MLB playoff thread

[Wolverine]

Post your MLB-related thoughts here.

All I have to say right now is that I am SO VERY PUMPED for tomorrow!!!

This is my favorite time of year.   :nod:    :cheers:  

[ziggy]

My picks

St Louis over San Diego in 4
Houston over Atlanta in 4
Angels over Yankees in 5
Boston over Chicago in 4

St Louis over Houston in 7
Angels over Boston in 6

St Louis over Angels in 7
MVP will be either Pujols or Carpenter


St Louis has the best team, very solid offense, super starting pitching and a good bullpen

Angels have good offense, medicore starting pitching, and a good bullpen

Houston is all about pitching, starting and closing

Boston is all about offense, pitching is a real weakness, especially the bullpen

Yankees have great offense, and great closer, the rest is a total crap shoot

Atlanta is a very solid team, but I don't know what it is, but I just don't see it with them

San Diego is all about pitching, just not as good as Houston, and a worse offense

Chicago did it with smoke and mirrors all season, and that don't cut it in the playoffs

[Reality]

Padres will punk the team owned by the Anheiser barf swill beer producing owners.  Hayseeds from Missouri are goin down, for the sole reason that I have tickets to Gm 4.

Clemons should get the Cy Young.  I don't care how good Carpenters season was, Clemons was better.

Angels will put NY Skunkies in their place -again.  The title will be undefiled for the 5th straight year.  Vlad Guerro going yard on the few times the Skunkies dare pitch to him.

[ziggy]

Padres will punk the team owned by the Anheiser barf swill beer producing owners.  Hayseeds from Missouri are goin down, for the sole reason that I have tickets to Gm 4.

Clemons should get the Cy Young.  I don't care how good Carpenters season was, Clemons was better.

Angels will put NY Skunkies in their place -again.  The title will be undefiled for the 5th straight year.  Vlad Guerro going yard on the few times the Skunkies dare pitch to him.

Reality,
Clemons had a great season, but Carpenter was better.

Carpenter had a streak of 23 straight quality starts, which is one of best streaks in baseball history.  He had 213 k's and only 51 walks a K/BB of 4.18.  He had 7 complete games, and 4 shutouts, and a WHIP of 1.055.  His ERA was 2.83, but that was distorted by 4 late season starts when it didn't matter.  It was 2.21 before that.

Clemons had a streak of 11 and a streak of 12 straight quality starts, which is fabulous, but not as good as Carpenters.  He had 185 k's and 62 walks a K/BB of 2.98.  He had 1 complete game, and 0 shutouts, and a WHIP of 1.01.  His ERA was 1.87, but that was distorted by 3 late season starts when it REALLY DID MATTER.  It was 1.51 before that.

I could vote for either one, as well as Dontrelle Willis, but in the end I would choose Carpenter.

[westkoast]

As much as I dislike the Angels I think they are going to smack the Yankees around once again.  Screw all that 'never count a team who goes to the playoffs every year out' they just dont have the same cohesive unit that The Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem have.  They are so good TWO cities lay claim to them.  You dont see the Yankees being called The New York Yankees of Buffalo!

Padres IMO are a fluke.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time.  Both the Giants and Dodgers had major injuries that really effected them.  The Dodgers never really got to get a unit together that played as one for any amount of time and the Giants had their fair share but most importantly not having Bonds until the end of the season.

[Wolverine]

Padres will punk the team owned by the Anheiser barf swill beer producing owners.  Hayseeds from Missouri are goin down, for the sole reason that I have tickets to Gm 4.

Clemons should get the Cy Young.  I don't care how good Carpenters season was, Clemons was better.

Angels will put NY Skunkies in their place -again.  The title will be undefiled for the 5th straight year.  Vlad Guerro going yard on the few times the Skunkies dare pitch to him.

Well, number one, Anheiser-Busch doesn't own the Cards anymore.  They sold them prior to the 1996 season (I think - I'm too lazy to check).  Their current majority owner is Bill DeWitt, who I like to call Witty ... HAHA!

Secondly, the Padres are going to get trounced by the Redbirds.  Keep in mind, I'm not saying that as a Cardinals' fan; I'm saying that because it's a fact.  After my boy Jake Peavy, who does San Diego have?  They're starting Astacio in Game 2!  ASTACIO!  You get to deal with Mark F'n Mulder.  Good luck.  You'll need it.

I agree with you completely regarding the Cy Young vote, Kev.  Thanks for making my argument for me.

My picks:

Cards over Pads in 3
Braves over Stros in 4 (Houston won't score enough runs to win, regardless of the fantastic pitching ... Braves get big starts from Huddy and Smoltz in Games 1 and 2)
Angels over Yanks in 4 (I love the way LA is playing right now, and the Yanks starting pitching is very mediocre)
BoSox over ChiSox in 4

Cards over Braves (our whipping boys in the past) in 6
Angels over BoSox in 7

The Series
Cards over Angels in 6

Wow.  Ziggy and I have the same picks sans one series.  Good to see I'm helping turn Kevin into an intelligent baseball fan.     (Let's just hope he takes my advice this time and doesn't draft Edgar Renteria for his fantasy team next year.)

[Reality]

Clemons... His ERA was 1.87, but that was distorted by 3 late season starts when it REALLY DID MATTER.  It was 1.51 before that.

I could vote for either one, as well as Dontrelle Willis, but in the end I would choose Carpenter.

Two games left, Astros up by one over Phillies.  Clemons goes 7 innings, 1 earned run.  Leaves with a 2-1 lead, they win.  That one mattered the most.  Had lost day before after blowing Petittes 7IP 1 ER.

What are the stats of the three of who got consistent run support?  I'll bet its Carpenter by far.

Padres and Jake Peavy are gonna punk the Cardinals and Carpenter as I have tics.  

 B)  I also am fine with any of the three they vote for.  Willis leading 2-0 going into the 9th and the Phillies winning 10-2 was too much.  Remember that game?

[Wolverine]

Clemons... His ERA was 1.87, but that was distorted by 3 late season starts when it REALLY DID MATTER.  It was 1.51 before that.

I could vote for either one, as well as Dontrelle Willis, but in the end I would choose Carpenter.

Two games left, Astros up by one over Phillies.  Clemons goes 7 innings, 1 earned run.  Leaves with a 2-1 lead, they win.  That one mattered the most.  Had lost day before after blowing Petittes 7IP 1 ER.

What are the stats of the three of who got consistent run support?  I'll bet its Carpenter by far.

Doesn't matter.

Carpenter has the edge in the more important stats, such as WHIP and K/BB.  The fact that he had more Ks and fewer walks means his DIPS, which stands for defense independent pitching statistic, is better.  It's based off Voros McCracken's theory that a pitcher can only control the home runs, walks, and strikeouts that he gives up.  Balls put into play he has no control over.  They can prevent the HRs, BBs, and balls put into play by striking out batters.

[Derek Bodner]

It's based off Voros McCracken's theory that a pitcher can only control the home runs, walks, and strikeouts that he gives up. Balls put into play he has no control over. They can prevent the HRs, BBs, and balls put into play by striking out batters.

I don't necessarily agree with that.  What about a pitcher who consistently jams a batter?  That's not luck.

[Joe Vancil]

Reality,

I've got to say, you're getting a bad name here in Missouri...it's bad enough when you take on me, Skander, and Randy in basketball, but now you're taking on Caleb in baseball?  Why not say something ridiculous about Football and go for the trifecta?

 

[Reality]

Reality,

I've got to say, you're getting a bad name here in Missouri...it's bad enough when you take on me, Skander, and Randy in basketball, but now you're taking on Caleb in baseball?  Why not say something ridiculous about Football and go for the trifecta?

You hayseds need to keep the Duff Beer, I mean Budweiser on ice.

It's going to help drown out the St Louwie Sorrows.

Skander can't agree with me everytime.  I realize his living in the Hayseed state neccessitates pulling for the Redbirds.  I would tell you all to go up to the mountain and seek light, but then you don't have any mountains in Misery.

[Joe Vancil]

I've already "sought the light."  I stopped following baseball years ago.

Besides - it's not like I'm a ROYALS fan.  Wasn't ever really a Cardinals fan, either.
 

[Reality]

I've already "sought the light."  I stopped following baseball years ago.

 

 :rofl:

Back when cocaine was an issue in baseball.  (well with the media, the MLB Players Association would never let a drug or steroid become an issue :rolleyes:  )

Comedian:  "There is no way baseball players are using cocaine.  As slow as they move and all the lollygagging between pitches, innings.  No way."  

Trivia point:  How was 4 balls 3 strikes come up with?  

A) It used to be 9 balls 3 strikes in the late 1800s.  Games were taking forever, (unlike todays swift 12 pitch at bats with plenty of scratching, slow walks to the mound etc.)  So someone picked 4 balls out of the air.  It stuck. :rolleyes:

Does not 3 balls 3 strikes seem much more logical.  
Also, throws over to 1st base to hold the runner.  Maximum of 2.  Thats it.
8 warmup throws between innings, along with the silly tossing of grounders to the infielders and outfielders playing catch.  5th inning move it on.  One or two warmups for pitchers who have been in.

[Skandery]

Surreality, You know I'm not even a baseball fan but now I'm rooting hard for the Cardinal sweep of your San "Dick"ego Pa-"Drags".  Just so you won't get to use your tickets, you surf's up cowabunga SoCal fruitcake.

[Reality]

So the Cardinals slithered past the Pads with a bunch of chink drop in hits and off the glove Pad errors ruled *hits* by the hometown scorer.

Bases loaded winning run at plate and Hernadez bails out the sweating Isringhausen.

Thursday.