Back to Cleveland.
Do the Cubs have what they need to force Game Seven?
Do the Indians have what they need to reach the Promised Land?
And will Joe West do what he does best and make it all about Joe West?
From ESPN's Bradford Doolittle:
Cubs pal Joe West is expected to be behind the plate for Game 6. He’s a key variable
because while [Jake] Arrieta relies on getting ahead of hitters before blowing them away, his stuff plays better within the strike
zone than his opponent. [Josh] Tomlin is one of the more extreme control pitchers in baseball and needs to work the edges to
be effective even more than most hurlers. West’s strike zone is typically small -- only five umpires had a lower rate of called strikes.
This affects both pitchers of course, so we can’t say for sure who a smaller strike zone would favor. But if they are forced
into the zone, on what is forecasted to be an unseasonably warm evening, the home run ball could play a big part in the
outcome. And at the very least, we know that Arrieta is far more likely to get hitters to keep the ball on the ground.Meanwhile, yours truly wrote and published this essay on what's
really been missing this Series . . .
So what's in a nickname? Nothing much, in this World Series, alas . . .
Coco Crisp must be feeling left out. The prodigal Indian has something that’s otherwise missing from this World Series. And several
others. Where did our great baseball nicknames go? Where’s our Human Rain Delay, Leaning Tower of Flatbush, Left Arm of God, and
Chairman of the Board?
No sport comes up with more colourfully amusing nicknames. For individual players and for teams whole or part. Kansas City’s H-D-H
bullpen of 2014-15 had nothing on the Nasty Boys of the 1990 Reds; it was always a tossup between Harvey’s Wallbangers and the
Pittsburgh Lumber Company. And they’re missing in action now.
The Cubs have the Schwarbinator but I think I’m the only one who knows it, so far. The Indians have Miller Time, but knowing today’s
litigious society it wouldn’t be a shock if a certain brewery hoists a tall one in their attorneys’ offices. And nobody’s picked up on Trevor
(Dem Drones) Bauer just yet.
This is depressing. OK, what’s in a name? In baseball, half the fun. Tell me you haven’t had a lifetime of laughter and fun at the old ball
game watching the likes of, among others . . .
Arriba
The Baby Bull
The Bambino
The Barber
Bedrock
The Beeg Mon
The Big Bear
The Big Cat
The Big Donkey
The Big Hurt
Big Papi
The Big Train
The Big Unit
The Bird
Black Jack
Bad Henry
Blue Moon
Bye Bye Balboni
Cakes
Capital Punishment
Catfish
Cha Cha
Charlie Hustle
Choo Choo
The Cobra
Crash
The Crime Dog
Daffy
Death to Flying Things
Dennis the Menace
Dimples
Ding Dong Bell
Dr. K
Dr. Strangeglove
The Dominican Dandy
Ducky
El Duque
El Sid
Eric the Red
Everyday Eddie
The Express
Finster
Fonzie
The Fordham Flash
The Flying Hawaiian
Frenchy
The Georgia Peach
Gentleman Jim
The Giambino
Gimpy
Goofy
Goose
Gonzo
Goombah
Hoot
The Hoosier Thunderbolt
The Hoover
The Immortal Azcue
The Iron Horse
Iron Man
Iron Mike
Joey Bats
King Carl
King Kong
Kitty
Le Grande Orange
The Lip
The Little Napoleon
Lou’siana Lightning
The Mad Hungarian
Mad Max
The Man of Steal
The Man with the Golden Arm
Master Melvin
Marse Joe
Mick the Quick
Mr. October
Mr. Putt Putt
Nails
Old Aches and Pains
The Ol’ Perfesser
Pat the Bat
The Penguin
Poosh ‘em Up
Pudge
Puff the Magic Dragon
The Rooster
The Say Hey Kid
The Scooter
The Splendid Splinter
Stan the Man Unusual
Sudden Sam
Sugar Bear
Super Joe
Sweet Lou
Sweet Swingin’ Billy
Thor
The Terminator
Tortilla Fats
The Vulture
Wally World
The Wild Horse of the Osage
The Wild Thing
The Wizard of Oz
The Yankee Clipper
The Yankee Killer
Playing often as not for teams (or subunits) also known as . . .
The Amazin’ Mets
The Baby Birds
The Killer Bs
The Big Red Machine
The Bronx Bombers
The Boys of Summer
The Bronx Zoo
The Dalton Gang
Dem Bums
El Birdos
The Evil Empire
The Fam-i-Lee
The Gas House Gang
The Go-Go Sox
Harvey’s Wallbangers
The Hitless Wonders
The Idiots
Murderer’s Row
The Mustache Gang
The Nasty Boys
The Pittsburgh Lumber Company
The Philthy Phillies
The Runnin’ Redbirds
The Scum Bunch
The White Elephants
The Whiz Kids
. . . who have played in ballparks nicknamed, affectionately or otherwise . . .
The Big Shea
The Eighth Wonder of the World
The Friendly Confines
God’s Little Acre
The House That Ruth Built
The House That Ruthless Rebuilt
The Launching Pad
The Mistake on the Lake
The Old Girl
The Old Grey Lady of 33rd Street
The Thunderdome
Well, this World Series has alternated between the Friendly Confines and Progressive Field. Formerly known as Jacobs Field, a.k.a. the
Jake. And that wasn’t quite as poetic as the Mistake on the Lake, as the Indians’ former longtime home Municipal Stadium was known.
Why doesn’t somebody call their current playpen Flo’s? Kiss my grits, naming rights!
And before you saunter into retirement, Chris Berman, why have you not weighed in for this World Series with, at least . . .
(Buffalo Bill) Cody Allen. Jeff Manship (Enterprise). Andrew Miller (Time). Justin (the Brothers) Grimm. Pedro (Razor) Strop. Travis (Knock on)
Wood. Yan (Bonnie Banks) Gomes. Brandon (What a) Guyer. Carlos (Evil Ways) Santana. Dexter(‘s Laboratory) Fowler. (The) Kyle Hendricks
(Experience). Addison (and Sheffield) Russell.
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Now let's play ball!!
