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The MLB playoffs thread.

Great stuff from Detroit.

Even though Bonderman got hit early (1st inning), he buckled down and went onto throw 6 2/3. Despite the homer by Payton in the 4th for the 3rd run, it was still a good enough performance to keep the Tigers around and in the game and they do look capable of scoring when they're in a game these playoffs.

Another excuse for Nigel to get his broom out and another chapter written in the story of an amazing season for Detroit, who have been amongst the year in, year out big losers as long as I've been watchin baseball, and before that too. Great stuff to see an such an apparently unlikely underdog doing so well.

St. Louis seem to be on a turnaround right now after last night. They've chased off Steve Trachsel after 1+ inning and are 3 runs up with the bases loaded to Edmonds...
 
Game 7 tonight in the NLDS to earn the right to get swept by the Tigers.

I'm watching, but I really do hope the Tigers win the whole thing now. I can't help but feel they deserve it, and no-one would've picked them in March!
 
nonamenopackdrill said:
Game 7 tonight in the NLDS to earn the right to get swept by the Tigers.

I'm watching, but I really do hope the Tigers win the whole thing now. I can't help but feel they deserve it, and no-one would've picked them in March!
Click to expand...
I agree, and i really don't think that the Mets or the Cards have the pitching to compete with Detroit.

I'm still cheering for the Mets tonight though. The Cards suck; they were just lucky that they were the best team in the worst division in baseball (sorry, Iam, but it's true :)).

By the way, Iam, what do you think of the news that Piniella is replacing Dusty as the Cubs' manager? There are even some rumours that this could lead to A-Rod waiving his no-trade clause and leaving the Yankees for Chicago.
 
A Rod to the Cubs? He might, but I'd be surprised. He moved to Texas from Seattle for cash (make no mistake, he said at the time 'it's not about the money, it's about winning rings, then moved to the most money at a ballclub with no pitching') but now he must be after at least an appearance in the World Series.

I think he might waive his no-trade clause, because he isn't liked in NY and because it appears that Torre isn't a fan (batting 8th?) any longer. But I think he'll move to somewhere that competes.
 
Well, the talk about A-Rod going to the Cubs mainly centred on the fact that he has a very close relationship with Lou Piniella, and considers Piniella his mentor. Apparently, they talk on the phone two or three times a day during the regular season.

In general, though, i think you're right, and a much more likely move would be to the Angels.
 
The Angels seems the obvious move. Anything could happen with ARod though. I think Cashman might insist on Torre developing our minor leaguer who's a 3rd baseman, as the Yanks have been talking about developing player recognition and longevity (Cano and Wang are examples).... doesn't actually sound like the Yanks any more, but sounds like a team like the Tigers.

Course, we've still got money to spend to support that player development with superstars to fill the holes.

Incidentally, looks like the Unit is going nowhere. Going under the knife soon, as is Giambi.
 
Unbloody-believable

But i've got to say....

The Cardinals win the pennant! The Cardinals win the pennant!!

And so the redbirdies are in the World Series for the second time in 3 years. I never ever thought that they could make it to the big dance. But they've done it against the odds against the much favoured and highly rated New York Mets

Noname you were certainly on the money when you said that Jeff Suppan would come up trumps and he did! It couldn't have come any closer with a chance to win game seven and become NL Champions, rookie closer Adam Wainwright in the ninth inning with the bases loaded with two men out (i think?). At the top of the ninth Yaidier Molina, the catcher provided with another good contribution, a 2 run homer to put St Louis 3-1 up at the top of the 9th.

So Suppan gets his second win in the series and he's the NLCS MVP - fully deserved to get the award. If the Mets had have won imo it would have gone to Carlos Delgaldo or Beltran.That was huge to say the least and Wainwright keeping calm under great pressure.This has got to be one of the most exciting finishes in a NL pennant battle - what a game, what a series!


Moving on the World Series i know and realise that the Cards have got one hell of a task, in finding a way of getting past the Tigers pitching staff (the best bullpen in MLB). Plus Detroit has got quite an under-rated batting line up as well.

The stage is set for Jim Leyland against hs close friend Tony La Russa. I have a feeling it's Jeff Weaver who has suprisingly pitched well in the postseason will probably start game 1. Can't wait for the series to start, i'm not going to make any bold predictions, but i know the Cards are major underdogs compared to the Tigers.

I'd like to hear what Iam's thoughts on Lou Pinella being the Cubs new manager. Maybe imo he could be the man to make the Cubs a major threat in the NL Central. I concur with what's been said about A-Rod's chances of going to the Cubs, it's the Angels or another AL team (if they can afford him).
 
Well, that sucks. The Mets should be in the World Series. Now i just hope the Tigers wipe the floor with the Cardinals. The crappy redbirds got saved by a bit of outstanding pitching and the fact that two of the Mets' best pitchers were sitting in the dugout for the whole series.

I have no particular love or hate for either the Mets or the Cardinals, but the Mets were far and away the best team in the NL this year, and i think they were the only team with a real shot to beat Detroit (or, for that matter, any of the other 3 AL postseason teams).

Last night's game was a nail-biter. Endy Chavez made one of the best defensive plays you'll ever see, and if the Mets had won the game it would have gone down as the play that won the pennant.

Suppan pitched incredibly well, although, contrary to E.J.'s assertion, he didn't get the win. He got a no-decision, being lifted in the 8th inning when the scores were tied 1-1. Mets starter Oliver Perez also pitched a hell of a game, following Maine's great effort from the night before, although Perez was helped by Chavez's leaping grab.

Anyway, i can't see the Tigers sweeping, because Suppan and/or Carpenter should win at least one for the Cardinals. I'm betting Detroit in 6.
 
Yes Mhendo (thanks for correcting me on Suppan) - i'll admit some of the Cards's regular season performances have been inconsistent (and rubbish) to say the very least. Also if The Metropolitans had ace pitchers El Duque and ex Red Sox Roberto Martinez playing in the series:then probably imo the Mets would have won it in 6 games. I'll be very honest with you the redbirds were quite lucky to have made it to the main event. Although i still can't believe it, this playoff series has show that the teams with the best records don't make the World Series!

I'm not sure if i'm right to say St Louis with their poor win loss record percentage (in the regular season) is the lowest for an NL or AL team to be in the World Series?
 
nonamenopackdrill said:
Could we have one of the worst WS winners ever?
Click to expand...

Not sure about this but, what can you say? The Cards deserve it.

I have been rooting for the Tigers throughout the series but they failed at the most crucial time of the season.

It is always said that pitching and defence wins ballgames and this statement has never been more accurate than when looking at this series. Neither team really got hot in terms of hitting so it was down to pitching and defence. The Cardinals had 3 outstanding pitching perfomance and near textbook defence whilst the Tigers had one outstanding pitching performance and almost catastrophic defence through all 5 games - particularly by their pitchers.

I think the whole Jeff Weaver angle is the stuff of dreams and demonstrates once more how baseball seems to produce more of these stories than any other sport in the world. Watchers of Channel 5 in the UK will recall he has been lampooned for years now in "Weaver Watch" and he was as close as you can get to packing in the game as it is possible, when he was discarded by the Angels. Whether you love or hate the Cardinals or indeed love or hate Weaver, no-one could fail to be moved by what he has achieved in this post-season. I know I felt quite emotional watching his reaction after the win and I don't even particularly like the Cardinals.

What the future will hold for him, who knows? My feeling is that he will get at least a year's contract in St Louis. He may stink the place out next year but no one will ever be able to take away what he has helped to achieve over the last 3/4 weeks.
 
Well, the Cards got good pitching, and the Detroit offense fell apart at exactly the wrong time. Apart from Casey, who went 9 for 17 (.529), and Guillen and Inge (each hit .353), the Tigers were woeful at the plate in the World Series. No-one else on the team went over .200. Pudge hit .158, Monroe .150, Ordonez .105, and Granderson .095. Just awful.

The pitching wasn't great either. Before the Series, you couldn't have got anyone to take a bet that Verlander would go 0-2 with an ERA of 5.73.

The Cards weren't really that much better at the plate; they just seemed to get hits in a few key places, and the Tigers helped them out with some pretty egregio0us errors, especially from the pitchers.

The Cards pitchers pulled it out. The only starter with a Series ERA over 3 was Suppan, and he escaped with a no-decision in a game the Cardinals won.

At 83-78, St. Louis had the worst regular season record of any team to ever win the World Series. They now have 10 WS titles, second only to the Yankees. They got the job done at precisely the right time, and while i still think the Mets deserved to be there more, the Cards deserved their win in the end.
 
Unbelievable or shall i say....

Unbe-weaver-able!* Honestly i'm shocked. Very,very suprised but i can say with a bit of pride, whilst wearing a St Louis long sleeved t-shirt......

The Cardinals are the World Series Champions 2006 !!! :D

When the Cards made their last appearance in the fall classic 2 years ago, when Boston did the sweep. I didn't care about the result, because i was getting over the death of my mum. Moving on 2 years later I'm happy that The Cards did a professional job in defeating a good Detroit Tigers team in 5 games! I'll admit that i got a bit crazy when Adam Wainwright (another great under pressure performance - credited with a save i think?) delivered the third slider in a row to Brandon Inge (with 2 men on base). I'll admit that i've been at times amazed by Tony La Russa's decision making, with regards to his starting line up and the bullpen in certain situations.

I'll give him kudos for the approach and game plan that he and his staff made to produce this win. Not forgetting he's only the second skipper to win Baseball's top title since his mentor Sparky Anderson did it with the Cincinatti Reds and The Tigers. I've watched all five games on Channel 5 and as already been mentioned it was the mental and physical errors that the Tigers made in their defense. Plus some very important base hitting, pressure by the team to force the Tigers to commit those bizzare errors.

Also the slightly better At-bats by the redbirds and the lack of experienced players in the Detroit roster (in terms of playoff experience) was another factor in this suprising win. Many commisserations to them because just like StL they are an equally historic and rich tradition in Baseball. Personally i feel that Detroit have a lot look foward to the future, with their young crop of playes in their roster will be a force in the American League for some years to come. Compared with the Cards, with some veterans on the roster the GM Walt Jocketty will have to make some decisions on who will stay and who will be traded in the post season.

David Eckstien, the determined short stop fully deserved his World Series MVP. Although imo Yadier Molina and Scott Rolen must have been very close to getting that award. Mhendo you were right to say the quality of the batting was not that good. You could also say that with reagrds to Pujols who was disappointing, along with Encarnacion for StL. Ordonez, Granderson, Polanco (who was excellent in the AL pennant series) werent as effective compared with Sean Casey who looks like he'll be staying with the Tigers after his good batting performances

*Jeff Weaver, as Colbhoy mentioned he's got a lot of stick and crticisim by baseball fans everywhere, with the infamous Weaver watch. He pitched a beauty in the game of his career. To be honest and frank i didn't think that he'll do well when Jocketty signed him from the LA Angels, but Dave Duncan the picthing coach and TLR, put the faith in him. And after a shaky start and with the possibility of being sent to the AAA league thus his MLB career all but over, he's done well. Especially at the post season. He fully deserves his ring.

Overall i call this season for the club to be one hell of a rollercoaster. In terms of the three spells where they lost eight matches in a row. Houston almost overtaking them. In my estimation with the injuries the pitching staff has got i.e. Isringhausen and Marquis. Plus of course injuries to Pujols, Eckstien and Edmonds in the regular season, StL would have ened up with 94 wins instead of 83.

But this team has shown a never say die attitude and they performed when imo it really counts and that's in the play-offs. What an way to celebrate the new stadium by becoming champions, the Bronxbombers did the same feat back in 1923. Here's to an amazingly unpredictable 2006 season - looking foward to the 2007 season!! :cool:

*Go to buy Cards cap since they won it. Also a Detroit - Olde English D cap asap to show a lot of kudos to them!*

img-281006-010.onlineBild.jpg
 
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