MLB Divisional Playoffs, AL Edition

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I'll probably jinx it, but I think the Rays have a great shot at advancing to the World Series. Boston was neck-and-neck with the Angels, who played like morons the majority of the series. And I don't think much of the Sox rotation.

I agree with your first two sentences. I'm very perplexed by the third.

Lester's amazing. Dice-K is a five or six-inning pitcher. Beckett's the real X factor here. If his outing last night was just rust, then the Sox are in a good position. Who's their fourth starter?

It'll be Byrd of Wakefield. Byrd was the better pitcher down the stretch, but Wake has very good career numbers against the Rays (partly because the Rays have sucked, but also because the knuckler works well in domes). Regardless, I don't know how you can't think much of a rotation that features three top notch pitchers.

 

 

 

[cabbageboy 0]

That was an exciting 4 game series. I too was baffled as to why the Angels did that squeeze play in such a situation when they just had 1 out and any sort of flyball to the outfield scores the run. Going in I would have thought the Angels would be the better team at manufacturing a run.

 

But really now, what's up with the Red Sox celebrating like crazy over winning a division series? The Rays haven't even been to the playoffs before and didn't go this wild. I'd like to see the Rays go to the World Series but somehow I have a feeling the league will be desperate to get Sox/Dodgers. Let's face it, if home field holds out the WS would be Rays vs. Phillies and that sounds truly bizarre.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

That was an exciting 4 game series. I too was baffled as to why the Angels did that squeeze play in such a situation when they just had 1 out and any sort of flyball to the outfield scores the run. Going in I would have thought the Angels would be the better team at manufacturing a run.

It was a bizarre call. Just about any sort of batted ball, out or hit, would have got Willits in from third. I don't understand how you can call for a suicide there. Anaheim had pinch hit options, too, if they were worried about Aybar not being able to push a ball into the outfield.

 

Watching the Angels in this series, I have to wonder about their ability to "manufacture" runs. I respect Scioscia as a manger, but this team seemed to run themselves into a lot of outs in this series. Being aggressive seems to cause them more trouble than good in the postseason. Maybe it's just a small sample.

 

Overall, you have to wonder a bit about the Angels. They've had some fairly anemic playoff performances since their title win in 2002. Might be time to shake things up.

[KingPK 0]

That, and they are just terrible on defense. Torii Hunter dropping a can of corn in game 3, the three run single, Kendrick's bobble on a possible DP ball that let the first Boston run score tonight, guys taking the wrong route to balls or diving when they should just let it drop, they just kicked themselves in the ass so much out in the field in this series.

Edited October 7, 2008 by KingPK

[Bruiser Chong 0]

It was a bizarre call. Just about any sort of batted ball, out or hit, would have got Willits in from third. I don't understand how you can call for a suicide there.

Not to mention it was a 2-0 count. Those first two pitches weren't anywhere close. Personally, if I'm committed to the idea of a squeeze, I take one more pitch to see if he throws a strike or not. If it's a ball, there's a real chance Aybar ends up walking. Figgins is up next and the chances of him hitting into a twin-killing aren't high.

 

In the end, it was a case of over-managing. Though you aren't promised the run if you have a guy at third with less than two outs, there's a very good chance you'll get him in more times than not.

 

Overall, you have to wonder a bit about the Angels. They've had some fairly anemic playoff performances since their title win in 2002. Might be time to shake things up.

The certain departure of K-Rod, along with the very real chance Tex, Vlad, and Anderson aren't there will probably do that. Though, I think if I'm the Angels, I let K-Rod and Anderson walk and allocate that money to Tex.

 

I'd say the Angels' window of serious contention ended tonight, but since they play in the West, their chances remain good.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

The Red Sox have given their curse to the Angels. I believe that they started owning the Angels right after winning the WS.

 

Now, of course you can't just curse a team just like that, there has to be a reason for it. The Angles have a name curse. A stupid name curse. Until this Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim thing ends, the curse will not.

[MFer 0]

No one menitoned this, but did anyone think that Willits should've been called safe on that play? It seemed obvious to me that he was out but apparently some people are trying to make a case that because Varitek dropped the ball after he hit the ground, Willits should've been called safe.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I don't understand that logic at all. The replay shows pretty clearly that he made the tag and then fell to the ground, which caused him to lose the ball. It wasn't as if the ball flew from his glove as he made the swipe.

[MFer 0]

Well, on Mike & Mike at least, they were using continuation as a reason. Basically, they were comparing the play to when a catcher has to hold onto the ball after he gets hit, an outfielder who has to hold onto the ball after taking a couple steps and hitting the wall, or even a WR in football who has to hold onto the ball all the way through after getting both feet in and falling out of bounds. Varitek didn't voluntarily drop the ball during the play so Willits should've been safe (their logic).

[cabbageboy 0]

Bleh. I don't buy it at all. The tag was made and that part of the play was flat out over when Varitek dropped the ball. I felt bad for Willits though. He will be remembered for that strange squeeze play even though he did nothing wrong and it was Aybar that screwed up. Then in a typical baseball irony wasn't he the guy who dove for the Bay fly ball and missed it? He probably should have held up and kept Bay to a single, but I can't really fault a guy for hustling.

 

That said, fielding was another aspect of the Angels that turned me off of them this year. I recall a game on national TV this year with the Yankees where it seemed like the Angels made 5 errors. They did win the game, but it made me wonder about them.

[jimmy no nose 0]

I haven't seen the play at full speed since it happened, only the slow-mo replays about 8000 times, so I don't remember how it looked as it happened.. I think based on the slow motion it's pretty clear that it's the correct call, but I'm kind of surprised the ump would get that correct on the live action.

[the max 0]

Why surprised? He tagged him a few feet before he got back to the bag. The ump didn't even do a flamboyant "YER OUUUUTTTT" just a calm, "out", like it was obvious. Varitek falling two seconds after the play was already dead was the only reason Scioscia came running out of the dugout.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The ump made the right call and Scioscia even conceded that point in his post-game interview. Varitek made the play, then fell and dropped the ball. There's no continuation there. They were mutually exclusive events.