Wait until next year

Putting off what could be done tomorrow, today

Tag: baseball

October 22, 2009

MLB play-offs braindump #9 – Phillies reach the World Series

Last night the Philadelphia Phillies reached baseball’s World Series for the second year in a row, and are on course to retain their title.

The Phillies beat the Dodgers 10-4 on the night, and 4-1 in the series, to become National League champions, and will now face one of the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, still going at it in the American League series.

As the score betrays, this was a night for the hitters, not the pitchers. The highlights made it look more like a home run derby than a play-off game. There were sixteen hits in all, including seven home runs. Padilla for the Dodgers saw his post-season form grind to a halt, giving up six runs in three innings. His counterpart, Cole Hamels, wasn’t a whole lot better, giving up three runs, before being pulled from the game in the fourth.

The Dodgers had their chance to mount a memorable late comeback, but failed to make the most of loading the bases late on. And so the Phillies go through, and in all probability to face the Yankees.

Neither side is the most likable, so in the meantime I’ll be rooting for the Angels to turn around their series against the Yankees. As that looks like a losing battle, I’ll perhaps take this advice from Fear and Faith in Flushing, and reluctantly support the Phillies…

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October 19, 2009

MLB play-offs braindump #8 – How not to be an online baseball pundit

Last night I made the following comment on the Dodgers/Phillies series:

“So, we’re 1-1 in that series and if this game is anything to go by, we’re in for some very close-run games.”

I wake up this morning to find the Phillies have tonked the Dodgers, 11-0. Cliff Lee put in a superb pitching performance, striking out 10 and allowing just three hits.

Some pundit am I!

Both championship series continue tonight, with a rare early start for the Angels/Yankees game. I might actually catch the first few innings as it starts at a reasonable time for British fans. Otherwise, I’ll be catching the condensed game on mlb.tv, over my muesli tomorrow morning.

If you’re interested in catching some of the baseball, but don’t have TV access, or an online subscription, Matt at BaseballGB has the lowdown on the variety of ways you can catch some of the action for free. Well worth a read if you feel like dipping your toes in the baseballing waters…

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October 16, 2009

MLB play-offs braindump #6 – Phillies/Dodgers Game One

And so, after a little break, the play-offs resume. Last night the Phillies beat the Dodgers 8-6 in the first game of a seven-game series. The Dodgers can’t be happy, at not only losing, but failing to make the most of home advantage. However, there is clearly still a long way to go.

I do fear, though, that the small wager I placed on the Dodgers winning the World Series prior to the game hasn’t helped matters. The Dodgers were listed as the outsiders of the four teams left, which I wasn’t so sure about, so a flutter was in order. They are now duly cursed by my anti-tipping skills.

For the World Series I think I’d like to see a ‘Freeway Series’ between the Angels and Dodgers. As a Mets fan this seems the most satisfactory solution, considering the alternatives, and some sort of Southern Californian ‘derby’ sounds like it could be a lot of fun. But I won’t be betting the house on it just yet.

I caught some of last night’s game this morning, listening to the archived audio. I think listening to baseball on the radio can really accentuate the poetry of the sport. There is also the rich stream of facts, figures and anecdotes provided throughout. I often feel I’m learning a lot more about the game when I listen to the radio, than when I watch the television (this is the case for most sports, cricket comes to mind right away).

And I doubt many are better than one of the legendary broadcasters in baseball, Vin Scully. He’s been commentating on games for over 50 years, yet he doesn’t miss a step. He set the scene so well, with talk of the ‘gloaming’ and ‘leaden grey sky’, while also calling the game to perfection.

The television coverage of the play-offs has been far from perfect. Radio offers a worthy alternative. Particularly with Vin Scully in the seat.

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October 13, 2009

MLB play-offs braindump #5 – Five things I’ve learned about post-season baseball this week

And then there were four. Later this week we’ll have the Angels vs Yankees and Phillies vs Dodgers in best-of-seven series for a place in the big one, the World Series. The Red Sox, Rockies, Twins and Cardinals have all gone home, season over.

But what have I learned from the first round of play-offs?

1. The best teams went through

I think it is safe to say that the strongest teams went through. There might have been bad calls from umpires and huge mistakes that you just can’t legislate for, but all in all, there were no unlucky losers. There have been close games, but three sides were swept three games to none, and the other side, the Rockies, only won the one game. You’ve got to be ruthless at this stage, and the best teams were. Could the Red Sox, Rockies, Twins and Cardinals have done better than one win between them? I think we all the answer to that one.

2. It’s not all about heroics

There have undoubtedly been some good performances, but the game-changing acts have generally been self-destructive ones. Running errors, dropped catches, poor pitching. Which brings me on to…

3. You need a good closer

How many games have swung in the final inning? The teams that have won have had steady, reliable pitching in the ninth inning. When the closer has had a meltdown, his team has lost. Unless you somehow manage to rack up a massive lead beforehand, you’ve got to be strong in the later innings.

4. I don’t like the TBS coverage

I’m a creature of habit. I don’t like change. I’m no baseball media expert, but TBS coverage just isn’t the same somehow.

5. There’s not enough hours in the day

Believe me, in this, ahem, “current economic climate”, I’m very, very happy that I’ve got a job. But because of my pesky job I just haven’t got the time to watch all this wonderful baseball, especially with the time-difference (I live in London). I’m not complaining, though, about this embarrassment of riches. I’m just wondering what I’ll do after the season ends. Aha! Watch other sport, that’s what! Problem solved!

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October 10, 2009

MLB play-offs braindump #3

Two games last night…

Yankees/Twins – Yankees are going to win it all, aren’t they?

There is an air of inevitability around the Yankees this year. They seem bulletproof. No matter what, they just look like they are going to win. Last night they were 3-1 down in the bottom of the ninth, yet still got out of it, with A-Rod’s two-run homer. In extra innings the Twins had the bases loaded and no outs. Still, the Yankees stayed alive. Then, finally, Mark Teixeira scores a home run and the Yankees win. Again.

The Twins must be plain exhausted after playing approximately one million innings of the past week. I can’t see them getting back in this series, particularly against this Yankees side. Last night was their big opportunity.

Angels/Red Sox – Boston need to pull their Sox up (ahem)

Oh dear. I’ll never make a headline writer. The Angels looked strong again, and the series moves to Boston with the Angels now 2-0 up. The game was pretty close until the seventh, when the Angels scored three to make it 4-1. And that, my friends, was how it finished. No last-ditch excitement in this game. The Angels have done a pretty professional job of dispatching the Red Sox so far. I wonder if home advantage in the next game might help Boston improve, but it may be too little, too late.

Is it too early to think about a Yankees/Angels match-up for the American League title? A pretty mouth-watering prospect.

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