Series Thread (Games 49-51): May 26-28 vs. Cubs

Hey, remember the Baseball World Heavyweight Title? My little nerdy pet project had fallen by the wayside for well over a year, until I randomly decided to check on it recently. Shortly after I picked up the thread on Twitter, the Dodgers won the belt ("IT'S NOT A BELT! IT'S A CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE, DAMMIT!" - Vince McMahon). Sadly, they immediately dropped it to the Giants. Forgoing any chicanery I've perpetuated in the past, I decided to stick to the rules in tracking title changes this year, and see what legitimate chance the Dodgers had of retaking the title.

Thankfully, the schedule worked in our favor, and the Cubs managed to wrest the belt from the Giants just before arriving at Dodger Stadium this weekend. So, not only do we have an (*exasperated sigh*) NLCS rematch, but THE GOLD IS ON THE LINE as well.

Ring the bell!

Fri, 7p: Alex Wood vs. Jake Arrieta
LAD 4, CHC 0

Sat, 4p: Brandon McCarthy vs. John Lackey (on FOX!)
LAD 5, CHC 0

Sun, 1p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Jon Lester
LAD 9, CHC 4. Sweeeeeep!

Soon

Baseball World Heavyweight Title Update: Regular Season Wrap-Up

"Hand it over, Wahoo!"
Our first regular season as commissioners of the Baseball World Heavyweight Title has come to an end. While I didn't end up posting here as much as I would have liked, I did keep track of the title for the entirety of the season, and posted periodic updates on the Sons' Twitter account.

The final weekend of the regular season saw a clash between two teams not destined for postseason play this year. The Boston Red Sox, in their third title reign, defended against the upstart Cleveland Indians. This would be the Indians' third title shot. In a shocking turn of events, the Indians pulled off a sweep and ended the regular season with the belt raised high.

HOWEVER...the Tribe's moment in the sun is short-lived. The rules for the Baseball World Heavyweight Title clearly state:

If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

So, better luck next year, Indians. We'll take that, thank you.

This means ten teams have qualified for a multi-week tournament to crown a new Baseball World Heavyweight Title. Five of those teams, the Dodgers, Pirates, Rangers, Royals, and Yankees, are former title-holders. Two teams, the Cardinals and Blue Jays, never managed to get a title shot during the year.

Let's take a look at the complete regular season title history:

Current Champion: Title Vacant 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	San Diego Padres (9/28/14)	6 days (Offseason time does not count towards 2015 reign.)	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	25 days	6 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL, MIA, COL)
4) San Francisco Giants	Los Angeles Dodgers (5/20/15)	13 days	3 (vs. COL, MIL, ATL)
5) Pittsburgh Pirates	San Francisco Giants (6/2/15)	7 days	1 (vs. ATL)
6) Milwaukee Brewers	Pittsburgh Pirates (6/9/15)	8 days	1 (vs. WAS)
7) Kansas City Royals	Milwaukee Brewers (6/17/15)	3 days	0
8) Boston Red Sox	Kansas City Royals (6/21/15)	4 days	0
9) Baltimore Orioles	Boston Red Sox (6/25/15)	6 days	1 (vs. CLE)
10) Texas Rangers	Baltimore Orioles (7/1/15)	3 days	0
11) Los Angeles Angels	Texas Rangers (7/4/15)	21 days	4 (vs. COL, SEA, BOS, MIN)
12) Texas Rangers	Los Angeles Angels (7/25/15)	15 days	3 (vs. NYY, SFG, HOU)
13) Seattle Mariners	Texas Rangers (8/9/15)	6 days	1 (vs. BAL)
14) Boston Red Sox	Seattle Mariners (8/15/15)	18 days	4 (vs. CLE, KC, CHW, NYM)
15) New York Yankees	Boston Red Sox (9/2/15)	7 days	1 (vs. TB)
16) Baltimore Orioles	New York Yankees (9/9/15)	17 days	4 (vs. KC, BOS, TB, WAS)
17) Boston Red Sox	Baltimore Orioles (9/26/15)	7 days	1 (vs. NYY)
18) Cleveland Indians	Boston Red Sox (10/3/15)	2 days	N/A

A few quick tidbits:

• The Dodgers had the longest single reign of any team, at 25 days.
• Four teams held the title more than once: the Giants (twice), the Orioles (twice), the Rangers (twice), and the Red Sox (three times).
• The Red Sox three title reigns totaled 29 days.
• Aside from the Indians, the Royals had the shortest single reign, losing the belt immediately to the Red Sox.
• The title switched from the NL to the AL with the Royals win over the Brewers on June 17th, and never switched back.
• In addition to the Cardinals and Blue Jays, the Reds, Phillies, Tigers, and A's also did not receive a title shot. Though, somewhere, in another timeline, the Reds are former champs.
• The "Lex Luger Can't Win The Big One" award goes to the Rockies, who had 5 title shots without a title win.

That's it for now. Big thanks again to Dayn Perry for letting me take control of this madness this season. Stay tuned to this space and Twitter and possibly the WWE Network (IT'S ONLY $9.99!) for the announcement of the new Baseball World Heavyweight Champion at the conclusion of the World Series.

Baseball World Heavyweight Title Update: Rewriting History

I am woefully behind on proper Baseball World Heavyweight Title updates. Let's get caught up.

First, let me take you back to the All-Star Break. Entering the break, the Angels were the belt-holders, ending up with the title after it bounced quickly from the Brewers to the Royals to the Red Sox to the Orioles to the Rangers. Now, if you remember the original rules for the title, it can only be defended in regular season series, but since I'm in charge of the title now, I decided to have some fun and put the belt on the line in both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game itself.

It was fairly simple to come up with a scenario for the Home Run Derby. It was a single-elimination tournament, and the Angels' Albert Pujols was participating. If anyone beat him, they'd get the belt. Turns out Joc Pederson did, in fact, beat him, only to lose to the Reds' Todd Frazier in the Finals. That meant the Reds were the current champ. I then took this a step further by coming up with a complex set of rules for the belt to change hands during the All-Star Game. Despite multiple title swaps during the game, the Reds still managed to walk away champions, after a dominant performance from Aroldis Chapman.

A few weeks removed from the All-Star break, however, I started to feel remorseful about noodling with the firmly-established rules for the title. In reality, I made the change in the hopes that the Dodgers would somehow walk out of the All-Star Game with the belt. So, yesterday I put it up to a blind Twitter vote to decide which lineage would stand: The one where the Reds left the ASG with the belt, meaning the Yankees would be the current champ, or the one where the Angels retained, meaning the Rangers would be the current champ. Twitter voted to keep the original timeline, so here we are. The title changes that "occurred" during the Derby and All-Star Game will remain a non-canonical diversion.

Current Champion: Texas Rangers 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	San Diego Padres (9/28/14)	6 days	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	25 days	6 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL, MIA, COL)
4) San Francisco Giants	Los Angeles Dodgers (5/20/15)	13 days	3 (vs. COL, MIL, ATL)
5) Pittsburgh Pirates	San Francisco Giants (6/2/15)	7 days	1 (vs. ATL)
6) Milwaukee Brewers	Pittsburgh Pirates (6/9/15)	8 days	1 (vs. WAS)
7) Kansas City Royals	Milwaukee Brewers (6/17/15)	3 days	0
8) Boston Red Sox	Kansas City Royals (6/21/15)	4 days	0
9) Baltimore Orioles	Boston Red Sox (6/25/15)	6 days	1 (vs. CLE)
10) Texas Rangers	Baltimore Orioles (7/1/15)	3 days	0
11) Los Angeles Angels	Texas Rangers (7/4/15)	21 days	4 (vs. COL, SEA, BOS, MIN)
12) Texas Rangers	Los Angeles Angels (7/25/15)	14 days (through 8/7)	3 (vs. NYY, SFG, HOU)

As for the the SoSG World Championship, introduced in the last update, the championship committee has decided to shelve it for the time being, due to barely being able to keep up with one belt. Joc has it stashed in a locker somewhere. It may resurface at some point.

Confused about what the BWHT is and how it works? Hit the BWHT link on the sidebar for all the relevant posts to date.

Baseball World Heavyweight Championship Update for 6/16/15

(Sorry. It's been a while. Stuff happens.)

When we last saw the Baseball World Heavyweight Title (which, for those of you just joining us, imagines the World Series Championship as a wrestling belt defended throughout the regular season), it was in the hands of of the big stinky Giants. However, their second reign of 2015 was cut short by a band of Pirates from the mean streets of Pittsburgh, PA. The Pirates defeated the Giants in an epic sweep June 1-3, to capture the coveted strap.

Before I could even put their logo plates on the belt*, though, the Pirates were upended by their NL Central rivals, the Brewers, on June 9. The Brewers, using one of their most famous assets, showered the Bucs with an epic beer bath and stole the title.


The Brewers survived a challenge from first-time contenders the Nationals, but have already dropped the first fall to the Kansas City Royals. If the champs lose today or tomorrow, the belt will head to the American League for the first time this season. (This will also make things difficult for the Dodgers, as they seek to regain the title.)

Here is the title history to date:

Current Champion: Milwaukee Brewers 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	San Diego Padres (9/28/14)	6 days	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	25 days	6 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL, MIA, COL)
4) San Francisco Giants	Los Angeles Dodgers (5/20/15)	13 days	3 (vs. COL, MIL, ATL)
5) Pittsburgh Pirates	San Francisco Giants (6/2/15)	7 days	1 (vs. ATL)
6) Milwaukee Brewers	Pittsburgh Pirates (6/9/15)	8 days	1 (vs. WAS)

Speaking of the Dodgers...


The last update also introduced you to the SoSG World Championship, a title that I can fully impose my Dodgers bias on. After two successful title defenses, against the Padres and the Braves, the Dodgers shockingly lost the SoSG World Championship to the hated St. Louis Cardinals...

...or so they thought. In light of this morning's news of the FBI investigating the Cardinals for hacking the Astros' player information database, the championship committee has stripped the Cardinals of the SoSG Championship and returned it to the Dodgers. The two series that the Cardinals won have been stricken from the record, and the team has been banned from all shots at BOTH CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS for the rest of 2015. (This is also bad news for the Rockies and Marlins, who would technically have been SoSG title holders, had this grave injustice not occurred.) Sorry, Cardinals, but that's...best for business.

The title history below reflects the Cardinals' ban:

Current Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers 2015 SoSG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) Los Angeles Dodgers	Awarded by SoSG (5/22/15)	26 days	5 (vs. SD, ATL, COL, AZ, SD)

The Dodgers aren't out of the woods yet, despite having their belt returned to them today. They are already down one fall in a four-game series with the Texas Rangers. They will need to win two games to retain the belt...

...unless I don't feel like handing it over.

--

*UPDATE (3:56pm): It turns out I did indeed update the belt for the Pirates, and then forgot all about it! So, for posterity, here is the BWHT with the Pirates' side plates. Thanks again for beating the Giants, lads!

Baseball World Heavyweight Title Update: Giants Retain (Plus Game-Changing Announcement)

Over the weekend, The San Francisco Giants retained the Baseball World Heavyweight Title, by virtue of a draw with the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies' arch-nemesis, rain, interfered yet again, possibly costing the Rockies their fourth shot at the title. It was an ugly affair all around, with the champs finding themselves on the wrong side of an 11-2 drubbing to end the match.

The Giants' next challenge comes from the Brewers, and, as of this writing, the Giants have already captured the first fall of a three-game series.

Let's take a look at the title history to date.

Current Champion: San Francisco Giants 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	San Diego Padres (9/28/14)	6 days	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	25 days	6 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL, MIA, COL)
4) San Francisco Giants	Los Angeles Dodgers (5/20/15)	7 days (through 5/26)	1 (vs. COL)

--

With that bit of business out of the way, it's time to change the game.

Introducing...the SoSG World Championship.


Joc holds up the new title belt, modeled after the NWO World Title.
What is the SoSG World Championship, you ask? It's simple. It imagines an alternate timeline where the Dodgers never lost the Baseball World Heavyweight Title to the Giants. Yes, the BWHT championship committee has gone mad with power and destroyed any illusion of impartiality. We're a Dodgers blog and we've awarded "our guys" their own belt. Not unlike when Brock Lesnar took the WWE title to Smackdown, forcing Eric Bischoff to create a belt out of thin air to hand to Triple H:


My thought process on this stemmed from my love of the uber-nerdy WWE Linear Title, chronicled by Voices of Wrestling. The following passage directly inspired the SoSG World Championship:

Due to the odd, and previously unprecedented, circumstances from WWE Night of Champions 2014, we’ve added the WWE Linear Championship #DarkestTimeline. Seth Rollins beat Roman Reigns on that event, in an official match, via forfeit. Because the match began, and the referee stopped it due to forfeit, it is treated as a ref stoppage. A ref stoppage is a valid way for the title to change hands, so Seth Rollins won the WWE Linear Championship from Reigns on that night. However, due to controversy, and honestly the thought that it would just be fun to track, the #DarkestTimeline (A reference to NBC’s Community) was created. The #DarkestTimeline sees Reigns retaining the WWE Linear Title, as if it never changed hands due to the forfeit. So, we have a split lineage in a way. Rollins won the Linear Title, while Reigns retained with the #DarkestTimeline.

So, yes, the Dodgers legitimately lost the BWHT to the Giants. BUT...because my recap of the series described the loss as a forfeit (due to the offense not showing up), it became the launching point for this alternate timeline.

The SoSG World Championship will follow the same rules as the BWHT, with two exceptions:

1. This is OUR belt. If the Dodgers lose a series, but we don't feel like giving up the belt, we won't give up the belt. Again, we are ABSOLUTELY biased and crooked when it comes to this title. We have embraced our role as heel authority figures and we DO NOT like to lose.

2. If the BWHT belt-holder faces the SoSG WC belt-holder, the match will be a title unification match.

Current Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers 2015 SoSG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) Los Angeles Dodgers	Awarded by SoSG (5/22/15)	5 days	1 (vs. SD)

Celebration erupts at SoSG Headquarters.
Despite succumbing to corruption, we will continue to chronicle the lineage of BOTH made-up championships. The BWHT lineage will be on the up-and-up. The SoSG WC is our toy to play with. This will either be really fun, or really stupid. (Perhaps both.)

Confused about what the BWHT is and how it works? Hit the BWHT link on the sidebar for all the relevant posts to date.

Giants Win Baseball World Heavyweight Title Via Forfeit After Dodgers Fail to Appear

Left behind.
In the most bizarre development of the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship season, the Dodgers failed to appear for their title defense against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Their entrance music played three times, but the champs never emerged from behind the curtain. So, by virtue of a forfeit, the Giants become (sigh) the new Baseball World Heavyweight Champion.

Now, there's no possible way the Dodgers would fail to show up voluntarily, so something sinister must have happened. Maybe they were run over by a limo. Maybe they were kidnapped. We may never know. Hopefully, someone will locate them soon, so we can get some answers.

So, congratulations, Giants! We just need to send our man Steve to pick up the belt and deliver it to you. Should be just a moment...


Oops.

For those of you just joining us, here's how the Baseball World Heavyweight Title works:

The BWHT imagines the World Series Championship as a pro wrestling belt defended in regular season series. The defending World Series champions start the season with the belt. From there:

1. A team must win a series from the champion to take the belt. One game isn't going to cut it, considering it's a 162-game season and teams all view the season in terms of series.

2. If the belt-holder splits a series (two- or four-game series), it retains. Much like on a draw in boxing or a count-out situation in pro wrestling, you don't get the belt unless you actually beat the champion. A tie isn't good enough.

3. If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

Let's take a look at the title history to date, as the Giants begin their second reign...

Current Champion: San Francisco Giants 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	San Diego Padres (9/28/14)*	6 days	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	25 days	6 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL, MIA, COL)
4) San Francisco Giants	Los Angeles Dodgers (5/20/15)	5 days (through 5/24)	N/A

First up for the new champs will be the Rockies, who are getting their FOURTH shot at the belt this season. Can Dinger and company make the Giants' reign brief, or will they be labeled the Lex Luger of the BWHT? (Tons of title shots, but can never win the big one.)

And fear not, Dodger fans, because this is still a Dodgers blog and not a (OH MY GOD WHY DON'T YOU START A) Giants blog, we will periodically update you on the Dodgers' best chances to regain the title. At the moment, best we can tell, we should hope the Rockies win the belt and then retain until June 1st. I know we're all disappointed, but the real goal is to be the team standing tall with the strap at the end of the season.

*Upon researching the path of the title in 2014, I learned that the Giants actually won the belt on the final day of the season and successfully defended it through the postseason. Gross. Their initial 2015 title reign length still remains 6 days, however.

Dodgers and Rockies Battle to Time Limit Draw; Dodgers Retain Baseball World Heavyweight Title

Let me show you punks how it's done!
The Dodgers survived a roller coaster of a sixth defense of their Baseball World Heavyweight Title belt against the Rockies, earning a split of a four-game series. This one was not the slightest bit pretty for the champs. To begin with, the Dodgers thought they had another shortened victory in the bag after the Rockies arch nemesis, Rain, intervened yet again on Thursday night. The interference backfired, however, when the Dodgers were forced to finish the fall, and were shocked by CarGo in the ninth. The champs bounced back with Clayton Kershaw's 100th career win on Friday, but were then quickly embarrassed, losing the third fall in front of a collection former Baseball World Heavyweight Champions and legends. In the final fall, they were forced to take the easy way out, scoring a little offense early, then playing keep away with the belt until time expired. It was cheap, but effective.*

While Kershaw was good and Mike Bolsinger was stellar, no clear hero emerged from the series. And so, we decided to indulge in a little McMahon-level nepotism and put the belt on Steve Garvey. Congrats, Pops!

Let's take a look at the title history to date, as the Dodgers approach a full month as champs...

Current Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	Kansas City Royals (2014 World Series)	6 days	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	25 days (through 5/19)	6 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL, MIA, COL)

After an off-day to lick their wounds, the Dodgers travel to San Francisco for a second defense against their hated rivals. The Giants handed the Dodgers' their last series loss, guaranteeing three days of stress-induced ulcers for your friends here at the heavily-biased BWHT championship committee.

Confused about what the BWHT is and how it works? Hit the BWHT link on the sidebar.

*This recap of the weekend's events brought to you by someone who saw a grand total of about five minutes of Dodger baseball this weekend.

Dodgers Filet Fish, Retain Baseball World Heavyweight Title

Respect the Beard!
In record time and devastating fashion, the Dodgers squashed their challengers from South Beach, retaining the Baseball World Heavyweight Title in two straight falls.* The champs lured the Marlins into a false sense of security early, letting them think they'd take the first fall. Then, from out of nowhere, Scott Van Slyke hit his finisher on Steve Cishek, giving the Dodgers the first fall.


Gif by the always-astonishing Conman. Duh.
The second fall was almost never in doubt, despite an aerial assault from Giancarlo Stanton in the opening moments. The Fish were no match for the sustained onslaught from the Dodgers, including a five-hit night from Andre "The Giant" (like the wrestler, not like the baseball team) Ethier.

For those of you just joining us, here's how the Baseball World Heavyweight Title works:

The BWHT imagines the World Series Championship as a pro wrestling belt defended in regular season series. The defending World Series champions start the season with the belt. From there:

1. A team must win a series from the champion to take the belt. One game isn't going to cut it, considering it's a 162-game season and teams all view the season in terms of series.

2. If the belt-holder splits a series (two- or four-game series), it retains. Much like on a draw in boxing or a count-out situation in pro wrestling, you don't get the belt unless you actually beat the champion. A tie isn't good enough.

3. If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

Let's take a look at the title history to date, as the Dodgers continue their run...

Current Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	Kansas City Royals (2014 World Series)	6 days	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	21 days (through 5/15)	5 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL, MIA)

Up next for the Dodgers is the final fall of the match with the Marlins, with only pride on the line. Then, starting tomorrow, the Rockies come to town for their rematch from this past weekend. Rain has been banned from ringside by management, but will that really prevent him from ruining the Rockies' chances again?


*Yes, the series with the Marlins is still going on, but the title has been decided and I won't be free to do anymore updates until after the Rockies series.

Rain's Interference Costs Rockies; Dodgers Retain Baseball World Heavyweight Title

Los Angeles finally gets some help from the rain.
While rain threatened to wreck the title match for both parties, the Dodgers fought through it to secure a tough, shortened win in the first fall on Friday night. Unfortunately for the Rockies, rain's dastardly interference led to the second fall of the match being completely thrown out. This meant the rainout rule took effect, and they could not win the Baseball World Heavyweight Title this weekend. The Dodgers wanted to show that they were true champions that could persevere despite intervention from the elements, so they won the match clean on Sunday, taking the series 2-0.

Regarding that rainout rule, we here at the championship committee will be following up on when that game is rescheduled. If either team is champion when that game is played, that single game will be a title match, regardless of whether it is added to another series in Colorado. Hold on, I may need to re-think this. While I'm up for the one-game, sudden death scenario, I think it will be reserved for games that would have affected the outcome of the series. In this case, the Dodgers won both games played, so they are the definite winners. I'll revisit this later.

Let's take another look at the title history to date...

Current Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	Kansas City Royals (2014 World Series)	6 days	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	17 days	4 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL, COL)

The Dodgers' next challenge comes in the form of the Marlins, including two former partners seeking revenge for being tossed through a barbershop window.


Confused about what the BWHT is and how it works? Hit the BWHT link on the sidebar.

Game 30 Thread: May 10 @ Rockies, 1p

Coors Field right now. Still think there's a game today? pic.twitter.com/HrJI03Lvbz

— Sons of Steve Garvey (@sosgsosg) May 10, 2015

Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 3.72) vs. Jorge de la Rosa (0-2, 9.00)

SNOW DAY! Despite the excess white stuff, this game is supposed to be played today, with the starters from yesterday's canceled game going today. Though...

The one day Carlos Frias should be starting...

— Sons of Steve Garvey (@sosgsosg) May 10, 2015

Yesterday's rainout also means the Dodgers are guaranteed a split of the series. Thus, despite only playing 5 innings, they've already retained the Baseball World Heavyweight Title.

And oh yeah, it's Mother's Day! Word (and love) to your mother! Enjoy your pink bats.

Dodgers Get Themselves Disqualified For Excessive Violence, Retain Baseball World Heavyweight Title

The Yazmanian Devil and an unknown accomplice abscond with the belt after leaving the Brewers a bloody mess in the ring.
The Dodgers just survived their stiffest challenge of their title reign, barely escaping a match with the Brewers. The champs had the advantage going in, only needing to win two out of four against a group of lowly jobbers. Yet, they quickly found themselves at a 2-1 disadvantage, because, as wrestling fans know, sometimes jobbers can surprise you.



With their backs against the wall, the Dodgers savagely beat the Brewers into submission. The Dodgers, in particular "The Yazmanian Devil" Yasmani Grandal, refused to let up when the Brewers were in the ropes, so the ref had no choice but to disqualify them. And, since the title cannot change hands on a disqualification (in this case, a split of a 4-game series), the Dodgers are still Baseball World Heavyweight Champion.

For those of you just joining us, here's how the Baseball World Heavyweight Title works:

The BWHT imagines the World Series Championship as a pro wrestling belt defended in regular season series. The defending World Series champions start the season with the belt. From there:

1. A team must win a series from the champion to take the belt. One game isn't going to cut it, considering it's a 162-game season and teams all view the season in terms of series.

2. If the belt-holder splits a series (two- or four-game series), it retains. Much like on a draw in boxing or a count-out situation in pro wrestling, you don't get the belt unless you actually beat the champion. A tie isn't good enough.

3. If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

4. Rainout Provision: If a game is rained out and rescheduled for later in the season (not a doubleheader in the same series), the series will be considered shortened to the number of actual scheduled games played. For example, if one game of a four-game series is rained out, that series becomes a three-game series for the purposes of tracking the championship. Furthermore, if one of the two teams is champion if/when the makeup game is played, that single game will be for the championship.

Let's take a look at the title history to date...

Current Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers 2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
CHAMPION	WON FROM	REIGN LENGTH	SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES
1) San Francisco Giants	Kansas City Royals (2014 World Series)	6 days*	1 (vs. AZ)
2) San Diego Padres	San Francisco Giants (4/12/15)	13 days	2 (vs. CHC, COL)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres (4/25/15)	14 days	3 (vs. SFG, AZ, MIL)

The Dodgers are now the longest-reigning and most successful champions of 2015. They bring the belt to Colorado for a three-game series starting tonight. By all accounts, we will see the rainout rule above come into play. There are a lot of different scenarios, the most intriguing of which is if tonight's game is played and the other two are postponed. That will mean tonight's winner would be the champion. Stay tuned!

*Yeah, sorry, Giants. Only your days with the belt in the 2015 season count toward your reign.

Post-Game 28 Thread: Yaz Don't Mess Around

DODGERS 14, BREWERS 4

Well, it was a breakfast baseball game, and Yasmani Grandal clearly ate his Wheaties. (Ugh. I feel like that joke really dates me.) Yaz was on base all six times today, including TWO 3-run homers and a 2-RBI double. Grandal's 8 RBI is the most by Dodger in a single game since (Free) James Loney went bonkers at Coors Field way back in 2006. The legend of Alex Guerrero also continued to grow, as he hit a (then) game-tying solo shot in the 2nd.

Sure, it would have been nice to share some of these runs with Kershaw and Wieland, but we'll take it. 10-run drubbings are always fun.

Enjoy the win now, everybody, since Mother Nature's looking to ruin the series in Colorado this weekend.

Not raining ATM but ominous weather in Denver, could wreak havoc this weekend with Dodgers-Rockies schedule pic.twitter.com/sQFzaGkt1w

— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) May 7, 2015

Oh, and one more thing...

Still champs! Full update on the BWHT coming tomorrow.

Dodgers Hit DBacks With Side Russian Legsweep, Retain Baseball World Heavyweight Title

Both Puigs may defend the belt under the Freebird Rule.
(Quick and dirty update today because we've got an early game and I need to get out of the way of the GT.)

The Dodgers easily dispatched the DBacks in two straight falls over the weekend to retain the Baseball World Heavyweight Title. (Yesterday's marathon game was merely an exhibition, with regards to the belt.) I guess you could say they squashed the Snakes.



The Dodgers hit the road today to defend against the Brewers in a four-game series. The Champion's Advantage is in play, as the Brewers must win at least three to take the strap.

Confused about what the BWHT is and how it works? Hit the BWHT link on the sidebar.

Dodgers Powerbomb Vogelsong, Retain Baseball World Heavyweight Title

"You want some? Didn't think so."
Despite dropping the second fall to the Giants in a shocking Kershaw loss, the Dodgers emerged victorious in their first defense of their Baseball World Heavyweight Title*. They retained the belt in exactly the same way they won it, by dropping four bombs. In the end, Ryan Vogelsong was left broken on the mat, and the Dodgers walk away with the strap.


Here's the 2015 title history to date:


The champs get a day to rest and flaunt their gold, but then are right back at it Friday night against the DBacks. This will be the Dodgers' second straight defense against a team that has already defeated them in a series this season. If they can manage to retain, they'll take the belt on the road to Milwaukee, starting on Monday.

Confused about what the BWHT is and how it works? Hit the BWHT link on the sidebar.

*Commissioner's Note: Name change from "Championship" to "Title" to save characters on Twitter. New abbreviation will be BWHT.

Dodgers Clobber Padres to Win Baseball World Heavyweight Championship

Current Champion: The Los Angeles Dodgers
With an 11-8 slobberknocker victory on Saturday night, the Dodgers have upended the Padres to capture their first Baseball World Heavyweight Championship! The Dodgers broke out the bats against the Padres like Sting against the NWO.


Here's a refresher course on the BWHC, for those of you who tuned in late:

The BWHC imagines the World Series Championship as a pro wrestling belt defended in regular season series. The defending World Series champions start the season with the belt. From there:

1. A team must win a series from the champion to take the belt. One game isn't going to cut it, considering it's a 162-game season and teams all view the season in terms of series.

2. If the belt-holder splits a series (two- or four-game series), it retains. Much like on a draw in boxing or a count-out situation in pro wrestling, you don't get the belt unless you actually beat the champion. A tie isn't good enough.

3. If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

4. Rainout Provision: If a game is rained out and rescheduled for later in the season (not a doubleheader in the same series), the series will be considered shortened to the number of actual scheduled games played. For example, if one game of a four-game series is rained out, that series becomes a three-game series for the purposes of tracking the championship. Furthermore, if one of the two teams is champion if/when the makeup game is played, that single game will be for the championship.

The Dodgers are the third BWHC belt-holders in 2015, following the Giants and the Padres. Here's the 2015 title history to date:

Now that the Dodgers' long (imaginary) championship drought is over, they can't get complacent. They must immediately defend the gold against the former champion Giants, beginning tonight at Dodger Stadium. The hunters have become the hunted, but the Giants will have to get through this man if they want to be two-time champs...

Post-Game 17 Thread: New Champs!

AGon taunts his former team with his newly-won prize.
Dodgers 11, Padres 8

This one was, as good ol' J.R. would say, a "slobberknocker." Petco Park became Coors Field for the evening, as the Dodgers smashed four home runs, en route to beating the Padres, 11-8. Andre Ethier, Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, and yes, even Juan Uribe(!!!) hit one out of pitcher-friendly Petco. (I wish I could have seen this offensive outburst, but my MLB.tv was hot garbage tonight.)

Brandon McCarthy's night was, to use another J.R.-ism, "bowling shoe ugly." McCarthy coughed up 3 home runs to Padres hitters (one to Wil Myers and two to Justin Upton) before exiting in the 6th with the frightening-sounding "forearm tightness." We hope the injury isn't serious, because McCarthy's a genuinely cool guy who just can't seem to catch a break health-wise. (Plus, Puig's hammy is still questionable, and he may be headed for the DL.)

That left the bullpen to defend a suddenly vulnerable 10-6 lead for four innings. Brand new Dodger reliever Sergio Santos was shaky, surrendering a run. Juan Nicasio pitched two scoreless. Chris Hatcher continued his up and down year by surrendering another run, but finally shutting the door in the ninth.

And of course, as you can see from the image above, the Dodgers have won the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship by taking two straight falls from the Padres. (The new side plates for the belt are at the engravers, and will be here Monday.) This is the Dodgers' first title reign, and the fact that their victory comes just after a Dodgers blog took charge of tracking the championship is strictly coincidence.

I swear.

(Re)Introducing the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship!

Current Baseball World Heavyweight Champions: San Diego Padres
Sons of Steve Garvey is proud to announce that it is the new home of the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship (formerly the Eye On Baseball Heavyweight Championship)! What the hell is the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship, you ask? It was created a few years back by Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder of CBS Sports' Eye On Baseball blog, as a way to combine their nerdy love of baseball with their nerdy love of wrestling. The idea is simple: Imagine the World Series Championship as a wrestling title that must be defended in every regular season series. In this scenario, the title would change hands several times throughout the year. As a bonafide wrestling nerd myself, I was fascinated with the concept and followed the history of the title on EOB closely, even mentioning it here when the Dodgers had a shot at the title.

Sometime last year, however, the updates on the title stopped. So, I recently asked Dayn Perry what was up. After being told the concept was forgotten/abandoned, I asked if I could carry on the championship here at SoSG. Dayn consented, and I am honored to be the new keeper of the championship lineage. With a new home comes a new name, the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship* (BWHC for short), and a new championship belt. Just as with the actual WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the current champion's logo will be represented in the side plates. (See above.)

Here, via EOB, are the original rules, which will remain in place. The defending World Series champions start the season with the belt. From there:

1. A team must win a series from the champion to take the belt. One game isn't going to cut it, considering it's a 162-game season and teams all view the season in terms of series.

2. If the belt-holder splits a series (two- or four-game series), it retains. Much like on a draw in boxing or a count-out situation in pro wrestling, you don't get the belt unless you actually beat the champion. A tie isn't good enough.

3. If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

For the 2015 season, I am implementing a new rule for rain postponements. If a game is rained out and rescheduled for later in the season (not a doubleheader in the same series), the series will be considered shortened to the number of actual scheduled games played. For example, if one game of a four-game series is rained out, that series becomes a three-game series for the purposes of tracking the championship. Furthermore, if one of the two teams is champion if/when the makeup game is played, that single game will be for the championship.

With the rules out of the way, let's look at the championship picture in 2015 so far:
The Giants (*sigh*) started the season as Baseball World Heavyweight Champions, and retained the title in their opening series against the DBacks. They were quickly squashed by the Padres on April 12, with the Padres taking 3 straight to close out a four-game series. The Padres went on to retain their title with series wins over the DBacks and Cubs, and a four-game split with the Rockies.

This means, dear readers, that your Los Angeles Dodgers are the new #1 contenders to the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship, and get a shot at the belt against the Padres this weekend. What better way to wash the stink of getting swept in SF than to win a fake title belt? Also, as badly as I want the Dodgers to win the title (To my knowledge, they never won it while it was being tracked at EOB.), I will not allow my personal bias to cloud my judgement as Championship Commissioner, as has happened in the past.

There will be a new post updating the title history after each title change or successful defense. Big thanks again to the Eye On Baseball guys for creating this concept, and to Dayn Perry for passing the torch to me. Also, apologies in advance, as I'm about to get even nerdier than usual up in here.

*Originally, I thought the Baseball World Heavyweight Championship was going to be a placeholder name until I thought of a better one. (I didn't want to just name it the SoSG Heavyweight Championship, since it wasn't our original idea.) But the more I type it out, the more I like it. It's like when WWE took the WCW name off the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. If you have any good name ideas, though, leave them in the comments and maybe I'll use one.