Posted on 10/12/2007 12:34:23 PM PDT by GraniteStateConservative
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.
It's a hell of a team. I was sure if we got by Sabathia and Carmona, we'd be aces, but then Westbrook and Byrd pitched complete gems, while Schilling, Matsusaka, and Wakefield couldn't get 15 outs. Offensively, you guys are getting big contributions from 1 to 9, while we're only getting action from 3, 4, and 5. Pedroia, Youkilis, Drew, Varitek, Lugo, and Crisp have been completely irrelevant.
Actually, we’re getting good production from the 2 spot and 4 through 9. Sizemore and Haffner have been offensive no shows in the ALCS. Haffner got the big sombrero, as I believe it’s called, for going Oh for Four, with 4 Ks in game 4. If he suddenly awakens, that’s 1-2 more run production per game. As for Sizemore, he’s actually hitting the ball really well, just at the outfielders. He’s gotten on base via the walk to at least put some pressure on some of the time.
If the Indians had the production of Manny and Papi out of their 3-4 batters, well, they’d be where they are now, which is up 3 and 1. They were blown out in game 1 so no amount of Gagne would have helped.
I was at Game One, and it was a complete carnival. I was expecting a sweep after that game, and then the sh*t hitteth the fan.
Obviously, I’d rather not have to go back to Boston for more games, but what’s the general feeling up there? If Beckett fires a gem, how does everyone think the game 6 and 7 starters will fare? I find it rather interesting that all three starters have gone exactly 4-2/3 innings.
MLB teams who have come back from 0-2 (ALDS), 1-3 or 0-4 series deficits to win 3+ games and win the series:
2004 ALCS Red Sox over Yankees (Sox won 4 in a row after being down 0-3)
2003 NLCS Marlins over Cubs *9
2003 ALDS Red Sox over A's
2001 ALDS Yankees over A's
1999 ALDS Red Sox over Indians
1996 NLCS Braves over Cardinals
1995 ALDS Mariners over Yankees *8
1986 ALCS Red Sox over Angels *7
1985 WS Royals over Cardinals *6
1985 ALCS Royals over Blue Jays
1984 NLCS Padres over Cubs *5
1982 ALCS Brewers over Angels
1981 NLDS Dodgers over Astros ****
1979 WS Pirates over Orioles ***
1968 WS Tigers over Cardinals **
1958 WS Yankees over Braves
1925 WS Pirates over Senators *
1903 WS Boston Americans (Red Sox-- with none other than Cy Young pitching for them) over Pirates (They won 4 in a row to win the Series 5-3 after being down 1-3!) in the very first World Series ever.
* shutout in Game 4
** got battered 10-1 in Game 4
*** lost Game 4 in the 8th when the Os scored 6 runs (after being up 6-3)
**** shutout in Game 2
*5 lost Game 4 when Garvey hit 9th inning walk-off home run
*6 shutout in Game 4
*7 lost Game 4 when Grich singled to left, a walk-off hit
*8 after a heartbreaking 15th-inning walk-off home run by Leyritz in Game 2
*9 won Game 1 with Beckett pitching and lost 3 straight before winning Game 5 with Beckett pitching (sound familiar?)
We have this guy on the mound tonight. 
He beat the Cubs in the NLCS and he'll beat the Indians in the ALCS.
Game 6 and 7 at home, I like our chances.
I'd say that the general consensus is that Beckett has more than a good chance of being a stopper tonight, but after that, who the hell knows, for exactly what you say---our 2, 3, and 4 guys haven't been able to record 15 outs. Personally, I'm not at all confident, because the 2007 Red Sox are not a come-from-behind team, like the 2004 Sox were. Then again, anything can happen at Fenway.
It’s not just the punch but the speed as well although Francoma has never properly used it in my opinion. Pedroia cannot lead off. He cannot bunt his way on, he won’t walk and can’t beat out much of anything. When he’s on he’s no threat to take an extra base. Putting Lugo up there with the mandate that he bunts his way on or tries to walk so we can have some disruption is actually reasonable given Shorty’s .195 average. Ellsbury won’t get that job since Coco obviously has pictures of Tito in his office with a farm animal doing some dirty things.
The other aspect to this is the poor hitting that this team has done and you have to look at the hitting coach for that. He’s not doing his job when so many guys are having bad years. Coco crisp was a guy who used to hit a ton of doubles. Lugo is a career plus .275 hitter. Drew is a better hitter than what we have seen from him. His career stats show he’s not Manny but he’s not as bad as he has been this year.
Thanks... it's fairly confusing, isn't it? It is to me, as we don't live in the Boston area... we are only part-time WEEI listeners. I wish they had just stuck to WEEI. Oh well, all I know is after we leave a game at Fenway, we push either 680, 850 AM or 103.7FM to find the post-game talk shows, whether it's with John Rish or other guys.
He started to get a little snippy with a caller last night who dubbed Francona “Francoma” and asked him to refer to the manager by his real last name.
LOL... yeah, that's John Rish. He doesn't like that stuff. The other guys on WEEI (whoever they are) would probably call Tito "Francoma" at times as well... in fact, I'm pretty sure I've heard them do it. These are the guys that you see in the radio broadcast window at Fenway before games... who are they? I don't think it's the Planet Mikey show...
You'd think after all these years I would have figured out who they are by now... LOL
Josh Beckett... our last, best hope tonight...
spectramglobe: After every loss, we hear the players and managers say things like "We just didn't get it done" or "we just have to put it behind us." Does Francona ever yell at the players or give them a good pep-talk? It seems like they're very "Oh, well" about the losses.
Jackie_MacMullan: I've heard this on numerous occasions from the Red Sox players. The Francona we see in the clubhouse and the one you see on the postgame broadcasts is quite different from the one they see behind closed doors. He is a pretty firey guy and doesn't hesitate to let his guys know if they do something that ticks him off. but he will defend his guys publicly to the death - even if he disagrees with them. he does it with manny all the the time.
That's most likely the Big Show crew, headed up by Glen Ordway, and usually including guys like Larry Johnson, Steve Buckely, Sean McAdams, Steve Di Osse, Fred Smerlas, and Pete Sheppard. During and after the games, you'll see the Planet Mikey show, hosted by Mike Adams, and including John Rish and Jason "JPod" Pothier.
Ah, thanks for clearing up that mystery! There are so many guys on that list, no wonder I can’t keep ‘em straight! I do recognize the names Glen Ordway and Sean McAdams (Providence Journal reporter?). I think one of those guys is a Yankee fan, and gets teased regularly, right?
You're probably thinking about the show Larry Johnson hosts on Saturdays with John (?) Mustard. Mustard's the Yankee fan, and Ordway & Co. always goof on Larry Johnson for allowing Yankee calls during that show. But LJ isn't a Yankees fan.
Yes... Ordway, Mustard, et al. We’ve gone to many Saturday-Sunday games at Fenway this season... that’s the WEEI show we’ve been listening to on Saturday mornings/afternoons during our rides from CT to Boston.
We love the banter, but have never figured out who these guys were. Thanks again. ;-)
Head games? Tonight’s anthem singer is Beckett’s ex
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Michael K. McIntyre
Plain Dealer Reporter
Country music artist Danielle Peck will sing the national anthem and “God Bless America” at tonight’s Indians game.
She will not sing, “Stand by Your Man.”
Peck, it turns out, dated Red Sox pitching ace Josh Beckett, who is starting tonight’s do-or- die game against the Tribe and who handed them their only loss in the American League Champi onship Series.
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They met last summer. They’re not an item anymore.
The Indians claim they had no idea of the love connection when they announced Tuesday that Peck would replace Taylor Swift as tonight’s vocalist.
“It’s an incredible coincidence. Honestly,” said Indians spokesman Bob DiBiasio. “This isn’t another bug thing.”
Midges get all over your skin.
Exes can get in your head.
DiBiasio said when Swift couldn’t do the game, a country music booker recommended Peck, a rising star in the industry. She’s from Coshocton and has a hit single, “I Don’t.”
“She’s from Ohio. Her entire family are Indians fans. We did not know anything about her connections to Beckett. The next day, we find out the rest of the story,” said DiBiasio. “How are we supposed to know who Josh Beckett dates?”
We’ll take the Indians at their word.
But it’s no secret that Beckett also has dated actress Alyssa Milano and model Leeann Tweeden.
If Tweeden models “Mrs. Sizemore” shirts on the scoreboard and Milano throws out the first pitch, we’ll know the games aren’t just on the field.
Danielle Peck
LOL
Leeann Tweeden
Who cares? Manny doesn’t. I don’t see either team successfully beating the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.
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