#also SOX WIN

[baseballunhinged]

I think me and this Danny Jansen guy are gonna get along just fine

[sageblogsthings]

IT’S FAGGOTIN’ TIME!!!!!!

[findafight]

LOVE how multiple people have been like "Steve is a Cubs fan" (including myself) with no elaborations. Look at him. He loves the Cubs. You can just tell. Poor guy is waiting for another thirty something years for them to win the world series. (And my god the wait may well have been worth that game) However I also propose Steve is a "got one American League team and one National League team" baseball guy. And. To rub salt in the wound of his Cubs fan heart. He is obviously a Red Sox fan. Idk how this happens but it does. (It's me projecting hehe)

Listen. The hilarity of him being dragged for being a Cubs fan is compounded by him ALSO being a fan of the only other team in MLB with a curse as famous. Double cursed. And for what is arguably the most boring sport (until it isn't)

[hyperfixating-rn-brb]

entirely irrelevant but I think I just witnessed a miracle, the Chicago white sox just won a game and I was there to see it

win/loss record has finally moved from 33-115 to 34-115, and I call that progress

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin were a legendary duo in the world of drag racing, especially known for their success with Plymouth cars during the 1960s and 1970s. Their partnership, known as "Sox & Martin," became one of the most iconic and successful teams in drag racing history.

**Ronnie Sox** was a highly skilled driver, known for his quick reflexes and precise shifting. He earned the nickname "The Boss" for his dominance on the drag strip. Sox's driving skills, combined with Martin's expertise in team management and tuning, made them a formidable pair.

**Buddy Martin** was not only a skilled mechanic and tuner but also a savvy businessman. He played a crucial role in managing the team and ensuring their cars were always at peak performance. Martin's ability to set up cars for maximum efficiency and power was a key factor in the team's success.

**Plymouth Partnership:** Sox & Martin's partnership with Plymouth was a significant aspect of their racing career. They raced a variety of Plymouth models, including the Plymouth Belvedere, Road Runner, and Barracuda. One of their most famous cars was the 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda, which became iconic in the Super Stock and Pro Stock categories.

**Achievements:** The Sox & Martin team achieved numerous victories and championships throughout their career. They were known for their dominance in the NHRA Super Stock and Pro Stock categories, setting records and winning races across the United States. Their cars were easily recognizable with their red, white, and blue paint schemes and prominent "Sox & Martin" branding.

**Legacy:** The legacy of Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin extends beyond their impressive win record. They helped popularize drag racing and brought a high level of professionalism to the sport. Their contributions to the development of high-performance parts and tuning techniques have had a lasting impact on the racing community.

Sox & Martin's partnership remains a celebrated chapter in drag racing history, and their cars are still highly regarded by collectors and enthusiasts. Their commitment to excellence and their success on the track have cemented their place as legends in the world of motorsports.

[dd-is-my-guiltypleasure]

Everyone’s gone UFO crazy. Maybe The X-Files should come back

Chrissy Iley

MARCH 2, 2024

Starring in a poignant new film adapted from his own novel, David Duchovny reveals the heartache of almost losing his daughter... and why his most famous show could yet return

No wonder David Duchovny has written, directed and stars in his latest movie Bucky F***ing Dent... it’s based on his own bestselling 2016 novel of the same name. Poignant and funny, it examines a father-son relationship via baseball, with X-Files star David playing Marty the dad, who’s dying of lung cancer, and Logan Marshall-Green from Spider-Man: Homecoming as his estranged son Ted.

The real Bucky Dent went down in history for scoring an unlikely home run for the New York Yankees in a 1978 tie-breaker against arch rivals the Boston Red Sox, and the film’s title is how generations of Boston fans have referred to him ever since, a metaphor for heartbreak. Set in that same year, the film follows struggling writer Ted as he moves back into his childhood home when he hears his father is dying, prompting a whirlwind of dark revelations from the past. Meanwhile, Boston fan Marty’s health dips whenever his beloved Red Sox lose, so New York fan Ted orchestrates the illusion of a Boston winning streak...

Marty has transferred his feelings for an old flame (the secret love of his life, not his wife) to the Red Sox. ‘The intensity of fandom has always puzzled me,’ says David. ‘It has to be a kind of sublimation. My father and I liked playing baseball; my best childhood memory is playing it with him and enjoying the simple communication you can have through a game, but we didn’t share the fandom thing.

‘Marty’s transposed his feelings for this woman to the Red Sox, and the movie is really about the idea of losing. In America there’s a sick addiction to winning and winners, but most of us have to lose every day. Suffering makes us human - it unites us all.’

There’s a moment in the film when Marty is talking about a chest infection that almost killed Ted as a child. Marty says he begged God or whoever to take his lungs instead and let Ted live. ‘One thing I’ve never told anyone is that when my daughter was nine months old she got really ill,’ reveals David. ‘Her mother [actress Tea Leoni] and I had to face the fact we might lose her and I remember feeling so devastated, I didn’t think I could love anything again if she died.’

His daughter West, now 24, has since become a successful actress who seems to have inherited her mother’s stunning blonde looks and her father’s charisma. ‘I think she has a greater passion for acting than either of her parents ever did,’ he says. They also have a son Kyd, 21, and David says the hardest moment of his life was telling them he and Tea were divorcing ten years ago, as his own parents had done when he was 12. ‘It was far worse telling them than actually experiencing it. When you’re a child you just try to get through it, you don’t feel responsible. As a parent I felt at least 50 per cent responsible.’

Tall and thin with good skin and an easy charm, David seems untouched by the ageing process, although this role is a huge shift from the Lotharios he usually plays, such as bed-hopping writer Hank in comedy-drama series Californication. Does getting older bother him? ‘Of course, and as an actor you have to think of the different roles you’ll be offered. When I was writing this script I was thinking I’d play Ted, the son. We tried to make it four or five years ago and I was still going to play Ted, but then when it came to doing it I realised it just wouldn’t work, so I thought I’d play Marty. And that was exciting because it was very different.’

Californication won two Emmys and a Golden Globe, but was notorious for its portrayal of LA’s seedier side. Does he think it could be made now? ‘Certainly they would insist on intimacy coaches, but I don’t think it would be made now, for the wrong reasons. There was a misunderstanding about what it was about. It was meant to be funny, and it was meant to be about family and love. But what everybody got excited about was not that,’ he says, referring to the furore over the sex scenes. ‘In my mind the show was misperceived.’

Another of David’s roles that would spark a row today was a transgender FBI agent in Twin Peaks in the early 90s, when almost no transgender women were on TV. Again it was groundbreaking. ‘But if you’re playing a murderer no one asks you, “Have you murdered people?”’ he says. ‘It was just being an actor.’

David is, of course, best known for The X-Files, in which he played UFO-obsessed FBI agent Mulder opposite Gillian Anderson’s sceptical Scully. The series finally bowed out in 2018 after 11 series, but could there ever be another? ‘Maybe - it might even be more current now,’ he says, referring to the recent release of top-secret UFO files in the US. ‘I’m not personally interested in UFOs so it doesn’t make it more exciting for me to revisit The X-Files. It was a role I played but I wasn’t passionate about the subject. Maybe I’m the only one who isn’t.’

There was a brouhaha at the time about the huge pay discrepancy between David and Gillian, and I wonder if it would be difficult for him to work with her again. ‘As far as I know, by the end there was no difference at all between us, but Hollywood salaries are very weird,’ he says. ‘I’m going to London soon and I’ll see Gillian because she lives there now. I saw her in the West End doing All About Eve and I enjoyed it. She wished me luck with Bucky too.’

In recent years David has explored his passion for music, releasing a couple of folk-rock albums. So does he see himself as an actor, a director or a musician? ‘All of them, I’m an artist,’ he says. ‘I can filter stuff through a song, a novel, a performance or through directing. There are all kinds of ways of being an artist. I write best about dramatic things. There’s a way to deal with suffering to create art.’

Bucky F***ing Dent, Glasgow Film Festival, Wednesday. Visit glasgowfilm.org

[inukag-archive]

Hi, I’m looking for fics where Kagome and/or Inuyasha deal with depression/anxiety. I like longer stories but one-shots are totally fine too. I would prefer stories from before 2019 so there’s no Yashahime influence. Also please no sessrin in the recs. Thank you so much!

Hi anon, thank you for the ask! Most of the fics we could find that fit your criteria are one shots, but there are a few longer stories sprinkled throughout. In order to provide more reading material, we split the list into stories written in 2019 or earlier and stories that were written after 2019 but contain no references to Yashahime (characters, plot, or otherwise). There shouldn't be any SessRin references in any of the fics either.

This is a difficult subject to search for without having read a story in its entirety, so we strongly encourage anyone who knows of any others to leave more recs in the reblogs/replies!

[2019 or Earlier]

He Just Wouldn't Stop by @artistefish (G)

Just because she's back doesn't mean there aren't scars. Some wounds take more than time to heal, and some never heal at all. A post-canon look at an unexpected repercussion of Kagome's three year absence.

--

Guilty Hero by Eggry (T)

The city is recovering after a crippling war against Naraku. But while time moves on, Inu-Yasha doesn't. Plagued with guilt over a terrible deed, alcohol is his only escape from the nightmare of reality. At their wit's end with him, Sango and Miroku are on the verge of giving up until Kagome Higurashi arrives to take him under her wing.

--

Sleep, My Dear by Stars_Sky_See (T)

Kagome was quickly adjusting to her new life with the help of her now husband. Life had all around been easier since her return and everyone was grateful. However, life wasn’t so merciful, with every two steps forward there was always one step back.

--

The Ghosts of Suicide Forest by @splendentgoddess (T)

Aokigahara, known by some as Suicide Forest. It is a place of mystery, beauty and death. Roughly 100 people go there annually to commit suicide, but why? The better question, though, is can Kagome find and rescue Yuka before it is too late?

--

Broken Glass by SleepWalkingChickens (M)

Growing up is hard, especially when things are changing. Kagome is plunged into a new world, complete with new problems. The past is hard to let go of and baggage builds up. Unravel it and you’re met with truth. Can love win over Inuyasha's sins?

--

It Goes Like This by @witchygirl99 (G)

It goes like this.

“Hey! I haven’t seen you in a while!” Kagome exclaims, smiling at him. Her eyes are dark brown and beautiful, captivating.

Five different answers pop into his head, all of them friendly and inviting for conversation. It’s not what comes out.

Inuyasha isn't the main character of anyone's story. With Kagome, that feeling starts to change.

--

[Post 2019 w/ No Yashahime References]

Pictures of Happiness by @memilylove (M)

The loss of his high school sweetheart changed more than Inuyasha realized. With the encouragement of friends, he finally gives himself another shot at getting help. The path is not easy, but he soon finds that perhaps there is a point to all this. Is it really possible to be happy again and to find that you love another?

--

Other Reasons to Stay Awake by @ajoy3fanfics (NR)

Kagome suffers from PTSD after she returns to her side of the well

--

Shattered by My-Crazy-Awesome-Sox (T)

Oneshot: Leading a double life has got to be stressful. What happens when it all starts falling apart for Kagome? Everything has been pent up for too long, and now it's all crashing down around her. For anyone who's ever had a breakdown...

--

A Horse With No Name by @roseheartwhitefox (T)

The story of what happened to Inuyasha after Kagome disappeared when the well closed for 3 years, heavily referencing the episode "The Old Sugarman Place" from "BoJack Horseman". I feel as if after everything that happened and Kagome disappeared, Inuyasha would need time to grieve the loss. This is that story. Deals with themes of depression, loneliness, and loss. 

--

Stay by @akitokihojo (G)

He nodded again, pulling away to gently press his forehead to hers for a moment. "I get it." Inuyasha breathed before leaning back to look her in the eyes. "But, one of these days you'll understand that no matter what happens, I won't take a damn thing back. You'll see that I don't want it back. I feel like my heart's safer with you, anyway."

--

Kagome's Unwitting Depression by @cstormsinukagblog (M)

Kagome sees something that she isn't meant to see, and it kind of breaks her. Can she and Inuyasha repair the damage before she gives up hope?

--

Breaking the Habit: Rewrite by @kstewdeux (M)

After being separated for six years, Inuyasha and Kagome are reunited on her side of the well. TW: SI, Mental Illness.

--

The Voice Inside My Head by @fawn-eyed-girl (E)

When Kagome returns to the Feudal era a week after a particular nasty fight with Inuyasha, he realizes something’s not right. Is it too late for Inuyasha and Kagome—have the years of fighting broken them apart for good? Or will they be able to find a way forward, together?

--

Feel free to add your own recs in the comments or reblogs! Check our Masterlist of previous lists to see which topics we've covered.  After reviewing our submission guidelines, send us an ask (here).

[novacqnes]

omg a part 2 to blue moon pls perhaps with lupe smut, maybe ms holiday (love that thank u) goes to a game and some other girl (peach or other team) flirts with her and we get jealous lupe…………. hot

you are brilliant

rumor has it // lupe garcia

warning: 69’ing with lupe, jealousy, possessiveness, dirty talk, top!lupe

pairing: lupe garcia x fem reader

a/n: i wasn’t planning on writing a part 2 originally but i love everything about this so here we go (also i had to google baseball terms for this so if they’re incorrect forgive me)

anticipation radiated off of the crowd as the teams tied. it was the final inning of the game and the blue sox batter stepped up to home plate. you watched nervously as lupe prepared herself for her final pitch. 

she placed her feet shoulder width apart winding up her arm, she then lifted her leg parallel to the ground extending her arm as far as she could, exerting all of her power on the baseball. it flew from her grasp and past the batter and straight into carson’s mitt, first strike. 

a sudden burst of cheers came from the crowd but it was too early to celebrate. silence swept over the onlookers as lupe took her spot once again, repeating the same series of moves almost ritualistically. 

she launched the ball and it soared through the air, the batter swung hard but to no avail and it landed into the mitt, second strike. 

excitement poured out of you and the rest of the peaches as it came down to one last pitch, it was on lupe. frustrated, the batter stepped up once again bracing for the impact as hundreds of eyes landed on the pitcher. 

taking a deep breath lupe reeled the ball in and with all of her strength sent it flying, faster than she’d ever have. it took even carson by surprise as she caught it losing her balance. the crowd erupted into cheers as the peaches took home yet another win. 

you shot up joining along as lupe searched for you in the crowd, sending you a small grin before joining the rest of the peaches on the side. she was practically oozing with pride and part of it was because of you. 

since your initial meeting at the bar the peaches— or more specifically lupe had been on a winning streak. her performance was better than ever before and most importantly she was happy. 

after each game she’d make her way towards your apartment allowing a beautiful relationship to bloom between you— within the walls of your home that is. due to the risks the two of you made sure to limit the displays of affection to indoors, only going out when it was safe, which was rare. 

however after enough convincing lupe gave in and you were able to finally watch your girlfriend in action. seeing lupe in the game she was an entirely different person and it left you to wonder what else there was to her. 

dozens of people poured off from the stands as the game came to a close, leaving a few others and the teams. although it was completely safe, you made your way to the field, hoping to sneak just a few moments with lupe before going home— but she was nowhere to be found. 

the longer you waited the more stares you drew from the blue sox, most of not all curious ones. the attention caused an uneasy feeling to fester inside of you and you were sure you’d made a grave mistake. 

turning on your heel you began to make your way to the exit when you felt a soft, alarmingly gentle hand on your shoulder. when you whipped around it wasn’t lupe but a tall, slim blue sox player. she had curly blonde hair that fell at her shoulders and a wicked smirk. 

“looking for someone?” she asked.

“i was, but i think i’m just gonna head out.”

her eyes ran over your body as she took a step closer. most of the players were distracted by this point but a few gazes remained, a certain pitcher being one of them. 

“that’s too bad….this your first game?” 

“that obvious?” you chuckled, nervously picking at the hem of your skirt. 

the longer she held you under her gaze the more nervous you became, it was wrong but you didn’t know how to pull away, not without making things worse. 

“sort of….you know i like to remember people’s faces in the crowd, especially the new ones.” she purred.

her voice dropped to a teasingly low tone as she stepped closer, drastically diminishing the distance between the two of you. her pupils burned with pure lust as they landed on your lips, setting your cheeks ablaze. 

craning her head to the side she leaned into your neck, her breath gently fanning your ear. 

“i can’t—“

“i’ve seen you sing at the bar downtown…rumor has it that you offer private shows from time to time.” 

a sweltering heat buzzed underneath your skin as the blue sox player watched in amusement. a shit eating smirk spread across her lips as she watched you back away, calmly making a beeline towards the nearest exit.

before you could even make it towards the fence you noticed lupe standing just a few feet away with her arms crossed over her chest. to say she was livid was an understatement.

“lu!” you exclaimed, rushing towards her, “jesus, you won’t believe what just happened-“

yet before the details of your latest encounter could leave your mouth lupe had already walked away, not even sparing you a second glance. she stormed across the field into the peaches changing room, leaving you behind. dumbfounded, you stumbled into the room along with her. 

“um…what the hell?”

an eerie silence filled the room as lupe refused to look at you, angrily pulling off her uniform. you stepped closer to her putting a gentle hand on her shoulder when she whipped around to face you, her skin a deep red. 

“why are you here?” she barked, pointing an accusatory finger at you. her tone was hostile, a complete contrast to how she normally was with you. 

“excuse me?”

rather than pulling away you held your position gazing into lupe’s fierce brown eyes— she was fuming. her fists were balled at her sides and her nose scrunched, causing tiny lines to form. 

although she was doing her best to appear intimidating, you weren’t scared, more so intrigued. you’d never witnessed this side of lupe and for some reason it stirred something deep inside of you. 

“you said you wanted to see me. then when i come looking for you i find you flirting with the blue sox pitcher,” she spat.

jealousy was laced in each and every word that left lupe’s mouth. the way she spoke of the blue sox pitcher and seeing you with her— it all read envy. your relationship had rarely ever been put to the test of outside influences. therefore experiencing it for the very first time sent lupe into a fit of jealousy that she had no way of containing, or so she thought. 

“honey, i do wanna see you. what you saw- i promise it’s nothing.” 

you brought your hand over to her cheek, cupping it in your palm to reassure her, but she wasn’t fully convinced. now, lupe didn’t doubt your ability to be faithful in fact it was the least of her worries. her biggest gripe was with the thought of someone else talking, touching or even thinking about you in the way that she did. 

she saw it in the bar, the way both men and women flocked to you with their awful methods of flirting. they’d gawk at your body and gush over your singing just to win you over, but it rarely ever amounted to anything. however seeing fellow players have their shot with you was completely uncharted territory. 

“you don’t believe me, do you?” 

lupe remained silent but that alone was enough confirmation. it was becoming abundantly clear that words alone weren’t going to convince her. you wrapped your arms around her neck, ushering her closer as she felt your chest press against hers. 

“what would it take….to convince you?” 

lupe snuck her arm around your waist, her eyes burning with desire along with hundreds of possible ideas that ran through her mind. but she finally settled on one when her eyes landed on the wooden bench just a few feet away. 

“i’d like to witness ms holiday in all her glory.” she teased, eyeing you up and down through your tight floral dress. her lips brushed against your neck sending a small buzz of pleasure to your skin, and with that you knew it wasn’t about singing. 

she left behind a trail of small kisses up your neck, just enough pressure to tease you. you gripped onto her tightly as she made her way up, slipping a man’s underneath your dress. 

you cupped her face in your hands, desperately kissing with lustful desire. remnants of tobacco lingered on her tongue but you ignored it, pushing yourself against her even more. 

pulling away lupe helped you undo your dress, savoring each image of your body as you undressed. after you were fully naked you turned towards her, eagerly tearing off the rest of her remaining clothes. 

she went to lay on the bench first, laying flat when she gestured for you to come closer. tentatively you walked towards her lower preparing to get on your knees when she stopped you. 

“i want you up here, on my face.” 

her words rushed straight to your core causing you to yearn for lupe more than ever. you positioned your legs on opposite sides of the bench hovering over her mouth. slowly you began to sink down, gasping at the warm wet contact of lupe’s tongue against your clit. 

you clutched onto her thighs, leaning forward as she ran her tongue along your dripping pussy, relishing in every moan and whine she was able to draw from your lips. 

“fuck….” you cried, gently circling your hips on her face. she wrapped her arms around your legs enticing you to come closer, pursing her lips upward with an extreme fervor. streams of pleasure raged through your body from your pussy, egging lupe on even more. 

“you like that, holiday? like how i fuck you with my tongue.”

“oh—fuck—i love it,” you mewled.

she gradually tightened her grip on you, giving you no room to run. she sloppily ran her tongue around your clit, sucking it into her mouth before moving on to your dripping hole. freeing one hand, she spat on her index finger before slipping it inside. together, she wrapped her tongue along the sensitive flesh, curving her finger to awaken your g-spot. 

writhing above lupe, you could hardly contain yourself. your back slowly began to give, causing you to lean forward, just a few inches from lupe’s own heat. to preoccupied with your pleasure to notice this her pace weakened. the once fast flicks of her tongue dampened to tauntingly slow flicks that left you craving more. 

without hesitation began to place deep kisses over lupe’s clit, sending a shiver up her spine. 

“shit—y/n….keep going.”

she parted her legs a bit further enticing you to delve in further as did she. she wrapped her lips around your sensitive core, swirling her tongue along your folds, forcing you to moan into her pussy. the sweet vibrations of your mouth on her sent lupe into oblivion as she held onto for dear life.

your legs began to shake in her grasp, leading her pride to surge with each cry and obscenity that fell from your soft lips. she adored the sight of you unraveling, clinging onto lupe as if she was your whole word. it was further confirmation you were hers. 

“want you to come all over my face— i wanna taste every part of you,” she groaned.

“lu, i’m so close—more, more, please.”

hungrily, you lapped up her fluids paying extra attention to her delicate nub. however, it grew increasingly more difficult to stay focused as her fingers toyed with your g-spot bringing you closer to a splintering high. lupe could feel it, how you wrapped around her fingers so deliciously and sloppy each movement of your tongue, you were moments away from an orgasm taking her along with you. 

the insatiable ache between her legs rapidly built as she fueled yours. your pleas became more incoherent by the second, and lupe’s muffled by your core. she could feel herself losing control as your body went still above her. a shattering feeling rippled through your body, causing you to write helplessly against lupe. reeling from her own orgasm she pressed deep kisses into your thighs, soothing you. 

“you did so good, baby,” she cooed. 

with the last bit of strength left you shifted away from her face lying lifelessly on the wooden bench. she moved towards you, gazing at your sweat covered face.

“do you believe me now?”

“mh, of course.” she grinned, swinging an arm around you as you leaned in closer. 

“why is that?”

lupe trusted you, therefore it was never a question of loyalty she just simply needed reassurance. and both of you found that sex was a more pleasurable way of doing so. one where she was able to have you all to herself, which was something she wasn’t afforded at the bar or even on the field. 

she smirked, “well for one, you can’t fake sounds like that. two, i’m the one that got the private show… so i guess the rumor is true.” 

[bigbuxbolds]

2024 MLB Season Charts (All Star Break)

Ever want a nice visualization of every team's current position in the standings? Ever wonder about how many notable streaks every team has so far this season? Ever think to yourself, "just how bad could the 2024 White Sox really be?"

Then these charts are for you!

In my spare time (man have I had so much spare time), I've been working on compiling every MLB team's wins and losses into individual charts, because sometimes just numbers isn't enough to really grasp how a season is going. And, as special treat inspired by the Twins' 12 game winning streak, I also highlighted every notable streak. A notable streak here is defined as a streak of 4 or more games, winning or losing. Streaks of 3 games or less will not be highlighted. Each team's longest streak will also be noted.

(Note that I'm only one guy, so there may be some mistakes. If the mistakes are large enough, I'll try to fix them.)

These charts will only be including the start of the regular season up to the All Star Break. I hope to keep them all updated as the season goes on and chart the entire season for every team, but we'll see how life goes.

For now, here are the current charts. Since there are 30 MLB teams, I've split the charts into several posts based on each division and went into detail about some trends I noticed with each team season so far.

AL Central

AL East

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

And for those who want an MLB-wide summary, look no further than below the cut!

First, current best and worst teams:

This probably doesn't come as much of a surprise. The Phillies currently have the best record, being 28 games above .500. Meanwhile, the White Sox have the worst record and are 44 games below .500. Ouch.

Team with the most notable streaks:

The White Sox win this category with a whole 11 notable streaks, including the one they're on now. However, with only one of those a winning streak, they prove that the title of most streaks doesn't necessarily mean best record.

Runner-ups include the Yankees (9), Marlins (8), and the Rockies (8).

Team with the least notable streaks:

The Reds only have 3 notable streaks with just one being a losing streak. Though with that streak being an 8 game losing streak, it certainly can't be ignored.

Runner-ups: Guardians (4), Rays (4), Blue Jays (4), Cardinals (4), and Pirates (4).

Team with the most notable winning streaks:

The Yankees get this title, as 7 of their 9 notable streaks are winning ones. In fact, before the end of June, all they had were notable winning streaks. It's only in the past few weeks that they got their first notable losing streaks.

Runner-ups: Royals (5), Orioles (5), Red Sox (5), Mariners (5), Phillies (5), Braves (5), Brewers (5), Dodgers (5).

Team with most notable losing streaks:

The White Sox have a whopping 10 notable losing streaks. Of course, you've seen this chart already, so not much else to add here.

Runner-ups: Marlins (7) and Rockies (7).

Team with longest winning streak:

Now for the streak that helped inspire this whole thing. The Twins of course have the longest winning streak so far this season with 12 straight wins. Good times, good times.

Runner-ups: Guardians (9), Royals (8), and Yankees (8).

Team with longest losing streak:

Yup, you knew it, so here we are again. The White Sox had a whole 14 game losing streak this season, and it sticks out like a giant red sore thumb on their chart.

Runner-ups: Athletics (9), Marlins (9), and Reds (8).

Teams with no notable losing streaks:

We actually have three teams who currently do not have a notable losing streak. Extra points go to the Phillies and Brewers who have five notable winning streaks to the Guardians' four.

A team's chart I just had to point out:

The Mariners get an extra special shout out for having 7 notable streaks and all of them being just four games long, the minimum to be counted as a notable streak. Funny stuff.

And some last stats:

Every team has at least one notable winning streak, even the White Sox! Yay for all of us!

The average amount of notable streaks per team is 6.13 streaks.

The average amount of notable winning streaks per team is 3.2 streaks.

The average length of the longest streak per team is 6.9 games.

Join me at the end of the season when I (maybe) do the full 2024 season!

[ratherembarrassing]

2024: week 13

birthday week!: part one: becco for lunch until people started arriving for dinner, good heavens until it was definitely bedtime. part two: walrus for a very needed recovery pancake, poodle for a parade of deliciousness, at a table on the street somewhere on brunswick street listening to the band upstairs.

tv(1): extraordinary (hulu/disney+, season 2). not a lot of shows make me go i love them all sfm these days, but I LOVE THEM ALL SFM. last year someone sat me down and said WATCH THIS and put season 1 in front of me, and i doubt i ever would have had that not happened, but this show is just so charming.

tv(2): girls5eva (netflix, season 3). i wish i loved this show more. i wish this show was produced by anyone other than tina fey. i wish i could watch sara bareilles and renee elise goldsberry do five million other things together.

tv(3): silo (apple tv, season 1). there is this one thing that happens in episode 3 that is going to drive me insane for the rest of my life. that said, this show is fascinating for eleventy million reasons and also rebecca ferguson is hot as fuck covered in dirt. i'm gonna rewatch it and say more things.

music: c*wboy c*rter (b*yonce, 2024). i listened to this thing, and i don't want to lose my life or get doxxed or whatever, so.

sportsball(1): happy opening day to baseball! i'm not so naive as to think the red sox winning their opening day game means anything, but it sure did feel nice.

sportsball(2): i'm a couple of weeks late to remembering to care, but afl is back so my extended family has something to talk about to each other again, hooray!

sportsball(3): emma hayes should shove the other manager after the final whistle every week when chelsea lose. as a treat.

[optimistredsox]

7 Sep, CWS @ BOS, 5-7, win

We won two in a row! That's one short of an actual winning streak. It got a little scary in both the first inning and the seventh inning, but it all turned out ok in the end. Connor Wong made an error but to be fair he was at first, not behind the plate, and first isn't quite his comfort zone. It wasn't the cleanest, most definitive win, but it was a win and I am going to take it. So let's focus on those bright sides.

Trevor Story returned and made his presence felt on the field immediately, turning two double plays and knocking in a run. Was it a weight off the shoulders to see routine plays fielded as they should be? Yes. Yes, it was. I was always grumpy about the Story signing because it telegraphed that Xander wasn't long for the Sox, but it is very nice to have him back before the end of the season.

Cooper Criswell was very much not as sharp as his last outing but he deservedly got the win allowing only two runs in the first inning. He gave up five hits and two walks and didn't strike anyone out and he benefited hugely from the return of Story, whose timely double plays saved the day for him.

Raffy Devers looked a lot more comfortable at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a run scored and two walks.

Tyler O'Neill brought the boom with a two-run dinger in the first and going 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored.

Romy Gonzalez, no doubt wanting to punish his old team for cutting him loose, maintained his beautiful moustache and also went 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored, a RBI and 3 stolen bases.

We won!

We gained a game in the wild card!

Maybe we'll win today!

[bisamwilson]

this is so hard all the prompts are great! but how about 13...discreetly?

#13: ...discreetly

this took over a month i'm so sorry written for the baseball au! n s f w, but more M rated than E

Staying behind after everyone else has left isn't exactly uncommon for them most days.

It had been a good game, evenly matched up until the Sox had pulled through in the last inning. Sam had pitched a no-hit inning in the top of the ninth, keeping the score tied as the Sox went up to bat, and Joaquín had pulled through with a triple right away. Bucky managed a single not long after, and the Sox had another win under their belt.

It's left Sam feeling pumped up and antsy as they all file back into the clubhouse at the end of the game, and one look at Bucky, already grinning in his direction, is enough to know that Bucky is already fully aware that he's all wound up.

They both start to stall when the rest of the guys hit the showers, Bucky by making an absolute show out of cool down stretching--popping cinnamon bubblegum bubbles constantly as he goes--and Sam by chatting and horsing around with whichever of their teammates happens to be around. He kills time during the first round of team showers by shooting the shit with Joaquín, purposefully keeping his eyes away from the way Bucky's bent over and touching his toes, and he manages to waste away the time it takes for the rest of the team to shower by making Friday night plans with Rhodey and Luke before they headed home.

Bucky hits the showers before that conversation's over, early enough that it doesn't seem like they were waiting to shower together but late enough that Sam won't have any problem slipping under the spray with him before the water gets cold.

Rhodey throws him a look when Sam briefly turns his head to watch Bucky walk towards the showers, winking back at him, and Sam knows some of his teammates probably know, that Rhodey knows specifically, but Sam also knows that none of those teammates have said anything, have let on that they know other than a look here or there.

Sam also knows he's not ready to say anything about it either.

So instead he turns back to Rhodey when Bucky disappears into the showers and bids him and Luke goodbye when the rest of the team has left, Luke promising to buy him a drink on Friday night for that last stretch of pitching in the ninth inning.

Sam waits until the sound of their voices and their footsteps peter out, and then waits another couple minutes for good measure, before stripping out of his uniform and sneaking over to Bucky's shower stall with nothing but a towel around his waist.

He hangs it up nearby before slipping in behind him and wrapping his hands around Bucky's waist, placing a soft kiss to his shoulder.

"Seems like they stay behind longer and longer every time," Bucky says, voice betraying just the tiniest bit of frustration, as he turns around in Sam's arms to face him. He bends his head down like he's going to kiss him, but he bypasses Sam's mouth entirely, instead latching on gently to his neck and sucking softly at the skin there.

He places his hands on the front of Sam's shoulders and gently pushes him backwards, until he's got Sam lounging back against the wall of the shower stall.

He moves his hands down to Sam's ass, gently kneading and massaging, while he kisses at Sam's neck, and then his collarbone, and then his chest, before sucking gently on a nipple, scrapping his teeth gently against the nub. Sam grabs a loose hold of Bucky's hair, throwing his head back against the wall and trying his best not to moan.

Bucky's just about got Sam squirming from the attention on his nipple when they both hear heavy footsteps run into the clubhouse, followed by Joaquín asking, "Now where the fuck did I put my keys?" aloud.

Sam freezes, and Bucky slowly pulls off Sam's nipple, straightening himself back up until they're pressed fully together, their lips only a breadth apart.

"Gotta stay quiet for me, angel," Bucky says, softly enough no one but Sam could hear him over the sound of running water, but it still puts Sam on edge. "Wouldn't want anyone else to hear you all sweet for me."

He kisses Sam again then, before he can respond, despite the fact that Joaquín is still in the next room searching for his keys. It's soft, more chaste than Sam knew a kiss could be when there's another naked body pressed up against his in the shower.

The uncharacteristic chasteness is enough of a distraction that he doesn't notice Bucky's hand sneaking down to his groin until it's too late, until he has to bite down on his own bottom lip to muffle his surprised groan.

Bucky puts his other hand over Sam's mouth and grins, continuing his slow stroke over Sam's cock. Sam tries for a half-hearted glare, but he's too busy trying to keep quiet when all he wants to do is fuck up into Bucky's hand.

Joaquín continues searching for his keys, seemingly unaware, and a couple minutes pass by this way: Bucky's hand over Sam's mouth, Bucky's hand on Sam's cock, Sam trying desperately to keep in his moans and groans while Bucky works him over.

Joaquín whoops when he finally finds his keys, probably hidden under a glove somewhere in his mess of a locker, and whistles a jaunty little tune as he heads back out of the clubhouse to go home.

Bucky lets his hand fall from Sam's mouth as soon as the whistling is out of earshot, replacing it with his mouth.

Sam nips lightly at Bucky's lip. "Asshole," he says, without any heat.

"Hmm, yeah, probably," Bucky replies, voice overly cheeky, before kissing him again. "But I think I can make it up to you. Keep your hands in my hair?"

Bucky drops to his knees.

Sam tightens his grip.

[yahoo201027]

**SPOILERS** My review/thoughts on Bob's Burgers: "The Big Stieblitzki"

My thoughts and review under the line. Spoilers at your own risk if you haven't watched the episode.

This is going to be a weird looking format to pass the time for yours truly. Short explanation, laptop ran into some issues over the weekend regarding the battery. Needs to be replaced and as of this moment, it is being shipped out and now having to play the waiting game. So apologies for that, the universe decided to be a massive bitch. Now onto the episode.

When it comes to Season 14 and talking about which character has the most development, the most attention when it comes to performance and development, it's Rudy. Rudy has been killing it this season and we seen that in this week's episode when attending his dad's birthday party at the bowling alley. Him being concerned for his dad's well-being because of her mom's boyfriend Paul, who we met in "The Amazing Rudy" and how great he is. Especially when having to play the sport alongside Rudy's mom (got the name Holly from her, not the full name that we thought we would get but take it what we get) and the Belchers when attending the party, mostly because of Sylvester guilt tripping Bob and Linda to attend while at the school.

We finally got a new episode of Bob's Burgers after a nearly four-month summer hiatus following the premiere of "Butt Sweat and Fears" back in May, would've been the season finale because it feels like it but fuck it, I guess. Apparently thirteen episodes is rather short and might as well add more episodes into the fray as we prepare to go into Season 15. It's mostly because of the series premiere of Universal Basic Guys and after seeing that, Bob's Burgers has to serve as a pallet cleanser for my eyes.

A lot of hype was building up to this past weekend following the release of the press release for this episode because it's the first episode in nearly four months and it's a Rudy episode, thinking that it would be lightning in the bottle following the success of "The Amazing Rudy" as we are nearly approaching the one-year anniversary of that episode. Every episode has it's own identity and this episode isn't what some would think it would be The Amazing Rudy 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Also quite the surprise that this was set after "The Amazing Rudy" upon hearing that Sylvester's past date Vicky broke up with him. Adding another chapter to his long list of not finding a date.

Back to the Belcher kids and Rudy, as expected, the plan would not go through though a bit of a sweet moment from Louise when talking to Rudy at the bowling lane when convincing him to drop what he and the others were doing, telling him that instead of what they were planning on doing and instead, try to talk things out. Especially when finding out that Sylvester was letting Paul win instead of what we originally thought that Sylvester is bad. Like Carolina Panthers, Chicago White Sox type of bad. He was tanking on purpose to let Holly's boyfriend win that led to Louise having a change of thought to stop the plan to go into full plan. Even though I said that Louise has other friends and they should have more development with Louise and themselves (Jessica, Kaylee, the twins, etc.), her friendship with Rudy...you can't beat that. You can't.

I do love Louise and Rudy's friendship, especially in this episode, with her looking out for the guy. Especially in this episode after getting the slushies because Rudy sees his dad as a fragile guy and having to be preparing the possibility of having to lose to Paul at bowling, you'd thought to yourself when watching the episode that he would have himself a nervous breakdown as if he's reliving the incident at the restaurant, luckily Louise is there and there she is, being there for him and having to help him out...by attempting to rig the game in Sylvester's favor. While at the same time, you have the little subplot with Tina, as part of Louise's plan, to find someone to hook Sylvester up, that, of course, resulting in meeting one of the attendees, named Cherie (or is it Cheri? I don't have a laptop right now, so bear with me)

At least Sylvester has some principles when telling Rudy at the end of the night about why he let Paul win. Yeah, the topic of divorce is there and you have to give some praise for Bob's Burgers to tackle a topic like that. Something you'd seen in The Great North or any other show and Rudy's separated family has been that example so far this season. Having his principles and accept what happened and that having some friends and seeing a therapist seems to be the way to go. So it's nice that the plan to rig the game in Sylvester's favor did not as (predictably) planned and accept what happened in a positive way instead of weighing it down.

So all and all, it was an alright episode. Sure, the plan was expected to fall apart or stop before it was initiated, as well as Louise having a change of heart but the twist of hearing that Sylvester was letting Paul win instead of him losing because he's just that bad was something. Do love Louise and Rudy's friendship in this episode with her looking out for him. Finally got the first name on Rudy's mom. And yeah, think that should at least do it. I know that this isn't the style y'all are familiar with, but once the battery arrives, hopefully the full thing will be out before Season 15 begins at the end of the month. So I'll give "The Big Stieblitzki" a preliminary rating of a 7/10.

And also, there's the little side story that is often touched upon time after time with Bob and Linda with Bob throughout the episode struggling to remember the first time he told Linda he loved her. A huge brain fart at the beginning but finally remembers at the end and it was over a situation regarding birds that led to him saying it. Once the battery arrives, I'll try to break that moment down.

[mattnben-bennmatt]

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck's interview with Parade (2 August 2024)

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck Reflect on Life Before Fame: 'We Had Mattresses On the Floor'

The Academy Award-winning duo talks first roles, finding success and 'The Instigators,' their hilarious new heist movie.

By Mara Reinstein | Photography by Alexia Barroso [Matt's eldest daughter]

-

Any story about Matt Damon and Casey Affleck must start with Boston. It’s their home, where they met, became friends and started their acting careers. The city also serves as the backdrop for soooo many of their charming anecdotes.

Here’s one: Growing up in the 1980s, the two of them—along with Affleck’s older brother, Ben—found work as extras by hitting up a family friend who happened to be a local casting agent. They had slightly different approaches to the work, Damon recalls.

“Ben and I were in high school and took it very seriously,” Damon says. “But Casey had it figured out. He’d show up with a basketball because if you came with a prop, you’d get an extra $5.”

Casey chimes in, “They did crowd work. I liked to stand out, so I’d do individual street crossing!”

Fast forward almost 40 years, and Damon, 53, and Affleck, 48, both are instantly recognizable movie stars with seven Oscar nominations and two trophies between them. (Damon won in 1998 for writing Good Will Hunting with Ben; Casey nabbed Best Actor for 2016’s Manchester by the Sea.) They’ve acted together in projects like the Ocean’s trilogy and in last year’s smash Oppenheimer (albeit without any shared scenes.) Now they’re the leads in a scrappy and smart comedy-thriller heist movie. Guess where it takes place?

In The Instigators (in select theaters on Aug. 2; streaming on Apple TV+ on Aug. 9), they play Boston-area dads from different backgrounds brought together to rob the city’s corrupt mayor. After the heist goes awry, the pair go on the run even as they’re pursued by criminals and various law enforcements. (Hong Chau, Jack Harlow, Ron Perlman, Ving Rhames and Michael Stuhlbarg round out the ensemble.)

“Our primary goal was that it would be fun and the audience was going to have fun and we wouldn’t overstay our welcome,” Damon explains.

No doubt “fun” is the operative word for these two judging by their dynamic during a joint interview recently with Parade. At the outset, Damon—Zooming from his home in Brooklyn Heights—cheerfully offers this about the slightly tardy Affleck: “I’ll give him s–t when he comes on … I’ve been doing it for 40-something years!”

After the L.A.-based Affleck pops onscreen, Damon fulfills his promise.

Affleck replies, “Hey, it’s a little earlier out here!”

Their relationship is akin to a brotherhood. They like to talk shop and cheer on their Boston sports teams. Their kids are all friends. Damon and his wife, Luciana Barroso, have daughters, Isabella, 18, Gia, 15, and Stella, 13, and stepdaughter, Alexia, 26. Affleck and his ex Summer Phoenix share two sons, Indiana, 20, and Atticus, 16.

“Casey’s kids are older and cooler,” Damon says. “And Indie is a handsome young gentleman. When he comes to dinner at our house, it causes quite a stir!”

Three days after their Parade interview, Damon and Affleck were set to throw out the first pitch in Fenway Park as their beloved Boston Red Sox played the New York Yankees. (FYI, one key scene in The Instigators is set inside the historic baseball stadium.) While they were excited about it, Damon joked, “If we embarrass ourselves, don’t put it in the story!”

OK, deal. But everything else is fair game for this week’s Parade cover story.

Mara Reinstein: So, no nerves about the first pitch?

Matt Damon: We’ve played a lot of games of catch in our lives, so it’s not going to be an issue. I mean, if we have to throw a strike from the mound, that’s a little harder.

Casey Affleck: I had surgery on my elbow and haven’t thrown a baseball in a couple of years, so this will be my first time!

Damon: He has a really good arm. I’m only worried if Casey’s elbow falls off. 

[UPDATE: They handled it beautifully.]

Matt, didn’t you and Ben sit in Fenway Park as extras during that famous Moonlight Graham scene in Field of Dreams?

Damon: Yeah, we were two of 3,000 extras for a few days. And Casey used to sell sausages outside the park on Yawkey Way.

Affleck: It was illegal! But I did it in eighth grade, ninth grade and tenth grade.

Was The Instigators always going to be set in Boston?

Affleck: It’s possible we would have re-set it there if it wasn’t. It’s just easier to make a movie where you know the place inside and out.

Casey also co-wrote the screenplay. Did you always have Matt in mind to play your partner in crime?

Damon: Absolutely not!

Affleck: I send Matt everything, and it’s usually “No.” So now it’s just an exercise in rejection.

Damon: I think it's because he hadn’t written this for me that I really wanted to do it. But Casey showed it to me, and I started talking to him about it. Midnight Run [from 1988] is one of our favorite movies, and it's kind of the North Star if you're going to try to do a movie like this. Hopefully our movie is like that. You care about the characters and it leaves you with something.

Do you think about your friendship when you film a movie together?

Damon: You can’t not think about it. I don't think we think about it in the terms that people on the outside do. I mean, Casey drives me absolutely crazy, and I say this in a loving way, like the way your brother [Ben] can drive me crazy. But I love working with him because he pushes me and I push him. And there's something very, very nice about it. We tend to spend a lot of time in this business on diplomacy. People's egos are involved, and you don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. But with Casey or with Ben, the dance is just entirely dispensed with, and we just are very blunt with each other. It really helps to have people that you've known for a long time because it's never in doubt that there's an underlying love and respect and loyalty to each other.

Casey, what’s your take on it?

Affleck: He said it perfectly. But coincidentally I just had this experience last night: So I smashed my toe really bad, and I had to go out with my girlfriend [actress Caylee Cowan] to Rite Aid late at night. We hobbled up to the door just as the store was locking up. So we turned around in this empty parking lot and I’m hopping on one foot. I looked up, and there was this Instigators poster all lit up with our dumb faces on it. I just laughed aloud. It was funny after all these years that the two of us are up there on this huge billboard. Times like that I think it’s really funny, and I think about our friendship. But not when we’re filming the movie.

You two lived together in L.A. with Ben in the mid-‘90s before hitting it big with Good Will Hunting. Do you miss that time in your life or are you relieved that you’re no longer struggling?

Damon: When I say Casey drives me crazy, it's rooted in experience like that. Like Casey graduated high school, and he and his close friend who had also graduated high school moved in with Ben and me. So we’re in our early 20s, and these two 18-year-olds wreaked havoc on our living situation for a year. But we had a great time and those were actually really wonderful years. I do look back now on those years really fondly. But it wasn't easy—we were all worried and it was a very insecure time. We all had mattresses on the floor. The house was a mess. We were young and full of ideas and nervous about what our lives would bring, and I don't miss that feeling.

Affleck: I’m nostalgic for any period other than the last 10 years. Like anything before I turned 30 was really the best. I was, like, sleeping on the floor and had really difficult and challenging things going on in my life but I still love that period because it was so fun. In some ways, it was really fun to not think about a career at all and not have any personal expenses and responsibilities, and to just take jobs that you liked that were exciting and just a little bit beyond your grasp. Matt and I did a play together in London [This Is Our Youth in 2002], and I thought it was so new and exciting.

Did you honestly foresee each other’s wild success?

Affleck: Well, Matt was older than me—I was in high school when he started to work. Also, I always assume that it's easy to see the talent and intelligence in others, and feel like, Jeez, I hope nobody notices that I don't have any of that. Everyone feels like a fraud a little bit. So I was never surprised that Ben and Matt succeeded because I was around for them for years and watched them write their own success.

And Matt gave Casey his Oscar-winning role as a grieving father in Manchester by the Sea. Could you ever imagine the day?

Damon: That was the best role that I'd seen in maybe 20 years. But I couldn’t do it because I had The Martian and a big spate of work lined up. I told Kenny [writer-director Kenneth Lonergan], “The only person in the world that I will give this role to is Casey” because he was the only person who could do it the way it deserved to be done. I'm not surprised at all by any of Casey’s success. He's one of the best actors in the world, and he has been for a very long time.

Matt, your daughter took the Parade cover photo. That must have been quite the proud dad moment!

Damon: That’s Alexia. She’s 26 now and has always had an incredible eye. She's always wanted to be a photographer and cinematographer. That's the part of the business that always appealed to her. Now she took these shots of us that are on a cover! There was a moment when she was like, “OK, sit back-to-back on the floor.” And Casey turns to me and goes, “There is no one else in the world I would do this for.” She’s like a secret weapon.

Do you think your other daughters will be artists, too?

Damon: You know they're not quite all adults yet. Our second-oldest is on her way to college, and then we've got a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old. But I want them to do whatever they want. We don’t put any pressure on them. I think oftentimes, it seems to be generational—you grow up in the circus, and so the circus seems like kind of a normal way of life. But I don't know that any of my other kids will go into it. I can see the younger three all doing various different jobs and doing them really well.

Casey, are your sons interested in the Hollywood thing?

Affleck: I hope they don’t do the Hollywood thing. Also, it's just hard to know what you want to do with your time. They’ve both done plays and theater programs and have made little films at home. That's what we were doing at that age, so if that's any indication, then maybe they will. But I don't think the movie business has quite the same allure that it did when I was their age, because so many other things scratch that itch. So they don't go to movies as much, they don't watch movies quite as much as we did. I think they love expressing themselves dramatically for sure. But I'm not sure if they're dying to go be in a movie.

When was the last time you went to the movies?

Affleck: I just took my son to see Lawrence of Arabia, the new 70-millimeter print, at The Egyptian. And it was unbelievably beautiful and this overwhelming cinematic experience that I hadn’t had in years. It was in this beautifully renovated movie theater, and the movie really casts a spell. Movies now just don’t do that. It’s a bummer that people don't often go out of their house and show up to see something like that.

Is that why both of you also write and produce? You have to stay fulfilled, no?

Affleck: I think so. You have to do that to stay creatively satisfied between new things and take on new challenges. At a certain point, you feel like you have your own stories you want to tell, now that you start to feel like you understand how movies are made and that you can be the person who's in charge for once.

A very important last question: What’s your Dunkin’ order?

Damon: Large regular coffee. I try to cut down on the sugar now, but that's my coffee order. And then, and then, it just depends on … you know, I love a chocolate doughnut.

Affleck: Chocolate glazed and a large black coffee for me.

Damon: Yeah, but his coffee has cream and sugar in it!

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

[guentzel]

BASEBALL PRIMER: The League

Here is the tag where you can find all the posts.

In this post we'll be talking about the league itself and how it's structured. It's pretty simple as far as leagues go, but I've also grown up with it structured like this, so I think it's still a great idea to cover it.

MLB is split up into two 'leagues': the American League (AL), and the National League (NL). Each league is split up into divisions. I would say you could think of them as conferences, but I don't think even that is right, because you can have two teams in the same region of the US in a different league. Currently, both leagues have an equal number of teams at fifteen each.

We'll start with the National League below the cut.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

The NL was established in 1876 and is sometimes called the "Senior Circuit". It originally started with eight chartered teams, and some of them are still around today: Chicago White Stockings (not to be confused with the CHICAGO WHITE SOX; this team became to be known as the CHICAGO CUBS), Boston Red Stockings (not to be confused with the BOSTON RED SOXS; the original Boston Red Stockings became the BOSTON BRAVES, then the MILWAUKEE BRAVES, and are now known today as ATLANTA BRAVES). However, this was at the very beginning of the leagues creation, and so teams came and went, but there are still some teams who have survived 100 and some odd years later: Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers (originally Brooklyn Dodgers), Pittsburgh Pirates, and the St Louis Cardinals.

Now, the league is split into three divisions. I will be indicating which year they were brought into the league, and their stadium.

National League East

Atlanta Braves - 1871, moved to ATL in 1966 - Truist Park

Miami Marlins - 1993 - LoanDepot Park

New York Mets - 1962 - Citi Field

Philadelphia Phillies - 1883 - Citizens Bank Park

Washington Nationals - 1969 - Nationals Park

National League Central

St Louis Cardinals - 1892 - Busch Stadium

Chicago Cubs - 1903 - Wrigley Field

Cincinnati Reds - 1890 - Great American Ballpark

Pittsburgh Pirates - 1891 - PNC Park

Milwaukee Brewers - 1969 - American Family Field

National League West

San Francisco Giants - 1958 - Oracle Park

Los Angeles Dodgers - 1958 - Dodger Stadium

Colorado Rockies - 1993 - Coors Field

Arizona Diamondbacks - 1998 - Chase Field

San Diego Padres - 1969 - Petco Park

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Established 25 years later and referred to as the "Junior Circuit". For a long time, and even still kind've today, the AL has had slightly different rules than the NL. For example, up until a couple of years ago, the AL was the only league to sanction a permanent DH. In the NL, pitchers were still allowed to hit and did more often than not. But the NL ended up adopting the ALs rule, and now they're even again. The AL also has some historic teams as well, and because the NYY are a part of their league, the AL has the most World Series wins.

The AL is divided up similarly as the NL.

American League East

Baltimore Orioles - 1954 - Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Boston Red Sox - 1901 - Fenway Park

New York Yankees - 1903 - Yankee Stadium

Tampa Bay Rays - 1998 - Tropicana Field

Toronto Blue Jays - 1977 - Rogers Centre

American League Central

Chicago White Sox - 1900 - Guaranteed Rate Field

Cleveland Guardians - 1900 - Progressive Field

Detroit Tigers - 1901 - Comerica Park

Kansas City Royals - 1969 - Kauffman Stadium

Minnesota Twins - 1961 - Target Field

American League West

Houston Astros - 1962 - Minute Maid Park

Los Angeles Angels - 1966 - Angel Stadium

Texas Rangers - 1972 - Globe Life Field

Oakland Athletics - 1968 - Oakland Coliseum

Seattle Mariners - 1977 - T-Mobile Park

[fannyyann]

Tkachuk feels connection to Jimmy Butler: ‘We both play the game with very high emotion’

Miami Herald article by David Wilson 

Matthew Tkachuk is one of the fiercest, most ferocious competitors in the NHL, so there was some appreciation when he saw the pictures of Jimmy Butler, one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA, wearing his jersey during a workout Thursday in Massachusetts. 

The similarities — not just between the parallel postseason runs of the Florida Panthers and Heat as No. 8 seeds in the Eastern Conference, but also play style and attitudes of their two star forwards — are Tkachuk does feel some level of connection to Butler. 

“We both play the game with very high emotion,” the superstar right wing said before the Panthers faced the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday at PNC Arena. 

The pictures of Butler in Tkachuk’s jersey were a hit in Florida’s locker room and Tkachuk, who admits he hasn’t “paid attention too much” to all the specifics of Miami’s season because of how often the team’s games overlap, made sure to watch as much of Game 2 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals Friday. 

What he saw was Butler distilled down to his purest form. The 33-year-old forward scored 27 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists, nabbed three steals, blocked two shots and got into a forehead-to-forehead shouting match with Celtics forward Grant Williams in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 111-106 win in Boston.

It all felt pretty similar to what Tkachuk did to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins last month in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. The 25-year-old winger had five goals, six assists, four power-play points, 22 shots, a plus-minus of plus-5, 20 hits and two blocked shots, and assisted on the series-winning overtime goal in Game 7 to finish off a historic upset in Boston.

Less than three weeks later, Tkachuk delivered another historic moment in Game 1 of the NHL’s East finals, scoring a game-winning goal to beat the Hurricanes in the sixth longest game in NHL history early Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina, just barely 21 hours before Butler’s show at TD Garden.

“They’re in a very similar spot as us. They’re like the underdogs and going into each series, and kind of just believing in their team. And he’s one of the leaders in that and kind of like the emotional leader,” Tkachuk said. “I love watching him play, especially more being down in Florida, seeing him more than I ever have. I’m very impressed with him. He’s a gamer. He’s pretty dialed in with what he’s done these playoffs. Last night was a big example. That was fun to watch.”

As a child, Tkachuk looked up to NHL stars like Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Rangers left wing Patrick Kane, who was a superstar for the Blackhawks back then, and also Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman David Ortiz because he rooted for the Red Sox. He loved how Ortiz thrived in clutch moments and tries to emulate it. 

He did a pretty good job to kick of the NHL Conference Finals earlier this week. 

“You want to be that guy at big moments,” Tkachuk said. “Jimmy and David Ortiz are two of the best at that. It was cool seeing Jimmy wearing my jersey. The guys got a big kick out of it.”

Tkachuk has one other connection to the Heat-Celtics series: He went to high school outside St. Louis with Boston superstar Jayson Tatum and they still keep in touch. 

The last time they talked, he said, was before Game 7 of Round 1, right before Tkachuk and the Panthers eliminated Boston with Tatum in attendance.