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  1. #81
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    I'm still trying to come up with new superlatives for Verlander. It makes you doubt your own eyesight to see some of the nasty, nasty stuff he throws.
    I want to marry that sinker pitch.
    I was wondering if he told the team before the game that he was prepared to throw 200 pitches so what the he-doublestix were they going to contribute.
    Whew!
    It's a bit of a break for the Yanks or O's that the Tigers went 5 and had to use him twice (which of course cuts both ways with that series going 5 as well), but man oh man, he must be licking his chops looking at the offense that's been put up by the two of them.
    Demented and sad, but social, right?

  2. #82
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    I'm still trying to come up with new superlatives for Verlander. It makes you doubt your own eyesight to see some of the nasty, nasty stuff he throws.
    I want to marry that sinker pitch.
    I was wondering if he told the team before the game that he was prepared to throw 200 pitches so what the he-doublestix were they going to contribute.
    Whew!
    Congrats, Weezie, to your Tigers. Verlander twice shut down the A's in masterful fashion. He actually did it three times this season, the first back in May. And all three times the opposing pitcher was rookie Jarrod Parker, who did well for 6 innings or so each time.

    I doubt there are any future opponents in the post-season that Verlander will have trouble with. I'm thinking that Detroit's pitching will carry them to the WS. I think they've already seen the opponent with the best pitching they will see from now on.

  3. #83

    Yanks-Orioles

    Amazing series so far -- completely dominated by the pitching.

    I don't understand why so much of the media focus has been on A-Roid's troubles at the plate -- Swisher, Granderson, Teixera, Ichiro and even Cano have been just as bad. Ibanez and Martin have both had a couple of big moments, but really the only guy hitting consistently for the Yankees is Jeter -- the captain has two hits in all four games. I know the Orioles can say the same about their big hitters -- Adam Jones has been struggling both at the plate and in the field (he really screwed up the Jeter hit that turned ino a triple in Game 3).

    Agree that forcing Verlander to pitch in Game 5 (and go so long) was a break for the Yanks/Orioles winner. But at least for New York, that's cancelled by the fact that we have to use our ace -- Sabathia -- in Game 5.

    One final note -- I'm not ragging on A-Roid (like I said, he's been no worse than most of our big bats), but it is funny that after all the debate about moving him out of the No. 3 slot, they finally move him to fifth in the order. But there's an old saying that you can't hide a cold batter because the game will find him. I thought the key moment for the Yankees last night was the bottom of the eighth -- runners at second and third with one out ... and who comes to the plate -- A-Roid. All he has to do is put the ball in play --either hit through the drawn-in infield or a medium deep fly ball and the Yankees take the lead and probably win the game. You know what happened -- strikeout ... then Swisher hits the fly ball that we needed from A-Roid, but it's out three.

  4. #84
    Quote Originally Posted by Blue in the Face View Post
    It's a bit of a break for the Yanks or O's that the Tigers went 5 and had to use him twice (which of course cuts both ways with that series going 5 as well), but man oh man, he must be licking his chops looking at the offense that's been put up by the two of them.
    Well they won't have to face him in game 1 but would they really have thrown him three times in a series, twice on three days rest? Sure they miss him in the first two games so they can get ahead, but they'll still face him in game 3 and then the Tigers can come back in either game 6 or 7 with him. I assume based on how they handled him here, they'll use him for game 7 (if necessary).

    If anything, Detroit seem to benefit a bit more by the WC series going a day later meaning CC will have to pitch on 3 days rest at some point in order to make 2 starts in the ALCS.

  5. #85
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    The talk on ESPN today is that ARod will sit for game 5. WOW! I agree with Oly that too much is being made of his struggles. If you sit ARod, do you also sit the other guys who could not hit their way out of a paper bag right now? ARod's got as many hits as Swisher and Cano. He's got more hits than Granderson (who, like ARod, has 9 Ks in the series). Jeter, Tex, and Martin are the only guys on the entire team who have been on base more than ARod has. Yes, he sucks right now, but it appears 6 or 7 of the Yankee's regulars suck right now. You gonna bench all of them?

    As an aside, it was nice to let Verlander throw a complete game, 4 hit, shutout last night and 122 pitches is not a crazy number, but I sorta wonder if they considered saving 30 or so pitches and letting someone else pitch the 8th and 9th or at least the 9th. I suppose there isn't that huge a difference in pitching 100 and pitching 120 to a guy like Verlander.

    So, if you are the Tigers, are you planning on Verlander in games 3 and 7? I guess if they are down they maybe pitch him in game 6. No reason to even think of using him on short rest in game 2, right?

    -Jason "so bummed that my Braves are out of all this excitement!" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  6. #86
    Quote Originally Posted by sporthenry View Post
    Well they won't have to face him in game 1 but would they really have thrown him three times in a series, twice on three days rest? Sure they miss him in the first two games so they can get ahead, but they'll still face him in game 3 and then the Tigers can come back in either game 6 or 7 with him. I assume based on how they handled him here, they'll use him for game 7 (if necessary).
    Well, if they didn't use him yesterday, he'd be all but guaranteed to go twice in the ALCS. Now it's possible he'd never get the chance to make a second start, a clear plus for the other team. Of course the same goes for today's starters, but one thing has nothing to do with the other.
    Demented and sad, but social, right?

  7. #87
    Quote Originally Posted by Blue in the Face View Post
    Well, if they didn't use him yesterday, he'd be all but guaranteed to go twice in the ALCS. Now it's possible he'd never get the chance to make a second start, a clear plus for the other team. Of course the same goes for today's starters, but one thing has nothing to do with the other.
    Sure, they may not get to game 7, but Leyland's logic is pretty clear in the sense that he still needs 2 wins from somewhere else. Sure he'd love to pitch Verlander sooner, but he views it more as needing someone else to step up as opposed to just prolonging a series with Verlander and delaying the inevitable. It is the same reason he said he wouldn't use Verlander in game 4 if Det. was losing the series because he would be putting a pitcher on short rest, and even if that worked out, he still needed a win in game 5.

    I guess the muddled point being that if Detroit has any chance of winning the series, they'll at worst get to see Verlander pitch twice. If the rest of the pitchers lose 4 games, they'll lose the series regardless of Verlander pitching 1 and 5 or 3 and 7.

  8. #88
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    The talk on ESPN today is that ARod will sit for game 5. WOW! I agree with Oly that too much is being made of his struggles. If you sit ARod, do you also sit the other guys who could not hit their way out of a paper bag right now? ARod's got as many hits as Swisher and Cano. He's got more hits than Granderson (who, like ARod, has 9 Ks in the series). Jeter, Tex, and Martin are the only guys on the entire team who have been on base more than ARod has. Yes, he sucks right now, but it appears 6 or 7 of the Yankee's regulars suck right now. You gonna bench all of them?
    Yup, A-Rod to the bench. In terms of why A-Rod and not the others. Gardner's had very few at-bats since returning so they're worried about him, and Ibanez shouldn't be in the field in a beer league softball game so there's not much to replace Swisher or Granderson with, and it really doesn't make any sense to sit Cano against a righty starter.
    Demented and sad, but social, right?

  9. #89
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Quote Originally Posted by Blue in the Face View Post
    Yup, A-Rod to the bench. In terms of why A-Rod and not the others. Gardner's had very few at-bats since returning so they're worried about him, and Ibanez shouldn't be in the field in a beer league softball game so there's not much to replace Swisher or Granderson with, and it really doesn't make any sense to sit Cano against a righty starter.
    The Yankees only owe him $114 mil over the next 5 years. I am sure he will be a useful and productive player for them going forward. Easily worth $20+ mil/year.

    -Jason "remember when it was a foregone conclusion that ARod would break Bonds' record? He may not even reach 700 homers at this point . He really needs to go back on the juice " Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  10. #90
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Arlington, VA
    Maybe A-Rod, Cano and Granderson should spit out the gum and seeds so they can concentrate on hitting instead of chewing. My mom used to make me spit out my gum before every at-bat!

    Was at the Nats game last night - the sound off Werth's bat was amazing - POP! And what a battle that at-bat was. Hoping tonight can be a little less exciting with the same result. I can't take much more and it's only the NLDS, but I'm going just the same. The Yankees and O's game 5 is just adding to my angst today.

  11. #91
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    The Yankees only owe him $114 mil over the next 5 years. I am sure he will be a useful and productive player for them going forward. Easily worth $20+ mil/year.

    -Jason "remember when it was a foregone conclusion that ARod would break Bonds' record? He may not even reach 700 homers at this point . He really needs to go back on the juice " Evans
    I'd offer him up and still pay the entire 114 mill! Please, just take him off our hands. But I have to agree with the previous poster - if he sits, do does Granderson. Swisher's avg is pretty poor too(ok real poor) but at least he's having somewhat decent AB's. I'd have Ichiro in CF, Swish in right and Ibanez in left. I hope for Joe's sake that Chavez has a decent game or watch the 2nd guessing turn into a raging forest fire. This ought to be interesting...Hold onto your seats.

  12. #92
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim3k View Post
    Congrats, Weezie, to your Tigers.
    Thanks Jim! You are a consummate gentleman. Someday I'll get out there and see that crowd action in person. What a nut HOUSE!
    The A will long be a threat with that stable of youngsters plus you may be giving the next Tiger manager some hands on training to assume the reins when Leyland packs it in.

  13. #93
    Quote Originally Posted by BlueDevilBaby View Post
    I can't take much more and it's only the NLDS, but I'm going just the same. The Yankees and O's game 5 is just adding to my angst today.
    Bless you Baby! This grizzled veteran is relishing the chance to get to sleep before 1:00am Saturday morning.
    These payoffs severely impact my beauty sleep...

  14. #94

    Yankees advane

    Great series ... great performance by the Orioles. Believe me, I don't want to sound patronizing, but I NEVER felt safe in this series.

    Amazing year-long battle between the two teams. The tied 9-9 head-to-head in the regular season and were 11-11 (counting playoffs) before today's game. They staged the closest pennant race in September since the 19th century -- the most days when the two teams were within a game of each other.

    One thing about it is interesting -- 10 times down the stretch the Orioles tied the Yankees in the standings, but they never could take the lead (sometimes they did for a few hours when the Yankees played later in the night, but never from one day to the next). In the playoffs, they tied the Yankees twice ... and both times the Yanks came back and won the next game.

    All I can say is that I'm glad it wasn't a 7-game series!

    Now we get the Tigers ... Game 1 Saturday night at 8 p.m. -- not a single day off!

    I think the Verlander factor is cancelled by the Sabathia factor. We both had to pitch our ace in game 5 ... and we both had to ride him to well over 100 pitches. Verlander can come back on normal rest in Game 3 Tuesday in Detroit. There is no game Monday and he's not coming back on two day's rest Sunday. It will be interesting to see how Joe uses Sabathia. He's pitched on short rest before and COULD come back for Game 3 on three days rest ... but I suspect the Yankees save him for game 4. If there is a game 7, he'll be back for that (on three day's rest). I imagine the Tigers use Verlander on three day's rest in Game 6 if they are down 3-2 ... if they are up 3-2, I would expect to save him for Game 7 (on normal rest).

    If it gets that far, that could be a heck of a Game 7 -- Sabathia vs. Verlander.

    With both aces out this weekend, that puts a lot of burden on the rest of the staffs. As a Yankee guy, I've got to be happy how Pettite (who I think pitches tomorrow's opener for the Yanks), Kiroda and Hughes pitched against the Orioles. Just hope our bats wake up.

    Also, allow me to respond to the question about why Girardi would pull A-Roid and not any of his other struggling hitters. It's true that Cano, Swisher and Granderson were at least as bad a A-Rpid against the Orioles -- the difference is that all three have had their moments down the stretch. Heck, Cano was the hottest hitter in baseball over the last week of the regular season. The were caught in a four-game slump.

    A-Roid was different. He missed two months with a broken wrist and after he returned, he never regained his stroke. He hit a few singles in September, but I think he's gone close to 80 at-bats without a homer. He's a different hitter now. He's in a six week slump.

    One final point -- thanks to the Captain, who was our most consistent hitter in the series. He didn't hit today, but walked and scored from first on a double by Icharo. But I wanted to talk about two plays in the eighth inning. The first was Ford's grounder in the hole that the diving Jeter couldn't quite reach. The other was the little dribbler that Hardy hit with two outs and the bases loaded that Jeter made look easy.

    Guys, there's always been a sharp divide about Jeter's defense -- the SABR gurus rate him a below average shortstop, while the managers have voted him five gold gloves. I think those two plays illustrate why there is a divided opinion. There are a lot of shortstops in basebal who woulod have gotten to the Ford ball ... but there are not a lot who would have turned the Hardy play into an out -- and certainly not so easily. That's what you get from Jeter defensively. He doesn't have a lot of range, but be makes all he plays (his field percentage and double play nunbers are always well above average). I've always argued that while he's not the great defensive shortstop that all those gold gloves would suggest, but he's also not the defensive bum that the SABR geeks would argue.

    Anyway, heaqded back to watch the Nats-Cards in game 5. Hoping to see one of them (or the Giants) in the World Series. I'll be optimistic for a few hours ... I'll start worrying about the Tigers tomorow.

  15. #95
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    North Carolina

    Ramblings from and O's Fan at the End of the Season

    First of all, congrats Yanks. You guys beat us and deserve to be where you are. Good luck the rest of the way.

    Obviously, anytime you have a chance to win a championship and lose, it sucks. This O's team was, as a best case scenario, supposed to not lose 100 games. The 2012 Baltimore Orioles exceeded those expectations and re-energized a city.

    I've never had as much fun watching a team from game 1 until the very end as I did this year. They're a special group. I never felt like I was watching a team of players who get paid to play a sport. They actually reminded me a whole lot of watching Duke play, which is why I grew so attached to them. Proof of where courage and whole lot of heart can take you. Those guys really are a band of brothers and you don't see that much in professional sports these days.

    I love this team. The city of Baltimore loves this team. I really hope this core group of guys can win the whole thing one day. I'm sad to see this season end, but we've got a whole heck of a lot of memories from it. My only regret is not making in out to the Yard this season to see the 20th season fanfare. I was, however, lucky enough to see one of the 17 extra-inning wins when they played in Washington.

  16. #96
    Quote Originally Posted by dukebsbll14 View Post
    First of all, congrats Yanks. You guys beat us and deserve to be where you are. Good luck the rest of the way.

    Obviously, anytime you have a chance to win a championship and lose, it sucks. This O's team was, as a best case scenario, supposed to not lose 100 games. The 2012 Baltimore Orioles exceeded those expectations and re-energized a city.

    I've never had as much fun watching a team from game 1 until the very end as I did this year. They're a special group. I never felt like I was watching a team of players who get paid to play a sport. They actually reminded me a whole lot of watching Duke play, which is why I grew so attached to them. Proof of where courage and whole lot of heart can take you. Those guys really are a band of brothers and you don't see that much in professional sports these days.

    I love this team. The city of Baltimore loves this team. I really hope this core group of guys can win the whole thing one day. I'm sad to see this season end, but we've got a whole heck of a lot of memories from it. My only regret is not making in out to the Yard this season to see the 20th season fanfare. I was, however, lucky enough to see one of the 17 extra-inning wins when they played in Washington.
    Pretty much the entire team returns. There are only 4 FA's that I am aware of: McClouth, Thome, Wolf and Saunders. Wolf will almost certainly not return. It will be interesting if they keep Thome as a veteran bat. McClouth will be back, but will he be the starting LF...remember Reimold is the starter but he missed almost the entire season with Peyton Manning-itis. Saunders is a local guy and it seems highly likely that he will resign.

    One also has to factor in the return of Markakis and possibly Roberts and Wada (who was supposed to be their #1 starter before the season began)

    Then there is the Bundy factor....will he become their stopper?????

    Going to be a very interesting off-season

  17. #97
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    "We never really needed you for us to win anyways" -Cardinal players to Albert Pujols in my imaginary conversation between the them

  18. #98
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Quote Originally Posted by TheTrain View Post
    Pretty much the entire team returns. There are only 4 FA's that I am aware of: McClouth, Thome, Wolf and Saunders. Wolf will almost certainly not return. It will be interesting if they keep Thome as a veteran bat. McClouth will be back, but will he be the starting LF...remember Reimold is the starter but he missed almost the entire season with Peyton Manning-itis. Saunders is a local guy and it seems highly likely that he will resign.

    One also has to factor in the return of Markakis and possibly Roberts and Wada (who was supposed to be their #1 starter before the season began)

    Then there is the Bundy factor....will he become their stopper?????

    Going to be a very interesting off-season
    Yeah, Showalter said his post-game talk was really, "This isn't so long, this is see you later."

    It'll be interesting what happens when Reimold returns. He was very good before he got hurt, so there should be a good battle in left with Nate. Roberts is tricky. He's been out for almost two years now and didn't really do well when he did play. Unlikely that he returns to the player he was, but hey, anything is possible.

    They've got a lot of arms they could go to. Should make for a fun spring.

  19. #99
    That Nats loss was, well, something.

  20. #100
    Quote Originally Posted by Blue in the Face View Post
    That Nats loss was, well, something.
    Something amazing. I will sleep well tonight.

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