Entries Tagged 'post season' ↓

So… what the heck happened, Tampa? You were rolling along the highway of happiness and then the car crashed into the Liberty Bell that is Citizen’s Bank Park.

And, to make matters worse, you let the PHILLIES win the Series. That’s like the Patriots letting the Eagles win.

To be honest, this wasn’t the Series even die-hard Tampa fans (are there such things?) needed to get the underperforming, late bloomers to the pinacle of the baseball world. They needed a lot of offense, they got zip. They needed strong pitching from their supposedly strong bullpen, and they got zip.

Overall, this was about as much of a rollover scene as was the Rockies during the ‘07 Series.

I think there is huge potential. I think there is a great need for better competition in small markets. I think the Rays are finally getting the hang of this winning thing.

So! Regardless of this “lowest-ever rated World Series in the history of baseball” event, the Rays come into the ‘09 season with some great, young talent and an American League Pennant. Nice work. Let’s see you do that again…

The Sox handed themselves a Wild Card entry last night as the rain, some powerful hits against crappy pitching and a long, long night that flipped the clock ended any guess as to where they would be headed on Tuesday. With this season all over except a couple games that mean absolutely nothing –unless someone gets hurt, that is– I look at the playoffs with a few lingering thoughts:

• Mike Lowell is most likely done. As soon as he hit that ball last night you could tell it was over. Thank you, Mikey, you did a great job this year.
• The rotation is looking good, but I’m still nervous about Masterson and Delcarmen “shoring up” the bridge to Pap.
•  The 2008 AL Cy goes to Clifton Phifer Lee. At 22-3, Clif Lee has done an incredible job in the Indians rotation against almost every team he’s faced. Also, it’s excellent that there’s no “close call” this year. I think his record and performance basically leave no question.
• The 2008 AL MVP is a toss-up for me. I like Joe Mauer of the Twins, and I think he’ll get some serious consideration, but how can you not choose either Pedroia or Youkilis? Kevin Youkilis, especially, has stepped into the 4-hole and is bordering on thirty home runs and has over 115 RBIs. He’s become the power-hitting corner infielder that they need him to be.
• The trading deadline and wire waiver deals brought us Kotsay and Bay. I like both of the additions. Kotsay has certainly helped give the team “room for injury” and is able to handle Right and First without embarassing himself.
• Was it just me, or did it bring back all sorts of memories when Casey let the ball go through his glove at first last night? Eeep. That’s the kind of superstitious bullshit that’ll make a ballplayer say the Hail Mary five hundred times.
• The Sox are going to Anaheim and I think it’s going to take all five games if they want to get to the ALCS. The Angels aren’t the same team they’ve seen over the past two series. Don’t let K-Rod out of the gate.
• The Rays have won the AL East and they deserve it. That doesn’t, however, mean they’ll be able to perform as well as they did in the regular season. We shall see how they fair against the AL Central winners (We all know it’s the Twins, right?).
• I’m really, really pulling for the Brewers to get the Wild Card. They haven’t seen the post season since ‘82. And, they have a couple of really fun players to watch.
• I need to say that I am psyched that Don Orsillo is getting some games in as a broadcaster for the ALDS. Don Orsillo is articulate, knows the game and has a fantastic delivery. He’s become one of my favorites over the last few years.

SO! With the Wild Card secured and the Sox headed to Anaheim, I will trust that Tito makes the right calls for the ALDS and let the good times roll.

It appears that it wouldn’t take much to sweep the Yankees, regardless of whether or not it’s the final Sox/Yanks series of the year. I’m sure that the baseball gods were looking at the schedule and Fox television was drooling over the idea of taking the Saturday games as the “must-win battle of the century”!

For the Yankees, it’s just a three-game series that leads to a golf vacation and some possible arm surgery for Mariano Rivera.

IF the Red Sox can do it and IF the Rays fall prey to the “it doesn’t matter because we’re headed to the playoffs” routine, we’ll see a very pumped, in-your-face attitude by the Sox as they head home to meet either the Twins or the “other” Sox.

I assume, however, that we’ll be seeing our first Red Sox playoff game this year in the land of LA. Just a few short miles from where Manny dumped his bags and started to play real baseball for the first time this year.

The forecast calls for a ton of rain right through the weekend which will either put a real strain on the team as they try to wrap up the week and prepare for the ALDS, or will call for the regulars to sit and rest during some part of a double-header while the Rays clinch the division.

Either way, let’s see a sweep. It’d be a nice end to a hard season.

Well! There you go!

For the first time in your short history you’ve made the playoffs. Red Sox Nation would like to extend a warm welcome to the Executive Lounge, complete with free wi-fi.

Any team that has the best home record and the best record in one-run games deserves some street cred. And, to be honest, I’m one of those people who thought you’d crack. Crack under the pressure, crack under the weight of the Florida sun and just plain crack in half to a losing record. I guess I wasn’t giving you the credit you deserve. (Secretly, I gave you a ton of credit, but damn you for actually being good).

Oh! And, to your fans, the only people who made this happen were the actual players employed by the team. Just as the case in Red Sox Nation. I’m very, very glad that you have a team to root for in the post season, but please go into this without the chest-thumping attitude and Yankee-fan mentality. The only people who belong in the post season are the ones who played their way into the post season. As they say in the spirit business: Enjoy Responsibly.

Oh, and Joe Maddon, I’m glad you are truly, finally making a name for yourself. I’ve been a sideline fan of yours for a while, but I still don’t love the way you handle the bullpen. Maybe, even though you’ve gotten the most out of your team this far, the Sox will be able to squeek through those close games when / if you meet them again.

Congrats on a long, well-deserved post season berth. Now, please lose so I don’t have to carry around a box of Kleenex this Winter for reasons other than a cold.

Best,

Keith

This site, along with my desk, my back problem and a number of filing chores have been neglected while I take on additional responsibilities with both the American Marketing Association and UX Professionals.

Oddly enough, the Sox have not needed my help. Or have they?

At this point, it’s moot to go over what the last month has been like for the Sox with the exception of the following:

• Mike Lowell could end up hurting the Sox in the long run if he doesn’t shut it down soon.
• Paps better learn to use that cutter more often and stop being a fastball putz.
• Pedroia is my MVP. Not because he plays for the Sox, but because he has done the most in my opinion without any injury to assist a team in making the playoffs when their two hot-shot power hitters were down or out. (20 home runs regardless of a wrist injury has totally killed the Sox, Mr. Papi.)
• Epstein, it appears, will not have to don a gorilla suit come Halloween.
• Lucchino has been totally press-absent. THANK YOU.
• Orsillo got an extension at NESN (love it).
• Remy has not done as MUCH self-serving advertising as in previous years.

I am gunning for the Sox to take the Wild Card. Screw the Division Title. Get those four wins and then go get your team a) rest and b) pitching order. You don’t think Anaheim is a good idea for the Sox in the first round? I think it’s GREAT. They need the challenge. They need to have the drive. They need to get over themselves and win, win, win.

By this weekend we’ll know where they stand. Hopefully, regardless of the standings, they will have their duck boats in a row.