The Baseball Update

Once again, I am late this morning with the update, but what a game. Even Buck and McCarver couldn't ruin my enjoyment (although they still caused me to talk to myself a lot more than I normally would).

Like Jere, I thought the Royce Clayton/Coco conversation was the humor highlight of the game, at least until McCarver told me that "usually the bigger you are, the longer your stroke". I think he meant it in terms of Matt Holliday's impressive short swing, but I could be wrong.

Three Things I Noticed: (1) Ed Montague was decent behind the plate, but actually had a rather small strike zone, except in the first when Beckett was pitching, and then toward the end of the game when he started calling the belly-button strike. He was giving Francis a few calls he wasn't giving Beckett which just shows you how great Beckett was last night. (2) I know from statistical data that Troy Tulowitzki is an excellent defensive shortstop, but did you see the highlight reel that Fox ran? You could not have come up with a mor anodyne set of clips if you tried. Basically they were "run to the left, plant feet, fire to first". None of the leaping grabs that he's actually made in the NLCS. Anyway, it immediately reminded me of Letterman's "Close Plays of the Month" when Marv Albert would come on and narrate a ridiculolusly average play as though it was something special. Unintentional comedy - thy name is Fox baseball coverage. (3) I was openly rooting for Tito to pull Beckett in the 6th. I mean, 13-1? I guess he's already made up his mind that Lester will be the game 4 starter, but that was a little curious. Allowed me to set up the TaxWife for a good joke, however. I told her that they should bring in Gagne in the 6th. She said no matter the score she doesn't want Gagne coming in in the 6th of any game. So she went to bed before the 9th inning and when she woke up asked me what the final score was. I told her, "you wouldn't believe it, they brought in Gagne and he gave up 6 runs. Paps had to close". She immediately yelled "I told you, I knew it, that guy sucks... etc". (she didn't actually say "etc"). I said, actually it was 13-1. 1-2-3 inning. Good times.

Some Good Blogs

The aforementioned post from Red Sox Fan from Pinstripe Territory.

Keep Your Sox On is rocking Freddy Mercury this morning.

02145 says to keep a little perspective, Red Sox Nation (I agree, this is how we started the ALCS, remember?)

Joy of Sox has the front pages.

Soxaholix. No words necessary.

Pinto says it came down to throwing strikes. See above on the ump. Tight zone last night.

That's it. Busy day. Huge Tax Update should be due, but not sure if I'll get to it.

The Baseball Update

Really, just a tour of pieces from the interwebs this morning. They're all saying it better than I can.

Charles Pierce defends Manny better than anyone I have seen so far.

You knew Keep Your Sox On would choose "Don't Stop Believeing" for their tribute to last night's game.

Peter is overjoyed.

Soxaholix has the first Flowers for Algernon reference I have seen in a long time.

Call of the Green Monster has the scoop on baseball lessens for Rockies fans.

Bills update and maybe Death and Taxes Updates later. I'm behind the 8 ball at work after watching so much baseball over the weekend.

6 Down, 1 to Go

Just. Wow. This is why I love baseball. Well, this and the dingers. J.D. Drew, a guy who couldn't buy a big hit all year, who had fans mocking him, actually pining for Trot Nixon (!) after Game 2, who apparently had personal problems off field that may have contributed to his relative lack of production this year, was redeemed in a big way. All of a sudden, curtain call, standing "Os", possible chants of "Drew, Drew" (I couldn't quite hear them).

Some commenters on Deadspin were complaining about "Sox Fans" - to quote one:

You Red Sox fans are f*cking pathetic - rip J.D. Drew and then he saves your season like that so he's a God.

Yeah, that's about right. But you see, that is a fan's prerogative. I don't necessarily agree with booing your own players (well, I will make an exception for Gagne), unless they have come out and maligned fans or teammates, or generally acted like jerks. However, fans are absolutely entitled to complain about a guy, whine to talk radio, bitch and moan and then, when the moment is right, turn on a dime and cheer cheer cheer.

It's not two-faced. It's called being a fan. And last night Drew got to experience the good side of the equation. As did Sox fans everywhere.

Three things I noticed: (1) Schilling was actually pretty masterful. The picture of efficiency. He threw 90 pitches over 7 innings, never more than 18 in an inning. He never was in any real trouble, despite Joe Buck and Tim McCarver's fevered hand-wringing in the third inning when Cleveland cut it to 4-1 and had the tying run at the plate. He was the epitome of crafty. The only people who should have been surprised are people with poor memories. He pitched the exact same way against Anaheim. Too many people let the one bad start against Cleveland color their views.

(2) Speaking of McCarver. He's become downright unlistenable (I know - this is news?) What I mean is, I used to be able to listen to him at least for the unintentional comedy effect - like the other night when he expressed surprise that a lead-off home run will lead to more big innings than a lead-off walk. Something has changed, though. I don't know what - seems like he's forcing himself to find things to say. He actually said last night, apropos of nothing that the word "gameplan" has been used in football for a while and is now being used in baseball. Huh? What does that even mean? That people use gameplans in baseball now, or just the word? There were countless other examples, but he's not even funny anymore. He's just sad. Like the drunk uncle who goes from funny to quiet and distant. Sad.

(3) I've talked about it over and over again, but it was finally nice to see it acknowledged by a real baseball person. After the game, Eric Wedge noted that the breaks that had been going the Indians way, went the Sox way last night. Some borderline pitches by Carmona were called balls. A couple of little infield hits in the first loaded the bases. Drew's grand slam cleared the wall by about a foot. And then the late miscues came - lack of execution. The series has done a 180 since i wrote this, and I think it's 25% execution and 75% breaks falling in a different way.

Touring the blogs

Jere is luckily going to Game 7 tonight. He's too fixated on the Yankees though for my taste. I did not once think of the Yankees last night.

Sox Nest knows the meaning of redemption.

Keep Your Sox On echoes the theme of little moments making the big difference.

Peter has the money quote from Schilling about Dice-K ready to go out there tonight.

That's all for now on the baseball front. Unfortunately this is a work day for me, but I'll be back in a bit with quick NFL picks.

The Baseball Update

Well that was frustrating. Really, in both games 3 and 4, the emotion was one of frustration. Frustration that the Sox were not coming through in big moments like they seemed to have in the regular season. Frustration that the breaks in the game were not going the Sox' way. Frustration that each game lost was there for the taking, but for a mistake in strategy (Game 2 - bringing in Gagne, leaving Tavarez off the playoff roster), a mistake in execution (Game 2 - the pen, Game 3 - Dice-K and the Double Plays, Game 4 - Wakefield knocking down the grounder that could have ended the horrendous 5th and Youk dropping the popus), or breaks gone the other way (Lofton's home run that barely made it over the fence, Wakefield's gaffe last night, the wide strike zone that cause Dice-K's pitch count to soar).

Still, after being down 3-1, I am disappointed, but still cautiously optimistic. Beckett goes in Game 5. If the Sox win tomorrow, Schilling goes at home in Game 6 (and don't forget, he was dominant in Game 3 against the Angels). I still firmly believe that the Sox bats will come back, in moments that matter (not the backtobacktoback or Varitek's homer), and that the breaks will start to even out. If the Sox lose, they will lose because of the lack of execution and the lack of breaks, not, because of some ridiculous half-baked "Sox have become the Yankees" hypothesis. Please.

This is the comment I left on Deadspin's page when i read that post.

Why does every sporting event need a meta-theory? This series does not need one.

Touring the Sox Blogs:

Jere is relatively optimistic, and points out something ridiculous McCarver said last night, reminding me of the time Steve Lyons said he'd rather a batter hit a triple than a home run in an inning because it "keeps the rally going".

Over the Monster is asking for it from the baseball karma gods. The Taxwife would not approve.

That's it for now. Taxes update and Death Update (really) t/k.