Still can't believe that Tony retired. But what a way to go out huh?
Friday, December 23, 2011
Cardinal champions and Larussa retirement
Congrats to Cardinals. What a comeback year. Will remember it forever.
Still can't believe that Tony retired. But what a way to go out huh?
Still can't believe that Tony retired. But what a way to go out huh?
Friday, October 28, 2011
Great game 6 writeup
Game 6 Revisited: "How Did This Happen?"
Jonah Keri
Imagine living your life with no clock.
No more dragging yourself out of bed when it's still dark out. No more fighting through miles of traffic, everyone around you bound to the same schedule, stuffing muffins in their faces, spilling coffee on their laps, texting with one hand, driving with no hands. No risk of getting dumped or fired or scorned for being late. There are no deadlines. Only moments. Only possibilities.
You might go the rest of your life and never see a more perfect example of that existence than what happened last night. Only baseball could have made that happen.
For the record, the Cardinals' 10-9, 11-inning win over the Rangers in Game 6 of the World Series took four hours and 33 minutes to play. But this game, like every other baseball game ever played, wasn't bound by timed quarters, halves, or periods. Baseball games are marked only by outs. Never has getting those outs seemed more difficult.
After six innings, Game 6 looked poised to go down as one of the worst World Series battles of all-time. Hell, we even ran a data query for it. Mark Simon, the excellent researcher at ESPN Stats & Info, framed the question this way: "How many World Series games have featured a combined five errors, a pickoff at third base, and at least two wild pitches/passed balls combined?" Answer: none.
These were, admittedly, arbitrary parameters. Leaving aside the rarity of a third-base pickoff, there's no perfect way to measure the worst World Series game in history, just as there's no perfect way to measure the best one. But it certainly felt like something historic was going on. With all the miscues happening on the field, and all the preposterous decisions being made by the managers (mostly one manager), Game 6 was shaping up as quite possibly the most excruciating World Series game of our lifetime.
The carnage started in the fourth inning, with the score tied 2-2. Fernando Salas relieved Jaime Garcia, who looked nothing like the dominant pitcher he was in Game 2, and escaped with only two runs allowed thanks to some guile on his part and a whole lot of blown chances by Rangers hitters. Nelson Cruz, the first batter facing Salas, lofted a popup to shallow left. Rafael Furcal drifted back, onto the outfield grass, further and still further, well into Matt Holliday territory. The outfielder going forward must always call off the backpedaling infielder in that situation. Holliday did not. Replays would later show Holliday's furtive cry to Furcal: "Take it!" Furcal could not, nor could Holliday, and disaster ensued. When Mike Napoli cashed Cruz with an RBI single to right, you couldn't help but think the Rangers would win it all, and Napoli, with 10 World Series runs driven in and a long list of big moments, would be MVP.
Two batters later, more ugliness. Colby Lewis hit a tapper back to the mound. Salas wheeled and fired to second … air mailing everybody. Two on, one out, a chance for the Rangers to tack on more runs. Didn't happen. Texas put 14 men on base through the first five innings, but scored only four runs. Those early failures kept St. Louis in the game, as did the Rangers' own defensive breakdowns. Lance Berkman reached first to start the bottom of the fourth on an error by Michael Young, who booted the grounder wide of first, then made a poor throw to pull Lewis away from the bag. Holliday redeemed himself a bit with a walk and a takeout slide at second, forcing an errant throw by Andrus that helped set up the tying run. The Cardinals returned the favor, with David Freese bonking a routine popup by Josh Hamilton to start the fifth, and looking ridiculous doing it.
Then Ron Washington decided not to pinch-hit with a one-run lead, Salas on the ropes, the bases loaded, a deep, fully rested bullpen and several on-call starters standing by, and Colby Freaking Lewis the guy deemed irreplaceable.
Then, an inning later, Young made yet another error, this time doing nothing more than taking the ball out of his glove, only to drop it.
Then Washington decided he needed to go even further with Lewis.
Then Lewis, by now running on fumes, walked Freese to load the bases.
Then Washington looked down at the bullpen, considered an entire army of choices, and tapped the one guy who'd been a complete disaster throughout the World Series, Alexi Ogando.
Then Ogando walked in the tying run by very nearly hitting Yadier Molina in the face.
Then Holliday, failing spectacularly at bat and in the field throughout the World Series, completed the trifecta with brutal baserunning, getting picked off third by Napoli … with the bases loaded … on a throw from Napoli's knees.
Had the game kept going in that vein and ended in some generic way, this would have been a stinker for the ages. If you hadn't made a Tom Emanski joke by this point, you didn't have a pulse. But that's the thing about a sport with no clock. You don't have a finite amount of time to take a lead or mount a comeback. Anything is possible, so long as you have outs still left to burn. From this moment on, finding outs was something neither team could manage.
Leading off the seventh, Adrian Beltre launched a shot over the wall in right-center to reclaim the lead for the Rangers. Then Cruz bashed a ball into the stratosphere to make it 6-4 Texas. As Lance Lynn stood dejectedly on the mound, Tony La Russa no doubt had the same thought that he did during BullpenPhoneGate: What the hell is he doing out there? Four batters later, Ian Kinsler knocked home Derek Holland with the Rangers' seventh run, and the game seemed well in hand.
But there were tactical errors, more heroics by the unkillable Cardinals, and more amazing moments still to come. Holland led off the bottom of the eighth by retiring the fifth straight batter he'd faced. He'd more than done his job, especially after throwing 116 pitches in Game 4, and with a cavalcade of right-handed hitters now coming up. The Rangers had spent two good prospects to get Mike Adams at the trade deadline. He was their clear eighth-inning guy, so much so that Washington wouldn't think to use him two innings earlier, when Lewis stayed in way too long and Ogando threw gas on the fire. Surely Adams was coming in now, right? Nope. First, Allen Craig blasted a homer to cut the lead to 7-5. Two batters later, Molina singled. Finally, only after La Russa sent punchless backup catcher Gerald Laird up as the potential tying run did Washington go to his setup man. The Cardinals followed with two straight singles, the first one a play that was a clear error by Andrus, which allowed pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso to reach. But Furcal, the only Cardinal rivaling Holliday for World Series futility, spoiled a bases-loaded rally by hitting the ball 40 feet. On the first pitch. Inning over.
When Texas went down quietly in the top of the ninth, the Cardinals were down to their final three outs of the season. But no matter what the Rangers tried from that point on, they couldn't seize that last out.
In what was supposed to be the final at-bat of his Cardinals career (again), Pujols lashed a first-pitch double. Neftali Feliz, a fire-breather of a closer with a 100-mph fastball but also some scary command issues, walked Berkman on four pitches. Still, the Rangers seemed ready to celebrate. Feliz struck out Craig on an unexpected slider, then got two strikes on Freese. One more strike and the Rangers would have their first World Series in their 50-year franchise history. Feliz threw a fastball. Freese drilled it. Cruz, playing all the way back near the warning track, needed just a few steps to get to the wall. Somehow, he still missed the ball by a mile, the carom whizzing by him, and Freese buzzing into third with a triple. A two-run, game-tying, down-to-their-last-strike, outfield-can't-possibly-allow-a-triple,triple.
From then on, you couldn't breathe. We'd crossed the plane of reality to some screenwriter's fantasy, a script so implausible that no one would ever greenlight it.
Josh Hamilton, he of the groin so wrecked that one jackass baseball writer told his manager he should be benched, walloped a two-run homer to give the Rangers a 9-7, 10th-inning lead.
Then Darren Oliver, a pitcher who's been around so long he was once Nolan Ryan's teammate, came in to face two Cardinals lefties … and both of them scratched out singles.
Then La Russa used a pitcher, Edwin Jackson, to pinch-hit for another pitcher, Jason Motte. Then, before Jackson could get to home plate, he pinch-hit with another pitcher, Kyle Lohse, for Jackson.
Then after a Lohse sacrifice, Scott Feldman came in, looking for his first career save.
Then after Feldman notched the second out of the inning, Washington ordered the fourth intentional walk of Pujols in two games.
Then, down to their final strike once more, Berkman lined a single to center to tie the game, saving the season yet again.
Then with two outs in the top of the 11th and a runner on first, Washington sent up light-hitting, seldom-used utilityman Esteban German to die a quick pinch-hit death against Jake Westbrook, yanking Feldman out of the game in the process and leaving the Rangers bullpen exposed.
Then Washington went to his worst, and least-used reliever, Mark Lowe, with the game on the line.
And then, in a final masterstroke of temporal chaos, David Freese, the kid who grew up a Cardinals fan on the edges of St. Louis, the unlikely hero who hoisted his teammates on his back to get to the World Series, the man of destiny who waited until one strike remained in his season before granting his team deliverance, hit a cannon to straightaway center that sailed over the wall and into baseball history.
As the Cardinals piled onto the field and their fans reached a state of delirium, Joe Buck delivered an homage to his father, aping Jack's Game 6-ending call to the 1991 World Series, "We will see you tomorrow night."
And we will. Cruz and Holliday are both questionable with injuries, Napoli's hobbled after a badly turned ankle, the bullpens will get another full night, the Rangers will try to recover from the worst playoff loss since that other Game 6 a quarter-century ago, and Chris Carpenter will go for the win in a park where he's been nearly perfect all year.
But the Game 7 prognostication could wait. As Freese's teammates shredded his jersey at the bottom of a dog pile, the words of Buck's broadcast partner Tim McCarver kept resonating. Amid a din that engulfed half the state of Missouri, he could only rightfully ask, "How did this happen?"
It happened because only a game with no clock could give us a play-by-play graph that mimicked the roller coaster ride we all felt while watching. It happened because only a game with no clock could render one of the worst World Series games into one of the best, thanks to the wildest finish we've ever seen.
It happened because it's baseball, a game where time stands still, and the impossible becomes possible.
Jonah Keri's new book, The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First, is a national best-seller. Follow him on Twitter at @JonahKeri.
And it goes on. And on.
After thinking St. Louis was out of it many times in the last few days they just keep battling back. Would have been amazing to have been there for game 6. What a show that was. Stunning victory. Wow.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Goodbye St. Louis
What a great trip. Leaving early in the morning to get back home. Had a nice day of walking and tours today. A finale dinner at Carmine's Steakhouse was fantastic and a nice way to end the trip.
Can't wait to get home and see the kids again.
After all this, it was even better than I had ever imagined it could have been. What a great experience. So glad dad and I were able to do this together.
Memories for a lifetime! :)
Can't wait to get home and see the kids again.
After all this, it was even better than I had ever imagined it could have been. What a great experience. So glad dad and I were able to do this together.
Memories for a lifetime! :)
Game 2
Amazing. Game was exciting right to the end. Seats were better. Crowd was awesome. Food was better in this more private area of the stands. (yes, took a picture of brisket sandwich. You know me...)
What a great time. Seemed like the game went by way too fast. Neither dad nor I wanted to game to end and we didn't want to leave when it was over. All told, just a GREAT night at the ballpark!
What a great time. Seemed like the game went by way too fast. Neither dad nor I wanted to game to end and we didn't want to leave when it was over. All told, just a GREAT night at the ballpark!
Tours, tours and more tours
Toured the Anheuser Bush compound yesterday - amazing to see the scale on which they make beer.
Toured to historic courthouse in downtown St. Louis today - was definitely worth the time.
Leaving now for a tour of Busch Stadium - we didn't even know tours were available for this week until we just happened upon it.
What a great "bonus day"!
Toured to historic courthouse in downtown St. Louis today - was definitely worth the time.
Leaving now for a tour of Busch Stadium - we didn't even know tours were available for this week until we just happened upon it.
What a great "bonus day"!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
World Series 2.0
Game 2. Great vibe here in the city. Or maybe it's buzz from free Stellas at Anheuser Busch tour which was awesome.
5-10 degrees warmer tonight. Sunny and dry. Less windy. Wearing more layers. Better seats. (second level behind home plate section 249).
Having a great time. It kind of hit dad and I standing in line - the surrealness of it - as in "Holy crap, we're going to game 2 of the World Series". This is amazing. Soooooo glad we did it. A story for a lifetime.
Cheers!
5-10 degrees warmer tonight. Sunny and dry. Less windy. Wearing more layers. Better seats. (second level behind home plate section 249).
Having a great time. It kind of hit dad and I standing in line - the surrealness of it - as in "Holy crap, we're going to game 2 of the World Series". This is amazing. Soooooo glad we did it. A story for a lifetime.
Cheers!
St. Louis and baseball
On a positive note, this really is a great baseball town. Everyone is talking baseball. The city is living for it right now. Every store clerk, waiter, bellhop, etc. is wearing Cards red or at least talking about the World Series. Starting mid afternoon the whole downtown is consumed by fans/parties/music/beer and baseball. Lots of fun to be around it!
St. Louis
If you're like me you have probably wondered at some point: "Is there anything in St. Louis besides sports and the famous arch?"
Well, I can now answer that for you. The answer is "no". No, there is not.
The place is fairly clean. It's not ugly. The people are nice. But in the words of Frank Drebin "There's nothing to see here". Dad and I have walked, alone or together, all of the downtown area. There are hotels. There are restaurants in the hotels. There are office buildings and streets that seem way too big for the number of people using them. That's about it.
The pizza is bad. How do you make bad pizza you ask? Come here to find out. The secret? No mozarella cheese. A mix of other cheese that ends up tasting and looking like velveeta. Yuck.
There are museums that celebrate farming and exploration. There are churches that are ALMOST a hundred years old. There are "exciting" retail venues that are filled with nothing but t-shirt stores. Yawn.
The baseball and spending time with dad is great. That's all we're here for. Can't wait for the Anheuser Bush tour this afternoon and game 2 tonight. Until then will read my book and sip coffee.
Well, I can now answer that for you. The answer is "no". No, there is not.
The place is fairly clean. It's not ugly. The people are nice. But in the words of Frank Drebin "There's nothing to see here". Dad and I have walked, alone or together, all of the downtown area. There are hotels. There are restaurants in the hotels. There are office buildings and streets that seem way too big for the number of people using them. That's about it.
The pizza is bad. How do you make bad pizza you ask? Come here to find out. The secret? No mozarella cheese. A mix of other cheese that ends up tasting and looking like velveeta. Yuck.
There are museums that celebrate farming and exploration. There are churches that are ALMOST a hundred years old. There are "exciting" retail venues that are filled with nothing but t-shirt stores. Yawn.
The baseball and spending time with dad is great. That's all we're here for. Can't wait for the Anheuser Bush tour this afternoon and game 2 tonight. Until then will read my book and sip coffee.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Game 1
What a great game. Great park. Great fans. Great pitching performance by Carpenter. Great moves by Tony LaRusa. Cold but barely rained. Great Cheesesteak sandwich (sorry, no pictures). So glad dad and I were there!
First pitch
Wow. Dad and I were hoping to see a MAJOR celebrity throw out the first pitch. And boy - it was the local Taco Bell franchise owner. Awesome! :-/
We're in!
Always just a tiny bit nervous as the tickets are being scanned. But they were good. Very good! Great atmosphere in the city today. Whole place is paying attention. The park is amazing.
Weather
Mildly bummed it's not sunny as was projected a few days ago. Minimal showers and 10 degrees or so. To us here Canadians? BFD...
Big Mac Land
Tonight, for game 1, dad and I are sitting in left field, in a section referred to as "Big Mac Land". Yes, this is related to both Mark McGuire and MacDonalds. We're in row 6 behind the Big Mac sign, shown here after Albert Pujols once knocked out the letter I with a home run ball. Can't wait for the game. Going plenty early as we ereceived an e-mail saying security will be tight and entrance slow due to "dignitaries" at the game, and want to see lots of the ballpark and players anyway.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
On our way!
Mom drove dad down to SJ this morning. Pic of us with tickets. Note Irving Pulp N Paper stack in background. Driving to Bangor for flights via Philadelphia. Can't wait to land in the STL...
You can find me in St. Louie...
So Cards are in - phew! You know how a team can grow on you? This team has. Fun to watch. The Brewers just didn't have it. Pujols/Freeze/Berkman are quite a combo. Larussa is looking like a genius almost every night. I can't say I'm an honest to God fan of either the Cardinals or Rangers but this will be a great series. Dad was hoping St. Louis because he sees them play multiple times every spring in Florida and will likely continue to do so for years because they stay near Jupiter where they do Spring Training. (Freddie and I went with dad to a game last spring, was great except Pujols didn't play)
So, dad and I are heading to St. Louis. Today!
We'll be at games 1 and 2, more details and pictures to follow.
Woohoo! After all these months of planning I can't believe we're finally going!
Greg
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Almost decided...
Rangers are in. They're the best team in baseball.
Right now Cardinals are looking good and Brewers terrible. Sipping a Busch beer (made in St. Louis MO) and watching the innings tick away...
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Musings on travel
This has mostly been fun. Watching the games and getting to know teams I knew little about is fun. Caring about who wins, even though my two favorite teams (Jays, Phils) aren't in it is fun. Talking to dad every couple of days about the games has been fun. Buying tickets on Stubhub, picking sections and seats for games has been fun. Researching hotels/tours/restaurants on Tripadvisor for cities I've never been to has been fun.
Know what's NOT fun? Stressing over flights. Literally losing sleep over them. We have to leave Thuesday and still not sure where we're going. Every day almost prices go up and seat selection goes down. Milwaukee is especially bad - best we can do now would be a slightly expensive three-hopper from Bangor. Ug. And we won't know for SURE until at tomorrow night at the EARLIEST, and Monday night midnight if it goes seven games.
I felt the need to gamble a bit again. I can still get flights to St. Louis for a very reasonable cost, and flights that are actually convenient. Can't sit together on all flights but I guess that's not too big of a deal. Booking St. Louis arriving Tuesday, leaving Saturday. I don't want to risk flying day of game 1 in case of flight problems, and want to stay the extra day in case of rain delayed game, and to have one more no-flying day in St. Louis.
If the Brewers stage a major comeback (certainly possible given their home field dominance this year) it's going to be tricky to get there, but we'll find a way.
Fingers croseed. But NOT "cheering" for the Cardinals. Yeah, that's right, really I'm not... :)
Greg
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tickets!
OK, it somehow feels more real now that I've printed off actual tickets for the game! Here's one - makes me a bit giddy looking at it! :)
(BTW, I blocked off the barcodes and row/seat to make sure no one can steal this off-line and try to use it)
(BTW, I blocked off the barcodes and row/seat to make sure no one can steal this off-line and try to use it)
Milwaukee vs St. Louis - hotels and tickets
I'm done with predictions. Even SI sports writers are 50/50 on all of these series. You just can't tell who's going to win. So I'm just watching the games.
At the same time, I've scooped Milwaukee and St. Louis for tickets and hotels. Yikes. Milwaukee is heavily booked - you can barely get a room in even a crappy downtown hotel and all the good ones are full. Big convention on or something. St. Louis you can get a nice room for reasonable $ right by Busch stadium and the Arch thingie. And Cardinal tickets are cheaper. And Detroit is all cheap. So I booked hotels for Milwaukee and St. Louis. And may get tickets for both teams. Flights are the real stress. Hope someone makes this a definitive series win soon!!!
Edit - I boughts tickets for Oct. 20. Given that this is Dad's birthday, I didn't want to risk missing out somehow or getting stuck with bad seats. So I've bought tickets for Oct. 20 for both the Brewers abd cardinals, and pretty good seats too - I'm very excited. Especially if game is at Busch Stadium we'll be in section 249, which is part of the "Redbird Club" which is attached to a climate controlled (yeah in Late October!) place for food/drink/bathrooms. Will be a nice perk if it's cold or rainy. If at Miller park we'll be in section 227, which is decent and close enough to see the silly beer slide guy. Will go cheaper for a game 1 in either park, or in Detroit (where seats are pretty cheap anyway).
Can't wait for games tonight!!!
At the same time, I've scooped Milwaukee and St. Louis for tickets and hotels. Yikes. Milwaukee is heavily booked - you can barely get a room in even a crappy downtown hotel and all the good ones are full. Big convention on or something. St. Louis you can get a nice room for reasonable $ right by Busch stadium and the Arch thingie. And Cardinal tickets are cheaper. And Detroit is all cheap. So I booked hotels for Milwaukee and St. Louis. And may get tickets for both teams. Flights are the real stress. Hope someone makes this a definitive series win soon!!!
Edit - I boughts tickets for Oct. 20. Given that this is Dad's birthday, I didn't want to risk missing out somehow or getting stuck with bad seats. So I've bought tickets for Oct. 20 for both the Brewers abd cardinals, and pretty good seats too - I'm very excited. Especially if game is at Busch Stadium we'll be in section 249, which is part of the "Redbird Club" which is attached to a climate controlled (yeah in Late October!) place for food/drink/bathrooms. Will be a nice perk if it's cold or rainy. If at Miller park we'll be in section 227, which is decent and close enough to see the silly beer slide guy. Will go cheaper for a game 1 in either park, or in Detroit (where seats are pretty cheap anyway).
Can't wait for games tonight!!!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Family baseball night
Got to hang out with mom and dad last night for the first time since I told dad about this. Was great! Big feed, kids love to visit them and stayed for a sleepover at cottage. Freddie was a tired dude. Tried to watch ALCS game with him on couch but he was tired. Moved him in to mom and dad's big bed with game on in there, set up on pillows relaxing with hands crossed behind his head. "This is AWESOME" he says. :)
So dad and I had a chat. We're going, just not sure where yet. Going to two games. Good thing is, games 1 and 2 can't be too far, either Milwaukee or St. Louis. Both are do-able in our time frame. I've never been to either place nor likely to for any other reason than this trip so neat!
AL is a different story. Texas Rangers I like, but with our timeline it's too far to be manageable. So let's go Tigers. (Too bad Veralander was less than stellar last night). Dad's a big fan of Jim Leyland.
So the plan is this. If the Rangers advance, we'll do games 1 and 2 in the NL team's park. If the Tigers win (more fun!) we'll do game 2 in Milwaukee or St. Louis and game 3 in Detroit.
Wish I could book flights and tickets now but can't. Getting all my $ back from Stubhub. Small consolation is that tickets for all of these teams are quite a bit cheaper than Phillies or Yankees. We'll see!
So dad and I had a chat. We're going, just not sure where yet. Going to two games. Good thing is, games 1 and 2 can't be too far, either Milwaukee or St. Louis. Both are do-able in our time frame. I've never been to either place nor likely to for any other reason than this trip so neat!
AL is a different story. Texas Rangers I like, but with our timeline it's too far to be manageable. So let's go Tigers. (Too bad Veralander was less than stellar last night). Dad's a big fan of Jim Leyland.
So the plan is this. If the Rangers advance, we'll do games 1 and 2 in the NL team's park. If the Tigers win (more fun!) we'll do game 2 in Milwaukee or St. Louis and game 3 in Detroit.
Wish I could book flights and tickets now but can't. Getting all my $ back from Stubhub. Small consolation is that tickets for all of these teams are quite a bit cheaper than Phillies or Yankees. We'll see!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Out and out
Well, well, so much for predictions. Phillies and Yankees both out IN THE FIRST ROUND due to poorly timed offensive slumps. (Howard, A-Rod and Texiera = awful)
Think about this. Teams with the top 3 payrolls in baseball (Yankees 202 million, Rex Sox 161M and Phillies 173M) are all out before the LCS. Epic fails all around. That's over half a BILLION dollars of futility.
I want to go to Milwaukee. I like that team. Dad?
Think about this. Teams with the top 3 payrolls in baseball (Yankees 202 million, Rex Sox 161M and Phillies 173M) are all out before the LCS. Epic fails all around. That's over half a BILLION dollars of futility.
I want to go to Milwaukee. I like that team. Dad?
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tense game 5's
I couldn't, just couldn't watch and cheer for AJ Burnett to win. So I went to bed. But they won and I'm glad. :)
It's absolutely painful watching the Phils bat. Ryan Howard in particular has been AWFUL.
Cards have great hitting.
Both teams are in game 5's with playoff lives on the line.
Go Halladay. He can do it.
Dad - We'll see this weekend how our travel plans are lookin'. If Phils and Yankees both lose (hard to imagine but you never know), we want Milwaukee and Detroit. This is all good fun. :)
It's absolutely painful watching the Phils bat. Ryan Howard in particular has been AWFUL.
Cards have great hitting.
Both teams are in game 5's with playoff lives on the line.
Go Halladay. He can do it.
Dad - We'll see this weekend how our travel plans are lookin'. If Phils and Yankees both lose (hard to imagine but you never know), we want Milwaukee and Detroit. This is all good fun. :)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Two games in
Phillies are not playing their best. Need to win in St. Louis now. I still think they'll get it done...
Yankees are also tied in their series and this game 3 is huge. Can't wait to watch it tonight.
I like texting with mom and dad during games. :)
Yankees are also tied in their series and this game 3 is huge. Can't wait to watch it tonight.
I like texting with mom and dad during games. :)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
What a finale
Wow. What a last day of the regular season. Wish I'd been able to stay awake to watch it all live. :)
Rays come from behind 7 runs against the Yankees to win while Red Sox blow a lead against the Orioles almost simultaneously. Rays are in, Sox are out. Carl Crawford is the second most overpaid player in baseball.
In the NL almost the same thing. Braves out Cardinals in on last day!
My Phils have to play St. Louis. Not happy about that since they're hot BUT they have Halladay, Lee et al all ready to go on an extra day's rest. Bring it!
In the AL I *WISH* I could root for the Rays but I have this whole New York thing planned so; mixed feelings.
Gonna be a great first round!
Rays come from behind 7 runs against the Yankees to win while Red Sox blow a lead against the Orioles almost simultaneously. Rays are in, Sox are out. Carl Crawford is the second most overpaid player in baseball.
In the NL almost the same thing. Braves out Cardinals in on last day!
My Phils have to play St. Louis. Not happy about that since they're hot BUT they have Halladay, Lee et al all ready to go on an extra day's rest. Bring it!
In the AL I *WISH* I could root for the Rays but I have this whole New York thing planned so; mixed feelings.
Gonna be a great first round!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Travel plan
A lot of people have asked me how I can make travel arrangements when I don't know for sure who's playing. Well, you can't. :)
However, thanks to cheap American airlines and our proximity to Maine, I took another gamble.
As it stands, dad and I plan to drive to Bangor early on Oct. 19 and fly to Philadelphia that day. We'll spend 2 or 3 nights there and then take a 90 minute train ride from Philly to New York City on Friday or Saturday. After the game on Saturday, we'll then fly from New York back to Bangor on Sunday Oct. 23 and drive to Saint John to catch game 4 on TV at my house. (with Freddie. But he'll be pissed that he didn't get to come on the trip!) Below shows a map of our route.
Phew. BUT, if my Philles and the Yankees do both make it to the big series I'll have saved some $ by booking in advance and overall will just look pretty smart. I already have the tickets and hotels booked too.
On the other hand, if the Brewers or Red Sox or Tigers or (yikes) Arizona makes it to the World Series, well, then I've got some major re-planning to do. We'll make it work somehow... :)
Greg
However, thanks to cheap American airlines and our proximity to Maine, I took another gamble.
As it stands, dad and I plan to drive to Bangor early on Oct. 19 and fly to Philadelphia that day. We'll spend 2 or 3 nights there and then take a 90 minute train ride from Philly to New York City on Friday or Saturday. After the game on Saturday, we'll then fly from New York back to Bangor on Sunday Oct. 23 and drive to Saint John to catch game 4 on TV at my house. (with Freddie. But he'll be pissed that he didn't get to come on the trip!) Below shows a map of our route.
Phew. BUT, if my Philles and the Yankees do both make it to the big series I'll have saved some $ by booking in advance and overall will just look pretty smart. I already have the tickets and hotels booked too.
On the other hand, if the Brewers or Red Sox or Tigers or (yikes) Arizona makes it to the World Series, well, then I've got some major re-planning to do. We'll make it work somehow... :)
Greg
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Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Pennant races
All pennant race related games went as I'd hope last night, in terms of keeping the Red Sox and Cardinals out of the playoffs, and of the Phillies starting to play like potential champs again.
Go Phils!
P.S. Happy re Sox cause I don't like them and Cardinals because they're way hotter than Atlanta.
Go Phils!
P.S. Happy re Sox cause I don't like them and Cardinals because they're way hotter than Atlanta.
Dad
Told dad on Sunday. Feels really good to have finally told him about it after all this planning. :)
He reacted as I'd hoped - emotional and excited but not mad at me for going so overboard...
Can't wait dad! I know we'll both be watching the division and league championship series games with more interest than usual!
He reacted as I'd hoped - emotional and excited but not mad at me for going so overboard...
Can't wait dad! I know we'll both be watching the division and league championship series games with more interest than usual!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Phillies (lack of) hitting
Ok. Phillies are looking very shaky this last week. No offense at all. Hopefully they get things going when it matters!
If not, the best two-city option could turn out to be Detroit/Milwaukee!!!
If not, the best two-city option could turn out to be Detroit/Milwaukee!!!
Big weekend
Phillies, Yankees and Red Sox all have double headers today or tomorrow.
Plus tomorrow I tell dad about the whole thing. Yikes!!!
Plus tomorrow I tell dad about the whole thing. Yikes!!!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Red Sox disaster
What a collapse. And I feel a little bad admitting how much I'm enjoying watching it. Best quote on the topic the past week:
Boston: The staff is so bad... Here is the stat that best captures the absurdist nature of the Red Sox' September: they are 1-16 when they don't score at least 12 runs.
Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/tom_verducci/09/23/races.velez/index.html#ixzz1YqDt8M6r
For those not following it's funny because the games they've won have been like 18-6 and 12-7. Score in bunches while the pitching continues to suck.
Boston: The staff is so bad... Here is the stat that best captures the absurdist nature of the Red Sox' September: they are 1-16 when they don't score at least 12 runs.
Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/tom_verducci/09/23/races.velez/index.html#ixzz1YqDt8M6r
For those not following it's funny because the games they've won have been like 18-6 and 12-7. Score in bunches while the pitching continues to suck.
Great write-up on possible first round match ups
Sizing up potential foes for Yankees, Phillies
Best and worst cases for two league leaders as postseason nears
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
9/23/2011 10:00 AM ET
If we're being romantic, idealistic, maybe even a tad dramatic, we could say that a would-be world champion sports team ought to be able to defeat any challenger that comes between it and the crown.
"You can't be scared, and you can't look to dodge nobody," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "Bring 'em on. Let's get 'em. Line 'em up. Whatever."
That sentiment plays to the heart. But what about the head?
After all, if we're being realistic, we must acknowledge that some playoff scenarios are simply more attractive than others.
That's what makes this final week of regular season games for the Phillies and Yankees strangely captivating.
One might assume the two teams ensured the No. 1 seeds in their respective leagues (the Phillies have locked up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Yanks are on the verge of doing so through the American League Championship Series) ought to have little else but lining up their postseason rotations on their minds. Yet both of these clubs have an opportunity to be spoilers in the home stretch and, therefore, help determine the playoff field they'll be facing.
The Yankees have already had some say in the AL Wild Card race, taking three of four from the Rays in the Bronx this week. Next on their agenda is a weekend three-game set against the Red Sox, who are clinging to a two-game Wild Card lead over the Rays and a three-game lead on the Angels. And after that series, the Yanks will close out their season with three games in Tampa Bay.
The Phillies will also finish out the year against a division foe desperate for a postseason berth, as they'll play three in Atlanta from Monday through Wednesday. The Braves' Wild Card lead on the Cardinals currently stands at two games.
Let's acknowledge the obvious fact that both the Yankees and Phillies want to win every game on the schedule, no matter the opponent.
"That's just being a grown man and being an athlete," Yankees ace CC Sabathia said. "Any time you step on the field, I don't think there's anybody out there that doesn't play hard."
And let's also acknowledge that there are factors in the two Wild Card races that are out of their control. If the Yankees sweep the Red Sox this weekend, the Rays and/or Angels still have to hold up their end of the bargain. And by the time the Phillies face the Braves on Monday, who knows how much meaning those games will have in the playoff picture by that point? A lot can change in three days.
"I feel like we can't do nothing about it," Manuel said. "If we had beaten St. Louis in some of these games here [last weekend], we could have done something about it, but we didn't. We clinched, and all of a sudden, [the Cardinals] ended up taking three out of four from us. That got them back in the running. If we would've beaten them one more time, it might have been a big difference for them."
All that said, how much difference will a particular playoff opponent make in the Phillies' and Yankees' bids to go the distance?
While understanding that October is a season unto itself, let's attempt to answer that question objectively, based on the regular season stats:
PHILLIES
Playoff possibilities: If the Braves get knocked out of the Wild Card spot, the Cardinals will be the Phillies' first-round foe. If Atlanta makes it, Philly will face either the Brewers or D-backs, depending on who has the worse regular season record. The Phillies and Braves can't meet in the first round because they are in the same division.
Best-case scenario? The Braves hold on, and the Brewers edge the D-backs in the race for the second seed.
Why? While the vaunted Phillies rotation has the potential to outlast anybody, it has been particularly effective against the D-backs this season. Small-sample-size alert, as we're just talking about six games, but Arizona has hit just .189 with a .577 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage off Phillies pitching this season. The Cards, on the other hand, have hit .275 with a .748 OPS in nine games against the Phils. The Brewers have hit .244 with a .673 OPS in seven games, and the Braves have hit .225 with a .625 OPS in 15 games.
On the offensive side, the Phillies have hit .270 with a .777 OPS against the D-backs, .256 with a .706 OPS against the Braves, .229 with a .654 OPS against the Brew Crew, and .233 with a .628 OPS against the Cards.
Bottom line: The Braves are beaten up in their rotation, their bullpen has shown some signs of fatigue, and the Phillies are 9-6 against them this season. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have momentum and showed it in taking three of four in Philly last week. They are a respectable 6-3 against a Phillies team that's likely going to finish with more than 100 wins.
The Phillies, it would appear, are best off avoiding the Cards. But Manuel, of course, would never say such a thing, nor could the Phillies be expected to tank in the season's final series.
"I look at it like Walter Alston used to say," Manuel said, "'Champions can beat anybody.'"
YANKEES
Playoff possibilities: Multiple scenarios exist here. If the Red Sox hold on or the Rays knock off Boston, the Yankees will face either the Tigers or Rangers, depending on who has the worse record. If the Angels win the Wild Card, the Yankees will face them. The Yankees can't face the Rays or Red Sox in the first round.
Best-case scenario? The Rays grab the Wild Card, and the Yanks draw the Rangers in the first round.
Why? As much as Boston is banged up and reeling, the statistical fact is that the Red Sox have had the upper hand on the Yanks this season, to the tune of an 11-4 record. That stems from the Boston offense batting .291 with an .846 OPS against New York pitching (Sabathia is 1-4 with a 6.39 ERA against Boston) and Red Sox pitching limiting the Yankees' potent lineup to a .232 average and .701 OPS.
Compare that to what the Yankees have done against Texas. They have beaten them seven times in nine meetings and outscored them 61-35. They have hit .291 with a .932 OPS against Rangers pitching and limited their hitters to a .238 average and .632 OPS.
Until Bartolo Colon blew up Thursday night, the Yankees had shown they can handle the Rays, beating them in nine of the previous 14 meetings and outscoring them 53-37 along the way. The Yankees are 3-4 against the Tigers but haven't faced them since way back on May 5. They've scored six runs in 12 innings against Justin Verlander, but for our purposes, we'll just assume the longer you can avoid Verlander, the better.
Bottom line: The head and the heart combine here. If statistical incentive isn't enough for the Yanks to want to knock the Sox out of contention, then there's always the pure passion that stems from the game's most storied rivalry.
Yankees catcher Russell Martin acknowledged as much.
"[The Red Sox] are fun to play against, just because they have a quality team and are gritty and play hard and stuff, but I'd love to see them lose," Martin said. "I guess it just comes with the territory, you know? When you wear the pinstripes, you just kind of learn to be that way, I guess."
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and his blog, CastroTurf , and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince . Reporters Todd Zolecki, Aaron Taube and Bryan Hoch contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Best and worst cases for two league leaders as postseason nears
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
9/23/2011 10:00 AM ET
If we're being romantic, idealistic, maybe even a tad dramatic, we could say that a would-be world champion sports team ought to be able to defeat any challenger that comes between it and the crown.
"You can't be scared, and you can't look to dodge nobody," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "Bring 'em on. Let's get 'em. Line 'em up. Whatever."
That sentiment plays to the heart. But what about the head?
After all, if we're being realistic, we must acknowledge that some playoff scenarios are simply more attractive than others.
That's what makes this final week of regular season games for the Phillies and Yankees strangely captivating.
One might assume the two teams ensured the No. 1 seeds in their respective leagues (the Phillies have locked up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Yanks are on the verge of doing so through the American League Championship Series) ought to have little else but lining up their postseason rotations on their minds. Yet both of these clubs have an opportunity to be spoilers in the home stretch and, therefore, help determine the playoff field they'll be facing.
The Yankees have already had some say in the AL Wild Card race, taking three of four from the Rays in the Bronx this week. Next on their agenda is a weekend three-game set against the Red Sox, who are clinging to a two-game Wild Card lead over the Rays and a three-game lead on the Angels. And after that series, the Yanks will close out their season with three games in Tampa Bay.
The Phillies will also finish out the year against a division foe desperate for a postseason berth, as they'll play three in Atlanta from Monday through Wednesday. The Braves' Wild Card lead on the Cardinals currently stands at two games.
Let's acknowledge the obvious fact that both the Yankees and Phillies want to win every game on the schedule, no matter the opponent.
"That's just being a grown man and being an athlete," Yankees ace CC Sabathia said. "Any time you step on the field, I don't think there's anybody out there that doesn't play hard."
And let's also acknowledge that there are factors in the two Wild Card races that are out of their control. If the Yankees sweep the Red Sox this weekend, the Rays and/or Angels still have to hold up their end of the bargain. And by the time the Phillies face the Braves on Monday, who knows how much meaning those games will have in the playoff picture by that point? A lot can change in three days.
"I feel like we can't do nothing about it," Manuel said. "If we had beaten St. Louis in some of these games here [last weekend], we could have done something about it, but we didn't. We clinched, and all of a sudden, [the Cardinals] ended up taking three out of four from us. That got them back in the running. If we would've beaten them one more time, it might have been a big difference for them."
All that said, how much difference will a particular playoff opponent make in the Phillies' and Yankees' bids to go the distance?
While understanding that October is a season unto itself, let's attempt to answer that question objectively, based on the regular season stats:
PHILLIES
Playoff possibilities: If the Braves get knocked out of the Wild Card spot, the Cardinals will be the Phillies' first-round foe. If Atlanta makes it, Philly will face either the Brewers or D-backs, depending on who has the worse regular season record. The Phillies and Braves can't meet in the first round because they are in the same division.
Best-case scenario? The Braves hold on, and the Brewers edge the D-backs in the race for the second seed.
Why? While the vaunted Phillies rotation has the potential to outlast anybody, it has been particularly effective against the D-backs this season. Small-sample-size alert, as we're just talking about six games, but Arizona has hit just .189 with a .577 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage off Phillies pitching this season. The Cards, on the other hand, have hit .275 with a .748 OPS in nine games against the Phils. The Brewers have hit .244 with a .673 OPS in seven games, and the Braves have hit .225 with a .625 OPS in 15 games.
On the offensive side, the Phillies have hit .270 with a .777 OPS against the D-backs, .256 with a .706 OPS against the Braves, .229 with a .654 OPS against the Brew Crew, and .233 with a .628 OPS against the Cards.
Bottom line: The Braves are beaten up in their rotation, their bullpen has shown some signs of fatigue, and the Phillies are 9-6 against them this season. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have momentum and showed it in taking three of four in Philly last week. They are a respectable 6-3 against a Phillies team that's likely going to finish with more than 100 wins.
The Phillies, it would appear, are best off avoiding the Cards. But Manuel, of course, would never say such a thing, nor could the Phillies be expected to tank in the season's final series.
"I look at it like Walter Alston used to say," Manuel said, "'Champions can beat anybody.'"
YANKEES
Playoff possibilities: Multiple scenarios exist here. If the Red Sox hold on or the Rays knock off Boston, the Yankees will face either the Tigers or Rangers, depending on who has the worse record. If the Angels win the Wild Card, the Yankees will face them. The Yankees can't face the Rays or Red Sox in the first round.
Best-case scenario? The Rays grab the Wild Card, and the Yanks draw the Rangers in the first round.
Why? As much as Boston is banged up and reeling, the statistical fact is that the Red Sox have had the upper hand on the Yanks this season, to the tune of an 11-4 record. That stems from the Boston offense batting .291 with an .846 OPS against New York pitching (Sabathia is 1-4 with a 6.39 ERA against Boston) and Red Sox pitching limiting the Yankees' potent lineup to a .232 average and .701 OPS.
Compare that to what the Yankees have done against Texas. They have beaten them seven times in nine meetings and outscored them 61-35. They have hit .291 with a .932 OPS against Rangers pitching and limited their hitters to a .238 average and .632 OPS.
Until Bartolo Colon blew up Thursday night, the Yankees had shown they can handle the Rays, beating them in nine of the previous 14 meetings and outscoring them 53-37 along the way. The Yankees are 3-4 against the Tigers but haven't faced them since way back on May 5. They've scored six runs in 12 innings against Justin Verlander, but for our purposes, we'll just assume the longer you can avoid Verlander, the better.
Bottom line: The head and the heart combine here. If statistical incentive isn't enough for the Yanks to want to knock the Sox out of contention, then there's always the pure passion that stems from the game's most storied rivalry.
Yankees catcher Russell Martin acknowledged as much.
"[The Red Sox] are fun to play against, just because they have a quality team and are gritty and play hard and stuff, but I'd love to see them lose," Martin said. "I guess it just comes with the territory, you know? When you wear the pinstripes, you just kind of learn to be that way, I guess."
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and his blog, CastroTurf , and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince . Reporters Todd Zolecki, Aaron Taube and Bryan Hoch contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Yankees tickets
Got a notice that Yankees are selling post season tickets tothe public tomorrow at 10:00 AM Eastern. The Phillies did no such thing - I think they're all spoken for by season ticket holders. I'll see what I can get. May be willing to buy and re-sell a couple tickets to pay off some of my own Stubhub debt. :)
Tickets and Stubhub
Having decided to buy tickets for Phils and Yankees, I've done pretty much all I can to find a way to get some tickets at face value (Generally $175-$350 per ticket in most parks for WS). No luck.
So the choices are Stubhub, Craigslist, Kijiji and scalpers.
Well I'm not going to trust this whole deal to someone I don't know. Fake tickets can get made and sold and people burned. Screw that.
I'm willing to pay the premium for guaranteed tickets (this is once in a lifetime right?) and Stubhub gives you that. Not to sound like an ad for them, but it's a great system in the age of digital tickets. Season tiocket holders and lucky people have tickets, and some want to sell some. They post them for sale on Stubhub, set their price, and then anyone can buy them. I buy them, the money I pay goes to Stubhub (they get a 10% cut), and the seller doesn;t get the money until the tickets are confirmed legit and uploaded to my account. Brilliant. Guaranteed. Not cheap. But at least I can get them.
If you buy tickets for a game that doesn't happen (team doesn't make it, or game not necessary) you get refunded all of your money. In theory I could hold tickets for an Oct. 20 for 4 different NL teams and get reimbursed for the ones to teams that don't make it! But I'm hoping that's not necessary. :)
Yankees tickets are not bad to get. There are over 5000 for sale for games 3,4 and 5 of the WS. I bought 2 tickets for game 3 on October 22, good seats, 300 level, just inside first base, for what I thought was an almost reasonable price. You can get nosebleed tickets for $300.
Phillies tickets are MUCH worse. Not entirely sure why. Probably mostly due to the fact that season tickets completely sold out for the year, leaving very few tickets left over. There are fewer than 2000 available for games 1 and 2 of the WS, and people want $500 for standing room tickets and $650+ for nosebleeds and bleacher seats. Ouch. Bought two on the second level in near right field that were priced less than many in worse sections. Some people just ask silly prices at first to see of they can get lucky. Many prices will have tro drop to sell I'm sure.
So as it stands today, I have two tickets for game 2 if in Philadelphia on Oct. 20, and two for game 3 if in New York for October 22.
If the Phillies make it to the World Series, Dad and I will get to Philadelphia early in the afternoon of Oct. 19, the night of game 1. My plan is to go by the park an hour before game time and check prices from scalpers. Many online posters tell stories of getting tickets for WS game for really, REALLY cheap as game time nears and the first pitch happens. If I can get a great deal on two tickets in any seats in there we'll go. If not, we'll hit a sports bar downtown to watch in on TV. That'd be fun anyway...
So the choices are Stubhub, Craigslist, Kijiji and scalpers.
Well I'm not going to trust this whole deal to someone I don't know. Fake tickets can get made and sold and people burned. Screw that.
I'm willing to pay the premium for guaranteed tickets (this is once in a lifetime right?) and Stubhub gives you that. Not to sound like an ad for them, but it's a great system in the age of digital tickets. Season tiocket holders and lucky people have tickets, and some want to sell some. They post them for sale on Stubhub, set their price, and then anyone can buy them. I buy them, the money I pay goes to Stubhub (they get a 10% cut), and the seller doesn;t get the money until the tickets are confirmed legit and uploaded to my account. Brilliant. Guaranteed. Not cheap. But at least I can get them.
If you buy tickets for a game that doesn't happen (team doesn't make it, or game not necessary) you get refunded all of your money. In theory I could hold tickets for an Oct. 20 for 4 different NL teams and get reimbursed for the ones to teams that don't make it! But I'm hoping that's not necessary. :)
Yankees tickets are not bad to get. There are over 5000 for sale for games 3,4 and 5 of the WS. I bought 2 tickets for game 3 on October 22, good seats, 300 level, just inside first base, for what I thought was an almost reasonable price. You can get nosebleed tickets for $300.
Phillies tickets are MUCH worse. Not entirely sure why. Probably mostly due to the fact that season tickets completely sold out for the year, leaving very few tickets left over. There are fewer than 2000 available for games 1 and 2 of the WS, and people want $500 for standing room tickets and $650+ for nosebleeds and bleacher seats. Ouch. Bought two on the second level in near right field that were priced less than many in worse sections. Some people just ask silly prices at first to see of they can get lucky. Many prices will have tro drop to sell I'm sure.
So as it stands today, I have two tickets for game 2 if in Philadelphia on Oct. 20, and two for game 3 if in New York for October 22.
If the Phillies make it to the World Series, Dad and I will get to Philadelphia early in the afternoon of Oct. 19, the night of game 1. My plan is to go by the park an hour before game time and check prices from scalpers. Many online posters tell stories of getting tickets for WS game for really, REALLY cheap as game time nears and the first pitch happens. If I can get a great deal on two tickets in any seats in there we'll go. If not, we'll hit a sports bar downtown to watch in on TV. That'd be fun anyway...
The teams
First up the National League, since going to a game on dad's birthday is essential to the whole deal here.
In the NL, the Philidelphia Phillies look near unbeatable this year. They've been in aan aparent slump the last week, but only after they clinched the NL East, the NL, and thuse have home field advantage for the ENTIRE post season. They have not 1 or 2 or 3 quality starters but FIVE. Their number five starter (Vance Worley) would be a number two on the BoSox or Yankees. Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt... it's ridiculous. And the have set up and closing power. The offense is inconsistent but they lots of weapons, speed and some power. They have exciting hitters like Howard, Pence, Victorino and Utley. Plus I love the team. Love Halladay. Love what Pat Gillick did there.
The D-Backs and Brewers are legitimate contenders, but are major underdogs in any series with the Phils. The Cardinals are hot. The Braves are not. I took a bet on Philadelphia.
In the American League it's a bit more of a contest I think. The Red Sox might (probably will) limp into the playoffs (limping figuratively and literally). They lack starting pitching (Lester and Wakefield are both MAJOR liabilities this year - so many blown games). Multiple offensive players have nagging injuries. But the potential for big scoring is still there. But I think the Yankees can beat them easily right now. So could Texas or Detroit. Tampa Bay gave them a run but don't have the horses I don't think.. So I bet on the Yankees (as a die hard Jays fan that's tough to swallow. But in addition to looking like the favorites (killer offense/power, and two starting pitchers throwing well) it would be logistically so easy to get back and forth from Philadelphia.
So my pick for the World Series? Phillies and Yankees
Now for tickets...
In the NL, the Philidelphia Phillies look near unbeatable this year. They've been in aan aparent slump the last week, but only after they clinched the NL East, the NL, and thuse have home field advantage for the ENTIRE post season. They have not 1 or 2 or 3 quality starters but FIVE. Their number five starter (Vance Worley) would be a number two on the BoSox or Yankees. Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt... it's ridiculous. And the have set up and closing power. The offense is inconsistent but they lots of weapons, speed and some power. They have exciting hitters like Howard, Pence, Victorino and Utley. Plus I love the team. Love Halladay. Love what Pat Gillick did there.
The D-Backs and Brewers are legitimate contenders, but are major underdogs in any series with the Phils. The Cardinals are hot. The Braves are not. I took a bet on Philadelphia.
In the American League it's a bit more of a contest I think. The Red Sox might (probably will) limp into the playoffs (limping figuratively and literally). They lack starting pitching (Lester and Wakefield are both MAJOR liabilities this year - so many blown games). Multiple offensive players have nagging injuries. But the potential for big scoring is still there. But I think the Yankees can beat them easily right now. So could Texas or Detroit. Tampa Bay gave them a run but don't have the horses I don't think.. So I bet on the Yankees (as a die hard Jays fan that's tough to swallow. But in addition to looking like the favorites (killer offense/power, and two starting pitchers throwing well) it would be logistically so easy to get back and forth from Philadelphia.
So my pick for the World Series? Phillies and Yankees
Now for tickets...
The logistics
His birthday is October 20. The timing couldn't be be better. For the first time in decades, Major League Baseball has set the dates for the World Series in advance. Games 1 and 2 will be on October 19 and 20. October 20? Yep. Have to go. :)
In addition to setting the dates for all 7 potential games, the All Star game now determines home field advantage for the World Series.
So with all that in mind, back in July, I felt I could start to make some tentative plans. I booked the time off. I considered our location and best flight options for the cities with teams likely to make it. I've joined several message boards, MLB.com, MLB.tv, and some fan clubs. Go lots of info on teams and post season tickets. Failed to find an "easy" way to get them. :(
As the season has reached near the end a few things about potential teams have become clear. In a series, anyone can beat anybody, but the favorites have clearly emerged and I was willing to take a gamble on a few teams. Being in the Northeast, there are places that would be easy to go (Eg. Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Detroit), and some that aren't (Eg. Arlington Texas, Tamba Bay Florida)
It would be most fun if we could see games in both cities involved. Sure it makes it trickier, but how awesome?
In addition to setting the dates for all 7 potential games, the All Star game now determines home field advantage for the World Series.
So with all that in mind, back in July, I felt I could start to make some tentative plans. I booked the time off. I considered our location and best flight options for the cities with teams likely to make it. I've joined several message boards, MLB.com, MLB.tv, and some fan clubs. Go lots of info on teams and post season tickets. Failed to find an "easy" way to get them. :(
As the season has reached near the end a few things about potential teams have become clear. In a series, anyone can beat anybody, but the favorites have clearly emerged and I was willing to take a gamble on a few teams. Being in the Northeast, there are places that would be easy to go (Eg. Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Detroit), and some that aren't (Eg. Arlington Texas, Tamba Bay Florida)
It would be most fun if we could see games in both cities involved. Sure it makes it trickier, but how awesome?
Background
I love baseball. My son loves baseball. My dad REALLY loves baseball. HIS dad loved baseball. OK, so we all love baseball in this family. :)
My dad has had a great carreer and is enjoying retirement plenty. But there's one thing I know he's always wanted to do, and yet I know he'd never make it happen for himself. He wants to go to the World Series.
Well, the wait is over; this year is the time. He doesn't know it yet, but I've been planning this for over a year. I booked the time off, scouted the teams all year, researched for hours the logistics of travel and getting tickets. And I'll need some luck too! Oh, and some money.
Greg
My dad has had a great carreer and is enjoying retirement plenty. But there's one thing I know he's always wanted to do, and yet I know he'd never make it happen for himself. He wants to go to the World Series.
Well, the wait is over; this year is the time. He doesn't know it yet, but I've been planning this for over a year. I booked the time off, scouted the teams all year, researched for hours the logistics of travel and getting tickets. And I'll need some luck too! Oh, and some money.
Greg
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