THERE'S ONLY ONE POSTSEASON (thread for 2019)

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2007/10/21/sports/21chass.1.600.jpg

pretty sure every single prediction i've seen has the astros beating the dodgers (or occasionally some other NL team)

UNTIL NOW

AL

WC: Rays vs A's: Rays
Astros vs Rays: Astros
Twins vs Yankees: Yankees
Astros vs Yankees: Yankees

NL

WC: Brewers vs Nationals: Nationals
Dodgers vs Nationals: Dodgers
Cardinals vs Braves: Cardinals
Cardinals vs Dodgers: Cardinals

Cardinals vs Yankees (the matchup all true Americans crave): Cardinals

----

NL West: Dodgers
NL Central: Cardinals
NL East: Braves
NL WC1: Nationals
NL WC2: Brewers

oops, ignore the part after the dividing line at the end. the rest of my analysis is rock solid, though

the upper midwest longs for the Twins-Brewers series though a lot of unlikely events would have to conspire to bring this about

yanks-cards surely the drabbest series imaginable

rematch of 1991 twins-braves, greatest series of the contemporary era, not inconceivable though

my gut (which is a mad man) tells me that's what we'll get. my personal preference would be Rays v Brews.

i would love to see the Rays do well, too. Tommy Pham 4ever

i think yankees-braves would be drabbest -- cardinals at least have lovely uniforms

rooting against nyy/atl/was; after that i guess i don't really care

i'll always root against any team that encourages their fans to do the tomahawk chop, and also against any team that employs craig kimbrel

even as a cubs fan i lol at the craig kimbrel signing, did theo not witness the 2019 season and playoffs?

DID THEO NOT WITNESS IT

he was busy witnessing the 2020 playoffs

A couple Ben Lindbergh pieces... First, we may have two of the all-time great teams here:

The 107-55 Astros and the record 106-56 Dodgers made 2019 the second season ever to boast two teams with at least 105 wins, after 1998, when the Yankees and Braves won 114 and 106, respectively. But wins and losses don’t always accurately reflect a team’s true performance. Baseball Prospectus’s archive of third-order records extends back to 1950, encompassing 70 seasons and 1,742 teams. (The complete list is here.) The Astros and Dodgers rank first and third all time, respectively, in third-order winning percentage, with only the 2001 Mariners placing ahead of L.A.

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2019/9/30/20891140/houston-astros-los-angeles-dodgers-rematch

and next, baseball juiciness and the postseason:

https://www.theringer.com/2019/10/1/20892852/juiced-ball-home-runs-launch-angle

also heard on the EW pod today that when relievers face more batters in this PS (do you doubt it? missed by two last year), it will be the first time.

3rd order?!

second order is how many teams a team should have won, considering overall runs scored and runs allowed. pythagorean wins and losses, in other words.

third order considers all that, plus quality of opponents

https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/glossary/index.php?search=pct3

how many ^games^ a team should have won

Feels like the team that wins the post-season is the one with the most tools in the box, no matter what you threw at the Red Sox 2018 or Astros 2017, they always had a solution and they didn’t stick to one particular plan. I think this is the Dodgers this year, who might have learned from having a too monolithic approach at the plate in last year’s WS (loud swings/loud contacts). I think the Astros are the only team that can realistically stop them.

oh interesting.
xpost

that also sounds like the Rays – they are a team comprised of nothing but moving parts. their problem (with the playoffs) being, no big-name superstar that could potentially carry a line-up/rotation. which is kinda one reason i like them so much.

I think Meadows is a superstar in the making but yes, agreed. Rays will be my bandwagon team (despite that shithead of an owner).

i can't keep the shithead owners straight, except for the Cubs and Mets.

Probably gonna root for a Presidential Resignation Series of 1974 rematch: Dodgers-A's.

(that could be shattered Wed night, of course)

oh god - what did they Rays owner do (aside from being cheap)?

just in time for the AL WC

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/amp/Oakland-s-curveball-City-sues-county-over-14481751.php

i know a Baseball Prospectus writer suggested this week that Nats piggyback Strasburg after Scherzer tonight. Anyone think they will?

you'd have to be almost certain they would (if the brewers can hit scherzer, at least). it's a do-or-die game, and the nats bullpen is terrible

that doesn't sound like a dave martinez kind of move

also . . . idk.

i mean yes, it's a do-or-die game, but the goal is to win the world series, not beat milwaukee and get crushed by the dodgers. and i don't see how they can beat LA without scherzer/strasburg/corbin operating at full strength

True, but assuming it's like a Straburg "throw day" ... two innings?

The Ringer MLB Show guys also suggested that the first game in the Atlanta series is more must-win than usual for the Braves because of Flaherty in Game 2.

ugh i don't think i can bear it! Dodgers relief pitching will be the end of me .

keuchel has G1 for the braves, presumably soroka for G2

I have no idea whether ATL has been sandbagging the last 10 days or if they really ran out of steam at the worst time.

You're actually going to do this for a wild-card game? I mean, sometimes the Blue Jays beat the Astros.

https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-nationals-position-by-position

They might instead limit themselves to two or three pertinent questions, starting with "Is Max Scherzer lights out?" If yes, that's enough right there.

The Unbearable Search for Content.

hypothetical starting pitchers as relief pitchers probably a moot point anyway with scherzer starting, of course

The Brewers will win in 11 innings tonight because Dave Martinez will try to get six outs from Rodney.

Scherzer has not been very Scherzer post-injury.

see above

ohhhh lol max

Off to a good start!

Yessssssssss baby

Do your dance, YG, do your dance.

will this game end before midnight eastern y/n

Daym.

Might be over soon!

wow. ok, so...imo get strasburg in but that's me

def not lights out

scherzer has only thrown 20 pitches - he can still throw a game 2 or 3.

i was promised lights out

thames was so on that

i’m not sure that working insanely fast is in max’s best interests

Strasburg has had a 1.50 era or something since Max’s injury.

if Martinez waits til it's 5-0 before pulling Max, would that be... Mathenaging?

oooh warning track power

By the way, I meant "Lights Out" in the Angry Samoans sense.

I think the ol' band Heston wd be good walkup music for Keston Hiura

Ball seems to be flying today this might be a high scoring one

"today"

what are Soto's defensive metrics like?

i've already broken out the Svedka + seltzer, which could be a mistake

I’m on strong beer #2.

cheers TT

no chance Hader comes in before the 8th?

i don’t have the sound on — has ron given the ‘max doesn’t have his best stuff but he’s battling’ speech yet

"I've never seen him work this hard to get thru 5 innings"

Darling's been better compared to the other postseason gigs I've heard

his game always seems to dip compared to his work in the Mets booth

lol dozier getting jobbed

I hate Moustakas

Yeah those weren’t even close

game has slowed waaaay down

should be a tense finish

Bottom of the 7th gonna be the inflection point here. Strasberg is cruising and Hader is almost certainly going 2.

"But we can't have robot umps. What if the baseball morphs into a head of cabbage on the way to home plate? Who will make the call?" https://t.co/x3HJEDXWUf

— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 2, 2019

SHUTDOWN INNINGS from drew pom

is grandal related to bill cowher

have advanced to a can of Pilsner Urqueil

not lookin good for the DC Swamp Drainers

Noooooo the satellite went out

robles looked really uncomfortable in the box and i cannot blame him

Oh! I got a couple Urquell in the fridge!

was that Tom Friedman?

yer the man TT

that would be awfully good acting if it got no flesh

I *think* it hit he knob first, but it was so close can’t be bothered by him getting first.

Uh oh

Hader throwing way too many high fastballs here

Wow

God damnit

omg soto

Under the fucking glove

and the crotch grab

Yikes, that was bad.

what a Grisham thriller in RF

the beers went flying

Who is this Buckner dude in RF anyways? I’ve honestly not noticed him before.

Time to open my Pilsner.

And Buckner died this year...resurrected!

No regrets going with Hader there obviously but his location was awful. Sliders not even close and high fastballs like a foot off.

and just like buckner, the game had already busted wide open by the time it happened. feel bad for grisham

Again: wow.

sorry frogbs and all Brewers fans, that musta hurt

Idk about “wide open”. Hader needed one more out to get to the 9th with a 2 run lead.

i was waiting for soto running into that third out to matter

I'm just shocked. How could you miss that ball?

But yeah that all happened so fast. Haders been really good lately but he just didn’t have it. Oh well. Go beat the dodgers

it happens

Ron Darling thought it mighta been a weird hop

xp

Idk about “wide open”. Hader needed one more out to get to the 9th with a 2 run lead.

i mean grisham's error. without it, most likely 2 runners still would have scored, the momentum would be completely shifted, and there'd still be runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. but yeah, not "wide open".

Soto is built like a brick house.

I said this in my preview but I really feel for Dave Martinez. Imagine having a one-game playoff to win and being second-guessed for starting a rested Max Scherzer.

— Michael Baumann (@MichaelBaumann) October 2, 2019

He’s been noticeably shaky. Everyone knew it.

i'll steal what I just saw:

hey, they're NOT better w/out Yelich

another dimension of the grisham error is that it reminds you that yelich should have been playing RF

yes. was my 2nd thought once i was done with "wow".

scherzer had a 5.16 ERA in september, allowing six homers in 29.2 IP. so yeah

but if there *are* any managers with the confidence to have gone with strasburg, i don't think dave martinez is among them. tbh it may not have even been up to him

Every time racist Josh Hader gets his ass handed to him an angel gets its wings.

— Peter LabuzAAAHH! (@labuzamovies) October 2, 2019

Hader threw 30 pitches last night, 14 strikes. Per MLB Network research, it was only the third appearance of his career, regular season or postseason, in which he had more balls than strikes.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 2, 2019

he gets a ton of swings & misses on that high fastball but not if you're throwing it a foot over the strike zone

for what its worth the ump seemed to be very pitcher friendly. was pretty confident going into the 8th, Hader with a wide strike zone should've been lights out

I’m still im awe of Strasburg’s 94 mph fastball to get Braun to ground out.

icymi, the A's are selling Mount Davis tix for tonight.

Strasburg was insanely good in his 3 innings. He threw a number of pitches where the batter would twist outward, thinking the pitch might hit them, only to have it dive right into the strike zone.

i need a gif of soto's reaction to hader's second (way outside) pitch, which culminated in this

https://i.imgur.com/YourTtr.jpg

gotta say its nice that basically nobody is holding a grudge against Grisham for this, which is not how it would go down in a lot of bigger markets

I’m to understand he’s normally a pretty good outfielder?

he's only played 51 games but yeah he was pretty good

Seemed like a very level-headed guy in the post-game interview clip I saw. My jokes last night aside, I felt genuinely bad for him; nice that Yelich spoke up about his role down the stretch.

look at them shadows

I've never heard of Yandy Diaz

I have Oakland radio playing over my video feed bcz I can't take Those Guys

32-pitch first for Morton...

I'm watching the ESPN vid so I guess I have no idea who's calling it.

ouch

usual sunday night crew on the call

twilight not esp bothersome to hitters thus far

feel like manaea has a bit of sean connery about the face?

Morton looks like a composite '90s grunge hunk

was looking at Oakland as our Astros firewall

not enjoying this

rip

daaamn

is oakland the only place left with the bullpens in play?

Oracle Park still has them, no?

tropicana field

That’s some good baseball by the Rays.

Canha corn, more like.

Luzardo’s stuff is ridiculous.

I’m at @FoleysNY with Yankee writers, and they all want to know if the windows will be closed in the pressbox for Game 3.

— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) October 3, 2019

working from home so i can start yelling at my tv at 4:02 pm CST

the whole "gotta win game 1, it's important" thing is funny because every game 1 in a 5 or 7-game series is very important. but in this case, with flaherty going in games 2 and 5, a game 1 win for the cardinals would probably be enough to push them to the LCS.

area man agrees: game 1 is very important

CDT

don't want you to be off by an hour

Dodgers will start Buehler in Game 1 btw

wasn't expecting that.

one of my terrible secrets is that i never bothered looking up the difference between CST and CDT

but either way, when the clock strikes 4 in the area of the united states that 19th century railroad empires decided would be "central", i will be watching baseball

Forecast is 96˚ in ATL at gametime.

some call it hotlanta

hopefully this will cause whoever does the tomahawk chop to pass out and never be able to use their arms or mouths ever again

no argument here

of course, all the cardinals fans who have "blue lives matter" signs in the front yard can choke on a chicken bone as well

it all comes down to which racist fanbase god will favor

Sure but also being racist at home is not the same as chanting a racist chant at the ballpark.

It’s a shame because really Acuna is a ray of sunshine in my daily life.

this is the series i'm most indifferent to

tho i guess i hate the Braves a teeny bit more

pair of "evenly matched" previews (one had a hyphen in the blurb)

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/postseason-preview-st-louis-cardinals-vs-atlanta-braves/

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/postseason-preview-new-york-yankees-vs-minnesota-twins-alds/

and the "pitching series"

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/postseason-preview-los-angeles-dodgers-vs-washington-nationals/

Judging by the start of today's nightcap 2.5 hours after the opener (and same for tomorrow's 4-game marathon), MLB has embraced overlapping of the games.

ah sorry, it's 3.5 hours today

every game gets its own crazy shadows

yep, of the ten games through Sunday i count 6 w/ crazy shadows

Sabathia not on Division Series roster

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27757513/cc-sabathia-left-yankees-roster-alds-james-paxton-start-game-1

overheard in the office: 'that's the second-worst play of kolten wong's playoff career'

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Given Yordan Alvarez's size (6-5, 225) and veteran swagger, he seems much older than than 22. Maybe he's 30? "Everybody jokes about that, even our teammates joke about that a lot," Alvarez said. "But I checked with my mom and she says that I am who I am. I'm my age."

— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) October 3, 2019

didn't look like a swing by Cervelli to me either but hey a swing is undefined in the rulebook

I think brebbia are what you call the creatures who nest in his beard

might have to stream Braves radio to escape all the Yadier blowjobbing

i do like this series for the managers -- the guy who's been in the organization for 40 years vs. the guy who didn't even play pro ball

current hall of famer yadier molina

Goldschmidt has perversely small ears for a massive stud

he needs an ear donor

wasn't expecting you to pine for don mossi

Tough throw.

Melancon is the Braves closer? This Giants fan is laughing. Of course he gave up a run

Btw, I hate the trend this year of only one postseason thread. I loved voting each series.

of course you did

thru 8 in 3.5 hours

Oh, it's you. I think it made ILB unique from the other sports boards on ILX

Xpost

Nice catch, Larry.

LARRY cameo

I switch to Chavez Ravine after 9

This is the Melancon that I know

neat piece of hitting

I was actually hoping he would do well but in the back of my mind. It's Melancon and I have been watching this show.

And it gets worse

the best at-bat of billy hamilton's life

rally killing HR!

Corbin melting down in the first

in LA, Corbin has walked 4 in the first

Nats escape with only 1 run scored

nice Edwin Diaz act by Martinez

i might have taken him out after he allowed 915 feet of homers, but i guess that's why i am not a major league manager

Not sure who I want Cards vs Braves. Ended up being a great game

Taylor didn’t get sent on that, did he?

Pbp said he was

Twins in 3 https://t.co/K4PV6AMGAV

— Michael Baumann (@MichaelBaumann) October 4, 2019

Rudy's even getting booed in the Bronx in recent years

Part of me wants to see an Astros/Dodgers WS, but another part wants an Acuna/Soto NLCS. Acuna should probably not take Reggie Jackson's proclamation that the worst thing about playing in the postseason is that he can't stay home and watch himself so literally, though.

Carlos Martínez had a rough outing even though the Cards won. But I will always have incredible admiration for him for taking the mound after losing who he told @Enrique_Rojas1 was like a mother to him. Mrs. Karina Quiroz helped raise Martínez. She died Thursday. Rest in Peace.

— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) October 4, 2019

Damn. I didn't know that.

I watched every second of last night's game...up until just before Ozuna's 2-RBI double in the 9th inning. i was forced to go to a gathering in the neighborhood, and missed the rest of the game.

the twitter anecdote above helps to explain his troubles last night, but really that's been his thing all season. he has been excruciating to watch all season, and yet most of the time he comes out on top.

tensions rising...

ATLANTA -- Instead of discussing his tremendous catch and monstrous home run in the Braves' 7-6 loss to the Cardinals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. had to once again answer questions about admiring a long fly ball that resulted in just a single.

“It’s the playoffs,” said starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, who allowed one run over 4 2/3 innings in Game 1. “If you’re not giving everything you have, you’re not only selling yourself short, but you’re selling the team short. You’ve got to live and die with the youth in baseball.”

"This is not the first time Acuña has made this error. Nor was it the first time on Aug. 18, when he was removed from a game against the Dodgers after admiring a single that hit off the right-center-field wall.

“It’s frustrating,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “You have that conversation once. You’re beating a dead horse when you keep having that conversation over and over again. You’ve got to know that was a mistake. That can’t happen in the playoffs. It can’t happen in the regular season. Unfortunately, that happened tonight.”

Dump this loser in Detroit and never look back, Anthopoulos.

lol nonstory

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27767317/braves-stick-ronald-acuna-jr-game-2-cards

Playing him anyway doesn't make it a nonstory. He needs to quit admiring his own wonderfulness.

perhaps so. they weren't gonna bench him.

I'm sure none of the non-Yankee games are on terrestrial radio in NYC, right? ESPN sticking with their talkshow garbage...

this was sick

Bases loaded? Fire 99 mph on the black. 😯 pic.twitter.com/quo2AU8nna

— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2019

Joey Wendle? ok

christ verlander is good

kenny albert + girardi + pierzynski is a pretty good booth imo. catchers love talking catcher stuff with each other and kenny knows when to lay out

maybe a little too much 'teaching the kids' tho

Rays radio team was brutalizing them (deservedly i guess)

was initially questioning the braves starting folty instead of soroka

i no longer am

His trip to Gwinnett fixed whatever his problem was. He went from really bad to really good.

Soroka seemed pretty gassed down the stretch too.

there was some utz on that dang

LET'S
GO
TWINS

OTM

quite a graphic of hr/ab -- RUTH / CRUZ / DYKSTRA -- all legends imo

you could talk me out of ruth perhaps

edwins a baller

he really is

fuck making him shave his face tho

any shots of Big Boy Caprice so far?

POLANCOOOOOOOOOOOOO

this brazen-ass dweeb pic.twitter.com/BzkurGlHLs

— Meg Rowley (@megrowler) October 5, 2019

Twins fans not making many friends here at Yankee Stadium but cracking me up. Love it. pic.twitter.com/YHTItap1yP

— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) October 5, 2019

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_nice

lol the Great Ottavino!

back to the storefront pitching lab

btw in a bar watching STL-ATL I finally saw the WE PLAY LOUD promo.

how loathsome. volume for its own sake is the horror of contemporary America.

much better: Eric Roberts walk-in tub ad (with free toilet)

what are the fascists chanting now?

I loooove seeing visitors hit cheap Yankee Stadium HRs

i am informed that Julius P and *both* his parents are rooting for the twins

I guess motherhood changes people

fuck and doublefuck

it was rudy, tbh

Edwin’s smooth face saddens me greatly.

maybe for the 7th inning stretch Rudy can be stoned

That could make me a Yankees fan for life.

Nationals looking good

man, I STILL hate those "postseason leaders" that mix World Series-only and tournament eras. Ignorant.

that was on Judge's glove side; no Swoboda.

Anyway, Maybin just followed first major league hit with a HR to dead center -- both hits off Clemens.

― Andy K, Saturday, August 18, 2007 5:28 PM (twelve years ago) bookmarkflaglink

"Curtis" Maybin, in Tim McCarver's view.

― Andy K, Saturday, August 18, 2007 5:40 PM (twelve years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Ha - I didn't realize Rajah hit Maybin the AB following his dead-center HR.

― David R., Saturday, August 25, 2007 12:02 AM (twelve years ago) bookmarkflaglink

watching NL, listening AL

Not sure if the Nats can use any starters in relief tonight, so I wouldn't write off the Dodgers in this one yet.

i was at maybin's debut; tbh he looked overwhelmed by andy pettitte

good dude, glad he carved out a career

47 pitches through four

0 hits thru 5

he could be done

Uh. When did Howie Kendrick become amazing and how?!

he's always been . . . a professional hitter

sorry, thru 4. i'm ready for sleep

Now pitching for the Yankees, an asshole

— C. Radbourn, Esq. (@OldHossRadbourn) October 5, 2019

Wtf was going on with Strasburg there??

that was on Judge's glove side; no Swoboda.

― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Friday, October 4, 2019 10:20 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

ok this is just...hilarious

Scherzer's 8th inning RP appearance on 2 days rest was absolutely filthy.

They should have used him in the 9th lol

4 pitch walk. Yikes

Best of three

I was sure that IBB was going to backfire on the Nats. The Dodgers couldn't get anything going all night because of the K's, but the Nats can't tag team Stras and Scherzer every night

wtf

LOS ANGELES — In response to your question — "What the devil are the Washington Nationals doing using their superstar starting pitchers out of the bullpen" — the answer is now clear. The sneaky make-up-our-own-rules Nats are trying to steal a five-game series from the imperial Los Angeles Dodgers

Like a pirate ship sweeping up on a stately frigate with treasure in its hold, the Nats have no intention of playing fair in this National League Division Series or acknowledging any big-league code of conduct or unwritten rules of fair play. They want the gold, the diamonds, and, blimey, the pearls, too.

Thanks to the bizarre, and probably unfair, dynamics of baseball’s five-game Division Series — with those five games spread generously over seven days—it is possible for a team with three fab starting pitchers who are game for the heist to come along aside and, “arrrrr,” board a mightier ship.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/the-nationals-are-breaking-the-rules-and-just-might-steal-the-series-from-the-dodgers/2019/10/05/ff72f8f6-e711-11e9-a6e8-8759c5c7f608_story.html

CHEATS! FAKE BALL!

twins starter tnight - https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/05/twins-pitcher-randy-dobnak-drives-for-uber-and-lyft-on-the-side.html

xp yeah that's dumb, but it's true the five-game series is flawed this way

at the same time, it seemed like the dodgers were regressing to their undisciplined plate approaches that screwed them last year. they looked like a different team in that respect when the season began and have sort of been backsliding.

also, relying on Max and Stras this heavily is likely to stop working at some point

It looks mike Max is enjoying this approach so far. not sure if Strasburg was appreciating it as much.

Everybody (incl. on this thread) forgets that Corbin put together a really nice season for the Nats this year (4.8 fWAR, #13 SP in MLB) or (5.4 bWAR, tied for #10 with Soroka in MLB)

Isn't that what was meant by "three fab starting pitchers?"

lol

Make it stop.

So much for the twins.

feel like they will definitely win the division, as that's the only way for their postseason to consist solely of losing to the yankees

― mookieproof, Tuesday, August 13, 2019 5:17 PM (one month ago)

shoulda started Scott Erickson

I do believe they can win Monday

Will Leitch on hustle fetishization:

https://www.mlb.com/news/ronald-acuna-jr-s-hustle-in-game-1-of-nlds

intrigued to see if Snell gives up any runs, cuz I don't think Cole is

xp

ehh. i'm willing to cut dudes some slack on running out routine ground balls during a 162-game season, but it's not like he crushed that ball -- he sliced it into the corner

it didn't matter, but it might have. obviously sitting him would be ridiculous and i do not now hate him or anything, but i don't think it's too much to ask that players run hard in the playoffs

I don't either... but making it the #1 postgame talking point is very mulish.

of course d'Arnaud got fixed immediately after leaving the Mets

Uh

uh?

Cole's control was ridiculous last night, especially considering the major action he was getting.

Cole was good in Pittsburgh, but what did he figure out that he did not used to have?

This is in part the sad state of New York and in part they tore down the old place and made into Canyon Ranch. https://t.co/C4CbfmVxC7

— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) October 6, 2019

Re cole: it’s the thing that the mets said where they don’t want to trade players and watch them be good on other teams BC the other teams are smarter than them

Lookin forward to what Kay and Woods-Richardson can do, on that note!

less snarkily:

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/gerrit-cole-is-meeting-old-expectations/

🐦[This is in part the sad state of New York and in part they tore down the old place and made into Canyon Ranch. https://t.co/C4CbfmVxC7🕸
— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) October 6, 2019🕸]🐦

hardly unique (lol i hate all owners and corp interests)

yours is named after a razed original, only bcz you have a revenue stream from Italian tourists buying your caps

I know this narrative is a balm for you in these dark days, it’s completely understandable.

This fan hated Wolf of Wall Street. Most of us, in my section anyway, get hyped for playoff games reading Laszlo Krasznahorkai.

dude, c'mon, we're talking about fans who can actually afford playoff tickets.

these are not dark days compared to the '92 Mets (or '92 Yankees)

Schildt & Snitker were a popular German vaudeville team in Yorkville of the 1910s

It's true, I cannot afford playoff tickets.

well, youre a good egg for a NYY fan

erstwhile ilxor HungryForAss agrees w/ me that Dansby seems to be getting prettier every year

xp I grudgingly accept this backhanded compliment

My dad and his dad were alright too. And Don Delillo.

my best friend is one! also Ralph Nader.

nobody's perfekt

Well, Don Larsen. Boomer Wells. The Cone-dawg.

Darling's mention of Pete Alexander and Burleigh Grimes reminds me of the anecdote about the Fox Sports exec who yelled "I DON'T WANNA HEAR ABOUT DEAD GUYS!"

Love to see the head-first slide to beat a throw at first.

can the yankees play the twins every series

and k3vin, also good egg

great day for Waino as I believe they call him

I assume KM is watching in seclusion

nervously

I was driving! Just got home but listened on radio up until now

here is Carlos

Dansby! You ravishing beauty.

clutch prettyboy

that was a mighty fat pitch

yes

"Swansby ties it."

haha, I wonder if "Swansby" was intentional. xp!

Also I don't know maybe you want this pic.twitter.com/ExCD9nCBn7

— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) October 6, 2019

Flowers didn't even try to steal that strike and got it.

A cardinals nation oofs

or heaves

here we go, Ryu vs... Sanchez

missed a live catch... polish up an Emmy!

maximum muncy

Of the 73 outs the Dodgers have made thus far, 35 have come in the K fashion.

I'd think the Yankees lineup could get caught in the same fashion by the Astros.

Corbin is an interesting example of a SP who became really good in his late 20s.

Sanchez's fifth postseason and it's still "Annabelle."

The Dodgers are good

have their mojo back

Howie Kendrick is not having a good series.

unkind of me to second-guess mike shildt, but maybe at least pull martinez after the *second* double?

Advice for the Nats: using Corbin, Strasburg, and Scherzer 1-2 times as SP and 1-2 times as RP, each, probably isn't going to work out as you hoped.

Unless the Dodgers' offense collapsed completely, but come on, they're way too good for that.

Here’s a list of the dudes who knocked postseason dingers off Hunter Strickland

1. Bryce Harper
2. Asdrúbal Cabrera
3. Bryce Harper
4. Matt Adams
5. LITERALLY OMAR INFANTE
6. Mike Moustakas
7. Gavin Lux
8. Joc Pederson
9. Russell Martin

— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) October 7, 2019

i guess matchups and shit, but i have a hard time understanding why you'd call upon hunter strickland and fernando rodney multiple times and sean doolittle just once

Keuchel v Cards

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27791586/braves-start-dallas-keuchel-short-rest-game-4

very flappy indeed.

kiermaier with the kbo-style bat flip

1 swing and the Rays are up. #ALDS pic.twitter.com/6XZyxnieio

— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2019

I don't wanna see any Cinderella teams losing their gowns only when it's time to play NYY

well this was not the way to bet

this is fun, but i don't like the Rays odds of winning three in a row vs the Astros at all.

Switched to NL... tried to listen to Cards stream but my God, Mike Shannon sounds 95.

so if Cards win today... Folty v Flaherty (and staff) on Wednesday?

yes

why is julio teheran so bad and hated?

Cardinals with 2 HR in a playoff game, franchise history:

Marcell Ozuna
Carlos Beltran
Albert Pujols
Scott Rolen
Larry Walker
Ron Gant
Willie McGee

— Joe Trezza (@JoeTrezz) October 7, 2019

Charlie Morton: Fourth win of career with team facing postseason elimination. Tied for most in MLB history. Others: Clay Carroll, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz, Justin Verlander.

— Doug Kern (@dakern74) October 7, 2019

ALBIES

maybe shouldn't have let hudson hit for himself last inning

You have just been Yadied.

it feels good

ATL has up who they would want to be batting in this situation.

Not this time.

oh, nice! (dodger game just started)

WE'LL SEE YOU WEDNESDAY NIGHT

why is julio teheran so bad and hated?

well, it's like this, see...

i guess

WE'LL SEE YOU WEDNESDAY NIGHT

<3

who's after Max?

ohhhh my

"in an age of analytics" oh girardipaws

scratch him off yr hire list, folx

got NL onscreen, AL on radio -- I think Dodgers still have a shot tonight, once Scherzer is done probly

helluva strikeout pitch to Taylor

bases loaded, no outs, the record-setting Twins offense scores....zero

YER KILLIN' MEEEE

Sano shifts just before the fucking hit

This is just how it has to be, folks.

(As in Eric H. spends most of every season paying not much attention to the Twins, become moderately aware of when they're performing above average, all the while knowing they'll play the Yankees in the ALDS, watch parts of the first three heartbreaking games while accomplishing other menial tasks and saying to himself "This is just how it has to be, folks.")

don't need the fatalism right now, honeybunch

also "every season" … this last happened in 2010?

(they lost the WC game two years ago to NYY, otherwise nothing since '10)

Will people look at me funny if I have a tattoo of Luis Severino’s face? On my own face?

they're on their way to losing 10 straight playoff games to the yankees (and going 2-6 before that, all this century)

different guys wearing the same laundry

nevertheless

also let’s not give eric a reason *not* to hate the yankees

I don't hate the Yankees. But I apologize on behalf of Minnesota to the rest of the country that does that we keep giving them an early, cushy rest period any time we face them in the postseason.

FS1 just put up a lovely graphic that the Twins are now one game away from tying the all-time record for most consecutive postseason losses ... in any major sport (tying with Chicago Blackhawks).

A record I'm sure we can beat next year, smooches Morbs.

Seriously tho, fuck the Twins against the Yankees.

RIP Twins.

It’s okay the central is still the central next season.

The Twins' 16 game postseason losing streak is mind-boggling. Most of the games weren't even close either!

maybe if they put "Senators" on it...

Normally I'd be dead-set against starting Verlander on short rest when you've got Wiley, but just looked up Wiley's game logs and he was brutal in September (having a very good season before that). I imagine that's driving the decision more than anything.

There was one good start in there, but three times he didn't record a fourth out: 1.1 IP, 16 runs.

also, they'll have cole on regular rest if there's a game 5

Houston's obv gonna take this but would luv luv luv a game 5 and Greinke having to go game 1 in ALCS

i'm rooting for whatever kills the Bronx Moloch fastest

climate change, I'm afraid

re Verlander and rest

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/considering-justin-verlander-on-short-rest/

Whatever happened to Houston's LR/spot-starter situation guys like Peacock & Devenski? Surprised to hear they are worried about SP depth...

they lost 60% of their 2018 rotation -- morton/keuchel to free agency, mccullers to injury. that's kind of tough to replace (not that it isn't their own fault for letting the first two walk)

Five years ago today @SamMillerBB said this on @EWPod, and all who listened were forever changed. pic.twitter.com/6FanOXbxQK

— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) October 8, 2019

yes, the Slog to Rigor Mortis that launched a commemorative beer cozy i think

Tells you how closely I'm paying attention--didn't realize Miley had pitched (poorly) in relief in game 3. So he'd already been banished from consideration.

miley got absolutely pummeled in september -- 16.68 ERA, WHIP over 3 in five starts

Couple years ago I spot-checked a bunch of 1960s starters. Most showed a TTO effect. League numbers were also evidence of a TTO effect. I know when data meets the opinion of former player, it has no chance, but... https://t.co/z8ktcwfh4y

— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 8, 2019

smoltz's career splits:
first time .228/.290/.342
second .237/.291/.351
third .241/.298/.382

maddux
first .242/.283/.346
second .247/.284/.353
third .264/.304/.380
fourth (!) .248/.303/.356

glavine
first .245/.310/.359
second .255/.314/.378
third .269/.328/.395

but those guys are, of course, all hall of famers

yeah, not quite as extreme as "Nolan Ryan threw 300 innings! Why don't youse?" but...

i think there's maybe a little something to what smoltz is saying -- if you're going through the order fewer times/not pitching 300 innings, you likely don't need to rely on or develop your third- or fourth-best pitches as much. but being a hall of famer, he probably thinks that having four plus pitches is much easier than it really is

Lindbergh suggested on the EW podcast today that it seems the ball isn't carrying as well in the PS? I've seen a couple warning-track flies that seemed to die en route.

“Ji-Man Choi!” chant breaking out rn in the parking lots outside Tropicana Field. What a time.

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) October 8, 2019

you hate to see it

Two perfect throws.

you KNOW if TB wins this series they're gonna lose 4 straight to the Stanks

kinda why I can’t get excited about TB winning this

same reason I want the Dodgers coming out of the NL: keep your eye on the Death Star

I got in 30 mins ago. Did Verlander have nothing? Velocity, location?

Fastballs were around 95.

couldn't locate

Girardi observed he was actually throwing harder than last start, calling it "forced velocity"

only four walks, but the astros have thrown almost twice as many pitches

also, tommy pham

The Astros had their chances in the ninth, but Snell was filthy out of the pen.

Those relay throws to nail Altuve at the plate earlier in the game were sick. It was looking like a big inning but the Rays crushed it.

i love watching the Rays win with their bizarro pitching antics.

Tampa Bay is kind of like that 1985 Toronto team, which had a bunch of cast-offs from other teams like Rance Mulliniks, Ernie Whitt and Bill Caudill. Cleanup hitter was a Rule 5 guy (George Bell.)

— Bill James Online (@billjamesonline) October 9, 2019

Most of the core guys on the Jays weren't castoffs, they were drafted and developed in their system (Stieb, Barfield, Moseby ...). These Rays were built more through trades.

I don't know anything about the Rays...are acquired-through-trades and cast-offs mutually exclusive? Stieb, Barfield, Moseby, and Fernandez were all homegrown, for sure. The key cast-offs were Bell, Doyle Alexander, Dennis Lamp (11-0 in middle relief, even got an MVP vote or two...a lot of luck), the catching platoon, and--I don't why James mentioned Caudill, who lost his job mid-season--Henke.

Doesn't every successful team have a few key cast-offs, though? I basically agree with you--the '85 Jays don't seem all that noteworthy as a patchwork team.

Bell and Whitt were Rule 5 players, but they were part of the same core of guys who were with the team for years before they finally won the division in '85. Nobody at the time would have said that the Jays were a team of castoffs.

The Rays are more of a constantly evolving rotation of players (they fielded over 70 players this year) and roles for those players. Most of them have been with the team for a short time.

Every successful team has castoffs and reclamation projects, but I don't really get James' comparison.

Pham hit a changeup that didn't change in the first

a couple of those hits were bounced thru the infield

not the Wendle double tho

Ex-Pirate vs. Ex-Pirate

So the home team has led the scoring 23-7 in HOU-TB. I wonder what the greatest margin is in 5- (and 7-)game series that went the limit. I'd look at series where the home team won every game first (1960 and 1991 WS?).

ok my bad, the home team did not win every game in '60

and '91 had mostly close games -- runs margin was 35-18 cuz of one blowout

5 seconds.

It took 5 seconds for Altuve to get home after Kiermaier got the ball... and 4.8 seconds for the Rays to make two perfect throws.

On the coolest relay you maybe have ever seen:https://t.co/B5Y30PGa1Y pic.twitter.com/I0lxlb6Vde

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) October 9, 2019

does altuve kinda stutterstep going toward the tag @ 3B or am i imagining things

#OTD 1972 Billy Martin at His Fiery Best.#Oakland #Athletics #tigers #Detroit #1970s #mlbpostseason pic.twitter.com/eSR2aQomg3

— Tom's Old Days (@sigg20) October 9, 2019

I was watching--will never forget it.

The #Braves have lost nine consecutive playoff series.

An L today would tie the Cubs (from 1910-1998) for the longest streak of postseason series Ls in MLB history pic.twitter.com/18sDCGIrTu

— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) October 9, 2019

Card first blood

action in the bullpen

ed man

ugh

jesus

wow

biggest first inning in postseason history; still only one out

that was kinda sad

Plenty of ballgame left.

I’d feel sorta bad, but then I remember a sold out crowd tomahawking chopping at Ryan Helsley just a few games ago

imagine if they hadn't given away an out on a sacrifice bunt

jeeeeeeeeeesus what the fuuuuuuuuuck

This is just the fifth time in the past decade that a team has fallen behind by 9+ runs before batting. Considering it's a winner-take-all game, has to qualify as one of the worst half innings in history. Unless the Braves scores 10 themselves.

— David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield) October 9, 2019

btw, even if the racist braves weren't getting their asses kicked at the moment, there would be slightly less tomahawk chopping during this game, due to Helsley speaking out:

https://fox2now.com/2019/10/09/atlanta-braves-make-changes-after-criticism-from-cardinal-pitcher-ryan-helsley/

ATLANTA, GA- Just days after Ryan Helsley, a Cardinals reliever and a member of the Cherokee Nation, criticized the use of the “Tomahawk Chop”, a fan cheer by Braves fans, Atlanta officials are taking action.

“I think it’s a misrepresentation of the Cherokee people or Native Americans in general,” Helsley told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Friday “Just depicts them in this kind of caveman-type people way who aren’t intellectual. They are a lot more than that. It’s not me being offended by the whole mascot thing. It’s not. It’s about the misconception of us, the Native Americans, and it devalues us and how we’re perceived in that way, or used as mascots.”

Wednesday afternoon, just prior to the pivotal Game 5 of the National League Division Series between the Cardinals and Braves, Atlanta issued a statement promising changes.

“Out of respect for the concerns expressed by Mr. Helsley, we will take several efforts to reduce the Tomahawk Chop during our in-ballpark presentation today. Among other things, these steps include not distributing foam tomahawks to each seat and not playing the accompanying music or using Chop-related graphics when Mr. Helsley is in the game.”

The statement says the team looks forward to a “continued dialogue with those in the Native American community after the postseason concludes.”

fuck off, braves, if you only implement the ban when a particular player or a native american in general is on the field, that's probably a good indicator that what you're promoting is indefensible.

Galaxy brain: what if the Cardinals don't bother sending out Jack Flaherty today

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) October 9, 2019

what the fuck

don't worry Atlanta it's possible to overcome huge deficits in playoff games

why is flaherty still out there

srsly wtf are they doing

especially when newcomb probably should have plunked him

Didn't see any of the Braves-Cards game, but I imagine I'm thinking the same thing people in Italy, Zimbabwe, and the Ukraine are thinking: how on earth, in a deciding game, do you leave a starting pitcher in long enough to give up seven runs? That's mind-boggling.

as a lifelong braves fan i knew they were going to fucking choke in the divisional round like they always do this is just a comical new low.

Here comes Yadi.

*throws bat*

You can move the Braves to Cobb County, but they are still the Braves in the playoffs.

three of the runs charged to folty scored after he left, plus one of them was an IBB, plus there was a key freddie error that might have gotten them out of it altogether. he wasn’t locating the slider well, but i don’t think leaving him in as long as they did was super egregious

Man I gave up on braves baseball 20 years ago for this exact reason. Ok off to watch a Hawks preseason game

why is flaherty still out there

I haven't even seen Joe Sheehan's tweets yet; I'm sure he was wailing by the 4th

btw Heeez, completely different players over 20 years don't have ANYTHING to do with it, just like the Twins, but sports fans gonna sportsfan.

cardinals will get home field if the nationals come back (just learned that)

a division champ always does over a WC team

as far as the Braves pulling Folty goes, once they're down 4-0 in the first -- their odds of winning are what, 20%? Should've had the hook ready.

Brian McCann retires btw

never really liked him, but good career

why didn't they let mccann bat one last time in the 9th? seemed like an odd time to get tyler flowers one more at bat for the year

So long, trot sheriff.

weighted Driveline ball appearance w/ Kershaw

well that was inept

Couple of awesome pitches from Kershaw there.

Lol Clayton

Lmaaaaao

Still luv u Clayton

I think Roberts is an idiot

Couple of awesome pitches from Kershaw there.

― clemenza, Wednesday, October 9, 2019 8:19 PM (fourteen minutes ago)

lollin'

Stunning.

Every time I think that maybe Kershaw has put this postseason albatross behind him, it comes back with a vengeance.

can't hit a ball much harder than that

juan soto seems like a big deal

Remember when Kershaw giving up a homer to a LHB was a big deal?

Taking one for the team, respect

I think it happens in the playoffs every year now in the late innings.

xpost

Can we please Poll the Champion Series

Joe Kelly in the 9th ????

^^^^

Fuck me it worked

i’m sorry i doubted you joe kelly

lol i’m not

I think at some point we need to just accept that the kershaw playoff thing is real

Yeah no manager has done well with Kershaw in the post-season

it’s all fun and games until kelly throws a straight fastball

Can someone remind me where is Kenley Jansen in all this?

I know he kind of sucked this year but still ... Kelly for two innings vs the heart of the Nats order instead of Jansen?

Dang, Rendon

OH!

Woh

Goddamn

why was kelly still in

god almighty

After all the talk of superteams, it's starting to feel like this is the year that the Astros blow it too.

Insane

he’s *still* in!

And Kelly stays in for mop up duty?

Can someone remind me where is Kenley Jansen in all this?

On the bench where Kersh should've been?

Joe Kelly is still pitching. The story now is the poisoning of every other Dodgers pitcher that led to this.

— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 10, 2019

Roberts getting boo’d?!

Oh - here’s Jansen!

just in time, dave

That was thrilling.

I think at some point we need to just accept that the kershaw playoff thing is real

I think you and I concluded that it was real last year. You're well past a small sample size by now. (The realness of it wouldn't be so evident if he didn't play for a team that was always in the playoffs.)

Fuck

I'm so happy right now

Via baseball savant, there were 3 balls hit during the regular season to right field with approximately the same exit velo and launch angle at dodgers stadium and they all stayed in the park.

— Adam (@schwabera) October 10, 2019

I was going to ask if Scherzer was available for an inning if the Nationals scored one, but it's kind of moot now.

that’s the smith flyout? xp

Why baseball is the best sport.

I have had so much fun tonight

That's the HR, surely

Whatever the shipping costs to the antipode of Chavez Ravine, it would have been money well spent https://t.co/OKauSK7EpG

— Jay Jaffe (@jay_jaffe) October 10, 2019

The Nats/Expos have never appeared in a best-of-seven postseason series in 50 combined seasons.

— Cliff Corcoran (@CliffCorcoran) October 10, 2019

Dreading the notion that the Yankees might be the last super team left.

Uh, the Rays are still very much in this!

Might!

Hitchin my bandwagon on the Rays. That being said I wouldn’t mind seeing Scherzer winning a ring.

Rays' prospects after tomorrow (uh, today) do not fill me with confidence

meanwhile back in the St Louis clubhouse

Here’s what Jack Flaherty had to say about the pitch that hit Ronald Acuña Jr. in the bottom of the fifth: #stlcards pic.twitter.com/lw6C0i3JIw

— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) October 10, 2019

so, go Nats