Joe Flacco was the SB MVP as the Ravens defeated the 49ers 34-31. It was like two different games. A 108-yd. kickoff return to start the second half gave Baltimore a 28-6 lead, then there was a power outage. It’s like the power outage affected the Ravens, enabling SF to almost pull out a miracle come-from-behind win.
Congrats Ravens (even though I was rooting for SF because I can’t root for Ray Lewis).
… and yes, I really wish the NFL would knock it off with the Roman numerals already.
You wonder how their parents will handle it.
John and Jim Harbaugh will be coaching against each other in the Super Bowl since each of the brothers coached their respective teams to wins in today’s AFC and NFC title games.
Ravens vs. 49ers it is. I think the 49ers will be about a 4-pt. favorite from what I saw.
I’ll be rooting for the 49ers, even though if the 49ers win, they’ll tie my Steelers for most SB victories with six.
I just can’t root for Ray Lewis.
As for Atlanta, they blew a big lead last week vs. Seattle and got away with it. Not this time as they blew a 17-0 early lead.
As I stay at home today with work called off because of Hurricane Sandy, I hope everyone stays safe.
Meanwhile, last night the S.F. Giants won their second title in three years. This time, it was in a sweep. The Giants defeated the Tigers 4-3 in ten innings.
Pablo Sandoval, who tied a record with three HRs in Game One, was named the WS MVP. He hit .500 (8 for 16) for the Series.
In the second, Pence doubled, and Belt tripled to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.
Miguel Cabrera put the Tigers up 2-1 with 2-run HR in the third.
In the sixth, Buster Posey put S.F. up with a 2-run HR, but Delmon Young tied it with a HR of his own in the bottom of the sixth.
Some littleball won the game and the Series for the Giants in the 10th. Ryan Theriot singled, was bunted over to second by Brandon Crawford, and then Marco Scutaro, with two out, singled in Theriot.
The final out was a strikeout of Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, who watched strike three go by.
Now as for that ring, I wonder if PED users (Melky) shouldn’t get diamonds but should get cubic zirconia instead?
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason, Scandal
In 1966, the L.A. Dodgers scored two runs in the third inning of Game 1. They were the only runs they scored in the entire series, as the Orioles shut them out in Games 2, 3 and 4.
No team was shut out in consecutive games… until last night.
The S.F. Giants shut out Detroit again, 2-0, to take a commanding 3 games to nothing lead in the World Series, and have Matt Cain on the mound tonight.
Both runs scored in the second. Hunter Pence walked, stole second on a K and advanced to third on a WP. Gregor Blanco tripled in a run and after another strikeout, Brandon Crawford singled in Blanco.
Should they get one more win, it would be the second title for San Francisco in three years… and 2010 was the first ever for the city.
In Yankees news, CC had his bone spur surgery and should be OK for spring training (X–fingers crossed). Meanwhile can the GOAT (Greatest of All Time)’s career be over? Reports are that Mariano Rivera, 43 next month, is having second thoughts about coming back after his ACL surgery.
Not only that, Mo’s contact is up. You want to show respect for the great Rivera, but how much would you pay a 43 year old who missed most of 2012 and who is coming off ACL surgery? Surely not the $15MM he made last year, but how much? Especially when you are trying to cut 10% off your budget to get under the cap in 2014? (Granted we are only talking 2013 for Mo here, but…).
Michael Pineda, coming off shoulder surgery, isn’t expected to be with the Yanks until midseason 2013.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason
Tagged 2012 World Series, Blanco, Cain, Pineda, Rivera, Sabathia
The Giants hit just 103 HR all year. By contrast, the Yanks hit 245. Only one Giant had 20 HR. By contrast, the Yanks had five. But the Yanks got swept in the ALCS and the Giants are up 2-0 in the WS.
It comes down to clutch hitting, and so far we’ve seen some by the Giants PITCHERS this postseason.
Don’t you get tired of someone cutting for the fences with two strikes on him instead of choking up, shortening his swing, and just trying to make contact? Joe DiMaggio struck out 369 times in his whole CAREER (to go with 361 HR). Curtis Granderson struck out 195 times THIS SEASON (then added 16 more in the postseason when he went 3 for 30).
The Tigers must have watched the Yankees too much while sweeping them in the ALCS for tonight they looked like them. 0 runs on 2 hits while losing 2-0. In the second, Prince Fielder was HBP and Delmon Young doubled. Fielder was sent and was thrown out at home. I could only imagine what might have happened had the huge Fielder barreled into Posey. Part of Posey would have been in the lower deck. The other part in the upper deck.
Hunter Pence scored one run and drove in the other. One run scored on a DP ball, the other on a SF.
Not exactly pretty, but the runs scored. Which was better than what the Yanks did most of the year with RISP.
So SF holds serve, winning both of the first two games in SF. Now it’s time to see if the Tigers hold serve in their ballpark.
In Yankees’ news, CC had surgery on a bone spur in his pitching elbow. He’s expected to be fine for spring training 2013.
The Giants took Game 1 of the World Series, 8-3, as Pablo Sandoval hit 3 HR, tying the single game record set by Babe Ruth (twice), Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols.
Justin Verlander gave up 5 R in just 4 IP. Meanwhile, the Giants’ Barry Zito, who basically has been lousy and much overpaid since the Giants got him from the A’s, pitched 5 2/3, giving up just one run, and this on top of a good outing in the NLCS vs. St. Louis.
When Tim Lincecum (the freak) relieved Zito, it marked the first time in WS history that one CYA winner relieved another.
Sandoval, with his 3 HR, became the third Giant to hit 2 HR or more in a WS game, and you will be surprised who the others are. No Ott, Mays, McCovey or Bonds. The other two are Benny Kauff and Jeff Kent. Sandoval (Kung Fu Panda) got a single his last time up to go 4 for 4.
The Tigers & Cardinals had faced off in the WS before, in 1934, 1968 and 2006.
The defending champion Cardinals had a 3 games to 1 lead in the NLCS. It looked like another Tigers/Cards meeting was imminent.
But it’s not.
The San Francisco Giants won a Game 7 for the first time in their history (going back to NY), and will be facing the Detroit Tigers in the WS.
For the Giants, it’s been one heck of a ride. Down 0-2 to the Cincinnati Reds, they came back. Down 1-3 to the Cardinals, they came back.
So there will still be only 3 NL teams to go back-to-back as WS Champs (the 1907-1908 Cubs, who haven’t won since, the 1921-1922 NY Giants and the 1975-1976 Cincinnati Reds).
The only thing that bugs me a little is that much of the Giants success early in the season was due to Melky Cabrera (.346-11-60 in 113 games) and that he was the All-Star Game MVP, helping to give the NL home field advantage. Melky, of course, was then busted for PEDs and got the 50-game suspension. That kind of taints things.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason, Scandal
Tagged 2012 World Series, Melky Cabrera
As we know, the Yanks didn’t make it to the WS because their bats went dead. They won 3 postseason games and lost 6. They won the first round 3 games to 2 only because their pitching dominated the Orioles more than the O’s did the Yanks (and b/c of Ibanez). Not so in the ALCS.
The Yanks were 38 for 180 in the ALDS, .211. The pitchers pitched to an ERA of 1.76 (and wasn’t it said all year that the Yanks didn’t have enough pitching?).
The Yanks hit .157 in the ALCS. 22 for 140. So for the postseason they were 60 for 320, which is .188 TOTAL. The ERA for round 2 (ALCS) was 4.14. For the whole postseason 2.76.
Let me repeat that. 9 postseason games. ERA 2.76.
Batting average .188.
The individuals:
Martin 5 for 31 .161-1-1
Teixeira 9 for 32 .281-0-1
Cano 3 for 40 .075-0-4
Jeter 9 for 27 .333-0-2
Nunez 3 for 11 .273-1-1
A-Rod 3 for 25 .120-0-0
Chavez 0 for 16 .000-0-0 (so if you bench Alex, Chavez gave nada)
Nix 2 for 8 .250-0-0
Ibanez 7 for 22 .318-3-5
Ichiro 11 for 40 .275-1-5
Gardner 0 for 8 .000-0-0
(so if you bench Grandy or Swish, Gardner gave nada).
Granderson 3 for 30 .100-1-1
Swisher 5 for 30 .167-0-2
You can’t bench 7 guys.
The sad thing is that the starting pitching was great (except for CC’s Game 4 of the ALCS).
CC 2-1, 3.38
Kuroda 0-1, 2.81
Pettitte 0-1, 3.29
Hughes 0-1, 1.93
Check out those 4 starters. You can’t blame them. Look at those ERAs but a 2-4 record to show for it.
The one guy who struggled was the rookie, Phelps, who went 0-2, 8.10.
Check out the bullpen (except for Phelps, above, and Lowe).
Robertson 1-0, 1.42.
Soriano 0-0, 0.00
Joba 0-0, 0.00
Lowe 0-0, 13.50
Eppley 0-0, 0.00
Rapada 0-0, 0.00
Logan 0-0 0.00
In short, the pitching was good. We’d take that any day. The bats were sawdust.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason
The Yanks laid an egg in Game 4 of the ALCS, losing 8-1 as they were swept four straight by the Tigers.
The hitting continued to be putrid. The Yanks got only two hits in the game, a triple by Nunez in the sixth followed later in the inning by a Swisher double. For Swisher, it broke a 1 for 36 or so with RISP run for him in the postseason.
CC Sabathia had nothing. 3 2/3, 6 R, 5 ER, 11 H, 2 walks, 3 K. HR to Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and Johnny Peralta. He gave up a run in the first, one in the second and four in the fourth. Down 6-0 after four, and hitless, the Yanks were effectively dead at that point.
Eppley 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 0 K.
Rapada 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K.
Joba 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 0 K.
Lowe 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H (Austin Jackson HR), 0 walks, 0 K.
Robertson 1 IP, 1 R (another Peralta HR) 1 H, 0 walks 1 K.
The Tigers hit four HR in the game. The ALCS MVP was Delmon Young.
Over the weekend, I’ll do the postmortem, looking at the terrible batting averages of this postseason and wondering who’ll stay and who’ll go. Frankly, if the Yanks can get rid of A-Rod, I’m all for it. He’s become too much of a distraction to this team.
It’s supposed to be about the team, not any individual. The past few days, it seemed to be that everything, and yes, some was media-driven and blog-driven, was about A-Rod. But A-Rod brought a lot upon himself by not hitting and by other things (the women incident in Game 1 of the ALCS, where he was hitting on them instead of the baseball).
There was a good point on ESPN this morning about Burnett becoming too big a distraction last year, and the Yanks then dumping him. A-Rod is that now. But how to dump him? Who’d take a fading 37-year-old and that contract?
Now I can’t answer who would replace A-Rod if the Yanks get rid of him. Chase Headley is out there as a free agent.
But you wonder if it’s better that A-Rod 1) get his 3000th hit (he is 99 away) 2) his 2000th RBI (50 to go) and 3) pass Willie Mays with HR #661* (14 to go) with another team.
A bigger problem is age. Some guys are going nowhere due to their contracts or fact that they are Yankees’ legends. But let’s face it. Jeter, A-Rod, Kuroda, Ichiro, Lowe, Chavez, Jones, Garcia, Rivera and Pettitte? They are all old. Granted a couple (Jeter, Pettitte, for example) had good years but injury, either mid-season or end of season (Jeter) caught up to the aging players.
The Tigers manhandled the Yanks. Not once in the four games did the Yanks ever have the lead.
The Yankees hit just .157 in the ALCS and .188 for the postseason. Total postseason numbers to come. For example, Chavez was 0 for 16, Alex 3 for 25, Cano 3 for 40. More individual numbers to come over the weekend.
The Cardinals took a 3 games to 1 lead over the Giants in the NLCS. Should they win the NL pennant, St. Louis will then try to become just the fourth NL team to go back-to-back as WS champs, and this right after they lost manager LaRussa and 1B Pujols.
If it is a Tigers/Cardinals WS, it would be the fourth such matchup. The Cardinals won in 7 in 1934, when the “Gashouse Gang” rode Dizzy Dean to an 11-0 shutout in a game Joe “Ducky” Medwick was pulled from by Commissioner Landis when fans threw stuff at him. In 1968 the Tigers came back from a 3-1 deficit, Lolich over Gibson in Game 7. In 2006 the Cardinals won in five when Tiger pitchers proved they couldn’t field.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Offseason Moves, Players, Postseason, Scandal
Tagged a-rod, Eppley, Joba, Lowe, Nunez, Rapada, Robertson, Sabathia, Swisher
ALCS Game 4 was ppd. to today at 4 as the Yankees, down 3-0, try to stay alive. CC Sabathia will be on the hill.
Should the Yanks win Games 4 and 5, there will be no off-day before Game 6, and should the Yanks stretch the series to 7 (unlikely, the way they are hitting—or NOT hitting), CC would NOT come back on two days rest.
Meanwhile, bench coach Tony Pena has interviewed with Boston for their managerial job.
Ex-Yank Jason Giambi is interested in Colorado’s managerial job. I can’t see it.
Derek Jeter will have surgery on his fractured ankle on Saturday (the late Mickey Mantle’s b/day). Recovery time is expected to be 4-5 months, putting Opening Day 2013 (and some of the April schedule) in jeopardy.
It’s always something with A-Rod. Did he really send a ball to some attractive girls and basically hit on them in the course of ALCS Game 1? Hey Alex, how about hitting the ball instead of hitting on the women? If true, it’s a good reason to get rid of him… as if anyone would take his five years and $114 million salary. He’s slipped incredibly…to the point where he has been benched this offseason (the Game 3 lineup was without A-Rod and Swisher, the Game 4 lineup had A-Rod and Granderson benched). He seems always to be a distraction. Maybe if the Yanks CAN move him (unlikely), they SHOULD move him.
But it is not like they have someone in the system at present to replace him. Brandon Laird was DFA’d. (And pitcher Cory Wade, DFA’d, was just picked up by Toronto). They’d have to look outside the system. Chavez, 35, is a free agent, not an everyday player, and may retire.
Last year, the St. Louis Cardinals got into the playoffs as the wild card on the last day of the season. They won the WS. This year they got in as the 2nd wild card, the #5 seed. They are now up 2-1 in the NLCS. Talk about taking advantage of your opportunities. Paying attention, Yanks?
Posted in Managers and Coaches, Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason, Scandal
