Semi-official MLB Playoffs Thread

[poncherelli2]

Originally posted by: raystorm

Originally posted by: poncherelli2
The angels will probably lose Krod and Anderson may retire. Krod is easily replaceable and getting rid of Anderson probably makes them a better team.

DON'T SIGN KROD OMAR!!! DON'T DO IT!!!


Not sure if Arte Moreno will give Tex the big bucks that he will ask so I figure he's gone too from the Angels.

K-Rod may be severely disappointed in the offers he gets this offseason. Then again, some team always comes out and gives a hugely retarded contract every offseason, so we'll see if anyone wisens up this year.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

some more sweet threads by sager. i can't wait to see what he busts out for the alcs.

 

[goog40]

If they get rid of K-Rod and potentially Anderson's contract, they'll definitely have some room to maneuver. They'll either buy-out Anderson for $3M or sign him for much less, that should free up about $20M right there. Also, Jon Garland's contract is up. If they either re-sign him or get a replacement to be the 5th starter, the price tag should be less than his $9M salary this year. I think the Angels will make a legitimate offer to him, Moreno will definitely push for them to make a deal.

Anyone would be foolish to offer K-Rod more than a two-year deal right now, maybe with an option for a third year. I'm guessing he's looking something like a 5-year $80+ million deal, and I just don't see that happening.

 

[poncherelli2]

I wouldn't keep Anderson around at any cost unless they really have a sentimental attachment to him. I realize he's been there like 15 years, but honestly, he was never a that great of a player, even in his prime. Now hes just expensive and doesn't offer a whole lot.

 

[goog40]

I'd still rather see him in the lineup than Gary Matthews any day though, and someone will have to DH when Vlad is in RF. If they re-sign Anderson, he would probably be willing to take significantly less money. I would re-sign Rivera to be the everyday LF, and juggle between Vlad and Anderson as DH, and let Gary Matthews continue his role as the highest paid 5th outfielder in history.

Oh, and I totally forgot that Escobar will be back in the rotation next year hopefully, so Garland should definitely not be re-signed, freeing up $9M.

 

[Pshawn5]

*sigh* congrats to the red sox. i can't believe the angels season is over. too many mistakes killed them this series. that and howie kendrick not being able to get one damn clutch hit.

 

[poncherelli2]

I think resigning Rivera is a good idea but doubt it will happen. Either way, Anderson will cost a few $MM, and I have to think that money could be better spent than on a .327OBP LF/DH type with no defensive or baserunning abilities.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Go Sox!!!

Only problem is that they Rays have kicked their ass all year. This is going to be a tough series.

they played 18 games and the rays won 10 of them,

they are pretty evenly matched

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
some more sweet threads by sager. i can't wait to see what he busts out for the alcs.

And aren't you glad TBS is in HD?

 

[jalaram]

Nice ESPN article on the White Sox

 

[SP33Demon]

Stellar game last night. I fear that the Rays are going to sweep the Bosox, however. They're just that good.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: jalaram
Nice ESPN article on the White Sox

Yeah, it was definitely a fun season. Plus they still one more playoff game then the Cubs

 

[acheron]

"We lost to a team that's not better than us," growled pitcher John Lackey, who gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. "We are a better team than they are. The last two days, we shouldn't have given up anything."

Someone call a waaaambulance for Lackey.

Sox and Rays are evenly matched, but I think Sox pull it off in 6 or 7 games.

 

[Anubis]

Lackey got fed over by his D

 

[BeauJangles]

What does this loss say about the Angels? It seems like every year they have a "better team" than Boston, but manage to crap the bed in the playoffs. I wonder how this loss effects the Angels' payroll.

The other thing that was on my mind after watching the celebrations last night was the media presence. There were twenty cameras crammed into the locker room wrapped in plastic trying to film every second of the celebration. What ever happened to giving the players a chance to get drunk and pour beer over each other in private? (I also laughed my ass off when Papelbon sprayed Sager with champagne. Sager did not look happy)

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: BeauJangles
What does this loss say about the Angels? It seems like every year they have a "better team" than Boston, but manage to crap the bed in the playoffs. I wonder how this loss effects the Angels' payroll.

The other thing that was on my mind after watching the celebrations last night was the media presence. There were twenty cameras crammed into the locker room wrapped in plastic trying to film every second of the celebration. What ever happened to giving the players a chance to get drunk and pour beer over each other in private? (I also laughed my ass off when Papelbon sprayed Sager with champagne. Sager did not look happy)

yea that was funny

almost as funny as when he was asked if he was ready to pitch if needed and paps responded with "im always ready baby"

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Stellar game last night. I fear that the Rays are going to sweep the Bosox, however. They're just that good.

That would be nice, but unlikely. The Sox and Rays have shown that they can win in either location. Neither team is afraid of the other.

Man. I have tix to Friday night's game and I have to decide if I want to spend $300 on a short notice flight (and in a crappy economy).

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: BeauJangles
What does this loss say about the Angels? It seems like every year they have a "better team" than Boston, but manage to crap the bed in the playoffs. I wonder how this loss effects the Angels' payroll.

The other thing that was on my mind after watching the celebrations last night was the media presence. There were twenty cameras crammed into the locker room wrapped in plastic trying to film every second of the celebration. What ever happened to giving the players a chance to get drunk and pour beer over each other in private? (I also laughed my ass off when Papelbon sprayed Sager with champagne. Sager did not look happy)

yea that was funny

almost as funny as when he was asked if he was ready to pitch if needed and paps responded with "im always ready baby"

Sager is a douche, so I'm glad he got sprayed. Paps is always good for something funny.

Originally posted by: jalaram

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Stellar game last night. I fear that the Rays are going to sweep the Bosox, however. They're just that good.

That would be nice, but unlikely. The Sox and Rays have shown that they can win in either location. Neither team is afraid of the other.

Man. I have tix to Friday night's game and I have to decide if I want to spend $300 on a short notice flight (and in a crappy economy).

I think this series has a high probability of going to seven games. The Sox have outscored the Rays by 20 runs, but lost the season series. They don't really like each other and both of them really would love to stick it to the other on a national stage.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: jalaram

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Stellar game last night. I fear that the Rays are going to sweep the Bosox, however. They're just that good.

That would be nice, but unlikely. The Sox and Rays have shown that they can win in either location. Neither team is afraid of the other.

Man. I have tix to Friday night's game and I have to decide if I want to spend $300 on a short notice flight (and in a crappy economy).

if you dont want to go for some reason i wil buy those tickets and drive out there to get them

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: jalaram

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Stellar game last night. I fear that the Rays are going to sweep the Bosox, however. They're just that good.

That would be nice, but unlikely. The Sox and Rays have shown that they can win in either location. Neither team is afraid of the other.

Man. I have tix to Friday night's game and I have to decide if I want to spend $300 on a short notice flight (and in a crappy economy).

if you dont want to go for some reason i wil buy those tickets and drive out there to get them

Thanks for the offer. I'm up to 80% towards going, but I'll get back to you asap so we can work something out.

New poll added.

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: acheron
"We lost to a team that's not better than us," growled pitcher John Lackey, who gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. "We are a better team than they are. The last two days, we shouldn't have given up anything."

Someone call a waaaambulance for Lackey.

Sox and Rays are evenly matched, but I think Sox pull it off in 6 or 7 games.

Someone should explain to Lackey the better team doesen't drop fly balls, boot routine grounders, leave tons of baserunners, or call a suicide squeeze with one out. The Angels look like the Bosox used to when the played the Yanks, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. The Rays will not be intimidated by the ALCS, the can score runs with the 3 run HR or with speed on the basepaths as well. The Bosox have John Lester who has developed to the point to where he can dominate any team,his post-season ERA is a whopping 0.77, should be a good series.

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: BUTCH1

Originally posted by: acheron
"We lost to a team that's not better than us," growled pitcher John Lackey, who gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. "We are a better team than they are. The last two days, we shouldn't have given up anything."

Someone call a waaaambulance for Lackey.

Sox and Rays are evenly matched, but I think Sox pull it off in 6 or 7 games.

Someone should explain to Lackey the better team doesen't drop fly balls, boot routine grounders, leave tons of baserunners, or call a suicide squeeze with one out. The Angels look like the Bosox used to when the played the Yanks, always waiting for the other show to drop. The Rays will not be intimidated by the ALCS, the can score runs with the 3 run HR or with speed on the basepaths as well. The Bosox have John Lester who has developed to the point to where he can dominate any team,his post-season ERA is a whopping 0.77, should be a good series.

And Beckett is always scary good in the postseason. Dice-K is scary good also, but he seems to scare Sox fans as well. The series is looking to be mostly great pitching/low scoring/great for baseball fans/boring for others.

Hmmm. No discussion about the other series. The thought of the Dodgers-Phillies playing brings back memories of Cey, Garvey, Schmidt, Bowa, Hebner, McBride, Maddox, Luzinski, Boone, McCarver, etc.

Here's another excerpt from Espn:

But for some reason, the Phillies have never gotten their due as a pre-eminent semitragic franchise in this great country we live. Billions of Americans can run through every lost October opportunity in the life of the Red Sox and Cubs. But the Phillies' 125 years of futility? Only the people in the cheesesteak line at Pat's Steaks seem to be totally up on that one.

"I think Fenway has a lot to do with it," said Mitch Williams, the remarkably beloved closer on the last Phillies team to win a postseason series [and last to lose a World Series], the 1993 juggernaut. "Fenway is kind of a national landmark. And so is Wrigley. The field has never changed. So everyone wants to go to Fenway. Everyone wants to go to Wrigley. No one wanted to come to the Vet [the late, great Veterans Stadium]. I mean, all they ever heard about the Vet is, they had rats in there that could carry a man off."

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: jalaram

Originally posted by: BUTCH1

Originally posted by: acheron
"We lost to a team that's not better than us," growled pitcher John Lackey, who gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. "We are a better team than they are. The last two days, we shouldn't have given up anything."

Someone call a waaaambulance for Lackey.

Sox and Rays are evenly matched, but I think Sox pull it off in 6 or 7 games.

Someone should explain to Lackey the better team doesen't drop fly balls, boot routine grounders, leave tons of baserunners, or call a suicide squeeze with one out. The Angels look like the Bosox used to when the played the Yanks, always waiting for the other show to drop. The Rays will not be intimidated by the ALCS, the can score runs with the 3 run HR or with speed on the basepaths as well. The Bosox have John Lester who has developed to the point to where he can dominate any team,his post-season ERA is a whopping 0.77, should be a good series.

And Beckett is always scary good in the postseason. Dice-K is scary good also, but he seems to scare Sox fans as well. The series is looking to be mostly great pitching/low scoring/great for baseball fans/boring for others.

Dice-K is tantalizingly close to being dominant. Instead of challenging guys with his stuff (which damn good), he nibbles away at the strike zone, walks a ton of batters, and gives teams plenty of scoring opportunities. The only reason few runs score is because, when his back is to the wall, he leans on his stuff and strikes people out.

Beckett just hasn't looked like Josh Beckett this year. I hope he can bounce back in the playoffs, but he's the 3rd best pitcher on the Sox right now -- and that's something I think all Sox fans should be okay with. Lester has been lights out all season and is probably one of the best lefties in the game right now. A 1-2-3 punch of Lester, Dice-K, Beckett, especially if Beckett finds some of that postseason magic again is pretty devastating.

As for the Sox / Rays. I'm going to guess we'll see fireworks in at least two games (more than 12 runs scored) and the rest will be low-scoring, pitching-dominated affairs.

 

[BUTCH1]

Dice-K has great stuff but your right, he is a nibbler. The Rays know this and will force him to throw strikes or start walking people. Hopefully the Pitching coach will "talk" to Dice and tell him to work the zone more and trust his defence. Although he's gotten away with walking all year it's a dangerous way to pitch and sooner or later will bite him in the ass..

 

[jalaram]

ALice K vs. Shields for Game 1.
NL:Cole Hamels facing Derek Lowe in Game 1.

Text

Matsuzaka will face James Shields (14-8) in the opener, with Beckett (12-10) going against Scott Kazmir (12-8) on Saturday night. Lester (16-6) will face Matt Garza (11-9) back at Fenway Park in Game 3 and Wakefield (10-11) will pitch against Andy Sonnanstine (13-9) in the fourth game.

I personally would've rather have Andy against Lester or Beckett, but Maddon wants to keep the same rotation.

Anyone know the NL pitching rotation?