I'm not going to lie to you...

It doesn't look good for the Phillies in '09.

Time is running out to beat the Yankees.

I'm just saying.

Post Season Innings to Redo

Well the World Series is over. Going into October the Yankees sure looked like the best team and they never faced an elimination game the entire post season.

But what about the other teams?

Each of the other seven playoff teams (and the one game playoff runner up) go into the off season wondering what might have been. And each team has one blatantly obvious inning they’d love to have back as each closer NOT named Mariano Rivera coughed one up.



But each team also had a less obvious inning that I am sure they’d like to do over.



An inning that might have turned around a game earlier…an inning that might have killed the other team’s momentum… an inning that might have actually changed the outcome of the post season.



This is Sully Baseball and listing is what we do best. So the staff has compiled a list of the obvious innings and the not so obvious innings the also rans must be grinding their teeth over… and wish that Superman could turn the world backwards and fix.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Obvious Inning To Redo.
GAME 4, Top 9.

The Phillies had shockingly tied the game in the 8th on Pedro Feliz’s 2 out 2 strike homer. And every Phillies fan and Yankee hater had the same thought in their head… make it through the 9th scoreless and the top of the Phillies lineup could score a run… the series would be tied and a rested Cliff Lee would pitch Game 5!

And Brad Lidge got two quick outs and had two strikes on Damon… and suddenly the roof caved in.

Damon fouled off 38,211 pitches, plunked one into left, stole second and took third because nobody was covering… and before you could say “TAKE LIDGE OUT!” the Yankees were up 7-4 and the end of the series was a mere formality.



Less Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 2, Top 8.

Manuel left Pedro in too long and a 2-1 game became 3-1… but the Phillies got 2 on with only one out off of Mariano Rivera… with Utley and Howard coming up. Tim “Nostradamus” McCarver kept saying the Phillies runners should be in motion. Utley, representing the go ahead run, smacked into a double play (although replays showed he was safe at first) preventing a potential Howard vs. Rivera showdown.


Had the Phillies tied or taken the lead in that inning, the chances of going to Philadelphia up 2-0 would have been great… and the tone of the series would have been totally different.

AL WEST CHAMPION LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 11.



The Angels were three outs from stealing a game in the Bronx and sending the series back to Anaheim tied. Closer Brian Fuentes needed to get past Alex Rodriguez and then would face easy outs in Freddy Guzman, Bret Gardner and slumping Robinson Cano.


With two strikes on A-Rod and a steady rain, he somehow willed a homer over the right field wall, tying the game.



Fuentes got the next three outs, but the game was tied and the Yankees won in 13.



Less Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 2, Top 13th.

The Angels put two on with only one out and had sluggers Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero facing David Robertson. Chances are a base hit would have driven in 1… and with the rain and weak outfield arms, a hit into the outfield would probably be extra bases.



And neither Hunter nor Guerrero hit it out of the infield. The Yankees would score the next inning on an error.

NL WEST CHAMPION LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 4, Bottom 9

The Dodgers seemed poised to tie the series at 2 games apiece with closer Jonathan Broxton on the mound, 1out and nobody on. But a walk to Matt Stairs and a hit by pitch on Carlos Ruiz gave the Phillies life.

Pinch hitter Greg Dobbs lined out but Jimmy Rollins hit a 1-1 pitch into the gap, scoring 2, winning the game for the Phillies and effectively sinking the Dodgers.


Less Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 1, Top 8

The Dodgers and Phillies game 1 was supposed to be a pitchers duel between Clayton Kershaw and Cole Hamels. Instead it became a slugfest with neither pitcher making it through the 6th.


George Sherrill was brought in to keep the game close as the Dodgers trailed 5-4 in the 8th. Instead he faced 5 batters and retired only 1, giving up a three run homer to Raul Ibanez in the process.


The Phillies had a 4 run cushion and were able to survive an 8th inning rally by the Dodgers.

NL WILD CARD COLORADO ROCKIES

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 4, Top 9

The Rockies had rallied off of Cliff Lee and reliever Ryan Madson to take the lead going into the 9th inning. Colorado had a chance to tie the series and have a deciding game against struggling Cole Hamels.


With 2 outs and 1 on, Huston Street walked Chase Utley. Then Howard hit a game tying double. Jayson Werth then drove home Howard for the go ahead run.


The Rockies tried to rally in the 9th but Tulowitzki struck out with the tying and winning runs aboard, eliminating Colorado.





Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 3, Top 9

With the game tied, Rollins led off with a single. Victorino sacrificed him to second and then Utley hit a slow chopper.

The batted ball appeared to have hit him, making it a foul ball. But the umps didn’t call it that way and because these are just the playoff games, nothing important… ergo couldn’t be reviewed even though everyone on the planet saw the clip of him being hit by the batted ball.

That put runners at the corners with 1 out and Ryan Howard got Rollins to score on a sacrifice fly. Lidge would somehow hang on for the win.

NL CENTRAL CHAMPION ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 9

The Cardinals, picked by many including yours truly to go to the World Series, had two outs and nobody on and seemed ready to send the series back to St. Louis tied at 1.

Closer Ryan Franklin faced James Loney who hit a short fly to Matt Holliday… and… GAG! Holliday let the ball hit off his body to become a 2 base error.


A few walks and a pair of singles, the Dodgers won the game and the demoralized Cardinals were blown out in Game 3.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 1, Top 1


The Cardinals, despite opening on the road, were considered to be the team to beat. And they started the series against Dodgers starter Randy Wolf by loading the bases with nobody out. The Cardinals got a run out of it, but it looked like it was going to be disastrous opening frame and put the Dodgers on their heels.

The Dodgers would score 2 in the bottom of the frame and win the game 5-3.

AL CENTRAL CHAMPION MINNESOTA TWINS

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 9

The Twins basically threw their junior varsity pitching staff in Game 1, conceding to Sabathia. But in Game 2, Blackburn and company held the mighty Yankees to 1 run over 8 innings and had a chance to take the series back to the Metrodome tied 1-1. Gardenhire couldn’t ask for more than a 2 run lead in the 9th with Joe Nathan on the mound.

Well maybe he COULD ask for more… he could have asked for a few outs.

He let up a lead off single to Mark Teixeira and then wouldn’t throw a strike to A-Rod. With the count 3-1, he threw a meatball… and A-Rod crushed a game tying homer… erased his playoff choker image in one swing… and deflated the Twins.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Top 11

Even with the A-Rod homer, the Twins were still alive. A brilliant double play saved the Twins in the bottom of the 10th. And now with Rivera gone, they needed to rally against Damaso Marte.

Joe Mauer hit a double down the left field line. Anyone who watched the game saw he hit a ball that landed fair. That would include the umpire staring at the play.

So naturally it was called foul and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

These are playoff games… nothing important.

Mauer then singled and the Twins loaded the bases with nobody out. A winning rally would still do the trick of splitting the series.

Robertson got out of the inning without a run and Teixeira hit a walk off homer in the 11th. The Yankees would pull off the sweep two days later.

AL WILD CARD BOSTON RED SOX

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 3, Top 9

The Red Sox, trying to stay alive, had a fat 5-1 lead… that became a less fat 5-2 lead… that became a nerve wrecking 5-4 lead… which then became a more manageable 6-4 lead in the 9th with 2 outs, nobody on an Papelbon pitching to 9th place hitter Erick Aybar.

Nothing to worry about…

Then Papelbon, who had never let up an earned run in the postseason, couldn’t retire another batter. Figgins walked on a 3-2 count. Abreu singled in a run with two strikes. Then Vlad Guerrero singled home the tying and series winning runs, silencing Fenway and making the Red Sox faithful do the unthinkable: Boo Papelbon.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 7

The Red Sox dropped game 1 but had a chance to come back to Boston with a split. The game was tied in the 7th 1-1 with Beckett and Weaver dueling. Maicer Izturis hit a 2 out RBI single off of Josh Beckett. The Angels would score two more to take a 4-1 lead, which would be the final score… and the Angels were in control.

AL CENTRAL RUNNER UP DETROIT TIGERS

Obvious Inning to Redo
TIE BREAKER, Bottom 10

The Tigers were 3 outs away from making the playoffs and having a Justin Verlander start the opener.

But Michael Cuddyer tripled past Don Kelly in left field. Reliever Fernando Rodney got one out but couldn’t prevent the Twins from tying the game.

Only a brilliant and redeeming throw to home by Kelly kept the Twins from clinching in the 10th.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
TIE BREAKER, Top 12

The infamous Brandon Inge inning.

The Tiger loaded the bases off of Bobby Keppel with one out and the Tigers looked like they were in great shape.

Then Keppel hit Inge with a pitch forcing in the go ahead run.

Except of course that it wasn’t called a hit by pitch… even though every replay showed it hit him.

Not that this game was important.

But that being said, the Tigers should be able to score a run off of Bobby Keppel. But they didn’t. And when the Twins scored in the bottom of the 12th, Keppel got his first ever big league victory.





So there you have a bunch of teams grinding their teeth.

Would any of them have been able to beat the Yankees?



Probably not.



But if these innings had turned out differently, who knows? Maybe all of October would have too.

It's always a sad day

I got a call from my dad today.

We talked about my kids and how we are doing... then my dad said what was on both of our minds.

"Sad day today," he said.

"Yup" I agreed.

End of another year.

Not sad because the Yankees won... but because we baseball fans lost that daily companion.

My dad lamented "Am I supposed to get excited about the WARRIORS?"

Of course that would be impossible.

We agreed that one of the great things about baseball is it on EVERY DAY. It's like a friend you can count on on the drive home... or something to have on in the background around the house.

Every night you know there will be a bunch of highlights to watch.
Every morning box scores to read.

I like a good football game, but the "once a week" element would drive me batty if it were my main sport.

And hockey and basketball are great, but I have a hard time getting into the first 2 periods of a hockey game nor the first half of a basketball game.

I suppose there are a lot of people who would have trouble with the first 6 innings of a baseball game... but chances are they aren't reading this blog.

And the end of baseball blues haven't elluded Yankee fans either.

My dear friend Nicole Korkolis, a great comic based in New York, wrote to me saying she was sad to see the season over because you always have that ball game to come home to.

So between now and April I will have my wife's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Oscars and my kid's birthday... a lot on my plate.

But rest assured, Sully Baseball no longer takes the off season off!

Wait... Joe Girardi has braces?

Did you see that during his post game interview?

He has braces?

Really?

How did I not know that?

Is he the first manager to have braces and win a World Series?

Pretty sure Leo Durocher didn't have braces.

No offense to Hideki Matsui... but Mariano Rivera was the MVP

Nobody is denying Hideki Matsui had a great Game 6 of the World Series. Heck he drove in 6 runs by himself.

His two run homer off of Pedro Martinez got the scoring started... and when the Phillies answered with a run of their own, Matsui got the 2 out 2 run single that made it clear the Yankees weren't getting caught.

I still don't think he was the MVP of the World Series.

It's not a bad choice. Picking Phil Hughes would have been bad.

Matsui batting .615... he homered 3 times... he drove in 8 runs in the 6 game series...

All terrific.

He wasn't the MVP of the World Series.

Not to be harsh, but in a 6 game Series, the MVP should probably start more than half the games. (Not always... Dusty Rhodes should have been the MVP of the 1954 World Series... but I digress)

In this post season, every single closer blew a must win game for their team...
except one.

In this World Series, the mantra for both teams was get into their vulnerable bullpen. As Hughes and Chamberlain became less and less reliable, the Phillies would be licking their chops when Girardi pulled the starter.

EXCEPT for one pitcher.

The Phillies went into the later part of the Series not sure who would even pitch the 9th.

And yet basically their strategy seemed to be "Make sure Mariano Rivera doesn't pitch."

If Rivera pitched, the game was over.

That's kinda sorta a cut and dry definition of a Series MVP.

I said this to my dad last night and he replied "Yeah, but doesn't Rivera already have one?"

The answer is yes. He won the 1999 World Series MVP and the 2003 ALCS MVP.

He deserved those. And he deserved this one.

I'm sure Rivera isn't losing sleep over this and Matsui has been a great Yankee and it is easy to forget that this is his first World Series ring (doesn't it seem like he belongs with the Riveras, Posadas, Jeters and Pettittes as guys who have won a few?)

But when Rivera came out in the 8th, the roar of the crowd was that of people who knew the game (and the World Series title) was theirs.

They were right.

Because Rivera, the most valuable player of the series, was in the game.

Red Sox fans... let Yankee fans have tonight

Seriously.

Don’t try to taunt.

Don’t try to engage Yankee fans.

We have no ammo right now. The Yankees were better this year. This was the Yankee’s year.

Let Yankee fans gloat. I know it will be physically painful but it’s the right thing to do.

Yeah Yankee fans are going to be obnoxious…
Yeah Yankee fans are going to be in our ear from this moment through all next season.

But we weren’t exactly a dream to be around in 2004 and 2007.

Yeah it was fun having won 2 World Series since the last time the Yankees won a playoff series…

But that’s over now.

Don’t bring up payroll. Our payroll is obscene as well and the rest of baseball equates the Red Sox and Yankees anyhow.

Don’t bring up ‘roids. Yeah A-Rod and Pettitte are juicers… but so were Manny and Papi.

The Yankees won it fair and square.

We’ll get them next decade.

(By the way, THIS century… we’re tied.)

It's better like this

I can be wrong.

I can be very wrong.

And I am man enough to admit when I am.

Last off season I begged Curt Schilling, Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux to all retire.

I figured their best years were behind them and they should all try to get into the Hall of Fame at once instead of seeing them struggle on for a few reputation crushing season.

Schilling and Maddux obliged.

Both Tom Glavine and John Smoltz pressed on and were eventually cut. Smoltz may have found a new home in St. Louis but Glavine is in Limbo.

The one I was most certain about was Pedro. He was no longer an elite pitcher. Hell he hadn't been elite since 2005, his first year with the Mets.

He was giving the Mets 5 1/3 innings a start with an ERA in the 5's. He was not able to help down the stretch when the Mets desperately needed a starter.

And nobody would sign him in the off season.

I thought he was toast, and I thought it was a horrible decision to go to Philadelphia.

But I was wrong.

In my scenario, the last game Pedro would have ever pitched was on September 25 last year where he let up a first inning homer to Micah Hoffpauir and let up 5 runs in 6 innings.

In reality? This could be his last game.

And where is it?
New Yankee Stadium?

When is it?
Forget September... this is NOVEMBER baseball.

What's at stake?
The Phillies' defense of their World Championship.

This is wonderful drama worthy of one of the most dramatic showmen in recent baseball history.

If he wins, he sends this World Series into the 7th game and possibly into the history books as a great series.

If he wins, it will be put the whole Grady Little 7th game to bed forever.

If he wins, he will do a better job of slaying his daddy than Oedipus ever did!

And if he loses?

Heck, what a way to go. His finale won't be an obscure game in September but a hail of bullets worthy of Tony Montana's demise.

Either way, it makes for great drama.

You were right Pedro to come back.

It's better like this.

Let's play ball.

Eric Hinske and Don Baylor

Eric Hinske managed to see action this post season, thus making his potential inclusion in a trivia question concrete.

The trivia question that I posted at the beginning of the World Series was "Who is the only living person with a World Series ring as a player for both the Yankees and Red Sox?"

As of this writing, it remains Ramiro Mendoza all by his lonesome (who played in the 1998 and 1999 World Series for the Yankees and played in the 2004 post season with the Red Sox.)

Now Hinske rode the pine in the Minnesota series and was off of the ALCS roster, so I wondered if he didn't PLAY in the postseason for this year's Yankees, should he be included with Mendoza and Johnny Damon should the Yankees win.

The point is moot. He drew a walk last night and scored.

Now I hope he NEVER becomes part of that trivia question because I want the Phillies to somehow pull this one out.

But Hey! Hinske! You are already in the world of trivia... and I am not talking about how you struck out to end the 2008 World Series.

You just played in your third straight World Series with three different teams!

Hinske was a member of the 2007 World Champion Red Sox...
He was on the 2008 AL Champion Rays...
And now the 2009 Yankees.

Only one other person has done that before and it is no dishonor to be mentioned in his company!


Don Baylor, best known as an MVP for the Angels, played in the 1986 World Series for my beloved Red Sox...

Then he played in the 1987 World Series on the winning side with the Twins.

Then he was a pinch hitter and sometimes DH in the 1988 World Series.

Baylor was the emotional leader of the '86 Red Sox, establishing a kangaroo court and turning the clubhouse from a 24 player, 24 cab unit to a team that came within one strike of immortality in New England.

Baylor's contributed big time to the Twins stunning World Series run after being picked up from the Red Sox in August.

His pinch hit in Game 1 of the 1987 ALCS put the Twins up in the 8th and was the Game Winning RBI.

And in Game 6 of the 1987 World Series, with the Twins losing 5-2 in the 5th and facing elimination, Baylor hit a game tying homer off of John Tudor and the Twins would eventually win.

Baylor joined the A's mainly to give them some veteran leadership (along with another former MVP Dave Parker.) He had a disappointing season. He did drive in the final run of the 1988 ALCS that helped sink his former Red Sox teammates. His last appearance in the big leagues was a pinch hitting appearance in Game 2 of the 1988 World Series where he struck out against Orel Hershiser.

For years he was the only person to appear in three straight World Series for three different franchises.

He has company now with Hinske.

Now let's hope Hinske doesn't join Mendoza as well.

Jayson Werth and Vince, the Slap Chop Guy

Separated at birth?

Pondering Gaudin and the Joba effect

When Brad Lidge coughed up the 9th inning last night giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead in the series, I shot an e mail to a Yankee friend of mine.

I said "The Yankees should start Gaudin in Game 5."

The thought process was simple. The Yankees are in command, not the Phillies.

There's no reason to pitch starters on short rest when you have a 3-1 lead. If Chad Gaudin wins, then that's the series.

If Gaudin loses, the Yankees would have a rested and ready Burnett for Game 6 and if necessary, start Sabathia on short rest for Game 7 but have a rested and ready Pettitte to go if needed.

But now Girardi pitched and wasted Burnett on short rest. He managed tonight like it was the seventh and not the fifth game.

Anyone watching this game would have thought the Phillies were up 3-1.

Now the Phillies have Pedro on full rest and a rested relief corps with the off day tomorrow and only 2 innings out of the pen tonight.

Of course there is an elephant in the room.

This is the ripple effect of Joba Chamberlain not developing as a starter.
If he was the ace that he was supposed to be according to all the people who said he was being wasted in the bullpen, then the Yankees would have a 4 man rotation.

Chamberlain would have been able to go in Game 5 and they'd have rested and ready pitchers in the Bronx.

I still think the Yankees are winning this thing... but I am beginning to understand those who want Girardi out.

Stay focused, Phillies fans

Don't spend any time thinking about the blown rallies of Game 2...

Don't think about Cole Hamels melt down and blowing an early 3-0 lead in Game 3...

Forget all about the 9th inning of Game 3 with 2 outs, 2 strikes, nobody on and a tied game... one pitch away from setting up a potentially winning bottom of the 9th.

Seriously, remove those memories from your head.

Pull an Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and just erase it.

It's a 3-2 series.
Game 6 is a must win... if the Phillies win it, then there is a Game 7, which is all the Phillies could hope for:

A chance to win the World Series again.

They have to win 2 games.

Focus.

Good lord baseball is a humbling sport...

12 months ago Brad Lidge was on the bottom of a pile... the perfect year as a closer completed... and clinched a much desired World Series title for Philadelphia.

12 months ago Cole Hamels was the young and handsome ace who won the NLCS and World Series Most Valuable Player.

12 months ago Brad Lidge and Cole Hamels were immortals.

Now Lidge has become a villain again as his 2 out, 2 strike nobody on meltdown cost the Phillies their best chance in sending the series back to the Bronx.

And if there is a bigger villain it is Cole Hamels who has gone from Post Season Ace to bust who pitched timidly to Andy Pettitte and just wants it to end now.

Man, immortality used to last longer than 12 months.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE YANKEES AND OTHER TEAMS

Here's something to think about...

The Yankees are about the win the World Series.

Everyone knows it, I am not jinxing anything.

Now let's take a look at two quick things. Who are the other teams that made the post season in 2009? And who are their closers?


The Cardinals won the NL Central. Their closer is Ryan Franklin. He had a blown save this playoff... albeit aided by Matt Holliday's inability to catch a flyball.

The Rockies won the NL Wild Card. Their closer is Huston Street. He blew a game that had the Rockies won, there would have been a do or die Game 5 against the Phillies.

The Twins won the AL Central. Joe Nathan is their closer. He let up a 9th inning game tying homer to A-Rod in the Division Series.

My Red Sox won the AL Wild Card. The closer is Jonathan Papelbon. And of course he blew a game where the Red Sox were one strike away from extending the series... but the Angels pulled away and won.

Those same Angels won the AL West. Brian Fuentes is their closer. He also let up a game tying homer to A-Rod in Game 2 of the ALCS. Had the Angels won that game, it could have changed the whole tone of the post season.

The Dodgers won the NL West. And Jonathan Broxton is their closer. Broxton was an out away from tying the series at 2 when he let up a back breaking walk off hit to Jimmy Rollins in Game 4 of the NLCS.

The Phillies have Brad Lidge as their closer.... and tonight he didn't blow a save but he might have done worse. He might have sunk the World Series because he couldn't get out of an inning where he had 2 outs, nobody on and 2 strikes on the hitter.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have Mariano Rivera.

And he hasn't blown a save yet this post season.

And the Yankees are on the cusp of winning the World Series in 5 and stampeding through the post season with only 3 losses.

Coincidence?

And some people still claim he is overrated.

Some people are stupid.

I am getting tired of praising him!

Poor Pedro Feliz

Seriously... Pedro Feliz was about to put his name permanently in the lore of Philadelphia sports.

2 out, 2 strike home run off of Joba Chamberlain suddenly tied the game.

Suddenly the game that looked lost seemed winnable.

Suddenly if the Phillies could keep the Yankees off the board and score a run in the 9th... they'd be tied in the series.

Cliff Lee would take the mound with a chance to give the Phillies a 3-2 series lead back to the Bronx!

And yes, we'd have ourselves a great World Series... all swung on the heroics of Pedro Feliz.

It wouldn't have been a game winning shot, just a series turning shot.

Like Jimmy Leyritz's blast in 1996... or Scott Speizio's in 2002.

But noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Lidge does a faceplant and now the outcome of this World Series is merely a formality.

And Feliz is reduced to a mere footnote in this series.

Don't believe me?

Remember in the 2005 World Series... the White Sox had a 2-0 series lead and were about to go up 3-0 in the Series? Then in the 8th inning of Game 3 with 2 outs, Jason Lane, who had already homered that game, laced a clutch game tying double... giving the Astros life.

Remember that?

OF COURSE YOU DON'T REMEMBER THAT!

I didn't remember that, and I am a lunatic who remembers EVERYTHING baseball!

Unless you are in the Lane family, his heroics have completely slipped your mind.

Why? Because the White Sox wound up winning that game! How the Astros tied it is irrelevant.

Sadly, just like Pedro Feliz's homer...

The decade turns to Joe Blanton for salvation

This hasn't been a banner decade for the World Series.

There has only been one great one this decade... the 2001 World Series which was jaw dropping, heart breaking and leap off the couch exciting depending on your opinion of the Yankees.

The 2002 Series was back and forth right down to the 7th game and broke my dad's heart as the Angels (then in Anaheim before their move to Los Angeles of Anaheim) beat the Giants.

And in 2003, the Marlins stunned the Yankees in an exciting 6 game series.

Since then, we haven't had a heart stopping series.

Yeah it was great to see my Red Sox win in 2004 and 2007... but they were sweeps. The outcome wasn't in doubt?

Yeah each game in 2005 was competitive and 3 of them were truly wonderful... but again it was a sweep.

The only thing merciful about the 2006 World Series was that it was over quickly.

Last year the Rays and Phillies fought hard, but again, it never went back to the original host city.

So that means the last 5 World Series were all but decided after 4 games.

Now CC Sabathia, who has been awesome in the post season and didn't pitch badly in Game 1 is throwing against Joe Blanton, whose ERA against the Yankees has an area code.

Blanton and the Phillies have to come up big, somehow hit Sabathia and shut down the Yankees bats, otherwise the decade will conclude with 5 straight World Series that failed to have that "man this is coming down to the wire moment."

Come on Joe!

I know the odds are long, but what were the odds that you'd homer in last year's World Series?

I hope there is no more scoring in the Lions/Rams game

As of this writing, the Rams and the Lions are playing in Detroit and the score in 3-2 St. Louis.

PLEASE have that be the final score!
That's a solid pitching match up!

It's hard to think of a better final score in a football game than 3-2.

(Maybe 4-2)

Sully Baseball salutes FOUR FRIEND'S ALL TIME ALL STAR TEAMS

There is a terrific new blog out there that has come to my attention.

It is Four Friends All Time All Star Teams.

They are creating the best roster of players and splitting them between Pre 1950 and Post 1950.

I love that as a breaking point, if for no other reason than you take the pre integration teams and post integration teams and compare them amongst their proper era.

He's doing all of the teams and so far I've loved reading about the Red Sox and Tigers rosters.

It is going to become a destination site for me and it looks like a great write up for players that don't always get praised in the blog world.

You see a lot of blogs honor Charlie Berry these days?

It is kind of similar to my Home Grown versus Acquired Series from last off season.

There are some differences. Of course I broke them up based on how they joined the team rather than eras. Also I had no time limits. You played half a season with the team? That's enough for me!

I can't imagine writing about the Red Sox and not bringing up Dave Roberts or Dave Henderson.

I can't imagine writing about the Padres without bringing up Kevin Brown or the Twins without Jack Morris.

But Four Friends have a 5 year minimum... and that means a lot of different players in his series than mine!

And it means that I am going to be looking forward to each new entry.

So check it out.

I love the internet and finding the other lunatics out there!

I wish Cole Hamels went as 2008 Cole Hamels for Halloween

For 3 innings it looked so great, didn't it?

Phillies up 3-0.

Hamels pitching well.

The Phillies would be up 2-1.

And if you assume the Yankees would win behind Sabathia in Game 4 and the Phillies would win behind Lee in Game 5... then you would have the Phillies up 3-2 going back to the Bronx... and the chance for the most exciting series since 2001.

And then.... ugh.

And here's my other pet peeve: The tack on runs.

I knew when A-Rod was hit with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the 7th that the game was over. Werth had homered the inning before and the Phillies might have thoughts of a comeback in their heads.

Then A-Rod was hit and I thought "The Yankees are going to score."

And they did.

Think about that run... and the solo shots by Swisher and Matsui... A World Series winner shouldn't let a team pull away like that.

Well here we sit. Joe Blanton vs. CC Sabathia. Gee whiz, I wonder who is going to win THAT match up!

A friend of mine wrote "You never know what will happen in October."

I agree. Too bad it is now November?

Halloween

For the second time in history baseball is being played on Halloween.

The first time, Tino Martinez hit a 2 out 2 run game tying homer in the bottom of the 9th and Derek Jeter hit a walk off shot... both off of Byung-Hyun Kim in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series.

That World Series was played on October 31st because September 11th delayed the playoffs by 10 days.

This World Series is delayed so Fox can promote Lie to Me.

Tomorrow night's game is, dare I say it, a must win for the Phillies.

Yeah I know the Phillies did what they needed to do to take home field advanage away from the Yankees.

But suddenly the Phillies find themselves in a tricky spot.

Cole Hamels is on the mound. Remember him? The dud who won the NLCS and World Series MVP last year?

A TV producer I know who will remain nameless is a big Phillies fan. He said the Phils should start J. A. Happ over Hamels.

I asked "You'd put Hamels in the bullpen?"

And he replied... and I quote... "F*ck him! Might help him grow up!"
(Asterix was added by me.)

So Hamels is a year has fallen from post season ace to an F bomb.

If Hamels earns that F bomb tomorrow and the Phillies fall 2-1, then Sabathia will take the mound in Game 4 and make a 3-1 hole very real.

So win this game Hamels. Show the same resolve and fight that Laurie Strode had in that closet.

Get the coat hanger and jab it in the Yankees eye!

If you don't stop them... the Yankees will keep coming back to you and even Dr. Loomis won't be able to save you now!