Results tagged ‘ Tony La Russa ’
Games 1 and 2 Thoughts: I only saw the highlights
So Game 1 was 3-2, Cardinals. Game 2 was 2-1, Rangers. This obviously sets up a 1-0 Cardinals game. Kyle Lohse vs. Matt Harrison in Texas? Yea, I know. Crazier things have happened. Like the first two games having a combined 8 runs. Both games being one run games isn’t a horribly big surprise, I just thought at least one of the teams would have scored 8 runs in one of the games. I’m sure there will be at least one of those games that one team wins like say… 16-4, or 11-8, or 9-0. You know, something like that.
From what I’ve heard, the managers have overmanaged both games in some way: Ron Washington in Game 1 using German in a PH role, Tony La Russa pulling Motte in the 9th. Do I agree with both of those decisions? No. But I understand La Russa’s more than Washington’s. However, Washington has led his team to back-to-back World Series and TLR has been in quite a few and won some himself. I stop short of saying things like “these guys obviously don’t know what they’re doing.” They obviously do.
Some guy with two first names was the hero in Game 1 while small ball and a cutter from the CF that Albert missed in the 9th in Game 2 has the world talking. Should it be an error? Debatable. All that matters is that Elvis Andrus was on 2nd and the Texas Rangers took advantage of pitches in bad spots (up to Hamilton; away in the zone to Young where he can extend his arms).
MLB Network is doing a great Diamond Demo on Rafael Furcal’s positioning on tagging Ian Kinsler in that Raffy should’ve straddled the bag and maybe the outcome would’ve been different. Didn’t think anyone would get a SB on Yadier in this series. I have a lot of respect for that arm. Credit Kinsler for a ballsy and successful SB. Also, how about Elvis tonight? Nice. No question in my mind when Neftali came in.
By the way, I’m sure if you’re at least… 10 years old and are a rabid sports fan, you’ll notice the conversation about the series always stays the same no matter what.
Team A up 1-0: “Team that wins the first game more likely to win the series! This could be the year!”
Team A and B tied: “Team B has the momentum now… can Team A fight it?!?! I think Team B will win!”
Whoever goes up 2-1: “I team (winning team)’s chances to win. 2 wins away, they have their ace going in Game 5 and their Game 6 starter is next in line in case things get a little crazy. That team is my favorite to win now!”
The only annoying part about the playoffs. Outside of the obvious sports people and football music network that broadcast the World Series.
Today’s Debate: Rooting Order of Playoff Teams (different than @Baycityball)
A different team will be crowned in 2011. We'll live with it.
Discussion and disagreement are part of sports life, and after reading a post from @BayCityBall (http://www.baycityball.com/2011/10/02/my-postseason-rooting-order/) I thought this would be a good post for today. The idea is of course, there are eight teams in the postseason and if we had to rank who you would root for, what would that order be? Everyone’s list will be different and who can blame them? There’s some attractive talent (both on the field and in the dugout) for us to be amazed and stupefied at.
1. Tampa Bay Rays – expansion team, lost to the Phillies in 2008, came from a huge deficit to defeat one of the more despised franchises in baseball. They have lovable characters like Evan Longoria, One-A-Day 50+ sponsor Joe Maddon, Madison Bumgarner pitch-a-like Matt Moore (alike in that the Rangers couldn’t touch either of them). Shoot, their version of Eli Whiteside even hit two HRs against CJ Wilson. Awesome
They weren't supposed to be in the playoffs. Thanks to multivitamins, here they are.
2. Texas Rangers – When the Giants and the Rangers met up last year in 2010, you had a ratings nightmare: no Yankees? no Red Sox? no Phillies? We’ll just have Joe Buck and Tim McCarver do this one. Nobody’s watching, anyway. You also had two franchises starved for a World Series trophy. The Giants got their portion in 2010, but the Rangers were left hanging and from what I heard, the Rangers were very classy in defeat. Their exciting players are mostly hold bats and hit HRs for a living, their staff has the experience of winning so the jitters should be mostly out of the way.
Tempting to tab him as the Game 4 starter, right?
3. Detroit Tigers – The playoff team I probably know the least about. I guess they’re like the Tampa Bay Rays or a Texas Rangers-lite on offense and some other team with their pitching. Justin Verlander? Hot. Jose Valverde? He should make a dance instruction DVD. As for everyone else? Whatever, just beat the Yankees.
Two JVs on one team? No wonder they're so good.
4. St. Louis Cardinals – Just beat the Phillies, Tony La Russa. Use your craftiness when you get back home to even the series at 2 or something. Sprinklers, stadium lights, rain dance, Buffalo Wild Wings commercials, whatever. I laugh a little that Rafael Furcal is on this team.
We're losing by 1 late in the game. Time for some "Tony Magic!"
5. Arizona Diamondbacks – They’re not far down on the list because I despise their team; really, I’m OK with them. Justin Upton, Chris Young, Aaron Hill, Kirk Gibson. I think he’s done a great job with the team and GM Kevin Towers a wonderful job rebuilding the bullpen. I don’t want them winning the World Series because I don’t know why, but I don’t. I may have this fear that winning the WS would convince idiots to vote Ian Kennedy for Cy Young even though it’s just a regular season award. Edit: Forgot that ballots are submitted before the post-season. Therefore, Kennedy performance in post-season will not change likelihood of getting Cy. Their twitter account is annoying as babies on a plane, by the way.
He's been straight up golden for the DBacks. Except in Game 1.
6. Milwaukee Brewers – I am very not fond of a certain player on their team that claims to have an alter-ego that rhymes with “Phony-Flush.” I do not want to see him happy. Does that make me a bad person? Probably, but no one’s perfect. I’m not too fond of Prince Fielder, either, but TofuMan doesn’t both me as much as the current CF. I like Ryan Braun. I like John Axford.
He's got a crazy long contract for a reason.
In between 6 and 7, please note that there’s a gap larger than the 6 hour drive from Long Beach to San Jose I have to endure at least twice a year.
7. Philadelphia Phillies – I have a strong dislike for the Phillies. They have become the Yankees of the NL. I will laugh at them in 2015 when they are still paying Ryan Howard $25MM to strike out with a sandwich in his mouth.
There, there, Ryan Howard. You'll have a chance to redeem yourself this year.
8. New York Yankees – Look, they have exciting players. They’re the freaking Yankees. But the only time you want a team like that to win is when: a) it’s your team or b) you’re playing a video game and you’ve constructed a super team that isn’t possible in real life and you don’t have to worry about hurting other people’s feelings.
The Yankees, ladies and gentlemen.
In 2012, the list will be different. Buster ain’t havin’ it.
ALDS Game 1 Previews: Pretending I Know What I’m Talking About
I will predict things, and I will be wrong. It’s just fun to guess.
(2) Rangers vs. (4) Rays, 2:07 PM PST, Ballpark at Arlington
Can Longo help the Rays to get revenge on the Rangers for 2010's defeat in the ALDS?
The world was expecting Red Sox Nation to show up, but the great Baseball Deities decided to give us one of the best nights of baseball ever that resulted in a little something Long Beach State likes to call “Evan Longoria.” True, there was Dan Johnson who kept them from Game 163, and Joe Maddon is a genius.
Game 1: Christopher John (CJ) Wilson (16-7, 2.94 ERA, 1.187 WHIP, 223.1 IP) vs. Matt Moore (1-0, 2.89 ERA, 14.49 K/9, 9.1 IP, 1 GS)
While the world is pondering why Kyle Lohse is a Game One starter, Joe Maddon tried to one-up Tony La Russa and say, “How about I throw out our Minor League Stud-Muffin out there?” It’s true, GM’s and scouts alike have dreams of Matt Moore and the future looks bright for the kid born in 1989 (really). As with any other postseason series, it’s going to come down to pitching, and both staffs are well equipped to go toe-to-toe (and that Texas bullpen? What the heck is that all about?)
CJ can dominate hitters in less than 140 characters. Unless it's Edgar Renteria.
What we have come to love about both of these teams though, are their bats. Who doesn’t love themselves some Longo, Zoborist, Upton (the tradeable one), Hamilton, Cruz, Beltre and hitting catching in Napoli? Oh and Kinsler had a 32 HR season, big whoop. I do that in video games all the time.
I respect Ron Washington and Joe Maddon a lot, but Joe Maddon has some crazy smart tactics he gets from those One-A-Day 50+ multivitamins which may hold the key to jumping over the 2010 AL Champions who do not have Cliff Lee to beat them twice again this year. But then again, Texas does have Tommy Hunter anymore to underhand pitches to batters so the Rays will have to counter that with something.
The Rangers have a scary good offense. Can the Rays young pitching hold them down? I say no. Texas takes care of business in game one, 5-1.
(1) Yankees vs. (3) Tigers, 5:37 PM PST, Yankee Stadium
Will CC be the only Yankee SP to show up this series?
Game 1: CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.00 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 237.1 IP) vs. Justin Verlander (24-5, 2.40 ERA, 0.920 WHIP, 251.0 IP)
Sure there are hitters involved, but as a Giants fan I know they don’t do anything. The game is in the starting pitching, and boy you bet America is excited for this.
The uneducated baseball fan will look at this matchup and say to themselves “holy crap, 43 combined wins between two aces! i love baseball for now until sunday!” They will feel like it gives them a clue as to the magic that could be awaiting them, what with Verlander’s two no-hitters he has under his belt, one coming this year in Toronto. There will be magic, but not because they have 43 wins between each other.
The scouting reports these guys get are processed and and executed to an “ace” level — these two having 480 K’s between them, the two of them averaging 4 K’s/BB. Sure, the ratio isn’t Sergio Romo-esque, but there’s only one person who pitches like Sergio Romo and that’s Sergio MF Romo. There might not be a repeat of Roy Halladay stature, but anytime these guys get on the mound you know you could be bearing witness to something special.
Will JV do everything for his team like an MVP does?
Weather reports are telling us we don’t even know what time this game will officially get started, but hopefully it’s just a bunch of clouds passing through. Wouldn’t want to watch the “Double-R” series and then have to wait hours to see Game One of this ALDS. That would be cruel.
When you watch these two, hopefully you think about two things: teaching your kid to either throw left-handed, or teaching your kid how to throw triple-digits with great control.
So who will it be for Game One? Both of these teams haven’t been in “playoff mode” for a while, but it doesn’t mean they haven’t worked. I like Verlander and Co. to take Game 1 and Valverde to do a little dance at the end. Tigers get first blood, 6-4.
