Official MLB Divisional Series 2005 Thread

[TBird41]

hoyabinx said:

Whats with all the Braves hate? I mean yeah, we don't sell out division series games but last years game 5 NLDS was damn near sold out. The stadium is freaking huge too, over 50K so its tough to sell it out. But if we make the LCS (fingers crossed) we will sell out. Granted we dont get all the early games which is what usually happens.

The Twins stadium is the same size if not bigger and they sold out all their playoff games the last three years.

They also sold out all 4 World Series games in 1991.


And speaking of pitchers who were studs in the playoffs, I think that before Smoltz gets in the Hall, the man who beat him in the best world series game ever, game 7 of the '91 series, should be in the Hall first. I mean, Jack Morris dominated the 80s and then capped it off w/ that 10 inning gem. And he's not in the Hall? Not a knock against Smoltz--I think he probably has the creditentials, but I'm not really sure how he compares b/c of the hybrid nature of his career.

[Deleted]

To paraphrase a man much more annoying than myself, the Red Sox?

"They gone."

You talk about Smoltz and his impressive post-season career, I'd throw El Duque's up there as well.

[hoyarooter]

Morris is a tough case. He was, unquestionably, a great clutch pitcher, and he won a lot of games, but his ERA was never anything to write home about. I think Smoltz has a better case, but reasonable people can differ on this.

As for El Duque, I think the guy must have a pact with Satan. He had been pitching like total crap up until his two relief outings near the end of the season, but to come in with the bases loaded and allow nothing??? Absolutely amazing.

Anyway, sorry Bahstin and Cambridge. But no one can take last year away from you, and that was really, really special.

[Bahstin]

Congrats to the White Sox fans on the board. There is no doubt who was the better team.

[hoyabinx]

tbird41 said:

hoyabinx said:

Whats with all the Braves hate? I mean yeah, we don't sell out division series games but last years game 5 NLDS was damn near sold out. The stadium is freaking huge too, over 50K so its tough to sell it out. But if we make the LCS (fingers crossed) we will sell out. Granted we dont get all the early games which is what usually happens.

The Twins stadium is the same size if not bigger and they sold out all their playoff games the last three years.

They also sold out all 4 World Series games in 1991.


And speaking of pitchers who were studs in the playoffs, I think that before Smoltz gets in the Hall, the man who beat him in the best world series game ever, game 7 of the '91 series, should be in the Hall first. I mean, Jack Morris dominated the 80s and then capped it off w/ that 10 inning gem. And he's not in the Hall? Not a knock against Smoltz--I think he probably has the creditentials, but I'm not really sure how he compares b/c of the hybrid nature of his career.

We sold out the other 3 games that year and the 95 series too. I would be surprised to see that the 99 WS wasnt sold out. I think the recent string of NLDS losses has made Atlanta weary of putting hope in the team, which translates to non-sold out NLDS games.

[nodak89]

Maybe Smoltz could start and come out of the pen.


Ack.

[Deleted]

"America's Team" doing what they do best... lose in the playoffs. But what a game! Too many great performances for both teams to mention. Cards-Stros is gonna be a good one (I hope... for good TV's sake).

[nodak89]

[glow=red,2,300]

WARNING!!!

IRONY-LADEN POST AHEAD!!!
[/glow]


Braves + 14 straight Division Titles and 1 World Series Championship in the last 14 years = "chokers"

Red Sox + 1 World Series Championship in the last 86 years = Red Sox don't suck because they are "cursed"



yeah, right.



(well, the 'pen does bite.)

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

buffalohoya said:

"America's Team" doing what they do best... lose in the playoffs. But what a game! Too many great performances for both teams to mention. Cards-Stros is gonna be a good one (I hope... for good TV's sake).

This is what my day looked like yesterday - sitting on the couch in my Henle shaking with nervous anticipation realizing that the game had already been blown - and I had the distinct pleasure of having this sink in over the following 9 innings. And then seeing that homerun go in essentially the same place as the grand slam - I spent the next 10 minutes dry heaving. Congrats to the Astros, enjoy getting swept by the Cards who will then demolish the AL opponent in the World Series.

[Jack]

Boy the back pages are going to be fun tomorrow, not to mention RDF's inevitable A-Rod rant.

[AustinHoya03]

stpetersburghoya said:

And then seeing that homerun go in essentially the same place as the grand slam - I spent the next 10 minutes dry heaving.

It was more than essentially the same place: the same fan caught both home run balls.

[CTHoya08]

There is no excuse for the Yankees losing that game, with Colon coming out in the 2nd inning. I don't care how good that rookie was for LA, we should not lose that game.

[Bahstin]

MVP my ass.

[Hank Scorpio]

A-Rod is gonna get killed, but Sheffield and Matsui are the real culprits. Absolutely invisible. Especially Matsui, 0 for 5 with 8 runners LOB tonight. I'd have liked to have seen A-Rod in a position to drive some runs in, but Torre insists on hitting him 2 hole. the offense should be ashamed of itself. especially our 4/5 hitters. unfathomably bad.

Santana is a nice young pitcher, and the Yankees never hit guys they don't have a lot of experience against. I'm not surprised they had trouble, but they bailed him out countless times by swinging at ball 4 on a 3-1 count and/or ball 3 on a 2-0 count. Maddening. I am beyond frustrated watching this tean.

Sleeping it off. The Angels are not intimidating, but they get it done. I think the ChiSox wipe the floor with them, though, esp if Colon is out

- borat

PS - thanks to bernie williams for a dignified career in pinstripes if this was his last game. i hope that doesn't get lost in the raking this team is going to take in the coming days

[RDF]

Matsui and Sheffield are two problems--they are both DH's that are butchers in the field, but with Matsui, he's done something for NY in past--big hit against Sox in '03 and was on a World Series team.

Borat, I agree with you placing blame on these guys, but come on--to absolve A-Rod here is just absolute chicken--you know what. The guy came up SMALL when the team needed him and choked. He wasn't alone but he was a major culprit and if you are going to be in MVP contention and play like this, you deserve the beating that awaits.

I just find it funny that when I call out the KG's and A-Rod's of the world it gets such a passionate response and they end up making me look good by doing what they always do--GAGGING in money time. You can argue your points but the results speak for themself and these two just keep making my point for me.

This Yankee team is so flawed it's not even funny. Fact is you trade to get Randy Johnson, he gets hit hard on Friday and leaves early, so why start Mike Mussina who's had a terrible habit of getting shelled every other start and falls apart on him quickly? And if you are going to invest money in a baseball team, how about some damn defense?

I've always wondered why Gary Sheffield has modeled so many uniforms, now know why--he's a clown who doesn't care enough about the game. His loafing was sickening and he'll use the pulled quad--oh wait, was it his groin or hammy? He doesn't know but the excuses will be out. At least he kept game alive unlike A-Rotten who killed the inning. PATHETIC and my hatred for that phony only goes up more.

MAY-Rod should catch the wrath of the Boss but he's gone soft too--he'll probably give him a raise.

[Hank Scorpio]

A-Rod choked in the 9th. Matsui and Sheffield couldn't drive in anyone with runners on 1st and 2nd and no one out, and then a man on 2nd and one out. The three of them were terrible this series, and i am assigning blame to all them.

i never absolved A-Rod. when did i absolve him? don't put words in my mouth. i never said that. i just refuse to crucify him like you do. he alone is not the embodiment of failure you make him out to be for this team - he had partners in crime. him, Sheffield, and Matsui are the ones who cost us here.

you can't point to Matsui's 03 performance and say he gets a pass here as a result. i don't care about what he's done in the past. what A-Rod did last year in the ALCS and ALDS [he was pretty good, look at the numbers] is not relevant here. if bernie went 0 for 5 and left 8 runners on, he'd get killed too. stop living in the past. A-Rod came up small here. so did Sheff. so did Matsui. awful. just awful. ALL OF THEM. not just A-Rod. that clear enough for you? they all stink. all of them are considered "prime time" players. in the past 8 yankees postseason games, they have been anything but. it's astounding.

And are you insinuating Moose got shelled? He got killed by bloopers and bleeders. 2 hard hit balls - GA's HR and the Kennedy fly out turned triple. I'm not down on Moose at all. Rotten luck. What killed us, as you mentioned, was our defense. The irony is that Crosby may have cost us the game for having more range in the OF that Bernie.

Yankees got very lucky with Chacon and Small, they should never have been here given the injuries to their staff. but they are here. and they had numerous chances to win. and failed to capitalize on most of them. their vaunted offense scored 5+ runs just once in five games. and for that reason they'll be watching a postseason that could have been theirs for the taking. I think the Angels walked 5x as many players as we did this series. WTF?!? 46 runners LOB in 5 games. Pathetic.

Jeter, Posada [who you killed RDF], Rivera, Chacon, Wang, Giambi, Mussina, Leiter - these guys are getting free passes from me. Everyone else, hang your head. Prepare the maelstrom that awaits you with the NY media.

Give me a center fielder and a bullpen, for the love of God.

"Rodriguez could not save the Yankees. Neither could Sheffield or Matsui. Johnson's strong effort came too late in the series. All of the millions for all of the mercenaries could not wake the dynasty from the dead."

rdf said:

Matsui and Sheffield are two problems--they are both DH's that are butchers in the field, but with Matsui, he's done something for NY in past--big hit against Sox in '03 and was on a World Series team.

Borat, I agree with you placing blame on these guys, but come on--to absolve A-Rod here is just absolute chicken--you know what. The guy came up SMALL when the team needed him and choked. He wasn't alone but he was a major culprit and if you are going to be in MVP contention and play like this, you deserve the beating that awaits.

I just find it funny that when I call out the KG's and A-Rod's of the world it gets such a passionate response and they end up making me look good by doing what they always do--GAGGING in money time. You can argue your points but the results speak for themself and these two just keep making my point for me.

This Yankee team is so flawed it's not even funny. Fact is you trade to get Randy Johnson, he gets hit hard on Friday and leaves early, so why start Mike Mussina who's had a terrible habit of getting shelled every other start and falls apart on him quickly? And if you are going to invest money in a baseball team, how about some damn defense?

I've always wondered why Gary Sheffield has modeled so many uniforms, now know why--he's a clown who doesn't care enough about the game. His loafing was sickening and he'll use the pulled quad--oh wait, was it his groin or hammy? He doesn't know but the excuses will be out. At least he kept game alive unlike A-Rotten who killed the inning. PATHETIC and my hatred for that phony only goes up more.

MAY-Rod should catch the wrath of the Boss but he's gone soft too--he'll probably give him a raise.

[hoyarooter]

Yeah, I agree that Matsui had a really bad series (although I must say, for a butcher in the field, I saw him make two really nice catches). I hope it was so bad that he and the Boss decide to blow each other off, and he signs with the Dodgers.

[Hank Scorpio]

rooter

RDF is prone to hyperbole. Matsui plays a competent left field, his lack of range is magnified by the fact that we don't have a CF that can track down balls in deep left center, thereby making him cheat a little bit closer to CF than he should. Sheffield is a lolly gagger, but he plays a decent RF as well. the only "butchers" in the yankees starting defensive alignment are Bernie in CF and Giambi at 1b - when they play. Cano can be nonchalant, but he is adequate, same with the rest of them. A-Rod and Jeter are solid left side of infield, Posada is above avg behind plate. everyone else is average, except for the aforementioned Bernie and Giambi.

Matsui will stay in NY. Dodgers should stand pat, very weak FA crop of hitters after Matsui.

I obviously can't sleep

[RDF]

:'(A-Rod is the one who TALKS all of the time, he earns the scorn for drawing attention and then not delivering. It's one of the reasons I can't stand the guy--he called Jeter out in a National Magazine and Jeter was winning Rings. Stats are for losers and A-Rod has proven to be that. Just so small and gutless and the site of him in pinstripes makes me puke.

As for Mussina, yes I would NOT have started him. You have Randy Johnson available to you after a short outing on Friday. He's the guy who gets the ball. You win/lose with your ace, not a guy who was injured and doesn't have the stuff anymore. He would've been better in relief and you use the entire Staff if needed, but Torre proved again why he's one of the worst managers in baseball and benefitted from Boss's Payroll and talent provided. He is a fine man but has always been a terrible strategist and has no clue how to control the momentum swings of a game. For instance his loyalty to the washed up Bernie Williams was sickening. Loyalty is to the TEAM not one guy and Sierra should've been the DH tonight, not Bernie.

Posada did play a fine Series and I give him credit for that, so did Giambi who I am not a fan of either. They showed guts and did their best unlike the others you mentioned and I agree with your take on them.

Matsui's not a competent OF--he's terrible The ball he dropped in Game 4 was ridiculous and the fact Bubba Crosby had to catch that one ball when Matsui was just to his right and had an easier play was weak. He's a crappy OF and Sheffield is too--he has no clue how to play the position-he tries to time his catches instead of running to get back and catching it. He's a guy who loafs after balls and never hustles. Clown, straight up clown.

It's time to blow up this team, change the approach to building a team--from within and via trades and avoid FA at all costs. It's a crappy way to go and doesn't work as well=-hell Wang and Cano were more valuable then Wright, Pavano, and Womack combined. I don't give a rip if they aren't "All Stars", I'll take Cano and Wang over these guys any day.

Frustrating team to watch and glad they are done. Steinbrenner needs to re-evaluate how business is done and for the love of God, fire the Coaching Staff Sojo and White BLOW and having Mattingly and A-Rod is like trying to Edited off the Baseball Gods with a defiant attitude--they are CURSES for the Yankees,

[Hank Scorpio]

A-Rod talks all the time b.c the media asks him questions. What do you want him to say? "No comment" or "i'm very afraid of failing, i may wet myself when i get out there?" And I am not going to hold comments he made about Jeter a decade ago against him, just like I am not giving Matsui credit for having a good ALCS in 2003. Who cares about that now? I'll hold this series against him. Nothing else.

Matsui's defense is fine. He has a decent arm, good range, good instincts [reads on the ball]. He made some bad plays this season, sure, but he is certainly not a liability out there. He plays the Green Monster about as well as anyone I have ever seen on the Yankees. Sheffield gets knocked for not playing hard out there. I don't know if I agree or not. He has a great arm and has made some great catches, but he does not have good instincts or range. Both of their games are brought down by a CF with no range.

Ruben Sierra over Bernie? I know you have no use for numbers, but they are the only objective way to look at anything. Ruben Sierra's BA, OBP, OPS, Slugging %, etc etc were way below Bernie's. No way should Ruben Sierra have been on this team, let alone getting regular at bats in our lineup. And I know he delivered a big pinch hit game 4, but he also can't play any defense or run - if that game goes extras, we lose the DH b/c he is completely one dimensional, and he wasn't even that good in that dimension this season. He and Bernie are both washed up, but I would prefer Bernie take Sierra's place as PH/4th OF next season.

Randy Johnson threw 60+ pitches on Friday and got rocked. Mussina was on full rest and didn't pitch poorly at all. You'd throw a guy on 2 days rest that struggled over a guy on regular rest who dominated his first time around and didn't get hit hard at all his 2nd time? Moose said it best in his post game, it's not the 3 run homer that kills you, it's the bloops and the bleeders. Our lack of defense cost him all of his runs except for Garrett Anderson's HR. I have no qualms about Moose starting yesterday. He pitched well, despite the results. Though, given the Angels style of play [swing at everything], Chien Ming Wang was a guy I thought deserved a look.

The Yankees biggest mistakes heading into this season were not addressing the middle relief and centerfield, instead signing Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright to huge deals, and bringing in AWFUL Tony Womack to play 2nd. [Randy Johnson's acquisition was and is a no brainer to me] Pavano's signing could turn out OK when all is said and done. But their refusal to look internally for answers until their hand was forced [Wang, Cano] hurt this team badly. Their offense carried them to the postseason...and then died when it got there. and that is what the obituary is going to read on the 2005 season. They didn't do the little things all year. Their failure to do so in the postseason cost them dearly.

if i were in charge, next year's lineup should read:

1 - legit leadoff hitter, preferably a good defensive CF [not Damon!]
2 - Jeter - SS
3 - Giambi - DH
4 - Sheff - RF
5 - A-Rod - 3B
6 - Matsui - LF
7 - Posada - C
8 - Cano - 2B
9 - Olerud - 1B

Bench: Bernie, Bellhorn, and some guys that can play multiple positions. Ryan Freel types. i don't want Sheff in right every day.

Rotation:
RJ, Moose, Chacon, Wang, Pavano

Long Relief:
Small, Wright

Middle Relief:
Proctor [electric stuff], Sturtze [he is under contract]

Setup Men:
BJ Ryan, Tom Gordon

Closer:
Rivera

we'll need some other middle relief. i'd like to give some of the younger guys a chance [Colter Bean could be a good LOOGY].

- Borat

PS - easy on donnie baseball. he could have salvaged giambi's career and everyone else had good seasons, save for bernie.