betED.com - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!
October 10th, 2007 - Let the Games Begin!
The airwaves and the Internet are flooded with it. The newspapers are dedicating barrels of ink and forests of trees to the big story. All the world of baseball is atwitter with what will go down now that the table is set, and the real games are about to begin.
Oh, not in the ALCS or the NLCS. Few could care less about them apparently.
It?s the Yankees baby! And they are about to assplode all over the place!
?Steinbrenner still loves Torre?
?Roger hints at staying?
?A-Rod will be A-Gone?
?Cashman keeps quiet?
For the third straight year the Yankees bowed out in the first round of baseball?s post-season. Joe Torre, the manager for the past 12 years still wants the job running the most intensely examined sports franchise in the world. George Steinbrenner, the team owner, the most noteworthy sports owner perhaps ever, may be ailing physically however, his words still are worthy of front page news. Last week he said that if the Yankees lost to Cleveland Torre, who has only got his team into the post-season 12 out of 12 years, would not be back. Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid player in baseball and the shoe-in for the AL MVP this season is already letting it be known through his agent, the agent in all of sports, that his days in pinstripes are all but over. Roger Clemens, the pitcher for the past 20 years or so shocked the sports world earlier in the year with his staggering part-time player salary, and now he?s indicating he might not be done yet.
It all reads like something only Aaron Sorkin could invent. So who can blame everyone for all but ignoring the fact that somewhere there are still games to be played. It?s a testament to the lore of the New York Yankees that both penultimate series? are almost completely overshadowed by a team that just didn?t have it this season.
Four teams did have it in the end, so to show a modicum of respect for their achievement:
The NLCS
Okay ? I?m sure you, like so many others saw this classic match-up shaping up ages ago. The Rockies were in a rebuilding program this season. Their home-grown talent was supposed to be ready to contend perhaps next year. Well, 2008 came early as they went 17-1 since mid-September and are on what could turn out to be a historic roll. Winning 14 of their final 15 regular-season games, including a franchise-record 11 straight got them into the wild-card tiebreaker game, which they won (kinda) 9-8 in that 13-inning thriller against San Diego. They then swept Philadelphia in three straight in the NL Division Series. And things are just getting better for them as they are set to reactivate Opening Day starter Aaron Cook, who hasn't pitched since August 10th.
With all that on their side they get to face the smoke and mirrors Arizona Diamondbacks who are the poster boys for over achievers everywhere. Winning more one-run games than any other team in baseball, Arizona lost the season series 10-8, against the Rockies, including two of three in the last series of the regular season. If ever a series was over before it started, this might be it. Rockies in 5.
The ALCS
It?s hard not to lean towards the only other ?name? franchise left in the post-season but should the Red Sox really be almost 2-1 favorites over the Indians? I?m sure the powers that be in MLB are hoping for a Boston return to the World Series for the first time since 2004, and the spinmasters in the media sure are pressing for the better story. However, looking at how both of these teams faired in 2007, these two are pretty much a wash. Both finished with 96 wins. Pitching, their team ERA?s are within 0.18 of each other and defensively their fielding percentages were.001 apart.
The Red Sox did score 56 more runs this year, but they enjoy the friendly confines of Fenway Park. The Indians have a decided home field advantage because when they need it, like they did against the Yankees in game 2 of their division series when even the bugs came out to play.
But the stat that must be turning the tide wager-wise is Boston won the season series 5-2. That may not mean much because New York swept Cleveland in the regular season 6-0 only to be swept themselves 3-0 out of the playoffs and onto the front page of every sports section. Indians in 7.
No Yankees and now no Red Sox? Instead we have the captivating match-up of two relative mystery teams, Colorado and Cleveland. For baseball, the post-season hits just keep on coming.
At least we get to enjoy watching ?As the Yankees Turn.?
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet on MLB Championship series here!
October 10th, 2007 - Let the Games Begin!
The airwaves and the Internet are flooded with it. The newspapers are dedicating barrels of ink and forests of trees to the big story. All the world of baseball is atwitter with what will go down now that the table is set, and the real games are about to begin.
Oh, not in the ALCS or the NLCS. Few could care less about them apparently.
It?s the Yankees baby! And they are about to assplode all over the place!
?Steinbrenner still loves Torre?
?Roger hints at staying?
?A-Rod will be A-Gone?
?Cashman keeps quiet?
For the third straight year the Yankees bowed out in the first round of baseball?s post-season. Joe Torre, the manager for the past 12 years still wants the job running the most intensely examined sports franchise in the world. George Steinbrenner, the team owner, the most noteworthy sports owner perhaps ever, may be ailing physically however, his words still are worthy of front page news. Last week he said that if the Yankees lost to Cleveland Torre, who has only got his team into the post-season 12 out of 12 years, would not be back. Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid player in baseball and the shoe-in for the AL MVP this season is already letting it be known through his agent, the agent in all of sports, that his days in pinstripes are all but over. Roger Clemens, the pitcher for the past 20 years or so shocked the sports world earlier in the year with his staggering part-time player salary, and now he?s indicating he might not be done yet.
It all reads like something only Aaron Sorkin could invent. So who can blame everyone for all but ignoring the fact that somewhere there are still games to be played. It?s a testament to the lore of the New York Yankees that both penultimate series? are almost completely overshadowed by a team that just didn?t have it this season.
Four teams did have it in the end, so to show a modicum of respect for their achievement:
The NLCS
Okay ? I?m sure you, like so many others saw this classic match-up shaping up ages ago. The Rockies were in a rebuilding program this season. Their home-grown talent was supposed to be ready to contend perhaps next year. Well, 2008 came early as they went 17-1 since mid-September and are on what could turn out to be a historic roll. Winning 14 of their final 15 regular-season games, including a franchise-record 11 straight got them into the wild-card tiebreaker game, which they won (kinda) 9-8 in that 13-inning thriller against San Diego. They then swept Philadelphia in three straight in the NL Division Series. And things are just getting better for them as they are set to reactivate Opening Day starter Aaron Cook, who hasn't pitched since August 10th.
With all that on their side they get to face the smoke and mirrors Arizona Diamondbacks who are the poster boys for over achievers everywhere. Winning more one-run games than any other team in baseball, Arizona lost the season series 10-8, against the Rockies, including two of three in the last series of the regular season. If ever a series was over before it started, this might be it. Rockies in 5.
The ALCS
It?s hard not to lean towards the only other ?name? franchise left in the post-season but should the Red Sox really be almost 2-1 favorites over the Indians? I?m sure the powers that be in MLB are hoping for a Boston return to the World Series for the first time since 2004, and the spinmasters in the media sure are pressing for the better story. However, looking at how both of these teams faired in 2007, these two are pretty much a wash. Both finished with 96 wins. Pitching, their team ERA?s are within 0.18 of each other and defensively their fielding percentages were.001 apart.
The Red Sox did score 56 more runs this year, but they enjoy the friendly confines of Fenway Park. The Indians have a decided home field advantage because when they need it, like they did against the Yankees in game 2 of their division series when even the bugs came out to play.
But the stat that must be turning the tide wager-wise is Boston won the season series 5-2. That may not mean much because New York swept Cleveland in the regular season 6-0 only to be swept themselves 3-0 out of the playoffs and onto the front page of every sports section. Indians in 7.
No Yankees and now no Red Sox? Instead we have the captivating match-up of two relative mystery teams, Colorado and Cleveland. For baseball, the post-season hits just keep on coming.
At least we get to enjoy watching ?As the Yankees Turn.?
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet on MLB Championship series here!
