2011 Cubs

[pdga#7648]

Brett, I'm pretty sure Philadelphia had a 13.5 game lead only to lose it.

[pdga#7648]

nope Philly did this......



1. 1964 Philadelphia Phillies
The hard-luck franchise that went 30 years without a pennant between 1950 and 1980 should have broken that string in the middle. The Phillies led by 6.5 games over the Cardinals and Reds with 12 to go in September, then lost 10 in a row and ended up one game back in a tie for second with the Reds despite winning their last two games. Manager Gene Mauch was criticized for tinkering with the pitching rotation down the stretch. The Cardinals beat the Yankees in seven games in the World Series.

[pdga#7648]

biggest ever.....




6. 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers
On Aug. 11, the Dodgers held a 13.5-game lead in the National League and seemed to be cruising toward the pennant. This wasn't a true collapse: In probably any other season, a 26-22 finish would be good enough to hold on easily, but the Giants caught fire, winning a 16 in a row and an incredible 37 out of their final 44 games, tying the Dodgers on the final day. The Dodgers' real mistake was at the coin flip to determine the home field in the three-game playoff series. The Dodgers won the toss and a ticket manager (the team was in Philadelphia) chose to play the first game at home and the second and third games at the Polo Grounds. Without that fateful decision, Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard Round The World" would never have happened

[pdga#7648]

my favorite.....



8. 1969 Chicago Cubs
Another historic moment - the 1969 Amazin' Mets - likely wouldn't have happened if the Cubs hadn't helped out. It was the first season of divisional play, and the Cubs had a 9.5-game lead on August 14 in the new National League East. But 13 days later the red-hot Mets had pulled within two, and they won the division by eight. The Cubs lost 14 of their final 20, and New York went on to win the World Series.

[pdga#7648]

pretty sure this was when the Black Cat ran out onto the field in New York, during a Cubs game?

[Dan Michler]

This lead is definitely blowable, especially by the Brewers who always seem to find a way to mess up.  I would like to know what the largest ever disparity between home record and road record is?  The Brewers are currently 50-19 at home despite just getting swept in Milwaukee by the Cardinals and they are 31-38 on the road.  They have an even 12/12 home/road in their 24 remaining games.  St. Louis' remaining schedule appears a bit tougher.

If they go 12-12, St.Louis would need to go 20-5 to catch them, which is certainly unlikely.  But this is the Brewers, so anything is possible.  The series next week in St. Louis will be big.

I think the most memorable comeback in my lifetime is the 2007 Colorado Rockies winning 14 of their final 15 games to win the Wild Card in a tiebreaking 163rd game that went into extra innings.

The wildest finish to a season ever would have to be the 1908 NL Pennant race.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle%27s_Boner

[pdga#7648]

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201109/black-slime-takes-cubs-fans-stomachs



the food is just as bad as the team, gotta love it!  

[Dan Michler]

Hey Doug, your team has the same October plans as the Cubs.  Enjoy!  Way to waste a fantastic season by Lance Berkman.  Unlikely he'll be resigned by the Cardinals next year since they'll have to commit most of their payroll to signing Pujols.

[stpitner]

Go buy yourself some taco's at Busch stadium, Doug.

Busch Stadium is not the place to get a taco. The St. Louis Cardinals ballpark had 29 major food safety violations in 2010. Taco meat was improperly heated in such a manner that would welcome rapid bacterial growth. Another plate of taco meat was being stored at 68 degrees. Chicken Salad was kept between 63 and 67 degrees.

Source: http://benmaller.com/2011/04/roaches-vermin-fruit-flies-red-slime-found-at-mlb-ballparks/

I don't know what to make of this article that I was reading about today in the Sun Times... the conspiracy theory is for the Cubs to hire Walt Jocketty (current Reds GM in a contract year, former St. Louis GM) as their own GM.  He would then in turn hire Tony LaRussa as the manager (contract year), and that would then in turn help bring Pujols to the Cubs.  What a crazy turn of events THAT would be.  I don't know if I want that much Redbird blood in the Cubs clubhouse lol.

The article: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/7645317-419/walt-jocketty-as-cubs-gm-could-start-whirlwind-that-brings-pujols.html

[pdga#7648]

Hey Doug, your team has the same October plans as the Cubs.  Enjoy!  Way to waste a fantastic season by Lance Berkman.  Unlikely he'll be resigned by the Cardinals next year since they'll have to commit most of their payroll to signing Pujols.

not yet we dont. 4 1/2 games behind the wildcard, and just 6.5 back of the division title.  stranger things have happened. And the Cards still play the Cubs 3 more times, so theres at least 2 wins(8-4 H2H on the year)

[stpitner]

The translation: The magic number is 10 until the Cardinals are eliminated with 14 games to play, and 4 of those are against the Phillies.  Odds are October will be filled watching the Steelers getting pounded by the Ravens again (ok, so it's Nov. 6th for the rematch).

...at least I'm a packers fan that occasionally has something to root for near the close of a season...

[Dan Michler]

Your right Doug, stranger things have definitely happened...but not very often.  ESPN calculates the %chance of each team making the playoffs.  Right now the Cards are at 4.5%.  Good luck with that.

[pdga#7648]

The translation: The magic number is 10 until the Cardinals are eliminated with 14 games to play, and 4 of those are against the Phillies.  Odds are October will be filled watching the Steelers getting pounded by the Ravens again (ok, so it's Nov. 6th for the rematch).

...at least I'm a packers fan that occasionally has something to root for near the close of a season...

I'm glad you said occasionally Scott.    1 year doesn't make the team!

[pdga#7648]

and 1 football game doesn't make the season. Pittsburgh will be in the playoffs at years end.

[pdga#7648]

Your right Doug, stranger things have definitely happened...but not very often.  ESPN calculates the %chance of each team making the playoffs.  Right now the Cards are at 4.5%.  Good luck with that.

4.5% is always better than the Cubs 0%!! 

[Bruce Brakel]

Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify.  Because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city, you're actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it.  You know what I mean, you are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city.  Fans will be so in love with a player but if he goes to another team, they boo him.  This is the same human being in a different shirt, they *hate* him now.  Boo!  different shirt!!  Boo.

[pdga#7648]

once again, you are wrong Bruce.
I root for the name on the front of the jersey, not the individuals name on the back! Pujols could leave St. Louis, I wont cheer for him, but would continue rooting for the Cardinals!

[Bruce Brakel]

So you're saying Seinfeld is wrong about you just rooting for the clothes because if Pujols leaves and someone else wears that jersey, you'll still be rooting for the clothes?       I think you made Seinfeld's point just as humorously as he did.   

[Jon Brakel]

Go clothes with Cardinals on them!

[Tom McManus]

Seinfeld's bit was pretty funny, but he is a huge Mets fan. So he roots for the clothes. Obviously it is more than just the jersey, it is the history of the team and your relationship with the team. I think in this day and age people are less attached to the team and may be more attached to the players. Not in all instances, but in some cases. I think fantasy sports has something to do with this. I will play pickem, but no fantasy for me, because I don't want to root for any of those other jerseys, only green and gold, or white and gold depending on the weekend.

And Doug did call out Bruce, but then agreed with him 100%. Oh well.