Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - July 29, 2013

Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, we look at the last place defending World Champion San Francisco Giants.

So many things that broke well in 2010 and 2012 are breaking the other way this year, such is the pendulum that is baseball.

Jose Fernandez, David Ortiz, Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Heyward all owned baseball on July 28, 2013.


To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - July 29, 2013


    

One swing away from immortality - My latest for The Hardball Times

My latest article for The Hardball Times is more schadenfreude from your pal Sully. ach of these batters had the chance to clinch a post season series with one swing of the bat. And each of these teams would lose that post season series.

I can't help but think that each of these players cringe when they think of the opportunity that came and went with each of these at bats.

You can read the article HERE.

HEY RED SOX FANS FROM THE 1980s

I know we've won 2 World Series titles recently...
But doesn't Hendu's homer still hold a special place in your heart?
Wasn't that still the first time you allowed yourself to believe the Red Sox could win it?

I still get goosebumps watching this.

(Try to watch it only once... you won't be able to!)

Angel fans... enjoy the Scioscia era

When Joe Torre brought his Hall of Fame resume to the Dodgers, people were expecting him to bring his professional style of championship baseball to Los Angeles.

The strange thing is that style was already in Los Angeles.
Well… maybe not quite Los Angeles, but in Los Angeles of Anaheim.

(Please just go back to calling them the California Angels!!!)

Don’t laugh but Mike Scioscia is quietly putting together a case Cooperstown already. He’s not there yet, but assuming he won’t blow a 15 1/2 game lead in 37 games… his first 9 years will include at least one World Series title plus 4 more division titles.

Not a bad start.

And when you look at the team, they are built very similarly to the Joe Torre Yankees.
The Torre Yankees had a home grown core (Jeter, Rivera, Bernie, Posada, Pettite) and the 2002 Angels were almost entirely the product of its farm system.

Both teams had good but not great starting pitching, a solid bullpen, and had a lights out closer who earned a World Series ring first as a devastating set up man. (Rivera for Wetteland, Rodriguez for Percival.)

And both had a manager who were All Star catchers in the National League who brought a National League style of play to the AL.

And at this writing, you would have to consider the Angels to be the favorite to win the AL Pennant.

I hope you Angel fans appreciate it. Yeah Arte Moreno opens his wallet up and brings in the Vlad Guerreros and Torii Hunters of the world.

But he plays the free agent market correctly… the core of the team is in place. He isn’t hoping to save the team with wild spending (see Tom Hicks and Alex Rodriguez.)

So here we are… it’s August 21, 2008 and Scioscia can basically line up his playoff rotation. There’s more than a month to play and the Angels will be rested, ready and dangerous.

And Mike Scioscia will have the Angels ready to make their claim for “Team of the Decade.”

Keep in mind before he became manager the Angels had won a grand total of zero post season series and were best known for a few monumental October face plants (1982, 1986 and 1995.)

So, Angels fans… and I have met a few of you… let me ask you:

Are you appreciating it?

Hey Big A Baseball, have the memories of Donnie Moore and the charging 1995 Mariners all gone away?

How about you Gilbert Quinonez? Do you realize that the Angels finally have the edge of “best manager in town?”

Let me ask you, Rally Monkey. Do you just love Arte Moreno for making the Angels players for every big name out there?

Halos Heaven, you better not be jaded.

Hey Angels Win, who would you rather beat up this October? The Red Sox or the Dodgers? I guess why not both.

And finally, Anaheim Angels All The Way… do you call them the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or do you just call them the California Angels.

Either way, you’ve got some time to kill…
The playoffs are a given now… another typical Scioscia year.

Robbed of a post season MVP Part 1 - ALCS

There is no greater title in baseball than being a hero in the post season.
It can define your career and your legacy.

Some players never had the back of a baseball card that would catch your eye but they came up big in October and became the team's biggest hero.

Johnny Podres for the 1955 Dodgers, Gene Tenace for the 1972 A's, Bucky F---ing Dent for the 1978 Yankees etc.

But for every team that came back for an unlikely win and for every MVP crowned as an October immortal, there is another team that lost... and some poor guy gave the performance of their life but missed the chance to be their city's God.

We here at Sully Baseball want to give them their due.
Here are the players that would have won a post season MVP award if their team didn't wet the bed.

So before I start listing, let's set down the parameters:

First of all I am only including series when they actually handed out MVPs.

World Series MVPs were first awarded in 1955...
The NLCS didn't hand out MVPs until 1977
And for some reason the ALCS didn't see fit to award an MVP until 1980


1985
Royals defeat Blue Jays 4-3

Robbed MVP: TONY FERNANDEZ
Batted .333 including sparking a come from behind rally in game 2.

How close were the Blue Jays from winning?

Up 3 games to 1 but losing 2-0 in game 5, the Blue Jays loaded the bases
against Danny Jackson but failed to score. Jackson throws a complete game
shutout.

Trailing by 2 runs in game 6, the Jays put two runners on in the 7th and
9th but can not score.

Who was the goat?

Dave Steib lost his control in the 6th inning of game 7. A pair of walks
and a hit batter set up a bases clearing triple by Jim Sundberg that put
the game away.

Actual MVP: George Brett


1986
Red Sox defeat Angels, 4-3

Robbed MVP: MIKE WITT
Threw complete game win in game 1 and pitched 8 2/3 solid innings in game 5.

How close were the Angels from winning?

Angels lead the series 3-1 and had a 5-2 lead going into the 9th inning.
After Baylor homered to make it a 5-4 lead, manager Gene Mauch panicked
and removed dominating Mike Witt for Gary Lucas who hit the only batter he
faced. Then 1 strike from the pennant, Donnie Moore let up Dave
Henderson’s 2 run homer.

The Angels tied the game in the 9th and had the pennant winning run on
third with 1 out. Seldom used Red Sox reliever Steve Crawford got the next
batters out without letting up a run, then shut down in the 10th, working
around a walk.

Down 1, needing 2 to win the pennant, the Angels went down in order in the
12th.

The Angels took a 2-0 first inning lead in game 6, but were outscored 18-3
the rest of the series.

Who was the goat?

Donnie Moore is the obvious goat for letting up the Henderson homer and
then losing it in the 11th inning sac fly, again to Henderson.

Gene Mauch deserves a lot grief for removing Mike Witt in the fateful 9th
inning.

Actual MVP: Marty Barrett


1992

Blue Jays defeat A’s, 4-2

Robbed MVP: DAVE STEWART
Pitched into the 8th inning of game 1 and threw a complete game victory in
a potential elimination game 5.

How close were the A’s from winning?

Never close to winning, but seemed ready to tie the series at 2 with the
unbeatable Stewart ready for game 5. The A’s bombed Jack Morris and took a
5-1 3rd inning lead in game 4. The Blue Jays rallied off of Bob Welch but
Dennis Eckersley struck out Ed Sprague to end the 8th.

In the 9th, Robbie Alomar homered off of Eckersley to tie the game.
In the bottom of the 9th, the A’s got the winning run to third but
couldn’t score pinch runner Eric Fox.

The Blue Jays took the lead in the 11th and Tom Henke got Mark McGwire to
fly out with the tying run on first.

Who was the goat?
Dennis Eckersley did his finger pointing fist pumping an inning too early.
The A’s seemed ready to stampede to the World Series, but the Alomar home
run was a stunning blow that KOed the A’s championship run.


1997

Indians defeat Orioles 4-2

Robbed MVP: MIKE MUSSINA

No record but struck out 25 batters in 15 innings including a 15 strikeout
in 7 inning performance in game 4.

How close were the Orioles from winning?

Never played a clinching game, but all 4 losses were 1 run losses with two
in extra innings.

In game 6, with Mike Mussina throwing a 1 hit, 10 K 8 inning masterpiece
to try and force a game 7, the Orioles strand runners in 10 of the 11
innings. The Indians clinch the pennant in the top of the 11th on Tony
Fernandez’s home run.

Who was the goat?
Pick an Orioles hitter… but Robbie Alomar was frozen on a series clinching
called third strike.

Actual MVP: Marquis Grissom


2003

Yankees defeat Red Sox 4-3

Robbed MVP: TIM WAKEFIELD
Threw key wins for the Red Sox in games 1 and 4.

How close were the Red Sox from winning?

The Red Sox led game 7 in Yankee Stadium 5-2 going into the 8th inning.
Pedro Martinez, who usually tired after 7 innings, got the first batter
out but Trot Nixon misjudged Jeter’s drive to the wall.

The Yankees rallied with a series of two strike hits, climaxing in
Posada’s game tying double to center.

The Red Sox got runners in scoring position in the 9th and 10th but
couldn’t score off of Mariano Rivera. Wakefield then served up Aaron
Boone’s clinching home run, but the series should never have gotten that
far.

Who was the goat?
Grady Little who refused to use the relievers Williamson, Embree and
Timlin (who baffled the Yankees all series) when the Red Sox were 5 outs
from a startling pennant.

Actual MVP: Mariano Rivera


2004

Red Sox defeat Yankees 4-3

Robbed MVP: HIDEKI MATSUI
Batted .412 with 2 homers and 10 RBI… but that doesn’t even tell the whole
story. Had the series ended after 4 games, Matsui would have batted .550.

How closer were the Yankees from winning?

They were winning in the 9th with Rivera on the mound and a 3 games to 0
series lead. That’s pretty close!

They had base runners in the 10th, 11th and 12th of game 4… and couldn’t
score.

The Yankees had a 2 run lead in the 8th of game 5…
And then left runners in scoring position in the 9th, 12th and 13th innings.

Finally the Yankees had the pennant winning run at the plate when Keith
Foulke struck out Tony Clark to tie the series at 3-3

Who was the goat?
There were plenty of horns to go around. Kevin Brown lasted less than 2
innings of the game 7 show down, Mariano Rivera blew the save in game 4
and the bats went dead.

But Alex Rodriguez who didn’t drive in a run after the third inning of
game 4 and slapped the ball from Bronson Arroyo’s glove during a critical
rally was the goat everyone remembers.

Actual MVP: David Ortiz



2007

Red Sox defeat Indians 4-3

Robbed MVP: JHONNY PERALTA
Homered twice and got several big hits as the Indians ran up a 3-1 lead.

How close were the Indians to winning?

Down by 1 in the 7th inning in game 7, Kenny Lofton reached second on Julio Lugo's error and Franklin Guitierrez seemed to have tied the game with a 1 out single. Third base coach Joel Skinner inexplicably held Lofton at third base even though Manny Ramirez hadn't even touched the ball when Lofton rounded third. Casey Blake hit into an inning ending double play.

Down by 3 in the 8th inning, the Indians put the first two on with nobody out. With the tying run at the plate in the form of the heart of the lineup, Papelbon struck out Hafner, got Martinez to ground out and was driven to the wall by Garko to end the inning. The Red Sox scored six times in the 8th to put the game away.

Who was the goat?

The Indians coaching staff. Joel Skinner holding up Kenny Lofton at third killed the Indians momentum. Meanwhile manager Eric Wedge let Rafael Betancourt let up TWO late inning run scoring extra base hits to Dustin Pedroia. How was he still in the game after the first one?

Actual MVP: Josh Beckett


So there you have the AL.
Never up… poor bastards from the NLCS

Stay calm... there is no need to panic

Seriously... everyone chill.

Yeah we're down 3-1.
We need to win 3 in a row or we're DEAD!

Where have I heard this before with the Red Sox?

Oh yeah... 1986.
Down 3-1 to the Angels. What happened?
Dave Henderson's homer happened... and suddenly the Red Sox were on fire and the Angels were a mess. Sox win the pennant and go on to unspeakable misery in the World Series against New York.

What about 1999?
Down 2-0 in the best of 5 series. Pedro is hurt. Nomar has to sit out. The team is dead... then Valentin homers in a 6 run 7th inning and the Sox win game 3. Then the Sox scored 23 runs (23!) in game 4... and then the final game 5 was an out of control slugfest until Pedro Martinez came back, threw 6 no hit innings and Troy O'Leary of all people hit two homers driving in 7.

Sox win... and lose the ALCS to New York.

How about 2003?
Down 0-2 and during my wedding... Trot Nixon homers in extra innings to give the Sox a game 3 win. Big Papi has his first Big Papi moment against then A's pitcher Keith Foulke and wins game 4... and then the Sox win a wild game 5 in one of the most underratred do or die games in the Wild Card era.

Sox win... and lose the ALCS to New York.

And you know 2004.
Down 3-0 and Rivera on the mound the Red Sox put on a surreal comeback complete with stolen bases, Rivera blown saves, Papi's walk off homers and walk off bloop singles, ground rule doubles that prevent runs, Wakefield's knuckler, Schilling's sock, A-Rod's slap, Bellhorn's newly found power, Lowe's newly found dominance and Damon saving the best for last.

Sox win... and with no New York teams left, win the World Series.

And now 2007.
Beckett pitching.

Are you seriously telling me that all good sports karma is in CLEVELAND now?

One win at a time... we've been here done that!

In honor of Marty Barrett

...who won the MVP of the 1986 ALCS

... who hit .433 in the 1986 World Series and would have won the MVP if the Sox got that last out

... who ironically made the last of the World Series, but we don't hold that against him

...who I didn't like at first because he replaced Jerry Remy at second base, but it's safe to say he quickly became one of my favorite Red Sox from the mid 80s

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 17!

In honor of Tony Armas...

...one of the few Latin Red Sox stars during the 1980s (thanks Yawkey legacy!)

... a classic right handed slugger who led the AL with 43 homers in 1984

... who got hurt during the 1986 playoffs, allowing Dave Henderson to take over in more ways than one

...and whose son was a Red Sox prospect who was shipped to Montreal as part of the package to pick up Pedro Martinez

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 20!