2023 NLCS: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies

it is definitely not fall in phoenix. the dbacks are a team against god.

Agreed

To frogs, but probably to you as well 龜

It would be a long explanation, a few hundred words--I knew this would puzzle people so I was thinking it through in advance--but the short version is that I get that it's baseball, that baseball playoffs aren't like the playoffs in any other sport, and that the world's decided I'm supposed to just grab on and enjoy the spectacle. But I have this quaint notion that whoever wins, I should be able to make a credible case to myself that it's one of the best, I don't know, half-dozen teams in baseball. Your earliest impressions are the ones that are hardest to let go, and--primarily because of the limited playoff schedule, obviously--for the longest time starting in 1970, that was true. Even when you get to a team like the '87 Twins, it at least felt like a team, with a couple of Hall of Famers and a bunch of Hall of the Good/Very Good-types. (Like the Giants of the 2010s, winning a second title made the first feel more legitimate.)

I just don't get anything out of the D-Backs. They won 84 games and were outscored.

(Yes--that's the short version.)

Maybe, with their young guys, it's the beginning of a great team. Maybe I'll see them differently in a year or two.

Fair enough. As a kid, I get excited by the concept of chaos and the young bucks setting themselves and the sport on fire as they challenge every rhyme and reason just by continuing to win. As mentioned on another thread, I do think wins are devalued by the current play off format, but essential to any sport is the idea that the worst team could beat the best team at any moment, and I would think most would agree that when that happens? You get some of the most entertaining games possible. When that happens on the biggest stage, well, we’re in for a treat.

Also, it’s not like we have any of the best teams in baseball left around this post season, so whatever, let the “worst” one win it

(Like the Giants of the 2010s, winning a second title made the first feel more legitimate.)

♥️

And then something I never expected, they did it again in 2014. Astonishing really. Bochy really did push all the right buttons

I get the appeal. I watched G2 of the '73 Series, one of the wildest and craziest (and messiest) ever. And if the 82-win Mets had won that series--they came within one game of doing so--I probably would adjusted to the current climate a lot sooner.

This is all a pipe dream, the Phillies are going to take this. Good story, like so many that came before.

Also FWIW, I do think the 2023 DBacks are a good team. They lead the NL west until July, after which they made some great trades (Sewald, Pham), not giving up in a division filled with the Dodgers, competing at that time Giants, and the "who knows?" billion dollar Padres. They bet on themselves without being foolish (A la Angels) and it's paying off. I don't think they're merely getting lucky. I don't think their wins are undeserved. I think they're a team that was smart with there resources, and that have superstar quality that is all popping off at the right time (truly, the only secret to post season success)

I hope I get to quote that to you in a couple days Bee lol

Even tonight it was on the manager. He pitched Kimbrel last night to get three outs, then tonight he wanted another six!

("would have")

Right (xposts to Bee's post about the Giants)--I tend to view teams within a multi-year window, so the Giants and those Twins teams made any skepticism moot. Ditto for the Yankees and Cardinals teams that won this century during off years: they essentially had the same core as teams that were legitimately great in the years that surrounded. Which is why I'm premature in making any kind of judgement about the D-Backs: they've got Moreno, Gallen, Carroll, and others, so who knows what's down the road.

In other words, my floor for "I should be able to make a credible case to myself that it's one of the best, I don't know, half-dozen teams in baseball" is, I think, very flexible. But at the moment, the D-Backs fall short.

Just checked: they led to mid-july, over half a season

And I think the storylines in the other two potential match-ups involving the other three teams are better.

May be true, but that's why you play 162 games. (Or at that used to be case...)

"at least"--slow down, you type too fast; got to make the morning last.

I hope I get to quote that to you in a couple days Bee lol

I do realize that this post can age very badly

Teams that are uncontroversially better than the 2023 diamondbacks imo:

LAD
ATL
BAL
TBR
TEX

Teams where it's a debate:

SEA
HOU
SDP
MIA
MIN
TOR
CHC
BOS?

13 teams there, you're more than entitled to your opinion and you may be right! But if we had an arbitrator up in the heavens that could truly decide this, I'd probably still put money on the Dbacks to be in that 12 over two of those teams.

But I'm confident, this Phillies team does have the IT factor this year

Based on the window-thing I mentioned, I'd definitely move Houston to the first group. (And get the Jays the hell out of there!) But that seems reasonable--one of the best seven or eight.

Cubs and Pads are the two teams I'd cut of that list to fit a nice dozen ftr

It sounds like I hate them. I don't. If they get in, I'll root for Moreno and Guriel.

But I'm confident, this Phillies team does have the IT factor this year

― Bee OK, Saturday, 21 October 2023 14:39 (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

If they can just find someone to eat innings besides Craig Kimbrel

But I sure would miss Harper.

Now that I think about it, if they had anyone besides Craig Kimbrel the Phillies would have won this NLCS already so maybe I'm giving the Dbacks too much credit. Unbelievable he blew back to back games

Also thank you for not calling out my folly in putting LAD on the top of that list given the last series lol

Ok, let's talk about the dodgers, when the Giants swept them in Dodgers stadium this year I saw the exposure. They're not as good as teams in the most recent years. The pitching was suspect but when they lost Urias I felt like it was over in 2023. I was still surprised when it happened in their first round.

The win total they got this year is a miracle that relied primarily on a great offense (despite what the NLDS would have you believe) and a Pitching staff that somehow, with a lot of duct tape and chewing gum, held it together for most of the year. Turns out that duct tape and chewing gum loses its stickiness after 6 months and it was an inevitable result no fan wanted to acknowledge. From the start of the season though, Dodgers fans were crying that this was the worst Dodgers team of the Friedman era (primarily due to injuries) and we were resigned that the NL West pennant might not have been ours this year (as was every sports standing predictor, they all had the Padres first). The pitching falling apart was expected, the offense turning off for the first time this year was not. And , we don't even have a consolation prize of a healthy Ohtani to weather this storm!!! Cruel

REPTILES DRILL PHIL, KIMBREL STILL DOWNHILL

lol

I loved this story about the bond between Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38674717/mlb-playoffs-2023-arizona-diamondbacks-mike-hazen-torey-lovullo-nicole-cancer

Great piece. I am very choked up. <3

Kevin Ginkel
Custom mashup of Snakebite and Poison by Alice Cooper’s team

?
― I’m going to get fined for being right, again (gyac), Friday, October 20, 2023 5:33 PM bookmarkflaglink

Oh it's funny, because they are the Diamondbacks, poisonous rattlesnakes

SNAKES ALIVE!!!! Love to wake up and see this

Friday, March 20, 2023 11:45 PM Site Bryce Harper has been banned temporarily. 0/5 in 48 hours

Oh fudge

Friday, October 20, 2023 11:45 PM Site Bryce Harper has been banned . 0/5 in 48 hours

ffs

He’ll start hitting again in Philly. Their home/road splits have been notable (small sample size though)

Phillies
6 home games
17 2B, 17 HR, .301/.373/.648

3 road games
3 2B, 2 HR, .194/.303/.290

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) October 20, 2023

Some camera angle made Bryce Harper look like a January 6 Justin Theroux and now I can't unsee it

Unbelievable he blew back to back games

SNAKES ALIVE! PHILS SAY NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Very keen for this game

Gallen vs Wheeler

Marquee match up

Start Kimbrel as an opener you cowards!

xp Zac(k) attack

Wow that trea turner avg is incredible this deep into the post season

I do kinda hope Gallen gets torched. Don’t like the idea of other NL-West team having aces

Throw the ball you coward! Unprofessional

Gallen scared of Mr. .197

WHAT A HIT FROM THE SLUGGER! Hahaha