2015 NLCS Thread: Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets

[PenFoe]

I was at a wedding the night of Game 4 in 2003.  The groom--who was actually a closer friend of my brother than me (but with whom I played softball and drank much beer)-was a true, dyed-in-wool White Sox fan, as was his whole family.  His wife, conversely, was a Cubs fan, and members of her family--particularly her mom, I remember--were pretty hardcore. During the drinks portion of the evening, when the game was getting underway, one member of our group had the game on a transistor with an ear bud in and informed us of Ramirez' grand slam. High 5's all around.  During dinner, updates continued to be provided by the DJ ("AT THE END OF THE SEVENTH INNING, THE CUBS ARE WINNING *EIGHT* TO TWO!" and half the room erupts).   Finally, after the final out was recorded, the DJ not only got on the mic to announce the final score, but then played "Go Cubs Go", to which decidedly one-half of the room sang along.  What a party.

That was the peak, for me--the lasting image of the good times for all of that.  All of us at the table who knew the groom were just laughing our asses off that this Cub-hating Sox fan would have to hear that fucking song at his wedding.  His whole family's probably pissed at him.  Fucking awesome.

But even at that point, my brother and I reminded each other that as good as we fault it wasn't over.  They got to the just-win-once-in-3-potential-tries point vs. San Diego.

Later in the evening, when everyone was good and drunk, we approached the groom's father.  We weren't gloating or anything but he would've pre-emptively stopped us anyway because before either of us could say anything he resignedly stuck out his hand and sighed "congratulations".  But neither of us would accept, and offered up that nothing was won, that it only took 19 years to get to where we had been versus San Diego that we wouldn't let him trick us into a jinx yadda yadda yadda.  He wasn't buying it and frankly, deep down, neither were we.  We just weren't going to accept congratulations since of course nothing had been won.

Technically, the '03 Cubs went further than the '84 Cubs.  By not relinquishing the lead in their elimination game until there was 1 out in the 8th inning, as opposed to 1 out in the 7th like in '84, the 2003 Cubs crept a tiny bit closer than where they were in '84.  But none of the matters of course.  The situations were otherwise eerily similar and I really would hate to re-live any of it.

I don't know where any of this is going or what the point is.  I guess this is just my way of saying that I would really like a sweep or the Cubs in 5. Get over this fucking hump so I can breathe again.  Thanks.

I got married in late October 2005.  Despite my assumption that the postseason had been canceled that year, my in-laws (who are both born and raised Bridgeportians) decided that they wanted to keep pretending that not only was baseball still underway, but by some insane leap of imagination, the White Sox were in the World Series against the Astros.  

Throughout the evening, my Father-In-Law was requesting that the DJ announce updates throughout the game since:
1. It was 2005 and people didn't have smart phones
2. We were in the middle of the desert without access to TVs or much else than an open bar and some bathrooms

I have no idea where the DJ was getting updates, but that's really neither here nor there.

Luckily, I was on cloud nine that night between marriage and drinks and whatnot and I was relatively unphased by this, not more than just a little annoyed, even when a sizable portion of the reception exploded when it was announced that Scott Podsednik had hit a walk-off.  

[SKO]

1 typo.  ONE fucking typo in that heartfelt post.  

I've never felt more like Leon Durham.

SQDPD

Actually I flat-out dropped the 3rd out in the 5th inning of what was to be Codys' first playoff victory ever, allowing the tying run to score, on a perfectly hard throw from Slaky from third base, after having a nearly flawless season playing 1st for several years.  My team (and myself) thankfully picked me up the next time we batted--and we won handily-- but I would have to say I never felt more like Leon Durham at that point.

You know, when the Cubs win this whole fucking thing, whether this year or at some point in the very near future, I hope they bring guys like Durham and Gonzalez back so they get the appreciation they deserve instead of being remembered for an error at a horrible time.

What fucking appreciation does Alex Gonzalez deserve? He was worth a whopping 2.1 fWAR in 2 1/2 seasons as a Cub and he botched a double play ball to send them to the fucking world series. I don't care if they win 10 titles, he deserves nothing but scorn forever.

Durham seems like a cool dude who deserved better, though.

Well, he was worth 1.6 fWAR in 2003. Considering they edged out the Astros by a game to make the postseason, you could argue that he was the difference between not going to the postseason at all. He slugged .679 in the NLCS, too. I don't really care if they invite him back or not, but to say he "deserves nothing by scorn forever" because of one bad play is just ignorant.

But, please, continue with your caricaturesque meatball haterage shtick.

Seriously? We're going to do this? He was worth 1.6 fWAR over an entire season, which is barely even average at best, and you want to say "without him they couldn't have made the postseason?" Perhaps they could have found another shortstop, who knows, but it's not like the alternative was literally not playing somebody.

And you want to call me a caricaturesque meatball for hating him over one bad play while citing a .679 slugging percentage in a seven game sample size? Or 10 at bats in extra innings in a year where he had a whopping .704 OPS overall?

So my meatball of hating a mediocre player for a massive fuckup that cost them a chance to clinch a pennant is more meatball than you overrating him because of some small sample size bullshit and clutchitude?

[Eli]

1 typo.  ONE fucking typo in that heartfelt post.  

I've never felt more like Leon Durham.

SQDPD

Actually I flat-out dropped the 3rd out in the 5th inning of what was to be Codys' first playoff victory ever, allowing the tying run to score, on a perfectly hard throw from Slaky from third base, after having a nearly flawless season playing 1st for several years.  My team (and myself) thankfully picked me up the next time we batted--and we won handily-- but I would have to say I never felt more like Leon Durham at that point.

You know, when the Cubs win this whole fucking thing, whether this year or at some point in the very near future, I hope they bring guys like Durham and Gonzalez back so they get the appreciation they deserve instead of being remembered for an error at a horrible time.

What fucking appreciation does Alex Gonzalez deserve? He was worth a whopping 2.1 fWAR in 2 1/2 seasons as a Cub and he botched a double play ball to send them to the fucking world series. I don't care if they win 10 titles, he deserves nothing but scorn forever.

Durham seems like a cool dude who deserved better, though.

Well, he was worth 1.6 fWAR in 2003. Considering they edged out the Astros by a game to make the postseason, you could argue that he was the difference between not going to the postseason at all. He slugged .679 in the NLCS, too. I don't really care if they invite him back or not, but to say he "deserves nothing by scorn forever" because of one bad play is just ignorant.

But, please, continue with your caricaturesque meatball haterage shtick.

Seriously? We're going to do this? He was worth 1.6 fWAR over an entire season, which is barely even average at best, and you want to say "without him they couldn't have made the postseason?" Perhaps they could have found another shortstop, who knows, but it's not like the alternative was literally not playing somebody.

I agree that was a very un-ChuckD point.

[SKO]

For the record I don't actually hope people hiss at Gonzalez and throw rotten produce or whatever at him. It would be sad if people actually treated him like they did Bartman or Buckner or Denkinger. But to say that as a Cubs fan it's "ignorant" to be mad that a mediocre-at-best player made one of the biggest fuckups in franchise history (and cite a few random extra innings homers or a 7 game slugging % as counterpoint) is irritating.

[Oleg]

Hey, look everybody!  Another prolonged discussion of 2003!

Fuck those playoffs.

[Oleg]

DPD.

PECOTA is at 60/40 Dodgers today.

[SKO]

DPD.

PECOTA is at 60/40 Dodgers today.

I keep going back and forth over Mets or Dodgers. The Mets pitching depth is impressive, the Dodgers top 2 in a four game series would be rough, but would think Jake and Kershaw pretty effectively cancel each other out, and I've really decided my rooting interest is to curl up into the fetal position until the games start and then pray regardless of who the opponent is that everything turns out okay because I'm going to be a quivering ball of jelly anyways.

[Oleg]

DPD.

PECOTA is at 60/40 Dodgers today.

I keep going back and forth over Mets or Dodgers. The Mets pitching depth is impressive, the Dodgers top 2 in a four game series would be rough, but would think Jake and Kershaw pretty effectively cancel each other out, and I've really decided my rooting interest is to curl up into the fetal position until the games start and then pray regardless of who the opponent is that everything turns out okay because I'm going to be a quivering ball of jelly anyways.

Yeah, pretty much this.  I couldn't care less whom The Cubs play.

[InternetApex]

DPD.

PECOTA is at 60/40 Dodgers today.

I keep going back and forth over Mets or Dodgers. The Mets pitching depth is impressive, the Dodgers top 2 in a four game series would be rough, but would think Jake and Kershaw pretty effectively cancel each other out, and I've really decided my rooting interest is to curl up into the fetal position until the games start and then pray regardless of who the opponent is that everything turns out okay because I'm going to be a quivering ball of jelly anyways.

Yeah, pretty much this.  I couldn't care less whom The Cubs play.

The Dodgers bother me a little more because of the West Coast trip aspect and the fact that the Cubs didn't play particularly well out there late this season. That's a small nit to pick but the Mets don't impress me. I don't give a shit what they've done since acquiring Cespedes. They suck.

Also that Beethoven snippet they play at Dodgers Stadium after an opponent strikes out annoys the piss out of me. In a tense situation like the NLCS, hearing that sound about 17 times a game will be the end of me. Or I'll have to watch the game on mute, which is less fun than watching it with sound.

Go Mets.

[InternetApex]

The three most annoying things I heard all season:

1. Cubs fans cheering for Cole Fucking dfhaspdfjkoascdasjhkla to sd;jkl4f4fajka
2. That Beethoven shit in Dodger Stadium all through the weekend series before Jake shut all their fucking cockholsters on Sunday.
3. Royals fans lousing up Wrigley and cheering like crazy when bad shit was happening to the Cubs. I learned to quickly hate those people.

[SKO]

The three most annoying things I heard all season:

1. Cubs fans cheering for Cole Fucking dfhaspdfjkoascdasjhkla to sd;jkl4f4fajka
2. That Beethoven shit in Dodger Stadium all through the weekend series before Jake shut all their fucking cockholsters on Sunday.
3. Royals fans lousing up Wrigley and cheering like crazy when bad shit was happening to the Cubs. I learned to quickly hate those people.

Royals fans went from people I was happy for last year to "oh these are just Cardinals fans who have been waiting a long time to get to act like Cardinals fans" very quickly.

[InternetApex]

The three most annoying things I heard all season:

1. Cubs fans cheering for Cole Fucking dfhaspdfjkoascdasjhkla to sd;jkl4f4fajka
2. That Beethoven shit in Dodger Stadium all through the weekend series before Jake shut all their fucking cockholsters on Sunday.
3. Royals fans lousing up Wrigley and cheering like crazy when bad shit was happening to the Cubs. I learned to quickly hate those people.

Royals fans went from people I was happy for last year to "oh these are just Cardinals fans who have been waiting a long time to get to act like Cardinals fans" very quickly.

Motherfuckers.

[Eli]

The three most annoying things I heard all season:

1. Cubs fans cheering for Cole Fucking dfhaspdfjkoascdasjhkla to sd;jkl4f4fajka
2. That Beethoven shit in Dodger Stadium all through the weekend series before Jake shut all their fucking cockholsters on Sunday.
3. Royals fans lousing up Wrigley and cheering like crazy when bad shit was happening to the Cubs. I learned to quickly hate those people.

Royals fans went from people I was happy for last year to "oh these are just Cardinals fans who have been waiting a long time to get to act like Cardinals fans" very quickly.

I think the difference is Royals fans still have a "we're happy to be here" vibe, which gives them some self-awareness that Cardinals fans aren't remotely capable of.

[InternetApex]

The three most annoying things I heard all season:

1. Cubs fans cheering for Cole Fucking dfhaspdfjkoascdasjhkla to sd;jkl4f4fajka
2. That Beethoven shit in Dodger Stadium all through the weekend series before Jake shut all their fucking cockholsters on Sunday.
3. Royals fans lousing up Wrigley and cheering like crazy when bad shit was happening to the Cubs. I learned to quickly hate those people.

Royals fans went from people I was happy for last year to "oh these are just Cardinals fans who have been waiting a long time to get to act like Cardinals fans" very quickly.

I think the difference is Royals fans still have a "we're happy to be here" vibe, which gives them some self-awareness that Cardinals fans aren't remotely capable of.

Yeah, I know, but so what? They were loud when I was trying to cook dinner and had to run into the living room to see wtf happeh and it was some Royals dude making a catch at the fence off a Bryant drive. They're dead to me.

But whatever. Chris Denorfia, something something, cockholsters.

[PenFoe]

The three most annoying things I heard all season:

1. Cubs fans cheering for Cole Fucking dfhaspdfjkoascdasjhkla to sd;jkl4f4fajka
2. That Beethoven shit in Dodger Stadium all through the weekend series before Jake shut all their fucking cockholsters on Sunday.
3. Royals fans lousing up Wrigley and cheering like crazy when bad shit was happening to the Cubs. I learned to quickly hate those people.

Royals fans went from people I was happy for last year to "oh these are just Cardinals fans who have been waiting a long time to get to act like Cardinals fans" very quickly.

I think the difference is Royals fans still have a "we're happy to be here" vibe, which gives them some self-awareness that Cardinals fans aren't remotely capable of.

Yeah, I know, but so what? They were loud when I was trying to cook dinner and had to run into the living room to see wtf happeh and it was some Royals dude making a catch at the fence off a Bryant drive. They're dead to me.

But whatever. Chris Denorfia, something something, cockholsters.

I can't believe anyone outside of Missouri and/or Kansas has a feeling about Royals fans, positive or negative.