Category Archives: Go Sox

2023 MillersTime Baseball Contests

27 Monday Feb 2023

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Contest # 1:

What effects will the new MLB baseball rules AND the new scheduling have in 2023? The more specifics you list, assuming they are accurate, the more likely you are to make the top five submissions. Then, I’ll ‘crowd source’ these for all participants to vote for which one wins.

Prize: A copy of Joe Posnanski’s The Baseball 100 or a copy of his new book to be published this year, Why We Love Baseball.

Contest # 2:

Are you a ‘homer’ or not? (a sports fan who is so blinded by their loyalty to their home team that they can’t be objective about the team’s prospects for the coming year).

Choose your favorite team and answer the questions below.

  1. Name the team.
  2. What will their season record be in 2023?
  3. Where will they end up in their Division at the end of the regular season.
  4. Will they make the 12 team playoffs?
  5. If so, how far will they go in those playoffs.
  6. What will be the reasons for how well or poorly they do this year? The more specific you are the better.

Prize: Join me for a Nats’ game in DC, or I’ll try to join you, if possible, for any regular season game elsewhere. In either case, I’ll buy the tickets. You can buy the food and drinks.

Contest # 3:

  1. Who will be the four teams playing in the League Championship series in 2023?
  2. What two teams will actually make it to the World Series.
  3. How many games will the WS go?
  4. Which team will win the WS?
  5. What are the reasons that team wins?

Prize: One ticket to the 2024 All Star game or the 2024 World Series.

Additional Details:

1. In case of a tie in prdictions, the contestant with the earliest submission will win.

2. You don’t have to enter all three of the contests.

3. Send your predictions to me at Samesty84@gmail.com with as much specificity as you can as I suspect that will be important in choosing winners.

4 MillersTime Winner T-Shirts go along with the prizes mentioned above, for those who have never had the ‘pleasure’ of receiving this unique gift.

5. If you get a friend or foe to enter the Contests, if they win, and if they mention your name, you’ll get a (to-be-determined) prize also.

Deadline for Submissions: Noon (EST) Opening Day, March 30, 2023

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PS – I have a Nats’ half season plan this year (Plan B) with two seats. If you want to join me for a game, let me know. Or, if you have interest in using the two tickets for games I cannot attend., let me know that too.

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I Changed My Mind

12 Saturday Nov 2022

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On August 30th, I unequivocally, but sadly, wrote that after 18 years as a full season ticket holder of the Washington Nationals, I had terminated my annual contract with the team and its owners.

Primarily, I was fed up with the Nats’ model of getting good young players and then abandoning them when they reached free agency, which, among other things, is unfair to the fans. Getting attached to players only to have them go elsewhere maybe understandable (players have every right to determine their value, and the owners have their right to their business model). But as I came of age in a time when a fan could count on their favorite player being with their favorite team year after year, I found it hard to adjust to this new reality. And so I decided I wanted to withdraw my financial support of both the owners and players.

There were also other reasons I gave up the tickets. All my season ticket partners for the 81 home games had, for a variety of reasons, gradually dropped out of the partnership, and the tickets and parking therefore had become extremely expensive. Watching the Nats go 55-107 was another reason I was unhappy with the Nats and their ownership, even for this Red Sox fan who has endured many, many years of disappointment. While I still cared about baseball, it seemed I could choose to go to a few games a year and continue to ‘register’ my protest as a fan about being part of a system that rewarded the owners and the players to care more about the money than the game.

Then, over the last month or so of the season, I attended five or six games and found that despite all the reasons listed above, I still loved being at the ballpark, watching baseball, and always looking for something I had never previously witnessed (e.g., one umpire being overridden on three consecutive missed calls at first). Above all, I enjoyed being with family and friends for an afternoon or evening of baseball and companionship.

So, while I had terminated my full season three seats and parking, and with some encouragement from Cassie Bullis, my young Nats’ account executive, I decided to return as a partial season ticket holder (two seats, 41 games, and parking). I won’t have total choice of every game I want to see, but I can swap tickets for a particular game(s). The Red Sox, for instance, are here for three games in August and only one of those is on my 2023 Plan B.

If any of you have interest in being a partner for at least five games, let me know, and we can discuss which games, costs, etc.

And I will continue to invite various family and friends to join me and so urge you to let me know if you want to attend a game together. (Added Note: if you don’t live in DC but will find yourself coming to our ‘swamp’ sometime in the next year, consider checking with me about seeing a game, either together or with a friend.)

I will also continue to pass on some tickets to various charities and friends at no cost.

Baseball will remain a part of my life even while I disapprove of many aspects of what it has become.

As the Duke of Brooklyn (Sean McLaughlin) has said, “with all its faults, it is still THE best sport.”

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Baseball Contests: Winners & Losers

11 Friday Nov 2022

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There were only two contests this year, and the questions required contestants to answer six questions in the first contest and five in the second. In both contests, it was difficult to declare an outright winner, but here’s what yours truly has decided:

Contest #1: Are you a ‘homer’ or do you really know your team?

If your name is NOT in the following list, consider yourself a ‘homer’:

Ed Scholl, Jesse Maniff, Matt Galati, Larry Longenecker, Brent Schultz, Nicholas Lamanna, Bill Bronwell, Zack Haile, Jim Kilby, Chris Ballard, Dawn Wilson, John Carlson.

Of these 12 who all avoided the ‘homer’ label, it was difficult to choose between the two best submissions.

Matt Galati said the Pirate’s record would be 60-102 (they were 62-100), would be last in their Division (they were), and wouldn’t make the playoffs (they obviously didn’t), and he attributed that to mismanagement, lack of offense, and a weak defense (all true).

Chris Ballard said the Astro’s record would be 97-65 (they were 106-56), said they’d win the AL West (they did), have a first round bye (true), would go to the World Series and win it (true). His eight reasons were detailed and amazingly on target.

And so Matt and Chris share the Winner title for Contest #1, and each will receive a copy of Joe Posnanski’s superb The Baseball 100.

Contest #2: Name the four teams in the LCS, what two teams will make it to the WS, how many games will the WS go, which team will win, and why.

No one shined in this Contest. Brent Schultz did pick the Phillies to make it to the LCS and the WS (where they would lose to the Twins). Pretty good.

Joe Higdon and Chris Ballard (the same guy from Contest #1) had the best overall answers, each getting one of four teams in the LCS, one of two teams in the WS, who would win it all, and pitching being the reason for the victory.

Joe wins as he picked the Astros in six, and his submission was early. Chris loses to Joe as he picked the Astros in seven and, as usual, was late in making his picks.

So Joe gets one ticket to the 2023 World Series.

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See you all again next year when MLB will have instituted some new rules in the hopes of making beisbol more fan friendly.

Plus, look for my upcoming post, Mea Culpa.

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Caveat Emptor

30 Tuesday Aug 2022

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Today, after 18 years as a full season ticket holder of the Washington Nationals, I informed the Nats that I am terminating my annual contract with the team and its owners.

Let me explain.

I love baseball.

Ever since my wonderful grandfather took me to Fenway Park and introduced me to the game, it’s been an important part of my life, including playing it in the street in front of our house and then moving on to Little League, listening to games on the radio, then watching on TV, and of course attending as many games as I could. (I use to gather baseballs hit over the fence at Tinker Field in Orlando, FL so I could turn them in for free entrance to Minnesota Twins Spring Training games.)

I’ll spare the reader any of the many baseball related stories with which I’ve burdened my children, my wife, and my friends over the years. Suffice it to say, as my favorite T-Shirt proclaims, “Any Team Can Have a Bad Century.”

In 2005 when the Montreal Expos were relocated to DC and became the Washington Nationals, I quickly teamed up with some friends to get season tickets to RFK Stadium (where they played until moving to their new stadium in 2008). So it’s been 18 years that I’ve been attending Nats’ games – and enriching its owners – largely because I simply love what baseball offers, even if it’s not watching the Red Sox. (In fact, attending Nats’ games is sometimes more relaxing than watching the Red Sox, where I am on edge on every pitch, etc.)

So why my decision to abandon my season ticket status?

Primarily, I do not want to continue to support a franchise that consistently refuses to keep players like Bryce Harper (not my favorite guy), Anthony Rendon, Trey Turner, Max Scherzer, and Juan Soto. The ownership’s model of largely acquiring outstanding players when they are young and relatively inexpensive and getting rid of them when they are reaching free agency and have become expensive may be financially smart for the owner, but is terrible for the fans. (My Bosox did that with Mookie Betts, and while I have still not forgiven them for that, at least they have not made it a way of continually ‘doing business’ as have the Nats.)

Try explaining to my perfect three eldest grandchildren**, one who ‘loved’ Bryce Harper, one who ‘loved’ Trey Turner, and one who ‘loved’ Juan Soto, why none of these players are still playing for the Nats. Although it’s not the only reason, none of these grandchildren have kept up interest in baseball, while they continue to be fans of other sports, particularly football.

The Lerner family paid $450 million to purchase the Nats. They are now in the process of considering offers to sell them, likely for perhaps as much $2,000,000,000 or more. Yes. two billion dollars.

The team has been decimated and is “rebuilding” for the future. But not with the help of my three ticket, full season income.

I will no doubt attend a few games next year, largely because I still love baseball. I enjoy going with others for an afternoon or evening at the park, and with the new schedule of every team playing every other team starting in 2023, there is the opportunity to see any team or player in either the American or National League.

I don’t think I’m the only baseball fan that is choosing to terminate their season plan or to reduce the number of games they will attend.

Caveat Emptor – Let the Buyer (of the Nats) Beware.

**My two youngest perfect granddaughters, six and five, perhaps wisely have chosen to live 1,055 miles away from DC, and so I have only just begun to work on their full baseball indoctrination. Unfortunately, on a recent trip to Kansas City where we attended a game together, the lowly Royals creamed the Sox 13-7. But then, as I learned from experience with my own daughters, it’s probably better not to instill too high expectations concerning my Bosox heroes.

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Nats’ Baseball Tickets…for the asking

02 Tuesday Aug 2022

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I’m going to be away for many Nats’ games in August and would be glad to pass on some tickets to those of you who (still) want to see a Nats’ game.

Here are the dates that are available, on a first come, first serve basis, with no cost to you, The seats are quite good, Section 127, Row Z, Seats 1, 2, & 3., about 20 rows off the field between the catcher and first base.

Friday, Aug. 12, 7:05 vs Padres, 7:05, three tickets

Saturday, Aug. 13, 7:05 vs Padres, 7:05, three tickets

Sunday, August, 14, 1:05 vs Padres,t hree tickets

Monday, August 15, 7:05 vs Cubs, three tickets

Wednesday, August. 17, 1:05 vs Cubs, three tickets

Friday, August 26, 7:05 vs Reds, three tickets

Saturday, August 27, 7:05 vs Reds, one ticket

Sunday, August 28, 1:05 vs Reds, three tickets

Tuesday, August 30, 7:05 vs Athletics, three tickets

Wednesday, August 31 vs Athletics, three tickets

If you are connected with an organization that could use tickets to give to staff and or students, you’re welcome to these games also.

You do need to have the MLB Ball Park App on your phone as the ‘only’ way I can forward tickets are through this AP. No more printed tickets. (In an ‘extreme situation,’ I could go to the Box Office and get a set printed out, tho I would have to do that soon as I’ll be away for most of the days above.)

Let me know if you’re interested in any of the games above. And if you only want one or two to a particular game, that’s OK as I can try to sell the remaining ones…

Contact – Samesty84@gmail.com or 202-320-9501.

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Roger Angell: Thank You

21 Saturday May 2022

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Angell has helped us appreciate baseball by reaching deep into our chests and saying what we feel but cannot quite convey why we care so much about this odd and wonderful game. Joe Posnanski (Joe Blogs Baseball)

Over the past several days, many, many baseball writers have written about Roger Angell, one of baseballs best chroniclers, who died at Friday at the age of 101.

I’ve chosen to link to Posnanski’s post today as it captures why Angell stands in the very top tier of baseball’s best writers.

See: Roger Angell, and Succeeding Utterly.

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Baseball Is Back: Now & What’s Ahead

11 Monday Apr 2022

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As I sat at Nat’s Park on Thursday, April 7th awaiting the start of the 2022 baseball season, I kept hearing the same comment all around me: “It’s so good to be back.”

And indeed it was.

No matter the rain which had delayed the game from 4:05 PM until the first pitch was finally thrown about 8:30 PM.

No matter the cold. I was wearing three layers and had a fourth, a knitted hat, and warm gloves close by.

No matter that Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, Ryan Zimmerman, Steven Strasburg, etc., etc. were nowhere in sight.

No matter that the Nats were simply awful, except for a 425 foot ‘useless’ home run from Juan Soto.

It was simply delightful to be back at the park with the green outfield, the freshly swept infield, and enough fans to cheer for either the Nats or the Mets.

And I went again two days later.

The weather was still cold.

There were fewer fans. Probably more Mets fans than Nats’.

The Nats were even worse..

But It was baseball again.

Plus, this was not my beloved Red Sox, who were soon to lose their first two games against those thugs from NY.

Watching the Nats is more relaxing. I want them to win, but if they don’t, it’s not a big deal.

It’s still baseball.

And I think there are some changes coming that will make things better. Wunderkid Theo Epstein (Red Sox and then Cubs GM) is heading an MLB effort to collaboratively evaluate the State of the Game, to look at the rules and institute some changes. His effort is how to make the game better for fans, to restore some action, some drama by putting more balls in play and speed up the game.

*Already there’s no Designated Hitter in the National League.

*Some teams are already using the electronic system between the pitcher and catcher to signal what pitch is to be thrown.

*And there’s a lot of experimenting going on in the minor leagues to evaluate a variety of changes, and some of those will likely make it to the majors during this season.

If you have the time, I high recommend you listen to the interview with Theo where he discusses what is being considered and why:

Theo Epstein Discusses How Rule Change Process Could Impact the Future of Baseball

Whether you believe that nothing should change in baseball, that somethings need to change, or you’re somewhere in the middle, I think you’ll find Theo’s thoughtful approach could just be the best thing to happen to baseball in the foreseeable future. (You can skip the first part of the link above and go to the 13 minute portion of the broadcast. The most important part begins about 23 minutes into it.)

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MillersTime Baseball Contest Update:

It appears that more than 30 MLB sportswriters as well as those from The Athletic have been looking at what the brilliant (?) MillersTime Baseball Contest contributors have predicted for the 2022 season.

Everyone, it seems thinks the Dodgers and the Blue Jays will face each other in the World Series, with the Dodgers the more likely winner. There were a few scattered votes for the Rays and Yankees making it and possibly winning.

But I suspect that both the professionals and the MillersTime contestants will once again be surprised come October/November.

Like last year. Who predicted the Braves would win it all?

As for the first question on the MillersTime contests, there many thoughtful and informed submissions and only a few ‘Homers’. It seems many of you know your team and follow them without blinders (not so Chris E).

But I don’t think anyone will match the brilliance/luck of what Chris Ballard was able to ‘foresee’ last year (see 2021 Contest #2 results).

No matter.

Baseball is back

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If you’re interested in joining me for a Nats’ game this year, email me and indicate if you have a particular game that interests you and/or a particular say or time that works best for you.

Also, if you’re interested in purchasing seats for a game, I have a full season plan in Section 127, Row Z, Seats 1, 2, & 3. They are terrific seats, just about 20 rows off the field, between the catcher and first base. I also have parking next to the stadium. We can negotiate a good price, especially if it is not a game that I already plan to attend (e.g., Dodgers, Orioles).

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How Well Do You Know Baseball?

11 Friday Mar 2022

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Photo by Ellen Miller

Now that we will have a full baseball season for 2022, I am announcing a slimmed down MillersTime Baseball Contest.

Since there was virtually no Hot Stove League this year, it is hard to know what team rosters will look like on Opening Day. Still, we have a bit of time to try to get a sense of what we might expect from our favorite teams, from our hated opponents, and for this frustratingly delayed season.

So, only two contests, and everyone has about three and a half weeks to sort out their own teams and the overall outlook for 2022.

The date for your submission is noon on Opening Day (likely to be April 7th.)

I suspect you will all need that time to make ‘informed’ predictions.

Contest #1:

Choose your favorite team or a team you know well enough to prove you are not a ‘homer’ and answer the questions below. (My definition of “a homer” – a sports fan who is (so) loyal to their home team that it may be difficult to be objective about the team’s prospects for the coming year. Other definitions and synonyms: “a simple-minded person; moron; unintelligent person; idiot; someone who has a (too) close devotion to a sports team; not cognizant of the world around them.”

  1. Name the team.
  2. What will their season record be in 2022?
  3. Where will they end up in their Division at the end of the regular season.
  4. Will they make the 12 team playoffs?
  5. If so, how far will they go in those playoffs.
  6. What will be the reasons for how well or poorly they do this year? The more specific you are the better.

Prize: Two tickets to the 2023 All Star Game (Seattle Mariners, T-Mobile Park) or one ticket to the 2023 World Series.

Contest #2:

  1. Who will be the four teams to be playing in the League Championship series in 2022? (Name the two from the AL and the two from the NL).
  2. What two teams will actually make it to the World Series.
  3. How many games will the WS go?
  4. Which team will win the WS?
  5. What are the reasons that team wins?

Prize: Joe Posnanski’s new, fantastic book, The Baseball 10

Additional Details:

  1. There is no advantage this year as to when you send in your predictions. Take as much time as you want to gather whatever info you need, as long as you send in your answers by noon on Opening Day.
  2. You don’t have to enter both Contests.
  3. Send your predictions to me at Samesty84@gmail.com with as much specificity as you can as I suspect that will be important in choosing winners.
  4. MillersTime Winner T-Shirts go along with the prizes mentioned above.
  5. If you get another baseball obsessive to join the Contests and he/she mentions your name and wins, you’ll get a copy of Posnanski’s book too.

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2021 MillersTime Baseball Contest Winners

05 Friday Nov 2021

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The winners of two of the 2021 MillersTime Contests have been decided. Two remain to be chosen.

CONTEST #1: How will the COVID-19 virus affect the 2021 MLB season? Include some Overall Predictions as well as some Specific Ones. Creativity is encouraged. I’ll choose the five best submissions and have MillersTime baseball contestants vote on the winner:

No decision until I hear from you all. Choose which of these you think deserves to win. Put your choice in the Comment section of this post or email me (Samesty@gmail.com) your choice by Nov. 15th.

1. Minimal impact. A game postponed here and there, and those will be early in the season. Every team will complete their schedule in full barring a late season rainout.

2. Very little overall. There will be some hand-wringing about vaccinations, but the season will happen and a champion will be crowned.  Attendance will increase throughout the season, and the World Series will have a completely full stadium.

3. As the summer comes along and people get vaccinated, increasing attendance at baseball games will be one of the ways that the country starts to measure the return to normalcy. This will help to restore MLB as a major fixture in American public life.

4. Teams will have full stadiums by July 4th because of herd immunity and availability of the vaccine. The Blue Jays will finish the season in Canada but still have to start the season in the US.

5. All 162 games will be played and there will be over 75 doubleheaders because of COVID cancellations. I think last year was around 44. (2021 Actual Results: It was a full season with only one team playing 161 games. Last year there were 45 doubleheaders; this year there were 59.)

And on the ‘creative; side, this:

6. Pete Rose will contact COVID and pass away and will ultimately get elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously. AND – Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, and Sammy Sosa all get their Covid vaccinations and issue a joint statement, “We got our injections to make ourselves better. How ’bout that Hall of Fame?”

CONTEST #2: Pick your favorite MLB team (or the team you know the best) and outline how they will do in the 2021 season compared to last year. Include both general and specific predictions and the reason for those predictions.

Seven of you basically nailed your teams and showed you knew them well: Ben Senturia on the Cards, David Price on the Yankees, Brandt/Samantha Tilis on the Red Sox, Larry Longenecker on the Rays, Justin Stoyer on the Orioles, Zack Haile on the Reds, Jere Smith on the Red Sox, and Chris Ballard on the Astros.

CHRIS BALLARD is the winner. Here is why:

He predicted the Houston Astros would do the following:

Record 95-67, 1st place in the division, and 4th best record in baseball. (Actual record – 95-67, first in their division, and tied for the fourth best record in baseball.)

Lance McCullers Jr. will break out with an ERA below 3.30 and win over 15 games. (McCullers’s ERA was 3.16, and he won 13 games.)

MVP of the team – Kyle Tucker will hit .290 + and have over 30 home runs. (Tucker hit .294 and hit 30 home runs.)

Altuve, Alvarez, Bregman, Correa, Tucker will all hit over 25 home runs. (Altuve hit -30, Alvarez – 35, Correa – 26, Tucker – 30, Bregman – 12)

Prize: Chris can join me for a Nats game of his choice next year in my seats, 20 rows off the field between home and first, or I’ll get tickets and join him for a regular season game of his choice, wherever he chooses. (Note: Chris still owes Ellen, Brandt, Elizabeth, and me a steak dinner for a bet from two years ago.)

CONTEST #3: Fill in the Blank and True/False Questions:

a. Which team till have the most wins in the AL and NL? Correct Answer – RAYS (100) and GIANTS (107).

b. Which team will be King of NY? Question submitted by Tim M. Correct Answer is the YANKEES whose record was 92-60. Mets were 77-85. (Though the Mets did win three out of four games played between the two teams).

c. Number of hitters who will strike out more than 200 times? Question by Zack H. Correct Answer is TWO (Joey Gallo (213) and Matt Chapman (202)

d. Who will be Manager of the Year in either the AL or NL (name one). Correct Answer: NOT DECIDED YET as we will have to wait for which, if any of the following wins Manager of the Year: Counsell (Brewers), Alex Cora (Red Sox), Kevin Cash (Rays), Dusty Baker (Astros), Brian Snitker (Braves), Gabe Kapler (Giants), Tony LaRussa (White Sox), Carlos Montoyo (Blue Jays), David Ross (Cubs), or Jayce Tingler (Padres).

e. Which AL & NL teams will have the most improved record from 2020. Correct Answer: RED SOX (from .400 to .568) & BREWERS (from .483-.586)

True/False:

6. Every team below the league average in payroll (currently $118,485,369) will miss the play offs. Question by Zach H. Correct Answer: FALSE as the Brewers and Rays were under and made the playoffs.

7. Dodgers & Padres will combine to win 200 or more games. Question by Dawn W. Correct Answer: FALSE. Dodgers held up their end winning 106, but the Padres only won 79. Their combined wins totaled 185.

8. There will be more HRs in 2021 on a per game basis than in 2019 (1.39) and in 2018 (1.15). Question by Steve K. Correct Answer: FALSE. 1.19 HRS per game in 2021, a few more than 2018 but far behind 2019.

9. No MLB team will play all 162 games. Correct Answer: FALSE. All teams but the Braves played 162 games. Braves played 161.

10. No MLB pitcher will have an ERA below 2.00. Correct Answer: TRUE. The closest weren’t even close – Corbin Burnes (Brewers)- 2.42 and Max Scherzer (Nats/Dodgers) – 2.46.

We have to await before we know who is chosen as Manager of the Year to determine. The following are in the running for this contest: Ed Scholl, Daniel Fischberg, Matt-Wax-Krell, Larry Longenecker, and Jeff Friedman.

CONTEST #4: What two teams will make it to the World Series, which one will win, and in how many games? (And a few other questions in case of a tie).

There was no need to go to a tie breaker. Most of you were wildly off, as were many of the baseball writers and supposed experts. MillersTime contestants didn’t do well either as you overwhelmingly predicted the World Series would be between the Dodgers and the Yankees, though a few of you expected the Astros to get to the WS.

Only three submissions got anywhere close:

Bill Barnwell had the Astros losing to the Dodgers in six games, and Rob Higdon had the Astros losing to the Padres in six.

NICHOLAS LAMANNA is the winner because he predicted the Braves would win the World Series in six games (though he had the White Sox and not the Astros as their opponent).

Prize: Nick gets one ticket to the 2022 World Series or two tickets to the 2022 All Star Game in Los Angeles.

*** *** *** ***

Please remember to vote for your choice for the winner of Contest #1. You can put your choice in the Comment section of this post or send it to me by email – Samesty84@gmail.com.

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What Happens Next Doesn’t Matter

06 Wednesday Oct 2021

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Whatever happens in the MLB playoffs from this morning forward is OK with me. The Sox don’t have to win the ALDS, the ALCS, or the World Series.

I kid you not.

That my beloved Sox came from last place in the 2020-shortened 24-46 (.400) season to this year’s 92-70 (.568) and a decisive Wild Card win last night is satisfying enough.

Of course, I’d be delighted if they go further into the 2021 playoffs and (unlikely) get to the World Series and even win it for the fifth time in the last 17 years.

But I’m not expecting it. Nor do I hunger for it.

In 2018 I wrote a post on MillersTime entitled For Me, The Sox Don’t HAVE to Win the World Series. A number of you took exception to that article, but much like this year, the fact that the Sox made it to the WS then was satisfying. After all, the long nightmare (86 years) had ended with their WS win in 2004. No longer did I have to hear or think about “Wait ‘Til Next Year.”

So whatever happens against the Rays and any further playoff games would be a langiappe, the Cajun-French noun that means “a little extra.”

And as for last night’s victory over the Yankees, that came in the best way possible.

It was a total team victory: good pitching (Eovaldi was at his best and the bullpen was equally lights out; good hitting (starting with Bogaert’s two run HR in the first); good defense (led by Hernandez, Bogaert, and Plawecki’s throwing Judge out at home to squash a Yankee comeback); good coaching and managing (Cora made all the right moves in this one), and a fan base that kept Fenway Park loud and in support of the Sox.

PS – Although I doubt it made a significant difference, on Sunday, the Yankees had to choose whether they would want to play in Boston or Toronto. They chose Boston. The Sox knew of that decision.

PSS – I have to admit that for most of the time last night, I did not enjoy the game. Given my long obsession (70+ years) with the Sox and how that had left me with “if something bad can happen to the Sox, it will”, I kept a rein on my emotions and only after the final out was I able to breathe normally.

That’s kinda sad, I know.

But it’s all part of being a Sox fan.

2021 was a much better year for my heroes than anyone, anyone, anyone had predicted or expected.

And the fact that they won the Wild Card game over the Yankees was also a langiappe.

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It’s What You Do, Not What You Say, Chris

20 Monday Sep 2021

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CHRIS SALE

Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale missed almost two years when he underwent Tommy John surgery and had an extended recovery period. He finally returned this August and has a record of 4-0 in the six games he has pitched in the last two months.

Sale, who is one of the Sox all time best pitchers and a clubhouse leader, has also tested positive twice for COVID-19, most recently several weeks ago when he was then quarantined for 10 days. Fifteen Sox players have likewise landed on the COVID-19 injured list.

When Sale first returned, he said, This game was ripped out of my hands. I had a hole in my chest for two years, and, you know, I’ll be completely honest with you: I took days for granted. I’ve been a big-leaguer for 11 years now. And I took moments, I took days, I took weeks, for granted, and through all of this, I guess I’ve had a huge perspective change. I feel like I can tell you one thing — I’m not wasting another day of my big-league career. That’s just not going to happen.

But Chris Sale’s behavior does not match his words.

Friday night he responded to a reporter’s question about whether he’s been vaccinated against COVID, saying, Uh, no, I am not.

Whether or not Sale’s 10-day absence and the absence of others on the team will result in what happens to the Sox playoff hopes (they are in the ‘hunt’ for one of the two wild card spots), that is not what is most important.

Whether or not Sale has been responsible for the spread of COVID on the team, he has clearly put himself ahead of his teammates in his refusal to be vaccinated.

What Sale has done, in my opinion, is selfish.

Words can be true or not.

But Behavior doesn’t lie.

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MillersTime Baseball Questions Are Back !

28 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by in Escapes and Pleasures, Go Sox

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Yes.

And the first Spring Training games are today, Feb. 28, 2021.

Opening Day is scheduled for April 1. (Hopefully that will not turn into an April Fools’ Day hoax.)

Despite some concerns about less interest in baseball this year, there seemed to be good support for continuing the MillersTime Baseball Contests.

So here we go with the four contests for this year:

2021 MillersTime Baseball Contests

Contest #1:

How will the COVID-19 virus affect the 2021 MLB season? Include some Overall Predictions as well as some Specific Ones. Creativity is encouraged. I’ll choose the five best submissions and have MillersTime baseball contestants vote on the winner.

Prize: Your choice of one of these books: The 25 Best Baseball Books of All Times.

Contest #2:

Pick your favorite MLB team (or the team you know the best) and outline how they will do in the 2021 season compared to last year. Again, include both general predictions and specific ones in your submission and your reasons for those predictions.

Prize: Join me for a Nats’ game next year, or I’ll get tickets and try to join you for a regular season game of a team of your choice anywhere you choose.

Contest #3:

Fill in the Blank:

In 2021:

  1. Which teams will have the most wins in the AL & NL__________________ ___________________
  2. Which team will be the King of New York _______________________(Tim M.)
  3. Number of hitters who will strike out more than 200 times (three did in 2018, none did that in 2019)_________________(Zach H.)
  4. Who will be the Manager of the Year in either the AL or NL (name one) _________________
  5. Which Al & NL teams will have the most improved record from 2020­­­­­­­­­­___________________ ___________________

True /False:

In 2021:

6.______Every team below the league average in payroll (currently $118,485,369) will miss the playoffs. (These teams currently are the Twins, Reds, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Royals, A’s, Rangers, Brewers, Tigers, Mariners, Rays, Marlins, Orioles, Pirates & Indians). (Zach H.)

7.______Dodgers & Padres will combine to win 200 or more games. (Dawn W.)

8.______There will be more HRs in 2021 on per game basis than in 2019 or 2018. (In 2019–6,776 home runs, all-time high for MLB. Broke previous record (2017) by 671 homers for an average of 1.39 homers per team game. (In 2018–5,585 home runs for an average of 1.15 homers per team game (Steve K.)

9.______No MLB Team will play all 162 games.

10.______No MLB pitcher will have an ERA below 2.00.

Prize: Join me for a Nats’ game next year, or if you’re not able to make it to DC, perhaps I can make it to where you live, and we’ll see a regular season game together.

Contest #4:

Assuming there is a World Series in 2021,

  1. Name the two teams who will make it into the WS
  2. Which one will win?
  3. In How many games?
  4. Explain in some detail what will be the biggest specific factor determining the winner?
  5. Tie-Breaker: AL & NL Division winners?

Prize: One ticket to the 2022 World Series or two tickets to the 2022 All Star Game in Los Angeles.

Additional Details:

  1. All winners and those whose questions were chosen for this contest get the ‘one-of-a kind,’ specially designed and updated MillersTime Baseball Winner T-Shirt.
  2. Enter as many or as few of the contests as you want.
  3. If you get a friend (or foe) to participate in these contests, and he or she wins and mentions your name in the submission, you’ll get a choice of receiving one the 25 best baseball books as your prize.
  4. Any two-generation submission that wins will get a special prize.
  5. GET YOUR PREDICTIONS IN EARLY. In case of a tie, the individual who submitted his/her prediction first will be the winner. In previous years, this has been a factor in declaring a winner.
  6. Submissions should be sent to me by email: Samesty84@gmail.com

Deadline for Submissions: Opening Day, noon (EST) April 1

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Should the MillersTime Baseball Contests Continue?

16 Tuesday Feb 2021

Posted by in Escapes and Pleasures, Go Sox

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Photo by Ellen Miller

Well now that that Super Bowl thing is over, and those of us who wanted the Chiefs to win have recovered, it’s time to focus on baseball.

Pitchers and catchers are gathering this week and full Spring Training, though with restrictions, will be underway shortly.

It’s hard to imagine what the 2021 MLB season will be with the continuation of the COVID virus – how many games will actually be played; will fans be able to attend games; and if so, will they; how much enthusiasm has faded for baseball, which was already in decline in some ways; and if there is a credible season, what teams will do well; and what players will shine; and which will falter?

Let me know if you are interested in the continuation the MillersTime Baseball Contests.

If you are interested, please help on the questions. Are there totally different types of questions to ask this year and which, if any, questions from the past continue to be part of the contests (e.g., How will your favorite team do in 2021; T/F questions; WS contestants and winners)?

Please send me any thoughts you have. Use either the Comments section of this post or send them to me at Samesty84@gmail.com.

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Final 2020 BB Contest Winner(s)

09 Monday Nov 2020

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Contest #IV: What will be the main takeaways from having a 60-game, or shorter, season?

Which ONE of the following five submissions, in your view, should be the main takeaway from the shortened season?

  1. NL Designated Hitter is a good idea that should be permanently adopted.
  2. Play without fans sucks/Fans matter.
  3. They should try the runner on second rule in extra innings during the 162 games season but not in the playoffs.
  4. The 2020 season will forever have an asterisk.
  5. Spouses of baseball fans will not be as aggravated as usual because the season is shorter.

MillersTime contestants who voted which of the above was the best answer chose #1 – DH a good idea that should be permanently adopted.

Four of you had predicted this would be the the main takeaway.

Winner: Ed Scholl, by virtue of having the earliest submission of this prediction – July 3 at 2:33 PM.

Runners Up: Daniel Fischberg (July 18 – 6:01 PM), Matt-Wax-Krell (July 22 – 2:30 PM) and Chris Ballard (July 23 – 10:43 AM, just 77 minutes before the Contests closed!).

Ed’s Prize is his choice of one of these books – 25 Best Baseball Books of All Time – and a MillersTime Winner T-Shirt, if he doesn’t already have one. Let me know Ed, along with your home address and t-shirt size, if applicable.

Daniel, Matt, and Chris all get T-Shirts. Please send me your T-Shirt size and your home address.

*** *** ***

For those of you who care about important issues:

Assuming COVID-19 issues are under control, 2021 Spring Training begins Sat., Feb. 27 (111 days from now), and the 2021 Regular Season will begin Thursday, April 1 (143 days from now) with all 30 Clubs playing their opening game on this date. And importantly, April 1 will be the date for the closing of the 2021 MillersTime Baseball Contests.

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MillersTime Baseball Contest Winners and Losers: 2020*

29 Thursday Oct 2020

Posted by in Go Sox

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2020 MLB Opening Night- Nats’ Park – (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Winners and Losers of the 2020 MillersTime Baseball Contests

Question #I: Name your favorite team and predict their won-loss record for the 60 games. Will they make the playoffs? Will they make it to the WS? Will they win the WS? Tie-breaker: Name thee Division winners in the AL & NL.

This question is meant to separate the ‘Homers” from those who truly know their teams.

Although the 19 contestants below had some flaws in their assessments of their favorite team, they should not be considered “Homers” but generally good evaluators of their ‘home’ team:

Land Wayland, Jeff Friedman, Rob Higdon, Colin Wilson, Daniel Fischberg, Jimmy 2 Wires, Maury Maniff, Sean Scarlett, Nich Nyhart, Justin Barasso, Tim Malieckal, Tova Wang, Kevin Curtin, Sam Poland, Mat Wax-Krell, Robert & Lynn Shilling, Matt Galati, and Jere Smith.

On the other hand, the following 25 are found wanting in this regard, with particular egregious performances by David Price & Chris Eacho:

Ed Scholl, Joe Higdon, Larry Longenecker, Chris Boutourline, Zach Haile, Todd Endo, Monica McHugh, Elizabeth & Brooke Tilis, Nicholas Lamanna, Andrew & Noah Cate, David Meyers, Romana Campos & Drew, Brian Steinbach, Jesse Maniff, Ellen Miller, Dan Fisher, Ron Davis, Jerome Green, Jon Frank, and Chris Ballard,

Winner and Runners-Up:

Bill Barnwell and Steve Kemp were quite close on their teams’ record and playoff performances. They are declared Runner-Ups and are entitled to a MillersTime Baseball Contest ‘Winner’ T-Shirt (please send size and address).

Dawn Wilson, however, is declared the Winner as she accurately predicted her Dodgers’ record of 43-17 and ultimate WS victory.

Prize: Assuming fans can safely attend games in 2021, Dawn will join me for a Nats’ game of her choice.

Question #II: True / False:

  1. The entire 60 game season will not happen. FALSE
  2. There will be at least one hitter with at least 100 AB who will hit. 400 or higher (submitted by Zach Haile). FALSE (Highest BA was LeMahieu’s .364)
  3. There will be no starting pitcher who wins 10 games or more. TRUE (Darvis & Bieber led with eight wins)
  4. No one will hit more than 23 HRs (submitted by Rob Higdon). TRUE (Volt hit 22)
  5. At least one team in each league will win 42 or more games. FALSE (only the Dodgers who won 43, qualify. The Rays, the next closest, won 40)
  6. One or more games in each of the three Divisions will be played in front of a crowd. FALSE.
  7. Only one Division winner will make it to the World Series. FALSE (Both the Dodgers and the Rays did)
  8. At least one MLB starting pitcher will win eight games or more without a loss and at least one MLB pitcher will lose lose eight games or more without a win. FALSE
  9. Over the course of the 60-game season (or even if the season is shortened), the National League will outscore the American League for the first time in 45 seasons (submitted by Ron Davis). TRUE (NL teams scored 4227 runs, AL scored 4177)
  10. At least one of these teams (Red Sox, Angels, Giants, White Sox will make it to the playoffs. TRUE. (White Sox did)

No one got all 10 questions correct.

Zach Haile, Tom Schultz, Andrew & Noah Cate, Maury Maniff, Justin Barasso, Ron Davis, Matt Galati, Jere Smith, and Bill Barnell all got seven correct.

Ed Scholl, Land Wayland, Daniel Fischberg, Tim Malieckal, Steve Veltri, Ellen Miller, and Sam Poland got eight right.

Chris Boutourline and Doug Wang got nine.

Chris is the Winner as his submission was July 11 at 2:31 PM. Doug’s was July 22 at 11:10 AM, and he is the Runner-Up and is entitled to a MillersTime Baseball Contest ‘Winner’ T-Shirt (please send size and address).

Prize: Assuming there is a season next year, Chris and a friend can join me for a Nats’ game in 2021. If Chris is not able to make it to DC, perhaps I can make it to where he is, and we’ll see a game together.

Contest III: Assuming there is a World Series, name the two teams who will make it to the WS. Which one will win, and in how many games? Tie-Breaker: Which AL or NL Division will have the most wins? Which AL or NL Division Winner will have the least wins?

As we all know now, the World Series featured the two teams with the best 60–game ‘season’ record – Tampa Bay Rays (40-20) and the LA Dodgers (43-17).

Dem Bums (I’m still mad that they left Brooklyn), clearly the stronger team, with their ‘unfortunate’ acquisition of Mookie Betts, broke their 32-year drought of not winning the WS and won in six games.

No MillersTime contestant had both the Rays and Bums as the finalists. (most predicted the Yunkees and Dodgers would make it to the WS). One contestant did have the Rays winning it all, but unfortunately pared them with the Nats. Thirty of you did have the Dodgers as one of the two teams.

So in these circumstances, I looked at the Dodgers in six and the Tie-Breaking questions to come up with a winner. Unfortunately, a number of you either didn’t answer that question or misinterpreted it. The NL West had the most wins, 160. The NL East had the least wins, 118.

Runners-Up (Dodgers in six but lost out on the Tie-Breaker questions): Jeff Friedman, Larry Longenecker, Rob Higdon, Todd Endo, Nicholas Lamanna, Andrew & Noah Cate, Dawn Wilson, Ben Senturia, Bill Barnwell

The Winner is Nick Nyhart who had the Dodgers in six and got one of the two Tie-Breaker questions correct.

Contest #IV: What will be the main takeaways from having a 60-game, or shorter, season?

Lots of terrific submissions (see an early list of Your Predictions). I’ve promised that this Contest would be settled by crowd sourcing from Contest participants. So I’ve picked five of the more than 50 possibilities and ask that you send me your choice for the Winner.

Which ONE of the following five submissions, in your view, should be the main takeaway from the shortened season?

  1. NL Designated Hitter is a good idea that should be permanently adopted.
  2. Play without fans sucks/Fans matter.
  3. They should try the runner on second rule in extra innings during the 162 games season but not in the playoffs.
  4. The 2020 season will forever have an asterisk.
  5. Spouses of baseball fans will not be as aggravated as usual because the season is shorter.

Please send me your answer in an email: Samesty84@gmail.com or put it in the Comment section of this post by Sunday, Nov. 8., and I’ll post the Winner shortly thereafter, tho it may be hard as a number of you had similar potential take-aways.

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