2009 MLB Playoffs Thread

I'll be shocked if we see a better game than last night's DET-MINN playoff game, but we can hope.

Usually I write some 15 paragraph diatribe about why this Angel team will shed the Red Sox in the first round, but I can only be wrong so many times.  I will say this though - all of the Red Sox fans I know are WAY too overconfident about "it's only Anaheim - we own Anaheim!" and making their date with NY.  The baseball gods will chortle.

PREDICTIONS

AL

Anaheim in 5
Yankees in 4

NL

Phillies in 3
Cardinals in 4

Cliff Lee was the man yesterday. I love watching pitcher complete a game. I thought they might pull him in the ninth but he powered through.  The wind seemed to affect the Rockies more than the Phillies. Good luck for them I guess. I hope Hamels is back to 2008 form for today. At least its not going to be a Rockies sweep like 2007.

Yep, Cliff Lee was a man last night.  I was shocked the Dodgers were able to rough Carp up last night.  He had dominated them all season (all of his career actually).

This Sawx fan is not overconfident.  Not sure who these friends are, but they probably havent watched many Sox games vs teams with half decent starting pitching.  Good luck tonight and all weekend. 

saco wrote:
This Sawx fan is not overconfident.  Not sure who these friends are, but they probably havent watched many Sox games vs teams with half decent starting pitching.  

agreed.  none of my sawx-luvin' friends are expecting a cake-walk. 

Oddsmakers pick Yanks, Cards Series

LAS VEGAS – Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have picked the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals as favorites to meet in the World Series and think New York has an overwhelming chance to win its first title since 2000.
(…)

Las Vegas Sports Consultants set World Series odds for Boston at 9-2 and the Angels at 11-2, and Rood said public support has been behind Los Angeles, despite the Angels losing 12 of their last 13 postseason games against the Red Sox dating to 1986.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4540329

that first base ump should not be allowed to officiate another game.  he's either been bought off, or is blind.

<cue smackie with a legalistic, could-happen-to-anyone excuse>

sweetcell wrote:
that first base ump should not be allowed to officiate another game.&nbsp; he&#039;s either been bought off, or is blind.

&lt;cue smackie with a legalistic, could-happen-to-anyone excuse&gt;

I was waiting for this.  Boston manages 4 hits all game and CJ Buckner will be the talk of Boston radio tomorrow…good - the fans can focus on Buckner and not the fact that their team was flatout outplayed.

He didn't cost Boston any runs….nor did he gift Anaheim any runs (Kendrick did not score either time).  But yes, those calls were atrocious.  Neither was close AT ALL…

The only call that cost a run was calling Hunter out at third in the 7th (I thought he was safe), but then again I'm not at all upset about a 5-0 vs 6-0 game - a shutout is a shutout.

Nonetheless, I have three words of advice: LEARN TO THROW

there is no question, boston was out-played.  lester started out fine but lost steam as the innings went on.  re: LEARN TO THROW, no kidding.  that was some horrible defense on the sawx's part.  had the throw to first been a little more on target there would have been no room for buckner's bad call.  and while those calls didn't directly result in runs being scored, i'm sure they bugged (i.e. distracted) the sawx to no end.  after those calls, do you think youkilis went back to the dugout with his head in the game?  of course not.  not an immediate game-changer, but no team would ask to have those distractions thrown at them.

good game on the angel's part.  lackey isn't as flashy a pitcher as lester, but ultimately he was much more effective.  i know which quality i'd rather have right now.

vansmack wrote:

sweetcell wrote:
that first base ump should not be allowed to officiate another game.&nbsp; he&#039;s either been bought off, or is blind.

&lt;cue smackie with a legalistic, could-happen-to-anyone excuse&gt;

I was waiting for this.&nbsp; Boston manages 4 hits all game and CJ Buckner will be the talk of Boston radio tomorrow…good - the fans can focus on Buckner and not the fact that their team was flatout outplayed.

He didn&#039;t cost Boston any runs….nor did he gift Anaheim any runs (Kendrick did not score either time).&nbsp; But yes, those calls were atrocious.&nbsp; Neither was close AT ALL…

The only call that cost a run was calling Hunter out at third in the 7th (I thought he was safe), but then again I&#039;m not at all upset about a 5-0 vs 6-0 game - a shutout is a shutout.

Nonetheless, I have three words of advice: LEARN TO THROW

  while i i agree with the points of poor throws and that it didnt "technically" cost him more than one run.  you can't deny it changes the whole outcome of the game. Firstly, Abreu struck out before that ever happened, but that beautiful pitch was called a ball. so Lester  has to pitch to one extra batter. Then the first Kendrick incident allows Hunter to be at bat with 2-men on.
  I counted three complete crap calls. and a) everyone who knows me knows that i NEVER complain about officiating. (that second call was the worset i may have ever seen and b) if those calls had been the other way, Angels fans would have been bitching and smackie, you'd be agreeing, so dont forget!

  series has just begun! and we dont get shut out twice in a row!

sweetcell wrote:
after those calls, do you think youkilis went back to the dugout with his head in the game?&nbsp; of course not.&nbsp; not an immediate game-changer, but no team would ask to have those distractions thrown at them.

Maybe the Red sox shouldn't have traded Manny since he was the only one that would beat up Youk when he gets in one of his "moods."  Oh wait, that's just how he is.  He's a head case and maybe he was already upset that he was 0-2 with a strikeout by the time the first bad call happened?  What's your excuse for that?

By the time the second bad call happened it was already 3-0 and the Sox were being badly outplayed.  How 'bout you guys start complaining that they didn't gut it out when faced with adversity?  Where's the "Cowboy up" when you need it?

blinkboy wrote:
&nbsp; while i i agree with the points of poor throws and that it didnt &quot;technically&quot; cost him more than one run.&nbsp; you can&#039;t deny it changes the whole outcome of the game.

The Hunter call cost the Angels a run, not the Red Sox.  Kendrick did not score either time.

blinkboy wrote:
Firstly, Abreu struck out before that ever happened, but that beautiful pitch was called a ball. so Lester&nbsp; has to pitch to one extra batter. Then the first Kendrick incident allows Hunter to be at bat with 2-men on.

Wrong wrong wrong wrong.  So by going by your ridiculous apologist theory, the bad call in the third was so disruptive to the team, it meant that Mathis does not bat until the fourth.  So he strikes out.  Aybar doubles, figgy sacrifices, and THEN the strikeout should have been called, thus ending the inning?  How ridiculously apologistic can we be here?  The only thing worse than CB Buckners eyes is TBS pitch Track.  It's been off in every playoff game.  They shold just get rid of it.  Anyhow, fine I'll go with your theory, Abreu strikes out.  Hunter bats in the top of the 5th, hits a solo shot and the Angels win 1-0.  Are you happy now?  The Angels tack on two more and it ends 3-0.  It doesn't change the fact that THE RED SOX MANAGED 4 HITS.  It wasn't CB Buckner or the poor defense, it was the utterlack of offense.  They were mystified by Lackey and a 40 year old Darren Oliver.  Get over it.

blinkboy wrote: &nbsp;&nbsp; I counted three complete crap calls. and a) everyone who knows me knows that i NEVER complain about officiating. (that second call was the worset i may have ever seen and b) if those calls had been the other way, Angels fans would have been bitching and smackie, you&#039;d be agreeing, so dont forget!

First off, nobody knows you - you've got 9 posts.  Second you don't know smackie - check last years playoff hockey thread if you want to know how smackie deals with bad calls.

blinkboy wrote:
&nbsp;&nbsp; series has just begun! and we dont get shut out twice in a row!

Good luck the rest of the way.

BTW - I'm shocked that we're 6 posts into this and not one post on Matt Holliday trying to use his cup to catch a ball costing his team the game and probably the series….

vansmack wrote:

blinkboy wrote:
&nbsp; while i i agree with the points of poor throws and that it didnt &quot;technically&quot; cost him more than one run.&nbsp; you can&#039;t deny it changes the whole outcome of the game.

The Hunter call cost the Angels a run, not the Red Sox.&nbsp; Kendrick did not score either time.

blinkboy wrote:
Firstly, Abreu struck out before that ever happened, but that beautiful pitch was called a ball. so Lester&nbsp; has to pitch to one extra batter. Then the first Kendrick incident allows Hunter to be at bat with 2-men on.

Wrong wrong wrong wrong.&nbsp; So by going by your ridiculous apologist theory, the bad call in the third was so disruptive to the team, it meant that Mathis does not bat until the fourth.&nbsp; So he strikes out.&nbsp; Aybar doubles, figgy sacrifices, and THEN the strikeout should have been called, thus ending the inning?&nbsp; How ridiculously apologistic can we be here?&nbsp; The only thing worse than CB Buckners eyes is TBS pitch Track.&nbsp; It&#039;s been off in every playoff game.&nbsp; They shold just get rid of it.&nbsp; Anyhow, fine I&#039;ll go with your theory, Abreu strikes out.&nbsp; Hunter bats in the top of the 5th, hits a solo shot and the Angels win 1-0.&nbsp; Are you happy now?&nbsp; The Angels tack on two more and it ends 3-0.&nbsp; It doesn&#039;t change the fact that THE RED SOX MANAGED 4 HITS.&nbsp; It wasn&#039;t CB Buckner or the poor defense, it was the utterlack of offense.&nbsp; They were mystified by Lackey and a 40 year old Darren Oliver.&nbsp; Get over it.

blinkboy wrote: &nbsp;&nbsp; I counted three complete crap calls. and a) everyone who knows me knows that i NEVER complain about officiating. (that second call was the worset i may have ever seen and b) if those calls had been the other way, Angels fans would have been bitching and smackie, you&#039;d be agreeing, so dont forget!

First off, nobody knows you - you&#039;ve got 9 posts.&nbsp; Second you don&#039;t know smackie - check last years playoff hockey thread if you want to know how smackie deals with bad calls.

blinkboy wrote:
&nbsp;&nbsp; series has just begun! and we dont get shut out twice in a row!

Good luck the rest of the way.

you know me smackie. its your favourite red sox fan.

blinkboy wrote:
you know me smackie. its your favourite red sox fan.

Hahaha, that's fucking great!

also, for the record. i never said the Sox lost because of those calls. But come on, the game is a chain reaction of events and almost none of them can be isolated.

a friend of mine even pointed out that Youkilis being fuming mad (as Youk can get) at Buckner, could have cost him to have a bad at bat with the bases juiced later in the game.  I mean, just saying, its not that easy.

and yes, we can all agree pitch trax is a joke!

edit: and i should have known having a Buckner anywhere NEAR first base in the post-season was gonna turn sour!

blinkboy wrote:
a friend of mine even pointed out that Youkilis being fuming mad (as Youk can get) at Buckner, could have cost him to have a bad at bat with the bases juiced later in the game. &nbsp;I mean, just saying, its not that easy.

And if Youk had hit a grand slam all the Sawx faithful would have been saying he did it because Buckner pissed him off.  "It just goes to show you - you shouldn't piss off the youk - he's wicked good!" in my best meathead Boston voice.

He's a head case that the fans love when it works in their favor and use as an excuse when it doesn't.  The rest of league is pretty sure it's gotten old.  I'll leave it to shoeshine to tell us where the Youk reaction ranks on the reasons people hate the Red Sox….   

Hey Cole Hamels! Why didn't you and your wife schedule a C-Section for last Thrus or Friday so you could have had your head in the game yesterday. I was excited for Myers return but that excitment faded quickly. How can he make 12M a year?

renton007 wrote:
Hey Cole Hamels! Why didn&#039;t you and your wife schedule a C-Section for last Thrus or Friday so you could have had your head in the game yesterday.

Yeah, Cole Hamels! You should always tell your wife to have an extremely painful procedure and a scar for the rest of her life so idiotic sports fans without lives aren't subjected to the whims of your newborn child! Baseball is way more important than family!!

Julian, wrote:

renton007 wrote:
Hey Cole Hamels! Why didn&#039;t you and your wife schedule a C-Section for last Thrus or Friday so you could have had your head in the game yesterday.

Yeah, Cole Hamels! You should always tell your wife to have an extremely painful procedure and a scar for the rest of her life so idiotic sports fans without lives aren&#039;t subjected to the whims of your newborn child! Baseball is way more important than family!!

Agreed. Very much so.

Haven't been part of a c-section, but I would think that there's actually much less pain involved in the actual c-section procedure than in giving birth natuarally. It's the recovery from the surgery that's the real bitch.

But yeah, thumbs down to all unnecessary surgeries. Which many c-sections are.