Game 1 Rehash

[Frayed Knot]

I'm sure some of this stuff was covered in the IGT, but stuff also tends to get lost in there at times

* This game showed the plusses and minuses of the way our roster is structured with the 12 pitchers and all.
It gave Willie the freedom to use the quick hook there in the 5th after Maine walked Furball after having him down 2-0 and burn the tag-team duo on just two batters even though there were still 4 inning (and maybe more) to go.
On the other hand, it shortens the bench and lessens the options for PH-ing for Mota w/2 out and bags full because you['ve still got 3 innings to cover and you're already on your 4th pitcher. I didn't realize that Mota's hitting record was as decent as it was (most relievers swing once every 6 months or so) but w/a different set-up I'd be screaming for a PH there.
Willie played the whole thing perfectly IMO

* Couldn't see what the 3rd base coach did or didn't do there with Drew on that Chinese fire-drill of a play. Kent read that ball badly enough to start with (Green never got close to that ball) but there's NO WAY you can send Drew there. Drew appeared to glance back towards the coaching box right after he was called out but I have no idea if that fuck-up was his or the coach's.
Meanwhile, Maine was yelling at Duke to turn around but I don't think he ever heard him. He got a bit lucky there that he turned around when he did.

* We also got a bit lucky when Delgado was sent on Wright's RF double. Good throw there and he's out by plenty and there was only 1 out at the time. Risky call and maybe even a bad one ... but it worked.

* Anyone see where Delgado's HR landed? The cameras never seemed to pick it up.
Balls looked to be carrying today - especially those fly balls to RF.

* That grounder to Valentin hadn't even reached him and I'm already screaming 'Play's at First!!'. Bad decision AND bad execution there.

* Heilman was dealing. None of the threee batters he faced got so much as a decent swing.

* Steve Phillips talks a bit too much (let's face it, most analysts do) but he's actually not too bad. Made some good points here and there in the midst of his lengthy soliloquies.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think the Mota at-bat was a consequence of Willie going early to the pen for sure. He didn't want to ask for two innings from Heilman because he wants him at his best tomorrow. Kind of funny, but I see Randolph (almost) giving that big at-bat away --- in order not to have to go to Heilman in the seventh, as a vote of confindence in Heilman, in a way.

[Elster88]

]Chinese fire-drill of a play

I'm dying here.

[Elster88]

]* Anyone see where Delgado's HR landed? The cameras never seemed to pick it up. Balls looked to be carrying today - especially those fly balls to RF.

WFAN called it a 470-footer.

[Elster88]

Lo Duca on SNY confirms he didn't hear Wright, Delgado, or Maine screaming at him during the fire drill.

[Elster88]

BTW I'm fucking exhausted.

I forgot how tiring playoff baseball is. Especially Met playoff baseball.

[A Boy Named Seo]

]I didn't realize that Mota's hitting record was as decent as it was (most relievers swing once every 6 months or so) but w/a different set-up I'd be screaming for a PH there. Willie played the whole thing perfectly IMO

I thought it was funny for a couple of reasons. Marlon (lefty) was leading off the 7th followed by Betemit (switch), plus the pitcher's spot. Mota's got a Heilman-type slider (edit: I meant change-up) that can give lefties fits, but I thought maybe Oliver might start the inning at least. Marlon hit .310/.373/.556 against righties and just .256/.284/.365 against lefties. Betemit was even worse. .281/.344/.505 against righties, .189/.250/.324 against lefties.

Burn Woody there and maybe something good happens. If not, the Mets still have Franco and Castro as the righties on the bench and Oliver to face at least the first two guys.

[Guest Rotblatt]

I was surprised that Oliver wasn't used too. Makes me wonder if Willie's considering giving him the start in Game 4.

I think the worst decision that Little made was to put Penny in there. Just a TERRIBLE idea. We've crushed Penny through his career, and the Dodgers actually have a decent bullpen already.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Elster88 wrote: BTW I'm fucking exhausted. I forgot how tiring playoff baseball is. Especially Met playoff baseball.

I know what you mean. Watching that game wore me out.

[soupcan]

What a great, tense game. I had a blast. The crowd was into every pitch. Where my seats are I have an excellent view of plays at the plate. I saw Loduca tag Kent but wasn't looking for drew and assumed he stopped at third. LoDuca and Kent were blocking my view of third base so I didn't see Drew really until Loduca did. It was bang-bang and really fired up the crowd.

The atmosphere was really, really something.

Loved Willie's micromanaging in the 5th. Again, when they got out of that inning, the crowd was pumped.

Wagner gives up a run, Benitez would've given up 3.

Celeb sightings: Tim Robbins, Ray Romano, Mayor Bloomberg, Ron Howard, John McEnroe.

I razzed Ron Howard's Dodger fan ass.

[Frayed Knot]

Oliver (or Robo) was certainly an option, but here's what I think Willie's thinking:
- there's already 2 outs w/a 3-run lead and the odds of Woodie or Franco getting a hit there isn't all that much better than Mota. So what he'd rather do there and take that small hit as opposed to going to what he must feel is a lesser reliever while there's still got 3 innings left to cover and you've already burned two guys.

It's certainly debateable, but I liked his choices today.

[soupcan]

Rotblatt wrote: I think the worst decision that Little made was to put Penny in there. Just a TERRIBLE idea. We've crushed Penny through his career, and the Dodgers actually have a decent bullpen already.

Grady Little and postseason pitching decisions should be kept in separate rooms.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I wasn't surprised. How oft' has Oliver been thrown into a win-lose situation this year when there was anybody else to go to first?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Oliver (or Robo) was certainly an option, but here's what I think Willie's thinking: - there's already 2 outs w/a 3-run lead and the odds of Woodie or Franco getting a hit there isn't all that much better than Mota. So what he'd rather do there and take that small hit as opposed to going to what he must feel is a lesser reliever while there's still got 3 innings left to cover and you've already burned two guys. It's certainly debateable, but I liked his choices today.

Well, of course we were set up great but Green's K was the regrettable play. Don't think you can go around thinking you deserve another shot after that. Overall we did a poor job leaving ducks at third (twice w/ 1 out) which, save for a lucky double-play at home plate or 1 more Garciaparra base hit, loom huge.

And Mota despite 3 runs rewarded Willie. Valentin's play was insane and the kind that could have put Reyes in the hospital.

I can almost guarantee that unless someone else rips a gastrox, Oliver won't start, nor will he go into a lead-to-protect situation like in the 7th: It's just not what Willie wants out of him. He's in reserve for mopping up Perez in Game 4 or, if things break differently, Maine today.

[duan]

it doesn't matter now but how gyped was floyd by the home plate umpire in the bottom of the 7th with the bases juiced.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Guys at Dodger Blues were opening up veins in decrying the home plate umping. The bad breaks broke both ways though.

Both teams scrod themselves with overaggression; the Mets scrod less.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

That Dodger Blues site is awful.

[soupcan]

I forgot - walking out after the game I saw Branford Marsalis among the unwashed. Nobody recognized him. I said 'Branford, nice job (national anthem before the game)'. Instead of the usual 'yeah, thanks' and continue walking, he chatted me up a bit.

Branford: Thanks, man, sure is hot in here, great game, right?'

soupcan: 'Um, yeah.'

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

When I went to a game in June, I recognized and chatted up the National Anthem singer as we were leaving the ballpark. She wasn't anyone famous, she was a pretty girl wearing tight pink pants. (If not for the prettiness and/or the pink pants, I'm sure I wouldn't have remembered her.)

She really enjoyed being recognized. She told me that she was actually invited by the Mets to perform, she hadn't auditioned or sent in a tape or anything like that. She's a local performer, and one of the Mets National Anthem scouts must have seen her somewhere.

National Anthem singers don't get any VIP treatment after the performance, though. She just went to a regular seat in the ballpark and had to exit with the riffraff. You'd think they'd at least let her watch the game from the Diamond Club or something.

[Guest Edgy DC]

="soupcan"]I forgot - walking out after the game I saw Branford Marsalis among the unwashed. Nobody recognized him. I said 'Branford, nice job (national anthem before the game)'. Instead of the usual 'yeah, thanks' and continue walking, he chatted me up a bit. Branford: Thanks, man, sure is hot in here, great game, right?' soupcan: 'Um, yeah.'

Edgy's fantasy version

Edgy: Branford, nice job.

Branford: Thanks, man, sure is hot in here, great game, right?

Edgy: Hot? Yeah. So honestly, who did you want to smack more? Sting or Leno?

Branford: Well, heh, um.

Edgy: It was Sting, right? Personally, some days I feel like I could smack him all day. You know what I mean? All fucking day.

Branford: Take care. I gotta catch...

Edgy: Tell me Sting's number. You've got to.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I don't think I'll post my fantasy version of my chat with the pretty girl in the tight pink pants.

[Guest cooby]

Pretty girl: Hi!

Yancy: Um

Pretty girl: I'm Kathy!

Yancy: I'm Yancy

Pretty girl: Come on over!

Yancy: Got a POTG thread to edit, sorry.

[Frayed Knot]

So how are the three runs against Mota all earned?

- The bunt single led off the inning
- then came the FC/error on Valentin where he should have gotten AN out somewhere but didn't
- Strike out
- RBI single
- Fly out ... SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE 3rd OUT
- The Nomar 2-RBI 2B ... one of which should never have been on base

I guess what they're thinking is that the error merely allowed Anderson to get to 3rd and that somehow an out on that play wasn't a given ... even though it wasn't scored a hit.

I was thinking of it as only one earned but I guess they figure that the fielder's choice was a BAD choice that didn't get an out but didn't negate an out.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Johnny: Nice job, Mr. Marsalis.

Branford: Thanks.

Johnny: Wifey has a trumpet, but I don't think she could play as well as you.

Branford: It's gotta go, 'BOP-dah-dah-dah, Dah-DAH-dah. Not 'BOP-dah-dah-dah, DAH-dah-dah.'

Johnny: Uh, Branford, I'm not Ken Burns.

Branford: Sorry, man. You bearded short white guys all look alike to me.

[soupcan]

Maybe that's why he engaged me. With my soul patch of facial hair he thought I was a Jazzman.

[Willets Point]

A Boston perspective. Usually I can't stand Shaugnessy, but this article is actually kind of fun. Maybe it's because someone in the Boston media actually acknowledges that baseball is still being played post-Red Sox.

[Gwreck]

It was fun, execept for Dan Shaugnessy talking about walking on the logos painted into the grass.

Um, Dan, keep your freakin feet off of our playoff logos. Thanks.

[MFS62]

Who made the throw on the home plate DP?
Was it Valentin?
I coldn't tell from the replays I saw.
He was originally a shortstop and I doubt many other "pure" second basemen would have had a strong enough arm to make that throw.
Later

[soupcan]

MFS62 wrote: He was originally a shortstop and I doubt many other "pure" second basemen would have had a strong enough arm to make that throw.

Who are you - George Steinbrenner? It was a throw from a deep infield position. My mom could've gotten it to the plate from there.