Two thoroughly entertaining League Championship Series wrapped up last night when the San Francisco Giants beat Philadelphia 3-2 thanks to an 8th inning opposite field HR from Juan Uribe and a 5 out save from Brian Wilson.
So, the World Series is set. Rangers, who came into existence as a franchis in 1961 as the Washington Senators after the original Senators moved to Minnesota to become the Twins. And until 2010, this franchise had not won a playoff SERIES let alone gone to the World Series.
On the other side you have the San Francisco Giants, one of the oldest teams in MLB history. Originally founded in 1883, the Giants have won 5 World Series titles...all in New York. The last coming in 1954 when they swept the Cleveland Indians in a World Series most known for "The Catch" by Willie Mays in CF. But, since moving to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have not won a World Series despite appearances in '62, '89, '02.
So the stage is set for a historic World Series no matter the outcome. Either the first World Series championship in a franchise history or the first since a team moved 3000 miles away. Perhaps a more complete preview will be forthcoming prior to Game 1 on Wednesday, but for now, to get everyone ready for the 2010 World Series, here are my Top 10 World Series Moments (these will be primarily based on World Series in my lifetime so keep that in mind):
10) 1989 World Series: Battle of the Bay. World Series Interrupted by Earthquake. A's vs Giants
The first World Series that I can vividly remember because of the earthquake. The series itself was not terribly interesting, but will always be remembered for how Game 3 began. Go to the 4:30 mark to see the ABC broadcast cut off by the earthquake.
9) 1991 World Series: Kirby Puckett Walk Off in Game 6 (Bonus: Jack Morris performance in Game 7) Twins vs Braves
"AND WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT!" Nothing beat the Metrodome during a playoff game. This HR lead to Jack Morris turning in arguably the greatest pitching performance in World Series history in Game 7 where he threw a 10 inning complete game shut out. Go to the 1:30 mark for Puckett's HR.
8) 1997 World Series: Edgar Renteria's walk-off single in the 11th inning of Game 7. Marlins vs Indians
This video kind of sucks but the Renteria hit is at the 1:17 mark. Points are taken off this moment for two reasons: The Marlins fire sale that followed and the continued hatred that God has for all things Cleveland sports.
7) 1986 World Series: The Buckner Play. Mets vs Red Sox
Remember when the Red Sox were lovable? Those were the days. I couldn't feel more bad for Buckner as his entire career (life?) has been defined by this one moment. The video above is the NES RBI Baseball recreation of that moment because, well, if you are reading this then I assume you are a baseball fan and if that's the case then you have seen this a thousand times.
6) 1988 World Series "A Roll of the Dice" Dodgers vs A's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeCuNRWqdLg&feature=related
Look, I get it. We all hate the Dodgers and I'm at the front of that line. But you are lying to yourself if you don't consider Kirk Gibson's Walk-Off HR off Eck in Game 1 as a great moment. For some reason this wouldn't embed but the link is above. HR at the 6:52 mark.
5) 2004 World Series: Reverse the Curse
This is not the most memorable of World Series on its own but the story behind how the Red Sox got there and the history of futility make this memorable. It also marks the last time the Red Sox and "Red Sox Nation" were tolerable.
4) 2002 World Series: Rally Monkeys and Thunder Sticks. Angels vs Giants
This is probably most known for the Giants collapse in Game 6. Leading 5-0 in the 7th inning of Game 6, the Giants Dusty Baker pulled Russ Ortiz in the 7th after giving up 2 singles (and gave him the game ball as he left). The Angels flashed the Rally Monkey, Spiezio hit a 3 run HR and the rally was on.
3) 1960 World Series: The Greatest Game Ever Played. Pirates vs Yankees
Only twice in baseball history has the World Series ended on a homerun. This is the first time in what is widely considered the greatest game every played. Bill Mazeroski walk-off HR to win the 1960 World Series.
2) 1993 World Series: Touch Em' All Joe. Blue Jays vs Phillies
The only other time a World Series ended on a HR was Joe Carter's walk off HR to beat the Phillies Mitch Williams and secure back-to-back World Series championships for the Blue Jays.
1) 2001 Series: Bloop Singles and Mr. November
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3364797
Arguably this is the greatest World Series that has been played in my lifetime. Things got crazy in Game 4, where the DBacks were up 3-1 in the 9th in Yankee stadium and were only 3 outs away from taking a 3-1 lead in the series. DBacks closer Byung Young Kim gave up a 2 run HR to Tino Martinez. Bob Brenley inexplicably stayed with Kim in the 10th in which he gave up the walk-off to Jeter just after midnight, making this the first game to be played in November.
In Game 5, it was Scott Brosius who hit a 2 run HR with 2 outs in the 9th off Byung Young Kim that once again sent the game into extra innings where the Yankees ultimately prevailed.
But it was Game 7 that this series is perhaps best known for and the decision to bring the infield in. Luis Gonzalez bloop single behind Jeter (where, had Jeter been playing normal depth would have simply been an easy pop out) drove in the winning run and sent the DBacks to their first (and only) World Series championship.
So there you have it, my Top 10 World Series moments. Here's hoping 2010 can crack this list. Enjoy the Series!
Showing posts with label Diamondbacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diamondbacks. Show all posts
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Monday, April 28, 2008
Daylight Offense; National League Strategy
Two topics to cover today.
1) An often repeated "stat" about the Padres offense is that they hit better during day games. A few reasons for this theory are: players can see the ball better during the day; marine layer hasn't come in yet thus the ball travels better during the day.
I for one had subscribed to this theory myself. It seems relatively obvious that the ball will travel better if there isn't a bunch of sea water in the air. But do the numbers back up this theory? This past weekend the Padres played two day games, scoring 8 in one (a win) and 1 in the other (a loss).
A brief look at the Padres batting average in 2007 in day and night games does not show a similar advantage however. (Recognize that the stats compiled are for "day" games thus some of these games were not played at Petco, the point will be relatively the same).
Padres 2007 Day Games BA: .250; Padres 2007 Night Games: .251. Hardly a difference at all, and surprisingly, a better average at night (made more surprising by how many more night games they play generally).
Ok, but that's only BA. Perhaps a better test of offensive prowess would be to see the overall runs scored. So, let's take a look:
Day Runs Scored Avg: 4.5; Night Runs Scored Avg: 4.56. Again, no difference and if anything, a better average at night.
So do these numbers hold up in 2008 (recognizing the extremely small sample size).
2008 Padres BA at Night: .218; 2008 Padres Batting Average Day: .240. This is a substantial difference. However, I may add with the small sample size, the offensive output on Saturday may skew this number. Moreover, the lack of offense in the 22-inning game will likely skew the night numbers. Still, pretty big difference.
And Runs Scored:
2008 Padres Runs Scored Avg Night: 2.6; 2008 Padres Runs Scored Avg Day: 4.5
This is substantial and supports the theory that the higher temperatures during the day produce better offense. As all the Padres day games this year have taken place in 2008, and, as is common in San Diego at night, the marine layer comes in every night, its reasonable to equate the two.
Ultimately though, the Padres place a vast majority of games at night, so learning to hit during the evening hours is paramount.
National League Strategy
Not to sound like a broken record here but, Peavy pitched beyond admirable only to be tagged with the loss on Sunday thanks to one bad pitch. One 2-run homerun and the game was lost. What's worst is when the homerun was hit, there was a feeling that the Padres had just lost the game. Why? In part, their offense, which struggles on it's own. It struggles more when facing Brandon Webb, as it did on Sunday. But that's not to say the Padres were without chances, none better than the chance they had in the bottom of the 6th yesterday.
The Padres had loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. This brought up the precarious situation of having the pitcher hit or pinch hit for him. At this point, Peavy was cruising along and, aside from one bad pitch, had pitched lights out. Still, at this juncture in the game, the Padres were down 1, 2-1 and the tying run was a mere fly-ball away from scoring. Bud Black elected to pitch Peavy.
In and of itself, I don't have a problem with this for a number of reasons. One, the bullpen needed rest. 4 extra-inning games will do that. Two, Peavy for a pitcher can handle the bat. Greene was the runner on third and so I thought while watching "hey, why not a safety squeeze." This appeared to be the idea as Peavy squared on the first pitch, taken for a ball. Ultimately, he struck out, Brian Giles grounded out and the inning was over.
This situation comes up a lot in the National League. The likely pinch hitter, Tony Clark, is certainly a better hitter than Peavy. If it were me, and my team was struggling to score off a great pitcher like Webb, I would pinch-hit. Monday is an off day so the bullpen will have that day to rest. The difference is one inning so I hardly think that one inning would save anyone in the bullpen. Moreover, against a Cy Young candidate, you don't waste your best scoring opportunity by having the pitcher hit, no matter how he is throwing on the mound. In the end, Peavy could have thrown a shutout for the remaining innings and it still would not have mattered without at least scoring the run from third in the 6th. When it goes wrong, it all goes wrong I suppose.
Edmonds
A now regular portion of the blog...Jim Edmonds should NEVER hit 5th in this lineup!!!!
Now that that is off my chest.
Padres take on the Phillies next on Tuesday. Full preview tomorrow.
1) An often repeated "stat" about the Padres offense is that they hit better during day games. A few reasons for this theory are: players can see the ball better during the day; marine layer hasn't come in yet thus the ball travels better during the day.
I for one had subscribed to this theory myself. It seems relatively obvious that the ball will travel better if there isn't a bunch of sea water in the air. But do the numbers back up this theory? This past weekend the Padres played two day games, scoring 8 in one (a win) and 1 in the other (a loss).
A brief look at the Padres batting average in 2007 in day and night games does not show a similar advantage however. (Recognize that the stats compiled are for "day" games thus some of these games were not played at Petco, the point will be relatively the same).
Padres 2007 Day Games BA: .250; Padres 2007 Night Games: .251. Hardly a difference at all, and surprisingly, a better average at night (made more surprising by how many more night games they play generally).
Ok, but that's only BA. Perhaps a better test of offensive prowess would be to see the overall runs scored. So, let's take a look:
Day Runs Scored Avg: 4.5; Night Runs Scored Avg: 4.56. Again, no difference and if anything, a better average at night.
So do these numbers hold up in 2008 (recognizing the extremely small sample size).
2008 Padres BA at Night: .218; 2008 Padres Batting Average Day: .240. This is a substantial difference. However, I may add with the small sample size, the offensive output on Saturday may skew this number. Moreover, the lack of offense in the 22-inning game will likely skew the night numbers. Still, pretty big difference.
And Runs Scored:
2008 Padres Runs Scored Avg Night: 2.6; 2008 Padres Runs Scored Avg Day: 4.5
This is substantial and supports the theory that the higher temperatures during the day produce better offense. As all the Padres day games this year have taken place in 2008, and, as is common in San Diego at night, the marine layer comes in every night, its reasonable to equate the two.
Ultimately though, the Padres place a vast majority of games at night, so learning to hit during the evening hours is paramount.
National League Strategy
Not to sound like a broken record here but, Peavy pitched beyond admirable only to be tagged with the loss on Sunday thanks to one bad pitch. One 2-run homerun and the game was lost. What's worst is when the homerun was hit, there was a feeling that the Padres had just lost the game. Why? In part, their offense, which struggles on it's own. It struggles more when facing Brandon Webb, as it did on Sunday. But that's not to say the Padres were without chances, none better than the chance they had in the bottom of the 6th yesterday.
The Padres had loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. This brought up the precarious situation of having the pitcher hit or pinch hit for him. At this point, Peavy was cruising along and, aside from one bad pitch, had pitched lights out. Still, at this juncture in the game, the Padres were down 1, 2-1 and the tying run was a mere fly-ball away from scoring. Bud Black elected to pitch Peavy.
In and of itself, I don't have a problem with this for a number of reasons. One, the bullpen needed rest. 4 extra-inning games will do that. Two, Peavy for a pitcher can handle the bat. Greene was the runner on third and so I thought while watching "hey, why not a safety squeeze." This appeared to be the idea as Peavy squared on the first pitch, taken for a ball. Ultimately, he struck out, Brian Giles grounded out and the inning was over.
This situation comes up a lot in the National League. The likely pinch hitter, Tony Clark, is certainly a better hitter than Peavy. If it were me, and my team was struggling to score off a great pitcher like Webb, I would pinch-hit. Monday is an off day so the bullpen will have that day to rest. The difference is one inning so I hardly think that one inning would save anyone in the bullpen. Moreover, against a Cy Young candidate, you don't waste your best scoring opportunity by having the pitcher hit, no matter how he is throwing on the mound. In the end, Peavy could have thrown a shutout for the remaining innings and it still would not have mattered without at least scoring the run from third in the 6th. When it goes wrong, it all goes wrong I suppose.
Edmonds
A now regular portion of the blog...Jim Edmonds should NEVER hit 5th in this lineup!!!!
Now that that is off my chest.
Padres take on the Phillies next on Tuesday. Full preview tomorrow.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Baseball for Masochist
WHAT THE F*** IS GOING ON?
Whew, ok, that's off my chest now.
But seriously, what has happened to our once proud team. The Padres find themselves in precarious situations these days: a record of 9-14 and 7.5 games back of the Diamondbacks. In the past 7 days, the Padres, as a team, have hit below the Mendoza Line (.200). Not surprisingly, in that same span, the Padres have gone 1-7. This includes such offensive "outbursts" as scoring 1 run in 22 innings, 2 runs in 13 innings, and 0 runs last night in support of Chris Young.
Now, I think we can all get on board with the fact that the past two days the Padres have faced Cain and Linececum, two of the best young arms in the NL. But, neither pitcher threw a complete game and the Giants bullpen scares no one. Well, no one but the Padres apparently.
A microcosmic look at the Padres offense: Last night the Padres, down 1 after CY threw 7 innings with 10Ks, loaded the bases on Walk, Groundout, Single, Wild Pitch, Walk. 7th Inning, down one, bases loaded, 1 out. This requires ONLY a fly ball to the outfield to tie the game as Iguchi was the runner at third. Hairston instead popped out to the third baseman and AGon grounded out. No runs in what was the Padres only legitimate threat the entire game. This has been the Padres offense in 2008.
I heard this line today on the radio and I'm going to steal it here. "Forget timely hitting, right now, I'd take untimely hitting."
Solutions? Few and Far Between. For one thing, and I've said this before, Jim Edmonds should NOT be hitting 5th in any lineup in baseball. His bat is to slow, and he strikes out to much.
But perhaps its time for Chase Headley. Chase is not lighting the world on fire up in Portland (.224 BA) but he offers legitimate power in a lineup void of such a commodity. Perhaps more importantly, he offers a fresh change, injecting some life into a team that is struggling.
Or, perhaps a trade is in order. Options are scarce but one name brought up a lot is Reggie Willits. Willits adds speed and a contact hitter. .293 BA in 2007 to go along with 27 SB would fit nicely into this team. I think its pretty clear how much the Padres miss Mike Cameron. Willits would fill that void.
But the only real solution...WIN! I beg of you, for my sanity, please, win a game!
Coming Up:
When you've lost 7 of your last 8, the last thing you want to see is a team 16-6 heading to town. Lucky us! The Diamonbacks come to town with Randy Johnson against Randy Wolf (a rematch of last Sunday, also the last Padres win), Micah Owings vs Justin Germano on Saturday, and the marquee matchup, Brandon Webb vs Jake Peavy.
Whew, ok, that's off my chest now.
But seriously, what has happened to our once proud team. The Padres find themselves in precarious situations these days: a record of 9-14 and 7.5 games back of the Diamondbacks. In the past 7 days, the Padres, as a team, have hit below the Mendoza Line (.200). Not surprisingly, in that same span, the Padres have gone 1-7. This includes such offensive "outbursts" as scoring 1 run in 22 innings, 2 runs in 13 innings, and 0 runs last night in support of Chris Young.
Now, I think we can all get on board with the fact that the past two days the Padres have faced Cain and Linececum, two of the best young arms in the NL. But, neither pitcher threw a complete game and the Giants bullpen scares no one. Well, no one but the Padres apparently.
A microcosmic look at the Padres offense: Last night the Padres, down 1 after CY threw 7 innings with 10Ks, loaded the bases on Walk, Groundout, Single, Wild Pitch, Walk. 7th Inning, down one, bases loaded, 1 out. This requires ONLY a fly ball to the outfield to tie the game as Iguchi was the runner at third. Hairston instead popped out to the third baseman and AGon grounded out. No runs in what was the Padres only legitimate threat the entire game. This has been the Padres offense in 2008.
I heard this line today on the radio and I'm going to steal it here. "Forget timely hitting, right now, I'd take untimely hitting."
Solutions? Few and Far Between. For one thing, and I've said this before, Jim Edmonds should NOT be hitting 5th in any lineup in baseball. His bat is to slow, and he strikes out to much.
But perhaps its time for Chase Headley. Chase is not lighting the world on fire up in Portland (.224 BA) but he offers legitimate power in a lineup void of such a commodity. Perhaps more importantly, he offers a fresh change, injecting some life into a team that is struggling.
Or, perhaps a trade is in order. Options are scarce but one name brought up a lot is Reggie Willits. Willits adds speed and a contact hitter. .293 BA in 2007 to go along with 27 SB would fit nicely into this team. I think its pretty clear how much the Padres miss Mike Cameron. Willits would fill that void.
But the only real solution...WIN! I beg of you, for my sanity, please, win a game!
Coming Up:
When you've lost 7 of your last 8, the last thing you want to see is a team 16-6 heading to town. Lucky us! The Diamonbacks come to town with Randy Johnson against Randy Wolf (a rematch of last Sunday, also the last Padres win), Micah Owings vs Justin Germano on Saturday, and the marquee matchup, Brandon Webb vs Jake Peavy.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Twice Snake Bitten, Once Shy; Astros On Deck
This Just In: The Diamondbacks are good...real good. They hold the best record in baseball and their offense has scored more runs than any other team in the NL. That offense showed up on the first two days of this series, scoring 9 runs on Friday (including 6 in the first inning off Maddux, more on that in a second) and 10 runs on Saturday. To compound the problem was the sudden and drastic power outage that the Padres were facing. Being shutout on Friday 9-0 marked 17 straight innings without scoring a run (dating back to Thursday's 13th inning.)
As mentioned above, Maddux gave up 6 runs in the first inning. The Diamondbacks continually give the future Hall of Famer fits, as they continue to be the only team in which Maddux has a losing record against. That being said, Maddux deserves a ton of credit. As we wrote here at LCB and was blogged and reported about throughout the country, the Padres played 22 innings the night before, using nearly everyone in their bullpen. Maddux on Friday pitched 7 innings and threw 113 pitches (when was the last time he did that?). Did he give up 9 runs? Yes. Did he take one for the team though? Absolutely. And for that he deserves a ton of credit.
We won't mention the grand total of 3 hits that backed Maddux up.
CY got the start Saturday and frankly deserved a better fate. 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs. For that he was rewarded with a no decision and ultimately a 10-3 loss for the Padres. This belies a larger issue, the bullpen. Currently, the bullpen ranks 16th out of 16 in the NL, after finishing first in the NL a year ago in bullpen ERA. And for the second time in a week, the Padres bullpen turned a close game into a laugher in the manner of an inning. (Colorado lead 3-2, won 10-2 and then Saturday).
Get away day Sunday! Randy Wolf may go down as the pickup of the winter for Kevin Towers. Another great start for Wolf on Sunday, working into the 7th inning and giving up 4 runs. More importantly, the bats came to life:
- G'Day! Justin Huber got his first HR of his career, a 3-run shot off of Randy Johnson.
- The Padres have to figure out a way to get Calix Crabbe in the lineup. For a team sorely lacking in speed, Crabbe is a legit burner on the base paths.
- Hard to put a price on how important AGon is to this lineup. The guy just rakes.
- 9 runs is a new season high for runs scored in a game. Let's hope for more of the same in Houston.
The Jim Edmonds Situation
There is no reason, whatsoever, that Jim Edmonds should EVER hit 5th in this lineup. I don't fully know what the answer is, but I'm pretty confident that Edmonds is not it. At the plate he is a shell of his former self and frankly, looks lost in center.
Now there aren't a lot of options to fix this outfield problem. Hairston has come back down to earth and it seems that the book on Hairston's affinity to fastballs is out. Huber and Crabbe, while having nice games on Sunday, are likely not everyday options. That leaves the original option from spring: Chase Headley.
Chase Headley in Portland: .230 BA and 1 HR so not exactly raking it.
Chase Headley in Spring: .349 BA with 4 HR in 43 AB's so he CAN rake.
Maybe he's not ready, but the Padres are, and there's little time left for them to continue to watch Edmonds struggle. Moving Hairston or Crabbe into Center and giving Headley a chance in LF is the right move...considering there really are no other moves.
The Padres head to Houston for a quick 2 game series against the struggling Astros.
Final notes: Clay Hensley is set to begin a rehab start at Single A; the Padres, at 9-10, are below .500 for the first time since 2006. I might add though, that being above .500 all of 2007 got the Padres to Game 163 and that's it. In 2006, the Padres won the West, so maybe this isn't the bad omen it's made to seem like.
See you in Houston! Bring your birth certificates!
As mentioned above, Maddux gave up 6 runs in the first inning. The Diamondbacks continually give the future Hall of Famer fits, as they continue to be the only team in which Maddux has a losing record against. That being said, Maddux deserves a ton of credit. As we wrote here at LCB and was blogged and reported about throughout the country, the Padres played 22 innings the night before, using nearly everyone in their bullpen. Maddux on Friday pitched 7 innings and threw 113 pitches (when was the last time he did that?). Did he give up 9 runs? Yes. Did he take one for the team though? Absolutely. And for that he deserves a ton of credit.
We won't mention the grand total of 3 hits that backed Maddux up.
CY got the start Saturday and frankly deserved a better fate. 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs. For that he was rewarded with a no decision and ultimately a 10-3 loss for the Padres. This belies a larger issue, the bullpen. Currently, the bullpen ranks 16th out of 16 in the NL, after finishing first in the NL a year ago in bullpen ERA. And for the second time in a week, the Padres bullpen turned a close game into a laugher in the manner of an inning. (Colorado lead 3-2, won 10-2 and then Saturday).
Get away day Sunday! Randy Wolf may go down as the pickup of the winter for Kevin Towers. Another great start for Wolf on Sunday, working into the 7th inning and giving up 4 runs. More importantly, the bats came to life:
- G'Day! Justin Huber got his first HR of his career, a 3-run shot off of Randy Johnson.
- The Padres have to figure out a way to get Calix Crabbe in the lineup. For a team sorely lacking in speed, Crabbe is a legit burner on the base paths.
- Hard to put a price on how important AGon is to this lineup. The guy just rakes.
- 9 runs is a new season high for runs scored in a game. Let's hope for more of the same in Houston.
The Jim Edmonds Situation
There is no reason, whatsoever, that Jim Edmonds should EVER hit 5th in this lineup. I don't fully know what the answer is, but I'm pretty confident that Edmonds is not it. At the plate he is a shell of his former self and frankly, looks lost in center.
Now there aren't a lot of options to fix this outfield problem. Hairston has come back down to earth and it seems that the book on Hairston's affinity to fastballs is out. Huber and Crabbe, while having nice games on Sunday, are likely not everyday options. That leaves the original option from spring: Chase Headley.
Chase Headley in Portland: .230 BA and 1 HR so not exactly raking it.
Chase Headley in Spring: .349 BA with 4 HR in 43 AB's so he CAN rake.
Maybe he's not ready, but the Padres are, and there's little time left for them to continue to watch Edmonds struggle. Moving Hairston or Crabbe into Center and giving Headley a chance in LF is the right move...considering there really are no other moves.
The Padres head to Houston for a quick 2 game series against the struggling Astros.
Final notes: Clay Hensley is set to begin a rehab start at Single A; the Padres, at 9-10, are below .500 for the first time since 2006. I might add though, that being above .500 all of 2007 got the Padres to Game 163 and that's it. In 2006, the Padres won the West, so maybe this isn't the bad omen it's made to seem like.
See you in Houston! Bring your birth certificates!
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