ALCS Live Thread: Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox

10-12-07

[GraniteStateConservative]

Game 1 @ BOSTON:

WEATHER:: Forecasts for tonight predict that the rain will cease enough to get the game in, certainly. It should be cloudy, with temperatures dipping to the mid-50s.

Starting Pitchers

C. C. Sabathia (19-7, 3.21 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (20-7, 3.27 ERA)

Game 1 LINEUPS

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
3. Travis Hafner, DH
4. Victor Martinez, C
5. Ryan Garko, 1B
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Kenny Lofton, LF
8. Franklin Gutierrez, RF
9. Casey Blake, 3B

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Bobby Kielty, RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Julio Lugo, SS

NOTES: This is the first time since the start of the three division era that the two LCS series have each matched the two best records in their league (96-66). Computer baseball sim Imagine Sports/Diamond Mind Baseball ran the 2007 ALCS 1,000 times, and the Red Sox won 59% of the time. If the Red Sox won game 1, they won the series 72.5% of the time, and if Cleveland won, the Indians won 59% of the time.

[mylife]

1000?

[warsaw44]

Well, now its time to tune into WEEI AM on the Boston dial, Boston’s sports radio channel.
Folks will be freaking out and losing their minds until dawn.

---

[nutmeg]

Well the Sox are down 2-1, beaten tonight by one of the worst (?) Cleveland pitchers. And we're going to have (a probably injured, but won't admit it) Tim Wakefield on the mound tomorrow night.

As Boston Blackie said earlier, I think we Sox fans had better start praying for rain for tomorrow night... :-(

[nutmeg]

JD Blew it Again

[nutmeg]

Let me know how it goes on WEEI. (Does Fwank from Gloucester still call in?) I'm watching the NESN post-game funeral, I mean... show, and will check out the Rockies-D'Backs game.

[misterrob]

I have said for some time now that I don’t believe that this Red Sox is team is good enough to win the WS. They have one good starter, a few good relievers, a few good hitters and the rest you rate from average to sub average. That’s not because the guys in that club house don’t care (well, maybe Drew but that’s another story) but it’s because the front office didn’t do enough to get the best talent on the field. They fell in love with Drew and Lugo in the offseason, they were wrong on Crisp, didn’t get any batting help at the deadline and they overestimated how quickly Dice-K would acclimate to MLB caliber baseball.

Francona is also putting out a line up without a good lead off hitter. Ellsbury needs to be on the field but the Manager will not play him. He’s better than Crisp.

Lester is not the answer and Buchholz simply got here too early in his career to be of any real use to them. They will live or die with Beckett, a guy who lost his stuff in short time, an injured junk baller and a guy who cannot throw from the stretch.

Not liking our chances frankly. Cleveland is no slouch.

[Red Steel]

Dice didn't pitch all that bad today. A Bucky dent type HR and the last two hits against Dice K were softies that sneaked through.

Red Sox need to find their bats again. Eventually, this team is going to explode on the Cleveland pitchers.

[Red Steel]

I agree Ellsbury should be in the lineup. He had a hot bat in September.

[Red Steel]

The Colorado Rockies are the National League Champs!

:-)

[warsaw44]

Alas, WEEI was broadcasting some game last night, possibly basketball. There was no outlet for the angry. But today the radio waves of WEEI are filled with the anguished cries of “ Oh, my frickin gawd! Its all ovah!!! “

I’m nervous with Wakefield tonight - he truly is THE box of Chocolates pitcher in baseball.

But I suspect the sox will do some hitting tonight. so - we shall see!

[warsaw44]

There is no reason for Ellsbury not to be in the lineup tonight - none.

[Boston Blackie]

Does Fwank from Gloucester still call in?)

One tooth Frank from Gloucester has retired from calling WEEI after the Yankees were eliminated by the Indians...he did not have the courage to call, he sent an email explaining how the Yankees completely soured him on sports.

I expect him to crawl out of his spider hole next spring.

[Libertarian444]

Red Sox screwed up by not going out and getting Mark Texeira at the deadline, IMO.   I think Texas would have jumped at a trade of Texeira for Youkilis/Lester and/or Gabbard. A 1-9 of Ellsbury/Pedroia/Ortiz/Ramirez/Texeira/Lowell/Drew/Varitek/Lugo would have been pretty potent.

I still think Boston can win the series if they can somehow get it back to Boston, but it's definitely a uphill climb.

[misterrob]

There are times to go all in and this year was it. While nothing is ever a guarantee you had to look at this being the Sox’s best chance since the Yankees had started so badly. If they win the series again I think the hounds might have let them get away with a rebuilding year or two while they worked out the last years of Manny, Schilling and Tek’s contracts free up big payroll. I know that they have pitching coming up from the minors.

[nutmeg]

A 1-9 of Ellsbury/Pedroia/Ortiz/Ramirez/Texeira/Lowell/Drew/Varitek/Lugo would have been pretty potent.

I like the sound of that line-up. There's no way Pedroia should be leading off. Even RemDawg was questioning that decision last night on the NESN post-game show. Geesh, Little Dusty has really cooled off in the post season. Isn't he hitting around .167?

[misterrob]

He’s a much better #2 hitter given that he’s about contact, not drawing walks. Their line up should be:

Ellsbury
Pedroia
Ortiz
Manny
Lowell
Drew
Youk
Tek
Lugo

[nutmeg]

One tooth Frank from Gloucester has retired from calling WEEI after the Yankees were eliminated by the Indians...he did not have the courage to call, he sent an email explaining how the Yankees completely soured him on sports.

I expect him to crawl out of his spider hole next spring.

Thanks for the "Fwank" from Gloucester update, BB. Not sure what he meant by the Yankees completely souring him on sports, though. I'd be surprised if he did not call WEEI during the ALCS, screaming about the downslide of our Sox...

[nutmeg]

Yep, with our current roster, you're exactly right. Can someone pass that wisdom onto Francoma? /sarc

Crisp is excellent in center field, but - man - wasn't he a better hitter earlier in the season? He's just awful as a hitter lately.

Youk was the same back in May or June... the best hitter in baseball, IIRC. Now he seems to be mostly concerned with being a big Home Run Hero, thus striking out most of the time, then storming off muttering to himself. I'm SO sick of that.

[nutmeg]

Yep, with our current roster, you're exactly right. Can someone pass that wisdom onto Francoma? /sarc

Crisp is excellent in center field, but - man - wasn't he a better hitter earlier in the season? He's just awful as a hitter lately.

Youk was the same back in May or June... the best hitter in baseball, IIRC. Now he seems to be mostly concerned with being a big Home Run Hero, thus striking out most of the time, then storming off muttering to himself. I'm SO sick of that.

[nutmeg]

Grrr! I’m so sorry about that double post, misterrob. Damn FR server...