The Pond Scums vs our Little Expansion Brothers Round 2 NLCS

[seawolf17]

That Pujols homer was sick. He crushed it. Good comparison on the Dave Henderson blast.

In Bill Simmons lingo, that was a Level 2 Stomach Punch loss.

[Guest martin]

nike needs to bring back scary face pujols. that big homer last night, it kind of creeped me out. devastating.

[seawolf17]

Also lost in last night's broadcast was Tim McCarver's statement that "the largest state in the U.S. has never hosted a World Series game"! No shit, Tim. It's because they don't have a freaking major league baseball team, dick. I don't know what happened to Timmy, who I thought was so good when he was doing Mets games when I was a kid, but he's losing it.

[Guest cooby]

Well, he did get his training from Ralph

[Willets Point]

Don't give Bud any ideas. "To further promote the great game of baseball, this year's World Series games will be played in Anchorage and Juneau!"

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Frayed Knot a question, out of the three who would you want at the plate tonight in that situation?...

This season that answer is probably Eckstein.
Over the last 5 years or so I'd take Renterea.




btw;
I got a kick out of that 'largest state' comment too but it wasn't McCarver, it was Brennerman.. McCarver/Buck aren't doing the NL game.
Maybe Seawolf is losing it too?

[Guest holychicken]

Does anyone know how far it travelled? Seriously he CRUSHED that thing and I can't find a "estimated distance."

Not that it really matters. But I was curious . . . and now I can't find it.

[Elster88]

="seawolf17"]Also lost in last night's broadcast was Tim McCarver's statement that "the largest state in the U.S. has never hosted a World Series game"! No shit, Tim. It's because they don't have a freaking major league baseball team, dick. I don't know what happened to Timmy, who I thought was so good when he was doing Mets games when I was a kid, but he's losing it.

Well, Timmy is an idiot, but I think for a different reason than you are thinking. I'm pretty sure he was referring to Texas, not Alaska.

So is he dumber if he says that Alaska has never hosted a game, or dumber if he doesn't know what the biggest state is?

[Elster88]

holychicken wrote: Does anyone know how far it travelled? Seriously he CRUSHED that thing and I can't find a "estimated distance." Not that it really matters. But I was curious . . . and now I can't find it.

They said 412 on SportsCenter. Looked like longer than that to me.

[seawolf17]

Oh, I lost it a long time ago. Between my morning migraine and the blood gushing out of my chin, I forgot who called the game last night.

My apologies to the esteemed Mr. McCarver.

On the distance question: even Baseball Tonight's page on espn.com doesn't list the distance. I think it's because nobody could find a tape measure that long, and even computers can't count that high.

edit: I know he was referring to Texas. I'm just saying his geography was a little faulty.

[Guest holychicken]

Cool, thanks guys

[HahnSolo]

My first knee jerk reaction when he walked Edmonds was "walk Albert." I know it goes against convention putting the tying run on second, but should Garner/Lidge have even considered it? wouldnt you rather face Sanders there with the bags drunk?

[Centerfield]

The amazing thing about that was how the park when silent before Pujols' HR. Amazing. One of the greatest baseball moments I've ever seen.

[Willets Point]

That game is an intstant classic.

[Willets Point]

19 pages of joy and agony.

[metirish]

from the above IGT...and no I didn't read all 19 pages, just the last few after Pujols homered..

]guys, i dont know what happened. we were only 1 out away.. why didnt they just walk pujols...

Do you tell your stud closer to walk Pujols and go git Saunders?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

From the first page, an hour before game time -

]I agree with you, I can't handle any more of these nailbiters..

Oh man - he got that and then some.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Not for nothin, but the Astros really aren't good enough not to get into nailbiters every night. Their offense flat out suxxx.

I'm fairly ambivalent about who wins it all, I just want good games, but was thinking in the 9th inning that with the White Sox already in it'd only be right for the cardinals to go with them in an non-WC World Series, with the 2 best longhaul teams going at it.

[MFS62]

Has anyone seen any estimate of how far that homer went?

I did a quick calculation. It was hit toward left center, so I'd estimate the distance to the fence is 365-370 feet. Then you add at least 30 rows of seats at at least another 100 feet. Then it went over the back wall and hit the glass. That wall had to be at least 80 feet high.
Without the glass to stop it, I figure it would have gone about 530 feet or more.

Annie, was there any figure given in the Houston papers?

Later

[Centerfield]

The nominations are in for worst advice ever:

spursfan2020: guys, i dont wanna screw this up.. should i keep on my rally cap?

CjW 2k5: Take it off Spursfan. Save that mojo for the World Series!!!!

CjW was tempting the fates all throughout the thread...posting pics of champagne, numerous references to "Lights Out Lidge". If he were here, he would be banned by now.

[metirish]

Taken from Buster Olney's article from today...

]The bins of champagne rested in the middle of the Astros' clubhouse, cresting with bottles, right between the big screen television and the couches. Plastic blanketed the lockers, to protect them from the celebration that was to come. Just one more out and half of Texas would come through those doors and celebrate the first World Series appearance for a 44-year-old franchise.

I'd not thought about that, had to be even tougher to walk into the club house with all that there.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2005/columns/story?columnist=olney_buster&id=2194717

[Frayed Knot]

Better yet, read the part in [u:8f4af1d5e7]Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty[/u:8f4af1d5e7] where the clubhouse crew had to first do up the NYY clubhouse in anticipation of their impending win ... and then tear it all down and move things over to the Arizona side when the 9th inning fell apart.
And through it all is superstitious Steinbrenner screaming at the poor kids working there that "it's all your fault" if the Yanx don't win because he didn't want them "jinx it" by setting up until the game was over despite the logisitcal nightmare it would have been for both the MLB & FOX folks.

[MFS62]

This morning on the Mike and Mike show on ESPN radio, one of them said that the clubhouse attandants had to scurry to put the corks back in the champagne bottles. He may have been joking, but....

Later

[Willets Point]

Someone in Ken Burns' Baseball mentions the Red Sox clubhouse at Shea being cleaned up right quick after Game Six.

[metirish]

IIRC Bob Costas tells of standing next to Mrs Yawkey with the vistors clubhouse all set for a celebration and when the Mets came back to win Mrs Yawkey being shuffled away from the scene.

[Elster88]

I thought about posting a poll, but we already have a thread.

Would you have walked Pujols yesterday? If you feel like playing along, please respond in bold.

Yes - 0%
No --------------------------------------------- 100 (8 votes)%

[Elster88]

No

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I know that the circumstances aren't exactly the same, but Pujols' homer can't help but remind me of the one hit by Mike Scioscia off Doc Gooden in 1988.

The biggest difference is that the 1988 game wouldn't have clinched the pennant. Also, after that game, the Mets and Dodgers were tied at two games apiece. Here the Astros at least still have an advantage, and only have to win one of the next two to clinch. But I can't discount momentum, which clearly favors the Cardinals. Was it Game 5 in the 1986 ALCS when Donnie Moore gave up that homer to Dave Henderson? Maybe that's a closer parallel.

[Frayed Knot]

Would you have walked Pujols yesterday?

NO
As good as Albert is, you'd still be going from a situation where a HR beats you and a double ties it -- to one where they just need a Reggie Sanders single to tie the game and a double or HR to beat you.
Not good odds IMO.

[seawolf17]

No.

I don't see any reason to walk Pujols there. That's an unfair second-guess. Your closer has been so good all year; you send him out there to get outs, not pitch around guys.