# ALCS Appreciation Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156 "2004-10-20T02:45:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156/21 "2004-10-21T16:00:38Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m no Rickjay so I may be way off By that of course I mean that I know a whole lot less about baseball than he does. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156/22 "2004-10-21T16:15:54Z")
I am exhausted, and working today is not easy. I still can’t believe that the Sox pulled it out. My wife remained thoroughly conviced that we would lose until we had two outs in the ninth. I got tongue lashings all night for speculating on World Series matchups (JINX!!!). This could not have been scripted better. Then again Stephen King is writing a book about this season, so maybe he was the puppet master, and we all know who he would have winning in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156/23 "2004-10-21T17:56:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > In a way it’s a shame Game 7 was an utter dog, being pretty much over by the third inning, or else this would not only have been the best comeback in baseball history, but the best playoff series, ever. Well, if you include what’s going on over in the NL, depending on what happens in their final game, this year’s pennant games overall might still have a shot at that title. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156/24 "2004-10-21T18:21:32Z")
I was at work last night (I’m a doorman at a bar devoted to music) and couldn’t watch the game. At one point in the evening I stepped out for a smoke. As I stood on the sidewalk I heard a roar from the second-floor redneck sports bar next door. I thought to myself, “they gotta be watching the game up there, and they gotta be cheering for the Red Sox so that roar’s gotta mean something good just happened.” (This is Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and there are a lot of family connections to Boston here — I have some myself). About three seconds later, as I turned to go back in the bar, the bartender poked her head out to tell me I had a phone call. It was a buddy calling to tell me about Damon’s grand slam. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156/25 "2004-10-22T04:27:34Z")
> [@drm](#): > > Here’s my theory on the pitching change. Lowe was pitching really well so the boston manager was confident for his abilities in the world series. The game was effectively won at that point so there really wasn’t much point in wearing out his arm. I figure they want Lowe to start an early world series game (game 2 or 3) so that he can also pitch a second game late in the series. He might not have been able to do that if he had gone on to pitch 110 or 120 odd pitches. > > Them putting in Pedro…I remember being angry at the time as I’ve lost a bit of confidence in him. My guess is they were confident in his ability to pitch one or two scoreless innings and they were hoping he’d completely shut the Yanks done and demoralize them completely. I don’t think that Pedro would have been in for more than 2 innings even if he shut them down in the 7th. > > I’m no Rickjay so I may be way off. Thanks, that’s really nice of you to say. I don’t really get the Lowe move but your explanation is as good as any. Now, I personally am not fond of looking ahead in the playoffs - that’s how you lose the game you’re playing - but it does make sense, and with an 8-1 lead and the Yankees hitting terribly, it’s a reasonably safe move. We don’t know what Lowe and Francona know - maybe Lowe said his arm felt tired, too. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156/26 "2004-10-22T05:28:59Z")
The Lowe theory _is_ definately more of a hindsight theory. At the time I was pretty confused and when they put in Pedro I had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’m a little worried that Boston is living a few years in the past when it comes to Pedro Martinez. He isn’t the dominating pitcher that he was in the playoffs a few years back. He is by no means a bad pitcher, but I don’t figure he’s top tier anymore. When Boston was really tempting fate, I thought, was when they put in Mike Timlin. he has 117 saves in 182 save opportunites. That’s 64%. I realise it wasn’t a save opportunity and he’s not even really a closer anymore but no matter what the score, there’s no way he’s seeing the light of day in the 7th game of the ALCS if I’m the coach. I guess I’m just thinking back to he’s closing days with Toronto and Seattle…yeesh. Ah well, it’s over now, Mike Timlin did a fine job and Pedro didn’t blow it (I even thought he started to come together at the end of the inning). On top of all that, I got to see history in the making, which is pretty cool. It’s an interesting twist that the Yankees are on the losing end of it for once and with 26 world series victories in a span when Boston has 0, they appear to be just the team to handle it. I would not want to be the opposing teams next year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcs-appreciation-thread/270156.md?page=1)