Baseball Post-Season 2010

[FilmFan720]

Tee, I was listening into the game on ESPNRadio, and they seemed to think he was bringing in Feliz in order to give him an inning, with little stress, at Yankee Stadium versus the heart of the Yankees lineup. That inning certainly was an ego-boost!

[Sonic Youth]

Andy Petitte is really your favorite Yankee, Sonic? That proselytizing "christian?" Ewwww, I hate that guy.

I really, really don't care about that. And if he is a proselytizer (which I've never heard), let him be one. The Yankees are messengers from God anyway, so it's perfectly fine. Check out my new siggie quote.

[Mister Tee]

I've never know Andy to be in-your-face about his religion. He's serious about it for himself, but alot of his friends on the team (like Jeter) obviously are not, so it doesn't seem to be a deal-breaker for him.

Because of the uglified 9th, we were denied the baseball pleasure of seeing a pitcher in full command facing a still potentially lethal offense when at the borders of his pitch limitation. Given the way Lee had pitched in the 7th and 8th, you'd certainly have bet on him, but you never know. He lost it near the end of Game 5 of the Series last year, and only won because his team had extended their lead.

Anyway, it made for an embarrassing ending, but you can't really fault Robertson -- he got a whole bunch of ground balls/potentail double-plays, but every single one scooted through. The Sabremeticians call it unlucky BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play).

What was up wth Washington using Feliz with an 8-run cushion? Is he that mistrustful of everyone else in his bullpen? You could justify using him Saturday, with an off-day coming, but there are two more games in two days, and he now goes into them having thrown 20 pitches for no reason.

[Damien]

It had the same trajectory as last night's Giants/Phils game -- a close game for most of the way, although one pitcher out-dueling the other, and then a late inning meltdown so that if you just look at the final score, you'd think it was a blow out. Oh, well, these are just one game, still plenty of make up time, and a chance for Burnett to redeem himself, which he would if this was a Hollywood studio movie.

Andy Petitte is really your favorite Yankee, Sonic? That proselytizing "christian?" Ewwww, I hate that guy. In fact, the only other Yankee from the last 20 years I hold in greater contempt is John Wetteland -- dumb fuck homophobe couldn't even kill himself proper unlike the many gay youths he finds to be abominations.



Edited By Damien on 1287471777

[Sonic Youth]

That was humiliating. But it proves what a precious resource Andy Petite, my favorite Yankee, is. He only had one bad pitch the entire game. That pitch would have cost them the game anyway, but under different circumstances it would be remembered as a very solid post-season performance. The numberous relievers who made the ninth inning a virtual abortion bears this out.

But Petite's performance won't be remembered because Cliff Lee is a beast. That was just dazzling, unfortunately.

[Damien]

Conventional Wisdom is that if the visiting team splits the first two games, it's in pretty good shape, so Tee I'm cautiously optimistic about a Giants/Yankees series, but that's one of the fascinations about baseball, anything can happen. (It would be a shock if Sabathia didn't reverse his performance from Game 1.)

I'm relieved that neither of the National League games was torture. Number 1 was tense but not torture and tonight, well there's a weird sense of calm that occurs in the late innings when you accept that your guys probably aren't going to do it. Of course, walking in a run is unforgivable and Boche got too cute with over-managing via intentional walks, but the bottom line is that Oswalt pitched like Halladay and, as Giants fans know, Jonathan Sanchez is brilliant when he's on, but he's off far too often for a pitcher of his talent. And a team that shies away from a simple infield pop up really doesn't deserve to win. It was just one of those nights. But if the lead-off and 2nd batter Torres and Sanchez don't start contributing, there are going to be some more of those nights.

Oh, and two words: Cody Ross.

Two comments on Game 1. I was truly shocked when, after giving up a double to Burell, Halladay went up to the home plate umpire and complained about a marginal pitch he thought should have been a called strike 3. What a whiny little bitch. I've never seen this before -- of course you get derisive shouts from dugouts, and after the inning is over, a pitcher might speak to the ump -- a supposed professional crying to the ump in the middle of an inning. Total bush league and I have absolutely no respect for this pitcher. It also shows that this Phillie macho schtick is all bullshit posturing. They and their fans can all shove cheese steaks up their asses.

I loved this bit in today's NY Daily News about Phillie fans: "They whistled like construction workers from an earlier era, the unenlightened segment of the Phillies' fan base who decided Saturday night that 1) Tim Lincecum's long hair made him look like a woman and 2) it is OK to whistle at women." I was thinking I must have really had a nice butt, because I heard a lot of them," a grinning Lincecum said after besting Roy Halladay.

(Have these cretins never noticed Jason Werth's tresses?)

Tee, I wasn't able to watch the American League Game 2, though I was able to check in occasionally on the Internet. I did really think it was going to be a redux of Game 1, with a Yankee rally. The "experts" on local sports radio are, of course, condemning the decision to have Hughes start instead of Pettitte but, c'mon, who'd you rather have when you're facing Cliff Lee?



Edited By Damien on 1287389260

[Mister Tee]

You can understand why I haven't been anxious to discuss yesterday's game, but I'm surprised none of our Giants' fan have popped in to celebrate their opening victory.

Press coverage of both of yesterday's games does have a common thread: confounding the established narrative. Halladay was unbeatable, and the Giants had no chance. The Rangers, after their crushing first game loss, were going to curl into a ball and go quietly. Instead, the two sets of teams are going to play a...wait for it...SERIES.

I had a rather "unifying theory" insight about this today. It's about the same as the political pundits who've been telling us literally since last July that the GOP was going to roar back and take Congress (much of this year's coverage has been built on that as fait accompli). And, in our little corner of the world, Oscar journos and bloggers are telling us that certain films and performers are "locks" to win Oscars -- never mind where we are in the calendar.

We've had an explosion of media in the last decade/decade-and-a-half. And what has filled all that extra space is not what its writers/creators know -- the factual news -- but what they can't know but endlessly speculate on -- the future. How about just waiting for things to happen?



Edited By Mister Tee on 1287361571

[Mister Tee]

A game not only memorable for the huge late turnaround, but for numerous key small moments: the tag-out at the plate in the first inning (without which who knows how many runs the Rangers might have scored); Gardner's dive into first base; Kinsler's inexcusably being picked off, when Kerry Wood was struggling to find the strike zone.

A real oddity of baseball: through the middle innings, when victory seemed way out of reach, I was utterly relaxed -- "Moseley's getting outs; how lovely". But once my team took the lead, my stomach went into full lockdown, and suffered through the last two Ranger at-bats.

If I'm not mistaken, Oliver also gave up a late lead to the Yankees last year in the Angels series -- though the Angels did come back to win that game and stave off elimination.

Yes, Bush and Ryan suddenly looked like they'd ingested lemons in the 8th inning.

The Yankees have a proud history of fat players -- beginning with the great Number 3.

[Damien]

The Rangers were given a gift, and they brought it back to the return window. That the team knocked out Sabathia with a 5-0 lead and managed to lose could be as devastating as the no-hitter was on the Reds. The turning point was probably Darren Oliver's giving up 2 walks. At that point, you knew that if the veteran couldn't deliver that the karma in the game had changed.

That shot of Tweedle-Reugnant and Tweedle-Repusilve (Bush and Nolan Ryan) looking distressed in their disastrous 8th inning was a delightful image.

Sabathia followed by Chamberlain -- fattest starter/reliever combo?

[Mister Tee]

Internet line of the night: "Bush probably shouldn't have brought out that Mission Accomplished banner in the 7th inning"

Unbelievable game. More tomorrow.

[Sonic Youth]

So...

I turned on the game in the middle of the 1st inning, and the Rangers were already winning 3-0. I stuck it out through the 5th inning and gave up. An hour later I checked again and the Yankees had already scored the six runs that won them the game. A cruel victory for me.

[Damien]

Tee, I agree that it's very much up to the Yankees themselves as to whether they'll prevail. They certainly were lackadaisical in September but I suspect they'll kick ass again in October. And as you noted, they have the god fortune of not having to face Cliff Lee until the third game. For the Rangers to prevail, Hamilton probably has to be Reggie Jackson, but I'd predict the Yanks in 6. (And, yes, for the first time in my life, I'm rooting for them. I even rooted against them in my nightmare Series match-up, Yanks vs Dodgers, But as despised as the Dodgers were, they were National League.)

Like you, I won't make a prediction regarding my team. But i think the Phillies' three-some is hardly God-like and I think the Giants starters are their equals. (By the way, Sanchez was moved up in the rotation ahead of Matt Cain and will pitch Game 2.) And Halliday's first loss came from the Giants. Should be a marvelous series for those who like pitchers' duels.

[Mister Tee]

I may not have time tomorrow, so I guess now's when I should throw in some pre-CS thoughts.

The press (pushed along by ESPN) has REALLY bought into Phillie inevitability -- it's a tossup whether they or the GOP are supposed to be surer winners the first week of November. Obviously I'm not going to knock Philly's rotation troika...but I would point out they had Hamels and a Halladay equivalent (Lee) last year, so the only real upgrade is Oswalt, who's a good pitcher but maybe not quite Hall of Fame level like he's being portrayed. Dusty Baker might be forgiven for being overawed after seeing his team shut down in 2 of 3 games, but saying this was the greatest pitching staff since the O's of the early 70s is rather dismissive of Glavine/Smoltz/Maddux (or, if I may indulge my own fandom, Clemens/Cone/Pettitte/El Duque).

What I'm saying is, I think the Phillies are very good (at least since the All-Star break), and they do have a far stronger offense than the Giants...but shutdown SF pitching could surprise us. (As -- to circle back on this -- those O's did in the '66 Series, where Palmer/McNally/Cuellar, not yet celebrated, were heavy underdogs to the Koufax/Drysdale Dodgers, but won in four games) Pushed to commit money, I'd go Philadelphia, but I don't see the LCS as mere formality. If Lincecum and Co. can hold down Howard/Utley, it could be very interesting

On the AL side...as I've said, I'm very reluctant to stick my neck out, for karmic reasons. But I have to admit I view the Rangers as a less-threatening obstacle than I would have the Rays (esp. with Cliff Lee sidelined till Game 3), and I now think there's a very decent chance we'll be seeing the Yanks in the Series again. The question all along was, would the desultory team of September continue to be on display in post-season, or could the offensive juggernaut of June/July return? Against the Twins, at least, it was the second option. If that continues to be the case, especially with the rotation narrowed down to just one game from other than Sabathia/Pettitte/Hughes, I think the team can match up to pretty much anyone.

[danfrank]

This video is pure silliness, but its popularity is one of the things that's great about your town's team doing well: bringing the community together with a shared sense of purpose. Everybody's talking about the Giants.

I have no idea what's going to happen in the NLCS. The Phillies are obviously favored, but don't count the Giants out. They've already beaten Halladay, Oswalt (while with Houston), and Hamels this year. I know that they don't score a lot of runs, but to win you have to score just enough runs, which the Giants keep finding a way to do.

I have to go with Damien in holding my nose and rooting for the Yankees over the Rangers, as it is my moral obligation never to root for any team from Texas. A Yankees-Giants matchup would indeed be classic, and very gratifying to win. Wow, now I'm really getting ahead of myself.



Edited By danfrank on 1287022134

[Mister Tee]

And, it's Texas. Or, mainly, Cliff Lee. I suppose that's another argument against the five-game series -- when you have a guy who throws like that able to get 2/3 of the needed wins, it's not a full measure of the team. (Tampa will I'm sure always think they were better, and I'd agree with them) It is rather amazing the Rangers (nee Senators) have taken this long to finally win a playoff series...they've been around most of my life. (Tampa and AZ, by contrast, have only been with us under 15 years, and both have been to the World Series, one winning)

Damien, I'm right with you in wanting to see a Yankees/Giants series -- the second most common Series matchup (after, of course, Yankees/Dodgers), but one we haven't had since 1962. (Speaking of most of my life)

rain Bard, I get your dilemma. It's like deciding whether to write an Oscar speech -- it feels like it's tempting karmic law, but, if you do win, you don't want to be unprepared.