MLB Playoffs

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1 trip through the line up, Verlander looks filthy.

Still hard for me to wrap my head around 2 National League teams for over 40 years of my life, and there's no Designated Hitter. Ok with it. Just different.
 



GophersInIowa said:
I just can't because of Altuve. I used to be a big fan of his but after all the cheating I can't stand the guy.

Most of this year's team wasn't around in 2017 but it's still hard to root for them. I like the Phillies team a lot better, it's just their fans are so awful. I honestly just want it to be a good series because that's what's best for baseball.
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I don't think they're as bad as they used to be. One thing I will say is that they were equal opportunity haters. They were just as likely to boo their own players as the opposition, maybe even more so.
 

GopherVotary said:
Phillies take game one, coming back from down 5-0. Verlander remains winless in WS games.
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Very surprising isn't it?

Verlander's World Series ERA is now 6.07, the worst ever among starters with at least 30 innings pitched in the Fall Classic. But he blamed no one but himself..

With his no-decision Friday, Verlander remains 0-6 over eight World Series starts, the most career World Series starts without a win in baseball history.
 


On one had you have the Astros and they are cheaters. On the other hand, the other team is out of the worst city in America.

I'll just watch the Friday night MAC football game.
 

A night like tonight in Philly brings to mind the words of a baseball phenom wise beyond his years. Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh once opined:

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes...you get rained out.

Oh, she may get wooly...

Game 3, ppd. Perhaps favors the Astros with their deeper bullpen and presumably no more off days.
 
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Ope3 said:
Game 3, ppd. Perhaps favors the Astros with their deeper bullpen and presumably no more off days.
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Update, there will be an Off Day on Friday before Game 6, if necessary.
 

McCullers is the first pitcher in playoff history to give up 5 HRs in one game. Apparently he was tipping his pitches and Philly figured it out.
 




Game 4, my bad I did not stick with it to the end. I was oblivious to the potential history of a Committee No-Hittee.

Former Twin Ryan Pressly got the honors for finishing it off in the 9th. 2nd ever in World Series History, to go along with Don Larsen.

So tonight Game 5, head to head with the NFL which features the same 2 cities.
 
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Ope3 said:
Game 4, my bad I did not stick with it to the end. I was oblivious to the potential history of a Committee No-Hittee.

Former Twin Ryan Pressly got the honors for finishing it off in the 9th. 2nd ever in World Series History, to go along with Don Larson.

So tonight Game 4, head to head with the NFL which features the same 2 cities.
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It's crazy how quickly one game can completely change the momentum. Game 5 is huge.
 

GophersInIowa said:
It's crazy how quickly one game can completely change the momentum. Game 5 is huge.
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Great matchup of veteran pitchers tonight. Both were dominating in previous years, prior to health issues, Verlander vs Syndergaard.

Law of averages for Verlander, has to play out sometime, right? Fully rested, now or never.
 



Ope3 said:
Great matchup of veteran pitchers tonight. Both were dominating in previous years, prior to health issues, Verlander vs Syndergaard.

Law of averages for Verlander, has to play out sometime, right? Fully rested, now or never.
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Ope3 said:
Game 4, my bad I did not stick with it to the end. I was oblivious to the potential history of a Committee No-Hittee.

Former Twin Ryan Pressly got the honors for finishing it off in the 9th. 2nd ever in World Series History, to go along with Don Larson.

So tonight Game 5, head to head with the NFL which features the same 2 cities.
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Larson's still stands head and shoulders above last night's no hitter.
Larson pitched the entire game and not only had a no hitter, but also a perfect game.
Last night was special, but Larson's feat was spectacular.
 

MennoSota said:
Larson's still stands head and shoulders above last night's no hitter.
Larson pitched the entire game and not only had a no hitter, but also a perfect game.
Last night was special, but Larson's feat was spectacular.
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Reusse just pointed this interesting note on Twitter, the starting pitchers for the 2 WS No-hitters both threw the exact same amount of pitches, 97.

Larsen in 1956 went the full 9 innings obviously, but last night Javier only got through 6.

I will add, Larsen got a slight benefit that he did not have to face a DH (not to diminish the accomplishment in any way).
 

Ope3 said:
Reusse just pointed this interesting note on Twitter, the starting pitchers for the 2 WS No-hitters both threw the exact same amount of pitches, 97.

Larsen in 1956 went the full 9 innings obviously, but last night Javier only got through 6.

I will add, Larsen got a slight benefit that he did not have to face a DH (not to diminish the accomplishment in any way).
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Players today are better at fouling off pitches. They do strike out a lot, but it seems that there are 2-3 2-strike foul balls.

30% (29 out of 97) of Javier's pitches were foul balls. The stats don't say how many were 2 strike foul balls. though. That was also more than his swinging & called strikes combined (14 called, 11 swinging).
 

difference in eras.

In the 50's, hitters went up to the plate to hit. they swung the bat at any pitch that was close.

today, it's all about working the count and driving up the pitcher's pitch count. take more pitches and foul off close pitches to have longer at-bats.

and, the strike zones are probably a lot tighter now. Umps used to call the high strike. now, anything above the belt is a ball. plus, umps used to have more latitude to call their "own" strike zones. today with QuesTec, umps are a lot more consistent - and pitchers don't get strikes called on pitches that are 4" out of the zone the way Maddux used to.

(unless Angel Hernandez is behind the plate.........)
 

short ornery norwegian said:
difference in eras.

In the 50's, hitters went up to the plate to hit. they swung the bat at any pitch that was close.

today, it's all about working the count and driving up the pitcher's pitch count. take more pitches and foul off close pitches to have longer at-bats.
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Here's the conundrum with that...working the pitch count driving pitchers out results in a fresh arm coming in, likely throwing harder than the starter with more wicked stuff. Especially good teams in the post-season, their bullpens are loaded, trying to mimic the template the Royals used last decade.
 

With the Phillies wearing their 1983 powder blue throwbacks, MLB/Astros missed a great opportunity to get really nostalgic by wearing their 1980 rainbow classics.

Those teams collided for an amazing NLCS.

s-l400.jpg

steve-carlton.jpg

I wish I cared as much as I did back then.
 
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Verlander got the monkey off his back.

Anyone else have a flashback when McCormick made that catch to a Twin HoFer scraping one off the plexiglass at the HHH Dome?
 

Ope3 said:
Verlander got the monkey off his back.

Anyone else have a flashback when McCormick made that catch to a Twin HoFer scraping one off the plexiglass at the HHH Dome?
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Yeah, I thought that too. I also liken that catch to Joe Rudi 50 years ago against the Reds.
 

GopherVotary said:
Yeah, I thought that too. I also liken that catch to Joe Rudi 50 years ago against the Reds.
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Good one. It was like a mirror image of the grab last night.


I've always thought the White Lids the A's Mgr/Coaches wore to be an interesting fashion decision.
 

Ope3 said:
I really don't have a rooting interest in the World Series, but I am putting my modest support on the Astros.

I like how they have responded to the cheating scandal by going out and winning anyway, with the whole world hating their guts even though odds are great that whatever team they root for was also doing something nefarious.

Also hope that Dusty Baker can get a ring as skipper after several near misses.

I like Verlander. At 39 not sure how likely it is, but 3 more seasons matching his W total this year (18) would get him to 300 on the nose. I would guess he'll need to throw 4 more seasons.

I'm also sick of the theme from Rocky.
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So the Astros won. Whoopee, I guess. I totally respect the roster they built and glad that Dusty Baker finally got a ring as a Manager.

That bomb that Alvarez hit is still going.

Now I can go back to hating all their guts. Especially Altuve.
 

I guess the Astros didn’t miss Correa.

Win Twins!!
 

Ope3 said:
So the Astros won. Whoopee, I guess. I totally respect the roster they built and glad that Dusty Baker finally got a ring as a Manager.

That bomb that Alvarez hit is still going.

Now I can go back to hating all their guts. Especially Altuve.
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It's also nice when bad things happen to Philly (especially their sports fans).
 




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