Take Me Out...Yes...It's BASEBALL!

[bushido_man96]

Baseball season is back, folks! What are your thoughts on your team so far?

The Royals have some promising young position players, especially in O'Hearns and Mondesi, who finally started to swing the bat, and Jorge Soler looks to be playing to his potential. They even have a passable pitching rotation. The bullpen, however, ugh. Need to figure that out quick.

Congrats to Whit Merrifield on his 31-game hit streak, which came to an end this week. He passed Royals HOFer George Brett, which is awesome. He's fun to watch play baseball.

[Patrick]

Optimistic. Bought a Gleyber Torres jersey.

Patrick

[bushido_man96]

Nice. I'm trying to be optimistic, but the Royals bullpen is just....not good. Duffy is on his way back, which will help the starting rotation, but they need bullpen help.

They got some great young stars on this team, and in a few years could very well be poised to make another two or three year run at the postseason like they did in 2014 and 15.

[sensei8]

It's been 3 years since anyone has posted in this thread, of which I usually do, but haven't since 2019.

Well, today I was prompted to do so because I've something to cheer about. The Yankees, who've won 27 World Series hasn't seen the land of World Series Championship since 2009...that's far too long.

So today, the Yankees won the ALDS in 5 games against Cleveland with the score of 5-1 in Yankee Stadium. No rest for the weary because of 2 rain delays in the ALDS, the Yankees have to fly immediately to Houston, TX to play tomorrow with no rest.

The Astros swept Seattle Mariners, 3-0 games to earn their right to play in the ALCS.

So, tomorrow begins the ALCS with the Astros at Minute Maid Park for a best of 7 games. The Astros as of late for many years has become a thorn in the side of the Yankees. Since 2017 the Astros have reached the World Series 3 different times...2017, 2019, 2021...Astros won the World Series in 2017, and lost to the Braves in 2021.

The Astros have dashed the hopes of the Yankees during the postseason efforts, which end up in the favor of the Astros. Here's what it looked like each time the Yankees played the Astros in the postseason since 2015...

**2015 AL Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros of which the Yankees Lost, 1-0 (3-0 score)

**2017 AL Championship Series against Houston Astros of which the Yankees Lost, 4-3

**2019 AL Championship Series against Houston Astros of which the Yankees Lost, 4-2

Here we are once again in the ALCS against the Astros of which I pray that history doesn't repeats itself. Both teams have been very strong during the 2021 regular season. Astros had every right to smile with a commanding record of 106-56, and the Yankees even had a proud smirk on their faces with a respectful record of 99-63 plus 2021 regular season had Aaron Judge setting the Home Run Record with 62 home runs.

Not too shabby for either team during the 2021 MLB season. Both teams want to return to the World Series for their own reasons.

On the NLCS side, the Padres VS the Phillies; this series should prove to be quite exciting across the board. The NLCS begins tonight at PETCO Park. The Padres 2021 regular season record was 89-73, while the Phillies earned a 2021 regular season of 87-75. Either of these teams would be a formidable opponent for either the Astros or the Yankees in the World Series.

GO YANKEES!!

[bushido_man96]

Not sure who's going to win it this year. Royals had an absolutely abysmal season, and they aren't bringing back their manager. Dayton Moore is also gone, so it will be interesting to see how things look moving forward. Lots of young talent again, but none of it really in pitching.

[sensei8]

Yeah, that's not much of surprise that the Royals dropped their GM and manager. MLB is one of the hardest jobs to keep, and when your team ends up in last place in the standings, heads start being chopped off. American League Central is a tough place to be in, more so than any other place in the MLB. 65-97 record is backwards, and when you end up under 500%, owners trim the fat fast.

Last year your Royals had a tad better record, ending up in 4th place. which as of late, 4th and 5th place seems to be their place to be all the way back to 2017. Royals haven't seen 1st place in the American Central until 2015, of which your Royals won the World Series.

Downslides in the MLB is death to the GM and/or Managers, after all, Managers/GM are to blame for a team's, ahem, concerns. Can blame the owner but you can't fire the owner. Again, the American Central is not a fun place for any team to be in. Look what happened to Moore, as a indication just how fragile jobs are in the MLB. Moore was GM for the Royals since 2009, then just this season, Moore was promoted to President of Baseball Operations to be then fired. MLB motto...Here today, Gone tomorrow!!

The Royals, not too long ago, were a royal team...a formidable team to be reckoned with. They will be once again.

GO YANKEES!!

[aurik]

I don't follow baseball except for tangentially, but this year I was hoping the Cards would win it, especially with it being Yadi's and Pujols' final year.

Oh, well. The last time the Cards were in the World Series, I was living in Dallas, and got some really upset looks in the sports bar when I was cheering for them...

[sensei8]

Saddened me a bit that they both are retiring but they are following their hearts, so I can't fault them at all, not that I would in the first place. Pujolis banging away to the 700 club is something I'll always remember. A tiny part of me wanted Pujolis to challenge Bonds home run record, but that's me.

[sensei8]

OK...here's my prediction for the ALCS...

Astros in 6...unless they want to be at home for game 7. I pray that I'm way wrong!!

Astros starting pitching rotation is no joke and well rested. The Yankees are not rested at all, plus, the Yankee bullpen of late is akin to an empty wishing well. Just trying to keep it real.

However, being a die-hard Yankee fan, I'm going to support the Yankees to win the ALCS over the Astros in 7. I pray that I'm way right.

GO YANKEES!!

[Zaine]

Now that my Rangers are out of contention (as if they ever were since '11), I can safely root for the other Texas team. Go Astros! Sorry, Bob, but I cannot abide a Yankees win.