2007 MLB Playoffs (Predictions and Discussion) (1 Viewer)

[Jason Harbaugh]

No idea, but they kept it online only which pissed off a lot of local fans. Then the servers crashed today when they did go onsale. Something like 9million hits in an hour. Estimates of around 500 tickets actually got sold. They are retrying tomorrow at noon, online again.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Turns out that the only Boston pitcher NOT available to pitch in the ALCS Game #7 was Wakefield. Apparently his back is really giving him problems.

I hope he's available for Game #4 of the WS. I can only imagine what the knuckleball might look like in the thin air of Coors Field.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I'm trying very hard not to imagine that; I'm thinking it might be a good idea to make him the Game 2 started for the specific purpose of avoiding it.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I was thinking the thinness of air might give it even a little more dipsey-doodle.

Kinda like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Guys might swing two or three times on the same pitch!

 

[Jason Seaver]

Nope. Breaking stuff, including knuckleballs, dies in the altitude. Plus, Wakefield's a fly ball pitcher anyway.

It might be a moot point; I've heard Wake's back is acting up again. They'd probably replace him with Lester in the rotation (apparently, the Rockies suck against lefties) and Tavarez on the roster. Which also avoids the problem of having to waste a spot in the lineup on Mirabelli one day.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Breaking stuff dies in thin air because of reduced friction on the spinning ball, which causes less of an airfoil effect, thus decreasing the curve of the ball. A knuckleball does not spin at all and thus the effect of air conditions on a knuckler has been argued by everyone from fans to physicists; so like the hot/cold, humid/dry, stadium/dome and windy/calm arguments, I believe the dense vs. thin air effect is probably up for grabs.

 

[Trey Fletcher]

Moot point, as Wakefield didn't make the roster.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Actually I was thinking about the players themselves running low on oxygen and getting tired quicker at altitude. An outfielder running around a lot may find himself tired after a few innings at 5,000 feet.

 

[Jason Seaver]

... And that, gentlemen, is how we do it in the American League.

I've got a conference call with colleagues in Colorado in about fifty minutes, which should be fun. The phrase "so, that's your team's best starting pitcher?" might get broken out.

That said, I don't expect the rest of the series to be nearly as lopsided - there's only one Beckett - but, wow, was that fun.

 

[Marvin]

I guess if you're gonna give up 13 (or however many) runs, you might as well do it on a night Beckett is shutting down your offense ...

 

[Shane Martin]

I'll say what everyone else is saying "I wonder how much the layoff hurt Colorado?"

 

[Phil_L]

I had the distinct pleasure of being at Fenway for Game 1. BEST. GAME. EVER! What a great way to kick it off. Bringing Gange in usually gives me an ulcer, but with the 12-run lead, that move was sure not to have much of a negative effect on the game. He pitched surprisingly well.


Oh yeah............and Beckett was brilliant.

 

[Mike Frezon]

We'll never know.

 

[DavidJ]

Oh, I think we know.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Not unless we gain the ability to look into a parallel universe where it took them five to seven games to beat the Diamondbacks. Admittedly, I'm a big enough Sox fan to think that the first two games would be somewhat similar either way - the Wednesday night beating was the same sort that Boston administered to Cleveland the last couple of days, and the second game is one that really shouldn't have been so close (the Sox usually do nasty things to pitchers as wild as Jiminez).

 

[Haggai]

I'm still wondering how Holliday ended up about 10 feet from first base when Papelbon picked him off to end the 8th. The only time I've ever seen anyone out by that much on a pickoff is when they're already running toward second!

 

[Mike Frezon]

HAD to be an out-and-out brain fart. The announcers said that was Papelbon's first major-league pick-off.

It was also pretty amazing that Holliday's hit didn't take down Papelbon! I think Pap's dancing moves may have helped!

 

[Haggai]

Maybe Holliday forgot about Ellsbury's steal earlier in the game and got distracted by having the weight of an entire nation's desire for a free taco weighing on his shoulders?

 

[Mike Frezon]

I saw a headline today: Tacoby Ellsbury!

 

[Haggai]

There was a blog post somewhere that went with the obviously more complete "Tacoby Bellsbury"... *groan*

Maybe those "participating outlets" of Taco Bell will be playing a muzak version of "Sweet Caroline" when people come in for their free food?