87 Comments
User's avatar
JoAnna Gekas's avatar

Nickname suggestion for the Giants: The G-Men. I hear it occasionally, it’s short, and a few times a year when someone asks who’s playing you can say, “The G-Men are going up against The Feds.”

Kdog Schwarbombs's avatar

A couple unofficial nickname ideas:

Cubs: The Bricks

Dodgers: The Starlets (I mostly just like the way this one rolls off the tongue)

Giants: I like "the fog" below. Also, maybe, the Bonds, the Bay (singular), the Bigs (Dumb pun on Giants and big-leagues)

Joseph's avatar

Suggestion for the SF Giants nickname, The Fog. Used in a sentence: Hey buddy, The Fog will be in town next weekend, want to go?

Mark B's avatar

Well, that should be the end of the Brown's diary, or at least my interest in reading it.

ericanadian's avatar

And here we go with Watson going to Cleveland… Joe’s head must be exploding.

Adam J. Rosenbaum's avatar

Unofficial nickname nominations:

Rockies: Mile-Highs

Diamondbacks: Snakes or Rattlers

Padres: Friars (I think this one already is the unofficial nickname)

Dodgers: Scullys (or Scullies?)

Guardians: Spiders

Tigers: Motowns

Royals: Masterpieces (as in KC Masterpiece)

Micah's avatar

One of my fave annual Pos traditions is the 1-minute bracket fill-out. I realize the tournament already started yesterday… but any chance we get one of those posts anyway?

Misterscooter's avatar

Giants unofficial nickname. Gigantes is common but that's just a translation. G-Men is a strong possibility.

Tom V's avatar

But that's what we here in NY already call the football Giants.

JudsonKC's avatar

So will Baker Mayfield's next commercial be for United Van Lines moving company? Just asking for a friend.

TK-421's avatar

Just when we thought the Brownies were done finding new ways to self inflict pain. Could it be that DePodesta went after Watson knowing that he would not sign, in hopes that it would force Baker out and enable a clean start? Maybe? More likely that Jimmy grabbed the wheel and drove us over the edge again.

Gregg Wilczynski's avatar

Detroit Tigers will field new cry baby 18 year old S Americans on the field and suck again. $700,000 minimum! PUKE YOU!

Jskamelia's avatar

Joe, have you changed your tune about Tony LaRussa at all? I know you and Michael were quite down on the Pale Hose when they signed him last year. In retrospect he seems to have done a credible job, bonded with the young players (reportedly best buds with TA), and hopefully will lead the team to another Central Division title (… I know it was a weak … make that beyond weak … division).

Thomas Hewitt's avatar

I'll say this much: Blue Jays for World Series 2022

Crypto SaaSquatch (Artist FKA)'s avatar

Mayfield? Injured, plays.

Browns? Played around.

Andross444's avatar

Ok for those of us who don’t follow the browns outside of updates from Joe, what’s going on with baker? I’d much rather get an update here than Google it

Dave Edgar's avatar

He has now asked for a trade, Browns said, "Unh-uh." Watson not coming to Cleveland, so he says. Drama!!!!

Corbstar's avatar

Dearest Joe, what about my Blue Jays? Are you not entertained by the signings/trades they've made? Are they not in the conversation for the best team in the American League now? This bird erasure will not stand! (go ahead, ignore the Orioles, they don't have a whole nation cheering for them lol).

PS just got a copy of your Houdini book because you are my kinda my favourite author since I discovered you on the Athletic.

Kevin's avatar

I think someone asked this on twitter in reply to the most recent Poscast, but I'm curious why the goons at Meadowlark have been sitting on episodes for 4+ days after recording. I know, I know, I'm expecting too much here. Despite the jokey nature of having the Super Bowl preview released days after the Super Bowl, that episode and the End of Lockout episode suffered a little from being held back. Just curious. Thanks!

Nathaniel's avatar

This also annoys me. Faster releases would be excellent please!

Ben's avatar

Yep. I would have enjoyed hearing Joe and Mike's thoughts about the actual Super Bowl.

Dave's avatar

I think you need to rethink the Lads for the Dodgers. Imagine a mascot like Todd from BoJack. Or maybe just the Hipsters. Make special wool beanies for when the weather drops below 70. Also really think the pineapple has to be on the fruit team somewhere.

Ron H's avatar

The lockout has ended. Joe had a blog post titled Hallelujah! My thought- ok. good. But not super joyful. Baseball has fallen far down my list. I read about baseball more than anything these days. Hardly ever watch a game on TV. Don’t live near a MLB city. Maybe my last game was 20 years ago in St. Louis so my son could see Jeff Bagwell, his favorite player when the Astros visited. BTW he has no interest in baseball any more.

For the last few years I had hoped to go to Seattle to see the Angels play just so I could say I saw Mike Trout. Maybe this year, maybe not. If I see that Ohtani is scheduled to pitch, more likely.

My son in law is a super sports fan- ESPN is on each night, for several hours on the weekends and he has no interest in baseball. Neither do his kids.

My point- baseball is already a second tier sport, on its way to 3rd tier status. Look at ESPN.com and MLB is not listed on the main page sports link. You have to go to “other sports” page to see it listed along with tennis, MMA, racing, and about 15 other sports.

I lived and died Baseball when I was growing up. No longer the case. The 1960’s was my golden era.

So the lockout ended. Good.

But my main reaction to baseball? A tear in my eye, a sigh in my heart for a lost love long gone, really never to come back.

Kyle Richardson's avatar

Please, define "second tier sport" and "third tier sport". What is your definition of the tiers?

Ron H's avatar

1st tier- NFL; NBA; College football; Soccer 2nd Tier- NCAA men BB; NASCAR; MLB; Golf 3rd tier -everything else

Kyle Richardson's avatar

So much of an opinion of tiers is based on your region... In the Northeast, college football is 2nd Tier, if that, while the NHL (and probably college hockey) is at least a 2nd Tier... In the South, NASCAR is a 1st Tier and probably ahead of everything other than the NFL... While soccer has some rabid fan bases, I'm not sure how it's a 1st Tier sport outside of those markets--in Minneapolis soccer is well behind the 4 major sports and probably U of M college football and hockey...

CA Buckeye's avatar

That would make an interesting poll. I agree that much of it would be regional but more about personal preference than anything. For example, soccer? Maybe if you have kids that play it or play it yourself. NCAAM & NBA? I used to be big fan of both but the way they've changed has completely lost me.

User's avatar
Comment deleted
Mar 18, 2022
Comment deleted
Ron H's avatar

That’s the year I started following baseball. Actually I became a White Sox fan because the first score I ever was aware of- thru school PA system at end of school day- was Sox 11, Dodgers 0 in first game of 1959 series. I became a rabid fan after that day.

Matt S's avatar

As a frequent fan of the Cubs, I propose the nickname the Poohs. Doubles as a reference to a mostly harmless bear, and also how they often perform (it is now clear that 2015-2018 was an extraordinary aberration).

Dave's avatar

Does that mean the White Sox need to be the Eeyores?

Marshall's avatar

The real content I'm interested in is Joe's 27-under par performance on Wordle. I at -14 through 60. I want an article detailing Joe's strategy and his thoughts about why Wordle went viral and why it's still a thing.

Kevin McC's avatar

I lost for the first time recently -- just a total clusterf*ck on my part. It's rattled my confidence after a Globetrotters-esque run since December.

I wish my stats hadn't kept resetting -- curious what my handicap is.

I will say 4 is my typical, with three the next best -- never had an Eagle.

Marshall's avatar

I've actually only had one 6 so far (knock on wood!), but I have a looming sense of dread that I'll lose any day now.

Misterscooter's avatar

Maybe Joe's writing talent has him seeing words on the ceiling when he plays. -27 sounds impossible.

4 is definitely the most for me with 3 a close second. At one point, I had them even but had a run of 5s and 6s recently that brought me down a bit. Through 63, I'm -4. But I have had a few 2s. I've changed my strategy a few times and sometimes it has helped, sometimes not.

Harley Winfrey's avatar

Yeah I’m at +15 after 70 holes, and I have almost as many 5s as 4s. My only point of pride is my 67 day streak of getting the word.

Kevin McC's avatar

When I lost the other day, I went rogue on my usual opener (didn't literally use "rogue" but that's not a bad opener). I then went with my usual on row 2. Then played the WATER, TATER, HATER game.... since the NYTimes took over they do more dark words than the previous game runner, Josh Wardle. But never should have gone with HATER... even the new editors wouldn't go that dark.

Anyways I hope you never lose. Once you do, you feel like Tyson getting up off the mat when Buster knocked him out. Stunned. Confused. Ready to get a tattoo on your face.

Kyle Richardson's avatar

Also, a comment on the Dodgers' unofficial nickname... The reason I like "Blues" is because of Tommy Lasorda... He always used the phrase "Dodger Blue" (he claimed he even bled it!), and I can't think of anyone more synonymous with the Dodgers than Lasorda... Actually, has there been a manager since Connie Mack retired more synonymous with his team than Lasorda when you consider how much of a national celebrity he was thanks to the Baseball Bunch, his bit parts in movies and TV show and how many Hollywood celebrities he knew?

Misterscooter's avatar

As a Giants fan, I want nothing more than for the Dodgers unofficial nickname to the "LaLas."

Syenite's avatar

Kris Bryant is a great player, but how is he getting more years and more dollars than Freddie Freeman? Even with the age difference, who would rather have Bryant for the next seven years than Freeman for the next six?

Bill H's avatar

Nothing the Rockies do makes sense.

Andross444's avatar

This is true but KB also plays 3B, not 1B

Marshall's avatar

Exactly. The correct response to the question "how is Kris Bryant getting this contract" is simply "Rockies."

Kyle Richardson's avatar

For some amazing entertainment, go to The Athletic and read the various pieces written on Greinke, including Joe's all-time great baseball moment No. 51 about Zach's first home run... (That is, if you can find them using The Athletic's incredibly user-unfriendly search engine...)

Jerry Skurnik's avatar

I'd like to respond to something you wrote in your Freddie Freeman column the other day. I suggest you tell your friend who thinks he has no reason to fear that Joe Burrow won't continue with the Bengals ask a 49er fan about Joe Montana and a Colts fan about Peyton Manning, And then ask about non QBs like Jerry Rice

Johnny Agreeable's avatar

He meant leaving for financial reasons. Montana left because of Young behind him, Peyton left because of getting old and Luck.

Jerry Skurnik's avatar

And the 29 year old pass receiver who caught 123 passes this season was traded from Green Bay tonight was because??

Jerry Skurnik's avatar

Luck was drafted after Manning was injured and the Colts didn't sign a real QB and tanked the season in order to get Luck. If you want some in the prime non QBs, ask Jets fans about Keyshawn Johnson, Darren Reavis & Jamal Adams

Shawn's avatar

I think the point was Cincinnati will have Burrow for his prime. Montana, Manning & Rice were near the end of their careers (and the teams had quality replacements). Where in baseball the star player's prime will be in New York, LA or another market willing to spend.

Ken's avatar

That's not really true- the whole point of the years before free agency (pre-arb, arbitration years) is to allow the owners to hold onto their players through most of their prime. Then when the player hits 30/31 ish, he goes to FA and hopes that another team will pay him for all the years he was underpaid.

If the player got a very early start in mlb, he may hit FA for his prime, but that is not most players.

Catherine's avatar

Or Wilson with the Seahawks just now.

Kasey Ray's avatar

Can I suggest an unofficial nickname for the Cubs? Is "the Bartmans" too cruel? I think it would be an homage to a true Cubs fan.

Andross444's avatar

It’s gotta be the baby bears! I’m not sure how this hasn’t crossed their minds

Benjamin, J's avatar

It's amazing how fast Cleveland sports can change: the Guardians were the class of the town until a few years ago. It seemed the Browns briefly figured it out until the didn't. The Cavs were a joke after LeBron left and they seem to be much better.

Overall as a Clevelander I am disgusted

Joe S's avatar

When I read "New York Threat," I was trying to imagine how the Yankees could threaten the end of the lockout, and how I wouldn't put it past them to ruin baseball. #confirmationbias

ChesterP's avatar

I wouldn't say I was looking forward to it, but I did wonder what Joe would write if Deshaun Watson were to become the starting QB for the Browns. I don't know how anyone could actually be excited about rooting for someone like that.

Chris Hammett's avatar

On the one hand, he wasn’t indicted, and sometimes where there’s smoke, there’s a smoke machine. On the other hand, 22 is a lot of smoke machines, and, you know, “ham sandwich.” I’m guessing there’s not much upside for a Texas prosecutor in vigorously pursuing a star QB.

In sum, yeah, just the spectacle of an entourage flying to Houston is pretty nauseating.

Matthew Greber's avatar

As a Browns fan, what do they now do at QB? Can they really keep Baker? Jimmy G isn't necessarily more talented, but he is "the adult in the room" if that truly matters.

Rob Smith's avatar

Just requesting a trade doesn’t mean much. Baker doesn’t have much trade value & the Browns have nobody else. I predict Baker will be a Brown again this year.

Mike's avatar

None of the available options seems very good. Jimmy G just had shoulder surgery, so even as a one year stopgap he seems iffy. And whoever the Browns might bring in to replace Mayfield, they’re on the hook for his $18.9 million guaranteed salary for 2022 unless they can trade him. Not that there was a big market before, but who’s going to give up anything for him now instead of just waiting for him to be released? Maybe if they send a draft pick or two with him to get someone to take his cap hit.

Joe Pancake's avatar

Just randomly watched the baseball doc “14 Back” other day, and one thing that made me laugh is that for the big Bos-NYY game they let fans climb the billboard on the Green Monster to watch it. That would never happen today!

Is there a bigger difference between games now and then than fans access/lack of security. A few others that come to mind:

Immaculate reception: fans jumped out of bleachers poor onto field

Suns-Celtics triple OT finals game: fans leave seats and stand under the hoop!

Hank Aaron homer: random dudes congratulate him at third base.

CA Buckeye's avatar

How about Maz in 1960 World Series?

Catherine's avatar

Is the Dodgers lineup really that much better than last year's, when they had Seager? Obviously they are elite, but even that lineup didn't establish a World Series dynasty. I just don't see how Freeman changes much.

Richie's avatar

One advantage of Freddie Freeman over Corey Seager is that Seager has only played in 55% of the games the last 4 seasons, while Freeman has played in 99% of them.

Marshall's avatar

I haven't looked at the projections, but I think you're right that the Dodgers aren't any better now than they were last September. If anything, I think they're worse since their pitching is less deep (obviously losing Scherzer is a major loss). On the other hand, I think the Dodgers have underperformed overall, so maybe they'll perform better simply due regression to the mean (or even good luck).

Dave's avatar

Does that mean that Roberts is part of the problem? Consistently under-performing is usually mgmt/coaching.

KCJoe's avatar

I must admit that my first thought when I saw the Greinke signing was, "I can't wait to read the Joe Pos column on this"

Sean B.'s avatar

I remember the Cy Young year, he was the only reason to go. I was mad when he left at first but then understood. Up until the very end of July 2014, the whole thing looked like another massive fail on the way to another rebuild.

JudsonKC's avatar

Can't wait for a new Greinke piece! Bring it on Joe!

Smitty's avatar

I'm all in on any Greinke content. I would love for someone to write a biography of that guy. Someone whose name rhymes with Moe Schmosnanski.

Mark B's avatar

I went back and read a couple of your Greinke posts from years past, that was fun. As for why anyone would even talk to Watson, I don't get it. Cleveland is mismanaging Mayfield, but seems like his ego is getting in the way as well.

Yehoshua Friedman's avatar

Cleveland mismanages everything and everybody.

Joe Posnanski's avatar

Yeah, that's supposed to read "New York Thread." I changed it for those of you reading it online or on the app, but it will still look like "New York Threat" in your mailbox, which is not exactly the same thing. One letter, all the difference.

Joe C's avatar

Plastic Man once fought a villain who was a hit man named Rice O'Rooney, the San Francisco Threat. I just thought you might need to know. And who did he work for? *sigh* Oh, Boss Annova of course. You have to figure the writers slipped that one in to see if the editors ever actually read their work.

Chris Hammett's avatar

New York Threat would be a good team name for like, Australian Rules Football or a new hockey team or something.

(Cleveland might have considered “Threat” instead of “Guardians” but nobody would buy it. )

Jeff's avatar

At first I thought "New York Threat" was going to be about the Yankees potentially getting Freeman.

Dave's avatar

Saying "Have a nice day" is sometimes considered a threat in NY. It's fine.

Dave B's avatar

As we have all learned from Wordle…

Kevin McC's avatar

Thread is a great opener. Gonna try that one tomorrow

J Hench's avatar

You might need to find an extra box to fit in all the letters

Simon DelMonte's avatar

If you don't tell Mayor Adams, I won't.

David D's avatar

There are many of us in NY...Are you doing anything open to your reading public?