The Pond Scums vs our Little Expansion Brothers Round 2 NLCS

[Guest SwitchHitter]

MFS62 wrote: Annie, was there any figure given in the Houston papers?

I don't know. My beloved takes the paper to work with him every day so he can do the crossword puzzle.

[Guest Edgy DC]

There's a figure in this thread.

[metirish]

NO....it was a strange AB with Edmonds though, looked like he couldn't find the SZ

[seawolf17]

Annie, thanks for checking in. Sorry about last night; go get 'em on Wednesday!

(Except I'll be rooting for the Cardinals.)

[Guest SwitchHitter]

]Would you have walked Pujols yesterday?

A better poll is would you have used a PH for Pettitte in the 4th with runners on 1B and 2B with one out or have him bunt them over?

[Guest SwitchHitter]

No

But I wouldn't've wallked Edmonds, either.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Are two peeps posting with Annie's profile?

[Guest sharpie]

Looked to me like Lidge was too pumped after he got 2 outs, thinking he had it in the bag.

[metirish]

]Looked to me like Lidge was too pumped after he got 2 outs, thinking he had it in the bag.

Bob Brenly said that a few times after he got the two outs.

[Centerfield]

NO.

Even if the same exact situation presented itself in Game 6, I would pitch to Pujols again.

I would just, you know, try to pitch to him better.

[Guest SwitchHitter]

It's just me--I forgot to vote in the poll when I made my suggestion so I voted seperately.

[Willets Point]

I'll add to the resounding chorus of NO in this thread. Intentional walking is for losers.

Annie, sorry for the heartbreaking loss. I'm rooting for your guys to tie it up on Wednesday.

[Guest rpackrat]

I was watching last night when Fox, with 1 out in the top of the 9th, named Lance Berkman Player of the Game. I turned to my wife and said "that seems premature. What if Pujols hits a 3run HR to win it for the Cards?" It really bugs me when TV broadcasts nema a player of the game before the game is over.

[Elster88]

That was a huge topic of discussion on the radio today. That stuff doesn't bother Elster88 so much. But when they flashed "Boston - World Champions" in Game Six...THAT would've bothered Elster88.
_____________________________
This post had the designation 138) Rickey Henderson

[Frayed Knot]

That 'Player of the Game' stuff exists solely for the sponsor product tie-ins so they have to announce it before things are over otherwise no one would ever hear it. Not worth getting upset about.
Marty Barrett, you may recall, was PotG in '86-Game 6.

The 'Congrats Boston Red Sox' message is one of those things that's kinda funny in retrospect even though it - like Keith's famous beer drinking after his AB - would have become a critical flashpoint among fans had the results not turned out happy.
Turns out that they had the message ready to roll and the operator hit the wrong button which put it on the real scoreboard instead of the preview screen. Oops!

[smg58]

I too have to vote no. Good luck tomorrow SH.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Better late than never, I guess. As Frayed Knot clearly outlined, the percentages were better pitching to Pujols than walking him. Garner made the proper decision by having Lidge pitch to Pujols. Unfortunately for the Astros, not all moves work out as planned, even when they are the correct move.

[Willets Point]

History is not on Houston's side.

[Guest SwitchHitter]

History is today viewed from tomorrow. You can't change history, but you can make it.

[Willets Point]

I agree. I just found it fascinating how many times the Astros have been in this situation and failed and vice versa for the Cardinals. But none of that means anything on tonight's game imho.

[Guest SwitchHitter]

Well, that's why I said in another thread that it turns out the Braves have some history with the Astros and was an additional reason for me to hate them. But I started out hating them.

My second-best friend (my 2B is my best friend) hates the Mets because of history. He also doesn't like Nolan Ryan because of that game in 1980. Nolan Ryan is my favorite historical Astro and, because y'all are so nice to me, I pull for the Mets when they're not facing the Astros.

But I'm acknowledged to be weird. I have a favorite team in each division. The only one I follow is the Astros because that's my team, but there's a team I like in each division and when I watch Game of the Week on FOX, if one of my teams is playing, I'll root for them.

[HahnSolo]

The Donnie Moore/Dave Henderson talk from that article is WAY premature. If Houston wins tonight, and let's say Lidge polishes off a 4-out save, everyone, from Lidge, to his teammates, to half the state of Texas will have forgotten about Pujols's home run before they even board their flight to Chicago.

The Moore/Kim/Niedenfuer talk should be shelved until Houston loses games six and seven.

[MFS62]

From someone with a screename Cardinal70:

http://p216.ezboard.com/fdtfcdtfcstlouiscardinalsforum.showMessage?topicID=248.topic

]Pujols At The Bat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The outlook wasn�t brilliant for the Cardinal nine that day The score stood four to two with but one inning more to play And so, when J-Rod went down on strikes and Mabry did the same A pallor wreathed the features of the fans of Redbird fame. A straggling few turned off the tube, the rest Clung to the hope that springs eternal in the human breast They thought, �If only Pujols could get a whack, at that We�d put up even money now, with Pujols at the bat.� But Eck preceded Pujols, and so did Jimmy E, The former was a pipsqueak and the latter one for three. So upon that stricken multitude a death-like silence sat. With Lidge there seemed but little chance of Pujols getting to the bat. But Eck bounced a single when he only had one strike more And Edmonds, the streaky slugger, then went and took ball four. So when the dust had settled, oh what a sight to see! There was Eckstein safe at second, and on first was Jimmy E. Then all across Cardinal Nation there arose a joyous yell It rumbled in the mountaintops, it rattled in the dell. It rolled against Busch Stadium and recoiled to where Walt sat For Pujols, mighty Pujols, was advancing to the bat. There was ease in Pujols� manner as he stepped up to the plate. There was pride in Pujols� bearing, and focus upon his face. And when, with panic building, Houston fans started sounding flat, No stranger in the crowd could doubt, twas Pujols at the bat. All Cardinal eyes were on him as he knelt upon the dirt Praying for the strength to on that baseball put a hurt. And as the writhing pitcher got a visit on the mound There was a noticeable drop in the level of the sound. And now the leather-covered sphere comes hurtling through the air And Pujols took a rip at it, missing it with inches to spare A slider from the closer Lidge had been the pitch he missed A groan went up from St. Louis, Houston cheered and hissed. From the benches, black with people, came decibels of sound As the Astros looked to be moving to the next round. And now Lidge holds the ball, and now he lets it go, And now the air is shattered by the force of Pujols� blow. Oh all across Cardinal Nation, the sun is shining bright Bands are playing somewhere, and all the hearts are light So many men are laughing and telling their children of the sight, Because Albert Pujols hit the baseball long into the Texas night.

Not bad.
Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

No, not bad at all.

I only have two gripes about it:

]Praying for the strength to on that baseball put a hurt.

Could that line be more awkward?

]And Edmonds, the streaky slugger, then went and took ball four. So when the dust had settled, oh what a sight to see! There was Eckstein safe at second, and on first was Jimmy E.

The "dust had settled" phrase was lifted from the original, which is fine, but in the original the dust was kicked up by Jimmy Blake sliding in to second with a double. I don't envision much dust being kicked up by a walk with a runner on first.

But a nice job overall. A labor of love from a happy Cardinals fan.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Durn good.

Bonus fact: Until he died in 1943, former Phillies pitcher Dan Casey never disabused the notion that he was "The Mighty Casey" as referred to in the poem. He appeared as a guest at ballparks all over and soaked up the attention.

Except, he was lying the whole time, and knew it, because before 1909, he merely referred to himself as the brother of the Mighty Casey, his real-life brother Dennis.

Except, Dennis, who died in 1909, was lying the whole time and he knew it too.

Dan & Dennis Casey were teammates on the 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps.

[Zvon]

Willets Point wrote: Holy fucking shit, you can't script shit like that!!!! 3-run kaboom by Pujols.

No you cant WP.
That was unfreakinbelievable.

Shock and awe.

It always occurs to you,'what if', but I still could not believe he did it.
Someone said it was like the 88 Scoscia homer, and it MUST have been for Asstros fans. Cuz it sucked the air right out of the room for me.
I didnt have that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach tho, like in '88.
But Asstros fans did,....you can be sure of that.
Unfreakin believeable.

I still say Houston takes it and makes it to the big show.
You cant dodge two bullets like Oswalt and Clemens.

*Z commences crossing his fingers..............

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

Frayed Knot wrote: The 'Congrats Boston Red Sox' message is one of those things that's kinda funny in retrospect even though it - like Keith's famous beer drinking after his AB - would have become a critical flashpoint among fans had the results not turned out happy. Turns out that they had the message ready to roll and the operator hit the wrong button which put it on the real scoreboard instead of the preview screen. Oops!

Two things about that with Mex

1) That, along with an incident described in Peter Golenbock's "Amazin" where he actually campaigned for Kevin McReynolds to get the MVP over Strawberry in 1988 and I'm sure a few others, makes me question Hernandez's true "leadership" qualities, and that maybe he was quite overated/overblown/overstated in that regard

2) Bonilla and Henderson caught tons of abuse (granted with Bonilla it was more piling on) for their card game during Game 6 1999 NLCS. So much that Bonilla was gone almost instantaniously and Henderson was sent packing after an unproductive early 2000. So not only would Mex catch grief, but what about a nude Kevin Mitchell calling for plane reservations at the same time! Well now Mitchell gets chuckles because he went up there without, erm, his protection, to deliver his hit. Which brings up another question about Hernandez's true leadership. The guy just made the second out of the inning and the best he can do is sulk in the locker room because he doesn't want to see the season end "that way?" Oh that says alot about his faith in Gary Carter by the way...

3) The other part of that story is that Keith wasn't moving from his seat due to supersitiousness. I'd have to check the timeline again from a tape I have, wheither or not it happened after the wild pitch to score Mitchell, but Keith is clearly shown IN THE DUGOUT rooting the team on and it doesn't look like he was planning on coming out there for the top of the 12th. Really does say something about the "Captain" of that team though if he'd rather not move from his seat when the Mets are making the rally of the year

Come to think of it, I don't think the Mets ever had a, for lack of a better example, Derek Jeter-esque time of guy. Usually its been the silent "lead by example" guys like a Piazza, and Hernandez, or pitchers like Seaver and Franco who obviously could not be in the dugout every single moment the way a Jeter like "rally the troops" guy can be

Steve

[Zvon]

so far,....good game from a Houston perspective.

Asstros up 3-0 in the 5th.
Oswalt is pitchin great so far.

[Guest SI Metman]

This is playing out like Game 7 of the '86 World Series. Is that El Sid coming out of the pen?

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm not sure the Yankees have ever had a Derek Jeter-esque guy either.

I respect Derek Jeter, but a lot of his character is myth, and, examined under the lens you're quite fairly putting Keith under, would likely turn out to be almost as human as Keith was.