Same Old Same Old Same Old: Threading the 2013 World Series

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

dinosaur jesus wrote: Not to mock a Marine or anything, but that "God Bless America" was cheesy in a way you don't hear a lot anymore.

I did like the Rob Halford-y hand motions, though.

[metirish]

Ortiz - wow

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Lordawmighty. Off a pretty tough lefty in Seagrist, too.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

G-Fafif wrote: Due respect to Boswell, I find these sorts of pieces a depressing reminder that baseball's grip on the national imagination ain't what it used to be. You don't see similar columns urging you to check out the ol' Super Bowl.

That's because they're too busy writing about what commercials to look forward to seeing. At least World Series coverage is still about the game and not about The Show.

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: BoSox look to be on their way to their 9th consecutive WS game win following their sweeps in 2004 & 2007. And with the exception of a three-inning span in game 2 of 2007 when they were briefly behind the Rockies 1-0 (a Todd Helton ground-out knocked in Matt Holliday in the 1st inning) you have to go back to a certain HR by Ray Knight to find the last time they even trailed a WS game.

Unreal. Speaking of quirkiness, Game 5 of that aforementioned series was the last postseason game the franchise won until Pedro Martinez won Game 1 of the 1998 ALDS 11-3 against Cleveland, their only win of that series (though they'd defeat Cleveland in 5 the next year), a streak of 13 postseason games (last two of the '86 series, ALCSs against the A's in 1988 and 1990, and the 1995 ALDS against Cleveland.

[Zvon]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: dinosaur jesus wrote: Not to mock a Marine or anything, but that "God Bless America" was cheesy in a way you don't hear a lot anymore. I did like the Rob Halford-y hand motions, though.

Yea, I like how he acted it out.

Frayed Knot wrote: BoSox look to be on their way to their 9th consecutive WS game win following their sweeps in 2004 & 2007. And with the exception of a three-inning span in game 2 of 2007 when they were briefly behind the Rockies 1-0 (a Todd Helton ground-out knocked in Matt Holliday in the 1st inning) you have to go back to a certain HR by Ray Knight to find the last time they even trailed a WS game.

Wow.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Zvon wrote: Bummer. I was ready to jump on the Beltraan bandwagon if he took his post season rep/success into the actual World Series. I'm still ready and wish him well, but this is a wussy start. GO BOSTON!

He was taken to Mass General Hospital, so I have to think it's pretty serious. Either way, I hate that he got hurt both because he's the one Cardinal I like, and because I want to see the Red Sox defeat their opponent at full-strength. And of course, I just don't like seeing guys get hurt.

[metirish]

I tweeted that with credit I was so impressed.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Ryan Dempster enters the game to "Blurred Lines."

So. Very. Creepy.

[metirish]

and Holliday twerks that one over the Monster...or as Joe Buck said he pounded it.....Robin Thicke would be proud.

[Frayed Knot]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: G-Fafif wrote: Due respect to Boswell, I find these sorts of pieces a depressing reminder that baseball's grip on the national imagination ain't what it used to be. You don't see similar columns urging you to check out the ol' Super Bowl. That's because they're too busy writing about what commercials to look forward to seeing. At least World Series coverage is still about the game and not about The Show.

Plus, if you've ever read the Washington Post, you'll understand that if Boswell doesn't call attention to the WS then certainly nobody else will.
Spring time in DC is noted by the arrival of the cherry blossoms and by the Post sports section cutting back to only 80% Redskins coverage.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Come on and take me 450 feet to dead center
What rhymes with "take me 450 feet to dead center?"

[Zvon]

Freese play woke me up.

Well, good start for Boston. They're stroooooong.

Beltran, ya know, if its just a bruise,...weak. If it's more serious then I'll say I'm sorry for calling him a wuss. I know the Cards have some excellent players but I don't think they have a chance without Carlos in the lineup. And ten times less interesting if he's out for any post games.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Come on and take me 450 feet to dead center What rhymes with "take me 450 feet to dead center?"

Totally skeeved out now, thanks.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So, do they, like, shave now?

Zvon wrote: Beltran, ya know, if its just a bruise,...weak. If it's more serious then I'll say I'm sorry for calling him a wuss. I know the Cards have some excellent players but I don't think they have a chance without Carlos in the lineup. And ten times less interesting if he's out for any post games.

I'm fairly certain he's not opting out of his first World Series because he feels a little "meh." (I also feel compelled to remind you that he's playing on knees that PRETTY MUCH HAVE NO CARTILAGE IN THEM.)

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I just don't like the look of Carlos' arm compressing into his body in the replays.

[metirish]

Anyway, Lester was great tonight. I don't think I realized how good he is.

[dinosaur jesus]

I've always wanted to see a 9-3 putout, and Freese almost gave me my wish. Is that just some weird instinct that makes players slide into first, or does somebody actually coach that?

[Zvon]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: So, do they, like, shave now? Zvon wrote: Beltran, ya know, if its just a bruise,...weak. If it's more serious then I'll say I'm sorry for calling him a wuss. I know the Cards have some excellent players but I don't think they have a chance without Carlos in the lineup. And ten times less interesting if he's out for any post games. I'm fairly certain he's not opting out of his first World Series because he feels a little "meh." (I also feel compelled to remind you that he's playing on knees that PRETTY MUCH HAVE NO CARTILAGE IN THEM.)

Yea, I'm just bein a dick. I want to see him play, that's all. Hope he comes back and has a series for the ages.

[Zvon]

dinosaur jesus wrote: I've always wanted to see a 9-3 putout, and Freese almost gave me my wish. Is that just some weird instinct that makes players slide into first, or does somebody actually coach that?

They say you are faster just running over the bag, so I doubt they teach it. I'm not a fan of sliding into first unless for show, cause it does look kool. But in this instance I think it was a heads up thing to do. I was surprised to see Victorino throw it, surprised to see Freese slide, and surprised that they called it right.

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: I'm not a fan of sliding into first unless for show ... But in this instance I think it was a heads up thing to do. I was surprised to see Victorino throw it, surprised to see Freese slide, and surprised that they called it right.

In that case it was the LEAST heads-up thing to do.
With the throw coming from that angle there's ZERO chance of a tag play meaning there's even less reason to slide than in most plays at 1st where the slide is (almost) always a bad idea in the first place.
Wouldn't have bothered me if the ump thumbed him out just for being stupid. It was Bang-Bang anyway.

I've always wanted to see a 9-3 putout, and Freese almost gave me my wish.

I can't remember if I've even seen it before on a position player. More than a few pitchers wind up victims because the RF often plays so shallow.
What would REALLY be cool would be to see a CF or LF pull it off. I did it one time from LF in a softball game (man was that guy embarrassed!) but somehow that doesn't seem quite like the same thing.

[Centerfield]

Couple of random thoughts after watching the game:

1. I have no idea how to build a championship team. After years of thinking I'd make a great GM, I'm happy to admit I'm clueless. I look at the lineup of both teams and I think there is not a chance that these guys are playing in the Fall Classic. Toronto? Sure. The Dodgers? Absolutely. Detroit? Yes. Boston and St. Louis? I would have said they'd contend but not make the playoffs.

2. The Beltran play really shows how polarizing this guy is. His catch of Ortiz's HR is a fantastic play. It's incredibly hard to time that perfectly, hit the wall and not lose the ball, then smoothly bring it back and throw it in to hold the other runners. The problem is, he makes it look so damn easy that a lot of people won't appreciate how hard that was. If it weren't the World Series, it might not even make those "Plays of the Night" highlights. Meanwhile every asshole who dives after catching a ball is shown over and over. He could have gone flying over the wall like Tori Hunter, and it would have been worse for the team (runners would have advanced) but everyone would be talking about the fantastic play.

His injury is the same thing. The replays show his arm getting crushed into his side, and the force with which he hit the wall. Had he crumbled Cliff Floyd style, he would have gotten a big hand getting walked off the field, and no one would be faulting him. Instead, he tried to tough it out. Stayed in the game, although clearly in discomfort. Because he was removed between innings, people didn't really notice it, and now question his toughness. He's been waiting his whole life to play in the World Series. He's not going to come out of the game because his side hurts a little. Anyone who's ever played knows you can't swing a bat when your ribs hurt. As LWFS said, the guy is playing no cartilage in his knee. He played with a broken face for us. I think it's time to put the "soft" label to rest.

Everybody talks about how sensitive Beltran is, but I can really see why. I'd be beyond sensitive if that were me. I'd be outright antagonistic. He is a terrific player and a gamer, and he has to continually hear that he's soft, disinterested and overrated.

I hope he has a great series, but the Cardinals lose. I want him to have to wait until next year when he's back with the Mets to get his ring.

[Ceetar]

not to mention holding onto the ball despite the catch hurting so badly he bruised his ribs.

Try walking with a glass of water and let me punch you unawares and let's see if you drop the glass.

[Frayed Knot]

I have no idea how to build a championship team. After years of thinking I'd make a great GM, I'm happy to admit I'm clueless. I look at the lineup of both teams and I think there is not a chance that these guys are playing in the Fall Classic. Toronto? Sure. The Dodgers? Absolutely. Detroit? Yes. Boston and St. Louis? I would have said they'd contend but not make the playoffs.

I was actually going to start a thread yesterday saying how there may be nothing less useful at this time of year than columnists penning articles that say:
[Local Team] should follow the [World Series participant's] blueprint for building a championship. (and yeah, I'm looking at you Bill Madden - as well as others)

Y'know what the best formula for building a championship is? ... Have all the shit you did go right for you at the same time and have as few injuries as possible. Once you master that "skill" you'll get more after-the-fact praise than you know what to do with and your "method" will be declared the new trend.


Not that I'm trying to say it's all luck or anything, or that do-do moves should only be criticized in hindsight. But it's amazing how smart one can look when your manager can run the same lineup out there almost every night and role players suddenly emerge in exactly the right spot and exactly the right time.

[Centerfield]

By the way, does anyone even question that there is someone watching the replay and relaying this to the home plate ump so he can reverse clearly blown calls?

I'm usually not a conspiracy theorist, but to me, the conversation in the huddle goes something along the lines of:

"Ok, guys, upstairs is saying that call was clearly blown. Can all five of you guys start nodding in agreement? Ok, Dana, pretend to object. Ok, now let's all nod. I'll go tell Matheny."

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Y'know what the best formula for building a championship is? ... Have all the shit you did go right for you at the same time and have as few injuries as possible. Once you master that "skill" you'll get more after-the-fact praise than you know what to do with and your "method" will be declared the new trend.

If I was a winning manager/GM I'd so get crazy.

"I owe much of our success to booze in the clubhouse to unwind after games"

"We put in a lot of hard work but we owe our success to a good piece of toast every morning and our sponsorship by the Toast Marketing Board."

"We hold group singalongs after losses, and the pitcher that took the L has the lead solo. Great clubhouse bonding that allowed us to capture the title."

"We practice by running the bases backwards. Really keeps our reflexes sharp on the basepaths."

[Frayed Knot]

Centerfield wrote: By the way, does anyone even question that there is someone watching the replay and relaying this to the home plate ump so he can reverse clearly blown calls? I'm usually not a conspiracy theorist, but to me, the conversation in the huddle goes something along the lines of: "Ok, guys, upstairs is saying that call was clearly blown. Can all five of you guys start nodding in agreement? Ok, Dana, pretend to object. Ok, now let's all nod. I'll go tell Matheny."

Not so much a bug in the ear but they absolutely showed the replay on the big screen at the park (you could hear the crowd reaction on at least two different occasions) which makes you wonder if any or all of the other five umps saw it there and decided to correct the call on that basis.

[Edgy MD]

"We scout these kids early. There's a special type we're looking for. Rush tee-shirts. Aloofness. Don't wear their jackets in the winter. That sort of kid. Champions."

[metirish]

joe Torre claimed that he knew the umps would converse because he saw them "collapse" on the ump in question...a sure sign to him the the other umps saw something different. John Farrell says he asked the umps to converse.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Y'know what the best formula for building a championship is? ... Have all the shit you did go right for you at the same time and have as few injuries as possible. Once you master that "skill" you'll get more after-the-fact praise than you know what to do with and your "method" will be declared the new trend.

Looking into this a bit: The Cardinals, who platooned at SS, got 500 or more plate appearances this season from the other 7 positions. Allen Craig was their big injury and he missed all of 3 weeks (plus the first two post-season rounds). 3 other players got between 300 & 400 PAs
And the BoSox also got 500 PAs from 7 different players and between 300 & 400 from 3 others. I kept hearing how injured Ellsbury was all season yet he got over 600 PAs

By contrast, the Mets had ONE player over 500 (Muffy) and the Yanx had 3