First Round Wrap Up

by baseballgirl on Oct 8, 2007 9:02 PM PDT in News

What the heck. I’ll post some thoughts on the game:

• Alex Rodriguez relaxed enough to have a couple of good at bats, and even hit his first homerun of the series. It was a solo shot, so expect inane article titles such as "Choke-Rod hits meaningless homerun", "A-rod comes through when it doesn’t matter", "A-Rod gets off-season RBI", you know the drill. Ahem, and not to point out the obvious, but a certain Captian Clutch DP'd the runners off the bases before A-Rod came up to bat.
• Jeter did make a really great play in the eighth to save the seventh run from scoring. He also went 2-5 tonight with an RBI.
• Cleveland looks happy. Just delighted to be in the spot they are, and it looks like they are going to soak up every bit of this playoff experience and I hope they do. I also would like them to take apart the Red Sox.
• Seeing Giambi makes me sad. He was so good once, and he used to wear green and gold. I miss him.
• The ‘last’ tributes killed me. "Could this be Torre’s last visit to the mound?" "Could this be A-Rod’s last at-bat?" "Could this be Mariano’s last post-season pitch?" "Will this be the last time we see the Yankees play baseball, because Steinbrenner is going to ‘take care of the problem’?"
• If I see one more FrankTV commercial, I’m not only going to not watch the show, but I’m going to boycott it, picket against it, and actively hope it never makes it past the premiere.
• I appreciate the variety in vocabulary, but must you call Byrd’s start ‘scintillating’? ‘Cause that’s just weird.
• Did Boston secretly want to play the Yankees, as suggested by tonight’s announcing team, or is that crazy talk? I would think that no matter what, Boston wants to hook up with anyone besides the Yankees.

Great managing by Wedge the whole series. The Indians were the better team, and they absolutely deserve to go on. I think most of AN will be on the Cleveland bandwagon from here on out. Congratulations, Cleveland; you deserve it. Now, PLEASE, go beat the Red Sox!

Baseball returns on Thursday with the NLCS.

Poll

Call it!

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Comments

I dunno what to vote!

I just want an Indians/Rockies World Series so that I can be happy the whole time no matter who wins (though it will be sad to see guys be sad... at least I'm not really emotionally invested in the teams) lol

"I never saw a hooligan I did like. They're like left-handed pitchers, they all have a screw loose somewhere." - The Asphalt Jungle

by drmmerchk on Oct 8, 2007 8:55 PM PDT 0 recs

I voted for the Red Sox

Of the four teams, the one I would LEAST like to see win, but I have no doubt that they are the class of this Final Four.

Cleveland has a shot at beating them, but I wasn't thrilled seeing Borowski in the 9th tonight and I think the Borowski factor will probably be their undoing against Boston.

by Soaker on Oct 8, 2007 8:55 PM PDT 0 recs

one series at a time

for now I'm focusing on Cleveland to hopefully destroy the Sux.

oh yeah, I'm rooting for the Diamondbacks...but don't feel rabid about that one, will just enjoy it.

by OaklandSi on Oct 8, 2007 8:56 PM PDT 0 recs

Just to paint both sides,

yes He (Jeter) went 2-5 with an excellent defensive play, but he also hit into a DP in possibly the key AB in the game - his 3rd DP in 2 games. Did I mention it was his 3rd DP in 2 games?

Also, I'm way past picketing "Frank TV" - that was clear back on Saturday. I have now hacked into the editing room and actually switched footage so that Frank will look like John Madden but sound like George Bush and so on. Sorry, but it had to be done.

The Indians win on Columbus Day! Finally.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 8, 2007 8:58 PM PDT 0 recs

Ironic, isn't it?

A-rod hits a solo BECAUSE Jeter DP'd.

"We're right where we want to be,'' Oakland outfielder Nick Swisher said. "A predator in the weeds."

by baseballgirl on Oct 8, 2007 9:01 PM PDT up 0 recs

Great wrap-up BBG!

My theory about Dane Cook and FrankTV: they want us to actually look forward to hearing Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

And in my case it almost worked.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Oct 8, 2007 8:59 PM PDT 0 recs

That's not a bad thought...

...I want off TBS...now.

Go Rockies...Go Cleveland! ;-)

(And thanks!)

"We're right where we want to be,'' Oakland outfielder Nick Swisher said. "A predator in the weeds."

by baseballgirl on Oct 8, 2007 9:02 PM PDT up 0 recs

I would never venture into those waters

re: Buck and McCarver...

by mikeA on Oct 8, 2007 9:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

LOL

We had to watch the last half of last night's game on "mute" because I'd also had more than I could stand of Chip Caray.

by Poppy on Oct 9, 2007 6:15 AM PDT up 0 recs

Chip

I absolutely CAN NOT STAND Chip Carey. I wanted to watch the Indians-Yankees series. I really did. My mom's family is from northern Ohio and a good friend of mine is a huge Indians fan. But I couldn't watch more than 30 seconds before wanting to throw something through the television because of that nasily, self-important, "the National League is the best!", idiotic, uninformed, toxic-waste-spewing j*****s.

I mean, last night somebody hits a single for the Yankees and Carey says, in response to the cheering, "This crowd is up for grabs!". WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!?!?!?!

>takes a deep breath<</p>

Okay, I'm glad I got that out of my system.

Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?

by JLeverenz on Oct 9, 2007 8:27 AM PDT up 0 recs

LOL

The announcing is generally awful during every post season.

Another announcer who should NEVER be allowed to do baseball is Dick Stockton. We had to suffer through a year of him as the A's announcer back in the early '90's. He is fine for all other sports, but he doesn't use appropriate baseball terminology. He calls a ground ball a "bounding" ball. Uh, Dick, rabbits might bound around, but I'm pretty sure baseballs can't leap around under their own power.

The word you should be using is "bounce", you g@#$%^& f*&^%ing idiot.

Thank goodness I'm not bitter about it.

"Just because the horseradish is a cultivar of different color and geographic origin doesn't make it less of either." - monkeyball

by McFood on Oct 10, 2007 7:06 AM PDT up 0 recs

well

I think (hope) Cleveland wins it with pitching, if that fails I predict the Rockies. Anyone but the sox, really.

by Shut it Down on Oct 8, 2007 9:12 PM PDT 0 recs

Great wrap

I care about only one thing the rest of the postseason:
The Sox must lose. This is non-negotiable.

by mikeA on Oct 8, 2007 9:16 PM PDT 0 recs

Absolutely. And we have a 3-in-4 shot

and yet, sadly, they look awfully strong. Sigh...

The smart money lies

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Oct 8, 2007 9:20 PM PDT up 0 recs

I chose them in the poll....

Hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

by mikeA on Oct 8, 2007 9:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

Ditto.

I fear the Rox will cream the Indians.

by MobiusKlein on Oct 8, 2007 9:46 PM PDT up 0 recs

absolutely

and it wouldn't be the first time that a heavily favored team loses...

by OaklandSi on Oct 9, 2007 8:02 AM PDT up 0 recs

Regarding Wedge's managing,

in general I agree he did a great job, and I'm not sure he didn't do a great job tonight with the pitching - certainly yanking Byrd before he could get into further trouble was the right move.

It's just interesting that Wedge stayed so long with Rafael Perez when he didn't look nearly as sharp as before, and he kept not going to Betancourt when I expected him to ask 4-6 outs from Betancourt (who I think is the best pitcher in their bullpen) at some point. Considering Byrd only went 5 innings, Wedge asked awfully little of Betancourt. Going to Borowski, not Betancourt, for the 9th was a given, yet I still couldn't help but think, "I wish Betancourt were in" the entire inning.

All of which is not so much to judge Wedge's decisions but to say that Cleveland has an interesting bullpen to analyze.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 8, 2007 9:17 PM PDT 0 recs

Betancourt

I think during the season this probably played to Cleveland's advantage. The "way things are done" dictate that you should rarely use your closer earlier than the 9th. That left Cleveland free to use Betancourt for the 7th and 8th when the situation demanded, which is more valuable than just pitching the 9th. The A's were in a similar situation last year. Duke was a better, more reliable pitcher at the end of last year and they were able to use him in more (and more important) situations than Street.

So, basically I agree that it was sort of confusing that Wedge didn't use Betancourt for more than one inning tonight.

by mikeA on Oct 8, 2007 9:24 PM PDT up 0 recs

The problem with that is that

despite the saber-orthodoxy, the closer tends to get the more important situations. For example, this year, Betancourt had a gmLI (the leverage index when he was brought into the game) of 1.79, Borowski 1.99.

In 2006, Duke was at 1.71 and Street at 1.64, which is closer to the model you were talking about (although is mitigated by the fact that Duke actually was the closer for some time while Street was out).

Stat Wonk Futurist

by salb918 on Oct 8, 2007 9:35 PM PDT up 0 recs

My point wasn't that you can bring in the

better pitcher in high-leverage situations. Sometimes that will be the 8th, and sometimes the 9th. The point was more that you can have your best pitcher pitch 2 innings and your closer pitch 1; and getting that value for 2 innings instead of 1 should outweigh the relative leverage of those innings. What I specifically had in mind is last year's ALDS, where the bullpen plan was Duke in the 7th and 8th, and Street in the 9th. It is unlikely ex ante that Street (or Borowski) would wind up with the higher overall leverage for his appearance with that plan.

by mikeA on Oct 8, 2007 9:46 PM PDT up 0 recs

Also:

I assume those leverage numbers are based on WPA. A relief pitcher coming in in the 9th with a one run lead is obviously going to have a higher LI than a relief pitcher coming in with a one run lead in the 8th, because winning the game gives a huge WPA boost. But is shutting out the other team in the 9th really any better than doing the same thing in the 8th? I haven't really given this much thought, and could certainly be convinced otherwise, but that strikes me as a somewhat dubious use of the leverage concept.

by mikeA on Oct 8, 2007 9:57 PM PDT up 0 recs

Fair points.

Well taken, particularly the quantity argument.

Stat Wonk Futurist

by salb918 on Oct 9, 2007 8:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

Bye Bye Joe Torre

Actually I see him ending up in St.Louis w/ LaRussa and Jockety going to Seattle.

by Hawk on Oct 8, 2007 9:19 PM PDT 0 recs

D-Backs! Go Byrnes!

by Hawk on Oct 8, 2007 9:20 PM PDT 0 recs

I love how so many of us

don't necessarily care who wins

but we sure care who loses

i agree bbg, "scintillating" to describe Byrd's performance creeped out a little

"Hitting is better than sex." Reggie Jackson

by 67MARQUEZ on Oct 8, 2007 9:21 PM PDT 0 recs

Silly...

10 baserunners is 5 innings....How is that anything but "worked through some jams"...scintillating? Ridiculous

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Oct 8, 2007 9:24 PM PDT up 0 recs

Ok, seriously now.

What happened in the first 20 minutes of Heroes?

KQED Traffic Guy: "Southbound 880 backed up because of an earlier accident, and well...just because."

by pam5981 on Oct 8, 2007 9:23 PM PDT 0 recs

Jeter is my absolute favorite player...

But he sucked this series, just killed them with the DP's and had a horrible AB in the 9th vs Borowski. Took a terrible fastball on the first pitch and then popped up a hanger. Brutal. DJ killed that rally in the 6th or 7th when the crowd was crazy into it and a single there and the place is rocking for Abreu who looked good at the plate tonight. That DP was the absolute momentum swing in that game. Who knows what happens if it goes 6-4 with everyone nuts and the young Tribe relievers out there.

Alex's AB vs Borowski was even worse....Miss a brutal hanger and then swing at some pitch a foot outside? Terrible approach in that AB. Borowski is brutal and their 2 studs both helped him out big time and got themselves out.

Oh well, gues I will root for Cleveland, but both series, while interesting certainly dont have a flair or storyline yet....hope they develop.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Oct 8, 2007 9:23 PM PDT 0 recs

The Yankees lost,

that was all I cared about, now I can watch all the teams play and have no vested interest in any of them. I would like to see the Rockies get into the WS, and play Cleveland but if it doesn't happen that is fine also. Just imagine the fit the Eastern press would have with a Colorado vs. Cleveland series, juicy.
I am sure they would still only talk about the Bosox and the Yankees, pretend there wasn't a WS after all.

by china bob on Oct 8, 2007 9:54 PM PDT up 0 recs

scintillating

Paul Byrd's starts have the property that they produce a flash of light when ionizing radiation passes through them. Quick, someone get him a job as a muon veto.

by colin on Oct 8, 2007 9:25 PM PDT 0 recs

Aww

stay with the Jeter Q & A.

by mikeA on Oct 8, 2007 9:29 PM PDT 0 recs

scintillating

Yes, that is Paul Byrd.

"It's a PIVOTAL series! There's only ONE OcTOber! And there's LOTS of unsold AD TIME that we have to FILL with my inNANE bullSHIT!" -Nick 10/06/07

by afansnotes on Oct 8, 2007 9:32 PM PDT 0 recs

Your sig deserves a QOTM nomination

by LoveDemAs on Oct 8, 2007 9:35 PM PDT up 0 recs

Nick nailed it.

I wish I was this funny, but I would hate pull a supposed Dane Cook Move, and claim this as my own.

"It's a PIVOTAL series! There's only ONE OcTOber! And there's LOTS of unsold AD TIME that we have to FILL with my inNANE bullSHIT!" -Nick 10/06/07

by afansnotes on Oct 8, 2007 9:43 PM PDT up 0 recs

Cool. Who's on the left?

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 8, 2007 9:58 PM PDT up 0 recs

Now the big what if question...

Since the Yanks lost and supposedly Torre's job is in jeopardy. If Torre was fired and if we had an opening in manager (we don't since Geren was re-uped), would you want him hired as manager for the As?

by AsWin on Oct 8, 2007 10:03 PM PDT 0 recs

Yes for me - the guy knows what he's doing

My opinion is that before Georgie points his petulant finger down from the sky, Torre should resign.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 8, 2007 10:06 PM PDT up 0 recs

Torre should have resigned

as soon as George made the threat. you know, raise the inanity level a notch...too bad Torre's too level-headed for that.
Because he doesn't react to George's b.s., or lose his bearings despite the challenges inherent in being the Yankees' manager, I'd think he'd be a great choice for most teams, if he really does leave NY and still wants to manage.

by skutch on Oct 9, 2007 7:50 AM PDT up 0 recs

Quick, Jorge, the Flit!

We were caught in a hamster wheel of recriminations and resentment.

by Englishmajor on Oct 8, 2007 10:13 PM PDT 0 recs

That's the spray paint that looks like hair.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Oct 9, 2007 11:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

Trade I'd like to see

Yankees get -
Dan Haren
Joe Blanton
Mark Kotsay (salary dump)
Dan Johnson
Antonio Perez

Athletics get
Carl Pavano
Kei Igawa
Tyler Clippard
Jason Giambi
Wilson Betemit
And one of Chamberlain, Hughes, Kennedy
and cash

A's lost two pitchers, get 4 back, two young and two down in the dumps, get the OBP machine back, get a capable infielder for short, second or 3b. Cust ends up playing left and Buck in CF

Yankees get two pitchers, one Cy Young quality and another a bulldog, both extremely healthy. They can throw a rotation of Wang, Petitte, Mussina, Haren, Blanton.

Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC

by closetasfan on Oct 9, 2007 6:14 AM PDT 0 recs

The Yanks..

and As, for that matter, would never consider that trade. Infact, they have a surplus of pitching they want to parcel off, not acquire. In their eyes, Kennedy and Joba will be just as effective as Haren and Blanton. Mussina seems destined to remain in the BP. The rotation is set anyways with Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Kennedy, and Joba/Mussina. Not to mention, it is a trade that heavily favors the Yanks IMO. In the very unlikely event that Haren (who is untouchable anyways for contractual, PR, and strategic reasons) and Blanton are packaged together, I hope its for more than a bunch of cast offs and over the hill spare parts.

Now if Mariano does bolt the yanks, then they have a great chance of trading for Street. Our asking price would be a Kennedy, Joba or Hughes. That is the more realistic route.

by AsWin on Oct 9, 2007 8:48 AM PDT up 0 recs

Or in reverse..

would the Yanks accept a trade for Wang and Joba/Kennedy/Hughes for Kotsay, DJ, Gaudin, and Marco because that's the situation you have in the original trade.

by AsWin on Oct 9, 2007 8:59 AM PDT up 0 recs

Wait

You WANT to pay Carl Pavano $12 million to sit on his ass next season? (He's having Tommy John surgery, and his contract will expire soon.)

Jason Giambi? Kei Igawa?!?

I believe your name is incorrect. It should actually be "ClosetYankeesFan."

by PaulThomas on Oct 9, 2007 12:51 PM PDT up 0 recs

if anyone is on there will be an A's ANNOUNCEMENT

on channel 2. talking about new ballpark news and our favorite lol wolffe-sp will be on

by smasfan on Oct 9, 2007 8:31 AM PDT 0 recs

<groan>

"Our new ballpark will be in Laramie, Wyoming."

It kind of sounds corny, but you develop a bond with your pumpkins.

by Poppy on Oct 9, 2007 8:35 AM PDT up 0 recs

did not increase the type size on my

screen view.......hence, being morning, I read "waffle-sp" ...

count-down to ST.

by ak_A on Oct 9, 2007 8:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

if he's announcing that he filed

the formal application to get the review process officially rolling, that would be news.

If not, this may be just to get the Fremont plan in the news again...

by OaklandSi on Oct 9, 2007 8:48 AM PDT up 0 recs

Joe Torre

As someone who has hated the Yankees all of his life, Joe Torre has made their success of recent years more bearable. His press conference last night, under trying conditions, was classy and emotional.

Yeah, he should quit before he's fired, but I think he really loves to be the Yankees' manager, and wants to see if Steinbrenner calms down before making a preemptive strike.

by bear88 on Oct 9, 2007 9:37 AM PDT 0 recs

interesting to see what effect a Torre departure

might have on pending Yankee free agents (Posada, Rivera, A-Rod if he opts out). Some writers have speculated that one or more may not want to stay if Torre goes.

by OaklandSi on Oct 9, 2007 9:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

Quit before being fired?

Are you mad? He'll lose out on the unemployment insurance if he does that.

by MobiusKlein on Oct 9, 2007 12:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

Any truth to the rumor that Tony Gwynn ...

... will be invited back for the Macy's Parade?

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Oct 9, 2007 11:12 AM PDT 0 recs

Zing!

Puppypappy is en fuego!

"Just because the horseradish is a cultivar of different color and geographic origin doesn't make it less of either." - monkeyball

by McFood on Oct 10, 2007 7:15 AM PDT up 0 recs

Skip Caray

...is an idiot. I guess he can blame it on his genes. His fascination with the sacrifice bunt is disengenous. I think he starts talking up the sacrifice so he can later 2nd guess when the batter hits away and is unsuccessful. Are there 2 better examples of nepotism than Skip and Joe Buck?

by NoeValley on Oct 9, 2007 4:27 PM PDT 0 recs