2003 ML Baseball Playoff Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Andrew_A_Paul]

Whoever wins the Cubs/Braves series will go to the World Series. But I'm impartial to any outcome as long as the twinks beat the yanks. We all should be twins fast for the next few days. And I agree, no more paying for world championship rings.

 

[Steve_Tk]

Amazing A's/Sox game. That's all that can be said.

 

[Phil L]

Great game between the A's and RS.

Terrible ump behind the plate.

Great at bat with Durazo-Martinez.

Todd Walker had a great game. I think he might challenge Nick Johnson for the title of Ugliest Player in the AL East.

Rincon, ugh.

Thanks Kim!

The Yankees will win tomorrow (today) and the next 2 games. Then the next 4. And the next 4. The Yankees will be World Series champs, the way it should be.

 

[Mark Schermerhorn]

The Yankees will be World Series champs, the way it should be.

Phil, heh What would baseball fans have if they didn't have the Yankees and their fans to hate.

Good game last evening, I stayed up to see the A's tie it before I went to bed. The Sox fans here are suprisingly unworried by last night's game, most seem to assume the Sox will win both home games without issue.

I have to give the edge to the A's. Unless the Sox can put up 6-8 runs a game they aren't going to win, and even with that lineup that may be tough. Pedro is now probably suspect for a game 4 start and at a minimum will likely not be able to pitch many innings, which doesn't help either.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I feel really bad for the Red Sox fans that stayed up on the east coast until 2:47 a.m. for that conclusion. Talk about another punch to the gut there.

Pedro threw 130 pitches, so it highly improbable that he'll be able to come back in Game 4. Plus having Lowe throw 45 pitches last night doesn't make Game 3 a confidence builder for the Sox.

Finally the Braves get a big 2-out basehit by Derosa, plates the 2 runs and then Smoltz gets over blowing the save, and completes 2 innings of relief to preserve an important win for the Braves. Some how I think Bobby Cox would pitch Smoltz for 3 inning/game if he thought he could get away with it. Hampton makes a good turnaround after giving up the 2 first inning runs. They almost held up for a win. Hampton striking out 6 consecutive batters tied a divisional playoff record too.

 

[Steven K]

I feel really bad for the Red Sox fans that stayed up on the east coast until 2:47 a.m. for that conclusion. Talk about another punch to the gut there.

Believe me - we're feeling it this morning :frowning:

 

[Jason Seaver]

Thanks Kim!

Thank Grady Gump, who took Kim out despite having been more successful than Embree lately, then decided to weaken his Game 3 starter. And if you're going to pinch-hit Kapler for Brown, why was Brown pinch-hitting for someone else in the first place?

Gah. The only good thing to take from that was that hopefully the Sox' owners will now be able to resist the temptation to extend this guy's contract.

 

[Ralph Summa]

You don't feel as bad as we do though. Never mind sleep deprivation, I could just puke.

I can't even discuss the game yet.

I could just puke.

 

[Jason Seaver]

And John Burkett was warming in the pen at the end, Grady's apparent master plan being to use his entire starting rotation in the first game. Okay, I can see not trusting the bullpen and needing to save some for a game that was only a few hours away, but after burning through the three pitchers who've done reasonably well in two innings (while Macha leaned on Foulke for three innings)... Gads.

I'm glad it went until 2:45... Otherwise I would have been angry for hours afterward, as opposed to just so numb and tired that I dropped.

 

[Phil L]

(while Macha leaned on Foulke for three innings)...

One was a seven pitch inning.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Did Tim Wakefield make it into Game 1, or was he also "warming up" (as much as a knuckleballer would need, not much I guess)?

 

[Jason Seaver]

No. He's scheduled to pitch in game 2 this afternoon, so even Grady likely isn't dumb enough to use him last night.

Besides, Wake's not quite as rubber-armed as he used to be; pitching on short rest and in relief between starts isn't something he does quite so well as he used to.

 

[Ralph Summa]

Tell me you didn't say "OH GOD NO" when you saw that.

So much for Grady's latest bullpen theory of "going with the hot hand". Timlin mowed 'em down in the 8th and then took a seat. Maybe Grady's saving him for game 5.

When has Kim ever hit 96 mph? He pitched in the low to mid 80s all year long. Did he reach back for something extra or was there something wrong with the radar gun?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

So much for Grady's latest bullpen theory of "going with the hot hand". Timlin mowed 'em down in the 8th and then took a seat. Maybe Grady's saving him for game 5.

Timlin has been bad to terrible this year when going 2 innings. He has been lights out when going 1. Can't blame Grady for this one, if anything I blame him for pulling Kim when he had good stuff except for the HBP.

 

[Rob Willey]

Tell me you didn't say "OH GOD NO" when you saw that.

Not as much as I screamed at the television when they decided to walk Terrance Long (who's had a lousy season) to get to Ramon Hernandez. Didn't Little remember the monster home run Hernandez hit at Fenway a month ago.

Granted, like everyone else, I wasn't expecting that bunt. And why didn't the third baseman throw to first to try and get the slow-footed catcher??

Very frustrating (and unnecessary) loss for the Sox.

Rob

 

[Patrick Sun]

Game 2 - Red Sox/A's

What was Manny thinking out there in left field?

 

[Steve_Tk]

No clue, but if I were a sox fan I would be mildly worried, not a lot, but a little.

 

[Joseph S]

What was Manny thinking out there in left field?

That his GM and Manager don't know what they're doing. It's too bad Fossum can't go out there on Saturday to show what a terrible decision they made in not getting a number two. Walker still proved that he is Offerman #2 as we all expected him to be when the playoffs rolled around. Where's Nixon? On the bench, instead of at home with the rest of his Montreal Expos. This team hasn't hit good-excellent pitching ever, why would they start now? Anyone equal or better than Hentgen has shut this offense down. Kim has been so effective that even Grady doesn't trust him anymore. He's up a run and he decides he wants to walk and hit every batter he faces once again. Great move Theo, trading for the equivalent of Stanley and Schiraldi and paying him 4 million. Urbina has looked fantastic these past three months unlike the committee of losers. :frowning:

 

[Brian Lawrence]

Stick a fork in 'em and turn 'em over, the Red Sox are done.

 

[Joseph S]

Stick a fork in 'em and turn 'em over, the Red Sox are done.

I wouldn't go that far. They were atrocious in game 2 in '99 and still pulled out the fireworks at home. Pedro is going to have to go 9 at least once though. Their only hope is Lowe, Pedro, Burkett with Wakes/Pedro/Lowe in long and short relief. The rest of the pen can take a seat for the season as they did for the entire regular season anyways.