Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted October 2, 2002 Figured all talk about the playoffs should be in one thread. Going into the playoffs my picks. A's over Twins in 4, Yankees over Angles in 4, Braves over Giants in 4, and Diamondbacks over Cardinals in 5. Thoughts on the games today. Great comeback by the Twins. They did what they had to do and at least got a split on the road. Know all the pressures on Oakland. Why did Scoscia not bring in Pervical to face Giambi in the 8th. The Angels needed that game. Petite vs Appier tomorrow doesn't sound like a good matchup for the Angels. Randy Johnson was horrible tonight. If Johnson or Schilling struggles than the Diamondbacks are done in the first round. The one thing going into game 2 is Arizona got humiliated that it will be easier to win. The Diamondbacks have one of the worst lineups in playoff history. Mark Grace is your cleanup hitter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted October 2, 2002 Yankees are takin' it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bravesfan Report post Posted October 2, 2002 The Diamondbacks aren't even getting out of the 1st round without Luis Gonzalez...no matter what their pitching does from here on in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bravesfan Report post Posted October 2, 2002 Predictions for First Round: --Yankees over Angels in 5 - Yankees bullpen stuggles in middle games. --A's over Twins in 4 - How can you stop Mulder, Hudson, Zito, Lidle? --Braves over Giants in 4 - How do you beat the Giants? Walk Bonds... --Cardinals over D'Backs in 5 - No Luis Gonzalez= No World Series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted October 2, 2002 Yankees over Angels in 4. A's over Twins in 5. (Classic Series) Cards over Backs in 4. Giants over Braves in 5. A's over Yankees in 7. (CLASSIC) Cards over Giants in 5. (BONDS does NOT choke!) A's over Cards in 5. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted October 2, 2002 Twins over A's in a sweep (They did a good job of stopping Hudson yesterday...) Yankees over Angels in a sweep (Yankees are no match for the Angels...period) Cards over D'Backs in 4 (Schilling will win his game, but they won't get back to him for game 5) Braves over Giants in 5 (The only series to go 5 games, but the Braves will win it. I don't think Bonds will C H O K E, but he also can't win the games by himself) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted October 2, 2002 Go Braves!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MentallyNormal Report post Posted October 2, 2002 Someone please eliminate those damn Yankees!! An also please make sure Bonds doesn't get to the world series. An for the love of baseball please no Giants vs Yankees!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted October 3, 2002 Tom Glavine was horrible. This might sound strange but I don't trust the Braves starters. Glavine hasn't pitched well since the All-Break, and Maddux is injured and isn't the best postseason pitcher. The Giants accomplishmed what the road team need to do and at least got a split heading back to San Fran for game 3. The A's kicked the Twins asses. Mays didn't have it. That's fine though the next two games are at the Metrodome. With 53,000 fans it's a huge homefield advantage for the Twins. I see this one going back to Oakland for game 5. That would mean Mulder pitches which is bad for the Twins but neither him or Hudson or Mulder have pitched on 3 days rest, but Howe got both out of the game early so they should be fairly rested for game 4 and possibly 5. No comeback for the Yankees tonight. So far the starting pitchers has struggled this series. Mussina and Ortiz both had strong finished so Game 3 should be a good game with hopefully better pitching. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Will Scarlet Report post Posted October 3, 2002 Predictions for First Round: --Goes out on limb: Angels over Yankees in 4.(At least this is what I hope happens, and is EXTREME wishful thinking on my part.) --A's over Twins in 5 - I think the Twins will test them, but the A's will take it anyway. --Giants over Braves in 5 --Cardinals over D'Backs in a sweep - Just a hunch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest oldschoolwrestling Report post Posted October 3, 2002 --A's over Twins in 4 - How can you stop Mulder, Hudson, Zito, Lidle? Not sure if you are aware or not, but Lidle is in the pen. They are going with the big 3 for at least the 5 game series. I'm not sure if that's a good idea though. Lidle was the August pitcher of the month. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smues Report post Posted October 3, 2002 I want the Braves to take it all, but as long as the champ isn't the yanks d-backs or giants i'll be perfectly happy. if we get arizona newyork 2 or san francisco new york i'll puke blood. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted October 3, 2002 Interesting. ESPN.Com PHOENIX -- It's an uncomfortable topic for any pitcher, not to mention a back-to-back 20-game winner who has struggled the past month and now must save his team from postseason disaster. Yet entering Game 2 of this Division Series, a virtual must-win for Arizona following St. Louis' 12-2 pasting in Game 1, Diamondbacks ace Curt Schilling couldn't avoid questions as to whether or not he's committing pitching's greatest faux pas -- tipping his pitches. Curt Schilling has been stunned of late over his lack of success. ESPN baseball analyst Rick Sutcliffe said he discovered Schilling's errors during his Sept. 25 start against St. Louis. His curiosities were confirmed during Sunday's game against Colorado, one in which he broadcast. Sutcliffe said he could tell by the way Schilling held his glove what he was going to throw. He went as far as to predict the pitches during the broadcast. Of the 16 pitches Schilling threw, Sutcliffe predicted all 16 correctly. And after the game, he talked with Schilling about the problem. "It's something that every pitcher goes through from time to time," Sutcliffe said. "When you get a pattern of doing a certain thing on a certain pitch, everybody picks up on it. The biggest thing is recognizing it." On Wednesday, nobody on the Cardinals or Diamondbacks would admit such was the case. But not everyone denied it, either. And by reading between the lines of the tap dancing quotes and listening to Sutcliffe, you realize if Schilling doesn't correct the potential problem on Thursday night, the defending World Champions could be one game from elimination. "Schill is a very intelligent man," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. "We've got a lot of very experienced baseball eyes that have been looking at the video the past couple days. If there's something there, we'll correct it." If indeed Schilling is tipping his pitches, it could explain his stretch run. Last year's Cy Young runnerup, Schilling was 23-7 during the regular season, giving him 45 victories the past two seasons. But he allowed 18 runs -- 17 earned -- in his last 16 1/3 innings. He also lost consecutive starts for the first time since mid-June. His lousy September, during which his 5.87 ERA ballooned his season-long ERA from 2.81 to 3.23, likely cost him his first Cy Young Award. Sunday, against the Rockies, Schilling tuned up for the playoffs in a brief relief appearance, only to surrender a three-run homer to Colorado's Brent Butler. Schilling, Brenly and catcher Damian Miller all insist that health is not the issue. Nor are mechanics. Or pitch selection. Instead, they say the problem has been execution. "The best plan in the world can't survive poor execution," Schilling said. "Mentally, yeah, I'm a little bruised. I stunk it up the last five or six starts. No one wants to have their psyche beat like that." As for tipping his pitches, Schilling isn't sure that's been the problem, either. Sutcliffe said after Sunday's game that Schilling approached him about what he saw and the two talked about it along with teammate Mark Grace. After that, Schilling watched the performance on video. On Wednesday, he downplayed his concern over the issue. That sinking feeling How Curt Schilling has performed over his last four outings: Date Opp. IP Hits Runs Res. 9/15 Mil. 8 8 4 ND 9/20 Col. 7.1 14 9 L 9/25 St. L. 8 6 6 L 9/29 Col. 1* 3 3 ND * Pitched in relief "I will pay it the consideration I think it deserves and look at the video," Schilling said. "Certainly it's something where if I feel it needs to be addressed, I'll address it." Tipping pitches is nothing new in baseball. Brenly admitted on Wednesday that "an overwhelming majority" of his team's pregame preparation is spent scrutinizing opposing pitchers to find any sort of advantage. Grace called it part of the game. But it's a rare problem for someone like Schilling, a meticulous student of the game who has a research library filled with videos, tendencies and notes on every batter he's ever faced. Now it appears the tables may have been turned on him. "You'd be surprised how many people do it," Grace said. "We're always spending time trying to find anything we can to give us an advantage. I'm sure they do the same thing. "I don't think they have him. I mean, he had a six-hitter with 12 K's the last time out against St. Louis. He made two bad pitches (two three-run homers) and that was it." Yet Grace's next words cast a shadow of doubt over such confidence. "And if they do have him, then he'll get it fixed." The issue of tipping is a sensitive one in baseball. From the pitcher's point of view, nothing is more humbling than admitting somebody has cracked your code. For the batters, the last thing they want is to get their hands on the code and then have the pitcher realize it. So it was of little surprise prior to Game 1, when St. Louis outfielder Jim Edmonds teased Sutcliffe about taking Schilling's struggles public. "We had a good laugh about it," Sutcliffe said. "He told me he was yelling at the TV when I said that. I told him it was just me doing my job." On Wednesday, Edmonds, like Schilling, downplayed the issue. As well as his conversation with Sutcliffe. "I think it's something the media is making a bigger deal out of than it's really worth," the center fielder said. "If he shuts us out he's a great pitcher, if we score runs then he's a bad pitcher. Whatever happened to giving us credit? We have a great offense here. This team is not a joke." Whatever the case, the mini-controversy didn't seem to bug Schilling on Wednesday. During the team's afternoon workout, he appeared comical and relaxed. During batting practice, he snuck his way into the "A" batting group with Matt Williams, Grace and Steve Finley. It was the first time Schilling had ever hit with Arizona's offensive leaders, which drew plenty of jabs from the Diamondbacks' big-stick heroes. "Hey, Gracie," Williams called out. "Are we going to allow this?" Schilling: "You have no say." Grace: "We have no say? Hey. If you want to join us and you want us to hit like pitchers, fine. We'll remember that tomorrow." All jokes aside, perhaps the biggest statement Schilling made on Thursday was one in which he didn't even open his mouth. A purple T-shirt that the pitcher wore read, "It's not what you accomplish in life that matters, it's what you overcome." I think Sutcliffe is doing the game this afternoon I'll have to see if he can call his pitches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Will Scarlet Report post Posted October 6, 2002 --Goes out on limb: Angels over Yankees in 4.(At least this is what I hope happens, and is EXTREME wishful thinking on my part.) Damn. I feel great now. I never thought I would have been right about that, but woohoo! The Yankees are gone! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted October 6, 2002 ::Throws a tantrum:: Oh, George is going to be MIGHTY pissed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted October 6, 2002 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted October 6, 2002 Oakland vs Minnesota. Game 5. Mulder's never pitched on 3 days rest. Go Twins Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted October 6, 2002 Bud Selig must be loving the Twins now.. Well..crap..3 Run Homer makes it a 1 run game.. TWINS WIN TWINS WIN.. Angels at Twins Tuesday Game 1 ALCS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted October 7, 2002 Fucking Sweet. An ALCS no one thought would happen. Fuck you Pohlad. You wanted to sell out your players not Bud Selig. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest kkktookmybabyaway Report post Posted October 7, 2002 Shoot, I don't know who to cheer for. Please don't let Atlanta in... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted October 7, 2002 Fox Execs are pissing their pants at the thought of promoting Minnesota-Anaheim right about now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted October 7, 2002 Yep...Fox had a HUGE ratings draw with TeJada-Soriano Clemens-Zito Giambi but instead they get nameless Anaheim Vs One player twins. They are praying for Barry Bonds to step up. Oh well, I'm happy Good Baseball will always prevail over big draws. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted October 7, 2002 Fox has got the LA market with Anaheim so they probably aren't that upset. How unlikely are the 3 teams that have made the LCS. The Twins where offered by their owner for contraction. The Angels where picked by many so called experts to finish in last place. The Cardinals lost Daryle Kile amongst others in the organization. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest kkktookmybabyaway Report post Posted October 7, 2002 "The Angels where picked by many so called experts to finish in last place." Yeah, and aren't they being shopped around by Disney, as are the Mighty Ducks... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Studmaster 2000 Report post Posted October 8, 2002 I think Bob Barron just killed himself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted October 8, 2002 I'm sticking with my original prediction: Anaheim v. St. Louis in the World Series. Who wins? The fans. Good baseball will bring people back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kingpk Report post Posted October 8, 2002 What planet have I landed on? ALCS - Angels v. Twins NLCS - Giants vs. Cardinals Bud Selig is either pissing his pants at the thought of the Twins in the WS, or he thinks he's a genius. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic Report post Posted October 8, 2002 BOOYAKAH~! LUNATIC -Pimpin' ho's and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted October 8, 2002 Ah, the rally monkey. So simple, yet so successful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted October 8, 2002 T.C. Bear is gonna maul the rally monkey. 3 of the 4 teams where in the '87 LCS. None of these teams have made a World Series appearance since 1991. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
