10/20 MLB Tonight – What I’m Looking For

There are a couple of story lines I’m looking at going into this game 4 of the ALCS.

In the playoffs, it always starts on the hill, and there are a couple of aces going at it tonight.  CC Sabathia on three days rest is better than most pitchers on four days rest.  My gut tells me it’s not a big deal because of his track record on three days rest, with a horse like CC, but the numbers overwhelmingly suggest that a pitcher on three days rest just doesn’t perform as up to the level of a pitcher on normal rest.  There is a tendency to feel good with your ace going, but looking to the numbers reveals a different story.

This game is a huge swing game in the series.  A Yankees win could very well catapult them into the World Series.  A loss shifts the tide to the Angels advantage.  Now they’re looking at an even series with their ace starting at home.  

A Yankee loss will also reveal a small weak spot in the Yankees armor, and that is their starting pitching depth.  Behind CC, A.J., and Andy, there is not a lot of confidence in the rest of the rotation.

On the flip side, the Angels need Scott Kazmir to keep his pitch count down.  If he can pitch them into the 6th or even the 7th, he’ll put the Angels in a good position.  

Kazmir has given the Angels a bit of a boost down the stretch, bouncing back from a rough start to the season with the Rays.  Working with his former pitching coach Mike Butcher has helped him, and after a so-so outing in the division series, he needs to show his toughness.

Turning to the Angels hitters, we saw how pivotal role players like Kendrick, Aybar, and Mathis can be, but there is no doubt that getting Vladdy hot is crucial.

Vladdy’s home run was a huge knock for him and the Angels.  Not only did it change the game, it turned the series around.  The HR was the result of a great at-bat.  He fought off some tough pitches and put a good swing on a good pitch.  

When a player like that gets his confidence back, watch out, it can really get him going on a tear.  Even though he’s 0-2 tonight, he had a quality at bat and put good swings on the ball.

Fight on. – Aaron Boone.

10/19 MLB Tonight – Hart of the Matter

hart.jpgALCS Game 3.  We’re into the 8th and we’ve got another game today.

Andy Pettitte has gone out there and just been teaching a lesson about pitching   He’s not dominating with the power stuff which seems to always dominate in the playoffs; he’s dominating by showing his mastery of every facet of pitching.  He’s using a 4-pitch mix to perfection by locating on both sides of the plate, staying ahead, and changing speeds.  

But as the game gets later, getting a good hitting team out 3 times around the order takes near perfection when you don’t have that power stuff.

Mike Scioscia knows this and got Weaver out of there, even though he wanted to stay in.  Darren Oliver has kept the Angels in the game with a chance to come back.

In the 6th, 3rd time around, Pettitte faced Guerrero, the one guy he had to get out.  He didn’t get the pitch in enough, and now we’ve got a ballgame! – John Hart

10/16 Path To The Pennant – The Left Wing

Plesac.jpgThis is a huge game for the Dodgers who can’t leave home 0-2, going into Philly.  Last night Kershaw got off to a great start, but fell apart in the 5th.   The Phillies bullpen bent, but didn’t break, and now the Dodgers are in a must win situation.

The Pedro and Padilla match-up is an interesting one.  Pedro hasn’t thrown in a while, but gets better the bigger the situation.  With the game one win, they are playing with house money, and after a 2 quick innings, Pedro is looking sharp.

With Padilla, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get.  I played with him in Arizona and Philadelphia, so I’ve seen his stuff first hand, and it can be tremendous.  It’s just a matter of which Padilla is going to show up today.  After 2, he is throwing hard, and looking tough.

Going into this series I thought the Dodgers had an advantage, but after sitting down and really watching the game last night, it’s going to be tough for any team to knock off the Phillies.  The Dodgers bullpen is superior, but the Phillies have better starters, and a better group of position players.  They are a battle tested team, playing with hunger and confidence. 

Looks like the Dodgers have their hands full. – Dan Plesac

10/15 MLB Tonight – NLCS Preview

vasgersian.jpgI love these match-ups that have some meat on the bone.  There’s a lot of history woven between these Phillies and Dodgers teams about to duke it out, but it’s not all recent.  It goes back to consecutive playoff meetings in the 70’s, when the Dodgers got the better of those Phillies. 

But what’s really cool about this NLCS match-up, is all the former Dodgers who are now Phillies and vice-versa. Shane Victorino was original Dodger property, picked up in the Rule 5 Draft by the Phillies.  Jayson Werth spent 2 beat up, injury-plagued years in L.A.  They gave up on him, and now he has turned into a terrific player for the Phillies.

In our game 2 match-up, Pedro and Padilla are another example of players flip-flopping. It’s easy to drift back to seeing Pedro as the unknown flame-throwing brother of Ramon, and the Padilla Flotilla in full force out in the stands of Veterans Stadium. 

Some of the coaches who have switched sides have had huge impacts on their team’s success.  Davey Lopes was vital to the Dodgers’ success in the 70’s, leading the league in stolen bases twice.  Now, his journey through baseball has taken him to the Phillies, where he has really helped their powerful base-running game evolve.  He’s shared the intuition and discipline which defined him as a player with the Phillies, and they have really taken off with it.

On the Dodgers, Larry Bowa is not a warm and fuzzy man, but that attitude has brought him success as a player, manager, and now a coach.  Like Davey, he’s the textbook, old-school coach, who knows how to get the most out of his players.  His influence is most evident in Matt Kemp, who has always been gifted with exceptional athletic ability but limited baseball knowledge. Bowa’s teachings have rubbed off on him and now we see what kind of baseball skills he’s able to possess.

I hope the series goes 7 games, and I don’t have any predictions for who will come out on top, but I do predict that this series will be more about the role players than the superstars who have dominated in the past.

For the Dodgers, we are seeing a young class of players emerging into top-of the-line players.  It’s no longer the “Manny Ramirez Show,” staring a superhuman, dreadlocked, goofball, waving a magic RBI bat.  Since the All-Star break, he’s been just a guy, not the superhero character people have made him out to be.  That magic has now jumped to Kershaw, Kemp, Ethier, and Broxton, who now carry this Dodgers team.  Manny’s not going to be the same factor and the Dodgers are stronger because they have a better supporting cast behind him. 

For the Phillies, we know what their stars bring to the table, but guys like Happ, Ruiz, and Werth are going to be the key to the Phillies’ success.  They need those supporting players to give them a lift into another World Series. – Matt Vasgersian

10/14 MLB Tonight – Thing’s Things

williams.jpgOn the eve of the Championship Series, I’m going to throw my predictions out there.

The Yankees need to keep the top of the Angles order off the bases, or guys like Figgins, Abreu, and Hunter will steal them blind.  This is the key to the series because it will affect how the hitters hit, and how the pitchers pitch.  Speed will prevail, and I’m taking the Angels in 6 games.

For the Phillies to be successful, Cole Hamels needs to show he’s a semblance of the guy he was last October.  Brad Lidge has his confidence back, and that’s going to be huge for him going forward.  The mashers on offense are always there, and I’m taking the Phillies, also in 6 games.

For all the players out there still competing, it’s no secret that they’re tired. All the arms out there are basically running on adrenaline, so pitchers really need to make the best pitches they can with what they have left. – Mitch Williams

10/13 MLB Tonight – Pena’s Perspective

If you look at the teams left in the playoffs, there is one striking similarity in each of them.

They all have an amazing amount of talent to have reached this point, but there is one intangible quality that they all share within the clubhouse.

Each clubhouse is a loose environment, filled with fun and good energy, which ultimately brings out the best from each of their players.  When you’re playing relaxed, you enjoy the game and the talent ends up expressing itself with big hits and big wins.  

The Yankees have always traditionally been a business-like, winning oriented team, but this season they are having a blast.  A.J. Burnett is a light hearted kid, but is as intense as a bull on the mound.  He understands how to have a good time, but is responsible and accountable for his performance.

Nick Swisher is another guy in this mold.  It doesn’t matter how many HR’s he hits, his personality makes the team perform better.  

Torii Hunter’s energy is contagious.  He is the same guy in Anaheim that he was in Minnesota, and winning teams have followed him.  He has fun but plays the game as hard as anyone out there, which rubs off on his teammates.

I’ve played winter ball with James Loney and Matt Kemp, and they love playing the game.  They’ve always had this young positive energy, but now that they have learned more responsibility, their play has taken off.  

It’s also no coincidence that they blossomed with the arrival of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez, two guys who know a thing or two about winning.  Loney and Kemp are now the leaders of a Dodgers team playing loose and having fun playing October ball.
 
Joe Maddon runs our team in the same way.  I always feel like I can be myself and have fun out there.  I’m like a kid out there playing this game, because of the atmosphere Joe creates.  He understands how to make people responsible and accountable for their actions, which results in a fun winning atmosphere.

Playing in a positive atmosphere enhances all aspects of the game on and off the field.  In the playoffs the stakes are high, and to go out there with a bunch of guys that have fun playing the game, can be the difference between winning it all and going home in 2nd place.- Carlos Pena
 

10/12 MLB Tonight – The Mayor’s Office

scasey.jpgTonight after the Rockies and Phillies game, we’re going to have a lot to talk about.

I want to see how Cliff Lee is going to pitch tonight in his first start in Coors Field.  What’s his game plan going to be? Will he have the same movement on his pitches?  How will he react to the cold conditions?  The key for him tonight might just be the adjustments he makes if his stuff isn’t as sharp in the thin Denver air.

Having played at Coors Field, I can tell you it’s is a great place to hit.  The ball comes clearly out of the backdrop and the outfield is a big spacious place to drop a base hit into.  But tonight, the cold will be on the hitters’ minds.  With Ubaldo throwing in the upper 90’s, and Cliff spotting his fastball, it’s going to be difficult for the hitters to square the ball up.   I mean, you take one on the hands and you’ll have a constant reminder to make sure to square the ball up the next time because your thumbs will be ringing the rest of the game.

For the Rockies I’m looking at their line-up adjustments.  Can Carlos Gonzalez stay on his hot-hitting tear, and will Dexter Fowler moving up in the line-up make an impact?  They have been on base 3 times already; let’s see if they can keep it up.  Also let’s see what Seth Smith can add to the offense.

After being in the booth for a lot of Red Sox games this season I must say the sweep really shocked me.  I have to question Terry Francona’s decision to intentionally walk Torii Hunter to load the bases in the 9th to bring up Vladimir Guerrero.  But after playing for Tito, I know how big he is on match-ups and Torii Hunter hits well against Papelbon.

Even though Vlad has not had success in the playoffs, he is one of the greatest players of our generation.  In that situation, Jonathan Papelbon needed strikes and had to come right at Vlad, but that’s just playing right into his hands. You can’t just reach back and throw fastballs to a free swinging, first-ball fastball hitter as dangerous as Vlad. Pap needed to get strike one but that pitch to Vlad ended up being his last of the season.

Thanks for joining me in the Mayor’s Office. – Sean Casey

10/9 MLB Tonight – ALDS Previews

Plesac.jpgWe have plenty to talk about on today’s show.  Both AL series will be played tonight so we’ll break those down as well as look back to yesterday’s games with the big story taking place at Dodger Stadium.

It’s going to be very tough now for the Cardinals to come back and beat the Dodgers being down 0-2 and losing both of the games Carpenter and Wainwright pitched.  It should be 1-1 and then you’d like the Cardinals chances of possibly winning this series.  If they don’t come back and win it’s going to be a long off-season for Matt Holliday.  There are a few reasons as to why he didn’t catch that ball yesterday.  It could have been the white towels, the lights or the time of day, but when he didn’t make the catch it started to unravel for St. Louis and they may not be able to recover.

Yankees-Twins will be interesting to watch tonight.  Joe Girardi has given A.J. Burnett his wish as Jose Molina will be his catcher.  Will this work for Girardi or backfire?  It’s important to make your pitcher comfortable so I think he’s making the right decision here.  We’ll find out. 

After Yankees-Twins tonight we’ll have Angels-Red Sox as LA looks to go up 2-0.  The Angels haven’t been able to beat the Red Sox in the postseason in recent years, but this may be the year they get it done.  They’re as healthy as they’ve ever been, while the Red Sox are not.  We’ll have to see which Josh Beckett shows up tonight.

We’re on at 5 tonight and then we’ll be on after both game so make sure you tune into MLB Nework all postseason.-Dan Plesac

 

10/8 MLB Tonight – Red Sox-Angels Preview

KEVIN MILLAR.jpgWe’re going to talk today about the only series that’s not underway yet and that’s Red Sox-Angels. There’s a lot of history between these clubs in recent years.  This is their 4th postseason meeting since 2004 with the Red Sox winning the previous 3 times.  Who will win this series? I’ll let you know by the end of this blog.

I think this is the best chance for the Angels to finally beat the Red Sox.  Torii Hunter is in his 2nd year with the Angels and he is clearly now the leader of this team.  He’s been a great signing by the Angels.  You throw in the additions of Bobby Abreu and Scott Kazmir who were not part of any of the previous losses to the Red Sox and they may be able to win this series.

The pitching and hitting is pretty even.  Both clubs have a balanced attack.  However, I think this series is going to come down to the bullpens and I have to give the edge to the Red Sox.  They can throw Bard, Okajima, Wagner, and Papelbon.  That’s tough and makes a lot of these games 6 inning affairs for the Boston starters. 

As I said earlier I think this is the best chance the Angels have to beat the Red Sox in the playoffs and I think this series will go 5 games, but in the end I think the Red Sox will find a way to advance once again.-Kevin Millar

 

10/7 MLB Tonight – The Hot Corner with Hazel Mae

mae.jpgHere’s what’s HOT……Quick Pitch and the Twins.

For those of you wondering where Quick Pitch has been. It’s back and better than ever just in time for the postseason.

Quick Pitch will be perfect for those who can’t catch every game live because we are going to condense each game down to around 12 minutes.  You’ll be able to experience the game without missing any key plays, blended with the TBS and radio announcers calls directly from the game.  Also included will be postgame reaction from the players, coaches, and our very own expert analysts.
It’s going to be the full highlight experience so sit back and enjoy!  Make sure you tune in after MLB Tonight to the postseason edition of Quick Pitch.

All of the Division Series matchup’s are intriguing, but I’m really looking forward to the Yankees-Twins series.  It looked bad for this Twins team as they were 7 games back in early September with Justin Morneau done for the season, but Joe Mauer and a group of role players exploded in September going 17-4.

This is what the Twins have done the last 20 years. They scratched and clawed their way to another AL Central crown.  

Since Justin Morneau went down those role players stepped up big time.  Position by position guys like Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Delmon Young, Nick Punto, and the self-proclaimed good luck charm Orlando Cabrera finished the season with a bang.

The Twins have had some bad breaks in the Bronx this season, but you can’t count them out after the heart they’ve shown down the stretch.  We all know what to expect from the juggernaut Yankees, but let’s see what this Twins team has left in the tank in 2009.

Can you feel it?  I can.  The playoffs are heating up! – Hazel Mae