MLB Playoffs

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:06 am

Sorry, I meant to say I'd be very concerned if the Cards don't win tonight with Carpenter on the mound. I just don't see Weaver pitching another great game in San Diego.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:24 am

Agreed, this is a must win for us. Without Carp as our #1 in the NLCS, if we do make it, I'm not confident.. but who knows?

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:21 pm

It's ironic that the Yankees helped the Tigers acquire Bonderman in 02, when Detroit was in last place and they were the league champions. NYY then wanted the veteran DET's starter Jeff Weaver, and they engineered a three way deal in which DET got Bonderman from OAK. The only reliable arm they had this playoff rested on Ming Wang while the rest of the gang was old, prone to injuries or both.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 11:37 pm

Wooohoo! The underdogs advance! The Cards need to split up in New York or it could be over quick.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 11:55 pm

sportdan30 wrote:Wooohoo! The underdogs advance! The Cards need to split up in New York or it could be over quick.

What a game!! What a weekend for Missouri sports!!!

Mets are going to be tough, but hey I like being the underdog!

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:09 am

MizzouRah wrote:What a weekend for Missouri sports!!!

You can say that again! Almost a perfect weekend, if only the Blues had done better on the West coast.

I wonder if Tony will start Carp on 3 days rest for game 2, or give him 5 days off and wait until game 3 on Saturday.

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:16 am

Congrats to the Cardinals fans.

You guys were better than us, in every single facet of the game, throughout the series. Simply put, you just have a much,much better team than we do.

Good luck on the rest of the post season.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:05 am

Bk,

I wouldn't say the Cards have a better team than the Padres do. They just happened to get hot at the right time. You have no idea how excruciating it's been to watch this team this season. For a good majority of the season, the starting pitching was extremely mediocre besides Carpenter of course. Suppan and Weaver didn't start pitching effectively until the last month or two of the season.

The Cards bullpen has been their achilles heal as well. Isringhausen was never right, and for a while there Looper looked like a bad pick up. You never knew what you were going to get when you put Johnson, Flores, and Kinney out there.

The offense itself has been average at best IMO. Besides Albert and a hot hitting Chris Duncan, no one really struck fear in the lineup. Juan and Scott Rolen got their fair share of hits, but you never felt everyone in the lineup put it all together at the same time.

I wasn't fearful of the Padres per se, but to me they have a more balanced team than the Cardinals. Add in the fact that the Cardinals had played so poorly down the stretch, and of course no one was giving them a chance. However, with a short series, anything can happen. It's kind of like the NCAA tournament. It's who gets hot at the right time.

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:57 am

sportdan30 wrote:Wooohoo! The underdogs advance! The Cards need to split up in New York or it could be over quick.

Since when have the Cardinals been considered underdogs? How can a team with Puljos be considered anything but a favorite most of the time?

I'd consider them even with the Mets right now. The Mets starting pitching is shaky right now, but the rest of the team is solid. The Cards almost blew it, but now that they are in, they look like a very solid team.

I'm really looking for ward to the AL series. No matter what happens, I'll be happy to see either one of them in the WS, and no Yankees or Sox of any color!!!

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:53 am

jondiehl wrote:
MizzouRah wrote:What a weekend for Missouri sports!!!
You can say that again! Almost a perfect weekend, if only the Blues had done better on the West coast.

I wonder if Tony will start Carp on 3 days rest for game 2, or give him 5 days off and wait until game 3 on Saturday.

I will say this about hockey, if they call all of these penalties every friggin single game like the first two Blues games, I'm not sure I can stomach watching it. Brutal you can't even touch another player.

I think he'll hold Carp back, but who knows at this point?

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:56 pm

sportdan30 wrote:Bk,

I wouldn't say the Cards have a better team than the Padres do. They just happened to get hot at the right time. You have no idea how excruciating it's been to watch this team this season. For a good majority of the season, the starting pitching was extremely mediocre besides Carpenter of course. Suppan and Weaver didn't start pitching effectively until the last month or two of the season.

The Cards bullpen has been their achilles heal as well. Isringhausen was never right, and for a while there Looper looked like a bad pick up. You never knew what you were going to get when you put Johnson, Flores, and Kinney out there.

The offense itself has been average at best IMO. Besides Albert and a hot hitting Chris Duncan, no one really struck fear in the lineup. Juan and Scott Rolen got their fair share of hits, but you never felt everyone in the lineup put it all together at the same time.

I wasn't fearful of the Padres per se, but to me they have a more balanced team than the Cardinals. Add in the fact that the Cardinals had played so poorly down the stretch, and of course no one was giving them a chance. However, with a short series, anything can happen. It's kind of like the NCAA tournament. It's who gets hot at the right time.

I think a perfect example is this. At one point, Albert Pujols was hitting in the 3 slot for the Cards, and Todd Walker was hitting in the 3 slot for us. If you compare lineups, there may be 1 or 2 San Diego players who would be every day players for the Cards.

I think you are the more balanced team, and you are right you did in fact get hot when it matters, and the results showed it.

Great series, I tip my cap to your team, and good luck the rest of the way.

ubrakto · Post by **ubrakto** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:52 pm

Just to drop a note on the Tigers series win. I got to go to Game 4 on Saturday night. It was bar none the best time I've had at a sporting event. I've never seen players come back out to the field after the game was over and start spraying down fans with champagne.

I only wish I had been thinking clearly enough to rush down the aisle to join the revelry, but after sharing high-fives and hugs with everyone with four or five seats of us (not to mention a couple police officers standing behind me), I was just kind of stuck in place watching it all unfold.

It was joy incarnate at Comerica Park on Saturday night.
---Todd

ps - I'll be posting some pictures at the blog after I get some time to clean up the few decent shots I got.

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:29 pm

So you weren't the guy Leyland kissed?

ubrakto · Post by **ubrakto** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:40 pm

LOL. Nope, I was over on the first base side (about half way into the outfield) in the Terrace seating area. It was like sitting in first class on an airplaine. Tons of leg room. On either side of the aisle were two large wooden chairs (with thick padding) and a wood table in between them to put your drinks on.

Michigan stadium seating this was not.

---Todd

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:22 pm

bkrich83 wrote:
sportdan30 wrote:Bk,

I wouldn't say the Cards have a better team than the Padres do. They just happened to get hot at the right time. You have no idea how excruciating it's been to watch this team this season. For a good majority of the season, the starting pitching was extremely mediocre besides Carpenter of course. Suppan and Weaver didn't start pitching effectively until the last month or two of the season.

The Cards bullpen has been their achilles heal as well. Isringhausen was never right, and for a while there Looper looked like a bad pick up. You never knew what you were going to get when you put Johnson, Flores, and Kinney out there.

The offense itself has been average at best IMO. Besides Albert and a hot hitting Chris Duncan, no one really struck fear in the lineup. Juan and Scott Rolen got their fair share of hits, but you never felt everyone in the lineup put it all together at the same time.

I wasn't fearful of the Padres per se, but to me they have a more balanced team than the Cardinals. Add in the fact that the Cardinals had played so poorly down the stretch, and of course no one was giving them a chance. However, with a short series, anything can happen. It's kind of like the NCAA tournament. It's who gets hot at the right time.
I think a perfect example is this. At one point, Albert Pujols was hitting in the 3 slot for the Cards, and Todd Walker was hitting in the 3 slot for us. If you compare lineups, there may be 1 or 2 San Diego players who would be every day players for the Cards.

I think you are the more balanced team, and you are right you did in fact get hot when it matters, and the results showed it.

Great series, I tip my cap to your team, and good luck the rest of the way.

I will say this bk (and what a nice compliment you gave the Cardinals), I would have started Chris Young in games 1 and 4 as I think he is the best Padres pitcher and will maybe be a Cy Young winner at some point, I think he's THAT good. What are your thoughts?

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:07 pm

I'll still stick by Peavy. He didn't pitch very well, but he's still the horse of the staff.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:14 pm

Minni keeps the option year on Torii Hunter and owner George S. says the same thing for Rodriguez and coach Torre. They'll stay in NY.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:50 pm

Can someone explain why MLB tries to schedule as few conflicts as possible during the first round of the playoffs, with noon starts being a result, but have no problem broadcasting the more important Championship Series games at the same time tomorrow night? Dumb.

And is it true that the winner of the ALCS has to beat the Yankees again before getting to the World Series? Hopefully McCarver is just hanging out at Yankee Stadium and won't be on the air tomorrow night.

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:08 am

For the Tigers:

"Bless you boys"

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:58 am

Dave wrote:Can someone explain why MLB tries to schedule as few conflicts as possible during the first round of the playoffs, with noon starts being a result, but have no problem broadcasting the more important Championship Series games at the same time tomorrow night? Dumb.

I like how FOX overlaps the two games in prime time. You can watch either one, or flip back and forth, since one's on FOX and the other on FX. I'd rather have that than have one on during the afternoon which I wouldn't get to see at all.

Besides, does anybody *really* care about the NLCS?

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:02 pm

lexbur wrote: You can watch either one, or flip back and forth, since one's on FOX and the other on FX. I'd rather have that than have one on during the afternoon which I wouldn't get to see at all.

I'm guessing by your response that:

- You do not have a HDTV and/or
- You do not have a DVR

I would FAR prefer to have them show one game in the afternoon, and the other in the evening, with no overlap. That way, I can see both games in 720p HD and record the afternoon game in HD on my TiVo for watching when I get home from work before the evening game starts.

Plus, watching that recorded game on a DVR can condense a 3hr game into an hour or so of action after you skip through all of the commercial breaks every half inning and pitching changes (plus, I usually watch it in fast forward mode unless someone reaches base, which makes the afternoon game fly by even quicker). In the slower FF mode on TiVo, it's not too fast in that you can't see what's going on. I do the same thing for recorded NFL games, the 30 second skip button is a perfect way to skip between snaps (unless the offense is in hurry-up mode).

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:46 pm

Dave wrote:Can someone explain why MLB tries to schedule as few conflicts as possible during the first round of the playoffs, with noon starts being a result, but have no problem broadcasting the more important Championship Series games at the same time tomorrow night? Dumb.

I can explain it: it's called Fox. Fox has the rights for both CSes, and so they're both going to be on in prime time.

Dave wrote: And is it true that the winner of the ALCS has to beat the Yankees again before getting to the World Series? Hopefully McCarver is just hanging out at Yankee Stadium and won't be on the air tomorrow night.

Damn right. It's been such a nice several years without McCarver doing Mets games, now we have to deal with him in the playoffs. Blech. I'll probably go with the radio, but it's tough because the radio is so far ahead of the TV. Maybe I can stream it off the internet, that would delay it enough . . . .

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:16 pm

While I realize the NLCS has huge significance here in St. Louis, for some reason it doesn't feel as special when Joe Buck does the play by play. Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoy his broadcasts. I guess it's because he calls a handful of regular season Cardinal games, and the fact he's a St. Louis guy. Personally, I'd rather have Brenneman call the game.

I'm probably alone in saying this, but I don't have a problem with Tim McCarver. I prefer him over Pinnella, whose voice irritates the cr*p out of me. Though if I had a choice, I'd take Steve Lyons.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:23 pm

Question for those who live in New York, or are familar with Yankees and Mets fans. What percentage in your estimation are Mets fans? Also, does it depend on viscinity of where you live for whom you root, ala White Sox(south side) and Cubs fans (north side)? It's always seemed as an outsider that Met fans are considered lower class or looked upon as not as knowledgeable. I'm not saying that's true, but that's the sense I get.

Just curious. Thanks.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:37 pm

Actually, I hate damn near all of the playoff announcers. Buck is boring to me, Pinella needs to get back on the field and McCarver just talks to talk a la Theisman. Berman and Morgan need to get back into it...even Sutcliff was decent in the division series.