MLB post season: 2009 [Archive] - Straight Dope Message Board

Diogenes the Cynic

10-04-2009, 04:59 PM

And so it begins.

AL matchups:

TBD @ New York Yankees

The Twins have caught the Tigers on the last day and will have a one game playoff at the Metrodome on tuesday to decide who's going to play the Yankees. I'm a Twins fan, but I still expect the Pinstripes to take care of either the Twins or the Tigers.

Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

I feel like the Bosox will take this one, but it won't be a cakewalk.

NL Matchups:

Colorado Rockies @ Philadelphia Phillies

I'll take the Phillies at home.

St. Louis Cardinals @ Los Angelos Dodgers

Dodgers haven't looked too great lately, but I'll go with Joe Torre's post season experience and home field advantage.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think the Yankees will go all the way to the WS for the AL. In the NL, I don't know, but it would be interesting to see Torre go up against the Yankees.

ElvisL1ves

10-04-2009, 05:02 PM

Yanks vs. survivors (winner of playoff will have to start the very next day, with a discombobulated pitching staff).

Red Sox, 'cause Angels don't have the pitching.

Phillies are too good for Rox.

Cards over stumbling Dodgers.

Red Sox - Phillies series. Experience and pitching. But Boston has more.

Telemark

10-04-2009, 06:00 PM

I'm a Boston fan and I'm not sure I see them getting past the Yankees this year, as much as I want to believe. The Yanks are firing on all cylinders right now and their pitching is pretty solid. I'm guessing we'll face them in the ALCS, but beyond that I don't know.

I'll take Phillies and Dodgers in the NLCS. I haven't watched them enough to know beyond that either.

Asimovian

10-05-2009, 08:29 AM

I'm just annoyed that I now have to take a half-day off on Thursday because TBS has decided that the Angels' series will be a bigger draw than the Dodgers' series. Even though from a money-making perspective, I'm sure that's the right call, I'm a Dodger fan who happens to hate the Angels. So I'm not too thrilled about losing vacation time because of them.

From a pure baseball fan perspective, though, there's something fun about the idea of two playoff games taking place three hours apart 40 miles from one another. There will be a lot of happy Southern Californian baseball fans this week (pending various outcomes).

As far as predictions go, I think the Rockies are actually going to surprise the Phillies and win this one in five. I can't really choose anyone over the Dodgers, so I'll say they beat the Cards in four. Dodgers over the Rockies in six.

Initially, I wanted the Dodgers and Red Sox in the Series just to see what Manny's "homecoming" ends up like, but Manny has become much less of a story in the Dodgers' second half of the season. So my vote is for the Dodgers and Yankees, with the Dodgers in six.

Munch

10-05-2009, 08:38 AM

I'm rooting for the Dodgers, just so ElvisL1ves will shut up already about Manny Ramirez! :)

What Exit?

10-05-2009, 08:52 AM

Yankees over probably the Twins. Yanks outclass them in every aspect and can set the rotation as they wish and will be able to use Rivera, Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in every game in relief. This should be a huge advantage.

Red Sox vs. Angels: I think the Red Sox will take it in hard fought series. The Red Sox have better pitching and good enough managing and plenty of offense. They don’t seem to have the problems in Anaheim that Yanks do. I do give the Angels the edge in making runs and manager but overall the Sox seem better.

Cards over Dodgers: Torre is on his way to another 1st round elimination as the Cards look better right now. Better hitting and pitching and the Dodgers bullpen is tired.

Rockies over Phillies: This one is just a gut pick. I feel like the Phillies are floundering a bit and the Rockies are ready for some magic.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Yanks should beat the Red Sox. The starters match up about the same and the Yanks appear to have the slightly better bullpen currently. The Yanks have better defense and offense. This should decide it.

Cards over the Rockies: Cards are the best team in the NL right now and I don’t think the Rockies run will be enough to overcome the much better team.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yanks over the Cardinals: Cards have a better 1-2 punch in the starters and Pujols will be the best player on the field, but 1-9 the Yanks are a better team with a much better bullpen. The Yanks should have enough starters. The Yanks will probably take 2 of the games late once the Cardinal starters are out. The Yanks are the comeback team with 15 walk-off victories and 51 come from behind victories this year.

Jas09

10-05-2009, 10:34 AM

Yanks over the Cardinals: Cards have a better 1-2 punch in the starters and Pujols will be the best player on the field, but 1-9 the Yanks are a better team with a much better bullpen. The Yanks should have enough starters. The Yanks will probably take 2 of the games late once the Cardinal starters are out. The Yanks are the comeback team with 15 walk-off victories and 51 come from behind victories this year. From your lips to God's ears. I'll take a WS loss for this Cards team (especially after my preseason expectations).

However, they are playing pretty shittily right now (lost 8 of their last 10 series, I believe). So I'm not sure I can pick them to go very far. Fortunately the Dodgers are the one team the Cards match up pretty well with...

My picks:

NYY over TBD (I think this will be the Twins, btw)
LAA over BOS

NYY over LAA

STL over LAN
PHI over COL

PHI over STL

NYY over PHI for the WS title.

Munch

10-05-2009, 11:01 AM

New York Yankees over the Minnetoit Twiggers
Regardless of who wins tomorrow, the Yankees win this series handily. Neither has their rotation in any sort of shape to deal with that lineup, and the Yankees' bullpen is scary for the playoffs.

Boston Red Sox over the LA Angels of Orange County
The Angels' pitching just isn't where it should be. I don't like the Angels because they have so many gritty intangibles that it's hard to keep track of them - I can't watch all of their games, and am probably a little predisposed to not liking "how" they win. Plus, their bullpen is an absolute mess.

St. Louis Cardinals over the LA Dodgers
The Cardinals pitching is going to be extremely impressive, and they're going to win several 2-1 games.

Colorado Rockies over Philadelphia Phillies
I feel least confident about this. Both teams are struggling right now, but I think that Jimmy Rollins is going to do or say something stupid that will push the Rockies over the edge. Neither has the pitching to make it beyond this level.

Boston Red Sox over NY Yankees
Jeter is going to go 4-30, A-Rod will go 6-31, and New Yawkers will still lambast A-Rod over their idol.

Cardinals over Rockies
The Cardinals have, IMO, the NL wrapped up. Carpenter and Wainwright give them an almost automatic 2 wins in every series, 3 in the 7 game serieses.

World Series champ will be wearing red... I think the Sox and the Cardinals match up really well, and it'll come down to 7 games. I'll give it to Boston.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-05-2009, 01:14 PM

The Tigers might be a little distracted for that play-in game at the Metrodome tomorrow.

Miguel Cabrera was arrested (http://detnews.com/article/20091005/SPORTS0104/910050376/Police-pick-up--release-Cabrera-after-911-call-from-home) after a drunken fight with his wife last night.

Thudlow Boink

10-05-2009, 03:53 PM

From your lips to God's ears. I'll take a WS loss for this Cards team (especially after my preseason expectations).

However, they are playing pretty shittily right now (lost 8 of their last 10 series, I believe). So I'm not sure I can pick them to go very far. Fortunately the Dodgers are the one team the Cards match up pretty well with...Well, not "shittily" so much as sloppily, not as well as they used to, and not quite well enough to win ball games. But I think—I hope—that a lot of this is that they knew they didn't have to, they had the division sewn up anyway, and they're saving their extra oomph for the postseason, kinda like they did in '06.

Jas09

10-05-2009, 04:17 PM

Well, not "shittily" so much as sloppily, not as well as they used to, and not quite well enough to win ball games. But I think—I hope—that a lot of this is that they knew they didn't have to, they had the division sewn up anyway, and they're saving their extra oomph for the postseason, kinda like they did in '06.God I hope so. 'Cause I was at the game Friday night and if that's the last game I see in person this year (out of town for the NLDS) I'll be a sad panda.

And there probably is something to it. A Baseball Prospectus article today looked at how a team is playing leading into the playoffs (last week, two weeks, and month) and found a negative correlation with first-round outcomes, FWIW.

Skammer

10-05-2009, 04:47 PM

I'd love to see Boston plow through the playoffs, but they really backed into the postseason this year. And after dominating NYY in the first half of the season, they've really got the Yanks messing with their minds now.

I *think* the Sox will be able to take LAA, but I really wish that the matchups were reversed. I was in Anaheim last July to watch the Yankees swept by the Angels, and it was sweet.

Asimovian

10-05-2009, 04:53 PM

STL over LANSt. Louis over who? As if we don't get slighted enough already. ;)

silenus

10-05-2009, 04:57 PM

it would be nice if the Dodgers won, but it is essential that the Yankees lose! Unfortunately, that doesn't look likely.

Jas09

10-05-2009, 05:46 PM

St. Louis over who? As if we don't get slighted enough already. ;)Sorry, old habit. LAN = Los Angeles (National). As opposed to LAA = Los Angeles (American). At least a few places abbreviate it this way, I believe, although most use the more obvious LAD.

I've also been known to use CHN/CHA as well as NYN/NYA. No disrespect intended :)

ETA: Apparently retrosheet (http://www.retrosheet.org/newsltr4.txt)uses this method, but to be accurate I should have used SLN instead of STL.

astorian

10-05-2009, 09:13 PM

I'm a Yankees fan, and think the Yankees are the best team in the playoffs.

So, what are their chances of winning it all? In my book, about 25%.

That's because, in baseball, any short series is pretty close to a crapshoot. Even the worst teams can and do get hot and go on a tear. In the post-season, that CAN be enough.

The Yankees are the best team in the final eight... but there's not a single team in the playoffs that CAN'T take 4 out of 7 from the Yanks.

gonzomax

10-06-2009, 06:22 PM

Tigers are leading the Twits 3 to 2 in the 7th. Cabrera hit a 2 run homer. Miguel. that is.

Ulf the Unwashed

10-06-2009, 06:32 PM

What was that about Cabrera hitting a 2-run homer?

Twins 4, Tigers 3...

RickJay

10-06-2009, 06:34 PM

Hell of a game so far. Too bad I CAN'T WATCH IT ON FUCKING TV.

Twins just went ahead on Cabrera's homer; Mauer then singled. Ni, Detroit's new LOOGY, is in to get Kubel.

Ulf the Unwashed

10-06-2009, 06:37 PM

Look who's pitching for Detroit...

The Knights Who Say...

Ulf the Unwashed

10-06-2009, 06:43 PM

I saw Cabrera (Orlando that is) play for Vermont in the looow minors back when he was in the Expos organization--also saw Span and Morales when they were in the Twins organization, and the Tigers' Ryan Raburn more recently when he was with Oneonta in the NY-Penn League.

Always fun to see them "all grown up."

gonzomax

10-06-2009, 06:53 PM

Hell of a game so far. Too bad I CAN'T WATCH IT ON FUCKING TV.

Twins just went ahead on Cabrera's homer; Mauer then singled. Ni, Detroit's new LOOGY, is in to get Kubel.

It is on TBS.

Kid_A

10-06-2009, 06:56 PM

It is on TBS.
I don't know about RickJay and how it is in Burlington but in Toronto, we used to have TBS and they replaced it with Peachtree. So we get Family Guy instead. :rolleyes:

gonzomax

10-06-2009, 07:05 PM

Even Fox Sports, who gets an extra 5 bucks a month from me , to show baseball, does not have the game. I wnadered around looking for it and bumped into it on TBS.

RickJay

10-06-2009, 07:21 PM

It is on TBS.
I'm seeing a Tyler Perry program.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-06-2009, 07:30 PM

I'm seeing the game. Maybe it depends on where you are. It's a barnburner too.

Tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th. One on, nobody out.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-06-2009, 07:33 PM

Bunt moves the runner to second. Orlando Cabrera at the plate with Mauer to follow.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-06-2009, 07:34 PM

Cabrera grounds out to 3rd (nice stop by Inge).

They walk Joe Mauer.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-06-2009, 07:36 PM

Gomez grounds to short. Extra innings.

RickJay

10-06-2009, 07:37 PM

It's such a good game, though, that I'm having fun "watching" it on MLB Gameday. sure wish I could have seen that play by Cabrera but it's fun to imagine what it would be like if I lived in a world where "Peachtree" wasn't showing a Tyler Perry marathon.

Bottom 9, Nick Punto leads off with a ten-pitch walk, thrice fouling off Strike Three. Bet that would have been cool to see!

Denard Span up. Perhaps he's knocking dirt from his cleats or adjusting his batting glove; I don't know because TSN is showing a women's boxing match between two boxers known only to their families. Span sacrificies Punto to second, one out.

Fernando Rodney replaces Brandon Lyon. I can see him in my mind's eye. He's a black guy in a Tigers uniform, as I recall. Why, he might be jogging in from the pen now. Or maybe he's already taking his warmup pitches; it's hard to say when you can't fucking watch the game. Rodney is 37 for 38 in save opportunities this year, which is curious in that he didn't really pitch all that well; he still managed to lose four games despite blowing only one save, and he doesn't have great control.

Orlando Cabrera hitting with Punto on second, one out. Cabrera has already hit a two run homer (which I was not allowed to see) and made a great double play (preempted by the guy who likes dressing up as his grandma.) He grounds out 5-3, Punto holding.

Up comes Joe Mauer, the deserving AL MVP. The Tigers wanted no part of him and walked him intentionally. Not missing a lot there.

Carlos Gomez up. Gomez replaced Kubel for defense, a move that hurts right now. Gomez hitting just .227 with 3 homers. Does he look nervous? Confident? Tyler Perry is chewing scenery. Ah, Gameday says Gomez is out, so we're going to extras. Have to wait to find out what KIND of out, though. Oh, force play 6-4.

This is so much fun but less fun than watching!

asterion

10-06-2009, 07:48 PM

I know it's not the same and I know you're in Canada and might be blocked AND I know it's the bottom of the 10th and the game might be over before you see this, but ESPNRadio.com is simulcasting the ESPN Radio call.

RickJay

10-06-2009, 07:59 PM

Detroit up 5-4 but the Twins have men on first and third and one out. On Peachtree, I presume Tyler Perry continues. I don't have the heart to turn the TV on.

Somebody named Matt Tolbert is hitting. I'm not sure it says a lot about Minnesota that Mr. Tolbert is the starting third basemen and nobody better can be summoned to hit with the season standing at third, but who knows?

Well, hell, Tolbert singles to center, scoring Cuddyer, Casilla goes first to third. What a great game to read!

mhendo

10-06-2009, 08:01 PM

Wow. Double play to end the 10th, including a play at the plate on a tag-up. 5-5.

gonzomax

10-06-2009, 08:01 PM

It looked the a game ending double play.
Raburn made a serious mistake giving up that triple. Now he throws out the runner at home. time for another inning of baseball.

asterion

10-06-2009, 08:02 PM

Had to go for it. Better chance than waiting on base with two outs and that was a great throw from left to the plate.

Southern Yankee

10-06-2009, 08:02 PM

As a Yankee fan, this is a great game. Let's play 15!

Lamar Mundane

10-06-2009, 08:05 PM

I thought I was watching a replay of the Rockies-Phillies playoff in 07. Fall behind in extras, come back, win on a catch/play at the plate. Not to be.

He really shouldn't have run there. Bad call by the third base coach. The outfield was shallow the ball was hit right at the left fielder on a line. He basically gambled on a bad throw. Nice evasion by the runner, but he was out.

asterion

10-06-2009, 08:06 PM

Well, I liked going for it. Then again, I still don't like the chances of getting something with two out.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-06-2009, 08:07 PM

This is killing me.

Whoever wins is going have a totally used up bullpen against the Yankees tomorrow.

furt

10-06-2009, 08:19 PM

It's such a good game, though, that I'm having fun "watching" it on MLB Gameday. Doing the same at work.

Anybody know why the Twins just pissed away Ron Mahay? They're pretty much out of relievers now, aren't they?

mhendo

10-06-2009, 08:23 PM

This is killing me.

Whoever wins is going have a totally used up bullpen against the Yankees tomorrow.Tel me about it. As if the Yankees, already strong favorites, need another advantage apart from their 200 million dollar payroll.

Raygun99

10-06-2009, 08:38 PM

The game's on Sportsnet East in Canada, BTW.
It *was* on Sportsnet West but they switched over to hockey and told us to switch over to East - one problem - you can't get Sportsnet East here.

Ulf the Unwashed

10-06-2009, 08:49 PM

Wow.

Gotta feel bad for the Tigers...but what a story for the Twins.

What Exit?

10-06-2009, 08:50 PM

As a Yankee fan, this is a great game. Let's play 15!
I was hoping for 18 but 12 wasn't bad. Twins used 8 pitchers.

Munch

10-06-2009, 08:53 PM

It looked the a game ending double play.

No kidding. Lots of tough breaks for Detroit fans tonight. Gotta be disappointing to watch that. (It's okay - I'm a Royals fan.)

Diogenes the Cynic

10-06-2009, 08:53 PM

Woot!

Nice win, but I hope they don't celebrate too much, and by "celebrate," I mean drink. They have to work tomorrow.

Jman

10-06-2009, 08:54 PM

Fantastic ballgame. I like both teams (though I'm not a fan of either)...so I feel good for the Twins and bad for the Tigers. You couldn't ask for more from this game, though...just great.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-06-2009, 08:58 PM

Hard to believe this was an "afternoon" game.

gonzomax

10-06-2009, 09:07 PM

Twits will be worn down after that and have to play the Yankees tomorrow. They better get good starting pitching.

John DiFool

10-06-2009, 09:11 PM

gonzomax

10-06-2009, 09:19 PM

BobLibDem

10-06-2009, 09:25 PM

That was a classic game. I don't believe the Tigers will be sad that the Twins are leaving that hellish dome.

Marley23

10-06-2009, 09:47 PM

Very exciting game! The last couple of tiebreaker games have all been terrific and this one had just about everything. I was pulling for the Twins for no particular reason. Maybe I remember the Yankees swept them this season. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Hampshire

10-06-2009, 10:06 PM

Man that was exhausting! Almost a 5 hour game.
I started watching on MLB gameday at work at 4 p.m. Left work at 5 and listened on the radio in the car. Picked up my son from daycare and again listened in the car as I drove him to swim lessons. Listened on a walkman while he swam. Drove home listening again in the car. Got home and cooked dinner with the game on TBS in the other room. Put him to bed at 8 and the game was still going.
Practically 9 o'clock when I got to see the winning run score on TBS-HD on the 50" set.
I'm tired.

Happy Lendervedder

10-06-2009, 11:46 PM

Tonight was brutal for me. I'm a die-hard Tigers fan, probably watched 150 of the 162 games this year.

Well, I was on the road for work tonight, in rural Missouri, with no radio coverage available to me. So I had one eye on the road, and one eye on my cell phone as my phone refreshed the ESPN webpage every 30 seconds. Yes, I "watched" 4.5 hours of this five hour game on my constantly-refreshing cell phone. The final half hour I was able to be on the phone with my wife who was giving me a play-by-play.

All-in-all tonight was fucking brutal.

Congrats Twins. Now don't mind that sweeping sound headed your way. It's just the Yankees coming to pound you into next season.

mhendo

10-07-2009, 01:30 AM

Tonight was brutal for me. I'm a die-hard Tigers fan, probably watched 150 of the 162 games this year.Well, at least now you can focus all your attention on the Lions. :)

gonzomax

10-07-2009, 09:02 AM

Lions are already through. We are on a downturn for the Pistons. All we have is the Red Wings.
The Tigers are going to undergo a lot of change next year. Polanco's contract is up and he will be expensive, perhaps too expensive. Avery is pressuring Laird for his position. Everett can't hit at all. Cabrera has to dealt with.
The Tigers packed the stadium last year but Detroit has a 30 percent unemployment rate. If they fall off on the field the Tigers will lose a lot of money. It is a tough decision for management. If you field a good team, there is no guarantee you will win. Do they take a chance on spending a lot of money?

Least Original User Name Ever

10-07-2009, 09:20 AM

Well, it's a good thing that Brandon Inge getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded held no consequence to the game.

Asimovian

10-07-2009, 09:27 AM

Well, it's a good thing that Brandon Inge getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded held no consequence to the game.I'm surprised the Yankees didn't launch a protest themselves. The game could easily have gone another couple of evenings with the correct call there.

What Exit?

10-07-2009, 09:42 AM

It all starts soon. Here is the schedule.

See here for updates on game times. (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=09)
Minnesota vs. New York
Wednesday 6:07pm on TBS at Yankee Stadium (Today)
Friday 6:07pm on TBS at Yankee Stadium
Sunday on TBS TBD at Min
Monday on TBS TDB at Min
Wednesday on TBS TDB ay NYY

Cardinals vs. Dodgers
Gm. 1 STL@LAD Wed., Oct. 7 9:37 ET
Gm. 2 STL@LAD Thu., Oct. 8 6:07 ET
Gm. 3 LAD@STL Sat., Oct. 10 6:07 ET
Gm. 4* LAD@STL Sun., Oct. 11 TBD
Gm. 5* STL@LAD Tue., Oct. 13 TBD

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Gm 1 BOS @ LAA Thu Oct. 8 9:37 PM TBS
Gm 2 BOS @ LAA Fri Oct. 9 9:37 PM TBS
Gm 3 LAA @ BOS Sun Oct. 11 TBD TBS
Gm 4* LAA @ BOS Mon Oct. 12 TBD TBS
Gm 5* BOS @ LAA Wed Oct. 14 TBD TBS

Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies.
Gm 1 COL @ PHI Wed Oct. 7 2:37 PM TBS
Gm 2 COL @ PHI Thu Oct. 8 2:37 PM TBS
Gm 3 PHI @ COL Sat Oct. 10 9:37 PM TBS
Gm 4* PHI @ COL Sun Oct. 11 TBD TBS
Gm 5* COL @ PHI Tue Oct. 13 TBD TBS

Marley23

10-07-2009, 09:55 AM

Well, it's a good thing that Brandon Inge getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded held no consequence to the game.
How long is his shirt going to be on the DL?

Least Original User Name Ever

10-07-2009, 09:56 AM

How long is his shirt going to be on the DL?

His shirt and his knees could be in surgery this offseason.

astorian

10-07-2009, 10:44 AM

May not mean too much gm. The Twins could be said to be fresh & have momentum on their side, while the Yankees haven't played a meaningful game in 2+ weeks. The off days should save the Minnesota 'pen.

Come on!

The Twins certainly CAN beat the Yankees. After all, this is baseball, where there's no such thing as an upset. There's no reason the Twins COULDN'T take a short series from the Yanks. I'd give the Twins a 40% chance of doing just that.

But...

1) Momentum simply doesn't exist.

2) There is no way you can pretend the Twins are "fresher" than the Yanks.

Southern Yankee

10-07-2009, 11:21 AM

Games like last night's are what make baseball better than other sports, IMO. The drama, the tension, the back and forth scoring, the plays at the plate and in the field. I'm a huge NFL fan, but nothing compares to a close, meaningful baseball game.

gonzomax

10-07-2009, 11:32 AM

Well, it's a good thing that Brandon Inge getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded held no consequence to the game.

Or Polanco getting called out on a pitch a foot out of the zone.

Crawlspace

10-07-2009, 11:32 AM

Forecast from the NOAA for tonight's game in the Bronx Windy, with a west wind around 31 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. That's right, the wind is going to be gusting out to right field. It could be ugly folks.

Marley23

10-07-2009, 11:34 AM

gonzomax

10-07-2009, 11:35 AM

How long is his shirt going to be on the DL?

Does not matter. It is hit by pitch ,when your clothes are hit. How often does a guy get on DL after being hit anyway? It was just one of the bad calls by a South Park umpire. (Stan Marsh)

gonzomax

10-07-2009, 11:37 AM

John DiFool

10-07-2009, 12:00 PM

What off day? They play tomorrow.

<sigh>

The offdays after Game 1. Used to be that a 5 game series would take 6 days to play-not anymore.

John DiFool

10-07-2009, 12:04 PM

Come on!

The Twins certainly CAN beat the Yankees. After all, this is baseball, where there's no such thing as an upset. There's no reason the Twins COULDN'T take a short series from the Yanks. I'd give the Twins a 40% chance of doing just that.

But...

1) Momentum simply doesn't exist.

2) There is no way you can pretend the Twins are "fresher" than the Yanks.

Just combating one set of pointless & meaningless cliches with another set.

ElvisL1ves

10-07-2009, 12:10 PM

a South Park umpire. (Stan Marsh)
Randy Marsh. Stan's Dad.

Least Original User Name Ever

10-07-2009, 12:11 PM

I'm surprised I haven't seen more discussion of Leyland's decision to send Rodney out there for a fourth inning. I don't know much about the Tiger bullpen or Rodney's durability, but that's asking a lot. He threw 48 pitches to 15 batters.

Rodney doens't pitch more than an inning very often. Actually, his season high was 2 innings and it was done 3 times this year. The 3rd inning was a bonus inning, but who else could Leyland throw out there? Galarraga pitched the previous game. Zumaya was still hurt. Seay was dinged up. Robertson? Bonderman? Maybe those two, and I'd have preferred to see one of them over Miner can be hit or miss.

Jas09

10-07-2009, 12:14 PM

Rodney doens't pitch more than an inning very often. Actually, his season high was 2 innings and it was done 3 times this year. The 3rd inning was a bonus inning, but who else could Leyland throw out there? Galarraga pitched the previous game. Zumaya was still hurt. Seay was dinged up. Robertson? Bonderman? Maybe those two, and I'd have preferred to see one of them over Miner can be hit or miss.Verlander?

Marley23

10-07-2009, 12:18 PM

Happy Lendervedder

10-07-2009, 12:19 PM

Marley23

10-07-2009, 01:40 PM

And they're underway in Philly. Sneaking in my picks at the last second:

NL:
Phillies over Rockies in five, Cardinals over Dodgers in four. Cardinals beat Philly in six in the NLCS.

AL:
Yankees sweep the Twins, Angels take out Red Sox in five. Yankees over the Angels in seven.

Yankees win the Series over the Cardinals, four games to one.

dalej42

10-07-2009, 06:28 PM

TBS's coverage seems very Yankee biased. Too bad Brett Favre doesn't play for the Twins.

Least Original User Name Ever

10-07-2009, 06:54 PM

Verlander?

Slated to start game 2 and 5 (if it came to that) of the next series.

Least Original User Name Ever

10-07-2009, 06:55 PM

Randy Marsh. Stan's Dad.

He's partially got the reference, but he messed up the umpire's name. I'll call it a ball.

Least Original User Name Ever

10-07-2009, 06:56 PM

TBS's coverage seems very Yankee biased. Too bad Brett Favre doesn't play for the Twins.

By the way, New York fans, for as hearty as the suckfest was for Favre and the Packers on Monday night, that's pretty much what it's like to hear about the New York and Boston teams all the time.

Eat my triple post, bitches.

What Exit?

10-07-2009, 07:27 PM

Here I am just thinking how much they suck. Chip is bad and Darling is clueless. They are not Yankee-centric, they just stink.

But I like the show Capt Clutch is putting on and damn that was just a great play by Punto.

Diogenes the Cynic

10-07-2009, 08:00 PM

Twins are playing like they're hung over from partying last night. They usually have more energy than this.

gonzomax

10-07-2009, 08:34 PM

It was bad. My brother has been living in New York for about 40 years. I have been getting some ugly emails the last few weeks. The Yankees have been mentioned a few times in them. Then something about a Tiger meltdown. This is not fun.

Southern Yankee

10-07-2009, 08:48 PM

That's 1.

What Exit?

10-07-2009, 08:53 PM

CC's best post season game ever. Jeter was the platey of the game. A quick win.

Marley23

10-07-2009, 09:52 PM

That's exactly the game you want if you're the Yankees. Everybody except Teixeira had a hit, Rodriguez drove in two runs, and Sabathia was excellent for the most part. I was surprised they went with Mo in the ninth inning and things got a little rocky for him, but it worked out.

Wolf and Carpenter both looked pretty awful in the first inning but they've settled down. Although DeRosa just airmailed a throw into right field, so it's 3-1 L.A.

What Exit?

10-07-2009, 10:03 PM

St. Anger

10-07-2009, 10:24 PM

I was at the Phillies game today and what a party! I'm not even sure how the Rockies made it into the playoffs, they cant even catch a simple fly ball, but hey, anything can happen.

Marley23

10-07-2009, 10:27 PM

If you're a fan of baseball mustaches, you have to love Brendan Ryan's super-old-timey facial hair. It looks like he borrowed it from John L. Sullivan.

Carpenter is still laboring, but just got out of a bases-loaded jam.

Darryl Lict

10-08-2009, 02:02 AM

If you're a fan of baseball mustaches, you have to love Brendan Ryan's super-old-timey facial hair. It looks like he borrowed it from John L. Sullivan.
Yeah, that dude is old school down to the socks.

WooHoo! Go Dodgers!

mhendo

10-08-2009, 02:41 AM

MLB.com had a fairly appropriate headline/image combination this evening on its home page. It said "Stars Align for Yanks in Game 1 Win."

The four players pictured underneath—Jeter, Matsui, Rodriguez, and Sabathia—have combined 2009 salaries that exceed the Twins' total payroll by more than $15 million.

D_Odds

10-08-2009, 08:15 AM

It was to give Mo a little work. Too much time off is bad too.
Mariano Rivera is often at less than his best when the game isn't on the line. We had this same discussion in the bar where I watched the game. You put Mariano in for the same reason he pitched on Sunday. He's had two days off, and today (Thursday) is a day off. With Saturday also being an off day, I wouldn't be surprised to see him pitch an inning Friday, even if the Yankees have a big lead.

Marley23

10-08-2009, 08:51 AM

Mariano Rivera is often at less than his best when the game isn't on the line.
As many closers are.

The Dodgers won pretty easily last night but they missed a lot of chances to score more runs. That was probably the longest 5-3 game in the history of baseball. It felt like both teams stranded two runners every inning. Come to think of it, the Dodgers left 16 men on base in eight innings - so on average, they DID strand two men per inning. And the Cardinals left 11 guys on base. Separately you have to give props to Pujols for that grounder he snared late in the game. I don't think I've ever seen a first baseman make a play on a ground ball that far from the bag.

What Exit?

10-08-2009, 09:16 AM

As many closers are.

The Dodgers won pretty easily last night but they missed a lot of chances to score more runs. That was probably the longest 5-3 game in the history of baseball. It felt like both teams stranded two runners every inning. Come to think of it, the Dodgers left 16 men on base in eight innings - so on average, they DID strand two men per inning. And the Cardinals left 11 guys on base. Separately you have to give props to Pujols for that grounder he snared late in the game. I don't think I've ever seen a first baseman make a play on a ground ball that far from the bag.
I heard the pair of teams set the post season record for most men left on base in a 9 inning game. So your observations are very accurate. Most since an extra inning game in 1903 the first year of the modern World Series.

Southern Yankee

10-08-2009, 11:56 AM

Wow, apparently Kemp's HR last night was the first postseason dinger by a Dodger CF since 1974 (Jimmy Wynn.)

Marley23

10-08-2009, 02:31 PM

I heard the pair of teams set the post season record for most men left on base in a 9 inning game. So your observations are very accurate. Most since an extra inning game in 1903 the first year of the modern World Series.
TBS gave the overall figure (27) during the game and said it was a record. I realized how ridiculously long the game was taking around the time I posted last night. The game started around 9:30 pm and the third inning ended around 10:50!

Thudlow Boink

10-08-2009, 02:44 PM

The final tally was 30 left on base. (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091008&content_id=7392540&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)

silenus

10-08-2009, 08:17 PM

Oh, you magnificent bastards! Yee-haw!! I want to kiss Loretta right on the lips!

hajario

10-08-2009, 08:18 PM

Oh hell yeah! How about that Dodger rally? Two outs in the 9th and they score two runs to win!

Lamar Mundane

10-08-2009, 10:20 PM

I'll bet Matt Holliday is taking a commercial flight home tonight. I wouldn't want to be in a captive environment after that debacle. I was surprised to hear that he only had one error all season up to that point - in Colorado he was terrible. He was regularly replaced with a defensive player late in ballgames.

I was at the Phillies game today and what a party! I'm not even sure how the Rockies made it into the playoffs, they cant even catch a simple fly ball, but hey, anything can happen.

Hey, bitch, welcome to Coors Field where the gametime temperature Saturday is going to be about 29°.

Seriously, we may see a game cancelled for cold. They can play Sunday afternoon (high 46°) and Monday (56°) afternoon and be back in Philly by late evening. Not that that trip is going to be necessary. :)

Southern Yankee

10-09-2009, 09:13 PM

Nothing about tonight's game yet? It's a good one.

Southern Yankee

10-09-2009, 09:26 PM

Twins had bases loaded, no outs in the 11th and didn't score. Whew.

gonzomax

10-09-2009, 09:30 PM

The Twits should have sent the runner. Make them make the play. It requires a strong throw on base ,the catcher to come up with it and make a tag while holding on to the ball. It is nice to have bases loaded with nobody put, but 1 run could have won it. Then they turned into the Tigers and did not score.

Southern Yankee

10-09-2009, 09:30 PM

Fuck yeah. That's 2.

Jman

10-09-2009, 09:53 PM

Twins didn't deserve the win by leaving 17 on base, but the Yankees don't need any more help, and they got it with possibly the most horrendous call I've ever seen in the MLB postseason. Calling a fair ball (by a foot!) foul, while staring right at it, and costing the Twins a sure run in the process. Inexcusable.

Carmady

10-09-2009, 10:00 PM

Calling a fair ball (by a foot!) foul, while staring right at it, and costing the Twins a sure run in the process. Inexcusable.

It was a "sure run" in the same sense that bases loaded with no outs is a "sure run."

Which is to say, apparently not sure at all.

Even with the correct call, the Twins had no way to prevent the Yankees from letting them load the bases with no outs as they did anyway.

storyteller0910

10-09-2009, 10:05 PM

Any Yankees fans feel like complaining how Alex Rodriguez isn't clutch like Captain Clutchiness tonight? No? Is the poor guy a "True Yankee" yet?

BobLibDem

10-09-2009, 10:06 PM

Jman

10-09-2009, 10:09 PM

It was a "sure run" in the same sense that bases loaded with no outs is a "sure run."

Which is to say, apparently not sure at all.

Even with the correct call, the Twins had no way to prevent the Yankees from letting them load the bases with no outs as they did anyway.

Except that it was followed by two singles...

D_Odds

10-09-2009, 10:12 PM

Any Yankees fans feel like complaining how Alex Rodriguez isn't clutch like Captain Clutchiness tonight? No? Is the poor guy a "True Yankee" yet?Well, he had a good ALDS before his disastrous post season streak started, but I'm happy to see him hitting big in big situations.

As for the horrendously bad call - I don't think the ump was blocked. He was down low looking right at it and screwed up big time. But it wasn't "a foot". It was about 2-3 inches off the line (though I'm sure we'll see some high def photos or screen caps soon to prove me wrong).

Carmady

10-09-2009, 10:16 PM

Except that it was followed by two singles...

At the risk of stating the obvious, those at-bats would have been totally different if the correct call was made. They could have been outs, walks, or even home runs for all we know.

It was a terrible call, but in terms of impact it wasn't that bad.

The Twins ended up in just about the best possible situation. Even with the correct call, the Yankees could have just walked the bases loaded if they wanted.

Bases loaded with no outs is the situation you hope for. It is better than runner on second with no outs.

dalej42

10-09-2009, 10:36 PM

Thunder Sticks? Didn't those go away after the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California won the 2002 World Series.

I'd be pissed if I went to a ball game and had to listen to those things all night.

RickJay

10-09-2009, 11:06 PM

Twins didn't deserve the win by leaving 17 on base, but the Yankees don't need any more help, and they got it with possibly the most horrendous call I've ever seen in the MLB postseason.
Easily the worst playoff call I've seen since Eric Gregg's "umpiring" in the 1997 NLCS. It was even worse than the Jeffrey Maier call, which at least was a weird play.

Marley23

10-09-2009, 11:50 PM

I'LL SHOW YOU A TRUE YANKEE!!!

That was a hell of a game from start to finish, with Cabrera saving the Yankees a run in the fourth by picking Gomez off when he overran second base. Nothing you can say about Rodriguez. He's been excellent this series and he was enormous tonight. Those home runs are why I watch sports. My girlfriend was in the shower when Rodriguez hit the home run and I think I scared the crap out of her. Then the extra innings held up our dinner plans by about an hour, Robertson had a clutch inning, and then Teixeira brought it all home. That was fantastic.

The Mauer call was totally botched, no question. Even before the replay you could see that ball was fair, and it probably hit Cabrera's glove on the way down, too. There's no way to know what would have happened, but in the end I think it came out in the wash: if he'd hit a double, Kubel would probably have been walked to set up the double play. Instead he hit a single and Mauer moved to second.

Crawlspace

10-09-2009, 11:52 PM

The Yankees won and the Red Sox lost. I can sleep well tonight.

Frank

10-10-2009, 06:22 AM

Hey, bitch, welcome to Coors Field where the gametime temperature Saturday is going to be about 29°.
An article in the paper this morning said it could be down to 18 by the end of the game. I'm sorry for the umps; they don't get to go sit in the dugout next to a space heater.

Southern Yankee

10-10-2009, 06:31 AM

Any Yankees fans feel like complaining how Alex Rodriguez isn't clutch like Captain Clutchiness tonight? No? Is the poor guy a "True Yankee" yet?

He's making strides.

Southern Yankee

10-10-2009, 06:37 AM

To their credit, the umpire crew admitted they blew the call. Not that it helps the Twins any. Either way, they wound up with bases loaded and no outs and didn't get a run in. That was a great escape job by Robertson.

Joe Mauer sure is fun to watch hit though.

Southern Yankee

10-10-2009, 06:42 AM

One more thing... I know it's worked out so far, but I think Girardi is over-managing this series. I know he has the schedule in his favor in regards to the bullpen, but he's "LaRussa-ing" it a little much. His primary bullpen guys are better than just situational relievers. He could have left Chamberlain, Coke or Hughes in longer than he did (well, maybe not Hughes) last night. It may not hurt them, but I was getting frustrated watching it.

RickJay

10-10-2009, 07:54 AM

As a little note just to follow up on the Twins-Tigers playoff games, as it turns out, th reason I couldn't watch it is that the sports network with the rights, Sportsnet, was deliberately not showing it in order to try to force people to pay for their bigger MLB package.

Those filthy shit-eating rat bastards.

What Exit?

10-10-2009, 09:40 AM

That was an incredible game last night. My son was totally engaged last night. It might be the game that takes him from casual fan to nutty fan like me. We had good seats on the third tier above the Twins batting circle. Great views of the entire park. The only play we did not see was the ball down the line the Melky almost caught and the Umpire blew the call on.

Despite Gardenhire and Yankees Haters being petulant about it, I'm pretty sure the Yanks would have won anyway. This is a team that comes back really well.

Nathan was looking pretty shaky. Blackburn looked great. Twins made some surprising mental mistakes they don't normal make. The Yanks just kept trying to comeback.

The home plate Ump seem to have done a really poor job with inconsistent calls for both team.

The Twins left an unbelievable number of runners on base. I swear it was at least one every inning. Nick Punto was nearly impossible to keep off the bases. The wonders of postseason baseball.

Jeter and especially A-Rod are hitting great. Teix got off the snide in the best way possible of course. Setting up the tying runs in the 9th and hitting the game winner, pie in the face short home run in the 11th.

Outside of Marte, all the pitchers looked good. Hits given up were usually grounders with eyes.

It was a great, tense and exciting game.

(Reposted from mellophant out of laziness)

As to A-Rod, somewhere I wrote that I saw A-Rod turn the corner this season. It stopped being 24 and 1 and he became part of the 25. He seems to be showing it with his much more relaxed approached this year and the results are wonderful. Him and Jeter are hitting around .500 each so far.

As a little note just to follow up on the Twins-Tigers playoff games, as it turns out, th reason I couldn't watch it is that the sports network with the rights, Sportsnet, was deliberately not showing it in order to try to force people to pay for their bigger MLB package.

Those filthy shit-eating rat bastards.
That really and truly does stink. They should really be slammed for this stupidity. Too greedy for words.

mhendo

10-10-2009, 11:42 AM

An article in the paper this morning said it could be down to 18 by the end of the game. I'm sorry for the umps; they don't get to go sit in the dugout next to a space heater.According to MLB.com, it started snowing there last night, and the game has been postponed.

Game 3 moved to Sunday, Game 4 to Monday.

gonzomax

10-10-2009, 11:52 AM

According to MLB.com, it started snowing there last night, and the game has been postponed.

Game 3 moved to Sunday, Game 4 to Monday.
Wait a few weeks. If the Rockies hang in there it will get worse.

hajario

10-10-2009, 08:11 PM

WOOOOOO!

A Dodgers sweep. Who would have imagined that?

Asimovian

10-10-2009, 08:29 PM

NEXT!

iViva Los Doyers!

Lamar Mundane

10-10-2009, 08:50 PM

According to MLB.com, it started snowing there last night, and the game has been postponed.

Game 3 moved to Sunday, Game 4 to Monday.

It's still 15 minutes before the game was scheduled to start, and it is 23°. MLB did the right thing. You can play when it's around freezing, but not in this kind of shit.

storyteller0910

10-10-2009, 08:55 PM

Wait a few weeks. If the Rockies hang in there it will get worse.

Seriously! What are they going to do if the Rockies make the World Series and they need to play a game in Colorado in November? Yikes.

Frank

10-10-2009, 09:27 PM

Seriously! What are they going to do if the Rockies make the World Series and they need to play a game in Colorado in November? Yikes.
In Denver in November, you've got a not bad chance of 60 degrees and sunny. (The temp will drop fast once the sun goes down though.) 'Course, you've also got a not bad chance of a foot and a half of snow.

Lamar Mundane

10-10-2009, 09:34 PM

This is very unusual for this time of year. The average high for today is 69°. Tonight's low will break an all-time record by four or five degrees. It was in the 70's last week and will be near that by mid week. It's hit or miss this time of year in Colorado, but what is happening right now is extremely unusual.

Marley23

10-11-2009, 11:36 AM

The Rockies were in the Series only two years ago. How much later would it start this year, a week?

gonzomax

10-11-2009, 12:08 PM

A week can be a long time when winter is coming. Sometimes winter comes early and nasty. It is taking a risk.

RickJay

10-11-2009, 03:02 PM

Angels eliminate Red Sox on a huge late inning comeback/choke. A wonderful day to be a baseball fan!

All we need is to get rid of the Yankees, and it'll be another excellent season.

mhendo

10-11-2009, 03:04 PM

You beat me to it by a minute. When the Sox were up 5-2 late in the game, i thought we would have to wait until Game 4. I'm not a huge Angels fan, but seeing the Sox out, especially in a sweep, is very nice.

dalej42

10-11-2009, 03:06 PM

Anyone seeing the chance of a Freeway Series?

What Exit?

10-11-2009, 03:08 PM

Angels eliminate Red Sox on a huge late inning comeback/choke. A wonderful day to be a baseball fan!

All we need is to get rid of the Yankees, and it'll be another excellent season.
I can't believe the Sox went down so easily. Of course I am think you are being greedy RickJay. You already got your deepest wish J.P. is finally gone. So you can excuse the Yanks winning it all again. I think this is their year. I really do.

Frank

10-11-2009, 03:11 PM

Angels eliminate Red Sox on a huge late inning comeback/choke.
Wow. I didn't even go back to that after about the 6th. (?) I was trying to play a computer game, browse the Dope occassionally, and channel surf between three sports. Cutting it down to two sports seemed to help, but was apparently a mistake. :)

RickJay

10-11-2009, 06:57 PM

I can't believe the Sox went down so easily. Of course I am think you are being greedy RickJay. You already got your deepest wish J.P. is finally gone. So you can excuse the Yanks winning it all again. I think this is their year. I really do.
We don't need another Yankee World Series win for at least one or two generations. I wouldn't mind a Met win (or a win by another NY-area-based team, which I think that market could easily support.) No offense, but the Yankees have had their quota. It's time for some new dynasties and rivalries. Continued media obsession over the Yankees and Red Sox is, I believe, starting to be a drag on the major leagues.

What Exit?

10-11-2009, 07:23 PM

RickJay, you know the Yankees have always dominated baseball talk since they got Babe Ruth. It seems silly to say it is dragging things down now. I'm fine with the Red Sox disappearing though and being replaced by Tampa Bay or the Jays. :D

This is a great game so far. Both pitchers are really dealing.

gonzomax

10-11-2009, 08:02 PM

Fuck, Mr. ARod tied it up.

gonzomax

10-11-2009, 08:49 PM

I know the Yankees have a lot of money. Did they buy off the Twins? They run bases like idiots. They are pissing away Pavanos good start.

Mister Rik

10-11-2009, 09:04 PM

Dear god, how is a 2-1 game only in the 8th inning after 3.5 hours?

gonzomax

10-11-2009, 09:22 PM

4 to 1. Whatchoo talking about.?

Frank

10-11-2009, 09:25 PM

4 to 1. Whatchoo talking about.?
Yes, but now it's in the ninth after 4 hours. Thank heavens the Rockies are on TNT.

Crawlspace

10-11-2009, 09:28 PM

The game started at 7pm EST fellas.

gonzomax

10-11-2009, 09:42 PM

Officially 3 hrs 25 minutes.

Frank

10-11-2009, 09:43 PM

Steve Bartman sure has aged fast.

Why the fuck do home fans in the front row insist on getting in the way of a catch?

RickJay

10-11-2009, 09:59 PM

Oh, and neither game on regular cable here, as Sportsnet continues their policy of refusing to broadcast the game on regular cable to try to force baseball fans to buy their extended package.

Frank

10-11-2009, 10:05 PM

Oh, and neither game on regular cable here, as Sportsnet continues their policy of refusing to broadcast the game on regular cable to try to force baseball fans to buy their extended package.
They're trying to get you to buy it for next year? Shit, that stinks. Is there a federal communications commission or something you can complain to?

Are they going to pull this for the Championships, or the World Series? Sheesh, I'd be going nuts.

Can you sign up for MLB radio? That's only US$15, and is not blacked out like MLBtv is.

Mister Rik

10-11-2009, 10:14 PM

The game started at 7pm EST fellas.

Ah, it's that "6:35 ET" game time they announced on ESPN radio that fooled me. My radio was on well before that, but I was sure that's when the game started.

Officially 3 hrs 25 minutes.

Is that with or without commercials? :D

Yookeroo

10-12-2009, 01:52 AM

I wouldn't mind a Met win (or a win by another NY-area-based team, which I think that market could easily support.)

And a third team would probably go a long way in fixing the problem of the huge resource advantage the Yankees have.

E-Sabbath

10-12-2009, 05:28 AM

Fuck, Mr. ARod tied it up.

You know, this is exactly how the Yankees always play. If it's scoreless by the 5th, then come around the seventh, there'll be two homers, as the starting pitcher gets worn out. Then, as the pitcher roulette starts spinning, the Yanks try to hit another long ball or two as the new pitcher adjusts to the mound. It's a pattern, and how the Yanks win. They're just more dangerous in the latter half of the game, because of how many long ball hitters they have. If the Twins get a man on or two, it's not so threatening, because of the lack of home runs.

And RickJay, to get the Mets in the series, someone would have to be shot around the tail end of the season. Not sure who, but there's got to be a reason they've fallen apart, what, three years in a row, now?

I understand how come you might hate my hometown boys, but this is how the Yankees work, ever since 1919.

I'm just glad the Sox are out. Not cause I hate them, but because whenever the Sox go up against the Yankees, it _means_ something. I'd rather watch baseball than that rivalry. Again.

Kinda sorry the Twins are out, though. Anything that ticks off Selig is good in my book.

Marley23

10-12-2009, 06:05 AM

Dear god, how is a 2-1 game only in the 8th inning after 3.5 hours?
And that was before the Twins made four pitching changes in the ninth!

The Twins had a great run at the end of the season, but they just didn't have the firepower. The last two games were exciting and very satisfying, the Yankee starters pitched well, and it's been a long time since Rodriguez got any significant hits in the playoffs. There wasn't much from anyone else, though.

I can't believe three of the four series were sweeps, but that actually happened in 2007, too. There hasn't been a five-game division series since the Yankees beat the Angels in 2005. We'll see later today if the Rockies can push the Phillies to the limit.

Southern Yankee

10-12-2009, 06:41 AM

That's 3.

Ulf the Unwashed

10-12-2009, 12:18 PM

Didn't somebody say something last month about Papelbon having never allowed a run in a postseason game?

Guess he's just one of those guys who can't pitch those REALLY big games. Ah well. Maybe he'd do okay if Boston would send him to Kansas City or Pittsburgh or somewhere...

ISiddiqui

10-12-2009, 12:20 PM

Anyone seeing the chance of a Freeway Series?

Very possible, but some tough tests in the LCSs. The Angels probably have a tougher road against the Yankees, but the Dodgers have no cakewalk with the Phillies/Rockies (imagine Southern California's Dodgers playing in snowy Colorado weather... yikes!).

BobLibDem

10-12-2009, 12:33 PM

Dear god, how is a 2-1 game only in the 8th inning after 3.5 hours?

No kidding! Especially since there were so many 1-2-3 innings to start the game. It's not like there were a ton of runners LOB last night either. Honestly, I couldn't figure out what took so long.

Ulf the Unwashed

10-12-2009, 12:48 PM

Because Yankees games go on FOREVER. Sometimes longer. It's in the contract.

Seriously, Yankee hitters take an awful lot of pitches and seem to have more than their fair share of foul balls as well. Very few Yankee batters are on or out after just one or two pitches. That adds up after a while.

sweepkick

10-12-2009, 12:54 PM

That's 3.

*yawn*

What Exit?

10-12-2009, 01:25 PM

Looking over the ALCS schedule. It appears the Yanks can pitch a 3 man rotation again.

CC would pitch game 4 on short rest. AJ and Andy pitch 5 & 6 on normal rest and CC gets game 7 normal rest. This would leave the bullpen over-powering and the bench strong.

E-Sabbath

10-12-2009, 01:27 PM

What Exit?

10-12-2009, 01:45 PM

Exactly, Ulf. It's weird, but it's how it seems to work, and it happens often enough that I think it's strategy. (leading up to the two homers in the 7th or 8th inning.)

What Exit: ... a strong pitching staff for the Yankees? I call shenanigans!
Taking pitches to get the starter tired and to the bullpen has been the Yankees strategy since they rebuit in the 90s. Even Billy Beane credits Gene Michaels with building his teams for pitch taking and OBA before Beane did it. The did it very well this year.

ElvisL1ves

10-12-2009, 01:53 PM

And a third team would probably go a long way in fixing the problem of the huge resource advantage the Yankees have.Not as much as an effective revenue sharing and salary cap system, like every other damn league has been able to make work. But that's another discussion, and has been done many times.

Not a good few days in Boston. Good pitching got beaten by better hitting.

The Red Sox suddenly looked old this series. The big turnover was going to be a year later, with the Drew, Ortiz, Lowell, and Varitek contracts expiring, but the turnover may have to start early. For 'Tek, it already has - he's now a backup, and he has stick around if he wants to manage in the system later on.

Worse, the Angels' mental block vs. Boston is officially broken, and for that matter so is A-Rod's vs. October. But what the hell, it's football, basketball, and hockey season already, too.

ElvisL1ves

10-12-2009, 01:57 PM

It's weird, but it's how it seems to work, and it happens often enough that I think it's strategy.Good bat control, and the ability to work pitchers deep into the count to get what Ted Williams called "a good ball to hit", is indeed part of what a good ballclub does. Nothing "weird" about it.

Mister Rik

10-12-2009, 02:52 PM

You know, this is exactly how the Yankees always play. If it's scoreless by the 5th, then come around the seventh, there'll be two homers, as the starting pitcher gets worn out. Then, as the pitcher roulette starts spinning, the Yanks try to hit another long ball or two as the new pitcher adjusts to the mound. It's a pattern, and how the Yanks win. They're just more dangerous in the latter half of the game, because of how many long ball hitters they have.

Thanks for an excellent explanation. This is something I've wondered about for some time now; in fact I almost asked last night for a breakdown of when the Yankees hit most of their homers. It's always bugged me because it's generally acknowledged that you can't just "decide" to hit a home run (I mean if you could hit home runs at will, then why don't these power hitters hit one every at bat?), so I always find myself wondering why, if they can hit HRs so easily, they don't just do it early and jump out to a lead to begin with instead of turning every game into a close-score drama fest in the 7th-8th-9th. Of course, the Yankee-hater in me likes to attribute it to the umpires shrinking the Yankee strike zone to the size of an apricot in the late innings :p On the other hand, I continue to be baffled by the way it always seems to be the Yanks' 1-2-3-4 hitters coming to bat in those crucial situations. They never seem to have situations where the #9 hitter is up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th down 1 run. It's always Jeter or Arod.

ETA: Of course, I only listen to Yankees games during the postseason or when they're playing the Mariners, so my sample size is obviously small and I don't get to hear all those times in the other 150 or so games when the #9 hitter does come up in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and hits a dribbler to shortstop.

E-Sabbath

10-12-2009, 02:59 PM

What Exit?

10-12-2009, 03:02 PM

ETA: Of course, I only listen to Yankees games during the postseason or when they're playing the Mariners, so my sample size is obviously small and I don't get to hear all those times in the other 150 or so games when the #9 hitter does come up in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and hits a dribbler to shortstop.
Well that is another dirty Yankee trick. The 7-9 batters for the Yanks are all good hitters too. Cano batted around .320 with power. Swisher only batted around .245 but with a .380 OBA and Melky Cabrera might be their most "clutch" hitter with 5 walk off hits in the last two seasons. This is the #9 guy winning the games for them. He also has a good Batting average and OBA and some power.

Hawkeyeop

10-12-2009, 03:07 PM

Yankee HR's by inning

1, 18
2, 24
3, 27
4, 30
5, 27
6, 26
7, 31
8, 34
9, 22
EI, 5

Looks like your observations are pretty accurate. The 7th and 8th are there biggest innings.

What Exit?

10-12-2009, 03:18 PM

Yankee HR's by inning

1, 18
2, 24
3, 27
4, 30
5, 27
6, 26
7, 31
8, 34
9, 22
EI, 5

Looks like your observations are pretty accurate. The 7th and 8th are there biggest innings.
Keep in mind the 9th inning is skewed by the fact they often do not hit in the 9th at home. They had a very good record at home this year. Going 57-24 at home with 15 walk-offs. They were 7-3 in extra innings and I am not sure how many of those 3 extra innings losses were at home. I would say 1. So in 41 games, they did not have batting in the 9th. This brings there 9th inning power numbers closer to 29 or 30 if averaged out for 162 games.

D_Odds

10-12-2009, 03:45 PM

The 'weird' part is how often the batters manage to hit foul successfully. That's just tricky. I mean, I can say 'sure, they mean to do it', but there's no way they're not trying for hits, too.

Rik: It's because Jeter and A-Rod are _that good_... but they're not 1-2-3-4. The Yankees are big enough bats, that it's more like 2 4 5 6 8. Last night it was Posada hitting one of the 7th inning homers, and I think he was at 6. Either A-Rod or Jeter _will_ hit a home run, but they're 2 and 4, not 1 and 2.
A good hitter can often put the bat on the ball, trying to extend an at bat. The idea is to spoil good pitcher's pitches, waiting for a good batter's pitch. That's a combination of good eye and bat control. The batter really doesn't want to hit the ball in fair territory, but doesn't want to be called out on strikes.

Mister Rik

10-12-2009, 04:21 PM

Rik: It's because Jeter and A-Rod are _that good_... but they're not 1-2-3-4. The Yankees are big enough bats, that it's more like 2 4 5 6 8. Last night it was Posada hitting one of the 7th inning homers, and I think he was at 6. Either A-Rod or Jeter _will_ hit a home run, but they're 2 and 4, not 1 and 2.

Well, I knew Arod wasn't the #2 hitter. Wasn't sure about Jeter though. Doesn't he sometimes hit leadoff?

Locrian

10-12-2009, 05:01 PM

Here come the Phillies!!!

I've lived in many places. I've always been a fan of Red Sox, Cubs (until last year happened :D ) Dodgers and Phillies (was growing up near Philly for the 1980 World Series win.)

I'm hoping for a Philies/Dodgers rematch. I am still surprised that the Dodgers SWEPT the Cardinals, a team who looked WAY better than LA in August and September. The questions still linger: Did St. Louis really show up? Is the Dodgers bullpen an element to trust? Either way, if the Phillies prevail ( Colorado is NO joke, just ask the Dodgers), I'll enjoy sitting back, cheering for both teams and getting drunk. Hope it goes 7!

As far as the BoSox/Angels, the best team won. Like any other BoSox fan, as soon as they put up the Stat Graphic on TBS saying, "Papelbon has never allowed a post season run to score", I said, "Oh, fuck. There it goes." The Angels brought great pitching and great bats to this series. I also think that the Angels are the ONLY postseason AL Team than can beat the Yankees since it started.

What's the temp in Denver today? Up to 30 degrees maybe? :D

pricciar

10-12-2009, 05:11 PM

Man. Phillies Rockies game last night was nervewracking. Up and down the entire time. Good game by both sides. I would not be disappointed to watch tonight's game and view a blowout. (I don't expect it. But, one can dream.)

I hate when people complain about the reffing in games. But, I really did think the ball/strike calling last night was atrocious on both sides. I don't mind a big strike zone, or a small one. Just be consistent throughout the game. This ump didn't seem consistent from batter to batter. It was really weird. But, I don't think either team got the worst of it, so in the end it doesn't really matter.

All of the series are going as I expected. What I didn't expect was so many sweeps. I guess looking at the individual games shows that the teams were closely matched just a few good bounces and a few bad pitches led to the wins. It's shaping up to be a great postseason.

What Exit?

10-12-2009, 05:17 PM

Well, I knew Arod wasn't the #2 hitter. Wasn't sure about Jeter though. Doesn't he sometimes hit leadoff?
Jeter was leadoff most of the year this year. He did great with it.

Southern Yankee

10-12-2009, 05:36 PM

The Angels have had the Yankees' number recently. I have a lot of respect of Mike Scioscia as a manager, not to mention Chone Figgins, Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero as players. It's hard not to like that team. But for the next 4 - 7 games I'll try.

Lamar Mundane

10-12-2009, 06:00 PM

My God, are the Rockies getting shafted by the umps in this series.

Still, a few clutch hits would have erased all the damage.

Jimmy Chitwood

10-12-2009, 07:59 PM

No they're not. They just can't hit so the shitty umpiring looks worse for them than it does for the Phillies, who are scoring anyway.

Meanwhile that was interference on Fowler.

silenus

10-12-2009, 08:00 PM

See? Hurdles do pay off. :D

Jimmy Chitwood

10-12-2009, 08:09 PM

I totally deserved that double.

Hawkeyeop

10-12-2009, 08:34 PM

Nice of the Rockies to bring in Beimel now. Just three batters too late.

gonzomax

10-12-2009, 08:44 PM

The playoffs have been an umping fiasco. I have seen so many bad calls I can not believe it.

NinjaChick

10-12-2009, 09:04 PM

pricciar

10-12-2009, 09:23 PM

So. I didn't get my wish. Another nailbiter. I cannot complain about the end result, though. It would be nice to think this means Lidge is back.

The Phillies had a couple of chances to break the game wide open. Each time the Rockies came up big to stop them and kept the game within reach.

I think the Phillies can beat the Dodgers. But, it will be ugly and tough if they are able to pull it off. Hamels has had some fantastic games at Chavez Ravine and when the spotlight is on Pedro often seems to come up big. But, the Phillies bench is weak and the bullpen is nothing to write home about. While the Dodgers probably have the best bullpen in the majors (with apologies to the Yankees excellent group.)

Whatever happens I am hoping for a fun series.

Now, I guess I will watch some MNF and hope the game is nice and boring.

Locrian

10-12-2009, 09:29 PM

Phillies are off to the NLCS! :) :)

If we could somehow swap this year's Lidge for last year's Lidge, I wouldn't be worried about the Phils' chances against the Dodgers. As it is, I'm nervous about it, but I think they'll manage to pull themselves together in time. It's going to be ugly, though, I bet.

I'm now going to have a nice cup of tea and try to coax my blood pressure back down to something less alarming. Jesus, what a ball game.

Whoooooo! Tell me about it! My knuckles Are killing me. I'm out in LA, and I've always liked both teams but I think the Phillies will beat LA. The last two months of dodger ball was ridiculous, yet now they look as good as they were in May.

We shall see...

Ulf the Unwashed

10-12-2009, 09:30 PM

One of these things is not like the others...

Ryan Franklin, STL, 5 blown saves, 1.92 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
Huston Street, COL, 2 blown saves, 3.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP
Joe Nathan, MIN, 5 blown saves, 2.10 ERA, 0.93 WHIP
Jonathan Papelbon, BOS, 3 blown saves, 1.85 ERA, 1.15 WHIP
Brad Lidge, PHIL, 11 blown saves, 7.21 ERA, 1.81 WHIP

So what is it that makes Mr. Lidge not belong? Well, he had 2 saves and no blown saves during the division series games. The other four, meanwhile, combined for one save...and four blown saves.

Garagiola was right--baseball IS a funny game.

ElvisL1ves

10-13-2009, 09:01 AM

The playoffs have been an umping fiasco. I have seen so many bad calls I can not believe it.MLB for some reason constantly denies giving the assignments on a rotation basis instead of merit, to keep the umps union happy. F'rinstance, CB Bucknor keeps showing up on player polls as the worst umpire, yet there he was in the Bos-LA series anyway.

Great Phil-Colo game - one that truly wasn't over until the last out.

astorian

10-13-2009, 10:24 PM

COULD the New York City metropolitan area support another major league team? In theory, sure. There are more than enough potential clients... I just can't see it working.

Suppose, for the sake of argument, the KC Royals wanted to move to the greater New York area.

Question #1: Where would they play? They're not going to share a stadium with the Mets or Yankees, and there aren't any local jurisdictions who'll shell out the money to build them a new stadium.

Question #2: Who's supposed to buy tickets? There aren't any large pockets of underserved fans. Sure, there are lots of people in New Jersey or on Long Island who COULD become fans of the relocated Royals, but most of those people who care about baseball are already loyal Yankee or Met fans. A baseball team isn't like a supermarket; people DON'T just go to the one closest to their house! They go to one that's commanded their (and their families') loyalty for decades.

That doesn't mean the NYC metro area wouldn't be worth a try. All of the Sun Belt cities that teams USED to threaten to move to have teams already. There aren't any obvious, untapped new markets. If some team MUST move somewhere, New York is a better option than most. But it still strikes me as a desperate gamble.

gonzomax

10-15-2009, 08:49 PM

MLB for some reason constantly denies giving the assignments on a rotation basis instead of merit, to keep the umps union happy. F'rinstance, CB Bucknor keeps showing up on player polls as the worst umpire, yet there he was in the Bos-LA series anyway.

Great Phil-Colo game - one that truly wasn't over until the last out.

It is weird that they can not get them to use the same strike zone. Some umps call a bigger zone and pitchers love it. Some call a batters zone where it is setting the batter up for good pitches.

pricciar

10-15-2009, 11:23 PM

Yes!

What a game! Again Lidge was looking to give us all heart attacks. But, it worked out.

Phillies were patient and did a great job in an up and down game. That Utley error shocked me. Luckily, it did not matter.

I was disappointed in Hamels. He is usually a lot better in Dodger Stadium.

I am looking forward to see how Pedro holds up tomorrow. He's a big game picture at any age. So, I am hoping for a strong 5 or 6 innings. We'll see. These teams are really evenly matched. Plenty of offense!

Southern Yankee

10-16-2009, 08:54 AM

ElvisL1ves

10-16-2009, 09:33 AM

It is weird that they can not get them to use the same strike zone. Some umps call a bigger zone and pitchers love it. Some call a batters zone where it is setting the batter up for good pitches.

That seems to have lessened since MLB introduced Questec. Now there's an objective means to evaluate umps' accuracy. The union seems to have been able to prevent any consequences, though.

There used to be much more difference when each league had its own umps. The NL guys looked over the catcher's inside shoulder, while the AL guys (like all of them now) look over his head. The leagues had distinctly different strike zones and different dominant pitching styles as a result.

What Exit?

10-16-2009, 10:26 AM

The forecast is rainy and in the low 40s in the Bronx tonight. Not sure if that hurts or helps either team, although maybe it slows down the running game a bit, which may hurt the Angels more than the Yanks. Sabathia v. Lackey. Should be a good one.
Neither pitcher is a cold weather pitcher. You're right about the running game. Overall I don't think the weather will make a big difference today. Tomorrow apparently might be much worse. Long rain delays can be deadly and ruin plans the managers made out as far as the rotations. I suspect the Yanks are better off if the game goes 3 and takes a long break then the Angels. Getting 6 quality innings from our bullpen seems more likely.

E-Sabbath

10-16-2009, 12:18 PM

What Exit?

10-16-2009, 01:04 PM

It's an advantage for the Yanks for the same reason the 7th inning is. Big bats, fewer hits, tired pitcher. Yankees just need one or two homers. Plus, as little as they like it, it is familiar enough weather for any New Yorker.
Especially this year. I can't find stats on it but with all the rain this year, I think the Yanks played 30+ games in the rain for some part of the game.

What Exit?

10-16-2009, 05:42 PM

Really bad time for Jimmy Rollins to make a horrible throw to first. Instead of two out and runner on third, the game is tied 1-1.

pricciar

10-16-2009, 05:59 PM

Really bad time for Jimmy Rollins to make a horrible throw to first. Instead of two out and runner on third, the game is tied 1-1.

Even worse time for Utley to do it!
Damn! Pedro really came through today. A shame it has to come down to this.

Asimovian

10-16-2009, 06:17 PM

A shame for Philly fans, maybe. Cliche or not, we *had* to have this game.

Viva Los Doyers!

silenus

10-16-2009, 06:43 PM

Whatever it takes.

Go Big Blue!

pricciar

10-16-2009, 07:22 PM

Damn do you Dodger fans only come out after a win? ;-)
Stuck in traffic last night?

Great game (mostly) by both teams.

I'm not surprised that the Phils bullpen would lose a game. I am shocked that Utley's defense would play a part. He's usually untouchable. Two days in a row! Hope he doesn't have Knocblauchitis.

What Exit?

10-16-2009, 09:51 PM

Oops. What do you want from an AL fan. :lol:

Great nightcap game so far. Fundamentals have favored the Yanks. Who's dunkit?

Southern Yankee

10-16-2009, 10:19 PM

That's 4.

What Exit?

10-16-2009, 10:23 PM

That's 4.
7 to go.

Mister Rik

10-16-2009, 10:25 PM

So listening to the LAA-NYY game on ESPN Radio, and hearing the postgame interviews ...

What the !@#$ kind of stupid question is, "How important was it to win the first game against a good team like the Angels?" And this interviewer apparently knew only one format for his questions, because he followed up with, "How good was C.C. Sabathia...?" and "How good was Mariano Rivera ...?" Dude, what? Weren't you watching the game?

E-Sabbath

10-16-2009, 10:55 PM

Small ball tonight, but a lot of line drives. I'm guessing the guys were told not to try to go for the fences, might pull something with the cold. Still, even with that, environment favored the Yankees. Tomorrow might be a lot closer, though, now the Angels have had a chance to adjust.

What Exit?

10-16-2009, 10:55 PM

What Exit?

10-17-2009, 07:22 PM

Anyone watching the game? I am blogging it over here. Come join me in a constant Yankees Angels Game 2 blog. (http://www.mellophant.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9204)

Drain Bead

10-17-2009, 07:37 PM

What Exit?

10-17-2009, 07:39 PM

Jimmy Chitwood

10-17-2009, 07:57 PM

I'm having weird sound problems for the 2nd night in a row watching this Yankees game. It's part reverb and part skipping, and fully annoying. Is it just our local Fox affiliate, or is this a national thing?

Is it the problem where you hear one voice and it's like really smarmy and makes a lot of really faux-dramatic proclamations, particularly about e.g. Derek Jeter, and inserts a bunch of stupid and awkward pauses in the middle of its sentences to create drama? And then there's another voice that's kind of senile and rambling, and contradicts itself all the time, even though the parts that aren't contradictory are incredibly obvious truisms like "if he had hit that a little closer to the shortstop, it would have been an out" or "the key for Burnett is going to be to throw strikes," and often seems to get really angry about stuff that he isn't even right about?

My TV has that problem too. It really is annoying.

What Exit?

10-17-2009, 07:59 PM

Is it the problem where you hear one voice and it's like really smarmy and makes a lot of really faux-dramatic proclamations, particularly about e.g. Derek Jeter, and inserts a bunch of stupid and awkward pauses in the middle of its sentences to create drama? And then there's another voice that's kind of senile and rambling, and contradicts itself all the time, even though the parts that aren't contradictory are incredibly obvious truisms like "if he had hit that a little closer to the shortstop, it would have been an out" or "the key for Burnett is going to be to throw strikes," and often seems to get really angry about stuff that he isn't even right about?

My TV has that problem too. It really is annoying.
Sadly that problem has been with every Fox game for years.

Hawkeyeop

10-17-2009, 08:00 PM

What Exit?

10-17-2009, 08:04 PM

Jeter has shown massive improvement in his defense the last couple of years, which is pretty remarkable considering his age. Of course we can't point that out, as that would imply Jeter wasn't always perfect in every way, so better to make a statheads in the basement crack. Isn't post-season announcing grand?
To be fair, a big part of his improvement was simply getting a really good first basemen. The Statsters overlooked how have a terrible first baseman like Giambi really did make all the Yankees infielders look worse. There are many posts over the 2007 & 2008 seasons talking about Jeter being terrible.

Hawkeyeop

10-17-2009, 08:07 PM

To be fair, a big part of his improvement was simply getting a really good first basemen. The Statsters overlooked how have a terrible first baseman like Giambi really did make all the Yankees infielders look worse. There are many posts over the 2007 & 2008 seasons talking about Jeter being terrible.

Teixeria certainly doesn't hurt, but his range, particularly to his left, has been much improved. A better first basemen doesn't affect that.

What Exit?

10-17-2009, 08:09 PM

Teixeria certainly doesn't hurt, but his range, particularly to his left, has been much improved. A better first basemen doesn't affect that.
All true, but if you go back to film of him in the 90s, what he really did was get back his range. The two prior years were especially bad as he was playing with leg injuries both seasons and would not sit down.

He had his legs back this year.

Hawkeyeop

10-17-2009, 08:09 PM

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/OConnor_How_Jeter_got_younger_at_age_35.html

An article on Jeter's improvements.

What Exit?

10-17-2009, 08:13 PM

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/OConnor_How_Jeter_got_younger_at_age_35.html

An article on Jeter's improvements.
Good article. I had heard (most of the season) about the extra conditioning he did. It really did pay dividends.

gonzomax

10-17-2009, 08:24 PM

How cold is it? Those guys are wearing layers tonight.

Hawkeyeop

10-17-2009, 08:25 PM

He had his legs back this year.

Right. My point is Mccarver could educate the audience how Jeter workouts transformed him from a poor defense player in 2007 to an above average one now. Instead he refuses to acknowledge Jeter was ever less than perfect. His logic is Jeter is very good now, so he must always have been very good, and anyone who ever thought otherwise should be ashamed. I'm not ashamed for thinking Jeter was a poor defensive player a couple years ago. He was and then he got better. This does a disservice to the audience and even to Jeter, as he doesn't get credit for his hard work to improve.

Of course this was the same guy who insisted Teixeria came off of 1st base yesterday, while they were showing replays in slow motion of Teixeria catching the ball while standing on first base, so I should keep my expectations low.

What Exit?

10-17-2009, 08:28 PM

Right. My point is Mccarver could educate the audience how Jeter workouts transformed him from a poor defense player in 2007 to an above average one now. Instead he refuses to acknowledge Jeter was ever less than perfect. His logic is Jeter is very good now, so he must always have been very good, and anyone who ever thought otherwise should be ashamed. I'm not ashamed for thinking Jeter was a poor defensive player a couple years ago. He was and then he got better. This does a disservice to the audience and even to Jeter, as he doesn't get credit for his hard work to improve.

Of course this was the same guy who insisted Teixeria came off of 1st base yesterday, while they were showing replays in slow motion of Teixeria catching the ball while standing on first base, so I should keep my expectations low.
I suspect you cannot keep your expectation for McCarver low enough. He always seems to be able to lower the bar more.

Gonzo, it is around 47 and damp.

gonzomax

10-17-2009, 08:48 PM

Thats not so bad. I always hated playing in cold weather. Everything hurt. Line drives sting like spring training and mishitting sends a shudder through your bat.

Marley23

10-17-2009, 10:46 PM

Wow. A very rare exception to the area play there. With an intentional walk to Jeter, Damon's going to be up with runners on first and second and one out in the 10th.

Bootis

10-17-2009, 10:50 PM

Wow. A very rare exception to the area play there. With an intentional walk to Jeter, Damon's going to be up with runners on first and second and one out in the 10th.

That's a late 90's Yankee call, that was. Very weird

Marley23

10-17-2009, 11:14 PM

I wish that got called more often, but that's not where you expect it to pop up.

Oh, and meanwhile, Rodriguez just tied the game with an 0-2 home run to right field. Thank goodness this guy finally relaxed and started playing baseball instead of trying to be The Most Beloved Man in New York.

Marley23

10-18-2009, 12:16 AM

Did anybody NOT have this one down for a game-ending error on a potential double-play ball?

Both teams really struggled in the field tonight. Maybe it was the cold and the rain, or maybe they stunk it up. But games one and two were so tight and had great pitching, which is really what you want to see in a playoff game. Sabathia and Burnett really rose to the occasion. It's flat out bizarre that they'll be turning to Chad Gaudin in game three.

mhendo

10-18-2009, 12:24 AM

I wish that got called more often, but that's not where you expect it to pop up.I have officially nominated this for understatement of the year.

"Not where you expect it to pop up"? Damn right you don't expect an umpire to change the way the game is called in extra innings of a League Championship Series game. I think they should always try to make sure that the player's foot touches the bag, but given how often they allow it to slide, it's pretty fucked up to change things in a crucial point of the postseason.Oh, and meanwhile, Rodriguez just tied the game with an 0-2 home run to right field. Thank goodness this guy finally relaxed and started playing baseball instead of trying to be The Most Beloved Man in New York.Yeah, thank goodness.

I mean, all he's done in six seasons in New York is hit .300/.401/.567 with 238 home runs, won 2 MVP titles, and been the difference that allowed the Yankees to make the postseason on two occasions.

The greatest possible outcome this year would be the Yankees failing to win the World Series, while A-Rod smashes the ball like he has been doing. That way we get the pleasure of watching the Yankees loose, and whining Yankee fans suffer the frustration of losing while also of not being able to blame all the team's failings on Rodriguez.

Southern Yankee

10-18-2009, 06:35 AM

That's 5.

Southern Yankee

10-18-2009, 06:39 AM

Here's a great article (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/10/17/2009-10-17_torii_hunter_continues_to_give_back_and_inspire_hope.html) about Torii Hunter, the man, not the ballplayer.

RickJay

10-18-2009, 08:12 AM

Here's a great article (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/10/17/2009-10-17_torii_hunter_continues_to_give_back_and_inspire_hope.html) about Torii Hunter, the man, not the ballplayer.
It's nice, every now and then, to hear about an athlete who's using his riches to help people, as opposed to just buying whores and cars and good lawyers for the steroid hearings.

As a ballplayer, you gotta give it up to him too. When he signed the big contract with Anaheim a lot of people though it was a terrible move by the Angels because Hunter was past his prime and wasn't a super-duper player to start with. But he has played really well for the Angels. He missed a quarter of the season this year with injuries, and he still drive in 90 runs and had the best percentage stats of his career. Still runs well and he's still a first rate center fielder.

E-Sabbath

10-18-2009, 08:13 AM

Eh, we win, we lose, no big thing. It's a good post-season, and we're doing okay. There's two ways to lose, you know. One is by being outplayed, and the other is folding like the Mets. This year, the only way we'll lose is by being outplayed, and if the Angels pull that off, they'll deserve the series.

Southern Yankee

10-18-2009, 08:53 AM

E-Sabbath

10-18-2009, 11:00 AM

It's not a dig if it keeps happening! That fold in 2007 was _epic_. Edit: Also, as long as it's not a cheap loss to the Sox. It's not so much disliking the Sox, it's hating what happens when the Yankees play the Sox and they lose. It's _almost_ as bad as when the Yankees play the Sox and they win. Either way, epic obnoxiousness, and a complete distraction from the sport.

Ulf the Unwashed

10-18-2009, 12:42 PM

E-sabbath: agreed. So grateful that the Angels knocked out Boston. I really, really hate the whole Red Sox-Yankees Yankees-Red Sox hype that happens so often at this time of year. "Distraction" doesn't even begin to cover it.

E-Sabbath

10-18-2009, 02:05 PM

I think that today, though, if the Angels aren't worn out, they might win. On the other hand, the Yankees got to sleep at home.

Marley23

10-18-2009, 02:10 PM

The Yankees and Angels are off today. Dodgers and Phillies resume at 8:07 EDT, though.

E-Sabbath

10-18-2009, 05:01 PM

Oops. Did I get the schedules backwards? Well, not like they don't deserve a day off after _that_ one.

pricciar

10-18-2009, 10:28 PM

Awesome!
This is the sort of non stressful game I have been hoping for! They can't all be like that with this Dodger team but it is awesome that they could pull a game like this off!

RickJay

10-19-2009, 05:59 AM

Wow, that game lasted three hours and was over in twenty minutes.

Crawlspace

10-19-2009, 06:28 PM

Another great game between the Angels and the Yankees.

Somehow I knew Posada was going to hit a home run after Gardner got caught stealing on the pitch out and McCarver was going to say, "My how that caught stealing has loomed large in this inning."

(And as I'm typing this Abreu has hit into the old 8-6-1 double for an out . . . and McCarver is back on Jeter's ball sack)

Hawkeyeop

10-19-2009, 06:38 PM

IBB with no one on for Arod. Not sure what I think about this.

RickJay

10-19-2009, 07:11 PM

Neat move now as the Yankees give up the DH in order to use Hairston in the field. you don't see that often.

Marley23

10-19-2009, 07:14 PM

Ladies and gentlemen... Mariano Rivera.

Ichbin Dubist

10-19-2009, 07:37 PM

Neat move now as the Yankees give up the DH in order to use Hairston in the field. you don't see that often.

I'm only half paying attention, but was there no possibility of a double switch with Mariano and a different outfielder? Weird that the best reliever in the game has to leave the game for a pinch-hitter, and then Girardi went for the mix-and-match thing with only a handful of pitchers left. Oh well, he'd be a genius if they won, I guess.

CircleofWillis

10-19-2009, 07:39 PM

Way to over-manage Girardi.. you only had your 3-4-5 coming up in the top of the next inning... frigging douche

Asimovian

10-19-2009, 08:31 PM

Tie game! The Dodgers might wind up with a little offense after all tonight.

Marley23

10-19-2009, 08:35 PM

Only if you consider long homers to dead center offense. ;)

pricciar

10-19-2009, 10:49 PM

Ugh. Rough game Dodgers came back and really did a great job tonight. It was looking good after the first, but Wolf really settled down after that and put in a great start.
I hate that the Phillies defense has been screwing up during the series when it was so great during the season. But, that's the post season for you.

One good note to take from the game Brad Lidge really looked good in his inning. I won't say he is back. But, I will say I am a lot more confident in him now than I was a week ago.

pricciar

10-19-2009, 10:53 PM

YAY!
anti jinx!
Jroll!

mhendo

10-19-2009, 11:12 PM

Wow, two walk-off LCS games within a few hours. Exciting stuff.

BobLibDem

10-20-2009, 08:31 AM

Hawkeyeop

10-20-2009, 08:39 AM

Not that there isn't a time and place for forfeiting the use of the DH, but I don't agree with what Girardi did last night. I think the post season makes managers over-manage. Too many pinch runners, too many 1 or 2 out pitchers. If it was anyone but Rivera on the mound, I could see giving up the DH for a critical defensive inning. But now when you've already burned the bulk of your bullpen.

I don't know that Rivera pitches a 2nd inning anyway, he has thrown a lot this post-season, but I generally agree. Has any pinch runner thus far made the difference between scoring and not scoring? Compare that to the amount of times a lackluster hitter comes up in a big spot, because the better hitter had already been removed.