Archive for Open Thread
NLCS Game Five: Dodgers @ Phillies
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Much like their SoCal counterparts, the Dodgers are down 3-1 in the League Championship Series and have their backs to the wall. I know some fans enjoy seeing Joe Torre and his club thisclose to elimination for whatever reason, but if the Yanks do move on to the World Series, it would be in their best interests for the Dodgers to mount a comeback and push the Phightin’s to seven tough games.
Philly will send last year’s ace and new father Cole Hamels to the mound for the second time in the series tonight. He allowed nine baserunners – including a pair of homers – and four runs in five and a third innings pitch, although his team walked away with a win. The Dodgers will counter with former Phillie Vicente Padilla, who was excellent in Game Two.
Here’s the lineups:
Los Angeles
Rafael Furcal, SS
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Andre Ethier, RF
Manny Ramirez, LF
Matt Kemp, CF
James Loney, 1B
Russ Martin, C
Casey Blake, 3B
Vicente Padilla, SP (12-6, 4.46)
Philadelphia
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Shane Victorino, CF
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Jayson Werth, RF
Raul Ibanez, LF
Pedro Feliz, 3B
Carlos Ruiz, C
Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32)
Chip Caray will fist the call on TBS; first pitch is scheduled for 8:07pm ET.
If non-Yankee baseball isn’t your thing, you could always check out the Islanders taking on the Hurricanes at home. But it’s the Isles, no one cares about them. Feel free to talk about whatever you want, just be sure to follow the guidelines and be nice to each other.
NLCS Game Four & MNF Thread
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a thread for you guys to talk about some of the non-Yankee sports action going on tonight. Randy Wolf (11-7, 3.23) tries to even up the NLCS at two games a piece against Joe Blanton (12-8, 4.05) at 8pm ET, while the Broncos visit the Chargers a little later on. The Rangers are also playing. Talking about whatever you want here, just follow the guidelines and be cool.
NLCS Game Three: Dodgers @ Phillies
Posted by: | CommentsOh, yeah, there’s that other playoff series. After two thrilling games in the Bronx, the Yanks and Angels enjoy a travel day to take them out to sunny Southern California. Even though we’re stuck without the Bombers for a night, we can still check out their National League counterparts.
The Phillies and Dodgers come east after splitting a pair of games back in LA, the second of which involved a glorious meltdown by Philadelphia’s shaky bullpen. Considering how unreliable Brad Lidge has been this year, Charlie Manuel can’t feel good when his other relievers cough up a lead. Joe Torre doesn’t have to worry too much about his relief corps, he can trot out power arm after power like his replacement in the Bronx.
After missing the NLDS with a bulging disk in his neck, righty Hiroki Kuroda returns to the make the start for Team Torre. The Japanese import faced the Phillies once this year, two-hitting them over seven scoreless innings back in June. The Phillies will counter with an import of their own – trade deadline pickup Cliff Lee. Lee shut the Rockies down in two NLCS starts, and is working on normal rest. I expect great things.
Here’s the lineups:
Los Angeles
Rafael Furcal, SS
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Andre Ethier, RF
Manny Ramirez, LF
Matt Kemp, CF
James Loney, 1B
Casey Blake, 3B
Russ Martin, C
Hiroki Kuroda, SP (8-7, 3.76)
Philadelphia
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Shane Victorino, CF
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Jayson Werth, RF
Raul Ibanez, LF
Pedro Feliz, 3B
Carlos Ruiz, C
Cliff Lee, SP (14-13, 3.22)
TBS has the call, with first pitch scheduled for 8:07pm ET. The weather report looks ominous, but it appears that there’s a big enough window to get this one in.
If the NLCS isn’t your thing, then go ahead and use this puppy as an open thread. The Bears and Falcons are your late football game, but talk about whatever you like. Just please follow the guidelines and be nice.
NLCS Game One: Phillies @ Dodgers
Posted by: | CommentsTwo full days after the Phillies made a remarkable comeback against Huston Street and the Rockies in Game Four of the National League Division Series, the Championship is finally ready to get underway. It’s not as bad as the brutal four day layoff the Yankees and Angels have to endure, but it’s bad enough.
In case you forgot, this year’s NLCS is a rematch of last year’s NLCS, except the Dodgers have home field advantage this year, not the Phillies. Cole Hamels will start the series off for the Phightin’s, the same way he did last year. Los Angeles will counter with the Clayton Kershaw, who graduated high school just three years ago. Since their lineup is loaded with lefty power hitters, the Phillies might have their hands full with young southpaw, who held lefties to a .173-.237-.252 batting line this year.
TBS is carrying the game (and the entire series), with first pitch scheduled for 8:07pm ET. Here’s the lineups:
Philadelphia
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Shane Victorino, CF
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Jayson Werth, RF
Raul Ibanez, LF
Pedro Feliz, 3B
Carlos Ruiz, C
Cole Hamels, SP (10-11, 4.32 regular season)
Los Angeles
Rafael Furcal, SS
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Manny Ramirez, LF
James Loney, 1B
Casey Blake, 3B
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Russell Martin, C
Clayton Kershaw, SP (8-8, 2.79 regular season)
Use this thread to chat about the game, or whatever else you please. Just make sure you follow the guidelines and be cool to each other.
Yanks on Kikuchi’s U.S. itinerary
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Yusei Kikuchi is The Next Big Thing to come out of Japan. An 18-year-old prep star, Kikuchi could join Junichi Tazawa as a Japanese player who skips the Nippon Professional Baseball league to come straight to the Majors, and although the Yankees are going to be preoccupied with the Angels over the next 10 days, the team, according to reports, is going to meet with Kikuchi next week.
Via MLBTR, NPB Tracker reports on Kikuchi’s recruitment schedule. This week, he will meet with Japanese teams as his hometown league attempts to convince him not to jump the puddle for the Majors. After meeting with the NPB reps, Kikuchi will meet with the Giants, Mets, Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers, Mariners and Indians.
If Kikuchi leaves Japan, he will be the second big-name pitcher to head straight to the States in two years, and the NPB could be facing a severe young talent drain as more kids look to Major League Baseball for a more international stage and a quicker payday. Patrick Newman at NBP Tracker wonders if the Nippon leagues will look to collude with Kikuchi to ensure that he is drafted by the team of his choice and stays in Japan.
With Kikuchi coverage ramping up, Newman also published a scouting report on the young left-hander. He seems to be a smart kid with a good head on his shoulders, and he throws between 87-96 mph. Generally, his fastball sits low in the zone at around 90. Keep in mind that he is also just 18 and will probably add a bit of velocity as he fills out.
It will be interesting to see how the Kikuchi sweepstakes shake down. As young undrafted kids look across the Pacific, international baseball could be gearing up for a sea change, and the Majors may soon enjoy a stream of young talent from Japan. After the Yanks opted against going after Tazawa last year on the grounds of honoring the NPB draft, it’s intriguing to see them in the mix on Kikuchi. Perhaps they think higher of him than they did of Tazawa.
Feel free to use this as a discussion on the merits of international poaching of young players or use it as your regularly scheduled open thread. Oh, and today is Joe Girardi’s birthday. So a happy 45th to the Yanks’ skipper. You know the drill; play nice.
Quick Hits: Peterson on pitching, roster decisions and the ALCS sked
Posted by: | CommentsInteresting stuff, no?
* * *
As we await the weekend start to the ALCS, the Yankees are busy attempting to put together a 25-man team best suited to take on the rival Angels. Brian Costa of The Star-Ledger says the roster won’t change much for the ALCS, but he does highlight a few questions the Yanks are attempting to answer.
First, Costa notes that the Jose Molina/A.J. Burnett/Jorge Posada love triangle has yet to be resolved. Girardi liked what he saw when Burnett threw to Molina on Friday, and the two could be battery-mates again this Saturday. If the Yanks pair up Jose and A.J., Francisco Cervelli will be on the roster. Otherwise, the speedy Freddy Guzman could earn a spot on the team.
Next, Costa takes on Damaso Marte. The lefty couldn’t get out the only two lefties he had to face against the Twins, and since the Angels are a right-hand heavy team, Marte may find himself sitting this round out. In his place, the Yanks would take Brian Bruney instead. For what it’s worth, the Angels’ team platoon splits were incredibly consistent. They hit .285/.353/.440 against righties and .286/.342/.446 against lefties. Bruney, who has been throwing in Tampa to stay ready, is probably the better choice for this round.
* * *
Finally, we have a full ALCS schedule, and the game’s start times are, well, odd. Take a look. All times are Eastern, and all games are on FOX:
Game 1 (Friday, Oct. 16 @NYY): 7:57 p.m.
Game 2 (Saturday, Oct. 17 @NYY): 7:57 p.m.
Game 3 (Monday, Oct. 19 @LAA): 4:13 p.m.
Game 4 (Tuesday, Oct. 20 @LAA): 7:57 p.m.
Game 5* (Thursday, Oct. 22 @LAA): 7:57 p.m.
Game 6* (Saturday, Oct. 24 @NYY): 4:13 p.m.
Game 7* (Sunday, Oct. 25@NYY): 8:20 p.m.
* If necessary
Those of us who work will miss a good chunk of Monday’s game, and if the Yanks and Angels need six games, the Saturday afternoon affair will start amidst shadows in the Bronx. That’s the power of high-priced TV deals for you.
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Here’s your open thread for the night. There’s no baseball until Thursday, plus all the local hockey teams are off tonight. The only local sports on tonight are the Nets and Knicks on YES and MSG, respectively. Hopefully you have dinner plans, or at least some stuff on the DVR to catch up on. Chat about whatever you like here, just follow the guidelines and be excellent to each other.
Open Thread: LAnaheim’s weakness
Posted by: | CommentsWe plan on doing a more in-depth analysis of the ALCS matchup in the coming days, but iYankees provides us a little info to whet our appetites…
In ‘09, the Angel bullpen has sported a 4.27 FIP, which is actually better than the Yankees’ mark of 4.33. However, looking beyond FIP, there are some discernible flaws nesting within the LA ‘pen. For instance, while the NY relief corps has walked 3.46 batters per 9 — the second lowest BB/9 in the AL — LA’s relievers have walked 3.85 per 9, the 5th highest in the league. In addition, the Angels’ bullpen has put up relatively weak strikeout numbers when compared to the rest of the AL. With a K/9 of 7.41 — the 6th lowest in the league — the Angel bullpen isn’t as imposing when compared to previous years (the Yankees 8.44 K/9 is the best in the AL).
The bullpen is just one difference between these two clubs, one the Yankees will hopefully exploit when the series starts in four friggin’ days.
Anyway, here’s your open thread for the night. We already have another thread going for NLDS Game Four, so chat about that game there. The Rangers and Devils are both in action tonight, but something tells me the main topic of conversation tonight will be the Jets and Dolphins in Monday Night Football. There’s also a new House, but c’mon, the Jets are on MNF. Anything goes, just follow the guidelines and be cool to each other.
Thinking about instant replay
Posted by: | CommentsI had a ticket to spot 7 of the standing room section behind Section 229. The view was fine, the crowd was electric and the game was, simply put, one of the best games — if not the best — I’ve seen live. I missed but one play, and apparently it was a controversial one.
Leading off the 11th inning, Joe Mauer lofty a Damaso Marte offering down the left field. From where I was standing, the ball kept slicing and slicing and then…it and Melky Cabrera disappeared from view. Phil Cuzzi called it a foul ball, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That no one came out to argue was telling. The ball, I assumed, was foul, and it was not until after the game, when my dad said, “Joe Mauer’s ball was fair,” that I had any idea the call was in doubt.
As we all know now, that ball hit fair territory by a good six inches, and Phil Cuzzi, the left field ump whose sole job it was to make that call, blew it. After the game, the umpires were verklempt. “We just feel horribly when that happens,” Crew Cheif Tim Tschida said to reporters after the game. “There’s a guy sitting over there in the umpire’s dressing room right now that feels horrible.”
The Twins bemoaned the call. Noting how a lead-off double could have changed the entire complexion of the 11th inning, Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire was incredulous. “We had six umpires out there, I think. I think, right, six? Six umpires,” he sputtered.
Since Cuzzi’s call and the subsequent shut-down relief work of David Robertson, nearly everyone baseball news outlet has called for expanded instant replay. We have, for example,Anthony Rieber and Brian Costa calling for just that, and Buster Olney thinks more instant replay would be a good fit for baseball. Even an NFL VP mocked baseball’s officiating.
The Yankees, meanwhile, think otherwise. As Marc Carig reported, Girardi is a-OK with the current state of replay in baseball. “I think it would break the rhythm of the game. Where would you stop?” he asked earlier today.
Girardi asks a good question: Where would you stop? With balls that go out of play, the answer is easy. Had instant replay review been used last night, Joe Mauer would have been awarded a ground rule double. But what if the ball had hit the side wall and stayed in play? If the foul call is overturned, where does Mauer end up — on second base or back in the batter’s box?
I’ve been a long-time proponent of instant replay review in baseball. If we have the technology to make the right call, we should use it. But although Buster Olney calls for the “immediate” expansion of instant replay, it isn’t that easy. The Commissioner’s Office will have to figure just how to deal with overturned calls. Unlike in football when the review is after the play, in baseball, plays unfold differently if a ball is fair. How baseball addresses that problem will determine whether or not the sport can effectively employ instant replay review. There is a very real chance it cannot.
Although this is tagged an open thread, I’d love to see a discussion about instant replay. Still, anything goes. Please use this game thread for Cardinals/Dodgers chatter. And play nice.
From the AP: Photos from the front row
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What would your photo album look like if you had front-row seats to every Yankee game for decades on end? It would probably be a thing of beauty with vivid photographs of seminal moments in Yankee history.
Well, although you and I do not enjoy this luxury in life, the Associated Press has. Photographers from the AP have been at every Yankee game for countless years. Now, to coincide with the first playoff series at the New Yankee Stadium, the AP is making 365 of these photographs available in a new book. The book, entitled New York Yankees 365, is on sale now, and it truly is a marvelous photo retrospective.
Ostensibly, the book is arranged as a bound page-a-day calendar. Each photo is a full page with a description and a calendar date on the other. That part of the production I don’t understand. The calendar days do not actually correspond to anything portrayed in the pictures, and no one will read and soak in just one photo a day. But that’s a minor quibble about a great addition to anyone’s Yankee coffee table book collection. From the Babe to Derek, this one’s got it all (and you can see some of it in this slideshow).
Tom Curley, president and CEO of the AP, talked about the organization’s goals behind the book. “Baseball and The Associated Press grew up together, and no news organization has covered more of the nearly 400,000 professional games that have been played to date,” he said in a press release. “Over the course of the last century, the Yankees have come to embody the majesty of the game of baseball. They are a part of Americana. This book is a photographic celebration of the history and heroes the team has created.”
Meanwhile, to promote the book, former Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton will be at Borders at 100 Broadway in Lower Manhattan tomorrow afternoon at noon to sign copies. I’m sure he’ll talk about Ball Four as well.
To purchase copies of this book and send a few pennies back to RAB, use this link
Open Thread: RAB Fantasy Baseball League Final Update
Posted by: | CommentsWell, technically it’s the first update, but that’s neither here nor there.
For the third straight year, I won my league’s regular season title, but fell short in the playoffs. This time it was out of sheer stupidity though, not because I had an inferior team. I forgot to set my lineup one day during my matchup in Round One of the playoffs, and missed out on this Zach Greinke start. The ERA and WHIP wouldn’t have mattered, but the five extra strikeouts would have tied me in that category, and given me the win that week. It’s not as bad as the Rafael Furcal Stolen Base Incident of 2007, but it sucks none the less.
Anyway, RAB regular A.D. won the league, beating Jamal G., another regular. So congrats to him. Here’s the team I drafted, and here’s the team I finished the year with:
C: Russ Martin
1B: Derek Lee
2B: Brian Roberts
3B: A-Rod
SS: Gordon Beckham
OF: Jason Kubel
OF: Andrew McCutchen
OF: Julio Borbon
UTIL: Carlos Gonzalez
BN: JD Drew
BN: Rafael Furcal
BN: Brad Hawpe
BN: Casey McGehee
BN: Conor Jackson (DL)
SP: Felix Hernandez
SP: Zach Greinke
SP: Josh Johnson
SP: Freddy Garcia
SP: Sean West
SP: Jered Weaver
SP: Gil Meche (DL)
RP: Ryan Madson
RP: Matt Thornton
RP: Kiko Calero
Power pitching wins, folks. I struck gold with Felix (5th round), Greinke (7th), and Johnson (11th), and Weaver was decent for a 16th rounder. I picked up Garcia and West late in the season when I needed strikeouts and they were starting on a Sunday. Madson and Thornton racked up the holds (the league used Saves+Holds, not just Saves). Assuming Greinke wins the Cy Young, I will have had three of the last four Cy winners on my fantasy team (I traded for Tim Lincecum early last year, and grabbed Cliff Lee off waivers in April).
Don’t read too much into the outfield alignment, I played the matchups pretty much every day and could have had Drew or Hawpe starting. That’s just how I had my roster set yesterday. My first rounder – the uberslumping Jimmy Rollins – was jettisoned along with Aubrey Huff in a trade for McCutchen and Furcal. I had a mid-season outfield crisis and needed the help, plus I had Beckham starting at short. I shuffled in guys like Jack Cust, Kosuke Fukudome, Matt LaPorta, Scott Hairston, and David Murphy all summer until Borbon and Gonzalez stabilized things.
Did you know Derrek Lee finished the year with a .972 OPS, 35 homers, and 111 RBI? I almost traded him for Edwin Jackson in early August. A-Rod was the man, as usual, but Martin hit for zero power all season. Regardless, it was a good team and I won my final six regular season matchups.
Final standings for the league are after the jump, but feel free to use this as your open thread for the night. Brett Favre takes on the Packers in Minnesota on Monday Night Football, and you’ve also got the Rangers and Devils facing off in New Jersey. There’s also a new House on, which is where I’ll be. Talk about whatever you want, just follow the guidelines and be nice.
