Unhappy, Unhappy, Joyless, Joyless: Threading the NLCS

[Zvon]

Hes losing him. Why open with that awesome pitch and then not feed him junk.

BELTRAN RIPS IT INTO THE CORNER! GAME OVEH!!!!!!!!!!

[Zvon]

Well, if the Redbirds advance I'll root for Beltraan to have a monster series. I rooted for him that series way back when he was an Astro, and I remember thinking how much I wished he was our centerfielder. That average with risp for the post season, that's how they should sell it. That's something else. And a decent sample size now.

[smg58]

Beltran's history of postseason success has been discussed over and over the last two weeks, but I can only remember the time he stood there and looked at the exact pitch that everybody else on the planet knew was coming. Sigh.

[Ceetar]

I'd like to point out that Babe Ruth once ended a World Series by getting thrown out stealing second. (Against the Cardinals!)

[Frayed Knot]

[Joe]But none of Beltran's post-season stuff counts because none of it happened in New York[/benigno]

[Edgy MD]

Bob Meusel had swung and missed on the play, so I'm going to think it was maybe a failed hit and run, and the onus of the failure then would be on Meusel.

Besides, Ruth had promised a sick kid a homerun in game four, and after coming through on that promise with not one, not two, but three homeruns, the kid's condition miraculously improved.

I love Carlos Beltran, but call me when his post season play reaches the level where it has the power to heal.

Plus, you want post-season heroics. That series was all about Grover Cleveland Alexander, Rogers Hornsby's faith in him, and the power of human redemption.

[Ceetar]

I think there's a quote about Ruth saying he didn't think they could get two hits behind him so he needed to get to second where one hit could drive him in.

Anyway, Beltran's lack of WS prowess is only because of the two rounds to get there and it's a team game. Like last night, like 2006 game 1, there's only so many games he can win by himself.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy MD wrote: Bob Meusel had swung and missed on the play, so I'm going to think it was maybe a failed hit and run, and the onus of the failure then would be on Meusel. Besides, Ruth had promised a sick kid a homerun in game four, and after coming through on that promise with not one, not two, but three homeruns, the kid's condition miraculously improved.

See, but judging by his career average, Ruth also likely gave, like, five evenin'-ladies the clap that same night. Alexander, too. Things balance out, y'know?

Speaking of balance... say, d'you know who's pretty judicious and excellent at baserunning, especially-- but not exclusively-- in the playoffs?



Oh, I know you know, buddy. But give someone else a chance to contribute, willya?

[Gently chin-chucks greatest postseason hitter of all-time]
[Feels breathing and blood pressure improve, purely by coincidence]

[G-Fafif]

I wonder if anybody else in baseball or professional sports history is so renowned as a postseason player yet has had as many as three separate bids to move into the championship round halted in the seventh and deciding game of the semi-final round -- with three different teams, no less, while (as of yet) not finding his way in on a subsequent occasion.

[Ceetar]

G-Fafif wrote: I wonder if anybody else in baseball or professional sports history is so renowned as a postseason player yet has had as many as three separate bids to move into the championship round halted in the seventh and deciding game of the semi-final round -- with three different teams, no less, while (as of yet) not finding his way in on a subsequent occasion.

all three series featured the Cardinals too.

[Guest themetfairy]

smg58 wrote: Beltran's history of postseason success has been discussed over and over the last two weeks, but I can only remember the time he stood there and looked at the exact pitch that everybody else on the planet knew was coming. Sigh.

Me too....

[Edgy MD]

I'm confused at how everybody on the planet was supposed to know it's coming.

[Zvon]

Holy smokes. Speed gun said 99 but that looked like 199 mph.

[HahnSolo]

Me too. Meanwhile Doyers leave StL down 2-0 in games started by Greinke and Kershaw.

[Zvon]

Dodgers have a big hill to climb now. Damn Cardinals. I like the Cards jersey that says St. Louis. Funny to wear them at home but that's kool.

[Gwreck]

Edgy MD wrote: I'm confused at how everybody on the planet was supposed to know it's coming.

Exactly. The even more riddiculous part is that had he swung, the likely result would have been the same. He was such a great player, and that's all you want to remember? Your loss.

[HahnSolo]

I guess those who feel that way about Beltran also define Cliff Floyd's career by his at bat in that same inning where he got caught looking with 2 on and nobody out, right?

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Losing the first two on the road is not the death knell for the Dodgers.

[metirish]

Outside of Mets fans who else cares about that game?, hard to believe it was 7 seasons ago.

[Frayed Knot]

Cardinals with 9 hits total (6 of them singles) and 6 walks through 22 innings -- and yet lead the series 2-0

Helps that the Dodgers, who have 14 hits (11 singles) and 7 walks over that same span, are 1-for-16 w/RiSP.
That one hit --Uribe's 3rd inning/2-out/bases-loaded single-- accounts for both their runs.

[ashie62]

Mattingly looks lost...

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So, now, after the Joe Kelly plunking in Game 1, Hanley Ramirez may only be moving at half-jogging speed for the rest of the series.

Edited October 14, 2013 by Guest

[Zvon]

He puts things in the books too early.

[Zvon]

I love a hot dog when he's hot.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier with broken ribs. Perhaps Ramirez can turn to him for advice.

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: I love a hot dog when he's hot.

Yeah but, contrary to what Cal said, Puig didn't get to 3rd because he chose to "turn it on", he got there on account of the ball bouncing away from Beltran.

[Frayed Knot]

First rule of pinch-running: Don't run worse than the guy you're replacing is likely to have done.

[Zvon]

A stupid way to squelch your own rally.

[Zvon]

See, us regular human beings can't even get up after a triple, no less celebrate at the plate on the way and also pulling up at 3rd.

[Frayed Knot]

One thing I've noticed, not just from tonight but from watching the Cardinals over this sustained stretch: Jon Jay isn't as good a CF as I thought.
Not that he's a bad fielder or anything, but he doesn't have the speed you like to see from a real go-get-em CF and he's probably made more judgement mistakes over the last week and a half than Lagares did all year.


... and now the Dodgers waste the lead-off triple anyway.