World Series I-S-T

[Frayed Knot]

Rays' newly found defensive rep is suddenly taking a beating this week. And it's the solid
infield guys (Longoria, Barlett, Iwamura) who are making most of the goofs.


Crawford's HR was only the 2nd of the last 9 TB runs that was driven in by a hit.
The other was Crawford's game 2 HR.
All 4 runs in game 3 came on an infield out, an infield out, a Sac Fly & an error

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Hasn't been the best executed world series I ever saw.

[Frayed Knot]

Yup.
Lotsa mistakes both ways, runners left all over the place, not very good fielding, and even
some bad umping.

Good bullpens has been the hilight for both teams.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Big fat Joe Blanton hits a big fat home run

[Frayed Knot]

Since when did they start allowing in-series roster moves?
I hope there's some sort of limit what moves can be made or I could see some serious
manipulations at some point.

[Fman99]

The entire series disgusts me. Between Phillies wins and national baseball coverage I have had enough.

I'm punching out, Maverick.

[metirish]

Broad Street Joe they are calling him in Philly.

It's not been a good series to watch no matter who you are rooting for.

[Frayed Knot]

="metirish"]Broad Street Joe they are calling him in Philly.

You misheard, it's broad-assed Joe.

Or, as they said in Oakland back when he was part of the famed 'Moneyball' draft,
"he wears a big pair of underwear".

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: Since when did they start allowing in-series roster moves? I hope there's some sort of limit what moves can be made or I could see some serious manipulations at some point.

What happened?

I know that can only happen if you declare a player injured (i.e. Mike Lowell and Richie Weeks in the ALDS, all based on the Clemens situation last year).

[Frayed Knot]

Cliff is injured and was replaced between games 3 and 4 by Eric Hinske (who promptly HR'd in his first AB).

But you didn't used to be able to make roster changes mid-series based on the idea that there's nothing to prevent teams from "discovering" an injury as an excuse to replace worn out or slumping players, or even platoon-type players/pitchers towards the end of a series simply for strategic reasons.

[Centerfield]

I know it's just a couple of games, but Philly just looks so much better than the Rays. I'm not quite sure how to feel about this. I go back and forth from thinking "Damnit, the Mets really could have won it all" to "I guess Philly was better than I gave them credit for."

Whatever. Big collapse starts tonight with Brad Lidge's first blown save of the season.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, the Phillies really are a good team. They don't blow leads and they don't let you feel comfortable when you're ahead of them.

It looks like we'll have to endure this World Championship, and Jimmy Rollins telling New York to "stick it" and hope that they don't continue to be this good next year and in years to come.

[Fman99]

At this point I am rooting for that slimmest of hopes, that the Rays can win one more time and force the Phillies to clinch on the road. It's petty but I cannot help it.

[Frayed Knot]

- The Phils are the 43rd team in World Series history to take a 3-1 lead. Of the previous 42, 36 have gone on to win the series, including 23 closing it out in five games.
The six teams to rally from a 3-1 deficit were the 1903 Pilgrims over the Pirates, the 1925 Pirates over the Senators, the 1958 Yankees over the Braves, the 1968 Tigers over the Cardinals, the 1979 Pirates over the Orioles and the 1985 Royals over the Cardinals.

Other tidbits from the folks at BP:

�The Phillies scored eight of their 10 runs off home runs in Game 4 and have scored 14 of their 20 runs in the series off homers.

�Howard had the 46th multiple-home run game in WS history. The first since Kent for the Giants in Game 5 in 2002 and the first Phil since Dykstra in Game 4 1993.

�The Phillies are unbeaten home in this postseason, taking two from the Brewers in the National League Division Series, two from the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series and now two from the Rays.

- Blanton's HR was the first in the WS by a pitcher since Ken Holtzman for the Athletics in Game 4 in 1974 and the 15th time overall. He's also became the fourth player to hit his first major-league HR in a World Series game.

� Eric Hinske's PH HR was the 23rd player in World Series history to hit a pinch-hit home run when he connecdted off Blanton in the fifth inning. The Phillies� Eric Bruntlett in Game 1 was #22. (No mention if it's the first time two different PHers named Eric hit HRs .. I suspect it is).

� Rays 1B Carlos Pena and 3B Evan Longoria are 0-for-29 w/15 strikeouts in the series after going 23-for-78 (.295) in the ALDS & ALCS

[Willets Point]

The Philistines take a first-inning lead. 2-0 to William Penn's Boys.

[Willets Point]

If the Phillies win tonight, Tug McGraw will be on the mound.

[Willets Point]

Listening to the Phillies radio broadcast and hearing far more presidential election ads than I get in Mass.

[stevejrogers]

Can they actually have a rain shortened clincher?

[stevejrogers]

Damn, so much for me hoping that Rollins botch would start the Rays' rally.

[Willets Point]

SteveJRogers wrote: Can they actually have a rain shortened clincher?

There has never been a rain-shortened World Series game. Whether it's a possibility remains unanswered.

[Frayed Knot]

Can they by rule have one? -- Yes.

[Frayed Knot]

And yeah, Kazmir's gotten squeezed a few times. But 6 BBs + a HBP in 4-plus innings is the type of game that's keeping him from being a top pitcher.

He has too many of those.

[stevejrogers]

Makes you wonder why the North East and Ohio teams didn't try to get their domed stadium proposals through.

Granted that dome on top of the original design for the project soon to become Citi Field back in the late 1990s was awful, I really wonder why Citi Field lost its dome?

[metirish]

This game is turning into a farce .

[stevejrogers]

What I'm referring too, courtesy of StadiumPage.com

[soupcan]

SteveJRogers wrote: I really wonder why Citi Field lost its dome?

Answer: $1,000,000,000.00.

[Frayed Knot]

The Rays tying it up might actually give the umps an excuse to stop the game.

[stevejrogers]

soupcan wrote: ="SteveJRogers"]I really wonder why Citi Field lost its dome? Answer: $1,000,000,000.00.

Actually, I don't think it would have cost that much more.

[Willets Point]

SteveJRogers wrote: Makes you wonder why the North East and Ohio teams didn't try to get their domed stadium proposals through. Granted that dome on top of the original design for the project soon to become Citi Field back in the late 1990s was awful, I really wonder why Citi Field lost its dome?

Because:
1. Domes are more expensive to build, especially when you're trying to get public financing.
2. Ditto the expense of maintaining a movable roof.
3. Domes are unpopular with fans.
4. Most of the time games can be rescheduled. The odds of a fifth game of the World Series in a torrential downpour are slim enough for most teams that it would be hard to justify the dome on those grounds.
5. As you stated, the Citi Field dome was awful.

[Zvon]

lol.this is crazy.

One thing I really didn't want to experience here was a rain called finale.

Now that its tied can they postpone it and pick it up tomorrow?