That's a great intro, Robert. Aaron nailed it.

Pedro's emotional state might decide this. He's going to be subjected to a lot of abuse, and inevitably, he's going to throw inside. If he can keep his aggressive impulses under control, while pouring that energy into his pitches, it could be a long night for Yankee fans. It would make me happier if Martinez is driven from the game early. It's not like I'm hoping for Clemens; something like last night's Cubs-Marlins battle would be perfect.

Joe Torre is leaving himself wide open with this lineup, so let me be the first to second-guess. Once again, he's chosen Enrique Wilson's iron glove over Aaron Boone at third, based on Wilson's fluky results against Pedro in a couple of regular-season games. At least Joe isn't putting him in the leadoff spot tonight. Dropping Giambi to seventh will also raise some eyebrows. Imagine if Williamson gets Williams, Matsui and Posada in the ninth with the tying run on base, leaving Jason in the on-deck circle. Moving Nick Johnson up to the 2-hole is another hunch that could backfire.

I can't root for Loria against anyone. Tonight is for the championship. May the better team win.

That was some alert base-running from Walker. If that's any indication of how this game'll be played, we're in for a treat.

I posted a link last night to a Most Wanted poster for Steve Bartman. Today it, apparently, was talked about in USA Today and eventually the guys running whichwayup.org felt the pressure enough to remove it. I know that Bartman isn't at all responsible for the Cubs implosion but I had a great laugh and it's a shame it came down. It's called a joke for a reason.

Wow Torre must have no belief in Giambi if he's batting 7th, and once again Enrique Wilson starts. A mistake in my opinion although Boone hasnt been doing to well himself. One more thought, everyone keeps going on about how Pedro isnt looking like himself but he didnt look like himself in the previous game either, I think he got hurt in the Oakland series. I just hope Grady has Wakefield ready.

For me, tagging up from first and advancing to second on a flyball is one of the most aesthetically pleasing plays in baseball.

On the HR by Nixon, they had a nice long shot of Williams giving up on it almost as soon as it left his bat.

2-0 Sox.

For me, tagging up from first and advancing to second on a flyball is one of the most aesthetically pleasing plays in baseball.
I'd have to disagree with that, especially when you're getting there on a flyball that makes the second out. It means that on a two out single you're scoring for SURE since at the crack of the bat you're running (so long as the ball isn't directly at the 3rd baseman).

Roger's giving up some solid hits in the second. I'm enjoying this.

I would have made that play!

Is there any precedent for dropping a player like Giambi in the order for a seventh game? I'm flabbergasted.

Wilson just proved my other point, so you can fit Torre for the goat horns already. 3-0 Boston.

This may well be Rogers last game,I think the Sox bats will overcome,

A,

Your explanation doesn't explain why you disagree with me.

"aesthetically pleasing," I interpretted to mean useless. The reason it isn't useless is that it gets a guy one single away from scoring.

A,

No. It means perceiving something to be beautiful and feeling good about that. E.G., if I like impressionist painting, a painting by Monet might be "aesthetically pleasing" to me.

Ok if Enrique Wilson was 7 for 8 this year against Pedro but lifetime is 10 for twenty that means he was 3 for 12 before this year, so why is he starting?!? because he did good in the equivilent of two games this year? does anyone know if those 8 at-bats came in two games or if they were spaced out? either way it doesnt seem to be exactly great logic to me, especially since Wilson was 0 for 4 in game 3.

Yes, yes...But it implies that what you like about it is the look, not the utility involved.

Roger's given up a few shots, and Pedro's not going to lose his cool with this cushion. It looks good for the Sox. George Steinbrenner, who has been known to look for a scapegoat, isn't too pleased with his manager right now.

A,

I can like both things about it, I don't think the one precludes the other.

Millar hits an aesthetically pleasing rocket off the Rocket. 4-0 in a quiet stadium. Even the running game is working.

Clemens is gone. Maybe for good.

But that's the point of an aesthetic, it's only skin deep. This is truly getting to knit-picking. A miscommunication occured.

The important part is that the Rocket has landed.

But that's the point of an aesthetic, it's only skin deep. This is truly getting to knit-picking. A miscommunication occured.

The important part is that the Rocket has landed.

The fox announcers are making a big deal about Mueller and his hitting the hole but Soriano moved over too so it really wou'dnt have mattered. Instead of brilliant hitting by Mueller it seems more like poor communication by Jeter and Soriano. And now Clemens is pulled, wow, Torre is managing for his life now.

Not the kind of stage exit Roger Clemens had in mind. I'm not going to jinx anything by speculating about whether we will see Roger again on a major league ballfield.

That's if you believe that beauty is only skin-deep ;-)

Sewriously though, we witnessed another "beautiful" (but risky) play - a well-executed hit and run. When I saw the ball leave the bat, I was thinking automatic GIDP.

http://economics.about.com
I don't know why you idiots are even watching this. Don't you know that the Yankees have already bought the championship!

Idiots.

Mussina comes into a very tough spot and gets a huge ground ball; Jeter turns two. Keeps the Yankees in this, but Pedro isn't giving them much to hit.

McCarver was babbling away about Martinez mixing up his pitches, but when he paused for breath, Boone said, "actually he's relying on his fastball," about three seconds before Pedro threw one past Bernie Williams.

Timmy? Sssshhh.

Call me a pessimist, but I still think the Yanks are going to win this.

Torre's obviously not having the same insights as McKeon did the night before the Marlin's game 7.

Back in the first inning, when Matsui was so distracted he didn't know the count, he was probably wondering why he was hitting in that spot instead of Giambi. I know I was.

Jason led off the fifth with a solo blast to get the crowd back in it, but Enrique Wilson (0-for-2, costly error) was retired easily, Garcia was no match, and Pedro owns Soriano.

Call me a pessimist, but I still think the Yanks are going to win this.

Red Sox fans have to feel like Charlie Brown right now, positive that Lucy isn't going to snatch the football away.

I'm glad Mussina is out of this game, but I expect to see Rivera start the 8th.

Thank god... I've been tortured all night, wondering desperately whether tonight was a good night to be in a blimp. Thank you, Fox Baseball! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Pedro should be yanked after 7, let Timlin and Williamson handle the 8/9 and hand Pedro the ball in game 2 or 3 of the WS.

New York is crawling with Red Sox fans at this hour, stepping out of bars and restaurants to smoke and chest-thump. I just got home.

Coach, I was with you in first-guessing the decision to hit Giambi at #7. Anytime you have a premiere power hitter -- even if he's slumping -- you have to hit him after the guys most likely to get on.

Plus, can't you see a ninth-inning scenario in which Giambi gets walked, so the Red Sox reliever gets to face...Enrique Wilson? Aaron Boone? Another player off the weak Yankees bench?

(I started typing that before Giambi's second bomb of the game.)

Sorry but I guess this doesn't belong here ... I can't create new topics.

I was wondering if anyone knows what type of draft picks the jays get if escobar signs with another team ---

i.e.
how many ?
what location ?
who determines this ?

thanks a lot.

Soriano is the batter Pedro must get - Johnson is the Yankee I'd least like to face with the bases loaded.

With the tying runs on, Soriano almost pulls a double down the line, but it's foul. He fights off a 94 mph fastball -- Pedro is getting stronger -- then chases one away for his fourth strikeout of the night. Next to Torre, he's been the worst Yankee.

I don't think Pedro is hurt, he evidently needs an unusual number of pitches to loosen up the shoulder. He's been hitting 93/94 MPH consistently the last 2 innings. He threw harder in the latter innings after his bad inning in Game 3 as well.

Newbie, I'm sure someone will get around to answering your questions, but in the eighth inning of a seventh game, I don't care.

Roger Clemens and David Wells both getting beaten up in the same game? Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

Great to see one of my least favourite players give up a bomb.

Joe Torre - the overmanaging police are here. They'd like a word with you.

So much for Boomer out of the bullpen. Ortiz mashes Wells' first pitch for an enormous insurance run. The crowd's enthusiasm was building, but they're quiet again.

Just to clarify - if it's my game, I bring Mariano in at the beginning of the 8th. My goal is to maximize my chances of keeping the Red Sox at 4 runs until the conclusion of the 9th. If my hitters tie it up and it goes extra - that's when you can bring in Nelson, Wells, Weaver, White in that order.

Amazing! Clemens and Wells get roughed up. And not to jinx anything, but Mussina and Giambi, who signed the supposed "guaranteed championship" contracts, just may continue to go without...

Grady! That's criminal- you've got Embree, use him!

I respect Martinez's accomplishments but this si not one of those times you give a guy the choice. You've got a great bullpen, use it. This is probably out of gutlessness, if Pedro screws up it's his own fault.

Grady Little stays too long with his ace and it's 5-3, with the Yankees a single away from tying the game.

Smart fan...

OMG, Grady Little is now proving the stuborness that he showed with the hit/run fiascos. Since he let Pedro stay in against the first lefty, he's not making any move til this innings over or the Red Sox fall behind. Truly sad.

Grady Little, you are a moron.

Why wasn't Pedro taken out 3 or 4 batters ago? Grady, he's on short rest and out of gas.

My wish has been granted. Clemens and Pedro both blow it, Little comes from behing to out-mis-manage Torre, and Charlie Brown is starting to wonder about that football...

Matsui? Ill-advised.

POSADA? Egregious!

Haven't been around the Box lately due to any number of reasons but let me summarize what my comments would have been had I been here:

Best. Postseason. Ever.

Lucy just pulled away the ball, again

Are you kidding me??? WALK GIAMBI!! It's Enrique and Karim in the hole!

Best. Postseason. Ever.

Not the best played, not the best teams, but an unbelievable number of the the most incredible games for drama and fantastic finishes. This one is no exception.

Agreed, Coach. There's been drama in nearly every game.

Timlin's been great, but this is enormous pressure and he walked Garcia on four pitches. Uh-oh...

Will a trip to the mound really do anything for a 13 year vet like Timlin?

At first I was thinking that the Sox wouldn't want to walk Giambi because that puts another runner on base that could potentially come around and socre. Then they walk Sierra who, aside from last night, is no significant threat.

I am completely flabbergasted.

Pedro had no business starting that inning. Grady has Embree, Timlin, and Williamson in the pen, and they've all been pitching great. Why not use them? Nobody would question you for pulling your starting pitcher, who was obviously tiring.

Instead, he lets himself get overruled by his adrenaline drenched egomaniac star, and leaves him in _way_ too long.

This postseason would have been way less exciting if the field managers actually had a few brain cells to rub together

That was a great play that may have just saved Boston's season.

Walker just made an INCREDIBLE PLAY to temporarily save the series for the Sox. Let's remember the ball Jeter hit for a double - a ball that was misplayed by Nixon.

Mariano must come into the game now.

Where to begin?

Little eschewed Embree against Enrique Freaking Wilson to call on Timlin to face Sierra. Then, Little did something I hate: make a fresh reliever intentionally walk the first batter he faces. Suddenly, the pitcher's lost his rhythm and release point.

Unsurprisingly, Timlin promptly gives up a four-pitch unintentional walk before barely avoiding a Soriano calamity.

That was a gutsy 3-1 fastball over the heart of the plate but what did them in was playing for no doubles.

The hit and run AGAIN?!? You've got the right guys up but there is a time to give up on it. Maybe after the third failure?

Timlin, and whoever pitches for Boston while it's tied, faces Aura and Mystique and carries the weight of the Curse. When you think about not making a bad pitch, that's when it happens.

I think Jeter and I had the same question: was strike two a called strike or did his bat slip and "go around"? I still can't tell but the 'strike' looked pretty low.

Never mind the Marlins. Let's have the Yanks and Sox play in the World Series.

Assuming this goes a while in what amounts to extra innings, that means that the Boston pen will have pitched scoreless ball, unless there's an unusual trading of runs in extra innings. But if the pen holds the Yanks, why wouldn't they have done so one inning earlier, with Pedro out after the 7th?

"Too Little, too Late?"
Retribe

Derek Jeter, a clutch god? Try Todd Walker, with another sensational play.

Nerves of steel for Timlin and another defensive gem by Walker to push it to extra innings. What would you expect?

It was a called strike two.

The hit and run, with Mariano in the game, the score tied in the 9th (or extras) is a vastly different thing from a hit and run in one of the first three innings.

Wakefield, already a Boston hero, tries to hold his team in it until Rivera is done.

A very gutsy call to bring in Wakefield.

Sorry about my delay in my postseason history series. Frankly, after work, I've been watching too much baseball lately!

How many pitches can Rivera throw in this game before losing effectiveness? Any guesses?

They are already taking a chance using Mo for a third inning. He hasn't done that for three years, and it could be a psychological hurdle. I'm sure he's done after this, and they might go to Contreras.

I'm not sure Robert, but I'm curious to know his longest stint this season. Can't be more than three.

He's thrown 40 pitches to this point. 60 seems like a maximum.

It's over.

With his brother in the booth even...

Just awesome!

Boone is the unlikely hero, with an 11th inning HR. What a game.

Hate the Sox! ;)

I expect Grady Little to be fired before spring training. People complained about Bob Brenly's dubious moves in 2001, or Dusty Baker this year and last, but I can't remember when I've seen such inept managing in a crucial game.

"Bret Boone, World Series hero". Wrong on so many levels.

"Bret Boone, World Series hero". Wrong on so many levels.
The two levels I see are that it's spelled Brett and that it was Aaron that hit the HR ;-)

That. Was. The. Stupidest. Managing. I. Have. Ever. Seen.

The Red Sox should fire little NOW, for his own safety. Forget the off season or spring training, I fear for his life.

A great moment. Wish I could appreciate it more, but of course I still hate the Yankees.

At least the WS will probably be over quickly.

This one was a kick to the nuts of Boston fans... and yet me Grimlock feel no remorse for them, unlike the Cubs. Then again, they're not showing old ladies in Boston gear crying. What a historic collapse! Unbelievable. How do the Yankees ALWAYS do it? It's mind-boggling.

As long as I block out Antichrist Loria, then the Marlins will be easy to cheer for:

Ivan Rodriguez - back injury not so serious after all
Miguel Cabrera - 20 year old natural
Mike Lowell - goofy looky, even with the goatee
Josh Beckett - studly in game 5 _and_ game 7
Jeff Conine - why not, he seems like a nice enough guy
Alex Gonzalez - at least he's not the "other alex"

Mike Mussina won't get as much credit as he deserves for this, but he made the comeback possible. Rivera was tremendous, too. All I can say is that baseball's two best teams are in the AL East, and I believe the Yanks won the "real" world championship tonight. But who knows what other surprises are in store in this amazing postseason?

A,
I was quoting the Fox on-field reporter when he concluded his interview with Aaron Boone; he said it was Bret (correctly spelled with one 't'), and he also called him a "World Series hero", when they just won the ALCS.

Despite spending the better part of the game trying to make any kind of sense of Tim McCarver, that was some finish. I couldn't help but feel excited for the Yanks the way they came back; once they started getting to Martinez it looked like trouble.

I also have to comment (once again) on what a tremendous job Theo Epstein and friends did this year with the Red Sox. From Todd Walker to David Ortiz to Kevin Millar and BY Kim, they added so many key players to get the Sox to the playoffs. But for a manager that had the courage to pull Pedro Martinez when he reached his limit with a 3 run lead, it may have been a different story.

Didn't hear that comment, Justin, too much shock.

I'm also a bit surprised with Rivera being named MVP.

Mike Mussina won't get as much credit as he deserves for this, but he made the comeback possible. Rivera was tremendous, too. All I can say is that baseball's two best teams are in the AL East, and I believe the Yanks won the "real" world championship tonight. But who knows what other surprises are in store in this amazing postseason?


Hey Coach, get some tinfoil, McCarver is stealing your thoughts!

I must agree with you both though -- the Yankees were hemorrhaging, and Mussina came in and stopped the bleeding.

How do the Yankees ALWAYS do it? It's mind-boggling.

I think it's because Joe Torre usually outmanages his counterpart, especially on platoon matters. He took Jimy to the woodshed that way in '99.

Coach,

I have my doubts. I think that a fully stocked Oakland team - with Mulder - is a little bit better than either of these teams.

Rivera deserved it. He did a great job in all 4 victories, none of the hitters had a great series, and the other pitchers had their lapses.

Cubs and Red Sox: Five outs away. Three-run leads. Aaagh!

I had Karim pegged as the walkoff guy. I was off by a batter. Tsk. Would've been nice to see the guy traded for Luis Gonzalez be the hero.

Hey, A, it's actually "Bret" (one "t") ... but the two levels of wrongness are (A) it was Aaron and (B) it wasn't the World Series. That field reporter was awful. Anyway, a smart booth guy could've covered by pretending the field reporter was throwing the comment back to Bret, even though that would've been a blatant cover.

Now who starts Saturday? Pettitte?

By the way, the Dark Side of being a Yankee fan -- my third or fourth thought after AB's walkoff homer was "thank good ness ... now George is less likely to rip the team's roster to shreds in the offseason."

Now who starts Saturday? Pettitte?

Wells, I imagine. But since I'm pulling hard for Florida, I'm hoping for Weaver!

Wells, or perhaps Contreras! Pettitte would have to work on 2 days rest - very unlikely.

Thanks, Mick. I'm glad there are two people to point out my brain dead ways ;-)...Though in my defense, Bret is usually spelt Brett (at least from my experiences with Brett's)

Yankees-Marlins... my least-favourite playoff team in both leagues. Joy.
I blame this on Bret Boone... why couldn't Mia Hamm have been in the booth, or even Trot Nixon's grandmother?

I think that a fully stocked Oakland team - with Mulder - is a little bit better than either of these teams.

I disagree. I don't think Mulder, Hudson and Zito are SO much better than Mussina, Pettite, Clemens, that it compensates for the much deeper Yankee lineup.

Plus of course, Oakland relies heavily on Eric Chavez, who has proven to be one of the worst post-season performers ever, while the Yankees (I'm gritting my teeth saying this) have several hitters who have been superlative post-season performers. Plus it always seems some unlikely source comes up big (Of course thinking of Boone tonight, or Brosius in past years).

Cubs and Red Sox: Five outs away. Three-run leads. Aaagh!

Curse their luck.

You know, the Yankees hitters didn't do that much this series against the Sox - not exactly a collection of dominant pitchers. The lineup isn't all that deep: Karim Garcia and Aaron Boone aren't very good hitters, and Soriano has a tendency to get himself out. Bernie is a shadow of his former self, Giambi has had a lot of problems with the fastball. It really isn't that much better than what Oakland has. The Yankees score lots of runs when they are able to work a lot of walks - they weren't able to do that in this series and Oakland pitchers throw LOTS of strikes.

The difference in this series was (Grady) Little. Oakland should have swept the Red Sox, if not for stupid baserunning errors in game 3 that were really just one-offs. And that was without Mulder. I think Macha would have done a better job in tonight's game - he would have easily outmanaged Torre - who brought in Rivera too late and wasted Nelson and Wells for little benefit.

What a game , this is baseball ! Darn , I wanted the hated Red Sox to win and the even more hated Steinbrainers to lose.

What every Box Reader is thinking now is " who the heck do I cheer for in the World Series". " Not the hated Yankees , No Way can I cheer for Mr. Vilified , sculk out of Montreal LORIA Team !"

I am going to Cheer for lots of World Series gut wrenching baseball like we witnessed tonight ! Go ???????????????

I have my doubts. I think that a fully stocked Oakland team - with Mulder - is a little bit better than either of these teams.

No way. Boston with a manager who's not afraid to use Embree, Timlin, Williamson, and Kim (yeah, I really believe he's hurt) is a better team. At least on paper.

There's a funny quip in this week's New Yorker by former Red Sox stathead Mike Gimbel about why this year's team has a better shot than the '99 team: "Nobody could be as bad as Jimy Williams."

I'm not so sure.

Little stinks.

Is it too late for me to change my vote for Mis-Manager of the year?

Jurgen,

He did use all those guys against Oakland and by the grace of god they survived that series. And that was a Mulderless A's team. Games 1, 4 and 5 were evenly fought games, but Oakland dominated games 2 and 3. How can you be confident that Boston was really the better team when they were clearly outplayed by the Athletics?

Oakland would be better if they had an offense. But they went large stretches of the year with dormant bats, making pitchers like Zambrano (of the Rays) look like Pedro (of 1999). Oakland did it with defense this year, but, that wasn't enough for a long series.

I say go Marlins!! The only team undefeated in post-season series. . . The Yanx have to turn into the latest version of the Braves. . .

Now we have this to look forward to: (1) announcers praising the defense of Jeter; (2) seventh inning stretches that go on for 20 minutes in the name of patriotism; (3) all Mariano, all the time; and (4) Yankee fans who think they are the greatest, not realizing that any town could support a consistent winner.

Any other Yankee ditties any one else cares to contribute that they just hate?

Retribe

Robert, I don't see how you can say Oakland was the best team in the playoffs this year, with or without Mulder. Their offense stunk. There's no nice way to say it. In a short series that doesn't matter so much, but if you're talking about complete teams, the A's come up short.

I just saw the press conference with Little Grady. He made some excuses about a tired Pedro being better than anyone in the Sox bullpen. With his southern drawl I was expecting him to say

"Stupid is as stupid does"

Without Mulder they aren't better than the Yankees. With Mulder I think they are. Their hitters generated quite a bit of offence in the 2nd half of the season, and were actually above average overall if you adjust for park. It's just not true to say their offence stinks.

Who's claiming the Yankees or Red Sox are a complete team? I'd like to meet them. The Yankees' offence has holes in it and their bullpen depth is soft. I don't think Oakland had more weaknesses than that.

Another thought. When was the last time an LCS game got better ratings than any subsequent World Series game?

Their hitters generated quite a bit of offence in the 2nd half of the season, and were actually above average overall if you adjust for park.

Blah, blah, blah. Spin, spin, spin. They were a lousy offense that was made worse in the playoffs because the one player other than Hatteberg who actually knows how to work the count -- Durazo -- kept swinging at the first pitch when the team most needed him to get on base. While Boston and New York are not complete teams, this current A's team can't do it when they have to, and along with their inept offense that is why I don't feel that they are the best team in the playoffs. Feel free to blame the ball park if you wish.

Gitz, those are facts. You saying the A's hitters are lousy doesn't make it so.

http://economics.about.com
Oh man! What a great game. These have seriously been the best playoffs I can remember.. right up there with '86, at least.

Has anyone else gotten this spam mail from "David Wells"?

"Hello,

David Wells wants you to connect to his/her private ZeroDegrees.com People Network.

Comment from David Wells:
Hello! You and I exchanged business cards at some point over the last two years."

It goes on from there. For some reason I thought it was really funny that "David Wells" would be e-mailing me about 20 minutes after the Yankees won game 7.

Mike

Just to chime in again about this Yankee offence vs. A's offence debate, let me put it this way: I would take the offensive production of the Yankee starter at first base, second base, catcher, DH, left field and centre field. Yes, I know Matsui is only mediocre and Williams is definitely on the downside. But they contribute more than Terrence Long and Eric Byrnes.

I'll take the A's starter at short, and at third (but only in the REGULAR season). Right field is pretty much a dead zone for both teams.

So that's six line-up spots to two, with one tie. Sure, the flaws in the Yankees' hitters that Robert pointed out are valid. But the As just don't have much better.

Separated at birth? John McNamara and Grady Little.

Boston have had a lot of very good teams over the last 15 years but when Jimy one M is your best manager in that time you should be spending more time on picking your manager.

Other than Little and McNamara we had Kevin, I dont know what I am doing, Kennedy and Butch Blow Hobson. Tell Theo to get a decent manager and the Sox might beat the Yankees.

Torre took Roger out early when he knew he didn't have his good stuff. Little stuck with Pedro too long.

http://economics.about.com
What about Joe Morgan? I thought he did a pretty good job of managing the Red Sox about 15 years ago.

Mike

I came in to rant about Grady Little, but I see it's already been done. 122 posts - wow. The question is, who made the Wakefield call: Little or Epstein?

Whomever it was, they just ruined my world series and forced me to watch stupid hockey two weeks early.

Ouch. Yankees-Marlins. I won't be watching the Series: either Loria gets a World Series title, or George does. Bleah.

I almost prefer George, except for one thing: if the Yankees win the Series, it's more likely that the best free agents will migrate to New York, thus repeating the cycle. And I'd like the Blue Jays to win one sometime soon :-).

http://economics.about.com
As I diehard Expos fan I dislike Loria as much as anyone. But if the Marlins win I'll be happy for guys like Pudge, and Dontrelle Willis, and Josh Beckett. For all the negatives of a Marlins wins, there's a lot of positives. I don't see why disliking the owner should make you stop watching a series. It has the potential to be a great one, and as a baseball fan I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Besides, as bad as Loria and Steinbrenner are, they're nowhere near as bad as Punch Imlach. :)

Mike

I came in to rant about Grady Little, but I see it's already been done. 122 posts - wow. The question is, who made the Wakefield call: Little or Epstein?


The call to Wakefield was nowhere near as bad as some of the other decisions Little made over the last few days. I don't think he was any worse an option than going to Williamson or Lowe, or sticking with Timlin for another inning.

Game 6: not yanking Burkett at the first sign of trouble. The Red Sox deserved to lose that game, and were incredibly lucky to come back.

Game 7: sending Pedro out for the start of the 8th, when he was clearly tiring (he barely escaped the 7th inning).

Game 7: leaving Pedro in after he started to struggle.

Grady blew it. He should be fired immediately, and replaced with someone who is capable of making high pressure in-game decisions.

Paging Davey Johnson, paging Davey Johnson...

Who else thinks that Aaron Boone saved Brian Cashman's job?

I don't know about Cashman, but he probably saved Joe Torre's. That's the only silver lining in this utter nightmare. Torre seems to be a real class act, who's had more than his share of personal hardship. And he's at least decent as a manager

I doubt many of the readers here were listening to last night's game on the radio, but I was. Joe Morgan said in the 4th inning (when Pedro was gaining velocity on his fastball and had very few pitches under his belt) that he could see that Pedro could not go 9. He repeated it every inning thereafter.

I've got some issues about Joe's analysis of baseball, but for pure observation of players in an in-game context there are few better.

In the end, both series were very close, and in a close series a manager can make a difference (remember how Howser outmanaged Cox in the 85 playoffs through use of his pitchers, and in particular Danny Jackson to weed out the left-handed hitters early and clear the decks for Quisenberry). In both series, managerial handling of the pitching staff played a significant role in the outcome.

I'm done watching baseball for the year. Loria vs. Steinbrenner hmmph!

Little vs Brenley, now there's a matchup I'd watch. ;-)

One last verse:

Woe is me:

Though goats and Babe the curses be,
the losers they are plain to see.

'Twas coaches Little and Dusty,
who brought their cities to their knees.

But 'member this, pull tired pitchers please,
for now its Marlins vs damn Yankees in '03.

It was an outstanding game to watch, but it would have been better if it was A's and Jays, or really any combination of teams but those two. A strong dislike comes nowhere close to describing how I feel about either team. It's a sad state of affairs when one has to cheer for Jeffrey Loria, but I'd love to see a lot of the players on the Marlins win it, and to see the Yankees lose would be great.

I had heard already that Little was on thin ice with Theo and, as has been stated above, I don't think he'll be back next year. He left in an obviously labouring Pedro for too long, with Embree ready to face Matsui. Posada is better against lefties, noticably over his career, and Pedro did almost jam him, but you have to think a fresh Embree would have been better than a tired Pedro anyway. The Matsui call was the big mistake, and he almost compounded the problems by not leaving Embree in to face Enrique Wilson. Wilson over the last three years has been noticably worse against lefties, and Little had to know Sierra would come of the bench to face Timlin. Therefore, he already knew he'd walk Sierra when that happened, leading to Karim Garcia against Mike Timlin, who has just thrown four straight balls. Or you could have Embree facing Wilson, with only one runner on instead of two. I think Little is lucky that his Timlin move didn't blow up worse than it did. The Wakefield call was interesing, and I wonder if Theo had a say in that.

Postseason is a very small sample size, and I'd take Eric Chavez over Aaron Boone or Enrique Wilson for any 5 game series, as the odds are with Chavez being the better player. How many people were talking about his "lack of clutch" performance when he hit .381/.435/.524 in the ALDS last year? Besides, positional analysis (I'll take Team A over Team B at 6 positions, so they are better) is flawed, as it fails to account for the differences in performance between the two players, and only considers which one is better.

I understand the sentiment of not watching the Series because you have no rooting interest, but for a lot of us, that's been true of most of the playoffs, and if you haven't been watching, you sure have missed a lot of astonishing baseball.

Anyone who thinks Steinbrenner is worse than Loria is entitled to his opinion, though it couldn't be more wrong. One's only baseball "crime" is wanting to win at any cost. The other took advantage of his friendship with the Commissioner to line his pockets at the expense of the good citizens of Montreal. Loria is part of the corrupt Selig power bloc that always puts profits above the interests of the fans. George stands alone with the guts to defy them.

Other reasons (not really necessary) to cheer for the Yankees are a preference for patient Nick Johnson at-bats and Giambi clouts to chopped infield singles and stolen bases, and an allegiance to the AL as the better circuit. I have never doubted that the best four teams in the tournament were in the AL. From the beginning, I thought only the Giants among the NL teams had a chance to win it all, and only if they somehow faced the Twins. My contention that the Jays finished a very respectable third in baseball's best division (and that last night was the Series-deciding game, not just for the pennant) will be supported when the Yanks make short work of the Fish.

I love Josh Beckett, by the way, but he's not going to be facing Miller, Grudz, A-Gone, and a pitcher this weekend, and he's a one-man rotation. I'll be surprised if it goes six.

I realize post-season baseball provides only a limited opportunity to excel. However, Chavez has now had 85 ABs in the post-season, which is a small but not inconsequential number, and his numbers are: .164/.193/.235 In other words, as bad as a pitcher.

As for position-by-position comparisons--yes, it's a quick n dirty way to compare teams, but since I was arguing who has the better lineup, I consider it valid.

Other reasons (not really necessary) to cheer for the Yankees are a preference for patient Nick Johnson at-bats and Giambi clouts to chopped infield singles and stolen bases, and an allegiance to the AL as the better circuit.

I prefer chopped infield singles and stolen bases, though I realize that it's a lot harder to build a good offence around them as opposed to walks and homeruns. The Herzog Cardinals are second only to the Big Red Machine as far as fun-to-watch teams in my lifetime.

When the Blue Jays are out of it, to the extent that I cheer for one league over another (usually I focus on the team whose players I like more), I cheer for the NL. That's only because I hate the DH with a passion. The NL has been more competitive, top-to-bottom over the last decade or so and should be considered the "better" circuit.

I submit that the Twins were the weakest team of the 8 in the playoffs. In a startlingly weak division they won about 90 games - basically the same level of performance as the Blue Jays when you adjust for schedule. Here is how I would rank the teams on paper.

#1/#2 New York/Oakland (Oakland first if I'm allowed to count Mulder, Yankees first otherwise)
#3 Boston (narrowly over #4)
#4 Atlanta (lots of good hitters and a good defence)
#5 Chicago (due to mid-season editions, considerably better than they were in the first half)
#6 San Francisco (a healthy Bonds plus a good pitching staff is good no matter what the rest of the team looks like)
#7 Florida
#8 Minnesota

Also the two most exciting players playing in the World Series are Marlins (I'll let you guess who I'm talking about).

Coach, I can't agree with you about the Fish and the Yankees. The Yankees are not the team they once were and the Fish are a completely different team since the arrivals of Cabrera and McKeon.

The Yankees should be favorites, but narrow ones. The oddsmakers have it at something like 2.5-1, and if I were a betting man, the Fish would have my nickel.

It's a short series, and the Yankees could very well sweep the Fish. But, it's more likely that it will go seven, and if it does, I like the Fish's chances.

they're nowhere near as bad as Punch Imlach

Moffatt, ENOUGH with your relentless Buffalo-Sabres-bashing!

http://economics.about.com
Moffatt, ENOUGH with your relentless Buffalo-Sabres-bashing!

I can't help it. Just look at what they've done with the Rochester Americans!!!

Mike

The Herzog Cardinals are second only to the Big Red Machine as far as fun-to-watch teams in my lifetime.

No disagreement there, Robert. The White Rat, who learned everything he knew from Casey, is my second-favourite manager, and was a helluva GM at the same time.

I also hate the DH, but I don't let that affect my affection for the American League teams. After more than 40 years of allegiance to the Cardinals, I'm running out of patience with TLR, so I don't really "like" anyone in the NL these days.

I can't quarrel with your analysis of the teams "on paper," but I gave the Twins some leeway because of what I perceived as good chemistry. A lot of good that did them against the Yankees starters. I would suggest that the Mariners were better than at least two of the NL playoff clubs, which only adds to my perception that the leagues are currently imbalanced. The NL has more parity, but the best teams -- and the worst -- play in the AL.

two most exciting players playing in the World Series are Marlins

I'll give you Pudge, who affects a game so many ways, but his one weakness -- pitch calling -- may be exposed by this Yankees lineup. After that, I don't think Florida has anyone as exciting as Mariano Rivera.

One thing I will say is, the Marlins have the best tenth man. Juan Encarnacion would have been an upgrade as a regular for several playoff teams. The return of Lowell banished him to the Florida bench, but in the Bronx, he'll play. The DH might have further exposed the thin benches of some other NL clubs, but it won't hurt these guys.

Bottom line, I think the Yankees will have a lot more success against Beckett than the Cubs did. If I'm wrong, the series could go the limit, which means Hank Blalock could be the MVP. If I'm right, it will be a Fish fry.

Coach - how does Blalock factor into this? I must have missed something he did late in the season.

Blalock hit a late home run in the All-Star Game, giving the Yanks home-field advantage.