TedR Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Some excellent base running by the Rangers in the 9th to get on second and third. Two sacrifice flys win it. Great game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Well, I'm glad you guys think so. Me personally, I feel like I'm watching a bad rerun of the 2010 Series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 But last year we were down 3-0. This year we're 1-1, which essentially means having home field advantage for a five game series. At least that's how my son looks at it, and I can't say that he's wrong. All I can say for sure is that the Elvis/Ian combo has made my heart dance with delight numerous times this season, and tonight was no exception! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyJazz Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) But last year we were down 3-0. This year we're 1-1, which essentially means having home field advantage for a five game series. At least that's how my son looks at it, and I can't say that he's wrong. All I can say for sure is that the Elvis/Ian combo has made my heart dance with delight numerous times this season, and tonight was no exception! It was the old cliche about baseball being a game of inches. Kinsler's bloop hit falls just beyond the reach of the Card SS, then his steal barely beats Medina's perfect throw to 2nd. Have to admit that as an AL fan, I was losing hope watching Card pitching stifling the Rangers potent lineup. Hope their hitting picks up now they're going home to warmer TX. Interesting point made by A.J. Pierzynski afterwards about LaRussa's decision to lift 100 mph closer Jason Motte, speculating that JM might make a decision to move elsewhere after the season due to the perceived lack of confidence shown by the manager. Josh Hamilton added to the speculation as he was quoted that he was surprised to see the strikeout pitcher lifted in favor of "Rhodesy" who only throws "89" mph, implying that it was far easier for him to hit a game-tying SF in spite of his bad groin than to do so against Motte. Edited October 21, 2011 by MartyJazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILLYQ Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Elvis threw a little 'Heartbreak Hotel' on the Cards last night. He started a teriffic double play(kudos to Kinsler, who made a great turn), saved a run the next inning with an amazing flip to Kinsler, and then did a great job of baserunning in the 9th(kudos again to Kinsler for the steal). So I'm in the car this morning and I have ESPN radio and I switch to WFAN, both stations talking WS and not a word about Elvis or Kinsler! Did they see the same game I did? Great game, had me on the edge of my seat and I have no rooting interest. LaRussa may have overmanaged his bullpen last night with bringing in Rhodes- I undertand the lefty/lefty angle, but taqke out a guy throwing 100MPH for 89MPH may have been enough for an injured Hamilton to get the sac fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 So I'm in the car this morning and I have ESPN radio and I switch to WFAN, both stations talking WS and not a word about Elvis or Kinsler! Did they see the same game I did? Ya' know? The "media narrative" for this series seems to be LaRussa vs The Rangers' Big Bats. The media loves them some narrative, and the media will stick to that narrative because it's easier doing that than it is to actually learn how to watch a game instead of a "drama". I'll tell you this much, though - those two, Andrus & Kinsler, have been a delight all season long. That barehanded grab that Ian took off of Elvis' feed? Not the first time this year we've seen that. Their teamwork has been nothing short of superb all season, but I don't know that anybody outside of the the real baseball heads in the Metroplex is really "getting" it. People see that Elvis has made waaaaay to many errors this year and stop there, but I've seen those errors, and they are almost all errors of carelessness, of inattentiveness. Certainly not of ineptitude. And he's made more great plays than he has muffed easy ones. In spite of that, watching the Andrus-Kinsler combo in action is like watching a couple of kids, twins, even, except at a professional level. They're almost always in sync with each other, and there's smiles aplenty. Good SS/2B teams are one of the finer things in the game, they just usually don't make for good dramatic narratives.Josh Hamilton added to the speculation as he was quoted that he was surprised to see the strikeout pitcher lifted in favor of "Rhodesy" who only throws "89" mph, implying that it was far easier for him to hit a game-tying SF in spite of his bad groin than to do so against Motte. Rhodes, remember, started the season with the Rangers, and was finally cut due to wanton ineffectiveness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Pomea Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) LaRussa may have over-managed his bullpen last night with bringing in Rhodes- I understand the lefty/lefty angle, but take out a guy throwing 100MPH for 89MPH may have been enough for an injured Hamilton to get the sac fly. I think you hit the nail on the head. Riggleman for DC, mentored by LaRussa, used to do quite a lot of that with his "patented" double-switches. He took a beating for that in the DC blog world. Rangers' infield defense was a pleasure to watch. And I am still impressed by Andrus for not stepping on Carpenter at first base in Game One. The more I see this guy the more I like him. Maybe next season it won't be NY-Boston on tv 90% of the time like it seemed this year. Edited October 21, 2011 by Neal Pomea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 But last year we were down 3-0. This year we're 1-1, which essentially means having home field advantage for a five game series. Actually, the Giants were up 2-0 coming back to TX, the Rangers won game 3, and that was the last game they won all season. While I don't think the Cards will sweep the Rangers at home (although it could happen), I don't see them losing this series in TX either (if at all). The Rangers bats in 2011 are no louder than they were in 2010. Hopefully the return of the DH rule for the games in TX helps, but uh.... who the hell they gonna designate to hit when freakin' NOBODY is hitting???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 From last night, the Rangers' 9th-inning rally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) <br>But last year we were down 3-0. This year we're 1-1, which essentially means having home field advantage for a five game series. Actually, the Giants were up 2-0 coming back to TX, the Rangers won game 3, and that was the last game they won all season. While I don't think the Cards will sweep the Rangers at home (although it could happen), I don't see them losing this series in TX either (if at all). The Rangers bats in 2011 are no louder than they were in 2010. Hopefully the return of the DH rule for the games in TX helps, but uh.... who the hell they gonna designate to hit when freakin' NOBODY is hitting???? Yeah, that's right...I thought I bought my ticket to Game 5 after the last out of Game 4, but I guess it was Game 3. Whenever good bats "go cold", I tend to look at who's pitching & how. Hadn't really seen Jaime Garcia until last night, but he was outstanding. Full props to him for that. But I was able to relax (ok, "relax") around the 6th when it dawned on me (thanks to Quincy's Corollary) that Cards fans were no doubt having the same reactions in their half-innings as I was in mine. Both starters were in great form last night. The Inner Colby Lewis is always a pleasure to watch, and it has been far too long since he's come to work. But the Inner Jaime Garcia is pretty badass his ownself. The thing I'm looking at is this - the surest way to stop the Rangers this season has been to throw them an unfamiliar pitcher with good stuff. But - the more they see a guy, the better they get against him. True for most teams, but with no real weak spots in the order, when one starts to get a guy figured out, there's usually some sort of domino effect. Not to say that I'm expecting this to happen, just that if there's cause to be optimistic about the offense awakening the next time we see Carpenter (still not convinced but that he's not "gingery") & Garcia. A serious tempering to that optimism - The Ballpark's offensive generosity is not team-specific, so Harrison, Holland, & CJ are going to need to be on their best behavior. I'm not putting any money on that happening... Realistically, the Run Differential going into Game 3 is zero. 0! So although the Rangers' bats have been kept relatively quiet, so have the Cards. And the only HR to this point has been Napoli's. Just sayin', it's still very much anybody's series. EDIT to add - the best part of the DH is not having to see Michael young play defense. Love the guy, and his more vocal critics overstate their case by quite a bit, but I swear to god, if Mitch (or even Napoli, probably/maybe) had been at first instead of Michael last night, the Ogando/Green match-up never happens, that inning is over right there. Edited October 21, 2011 by JSngry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Joe Posnanski had an interesting (and short for him) article on DH or no DH in the World Series. The real head scratcher was that NL teams score more runs without the DH than with one. I wonder if it has to do they're less likely to play NL ball to move runners along or if it's just not having a decent bat for the position? (Maybe I should reread my own link as I tend to go glassy-eyed reading Joe's columns.) I've long defended Kinsler here as a fine player. He's extremely valuable even if his average is only in the .240s because of his power, speed & defense, all coming from playing the 2nd most dangerous position on the field. There's a long way to go but maybe these 2 together can be like Whitaker & Trammell. Which would also mean remaining somewhat unappreciated since neither of those 2 ended up in the HoF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 I've long defended Kinsler here as a fine player. He's extremely valuable even if his average is only in the .240s because of his power, speed & defense, all coming from playing the 2nd most dangerous position on the field. There's a long way to go but maybe these 2 together can be like Whitaker & Trammell. Which would also mean remaining somewhat unappreciated since neither of those 2 ended up in the HoF. Whitaker & Trammell are the names that always come to mind when I watch those two play...they really do play like they're brothers, and both being young and a little "goofy" (each in their own way) just adds to the fun. Here's to hoping it can last... About Ian's offense, when his BA get depressed and stayed depressed, many (including myself) were wondering WTF was wrong with this guy, how do we get him out of it, is he good trade-bait, etc. It was then that a few SABR-metric heads on Lone Star Ball (still a lurker, forever a lurker!) more or stood up and said SIT DOWN & STFU, Ian Kinsler is having a career year, quite possibly the best year of anybody on the team. and then they broke it down, showed all the peripheral, and damned if they weren't right. It's not just the power, it's the OBP, the ability to score once on, and some other stats I'm not really able to get my head all the way around but which make sense when explained. So yeah, as one guy put it on MLB Network, Ian Kinsler is very quietly one of the best second basemen in baseball today. I know I like him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Pomea Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 If the Cardinals had won last night, you would have to name Adam Craig the frontrunner for MVP. Amazing! I guess it still could happen if he does well in Texas. Now I guess if Hamilton does well, he could be under consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 About Ian's offense... I know I like him! If you ever need to burn a little restless energy between innings pretend to be a second baseman receiving the tosses from SS when turning double plays. (You don't necessarily need a Nerf ball and a partner though that can add to the fun. ) The SS has the advantage on turning them as they are usually in a more comfortable forward momentum crossing the bag type of motion on the 4-6-3. They are also in a better position to leap over the sliding runner. Whereas on a 6-4-3 often the second baseman will almost (or no "almost") have his back turned on the incoming runner and many times the throw has to be made without the feet being planted, or even if they are planted the angle isn't as friendly. And many times the worst injuries happen because the feet are planted! The more awkward throwing angles aren't as big of a deal when you're young but it can add up over time to shoulder problems, which in turn adversely effects the hitting. So be nice to your hard-working second baseman. Let them slump a little a longer and resist the urge to boo, as it's hard position to field well and have the health & energy to hit too. Guys like Pedroia, Cano, Utley and Kinsler deserve a lot of respect. We're in something of a golden age of fine second baseman. Their productivity tends to dip sooner which means a shorter career for many (as Utley may be a victim of the wear & tear.) I wonder if Willie Randolph ever had nightmares about Hal McRae? I would think he would! Shucks, youtube doesn't seem to have the famous playoff upending encounter but the unrelated to the topic of second baseman video below makes good use of James Brown, so what the hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Pomea Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) So be nice to your hard-working second baseman. Let them slump a little a longer and resist the urge to boo, as it's hard position to field well and have the health & energy to hit too. Guys like Pedroia, Cano, Utley and Kinsler deserve a lot of respect. We're in something of a golden age of fine second baseman. We think (hope) Danny Espinosa in DC will belong in this fine list. He had a killer first half, best slugger among all major league second basemen (sic), but tailed off in July and August. And his best position is shortstop! We can't seem to make up our mind to move him there and do something else with Ian Desmond, so Desmond must be impressing somebody in the organization! Kinsler has been this kind of player for a few years now. It's good if the broader public finds out with this series. Edited October 22, 2011 by Neal Pomea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Pomea Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Home run for Allen Craig! This guy's at bats count! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Pomea Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) That's a shame. The umpire's missed called at first base on Napoli, clearly out, is giving the Cardinals all these opportunities for runs in the fourth inning! Edited October 23, 2011 by Neal Pomea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 No excuse. Same as that ball hitting the bag in Detroit. You get a bad break, you work out of it. The "mental toughness" of this team I've worried about all this season, in spite of all they've gotten through? This is why. They'll do some incredible stuff, but all at once have these lapses. It ain't pretty. Still plenty of baseball left, though, but damn...this is painful to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Of course, it also helps if Kinsler makes the bleeping throw.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Pomea Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 The warmer weather in Texas (in the 80s) seems to be more conducive to hitting. The World Series should end in September. Truth be told, I never even liked Reggie Jackson being named Mr October. More like Mr Season Should Have Been Over By Now. But if they shortened the regular season, they'd feel fine charging you twenty dollars for a pop and thirty for a hot dog. And raiding your 401K! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Good God, how the hell did this team get to the World Series? Let alone the playoffs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) It finally dawned on me that...there's no other games being played this evening, haven't been for a week, and won't be for quite a while. And I'm still getting to watch a Texas Rangers game. Played live, not recorded! I know, that's obvious, but...the impending finality of the 2011 season within the next five days has finally sunk in. This game this evening is not a fun one to watch, and how many other games are left might not be fun to watch, but...I love this team, brain farts and all, over-achieving pitchers finally out of gas and all. Crazyass Texas flags everywhere and all. They don't quit, and other than winning (of which they've done plenty), what more can you ask? The Rangers might win 3 of their next four. Or they may not. Personally, I think the lack of fully-developed major league pitching has finally caught up with them. Whatever hump it is you have to get over to win a championship, keep on trying. I'm sticking with this team unless and until their collective character leaves them and doesn't come back. Edited October 23, 2011 by JSngry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) But it's the defense that's killing them tonight! Against a team that made the playoffs on the last day of the regular season! As the Wild Card! In front of the home crowd!!! This could be the biggest disappointment of the Rangers existence! Edited October 23, 2011 by Big Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 It hurts. But that's the way baseball go. This could be the biggest disappointment of the Rangers existence! It might be the most painful, but let's see how they play over the rest of the games. Win or lose, if this is the team I think they are, they'll gut it out until the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Y'all remember the New York City slack-jawed yoked who leaned over the fence and taunted Nellie during the LCS last year? Looks like he's got a ball-throwing jackwad brother in Arlington. Motherfucker - get the fuck out of The Ballpark and don't ever come back. Ignunt punkass bitch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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