One of those factoids that only baseball geeks can track down: The Phillies lost the 1915 World Series to the Red Sox; the 1950 series to the Yankees; the '83 series to the Orioles; and the '93 series to the Blue Jays. So, if they lose now to the Rays, they'll have assembled a full AL East set.
Their one win, 1980, was to the formerly West/now Central Royals.
MLB Playoffs
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Mister Tee
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Mister Tee
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And furthermore...may I say how happy I am that, for the first time since 2001, there's no goddamn wild card team in the Series. It's obviously become beyond hope for the teams with the best records to make the Series (I think '99 was the last time), but an old-time purist like myself wants to believe winning the division still holds some meaning.
The utter newness of the Rays makes this a hard series to call -- it may be the Phillies' experience in last year's playoffs will help them prevail. But the recent AL dominance points me in the Rays' direction.
The utter newness of the Rays makes this a hard series to call -- it may be the Phillies' experience in last year's playoffs will help them prevail. But the recent AL dominance points me in the Rays' direction.
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Mister Tee
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Well, for a Yankee fan like myself, this is the best possible outcome not involving my team: Get Red Sox hopes up, like in days of old, but let them fall just short -- and have the new fresh team go on to the Series. I'm glad the Rays had to fight for it (winning in five would have been too easy), but I'm delighted to see them where they are.
And just in terms of election omens...let me remind everyone what happened the last time Red Sox won the Series in a presidential year. I don't want any chance of a repeat.
And just in terms of election omens...let me remind everyone what happened the last time Red Sox won the Series in a presidential year. I don't want any chance of a repeat.
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Sonic Youth
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FilmFan720
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Mister Tee
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Well, except for some of the games in the Angels/Red Sox series, that wasn't a very interesting first round (apart from the shock of the Cubs' departure).
What did we learn?
The Angels, no matter how unimpressve, will advance if the Yankees are their opponents, but, no matter how impressive, will not if they face the Red Sox. The Angels have no one to blame but their hitters, who (outside of Tori Hunter) couldn't knock in a key run if their livelihoods depended on it. There's some second-guessing of Scioscia for the aborted squeeze last night, but, given how the team had been faring, he had to try something. (And if the batter had instead popped up, everyone would have screamed he should have squeezed)
The one positive for the Rays is, this gives them home field advantage for the next series. Given that both remaining teams have hellacious home-field edges, it could be decisive.
The tendency in the NL is to look at the Dodgers' record and say they're the clear inferior team. But I wonder if an argument can be made that the acquisition of Ramirez, the arrival of Blake, and finding a new, dependable closer made them such a fundamentally stronger team down the stretch that focusing on the composite record is misleading. I don't think the Phillies are all that hot, either, so I can imagine the Dodgers taking the next round. (Joe returns to the Series. Total vindication)
What did we learn?
The Angels, no matter how unimpressve, will advance if the Yankees are their opponents, but, no matter how impressive, will not if they face the Red Sox. The Angels have no one to blame but their hitters, who (outside of Tori Hunter) couldn't knock in a key run if their livelihoods depended on it. There's some second-guessing of Scioscia for the aborted squeeze last night, but, given how the team had been faring, he had to try something. (And if the batter had instead popped up, everyone would have screamed he should have squeezed)
The one positive for the Rays is, this gives them home field advantage for the next series. Given that both remaining teams have hellacious home-field edges, it could be decisive.
The tendency in the NL is to look at the Dodgers' record and say they're the clear inferior team. But I wonder if an argument can be made that the acquisition of Ramirez, the arrival of Blake, and finding a new, dependable closer made them such a fundamentally stronger team down the stretch that focusing on the composite record is misleading. I don't think the Phillies are all that hot, either, so I can imagine the Dodgers taking the next round. (Joe returns to the Series. Total vindication)
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Mister Tee
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Totally gobsmacked. Cubs the first to go -- in 3, yet -- was probably the lowest probability of any post-season outcome this year.
Looks like the Brewers will be following in about an hour...and I wouldn't expect the White Sox to survive all that much longer.
If the Angels fall as well -- and coming back from 0-2 on the road is punishingly difficult -- the two teams with league-best records will have departed in startlingly swift fashion.
Looks like the Brewers will be following in about an hour...and I wouldn't expect the White Sox to survive all that much longer.
If the Angels fall as well -- and coming back from 0-2 on the road is punishingly difficult -- the two teams with league-best records will have departed in startlingly swift fashion.
My deep sympathies, FF. That damn Billy Goat. Let's hope that the Sox fall too so you don't have the wrong Chicago team proceeding . . .FilmFan720 wrote:I'm speechless.
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
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FilmFan720
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Mister Tee
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I never know how to handicap length-of-series. I'll just offer my calls:
Cubs over Dodgers
The Cubs may succumb to their karma somewhere along the line, but they're much too good to fall in the first round. By the way, glad to see Joe Torre here.
Phillies over Brewers
Nothing all that special on either side. But, since Sabathia's presumably limited to one game, the Phils get the edge.
Angels over Red Sox
Everybody talks as if the Yankees "collapsed" this year, but, despite major injuries at pitcher and catcher, they were only six games behind the Red Sox at the end..suggesting the Sox aren't all-that this year. The (100-game-winning) Angels have fallen regularly to the Sox in the playoffs, but this year they've creamed them in the regular season, and this series should be, for them, the equivalent of when the Brett Royals finally outpaced the Yankees.
Rays over White Sox
The White Sox avoided a Mets-like humiliation by winning their last three games. But it's hard to see them as anything close to the Rays, who won the historically toughest division.
My historical symmetry fantasy: This ghastly Republican era began in 1969, the year a NY team upset the heavy favorite in the Super Bowl, and a baseball team that had been a doormat for its decade of existence sprang up startlingly and won the World Series. Wouldn't it be nice if that era ended with just the same? Rays all the way.
Cubs over Dodgers
The Cubs may succumb to their karma somewhere along the line, but they're much too good to fall in the first round. By the way, glad to see Joe Torre here.
Phillies over Brewers
Nothing all that special on either side. But, since Sabathia's presumably limited to one game, the Phils get the edge.
Angels over Red Sox
Everybody talks as if the Yankees "collapsed" this year, but, despite major injuries at pitcher and catcher, they were only six games behind the Red Sox at the end..suggesting the Sox aren't all-that this year. The (100-game-winning) Angels have fallen regularly to the Sox in the playoffs, but this year they've creamed them in the regular season, and this series should be, for them, the equivalent of when the Brett Royals finally outpaced the Yankees.
Rays over White Sox
The White Sox avoided a Mets-like humiliation by winning their last three games. But it's hard to see them as anything close to the Rays, who won the historically toughest division.
My historical symmetry fantasy: This ghastly Republican era began in 1969, the year a NY team upset the heavy favorite in the Super Bowl, and a baseball team that had been a doormat for its decade of existence sprang up startlingly and won the World Series. Wouldn't it be nice if that era ended with just the same? Rays all the way.
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FilmFan720
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