zen archer Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Strange game, this baseball: both teams who had the best record in the respective leagues (Cubs and Angels) upset by wild card teams in the first round. Oddly enough, Cubs manager Lou Piniella was the manager of the Seattle Mariners when they won 116 games in 2001 and lost to Yankees in the ALCS. A potential Sox/Rays matchup in the WS: I could see Dan & Marty at the Trop, rooting ferociously against each other, annoying everyone within a ten-row radius..... Well the Angels had the best record but they were playing the defending WORLD CHAMPS !!!!!! YEAH BABY !!! Who would of thunk in spring training that Jason Bay and Jed Lowrie would help the Sox get into the ALCS? Gotta give Theo a lot of credit ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Maybe if you end up with the best record in baseball it means your division ain't that great. Something to be said for coming out of the AL East. And have we all had enough of Frank TV? ... TBS couldn't sell enough ads so they gotta bombard us with this guy every half inning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen archer Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 (edited) Maybe if you end up with the best record in baseball it means your division ain't that great. Something to be said for coming out of the AL East. Great point , 100 wins and look at their competition A's , Mariners ,Rangers (sorry Al) In the East Sox,Yanks, Rays, Blue Jays .....Best division in baseball Edited October 7, 2008 by zen archer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyJazz Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Congrats to the Sox who IMO had the series won once they took two from the Angels in L.A. Nevertheless, how could Aybar, the Angels' best bunter, waive at a very "buntable" pitch on a suicide squeeze? Angels deserved to lose after that glaring lack of execution. Aybar should be haunted by that the entire winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 That was undoubtedly one of the most intense and tension-filled division series I can remember. They are almost always just appetizers, and occasionally have one or two memorable games (the last one I can remember was the Sox comeback from 0-2 to the A's) but this one was extremely close with all the ups and downs you'd hope for in a series with much more riding on it. Definitely an Instant Classic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen archer Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Dan , do you know whether Theo signed his contract ? I had heard it was close to a done deal. He seemed pretty content and happy last night talking with 3 networks at length about the season and everything they have been thru. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 I haven't really kept up but I'm not worried if he hasn't. Remember he didn't actually "sign" his last deal til sometime after he came back, and that was a far worse situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzypaul Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Nice win by those Rays. Happy to be done with A.J. "I'm-ready-to-play-some-real-baseball" Pierzynski and his pals, although I gotta say that Ozzie kinda grew on me over the last few games. F*ck Ozzie with a donkey dick. I'm so glad I don't have to watch that prick make goo-goo eyes at the camera anymore this season. I'll be so happy when he's finally out of baseball -- egotistical camera hound. Well yeah, there's that. As (seemingly) the only White Sox fan on this entire forum, I gotta stand up for my guys. The players that they have are great, and A.J., like his attitude or not, is a great player. Damn good catcher, damn good hitter for a catcher. If we can unload Vazquez and solidify our pitching, I think we've got a pretty good package all the way around. And for Ozzie to be able to make 2 playoff appearances and a 90 win season in 4 years is pretty impressive, especially considering the nimrods he has to take orders from. So, congrats to Tampa Bay for a great season and a great series. But all you White Sox haters out there can kiss my generously proportioned buttocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Congrats to the Sox who IMO had the series won once they took two from the Angels in L.A. Nevertheless, how could Aybar, the Angels' best bunter, waive at a very "buntable" pitch on a suicide squeeze? Angels deserved to lose after that glaring lack of execution. Aybar should be haunted by that the entire winter. Marty, I don't know about that bunt attempt, it looked like it moved way inside and down at the last second, wasn't a straight pitch at all, from what I could see.... Congrats to the Yankees of the first decade of the 21st century, Go Rays! Though if the Sox win, and the Dodgers get in, I will root for the Sox, do NOT want to see a greedy asshole like Manny get a ring as a reward for tanking and nearly ruining his (former)team's chance to win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Marty, I don't know about that bunt attempt, it looked like it moved way inside and down at the last second, wasn't a straight pitch at all, from what I could see.... Now Dave Campbell is jumping up and down about Veritek's tag. Says he dropped the ball on the follow through, so he didn't have the ball under control though the completion of the play, so the runner should have been called safe at third. He's being real adamant about it. Said if the tables had been turned you'd see a 6-foot high headline about it in the Boston papers. Said something about the only reason baseball has instant replay now is because of some disputed home runs in New York and Boston (implying that NY and Boston get all the breaks). He was kind of going off the deep end about it. And with all due respect, A.J.'s a jerk-wad. And no, he's not the kind of player you hate when he's on the other team but would love to have on your team. He's not even that great of a catcher, IMO, unless you count a penchant for cheap shots as some sort of sign of greatness. He's OK, but I'll take "Whiskers" Navarro any day. ... There are other players on that team I respect, and like I said, I've changed my opinion of Ozzie. Sure he might mug for the cameras, but he seemed to really handle his team well in that series. They were just (can't believe I'm saying this) over-matched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeith Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 But all you White Sox haters out there can kiss my generously proportioned buttocks. Just to clarify, I don't hate the White Sox; just Ozzie... and A.J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom in RI Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Berigan, Manny will almost certainly get a ring from the Sox if the Red Sox get there. It's conceivable he will get both a winners and a losers share if both teams get in. It has been quite awhile and all the personnel has changed (except maybe Wakefield) but as I recall the Red Sox pitchers in the 90's handled Manny pretty well. What I wonder is if both Sox and Dodgers get to the series, how many times will Sox pitchers put it on his hip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen archer Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Congrats to the Sox who IMO had the series won once they took two from the Angels in L.A. Nevertheless, how could Aybar, the Angels' best bunter, waive at a very "buntable" pitch on a suicide squeeze? Angels deserved to lose after that glaring lack of execution. Aybar should be haunted by that the entire winter. Marty, I don't know about that bunt attempt, it looked like it moved way inside and down at the last second, wasn't a straight pitch at all, from what I could see.... Congrats to the Yankees of the first decade of the 21st century, Go Rays! Though if the Sox win, and the Dodgers get in, I will root for the Sox, do NOT want to see a greedy asshole like Manny get a ring as a reward for tanking and nearly ruining his (former)team's chance to win. Well if Manny gets to the WS against the Sox he will get a ring !!!..no matter who wins...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen archer Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Berigan, Manny will almost certainly get a ring from the Sox if the Red Sox get there. It's conceivable he will get both a winners and a losers share if both teams get in. It has been quite awhile and all the personnel has changed (except maybe Wakefield) but as I recall the Red Sox pitchers in the 90's handled Manny pretty well. What I wonder is if both Sox and Dodgers get to the series, how many times will Sox pitchers put it on his hip. We are getting ahead of ourselves ....BUT.....do you think the Fenway Faithful will boo or cheer Manny ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom in RI Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 I think Red Sox fans have been pretty welcoming to former players, it certainly got easier to be magnanimous after 2004. I think Manny would get a cool response, which he will deserve. There will be a smattering of boos but there will also be a few Manny apologists in the seats who will politely cheer. I do wonder who will sign Manny. I cannot see anyone going 4 years and 100 mil, but the Dodgers will have to make some other dramatic signing if they let Manny walk. Bottom line, if Manny does get 4 years and anything over 80 mil, then who could argue Scott Boras = best agent ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Maybe if you end up with the best record in baseball it means your division ain't that great. Something to be said for coming out of the AL East. Great point , 100 wins and look at their competition A's , Mariners ,Rangers (sorry Al) You won't get any argument from me. There's a reason why the AL West is referred to as the "AL Worst." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 Well the Red Sox rotation has been set, and I definitely approve: Dice-K Beckett Lester Wake Dice-K Beckett Lester Dice-K is unbeaten on the road, and if he only lasts 5, the bullpen is rested heading into Game 1. If Beckett returns to something resembling his usual October dominance, I like our chances at a split of the first two games. Lester in Game 3 at Fenway where he has truly dominated is ideal. If you come into it down 0-2, he's your best bet to get you going. A split or, if we're lucky, ahead, he'd be a good choice to put you ahead. Wake is Wake, maybe he's good maybe he isn't. But he's more useful as a starter than Byrd because Wake can't come out of the bullpen very easily if Cash isn't in the game. But ideally we are at least up 2-1 after three games, It would be bad to have to rely on him to even the series and avoid being down 3-1. Dice-K in Game 5 saves you from relying on him in a critical 6 or 7. If you're relying on him to get you to game 6, then you weren't very good anyway. And then you turn to your two best for the last two games, with the added benefit that if it doesn't have to go seven games, Lester can open the WS at Fenway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McG Posted October 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 Go Philly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 Go Philly! I agree, though I am not motivated by blind hatred of the Dodgers. Everyone seems to think that an L.A. - Boston World Series would be the ultimate, but since I don't pay attention to any of the commentary or "stories" I could care less about Lowe, Nomar, or Manny returning to Fenway in terms of fan reaction or what they think about it. What does concern me is the possibility that, should we both get there, Manny might destroy us while Lowe and the rest of that staff shuts us down. The Phils, aside from Hamels and their ability to hit home runs (as we just saw!) doesn't scare me nearly as much. So hopefully they can steal this win in somewhat shocking fashion (boy was Lowe cruising, I think he still doesn't know what hit him). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 Go Philly, indeed. As much as I like Mr. Torre, I can't back the Dodgers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyJazz Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 I now see why Garciaparra has been on the bench for the Dodgers. Comes up in the 9th as the tying run, two men on base. He's had a good opportunity in the on-deck circle to see Lidge's sliders consistently miss the strike zone. I thought for sure he would show some patience at the plate and force Lidge to come in with a strike. So what happens? He swings futilely at three straight pitches, not one of them close to being a strike. Game over. Utterly pathetic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Well I'll take that Dodger loss ... and a near-coronary inducing win at Tampa, too! Shouldn't have been so close, we had chances to break it open, but I'll take what I can get. Interesting article I saw earlier today - one computer simulation ran the series 2000 times, and something like 54% of the time, the Rays won. But a Game 1 win was critical for that result. In the simulations that had the Sox winning game 1, they won the series 62% of the time. And while they may be silly, in the middle of this game, I had to tell my wife about the simulation that was done with the MLB 2008 game on Xbox. The computer vs computer setting had Dice-K throwing a no-hitter through 5 but ultimately coughing up a 2-0 lead! That was too close for comfort. But the important thing is that even if this doesn't have any impact on their confidence, it reduces the pressure on Beckett tomorrow night. But if Beckett is 100% and something close to what he's capable of, watch out! And honestly Kazmir doesn't scare me that much. He hasn't had great starts against the Sox and really didn't have a great year. Even if we don't get to him, he's likely to be gone by the sixth inning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Anyone else notice that Dice K gets his "grind on" during his windup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I'm getting a headache watching this one tonight. Yeesh ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 These are the MOTHERFUCKING times that I HATE franCOMA's brutal game management "skills". THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY YOU CAN BE STUPID ENOUGH TO EVEN HAVE BECKETT START THE FUCKING INNING! BUT IF YOU ARE franCOMA, YOU CAN BE EVEN STUPIDER AND LET HIM PITCH TO LONGORIA. I don't know who I hate more right now: Beckett for lying and saying he can pitch or Francoma for leaving him in there to fuck the lead away. Let's see what we've learned today: I was a fucking moron to say that it would be good to have Beckett pitch a Game 6. The Red Sox have to be up 3-2 for them to fucking SURVIVE another Beckett start. Beckett is as far from healthy as I have ever seen him, EVER, including his years in Miami. If the Red Sox somehow win anything, it will be despite him. I would rather see Byrd pitch than have Beckett pitch another game in 2008. He can't be any worse and would probably be better. Our "ace" sucked donkey dicks. So did the Ray's. Our ace is hurt - what's Kazmir's excuse? As much as the Rays would look forward to pounding Beckett again, Kazmir is no lead pipe cinch to hold onto any lead Beckett may give. Assuming they fuck the rest of this game away, they will have split - and the Rays haven't seen our ace yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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