at Lisa for sending out 25,000 mailers saying that Dem Governor Ethan Berkowitz is voting for her.

Berkowitz has publicly responded that that is "a blatant lie." It is a blatant lie, McAdam's agrees, and both he and the very conservative host Fagan are both angry at the essential free pass given to Lisa about that blatant lie. Good for McAdam's.

FWIW, McAdam's has the guts to come on Fagan's show. Everybody does, except for Lisa. McAdam's IMHO is a naive Socialist, but at least he's not a coward about his views. Interestingly he has said that as of last week the polls his folks were taking were showing that 6% of the electorate were undecided, whereas today he says the same polls are now showing 13% undecided, which he says the pollsters tell him is very unusual but very positive for his campaign.

BTW, ads of deceased Senator Ted Stevens endorsing Lisa, recorded way back before his death and her Primary loss, are continually airing today.

[Dave (in MA)]

Think of it as the New York Gothams against the expansion Washington Senators.

[Captain Hate]

Giants fans are douches (except any JOMers, of course); they rabidly cheered for Barroid Bonds who, in addition to obviously being a chemical cheater with a melon that barely fit in a car door, was a thoroughly despicable piece of human garbage. Their team is very lucky and the Rangers can sometimes kick the ball around like Little Leaguers. Rangers in 5.

[Try Hang Gliding]

I think I read somewhere that Pelosi is from San Francisco. If you're looking for a reason to pick one team over the other, well..

[Captain Hate]

Thank God I missed the Ken Burns pregame snorer; I'd be out like a light. Listening to Joe Buck talking about it is making me slightly nauseous. As did that broken bat hit.

[MarkO]

What would the Civil War have to do with the World Series?

[MarkO]

Whoa!!!! These are the best teams in baseball? Have they no base coaches?

[Captain Hate]

Sanctuary City vs Sons of the Alamo. No conservative should cheer for Gavin Newsome's team.

[Danube of Thought]

Two reasons I'm pulling for the Rangers: (1) Nolan Ryan; (2) George W. Bush.

[daddy]

I kid you not this McAdam's guy is better than Lisa Mucowskee.

I think that because of the unusual mechanics of the race, of having Lisa trying to sit on the fence of Lib/Conserv, that it has freed this guy from trying to play pseudo-Conservative and has allowed him to be completely free about his Liberalism. It is refreshing to hear it. He is much more forthcoming about his Liberal positions than Begich ever has been. Again I think he is naive and deluded, and he blatantly says he would have voted for ObamaCare, etc, but I appreciate his honesty, as you almost never hear it from a Democratic Candidate.

Interestingly, last month at an interview, McAdam's was asked if he suddenly had to pull out of the race, who would he vote for, Miller or Murcowskee? Last month McAdam's answered"Murcowskee", and that is now a sound bite in an ad currently being run by Lisa. Well in closing Fagan asked him the same question. McAdam's said last month he said Lisa, but not any more. That drew chuckles. Now he is not endorsing either one.

[Captain Hate]

So many reasons to ignore this whole Series: Buck and McCarver, the season should be over by now except Selig's stewardship of the game is so lacking. But watching it I got to see Cliff Lee hit a gapper!!!

[PD]

Pretty interesting play on that rundown.

Dim Lincecum.

[Gmax]

Bengie with antlers? Whoa

2 - 0 RANGERS OVER PELOSI'S PETS

[Captain Hate]

I think Lincecum took a few pregame bong hits based on that brilliant decision making, PD.

[Jack Buck was wounded at Remagen.]

Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!
==========

[Gmax]

Rangers getting it done with a $55mm payroll. The Yankee spend that in just the infield, ( and the Yankee sitting watching, just not quite as passionately as me!)

[Jim Miller]

Tom - Think of it this way: Does the New York Times want Nancy Pelosi's team to win or George W. Bush's team to win?

That makes the choice easy, IMHO.

[maryrose]

Rangers in 6 and how wonderful will that be for Sue and Gmax.

[Jim Ryan]

Barney's Frank possibly losing on Tuesday.

[Gmax]

I would proffer here that we are all Ranger fans now!

[PD]

Nice bunt. Textbook.

[maryrose]

OT:
Have you seen that new attack ad against Boxer done by the guy who directed "Airplane"?
It is hilarious! A take off on her "Call me Senator" moment.

[Sue]

They are hitting Lee. Not a good sign.

[Captain Hate]

Young is playing like garbage at 3rd base.

[peter]

Rangers getting it done with a $55mm payroll. The Yankee spend that in just the infield, ( and the Yankee sitting watching, just not quite as passionately as me!)

You left out they stiffed all their creditors when they went through bankruptcy. Enough Yankee bashing.

[peter]

I didn't know that Bruce Bochy and Bruce Bochte were two different people.

[Strawman Cometh]

Rangers getting it done with a $55mm payroll
That's all that's left after paying A-Rhoid's residuals.

[centralcal]

To heck with my kids!!! I have to go with my birthright and W and Sue - go Rangers!

We ARE all Rangers, now! lol.

[Comanche Voter]

Three reasons indeed for this long time National League fan to hope the Rangers--Dubya's old team--beat the Giants. Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi.

And that's coming from a guy who is a long time fan of Bruce Bochy, a genuinely nice guy and a great manager.

And one more reason to hope the Giants lose the Series. Nancy Pelosi.

[centralcal]

okay - I am going to retract my previous comment.

The reason? Well . . . when I root for a team, they usually lose. So, I am going to do a Rush Limbaugh trick I learned and root for the Giants. go giants. ::said very, very weakly::

[Sue]

Cliff Lee's asking price might be going down.

[Walter]

Elliott has it. Giants in five.

Trust me when I tell you that less than half the stadium would vote for Ms. Pelosi or any Democrat. Oddly enough, sports fans who can afford to pay for new stadia lean Republican.

Which calls to mind that GWB's experience with the Rangers exemplified his worst trait--spend what you want, the taxpayers will foot the bill eventually. PacBell park was built without public subsidy.

(Could someone remind me how much of the value going untaxed to the younger Yankees owners was contributed by the taxpayers of New York?)

[Sue]

Son of a gun.

[maryrose]

8 to 2 Giants-now that's not good...

[PD]

Chevy Volt commercial: 25-50 miles on battery.

So I could drive to the other side of town, and ... maybe ... back and I'd need a recharge. Wow, I'm sold.

[PD]

maryrose: Time to tune in, and root for the Giants!

[Porchlight]

OT,

Providence smiles upon the country once again:

Nasty weather predicted in Mid-Atlantic for Election Day

[Porchlight]

More OT, sorry - I just got a beautiful Sturbridge Tea Party shirt and button in the mail! My husband is pretty artist-y and he loves the design. My 4yo daughter immediately grabbed the shirt and put it on.

Jane and caro are the best! Jane, if you're reading this, I hope you're feeling better...

[Danube of Thought]

Yep, Lee looks like he's just about ripe to be acquired by the Yanjees.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--Sanctuary City vs Sons of the Alamo. No conservative should cheer for Gavin Newsome's team.--

I tend to seperate my politics from my sports; otherwise I never could have been a Raider fan back when I used to care about football.

--I would proffer here that we are all Ranger fans now!--

I do tend to root for the teams I grew up on and while it was first the A's of Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers, second were the Giants of the Willies Mays and McCovey.
So a residual loyalty is still there although it wouldn't break my heart to see the Yankee slayers win either.

[Army of Davids]

Blood in the water?

It's not Angle.

Give it up Harry....the election "is lost"

[MarkO]

Sue, Lee's already pitching like a Yankee. He'll fit right in.

[Porchlight]

Sanctuary City vs Sons of the Alamo.

You have to love that the MSM isn't beating this narrative into the ground like they always do every WS. I mean it is so completely obvious and yet they are not touching it.

I wonder why? ;)

[Porchlight]

I do tend to root for the teams I grew up on

I am first a Twins fan (family is from MN), second a Yankees fan (grew up partly in CT). And now I live in Texas, want to support the native sons and have zero love for the Giants.

So rooting for the Rangers is a no-brainer. But I didn't exactly enjoy watching them lose to the Yanks. And I absolutely hated watching the Yanks beat the Twins.

[Porchlight]

s/b beat the Yanks, of course, not lose to them.

Okay that's it for me tonight...

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Anthony Dominick Benedetto still has it at 84. Compare with Andy Griffith who is the same age.

[larry]

Among the sorriest slides of all time, Huff.

[larry]

Made up for it with the grab and tag. V. nice.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

He made up for it with his stab/save at first.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Beat me to it, Larry.

[larry]

Grape mines.

[Jim Miller]

Completely off topic, but I think most of you will like this: The Irish betting firm, Paddy Power, has paid off bets on the Republicans winning control of the House.

(They are still taking bets on control of the Senate, if you really need to make a bet.)

[Dave (in MA)]

PD re: the Volt, why drive around emitting pollutants out your tailpipe today when you could spend $40K knowing that your pollutants went up a smokestack near someone else's house yesterday?

[bgates]

Jim, I thought Congress outlawed American participation in online gambling.

Yes, that's right, in the SAFE Port Act of 2006, "An Act to improve maritime and cargo security through enhanced layered defenses, and for other purposes."

Hell of a law, right there - incomprehensible title, completely unrelated section added at the last minute to senselessly infringe on American liberty, and it passed both houses almost unanimously.

[Stephanie]

That gambling tidbit was added IIRC by Mr. Frist. Just think of the additional taxes that could be had from those gamblers if only... :eyeroll:

The gist of the bill is that all means of conveyance of your deposits to the on line houses is illegal, but you can continue to play on the money in your account that was there before passage. I am still playing on money from then. Not a lot, but I am entertained/gambling on house money now.

[Captain Hate]

I tend to seperate my politics from my sports; otherwise I never could have been a Raider fan back when I used to care about football.

The Silver and Black transcended politics imo; I always cheered for them before Alice Davis's cortex ceased to function. Except when they beat the Redskins in the Super Bowl and even then I couldn't get too mad (it wasn't like HOF Joe Gibbs didn't already have a championship).

There's something about this Giants team that I really really don't like; so much so that if they should win I might just completely shitcan any remaining interest in baseball forever, which wouldn't be a large leap. Selig's a complete goof who has no concept of the integrity of the game; joining his fellow stooges Goodell and Stern in that regard.

How 'bout those Cavs!!

[Jim Miller]

bgates - Good reminder, though I am sure Tom has a few readers who live in countries that allow you to bet, legally, on line. (You still can at the Iowa Election Market.)

Iowa Congressman Jim Leach was one of those who wanted an on-line gambling ban, and that was one of the reasons he was defeated in 2006 -- or so I have read.

[Stephanie]

Alaska SC just stayed the write in injunction. I guess the write in list is back in.

I wonder if they included Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and friends on that list? IIRC MM or some absurd character has previously won office only to be nullified. Do their lists take into account all possible write in choices? If not, how are they legal and all inclusive?

[narciso]

Is there a qualification, than none of the major sports association chiefs have no common sense, Captn, then again looking at Stern's contribution list, that line about
'removing all doubt' comes to mind

[narciso]

I read the Superior Ct decision, there is no way, that list can be legal, not that it matters, just like the ethics code, didn't apply to any of the 26 complaints against Palin

[Buford Gooch]

I came in late but wanted to let everyone know that I saw a "Palin 2012" bumper sticker on the 5 Freeway south of Sacramento. I'm sure they exist other places, but this was California.

[Clarice]

LA Times:
Seattle —Hours after a judge blocked the Alaska Division of Elections' effort to give voters lists of write-in candidates, the state Supreme Court stayed his ruling, providing a boost for the campaign of incumbent U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. The lists can be shown to voters who request them, the high court ruled, but candidates' party affiliation must be removed. The court also directed the Division of Elections to attempt to segregate absentee ballots cast by voters who have seen the lists -- an apparent preparation for legal fights over whether those ballots can be counted

[Frau Steingehirn]

At least one sane and brave soul out there on the 5 Freeway, Buford.

[daddy]

Steph and narciso,

Just saw that ">http://www.adn.com/2010/10/27/1521270/judge-blocks-distribution-of-write.html"> Alaska Supreme Court Overrules earlier Write-In Ruling after the game.

I am livid. Our Constitution is being ripped from us in so many ways almost anywhere you look.

How the heck can a Judge order personal records of an individual open and given to the News Media essentially saying "The People's right to Know overrides the Individuals right to Privacy." Where the hell is that in the Constitution?

Has that ever happened to anyone else?

And now this Lisa thing. Always before, a person voting a write-in has to abide by the rules, but as soon as it's Lisa suddenly all the rules fly out the window and the state provides at Taxpayer expense the write in list to the voter inside the Polling Station. Conveniently corrupt to the incumbent.

Same as Sandra Day O'Conner saying no ID required to vote in Arizona. And the Ballot machines in Nevada, and New Jersey and the Military Absentee Ballots etc.

IANAL but in my gut this is all illegal or un-Constitutional as hell. Just like that breaking announcement about Obama getting access to info of his potential Republican Presidential challengers. And Hillary and Craig Livingstone and the FBI files, etc.

If this country does continue sliding down the slope toward where armed thugs on both sides start to seriously bang heads and do damage, folks looking for a reason can start by looking at our corrupt Judicial system for a large part of the reason why such stuff started.

DeToquevill said that "America is great because America is good, and when America ceases to be good America will cease to be great."

Well that applies to the legal system as well as to the populace. And when you have a corrupt legal system that rewards those who don't play by the rules and punishes those who do, then being "good" is equivalent to being powerless patsy's.

I do hope these bastards do not reap what they are sowing, but if this was 1776, this would be the sort of stuff that would push people over the edge and into the streets. I am angry.

[daddy]

Clarice,

Does the order to make Joe Miller's personnel records pass the smell test to you? Or is that another thing that is going to be overturned after all the damage is done, so water under the dam, move along etc.

[narciso]

No it's all bull,hockey, Judge Ferfner (sic)
laid it all out, there can be no list, the DNC has no right to ask the Pentagon anything about their enemies, I know that's really the White House, most likely Rouse, who's been in this up to snowmachine door. that 'banana republic with polar bears' line seems more and more apt

[Ralph L]

So I could drive to the other side of town, and ... maybe ... back and I'd need a recharge
No, there's a gas engine to run a generator to run the electric motor that turns the wheels. Unless you accelerate or drive uphill all the time, you'll run out of gas before you run out of electricity.

The whole point of the Volt is to allow GM to sell more trucks and SUVs (from which they actually make money) under the new CAFE law. Maybe in ten years or so (or $10 gas) it won't need a subsidy to sell.

[daddy]

Well with Clarice's point above about some of the absentee ballots up here already being segregated due to potential future challenges, what may turn out unusual up here is that unlike Minnesota or Washington State or Bush/Gore in Florida, this may come down to 3 close candidates, not just 2, contesting the Election.

I don't see Lisa quitting because she's got nothing to lose, no shame, and half the legal system is in her back pocket. Miller is super P.O'ed about how unjustly he has been treated and trashed, so I see him angrily fighting back, and as for McAdam's, no way is the National Dem Machine assisted by Begich, Holder and Obama going to roll over if they smell the possibility of getting 2 Dem Senators in a so-called Red State that is generally polled at 70% Conservative. They've already proved up here how well they can cheat.

Let the funeral games begin.

[peter]

Here in NY's fifth race, Gary Ackerman, a do nothing Dem seeking his thirteenth election threatened to sue his challenger a James Milano, a cardiologist running on the Repub line. My guess is Gary's internal polling is making him feel a little bit nervous. Intractably blue district, however.

[narciso]

Btw, thanks all of you, for your words of support yesterday, Typepad keeps swallowing
up those posts

[Pagar]

Amen to everything Daddy posted.

"The lists can be shown to voters who request them, the high court ruled, but candidates' party affiliation must be removed. The court also directed the Division of Elections to attempt to segregate absentee ballots cast by voters who have seen the lists"

Maybe it is just me but I don't understand,
why you would not know already the party affiliation of the person you wanted to vote for, even if you couldn't remember how to spell the name.

If you were sending back an absentee ballot wouldn't that imply that you completed that ballot somewhere other than where what you saw was controlled by election officials who were putting up the list? What is the point of challenging those ballots over the list question?

[Pagar]

"folks looking for a reason can start by looking at our corrupt Judicial system for a large part of the reason why such stuff started."

IMO, there is an additional factor. Every
bit of information put out by this administration appears to be an outright lie. The higher the source of the the info, the more likely it is a lie.

Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism reports:

Obama no longer bothering to lie credibly.

There is not one credible person in the entire administration.

[Porchlight]

The court also directed the Division of Elections to attempt to segregate absentee ballots cast by voters who have seen the lists

How on earth would they know if an absentee voter saw the list?

[bgates]

Pagar, I think the first sentence of that quote could have been more accurately written as, "The lists can be shown to voters who request them, the high court ruled, and any trace of the fact that Leslie's not the Republican candidate must be removed." They're trying to write it up as a compromise. It isn't.

[Porchlight]

Miller should demand that his name be placed on the write in list too.

[rse]

When I read the ADN story there is a reference to her Native American support.

From traveling up there and working in education, I suspect part of this "special" ruling is about giving voters with a low level of literacy something to copy from.

Sad reality. Typical judicial usurpation these days. Lawlessness is justifiable for "good" ends. Think Kelo.

[Porchlight]

It's hard to figure how someone who is already planning to vote for a write-in candidate wouldn't already know the person's name before going to the polls.

If they don't know the person's name to begin with, are they really going to know to ask for the list?

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

The base problem is the government stepping in to do something for an individual that the individual refuses but can do for themselves.
In all areas, that is a terrible idea...not just with voting.
I write in candidates all the time, especially when there is no Republican running. I looked up how to spell Joe the Plumber's last name & wrote it on a slip of paper. Not rocket science.

If a voter won't take the time to know who they want to vote for...then they are on their own. If a voter won't take the time to go register to vote, then they shouldn't be pursued...they are on their own. No one is preventing them from anything...they just refuse to take responsibility.

[Pagar]

If the name doesn't have to be spelled correctly and the person makes a X where the name is supposed to be written in, will that count as a vote for Leslie? If you just leave all the spaces blank, will that count as a vote for Leslie? Why doesn't the ALaska Supreme Court just tell everyone who the winner and save everyone a lot of trouble and money.

[PD]

Obama no longer bothering to lie credibly.

When did he ever lie credibly? Only to people who weren't paying attention, or who wanted to believe whatever he said because he was so wonderful, methinks.

[Sue]

If I had told you yesterday at this time that Texas, with Cliff Lee pitching, would have 7 runs, would anyone here believe they were going to lose last night? Sheesh. Okay, we still have CJ. Let's go Rangers!

[Jack is Back!]

Posted this movie I made last night on the other thread. Did it while watching the game. LUN

My apologies to Pagar and Captain Hate and others for not including you in the dialogue. But I am saving you guys for the next movie coming out just prior to election day. Looking for appropriate theme music. All ideas accepted.

[PD]

No, there's a gas engine to run a generator to run the electric motor that turns the wheels. Unless you accelerate or drive uphill all the time, you'll run out of gas before you run out of electricity.

I know that, but the Volt is being marketed primarily on its being an electric car. And *as* an electric car, its range is pretty pitiful.

[caro]

Oh,JiB,that is hilarious. I see a whole new genre in ascendence. Was this developed by Americans?

[Pagar]

JIB, that was really great!