Michifan

So is Rose saying he wouldn't bet on Mike Trout?

Always has been and always will be one of my very favorites. That he was part of the 02 team was awesome. I'm glad he stuck around and was part of the reward for that core group of home-growns. 

Great article. 

Baseball movies I've seen in rough order of preference, with comments:

 

Favorites

Bull Durham - Arguably the best baseball movie but more fun than magical like The Natural.

The Natural - a classic fairy tale. If you don't like this movie I don't know what to say. You must hate Santa and Baby Jesus.

 

Very Good Baseball Films

Sugar - Best baseball movie I've seen in recent years. Kind of depressing but gives a realistic depiction of how hard it is to make it.

For Love of the Game - I should probably re-watch this as it might not be as good as I remember. 

Field of Dreams - overrated in my opinion, kinda shmaltzy but still good.

Major League - also overrated but still very fun.

Trouble with the Curve - More of an estranged father-daughter drama than a true baseball movie, but somewhat underrated imo.

 

Pretty Good Films

A League of their Own - Probably deserves a re-watch and better than I remember.

Moneyball - A good film but without anything special about it.

42 - a good film but maybe a bit overrated. I found it a tad dull.

The Rookie - Good flick although I remember thinking it ended too soon.

Talent for the Game - a totally unknown and understated film. Good fun, and its about the Angels! Sort of.

Soul of the Game - It was good, I think. I can't remember much except feeling bad for Josh Gibson.

Eight Men Out - Very good, but it has been awhile since I saw it.

Cobb - Can't really remember much.

 

If Nothing Else is On...

Fever PItch - Jimmy Fallon is annoying.

Mr 3000 - Mediocre.

Major League 2 - Ugh.

Bad News Bears - Can't remember. Fun?

Hardball - Starring Keanu How-Did-I-Manage-This-Career Reeves.

Mr Baseball - Magnum PI goes to Japan, moustache and all.

The Scout - I think I saw this?

The Babe - Ditto.

 

Haven't seen: Sandlot, Bang the Drum Slowly, Pride of the Yankees, Million Dollar Arm, Off the Black, Game 6.

Great lists, but you need to watch Sandlot and Pride of the Yankees. Best part of everyone's contributions to this thread is that I now have a great list of movies I want to see. 

I think Eight Men Out is an underrated baseball movie.

I think Eight Men Out is a very good film that got overshadowed by Field of Dreams the following year. I'd forgotten about Bad News Bears--loved it as a kid. 

Never heard of Sugar. I looked it up and it looks interesting. I guess The Natural is a love it or hate it, but I really like it. Two baseball movies I hated are The Scout and the one where the kid hurts his arm and can then throw 120 MPH--stupid film. 

Other than the Natural, my top choices would be:

Pride of the Yankees

Sandlot

League of Their Own and

Field of Dreams.

I do like Major League but don't think it holds up to the others. 

Field of Dreams. Went to Iowa this summer and played some ball on the field. Amazing day.

That's awesome. I would love that. Great movie. 

As long as we're already running through the bored with the off-season topics, I watched Sandlot last night with the family. My youngest had not seen it before. I love that movie. But, what is the best baseball movie? I think my favorite is still The Natural. I love how the movie, like the book, casts the player and the sport into something mythical. Of course the end of Pride of the Yankees is also just incredible. 

Love these guys but HOF, I doubt it. 

Congrats to Trout. Well deserved. 

I am certainly prone to drink kool aid, but I actually think the reasoning in this article is sound. Honestly Pujols last year was better than most of us feared. At times and for periods he was very good. His numbers such as line drives and hitting to right field definitely improved. I think the ability to do a more usual offseason regimen sounds encouraging. Will he be vintage Pujols, probably not. Will he be as good as he thinks he is or would like to be, probably not. Will he be better than last season, very possible. I would be happy with that. 

I think the buzzsaw simply relates to the momentum they were able to seize and sustain. The Angels blinked and made some mistakes that proved fortuitous to the Royals and allowed them to seize that momentum. On the other side, the Angels needed a few breaks and got none. Instead, the Royals flashed spectacular defense that kept the Angels from grabbing any momentum and gaining an upper hand on the series. 

Agreed. They have the basis for a really good team now and down the road. 

Even in game three, if Cain doesn't make two spectacular catches that rob Pujols and Kendrick in the 5th. Both were well-hit. Cain gambled, especially on Pujols. If he doesn't catch it, it likely goes past him to the wall and two runs score, Pujols on second with one out. I think Cain's defense makes him the MVP of the ALDS series and the difference in the series. 

That's not to take away the suckage of the Angels offense in the three games or the poor pitching in game 3, but the Royals defense defined the series. Credit them for that. 

I actually think the series was lost and won on two defensive plays. For the Royals it was the amazing catch of Howie's drive by Aoki. It got past Cain, which few hits had. If Aoki doesn't make that play, two runs score in the sixth inning, and there is no extra innings. Angels win game one. The other is Trout's misplay of Gordon's hit. It would not have been an easy play, but good defense was needed to neutralize the Royals as they were neutralizing the Angels. If Trout makes that catch, the Royals don't score their second run, and again no extra innings and the Angels win game one. I'm not sure how that might have changed the series, but I think the real difference for the Royals overall was defense rather than offense. Angels made some key mistakes that hurt them--others such as Iannetta's throws--yikes. 

I throw a big chunk of blame for the loss on Friday at Iannetta. Terrible framing, and two horrid throws to second. How do you not throw out a runner on a pitchout? His throwing is atrocious. I like him at the plate  but not behind it. 

The way the Angels as a team are hitting, I don't see Cowgill or Navarro being any more productive than Hamilton, and I think Hamilton is a better defender. So, what options are there to playing Hamilton?

Your are totally right ... I'm still trying to get over Scioscia batting Pujols third in the lineup.

Who would you bat third instead. Pujols is one of the only three guys WITH and RBI

Lots of gay guys had a girlfriend before they came out.

 

Sometimes, they're a smokescreen.

 

Example: Freddie Mercury.

Not much of a smokescreen there. He and Elton John were not exactly earth-shattering surprises. 

Thanks everyone. Looks like the sucks boat has a few passengers. I think we're nearing cables' last stand and that sports will have to have on demand options to keep viewers. In the meantime, I hate it when playoff sports, baseball or basketball are on cable only networks. Looks like me and my friend and me and wild wings are going to see a lot of each other in the next couple of weeks.

So, our family is cutting the cable and going the roku route. Overall I think it's a good idea, except that the ALDS and ALCS are on TBS, which requires subscription TV access even to their streaming service. So, I see that there has been something called Postseason TV through MLBTV, but I don't see the option to purchase it at least not yet. Does anyone know anything about it or have suggestions? I hate to have to go to a sports bar every game or bum a view from my buddy.

I thought that clip was hilarious and needed to be said. I have wondered throughout the season what all the ridiculous fuss in the farewell tour has been about. 

Is that Baylor sitting by the cooler? Poor guy keeps getting the consequences of pitchers' bad delivery. 

It was great because the team really needed him to be good, and he was great. 

Really thought that first swing was a slam, but great, patient at bat and delivering the goods. Watching it on MLB last night from the Root Sports feed, one of the announcers called it the best overall at bat he'd seen this year. I wouldn't go that far, but it was a great, game changing at bat. 

It's lovely in Michigan today. High 50s this morning, a few clouds, high of about 68 today. Warming up to 77 by the end of the week. Colors are coming on. Days like today I don't miss LA. 

                      ---Days like pretty much every day last year from Dec-April I missed LA.