There’s no link up on espn.com to my chat from today, so if you missed it, here’s the transcript.
By the way, completely lame-assed Project Runway this week. Grow a pair and eliminate someone already. And enough with the waterworks.
When someone asks you why you should win (in this case, go to the finals), don’t say how much you want it. State your damn case. Korto and Kenley did it, although Korto first went for sympathy (boring). I have no idea what Jerell said behind the sniffling and snorling and whimpering and whinging. Blech.
Team Kenley!
That was a great Paulsen dig.
Keith, I think one of the factors that was generally overlooked going into the Cubs-Dodgers series was how well the Dodger pitching matched up against the Cubs hitters. You pointed out that the Cubs hit both righties and lefties well, which surprised me a little because their lineup is so right-handed. On checking, you’re absolutely right, of course; the only regulars with significantly worse splits against righties are Lee and Soriano (both kill lefties), and Aramis Ramirez actually has a significant reverse split. On the other hand, Lowe, Billingsley, and Kuroda for the Dodgers are all very effective against righties (.635, .617, and .607 OPS against, respectively), and Broxton is dominant (.442). I think that’s why we saw the Cubs have such trouble scoring this series.
As a Dodgers fan, it does make me worry a bit about a Phillies matchup, as they’ll play 2 switch hitters and 3 lefties against a righty pitcher.
Keith,
Didn’t know where else to post this question, because I couldn’t locate your email address. I read your post from 2006 about Type A/Type B free agents – a great read, but I have one clarification question.
Let’s say there are 40 Type A/B players available this offseason, meaning there is a limit of 3 such players a team can sign. If Team X loses 2 Type A/B players, can Team X then sign a maximum of 5 players (3 per rules + 2 lost FA’s) or a maximum of 3 players (per rules)?
Thanks for listening.
Dodgers Vs. Phillies. I can’t imagine a more disgustingly mediocre NLCS. To see 2 teams that I really didn’t think deserved to be in the playoffs advance to the NLCS makes me really wonder about what Selig has done to the sport.
PhillR, I can understand not being excited about the Dodgers in the NLCS, as they were decidedly mediocre until the final month of the season. I will say that with Manny, Blake, and an apparently healthy Furcal, the current version of the Dodgers is probably a 90-92 win team. More to the point, though, who deserves to be in the playoffs more than the Phillies, besides the Cubs? They had the 2nd best record in the NL, the 2nd best run differential in the NL, and the 3rd best run differential in baseball (behind the Cubs and Red Sox).
Sorry but I think aside from the relief pitching that proved to be decisive, the Mets were a superior team on all fronts and the Phillies lucked into the NLDS on their record against one mediocre team: the Braves, and a perversely fortunate schedule at the close of the season.
The Braves rolled over to the Phillies in every confrontation leading to a 14-4 record on the season. Meanwhile in h2h competition, it was clear that the Phillies were inferior to the Mets.
Now two teams with more holes in them then the cheese in Kruk’s head are about to face off for the right to see the world series. Its disgusting.
After Hamels the Phillies rotation is a senior citizen, a redneck wife beating hillbilly, a billy bean reject and a young Adam Eaton wannabe. They will surely beat the Dodgers and be crowned kings of the NL. I pray that TB comes out and sweeps them in devastating fashion.
Sickening.
Phill — the Cards won in 2006; how do you feel about that?
It’s clear in h2h competition that the Mets are better? Really? The Mets have the 11-7 advantage against the Phillies, but is that a clear advantage? They were 4-4 in head-to-head after July 22nd, so maybe the Mets were just better head-to-head in the beginning of the year. Plus the Mets beat the Phils twice in extra-innings. If those games go the other way, it’s 9-9 head-to-head, so is that really a clear advantage?
considering that the Mets were 9-6 in interleague play while the Phillies were 4-11, one could make the argument that the Phillies were even more deserving than the Mets to represent the NL since they have eight more NL wins than the Mets.
Bill Parcells is famous for saying that you are what your record says you are. This year, the Phils were three games better than the Mets.
Bill Parcells was a moron.
The inter-league record is even more evidence, as we all know which is the senior league. The Phillies got in by beating up a defeated Braves team, a perverse end of season schedule that really punished the Mets and Wagner’s popped elbow.
I cannot recall a single injury altering a season to such an extent.
Preston- I feel differently about a short series. They can go either way so I don’t read too much into. This regular season was just odd.