The 2009 Baseball Playoffs

[Mister Tee]

I was thinking the samed thing, Damien. You could see shots of both Yankee and Angel fans in the stands, in equal agony.

It was obviously a tough loss for a team used to holding onto those leads -- in the movie we've been watching for six months, Hughes strikes out Guerrero with it still 6-5, and two innings later Mo leaps in the air after the final out. But it's hard to feel utter encroaching doom after the Yanks late-rallied from a seeming sure loss in the 1st, and then came from two out/nobody on in the 9th to bases loaded/3-2 count (and isn't that the situation in the most pure baseball fantasy? Trailing by a run, 9th inning, bases loaded, 3-2 count? Swisher apparently didn't get the memo he was supposed to homer in that situation).

I said at the start of the Series that I expected it to go at least 6, and that one win in Anaheim was all I expected. Of course it's easy to get greedy when better is in front of you, but I'll settle for what they've got now.

Unless Saturday goes poorly. Then I'll panic.

[Damien]

Dull.

LMAO!

Nick Swishers at bat in the 9th was excruciating to endure, no matter which team you were rooting for.

[Sonic Youth]

Dull.

[Damien]

Hooray for the Northeast, the greatest region of the United States!

You said it, Sonic! And the numbers prove ir.

The latest Research 2000 poll:

Obama favorability

Fav Unfav

All 55 37

South 27 68
Rest of USA 67 24

NE 82 7
Midwest 62 30
West 59 32

Democratic Party favorability

Fav Unfav

All 41 51

South 21 72
NE 62 26
Midwest 44 48
West 44 50

Republican Party favorability

Fav Unfav

All 21 67

South 48 37
NE 6 87
Midwest 10 78
West 12 75

[Damien]

Tonight's game: Sweet!

[Sonic Youth]

Looks like it'll be an all cold-weather World Series.

Hooray for the Northeast, the greatest region of the United States!

[Mister Tee]

Dull Game = one in which your team loses in a blow out.

Sweet Game = one in which your team wins in a blow out.

Similarly: a great game is one full of tension and late reversals which is won by your team.

It actually wasn't dull through the 5th and 6th innings, when the Angels put enough runners on that a well-timed home run would have changed the gestalt substantially. And Yankee fans have experienced so many such late rallies in Anaheim over the past decade, I don't think anyone truly relaxed till Damon's home run. In retrospect, of course, CC had it fully under control.

The kerfuffle at third base was Keystone Kops all around. Strangely, the culprit was not Jorge (who otherwise had a where's-your-head? night, between not scoring on the double, and starting to leave the diamond after out number two in the 6th), but first Cano, who inexplicably kept his foot off the base (what could it have hurt to touch, Robby?), and then McClellan, who missed what everyone else in the park saw. As with the oddball safe call on the neighborhood play Saturday (which probably was appropriate, but is so seldom called there would have been grumbling had it decided the game), I'm glad no runs scored as a result.

[Sonic Youth]

Sweet!

[Damien]

Well that was a dull game.

Dull Game = one in which your team loses in a blow out.

Sweet Game = one in which your team wins in a blow out.

[Sonic Youth]

And let the record show, your Honor, that I made my initial gripe BEFORE the Posada/Cano 3rd base debacle.

[Mister Tee]

Whether the calls benefit the Yankees or not, these umpires aren't fit to officiate Little League.

The bad calls look like they're evening out. Swisher was out at second, but didn't tag up too early.

In other news...FUCKING ARod!

Wish it was the 8th inning.

[Sonic Youth]

Whether the calls benefit the Yankees or not, these umpires aren't fit to officiate Little League.

[Mister Tee]

And another closer bites the dust, in a particularly ugly way. Forget the double; a walk AND hit batsman shouldn't happen in that situation.

We're now down to only two closers yet to crumble in a key moment. Many might have guessed Mariano would be one of them...but how many would have rated Lidge second?

I was hoping for a longer, competitive series, but it's hard to see the Dodgers regrouping after such a gut-punch. Whatever happened to the days of 6-7 game series?

McCarver is indeed annoying, half the time making pronouncements rather than describing the game. And he shares this trait with Howard Cosell: an ability to convince fans of either team that he's rooting against them.

[Damien]

Does anyone else find Tim McCarver as insufferable as I?

His endless prattling and pontificating over the last quarter century has shown that he only cares about letting the world know what he would do if he were managing (or still calling games for the Cards or Phils), with the game itself of secondary importance. (You also have to wonder about a guy who had a special rapport with the extreme right wing wacko Steve Carlton.)

By contrast. the announcers on TBS are a joy, and Ron Darling is such a natural. They seem like a bunch of very smart guys sitting around talking baseball and sharing their love and knowledge of the game (even if Buck Martinez has a voice that was made for silent movies.)



Edited By Damien on 1256024494

[Damien]

I'm getting a little edgy about Girardi's over-managing -- he goes through relievers like a five-year-old tearing open Christmas presents.

Love that analogy Tee. Great writing!

I didn't get to see the American League game, but it doesn't get much sweeter than what happened to the Dodgers tonight.