World Series - Game 6

2009 in the books. Phils tried but just couldn't overcome a 3 - 1 deficit. I thought tonight they might sneak one with a Pettitte on the mound and on 3 days rest. Pedro couldn't tame the demons and A-Fraud finally gets a ring. There are some decent guys on the team...Jeter, Mariano, and Matsui...and I am glad for them. Some of the high dollar free agents...well glad you bought one.

Here is to our Rox connection in Girardi...he deserves some credit. He did a great job with tremendous pressure. Three man rotation got it done. Kind of showed how the Phillies really had a severe weakness on the mound. Too bad they couldn't clone Lee. Still think the Rox were a better team...ha!

Godzilla chomps Philadelphia and wins the MVP...nice series Matsui.

World Series - Game 5

Not dead yet...Phillies made the hometown fans sweat a little but they salvaged a game at home and send it back to NY on Wednesday. Hey, hey more November baseball! So what kind of hair gel does Utley use and I bet if they win he has a major sponsor deal...and what is up with Nike. I don't recall seeing so many swooshes at the "V' of uniform ever.

So Yanks win we have Mariano or Jeter as MVP candidates and if the Phillies make it back then it is either Lee or Utley. So does Manual go with Pedro again? and then Hamel for the deciding game? Gotta like the Yankees with Petite and C.C. I am just glad I can watch some more baseball!

World Series - Game 4

As soon as Damon got a second life (swinging third strike in the dirt, guess he got a piece of it), I knew the Yanks were going to win. You just don't get to give second chances to the team of improbability without getting thumped. Then you go and let Damon steal with a shifted infield (way would you do this with the winning run on?)and then gets to jog on to an empty base (and what were you doing Lidge or Ruiz). Don't you think the catcher, pitcher, or even left fielder have a clue that if you are shifted that someone needs to cover third? I don't think it was that big of an impossibility that Damon was going to try and steal (again hand it to Yanks, they are forcing the issue). Poor Lidge, once again he will be the goat. Just makes Mariano look all that more impressive...unbelievable how he comes in and just shuts the door. Ice in the veins for sure.

Broadcast question....how often does a no out walk end up scoring, anyone?

World Series - Game 2

Funny how history seems to repeat itself when it comes to baseball. Charlie Manuel went with his gut, just like Grady Little went with his in 2003. So let me see a 6 year younger Pedro can't make it past 100 pitches and yet last night Charlie let Pedro enter the seventh with 99 pitches? I mean really, you were already down 2 - 1 with the likelihood of Mariano coming in the 8th and you felt the need to send Pedro out? Yanks go on and get that other run and pretty much seal the deal. Bullpen hasn't seen action in 8 days you've got the rest day today and what? Don't want to wear out the 'pen? I don't get these managers during the playoffs...I mean if this was a regular season game you are pulling Pedro and saying nice outing. Where is the aggressiveness, the desire to just win. I mean in the 8th you have Mariano panting, on the ropes, with the meat of your line up up and instead of sending the runners you hold off sending them and Utley grounds into a inning ending double play. You honestly think Mariano is going to give you another inning with two runners on? Ughhhh just crazy I say...

World Series - Game 1

Baseball, to me, is about offense. Someone is going to have to score to win the game. While pitching helps prevent those scores eventually if the game is to be finished someone has to cross the plate...pitchers can't score (at least from the mound)! So I don't begrudged those that think baseball would be better served if the offense explodes and games become football scores (to an extent). The old Nintendo ball at Coors was a sight to behold and sometimes I wonder what beer sales were back in the day when a 9 inning 14 - 12 score lasted 4+ hours?

So with that preface I turn to last nights World Series. Two Cy Young winners, two former Indians (Cleveland must have hated to watch this), and two of the top hitting clubs in their respective leagues matched off in new Yankee Stadium. A game of possibilities...which why we watch and play the games. The thing that become apparent very quickly was that Cliff Lee was Godzilla last night. To watch a pitcher with complete command and control of a game is a thing of beauty. As I said above offense sells tickets but pitching makes memories. If last night had been a slugfest we'd only remember who won but a great pitching performance like that will be remembered. That spike curve he threw changed zip codes! Not only was Lee in the zone but his defense was on par. That nonchalant grab of the ball, that behind the back stab...wow what a game. Ten strikeouts, a complete game almost shutout. That was awesome.

So last night performance got me thinking...what kind of game score was that. Well it was 83. Not too shabby and how would it have fared in the annals of baseball post seasons? In postseason history it is the 80th best performance and in world series history it is 45th (!*&# only 45?). I was a bit amazed by that but I guess the top teams with the best pitchers do make the playoffs and thus a pitcher can shut a team down.

Who has the highest game score in world series history? - Babe Ruth's 14 inning win in 1916 (97), Don Larsen's perfect game garnered a 94.

What about modern day (post 80s)? Randy Johnson's 11 strikeout shut out in 2001 (91). Lee's performance last night put him 9th behind Johnson, Clemons, Hershiser, Glavine, Boddicker, Beckett, Morris (very memorable game), and Tudor.

Interesting to see what Pedro does tonight...

NLDS Wrap Up

Tale of the Tape

Well the playoffs were over before they really started. Rox came home tied up 1 -1 and then it snowed and they delayed Game 3 until Sunday. Start time on Sunday was 8 PM and game time temperature was 35 deg. It was my first ever playoff game and it was grand. The crowd was a bit subdued probably due to the temp and Sunday night. The last pitch was thrown around 12:15 AM (and temperature had dropped into the 20s). To be honest when the Phillies took the lead in the ninth I was glad that someone was going to win and that extra innings wasn't going to happen. Game 4 was a roller coaster of emotions. Rox were real close to taking it back to Philly for Game 5. In the end it wasn't meant to be...Street blew two consecutive saves and the Phillies moved on.

Looking back at the series and looking at the numbers it really is hard to say with any definitiveness that the Phillies were a better team. The walks really added up against the Rox but overall it was a pretty even series. Couple of pitches here, hits there, and who knows. I think the Rox can look back and say they gave the reigning a champs a run for their money but came up a bit short in the end.

Closer Look

Big Rox playoff winner was CarGo...the big playoff loser was Street. CarGo managed 10 hits (and 2 walks) throughout the playoffs (17 plate appearances). What a coming out party for the big guy. Yorvit continued to be a playoff batter while Iannetta never saw a pitch. Betancourt was the relief and once again Tulo just couldn't get it done when it counted.

Game 4 NLDS Thoughts

1) That one stung! To keep battling throughout the game...to finally break on through...only to get squashed again. When the Rox finally win it all they will look back at this one and realize what it takes to get to the top.

2) Maybe now the national media will look at this team with some respect. We won 92 games and we made the reigning world series champs earn it (unlike the Cards, Twins, and Red Sox...who just laid down)

3) Can we get a ESPN Sunday night game of the week next year? Please

4) Funny that the Phillies bullpen was its weakness and yet it our bullpen that coughs it up...my respect for Mariano Rivera grows daily.

5) This year's divisional series will be remembered for closer melt downs...Papelbon, Nathan, and Street

6) Looks like no winners in the Holliday trade...Holliday boots in LA and Street boots it down the stretch...although CarGo had a coming out party this week!

7) Think Giambi will wear purple stripes next year?

8) Have we seen the last of Atkins, Hawpe, and Barmes?

9) Mr Rox October...Yorvit!

10) It was a good season...well played...frustrating...hopefully something to grow on for next year