MLB 2007 - World Series

[Imran Siddiqui]

What, you mean like the Jeter defensive play against the A's in the playoff?

4 games to 1 is hardly a fluke.

[Arrian]

Yes, that was flukey. No question. Awesomely flukey. You could play a million baseball games and never see that play, or replay it a million times and Derek & Jorge pull it off only a small percentage of the time.

Imran, if you're seriously going to argue that getting a string of good starts from pitchers like Jeff Weaver wasn't a fluke, I'm not gonna bother.

Short series can result in flukey outcomes. 4-1 can certainly be a fluke result. You know this.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

On the other hand... perhaps the Tigers were not as good as the conventional wisdom believed. Let's be honest here, that the Cardinals last year were NOT as bad as their record. They tanked in the last 10 games of last year, but were on pace for a 90+ win season until that point.

[Arrian]

Here's the thing:

I'm talking about the overal quality of the leagues. You're talking about individual teams playing one 5-game and two 7-game series.

Let's be honest here, that the Cardinals last year were NOT as bad as their record.

I almost put this in one of my earlier posts. Yes, the Cardinals "true talent" level was higher than an 83-win team. They came together at the right time.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Arrian
Here's the thing:

I'm talking about the overal quality of the leagues. You're talking about individual teams playing one 5-game and two 7-game series.

It's a bit hard to compare "overall quality of the leagues". And I know AL fans like using the ole interleague record, but that completely discounts how the DH/non-DH rules hurt NL road teams more than AL road teams usually.

Now, granted, the NL doesn't have a Boston. But I think the rest of the league stacks up comparably (except for the horrid NL Central (though Milwaukee is right there next to Seattle in record).

[Berzerker]

my fantasy teams are falling apart

thank God football started

[Ninot]

I'm in good shape to make the final, having a monster week from most of my guys.

One of them being:

David Ortiz, Walk off 2 run homer to beat Tampa!

[snoopy369]

Grrrr, I could've used that save

Serves me right for expecting saves from Reyes, but still...

[Arrian]

****ing Tampa Bay. Sigh. It would've been real nice to head into Fenway only 3 back in the loss column. Not only does Al Reyes suck, but that ball was catchable and Delmon Young wasn't within ten feet of it. Meh.

Of course, I'll be quite pleased if the Rays play like that against the Yanks later this month

Mussina pitched well last night. Velocity was up, there was movement on his fastball... all in all much improved. It helps to be facing the Glausless Blue Jays, though. Joba pitched ok, and gave up his first run (unearned), but burned through ~35 pitches. Meh. Now he needs two days off, meaning he's out for game 1 vs. Boston. Pettitte-Matsuzaka, Wang-Beckett, Clemens(?)-Shilling. Damn. Good stuff.

Imran:

Now, granted, the NL doesn't have a Boston. But I think the rest of the league stacks up comparably (except for the horrid NL Central (though Milwaukee is right there next to Seattle in record).

Yeah. It stacks up comparably except for this, that and another thing. AL > NL in terms of overall talent, IMO. It's probably not as significant as it sometimes appears, I'll grant, and there are some phenomenal young players in the NL. The balance could tip at any time. And the NL may very well win the WS again this year. :shrug:

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Arrian
Yeah. It stacks up comparably except for this, that and another thing. AL > NL in terms of overall talent, IMO. It's probably not as significant as it sometimes appears, I'll grant, and there are some phenomenal young players in the NL. The balance could tip at any time. And the NL may very well win the WS again this year. :shrug:

-Arrian

I just don't think so. The whole AL>NL in overall talent is completely overplayed and it's mainly just seen that way as a result of the massive amounts of money the Yankees and Red Sox throw around. I think it's especially not true since the best young talent in the game is mostly in the NL.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Blue Jays finally got it together, although Kennedy *cough* *gag* pitched a great game. Good to see the MFY bullpen do its job.

11

[Arrian]

Kennedy was really, really good. Vizcaino was also really good. Britton was not. Torre didn't have many options, b/c Joba is unavailable (having thrown ~35 pitches the night before), Farnsworthless has a stiff neck (and sucks anyway), Edwar has been worked hard recently, and Mo got 4 outs last night and with Joba unavailable for game 1 at Fenway, one would like to have Mo ready. So he gave the ball to Britton, and Britton coughed up the game.

The Yanks just couldn't score. I do wish Joe had managed to pinch hit with Giambi and/or Posada, but otherwise it's just not his fault. The offense was shut down. The pitching gave up a whopping 2 runs.

**** happens.

-Arrian

[MichaeltheGreat]

Yeah, tell me about it.

[Arrian]

Well that was a thing of beauty. The 8th inning, anyway. The rest of the game was fugly. The Yankees kicked the ball around like a bunch of little leaguers for the most part (exception: Melky's throw to nail Ortiz at the plate). Both teams left all sorts of runners on base.

The Yanks got away with one, in a big way. Huge win, especially considering Detroit won too.

The Sox are, obviously, not a full strength (Manny). Still, I'm encouraged. Even if the Yanks don't take the division, should they make the ALCS and should it be against Boston, I would feel pretty good about their chances.

-Arrian

[Stuie]

I wish the Phillies could just play the Mets for the rest of the season.