2010 MLB Season

[Dan Gould]

Nobody has alluded to it so I will: TV dictates four 4:30 PM starts in San Francisco, should the Series go seven games. Between the lack of a DH and the fact that the Giants probably have the superior starters, this has got to be an advantage to the NL champs, over and above "home field".

[Brad]

Articles for Yankee fans in today's New York Times:

For Yankee Fans, Winter Comes Early, Bringing Questions With It

As Postseason Turns to Offseason....

Yankees More Than An Ace Away

It is possible that for the remaining members of the late 90s run, last year might have been the last hurrah. Unfortunately, for the Yankees, they're in a tough position with Jeter and Posada. Hopefully, Jeter returns to a more productive season but they're stuck with Posada for another year, with diminishing returns, in all likelihood. The Yankees cast Bernie aside when it suited their needs so you can never tell what happens with Posada.

[Dan Gould]

Posada continues for one more season as P/T catcher and P/T DH, then he has to be cut loose, whether he wants to retire or not. They can't possibly afford to let him catch beyond 2011 and they'll need the DH position open for certain other players. I'm sure this is Cashman's plan.

The real question is if he takes even a remotely hard line on Jeter. Does he really have the guts to tell him he is a ten million dollar a year a player now, and he'll only guarantee two years, maybe with a couple of option years?

I say no way, and Jeter signs for 4/80, and the Yankees reap what they sow, just as they will with A-Rod.

The ridiculous thing is that they'll still sign Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Dan Gould

[Matthew]

Is it just me or did that NL series look like a bunch of big mean old street guys playing big mean old street baseball? And I mean old as in grizzled, not decrepit. Hell, I halfway expected to see leather and chains before it was all over.

The Rangers gonna have their hands full, to say the least.

From the Mercury News:

"At one point in the game, I turned to (assistant) Dick Tidrow and I said, 'This is a street fight, and we win those,'" general manager Brian Sabean said.

That's why I think we are in store for a special World Series, both teams play a great style of baseball, though, I think Dan is right: four games without the DH, plus the twilight in San Francisco, are big pluses for the Giants. Hamilton will also be finding out about the dimensions of AT&T, and how a lot of his hits won't be flying out of the park.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Matthew

[Tim McG]

My son and I are checking into tickets...at $500 bucks a pop. So we see what we can do.

Same here...so far they're starting @ 600 for SRO...just a tad too much, but...I don't know...

Wishing you guys almost all the best, if you know what I mean.

Thanks, JSngry....same goes for me.

If nothing else, maybe my son will come down from NorCal to watch the game with me on our widescreen.

Here's hoping for a great WS!

[Dan Gould]

That's why I think we are in store for a special World Series, both teams play a great style of baseball, though, I think Dan is right: four games without the DH, plus the twilight in San Francisco, are big pluses for the Giants.

When you think about it though, the flip side is that Giants pitchers will be tough regardless. Aside from Lee, who doesn't need the help, creeping shadows might actually help the Rangers 2-4 starters more.

I think the bottom line is that in all likelihood there won't be much scoring in those four games, and it will probably be one of the lowest-scoring World Series of this century. If the Rangers do hit though, I think they win. They handled a dangerous Yankee lineup, the Giants aren't nearly as troublesome.

[JSngry]

But do you think that the Phillies were a tougher team than the Yankees?

I'm pretty nervous about this one, to be honest, Series Virginity aside...

[Matthew]

Consider also that the 1996-2000 Yankees had to advance through two rounds of playoffs just to make the World Series, a challenge that no team before 1969 faced in any form--and even the teams following that had to get through only one round, not two (with the wildcard and two-round league playoff system not being instituted until 1995). The winningest team in modern baseball history, the 2001 Seattle Mariners, got knocked out in the ALCS by the Yankees (coincidentally enough, the team whose 1998 edition had had its modern best win-loss record displaced by the Mariners). It's just another element that makes repeating now so tough, let alone winning the WS three times in a row.

On the other hand at least you get a chance to play for the title with less than the best record. The 2000 Yankees had the 5th record yet made the playoffs and won the title over the Mets. In the pre-wild card days there have been clubs that played .600 ball and never got a chance as there was one team that was better.

Though I'm not sure which side I fall on. In a short series anything can happen. However it's also damn hard to win the season year after year with no "back door" to the World Series.

One of the reasons that I can't put the 1996-2000 Yankees in the same class as the Big Red Machine is the DH. The style of play without the DH is very different, and especially the pre-DH era. The 1996-2000 teams were built with a completely different outlook than the A's or Red's, in fact, that is the reason I think the early teams are better, they had to play the whole game, and a better style. Those Yankee teams, Torre just filled out the line-up, and tried not to fall asleep at the wheel. I'll take the Big Red Machine anytime, I saw them play, and they were awesome -- too bad Joe Morgan can't stop talking about them, or himself, I think that just turns fans off this team. But, really, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Johnny Bench, wow!

But do you think that the Phillies were a tougher team than the Yankees?

I'm pretty nervous about this one, to be honest, Series Virginity aside...

Both sets of fans are nervous about this one, they seem to be equally matched, and it looks like it's going be which team takes advantage of the breaks will win (if that's not a cliche, I don't know what is!)..

[Neal Pomea]

Now the only two teams who have never won a pennant are the Nationals (Expos) and Mariners. I am not holding my breath for the Nexpos to win any time soon. But stranger things have happened.

[Tim McG]

Two relocated franchises who have been in their new cities for decades and haven't won the World Series since the move. I guess it's time to move on!

And two teams with interesting narratives and characters, whom few would have predicted to be meeting in such a fashion this October.

Best comment of the night.

Don't know that much about the Rangers, but nearly every Giants' player has a great story behind him.

Two months ago if anyone had said that Cody Ross would be the Giants' MVP of the NLCS, they would have been sent to an asylum.

I know the feeling, Brooks.

I was at the the ballpark on the last day of a three game sweep by the hated Dodgers back in June. A crestfallen Buster Posey sat alone in the dugout and this depressed fan dejectedly stood up and asked anyone who would listen, "Can it get any worse than this?"

If you would have told me that the Giants were going to the WS I would have personally escorted you to the nearest mental facility.

[Quincy]

Nobody has alluded to it so I will: TV dictates four 4:30 PM starts in San Francisco, should the Series go seven games. Between the lack of a DH and the fact that the Giants probably have the superior starters, this has got to be an advantage to the NL champs, over and above "home field".

It's going to be interesting to see if they'll put Vlad in RF as he did play a few games there this year. If they don't they have one hell of PH in the late innings. If they do play him in the OF (or at least try it) he'll probably get in 3-4 plate appearances before pulling him for defense. As both Lee & CJ are lefties it favors playing him in RF, although some of the Giants are good at hitting it the other way. On the other hand Lee is so dominant I'd be tempted to go with a better glove in right.

[ghost of miles]

Big Al, thanks so much for your comments. Really looking forward to this World Series, and if MLB hypes it right, I don't think it will be a TV ratings disaster at all. The West Coast and Southwest audiences will sure be drawn into it, and as I said above, both teams have a lot of interesting and/or sympathetic stories and players that could easily pull in fans from all around the country.

[ghost of miles]

Consider also that the 1996-2000 Yankees had to advance through two rounds of playoffs just to make the World Series, a challenge that no team before 1969 faced in any form--and even the teams following that had to get through only one round, not two (with the wildcard and two-round league playoff system not being instituted until 1995). The winningest team in modern baseball history, the 2001 Seattle Mariners, got knocked out in the ALCS by the Yankees (coincidentally enough, the team whose 1998 edition had had its modern best win-loss record displaced by the Mariners). It's just another element that makes repeating now so tough, let alone winning the WS three times in a row.

On the other hand at least you get a chance to play for the title with less than the best record. The 2000 Yankees had the 5th record yet made the playoffs and won the title over the Mets. In the pre-wild card days there have been clubs that played .600 ball and never got a chance as there was one team that was better.

Though I'm not sure which side I fall on. In a short series anything can happen. However it's also damn hard to win the season year after year with no "back door" to the World Series.

That's a good point re: 2000, Quincy, and goes some ways towards compensating for the extra rounds NY had to go through in 1998 and 1999 (they also would not have made the WS under the old system in 1996, either). OTOH I'll offer up that the World Series winners of 1996 and 1998-2000 went 16-3 against their opponents and won 14 consecutive World Series games (which surely is the record, though I haven't been able to confirm it yet). Between 1998 and 2000 NY was 13-1 in the World Series. From a purely won-loss POV, I can't think of any team that piled up a World Series record like that over a span of several years in the past five decades.

[Brad]

Having reviewed the discussion, you almost have to divide things into three phases, pre 1969, 1969 to when we only had only just the League Championship Series and since then. This also makes sense when looking at stats. It's impossible to equate how many HRs a person has hit in the post season since 1969 with how many Mantle hit, for example. In the period we're in, there is no question the 1996-2000 Yanks are the best, just considering how difficult it is. Even without this arbitrary measuring stick, it's difficult to say that a team from this period is better or not as good as a team from the 1970s or 1960s. Different time, different way of playing the game and so forth. We all have favorites because those are the teams that meant the most to us as we probably saw them actually play.

[ghost of miles]

An unusual situation!

Molina will get a World Series ring no matter what

[Brad]

Heard about that the other day. Wonder if that is unprecedented?

[Dave James]

Powering down. See you guys next season.

[papsrus]

Man, I'm into the WS in a big way! No rooting interest, really. Maybe it'll emerge as the series unfolds. But both teams are on this sort of quest for redemption and I think I'll be tickled no matter who wins.

I just hope it goes six or seven games!

[Patrick]

Me too. Definitely have a rooting interest for Cliff Lee, but a lot to like on both teams (stories, players, youthful enthusiasm, etc).

[Chalupa]

I'm torn over who to root for in the WS. On one hand I want Cliff Lee to get a ring so we Philly fans can feel even more righteous in our anger(justified)towards the dumb ass GM we have here in Philly that traded Lee away for 3 toilet flushes. OTOH, I want the NL champs to beat the crap out the representatives from the junior circuit. Hell, SF deserves it. They knocked off everyone's pick to win it all and they've been waiting for over 50 years. It's time.

Edit: would also like to see Josh Hamilton get a ring. Dude has been to Hell and back.

Edited October 25, 2010 by J.H. Deeley

[Tim McG]

Hey, check this one out:

Benji Molina gets a WS ring no matter who wins.

Now, how cool is that

Edited October 25, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[Aggie87]

Hey, check this one out:

Benji Molina gets a WS ring no matter who wins.

Now, how cool is that

It was cooler when Ghost posted it 6 posts before you.

[Patrick]

I'm torn over who to root for in the WS. On one hand I want Cliff Lee to get a ring so we Philly fans can feel even more righteous in our anger(justified)towards the dumb ass GM we have here in Philly that traded Lee away for 3 toilet flushes. OTOH, I want the NL champs to beat the crap out the representatives from the junior circuit. Hell, SF deserves it. They knocked off everyone's pick to win it all and they've been waiting for over 50 years. It's time.

Edit: would also like to see Josh Hamilton get a ring. Dude has been to Hell and back.

It's only fair, I'm not yet sure the Phillies traded away more than 3 toilet flushes to acquire Cliff Lee from the Tribe. [Must take the long view...].

I'll admit I'm much more of a Josh Hamilton fan in recent months than I was prior to that.

[Brad]

Mike Francesa on WFAN interviewed Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman today. Here are the interviews.

Later on Mike talked to Sweeney Murtey, the WFAN beat reporter, and a baseball reporter from the Daily News who covers the Yankees and they discussed how the Rangers scouting report had indicated that the left side of the infield had slowed down and was vulnerable, as well as Posada being so. One of the options they discussed was making Arod the DH and moving Jeter to 3rd. Another point of discussion was what to do about Posada. One possibility would be to release him but that all depended on what happened with Montero, who might be possible trade bait for a front line starter, which they felt was needed. Unfortunately, this conversation was not put on the WFAN web site. Too bad as it was pretty interesting. One of the benefits of living in NY

[Matthew]

Mike Francesa on WFAN interviewed Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman today. Here are the interviews.

Later on Mike talked to Sweeney Murtey, the WFAN beat reporter, and a baseball reporter from the Daily News who covers the Yankees and they discussed how the Rangers scouting report had indicated that the left side of the infield had slowed down and was vulnerable, as well as Posada being so. One of the options they discussed was making Arod the DH and moving Jeter to 3rd. Another point of discussion was what to do about Posada. One possibility would be to release him but that all depended on what happened with Montero, who might be possible trade bait for a front line starter, which they felt was needed. Unfortunately, this conversation was not put on the WFAN web site. Too bad as it was pretty interesting. One of the benefits of living in NY

I know that Jeter is a hero to Yankee fans, after all, he is a True Yankee™, but I don't see it working having DJ at third, the karma is all wrong for that to happen. Besides, who would move into shortstop for the Yankees? Is there anyone better than a slow Jeter they can turn to? Well, Posada, everyone knows he stinks at a catcher at this point in his career, and there's not too much coming up after him. The Yankees are in deep doo-doo for next year, and I don't think they can buy them$elve$ out of this one either. Lucky for them, Tampa Bay is going to gut their team, Toronto, does anyone take them seriously? Looks like clear sailing for Boston next year, and the Yankees fighting for the wild card again. Couldn't happen to a nicer team...