2011 WS IST - Rangers & Cards

[Edgy MD]

attgig wrote: bottom of the 9th, 2 run lead. you put your best defenders in there, no question. The way Cruz was running to the ball, he did not seem like he was their best defender... I know Endy's no spring chicken, but he's got to be better than THAT.

Yeah, but as mentioned, it's not like Cruz would have been the obvious guy to lift.

[G-Fafif]

Edgy DC wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Because Cruz doesn't really represent a perfect analog for Buckner --- old, white, broken down, chronically injured --- and failing to get to a hard-hit ball ain't the same as letting a bouncer go through your legs. White, Gracie? White, the general race category for Bill Buckner. Yeah, but so? I assume that was included for irony or something. Just kind of jumped out at me as irrelevant in the context of old, broken down and chronically injured. It's a community history thing, going back to the MOFo where a character named METSSC would openly lament the presence of too many Mets players who were "old, white, and slow." It's since become an article of faith to make a point of unnecessarily dragging race into it when referring to a creaky old guy. As if Moises Alou being old, slow, and broken down was offset in part by him not being white.

Ah, Bach.

[Met Hunter]

The knock on Cruz is that he's not going to run into a wall for you. Of course McCarver would downplay it, he's a former player. Not gonna knock a stud player just cause he looks like Muffy on the most important putout of his career. It wasn't as obvious as Buckners, but it was just as damaging. The comparison to Johnny Mac was geared more toward not having the best available defensive options out there to put it away. If Endy isn't a viable option, then why the hell carry him on your roster? For his power? He may have bad wheels, but one thing we've learned from Endy is he plays the outfield with a sense of urgency when the situation calls for it. If I'm a Ranger fan, I'm throwing my beer at the tv after that play. Cruz should have had it. Or at the very least look better missing it. Maybe I don't know the ins and outs of the Rangers outfield. I don't follow them. Just get ticked off as a fan, when a guy looks like Manny on a catchable ball. Back In Curt Flood's day, he broke the wrong way for a second and was remembered forever for that miscue. Guys today get a pass, cause most people watching don't know what they're seeing. Washington made some key mistakes with the pitchers late in that game. Bringing in Holland was a desperate move usually done by the team facing elimination. I didn't see LaRussa hit the panic button and go with Carpenter.

[ashie62]

Ron Washington may be back on crack. Esteban German..Mark Lowe..really?

Nelson Cruz blew it.

Nolan Ryan looked like a defeated fuhrer with that trenchcoat.

[Ceetar]

Met Hunter wrote: Guys today get a pass, cause most people watching don't know what they're seeing.

Part of that's the broadcast. Gary Keith and Ron maybe replay and note that stuff, and the viewer is smarter for it. Joe Buck glosses over it, and it's forgotten.

[Met Hunter]

You know, I'm going to retract most of what I said in my post. I think my disappointment in seeing Albert and Yady jumping up and down is clouding my judgement. Endy has to be a bum at this point and Nelson Cruz is one of the better young players in the game. So it is what it is. And Washington appeared to have made the right move with Holland. Derek was sitting there in the dugout waiting for the Rangers closer to finish it off and give him win number two. Again, it is what it is. That being said good luck tonight Texas and Nolan and fuck you St Louis.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, I had no problem with Washington going to Holland there (or even Belgium) and all his machinations still got him to his closer with a two-run lead in the 9th.
There were a couple of spots where I questioned him (some mentioned in this thread) -- PH/or not for Lewis in the 5th (bases loaded/2-out) was a toss-up IMO, as was IW-ing Pujols; I would have let Feldman hit in the 10th and let him throw another inning -- but the failure last night was mostly with the players. They left a ton of runners on, didn't play real good defense, and twice had the "correct" pitchers out there who couldn't close the deal with 2-run leads.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

As said above Young's error was huge in that it started the whole bullpen thing an inning sooner than it would have otherwise, and certainly was a kind of play that shoulda been made, more so than a failure to reel in a smash off the fence.

[HahnSolo]

Not to go all Jonah Keri here, but Ron Washington must stop going to Alexi Ogando, who is nearing David-West-World-Series levels of ineptitude. This series: 2 1/3 IP, 7 hits and 7 walks in 20 batters faced.

[Edgy MD]

It seemed Lohse's bunt was pretty analogous to the situation that Willie chose to swing away in five years ago. That the Cards prevailed would seem to lend discredit to Willie and credit to LaRussa, but (1) Tony had emptied his bench, and (2) it was a real lucky break that bunt wasn't a double play.

Remind me... what was sending Jackson up there first about?

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: Thanks Ceetar.....fucking Freese eh? I have to say though, the Cardinals fans had some good signs I saw afterwards "Forecast for Game 6: Deep Freese" etc. Mike and Mike this morning had the gall to say something along the lines of "Shame it was Freese. If it was Pujols, this game would've been truly epic." Also start rattling off best WS games without mentioning '86. screw 'em.

My guess is they hadn't heard of Freese before last night.

Possibly before this morning.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: It seemed Lohse's bunt was pretty analogous to the situation that Willie chose to swing away in five years ago. That the Cards prevailed would seem to lend discredit to Willie and credit to LaRussa, but (1) Tony had emptied his bench, and (2) it was a real lucky break that bunt wasn't a double play.

If not a triple play!!

Remind me... what was sending Jackson up there first about?

He's the better hitter of the two (although Lohse can swing it as well) so I guess if it was a hitting spot he'd go with Jackson and if a bunt situation go with Lohse.

Or he could have gone with Buck's suggestion to PH Jamie Garcia - also a good hitting pitcher. Joe was on that for like two innings before remembering that Garcia had started the game and therefore was no longer eligible.

[bmfc1]

Want to see Roger Angell's scorecard from Game 6? Here it is:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2011/10/roger-angells-game-six-scorecard.html

[Frayed Knot]

GAME. SEVEN.


Cards: Carpenter starting although on short rest
Holliday out, replaced on the roster by rookie/speedster Adron Chambers

Rangers: Harrison on the hill.
Both Napoli and Cruz in the lineup

[Frayed Knot]

Same start as last night in that the Cards don't retire any of the first three Texas hitters

... now it's four and the Rangers already have more runs than the 1st inning yesterday even though they handed them an out.

[Edgy MD]

A two-run lead for the Rangers. Those are always safe.

[Edgy MD]

And the emboldened Cards swallow it up.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Craigslist

[Gwreck]

Bobby V. looking like a genius, predicting that Craig
would "do some damage" against Harrison's fastball 5 seconds before the homer.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I gotta confess I barely even heard of Harrison until the other day.

[Edgy MD]

Just a one-run lead, but the Rangers have to be feeling some heat about now.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Molina's neck tats look stupid.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Walking in runs in a Game Seven IS stupid.

[Frayed Knot]

They're going to be feeling a lot more soon if they don't get out of this.
This is looking like last night: Cards can't get ball out of the IF and they're scoring anyway. Jeez, at least make them earn it ... BB, HBP, GO, IW, RBI-BB

[Gwreck]

It wasn't a ball

[Frayed Knot]

Gwreck wrote: It wasn't a ball

It was close, but even if it wasn't the other 35 that inning were.
And even going back to the Cards' 2 runs in the 1st inning: 2 outs, no one on ... walk, walk, 2B -- One ball out of the infield.

No one to blame but themselves.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

That was Endy-esque.

[metirish]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: That was Endy-esque.

no way, not even close was it really?

Carpenter is a bit of a wanker I think, lots of gesticulating on the mound after an out.

[seawolf17]

metirish wrote: metsguyinmichigan wrote: That was Endy-esque. no way, not even close was it really? Carpenter is a bit of a wanker I think, lots of gesticulating on the mound after an out.

Dude's three innings from a WS ring. He can gesticulate all the hell he wants.

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: metsguyinmichigan wrote: That was Endy-esque. no way, not even close was it really? Carpenter is a bit of a wanker I think, lots of gesticulating on the mound after an out.

after the Endy catch.