Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox - World Series 2005

[Valadius]

I'm gonna start the thread.

First of all I'd like to congratulate both teams on making it to the World Series. They worked hard as hell to get here.

Secondly, I'm quite happy. This is EXACTLY what I wanted to see. The only other time I can remember being happy with BOTH teams in the World Series is in 2002.

[Valadius]

You know, if the Astros win the World Series, by virtue of his having pitched in 31 games for them this year, John Franco would be on tap to finally get a World Series ring.

Here's how the Mets Factor works out:

Houston:

John Franco
Dan Wheeler
Scott Strickland
Jose Vizcaino
Todd Self (incredibly, our Invisible Man actually played in 21 games for the Astros this season)

Chicago:

Shingo Takatsu
Ross Gload (we acquired him in the second of three Burnitz trades, IIRC)
Raul Casanova (drafted by us in 1990)
Timo Perez
Carl Everett

[smg58]

I'll go White Sox in 6. I can't see the Astros generating much offense in this series, while I think the Sox will score just often enough. I hope you like pitching.

[Frayed Knot]

- It's the '02-'03 NYY pitching staffs facing each other!!
Pettitte & Clemens vs Hernandez & Contreras

- A Central Division team will win it's first WS ... there's just no way to avoid it

- Biggio gets the 'most games played w/o a WS' tag taken off him. Not sure who gets it now?


I don't know who I'm backing in this one. I'll usually pull for the NL tem but for some reason I seem to be leaning for the Sox.
What tends to happen in these cases when I don't have an obvious rooting interest is that I just hope for a long, exciting series and by the end I'll find myself hoping for one outcome or the other although I'll have no conscious memory of making a decision about it.

[Frayed Knot]

Jeff Bagwell & Frank Thomas

Both long time stars who had their first full season in 1991 (Thomas had a late 1990 call-up) wind up injured and contributing very little to the year when their teams finally make a WS; 100 ABs for Bagwell this season, 105 for Thomas, which contributes to the similarities in their parallel careers.

	AB	HR	RBI	H	2B	R	BB	K	BA	OBA	SLG
Bagwell

[Centerfield]

The Astros employ Clemens. Go Sox.

How funny is it that so many ex-Yank pitchers are in this series? How pissed would we be if Game 1 featured Al Leiter vs. Pedro Astacio? With Matt Ginter and Scott Erickson* also set to pitch?



*The funny thing was, despite all the pitchers we've adquired over the past few years, other than Leiter, I couldn't think of a single starter we had let go. I actually had to look up the rotations on Yancy's page to get Astacio and Ginter. Amazing how soon we forget. I mean, when's that last time you thought about Raul Gonzalez. Remember when we wondered if he might be good enough to play everyday? And with Erickson, I don't have any memory of his ever being on the Mets. I'm not sure this even happened.

[Willets Point]

I think this is going to be a great series. And if I see one more idiot writing about ratings being low because no one cares about the White Sox and the Astros I might blow a gasket (not anyone on this board has said anything like that though). These are teams from the 3rd and 4th largest cities in the US for starters.

[Guest sharpie]

I'm more excited about this series than I've been for the last few. As I've written elsewhere, I picked the White Sox from the first round and I'm sticking with them.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Put me down for the White Sox, too.

It's funny, but I'm 42 years old, and this is the first time in my life that a World Series game will be played in either Texas or Illinois, two states with multiple teams.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Those Bagwell/Thomas numbers might be even closer if you adjust for Bag's time in the dome.

As it is, Bagwell has a 150 OPS+ in his career, and Thomas a 161. Both are solid Hall-of-Famers with those numbers. I think neither are thought of as such, though.

[nymr83]

well, i tried typing this once already and lost my connection before i could submit.
i'm going to have to root for the white sox mainly because i dislike clemens, though getting franco a ring almost seems worth it, the fact that he won't actually be pitching in the series probably makes this an easier choice.
either way, theres no yankees/braves/phillies/etc in this series to root against so whoever wins i just want to see 6 or 7 good games

[MFS62]

Do you think the White Sox will throw another World Series?

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

MFS62 wrote: Do you think the White Sox will throw another World Series?

Of course, I'd hate to see that happen, but it would be a funny thing to wish upon Bud Selig.

[MFS62]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: but it would be a funny thing to wish upon Bud Selig.

Yancy, you are one sick puppy.
I like that.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Two angles you're going to see a lot of:

Garner Manages Astros the Way He Played

and

Guillen Manages Sox the Way He Played

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I wish that I was able to manage my socks. Some mornings I have trouble finding a matching pair.

[Guest sharpie]

But Guillen is managing white socks, not nearly as difficult as colored ones with slightly different patterns - those are hard to manage.

[Guest cooby]

You need to turn on the bathroom light

[seawolf17]

Will they give John Franco a WS ring? They released him months ago. That'd be odd. Either way, Go Sox. As much as I love Biggio/Bagwell/Berkman, I can't let Clemens and Pettitte win.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I guess the other angle we'll hear too much about here is how Contraras, Clemens, Pettitte and Hernandez are all former MFY starters.

(not to mention Vizcaino, Everett, Ausmus, Marte, Russ Springer being one-time MFY property)

[Willets Point]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I guess the other angle we'll hear too much about here is how Contraras, Clemens, Pettitte and Hernandez are all former MFY starters.

Yes, and they were "real Yankees" explaining the sucess of these two pennant-winning teams.

[Centerfield]

McCarver: "And Joe, it's no coincidence that four former Yankees are starting in this World Series. This goes to show you the influence that a player like Derek Jeter has on a pitching staff...even years later, they're still exhibiting the benefits of having played next to him..."

[Willets Point]

Our White Sox thread from two months back.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]McCarver: "And Joe, it's no coincidence that four former Yankees are starting in this World Series. This goes to show you the influence that a player like Derek Jeter has on a pitching staff...even years later, they're still exhibiting the benefits of having played next to him..."

Now, cut that out.

[MFS62]

Edgy, you gotta' give CF some props for that one.

Very well done.

Later

[Willets Point]

Funny thing is that it was only on my second reading that I realized it was satire and not an actual quote.

[Guest SwitchHitter]

seawolf17 wrote: As much as I love Biggio/Bagwell/Berkman, I can't let Clemens and Pettitte win.

This seems odd to me. I think folks should embrace former Yankees, not shun them. Now I can understand not liking Clemens, but Pettitte?

[Willets Point]

Embracing Pettitte would mean seeing the rat face up close.

[Guest SwitchHitter]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: (not to mention Vizcaino, Everett, Ausmus, Marte, Russ Springer being one-time MFY property)

Everett? When? We got him from the Red Sox in the Great Everett Swap. He was a 4th round draft pick by the Cubs in 1995, but didn't sign.

I'll believe you on those other guys, but I sponsor Adam's page on baseball-reference.com so I know better.

Oh, you mean the OTHER Everett.




Edit: I missed a period. I must be mentalpausal.

[Elster88]

SwitchHitter wrote: I think folks should embrace former Yankees

Why?