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Casey at the Bat. Baseball 2026

Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
in The Circus
One of the most famous baseball poems is Casey at The Bat written by Ernest Thayer, published in 1924. I remember learning it in sixth grade. I dedicated this thread to that poem.

Spring training yet to start. I hope the Mariners go all the way this year, but like Casey, they tend to strike out at the last moment.

Comments

  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Thanks Gramps - much appreciated! :)
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    This is the time of year when I trot out the Rogers Hornsby quote: People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Ruth wrote: »
    This is the time of year when I trot out the Rogers Hornsby quote: People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.

    The good news is Spring Training starts in about six weeks.
  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    Per tradition, here is the annual "Baseball Frustration" lists: one for the last time a team won the World Series and one for the last time a team participated in the World Series. I tend to use the team's current official name, except for the Sacramento A's who refuse to call themselves that. When they actually move to Las Vegas, I will rename them.

    By my calculation, entering 2026, here are the number of years since the listed teams last won the World Series (teams marked by * have never won the World Series and the count starts with the team’s formation):

    Cleveland Guardians (77 seasons)
    Milwaukee Brewers (57 seasons)*
    San Diego Padres (57 seasons)*
    Seattle Mariners (49 seasons)*
    Pittsburgh Pirates (46 seasons)
    Baltimore Orioles (42 seasons)
    Detroit Tigers (41 seasons)
    NY Mets (39 seasons)
    Sacramento A's (36 seasons)
    Cincinnati Reds (35 seasons)
    Minnesota Twins (34 seasons)
    Colorado Rockies (33 seasons)*
    Toronto Blue Jays (32 seasons)
    Tampa Bay Rays (28 seasons)*
    Arizona Diamondbacks (24 seasons)
    LA Angels (23 seasons)
    Miami Marlins (22 seasons)
    Chicago White Sox (20 seasons)
    Philadelphia Phillies (17 seasons)
    NY Yankees (16 seasons)
    St. Louis Cardinals (14 seasons)
    SF Giants (11 seasons)
    Kansas City Royals (10 seasons)
    Chicago Cubs (9 seasons)
    Boston Red Sox (7 season)
    Washington Nationals (6 seasons)
    Atlanta Braves (4 seasons)
    Houston Astros (3 seasons)
    Texas Rangers (2 seasons)
    LA Dodgers (0 seasons)

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

    And here is the list of how long it has been since a team last competed in the World Series:

    Seattle Mariners (Never)(Team formed 1977)
    Pittsburgh Pirates (1979)
    Milwaukee Brewers (1982)
    Baltimore Orioles (1983)
    “Sacramento” A’s (1990)
    Cincinnati Reds (1990)
    Minnesota Twins (1991)
    San Diego Padres (1998)
    LA Angels (2002)
    Miami Marlins (2003)
    Chicago White Sox (2005)
    Colorado Rockies (2007)
    Detroit Tigers (2012)
    St. Louis Cardinals (2013)
    SF Giants (2014)
    NY Mets (2015)
    Kansas City Royals (2015)
    Cleveland Guardians (2016)
    Chicago Cubs (2016)
    Boston Red Sox (2018)
    Washington Nationals (2019)
    Tampa Bay Rays (2020)
    Atlanta Braves (2021)
    Philadelphia Phillies (2022)
    Houston Astros (2022)
    Arizona Diamondbacks (2023)
    Texas Rangers (2023)
    NY Yankees (2024)
    Toronto Blue Jays (2025)
    LA Dodgers (2025)
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    Hedgehog wrote: »
    By my calculation, entering 2026, here are the number of years since the listed teams last won the World Series (teams marked by * have never won the World Series and the count starts with the team’s formation):
    ...
    LA Dodgers (0 seasons)

    Back to back, baby! (Yes, I'm insufferable, and no, not ashamed of it. This is my reward for the Murdoch and McCourt years.)
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    I think it's time for the Mariners.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    Blue Jays shall be back!
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    Caissa wrote: »
    Blue Jays shall be back!

    Blue Jays are gonna be good - the AL East will be fun to watch.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Didn't they do rather well last year?
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    WE lost to Ruth's Dodgers mostly due to an excellent defensive change by the Dodgers in centre field that robbed us of the winning run.
  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    For those curious about the Australian Baseball League, the coming weekend is the end of the regular season.

    The current standings:

    1. Sydney 23-12
    2. Adelaide 17-17
    3. Perth 15-19
    4. Brisbane 14-21

    Sydney has clinched the regular season title and will host the Championship Series. Brisbane is eliminated. Adelaide and Perth are scheduled to play each other 5 times from Jan. 15 through 18. If Adelaide wins 2 of those, then they will play Sydney for the Championship. If Perth wins 4 of those games, then Perth will advance.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Hedgehog wrote: »
    For those curious about the Australian Baseball League, the coming weekend is the end of the regular season.

    The current standings:

    1. Sydney 23-12
    2. Adelaide 17-17
    3. Perth 15-19
    4. Brisbane 14-21

    Sydney has clinched the regular season title and will host the Championship Series. Brisbane is eliminated. Adelaide and Perth are scheduled to play each other 5 times from Jan. 15 through 18. If Adelaide wins 2 of those, then they will play Sydney for the Championship. If Perth wins 4 of those games, then Perth will advance.

    Thank you for the information. It is true baseball is not just a North American game.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    My staff member from Melbourne says "anybody but Sydney". There seems to be some rivalry between those two cities.
  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    There used to be a major rivalry between Sydney and Canberra, but Canberra folded after last season.

    The Melbourne Aces abandoned the ABL and planned to play in a Korean league instead. I have not bothered to check to see if that actually happened.
  • sharkshootersharkshooter Shipmate
    Bichette to the Mets. He's never played 3rd before. Is that really what they are doing? His arm at shortstop was below average, can't imagine what it would be like from 3rd.

    The Jays just lost a .300 lifetime hitter. How many of those are there?
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    He can opt out of his contract at the end of the first year.
  • sharkshootersharkshooter Shipmate
    Caissa wrote: »
    He can opt out of his contract at the end of the first year.

    Meaning he would earn $42M plus a $5M bonus for one year.

    But then, would he be looking for another deal over $40M per year?
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    sharkshooter wrote: »
    Bichette to the Mets. He's never played 3rd before. Is that really what they are doing? His arm at shortstop was below average, can't imagine what it would be like from 3rd.
    The Mets panicked after they lost out on Kyle Tucker.
  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    There is also the possibility that the Mets wanted to make sure that Bichette did not go to the Phillies. The Phillies had offered 7 years and Silly Money (I don't know the actual number), but the Mets swooped in with a shorter deal--which seems to have appealed to Bichette.

    On the positive side, because the Mets got Bochette, the Phillies were able to re-sign J.T. Realmuto. And, frankly, a skilled catcher who is VERY good handling the pitching staff is more valuable to me than an infielder. He is not a .300 hitter, but his value to the pitching staff is enormous.
  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    I didn't mean to leave all of you hanging who are anxious to know the results of the Australian season. Adelaide did edge out Perth for the chance to play Sydney in the Championship. Adelaide has also won Game 1 of the championship series 3-2. Game 2 is set to start in about 10 or 11 hours.
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