NLDS IST - Cincinnati v SF

[Edgy MD]

Betran/Reyes

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Beltran and JoseJoseJoseJose, no?

[Ceetar]

Yeah. All in all, pretty easy questions. (the producer guy actually asked if I wanted full history or just recent stuff. He also asked if I wanted the 3 questions or the lightning round style, so should've gone for the other..)

The third question is pretty easy too, even if you don't pay that much attention to numbers. I kicked myself immediately afterwards and realized the right answer, but alas.

3. What number did Bobby Valentine wear as Mets manager?

[Edgy MD]

Deuce, naturally.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Those number questions can mess you up in a pressure situation-- it's the kind of thing where you'll have it if you relax and let it float to the top of your head, but too much thought/mental work and you'll likely talk yourself into something.

[Ceetar]

I said 12, which of course was Willie Randolph's number. It just seemed so right.

The producer said I seemed so sure. I thought I heard him say to someone else after "that was pretty good" and thought that meant for sure I'd get on, but I managed to spot the episode once (It's at a beer festival on Governor's island.) and I wasn't on it. alas.

I was the first person to go that day. I'd barely walked in and they flagged me down (I was wearing a Mets shirt, obviously, it was Subway Series weekend. Santana I think.) and asked if I wanted to be on the show. I hadn't even had beer yet. They brought me over to the side and had me sign the waiver stuff or whatever, and then we were off. took like 15 minutes tops. Was introduced to Amber or whatever her name was and off we went. (coincidentally, prettier in person)

[Frayed Knot]

HahnSolo wrote: Not to go all Chris Russo on start times and TV ratings and whatnot, but how can they have a decisive game 5 (featuring a west coast team, mind you) first pitch at 1 PM Eastern? And I know the real answer, that the almighty tv dollar insists the MFYs get the primetime slot. But got that sucks if you are a Giant fan in SF. At the very least, couldn't they have swapped the NL start times, so the Cardinals and Nats would start at 1 instead?

Yeah, the first part is definitely the Yanx ruling prime-time forever and ever.
The part about the swapped NL starts (exactly the opposite of yesterday while the AL stays the same) I suspect is because MLB knew going into yesterday that there'd be a Nats/Cards game while a Reds/Giants game #5 was still up in the air. So if they're going to "lose" a game they'd prefer it to be the 1PM slot and so giving StL/Wash the 4PM slot means no last-minute time changes no matter what happened to Cin/SF
Yeah it sucks for some teams but whatyagonnado?

And this is the real reason that they want to go back to the 2-2-1 format next year. Not because of the supposed home-field advantage reason (even though I'm sure that will be often cited) but because it builds in more off days and doesn't saddle them with as many 4-game days.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I like 4-game days!

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I like 4-game days!

So do I but, from a TV standpoint, I don't believe the league does.
Plus I hate the extra off-days that the 2-2-1 brings into play.

[Edgy MD]

[HahnSolo]

Frayed Knot wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I like 4-game days! So do I but, from a TV standpoint, I don't believe the league does. Plus I hate the extra off-days that the 2-2-1 brings into play.

But they haven't been using a 2nd off day between games 4 and 5, even in the 2-2-1 format, I don't think.

[Frayed Knot]

HahnSolo wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I like 4-game days! So do I but, from a TV standpoint, I don't believe the league does. Plus I hate the extra off-days that the 2-2-1 brings into play. But they haven't been using a 2nd off day between games 4 and 5, even in the 2-2-1 format, I don't think.

Maybe not for all of them but they did for most of them and for the ones involving coast-to-coast travel you really have to. Plus, since you never know until game 4 is over whether 5 is going to be necessary, some planned off days get built even if they're never used. Then they even built in extra off-days a couple years ago in the 2nd round LCSs [something like 2 - travel/off - 2 - no travel but off anyway - 1 - travel/off - 2] so as to reduce the number of AL & NL games that occurred on the same day - again for TV purposes.
2009 was the year they used that to the highest degree and it was a large part of what allowed the Yanx to win the WS using like three pitchers the whole post-season.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

HahnSolo wrote: Not to go all Chris Russo on start times and TV ratings and whatnot, but how can they have a decisive game 5 (featuring a west coast team, mind you) first pitch at 1 PM Eastern? And I know the real answer, that the almighty tv dollar insists the MFYs get the primetime slot. But got that sucks if you are a Giant fan in SF. At the very least, couldn't they have swapped the NL start times, so the Cardinals and Nats would start at 1 instead?

I'd imagine that West-Coast sports fans are used to the wake-and-root, what with NFL start times and whatnot.

But still... yes.

[HahnSolo]

Frayed Knot wrote: Maybe not for all of them but they did for most of them and for the ones involving coast-to-coast travel you really have to. Plus, since you never know until game 4 is over whether 5 is going to be necessary, some planned off days get built even if they're never used. Then they even built in extra off-days a couple years ago in the 2nd round LCSs [something like 2 - travel/off - 2 - no travel but off anyway - 1 - travel/off - 2] so as to reduce the number of AL & NL games that occurred on the same day - again for TV purposes. 2009 was the year they used that to the highest degree and it was a large part of what allowed the Yanx to win the WS using like three pitchers the whole post-season.

I guess I was thinking of 2005 when the Angels had to play a game 4 ALDS in NY, game 5 in Anaheim, then game 1 of the LCS in Chicago, on three straight nights. You're right about the extra days in the LCS, those were a joke.

[HahnSolo]

Brandon Crawford triple brings in the game's first run. Top 5, Giants 1-0. Crawford on third with nobody out.

[HahnSolo]

A bouncer by Pagan, misplayed by Cozart, gives the G-Men a 2-0 lead.

[MFS62]

A Joey Votto sighting!
Made me look at the boxes, he played yesterday, too.
Did he play for the Reds toward the end of the regular season, in the earlier playoff games, or has he been activated for the playoffs to hopefully give them a Willis Reed moment?

Later

[HahnSolo]

Came back early September I think.

Cain is dealing too. Another run here for the Giants and the Reds are gonna start getting really nervous.

[G-Fafif]

Buster Posey very valuable. Grand slam, 6-0.

[HahnSolo]

Phillips gets 2 back with a 2-r double. 6-2

[HahnSolo]

Ludwick homers leading off the 6th. It's now interesting again, down 6-3.

[HahnSolo]

A Bruce walk and a Rolen single bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out.

[HahnSolo]

strike em out, throw em out with Hannigan up and a Stubbs groundout ends the threat.
6-3 Gmen as we head to the seventh. Cain out.

[bmfc1]

Down three, you need the two runners on base, whether they are on 1st and 2d or 2d and 3d. Baker tried to have Bruce go from 2d to 3d and he got thrown out. To me, that's over-managing.

[MFS62]

bmfc1 wrote: Down three, you need the two runners on base, whether they are on 1st and 2d or 2d and 3d. Baker tried to have Bruce go from 2d to 3d and he got thrown out. To me, that's over-managing.

No. Its just plain dumb.

Later

[bmfc1]

That too.

Craig Calcaterra ?@craigcalcaterra
Dusty Baker just managed the Reds out of a possible rally http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/11/dusty-baker-just-managed-the-reds-out-of-a-possible-rally/ � via @HardballTalk

Bay Area Sports Guy ?@BASportsGuy
Reds might want to think about hiring a "manager-closer." Let Dusty handle the regular season, then bring in a fresh mind for the playoffs.

Chris Carlin ?@ChrisCarlinSNY
Dusty might've just ran his team out of the inning. Inexplicable move to send the runners on 3-2 with nobody out.

[HahnSolo]

Also didn't help that Hannigan looked at a good pitch.

2- on, 2- out again in the 7th. Ludwick at the dish.

[Frayed Knot]

And Ludwick bounces back to the pitcher.


The bigger crime on the bunt play was Hanigan not swinging at a borderline 3-2 pitch when he knew the runners were going. Dusty had started the runners on the previous pitch (pitch fouled off) so it's not like the play came as a surprise to him.
Supposedly Hanigan is a contact-type guy [looking it up ... yup, 37 Ks in 300+ ABs] so, if you're going to send the runners he wasn't a bad guy to have up there.
Bottom line: I don't love the call as a Reds fan, but I hate the (lack of) execution more

[HahnSolo]

And the tying runs are on for the third consecutive inning...

[Frayed Knot]

HahnSolo wrote: And the tying runs are on for the third consecutive inning...

But a sliding catch by Angel Pagan on a sinking liner saves the Giants