Tagged: World Series
11/5 MLB Tonight – World Series Wrap-up
Just as the ’96 Championship launched a Yankee Dynasty, it’s a good time to speculate if yesterday’s win will start a new Dynasty run.
We won’t know for a few years, but looking at the Club there are good arguments for each side.
With a new core of talent including Teixeira, C.C., Burnett, and the Captain Jeter, you can argue that this crop is going to stay on top. Unlike the group brought in after the 2000 Championship, this group got the job done with no delay.
You can also argue that this Club just clicked at the right time, laving a lot of issues to work out this offseason.
With all the things they have going for them, they also have a lot of problems on the horizon.
Will they resign key free agents heading towards the twilight of their careers? Johnny Damon and World Series MVP Hideki Matsui brought the World Series home, but can you maintain a dynasty with your heart instead of your head?
There is a 37-year old Andy Pettitte and a senior Jorge Posada, who still has to play the most demanding position on the field.
Rivera is a year older, and then there is the question of Joba’s role next season.
It’s safe to say that the Yankees have the money to bring in the high priced talent, but with an 8-year drought because of chasing the wrong players, will they have what it takes to bring in the right type of guy.
This year they got it right.
Being at the new ballpark, the atmosphere in the postseason was different from past years.
The feeling at the ballpark is just not the same. I can’t say if it’s all the empty seats, or that it’s quieter; it doesn’t have a pulse like the old Stadium.
Al Leiter made a good point, and said, “It hasn’t found its identity yet.” With one season down, and a championship won, we’ll see if there is a new identity in the Bronx. Just as it’s unfair to compare teams of different vintage, it is unfair to compare Stadiums form different eras.
A day after the season it’s a little ridiculous to start making predictions, but here’s what I think. I didn’t have a voice on the show tonight, so I’m going to let it out here.
Look for the Giants to have a big 2010, get some offense and make the playoffs. I always like to pick a Cinderella team, but I’m not going to make the same mistake by picking the Reds. I’d love to be able to say with conviction…The Padres will turn it around in 2010. – Matt Vasgersian
11/4 MLB Tonight – The Leiter Side
We’ve got Game 6 in a few hours, and the key has got to be Andy Pettitte. His success will predicate on his ability to get ahead, and get easy outs on the Phillies hitters.
Cruising early will build his confidence up, while knocking down the Phillies confidence. He’s always been a pitcher who can identify and exploit a hitter’s weakness on the mound, using his slider, cutter, and curve arsenal. Not being at full strength, he’ll need his command of those pitches to be on point.
By attacking the cold hitters, and making good pitches to the hot hitters, he’ll be able to get through the early innings quickly, and stay sharp. On only three days rest, getting off to a good start is essential to his success.
But, if he gets behind the eight ball and has to labor early, it’s going to be trouble. It’s so vital to his success because he needs to be confident out on the mound. With the Phillies facing elimination, every inning he shuts them down will put more and more pressure on the hitters, especially those who are already pressing.
So it’s down to this, Pettitte and Pedro, Game 6, Yankee Stadium.
Our stage is set; is today going to be the last day of summer, or will we travel to one of the greatest destinations in sports, World Series, Game 7, Yankee Stadium? – Al Leiter
11/3 MLB Tonight – The Left Wing
The Phillies have had bullpen issues all season long, so it’s no surprise that going into Game 6, it’s still a danger zone.
Both pitching staffs are thin, but the Yankees have a clear advantage with Marte, Joba, and Rivera closing out games. For the Phillies, it’s not as easy as 1-2-3; it’s more like who in the pen can hold a 1, 2, or 3-run lead.
Going into Game 6, having the messy Phillies pen facing a confident comeback team like the Yankees is a bad situation. But this is nothing new, and the Phillies have made it this far without a lock-down closer to finish off wins.
Charlie Manuel was confident in Brad Lidge before his Game 4 meltdown, and now it seems like Ryan Madson is the guy to step in and put out the fires. We saw last night when Lee ran out of gas who can be relied on. Chan Ho Park did what he had to do, and Madson got the Phillies to a Game 6.
Cliff Lee has been more than what the Phillies hoped for when they traded for him. His consistency has boosted the Phillies entire pitching staff this season.
For the Phillies to get to Game 7, they will have to win around their bullpen. I’m confident in Pedro rising to the big occasion in this tough spot. The Phillies need him to pitch well into the 7th to stay away from the mess in their bullpen. Facing Andy Pettitte on 3-days rest, the Phillies offense should be able to generate a nice cushion for the bullpen to hold in the late innings.
If the offense can provide a safe lead, let’s say 3 runs or more, they can avoid the dreaded situation of having to close out a close game with the back end of that bullpen. -Dan Plesac
10/29 MLB Tonight – World Series Parallel
In 1975 I watched the entire T.V. broadcast of Game 2 of the World Series, and it’s striking to see the parallels in the ways games are covered then and today.
For those who don’t remember that was the classic between the Red Sox and the Reds, and in Game 2 there was a rain delay.
NBC did a great job with that broadcast because of the access they provided, especially during that rain delay.
During that delay, you had Joe Garagiola, who was dressed in a Sherlock Holmes outfit, talking to Ned Martin, the play-by-play man for the Red Sox.
This was before the Internet and MLB TV, when you couldn’t just watch any game from a Desert Island.
There was nothing fancy about it, just a great conversation where the two discussed some of the things a fan watching the Red Sox for the first time would be interested in.
You also had some inside access that today would almost be impossible. During the rain delay, instead of texting or tweeting, the players sat down for interviews. In a 2-1 game in the 7th, there was Johnny Bench and Sparky Anderson in the dugout casually talking to Marty Brennaman with the tension of the game still hanging in the air.
With rain constantly in the forecast this postseason, don’t look for Charlie Manuel or Derek Jeter to sit and chat in the dugout with me to give you some honest feedback on the pulse of the game.
Those were the good old days of broadcasting, where you got a real sense of what was going on at the game and inside the game, straight from the players themselves.
But the similarities are in the way T.V. networks use every asset they have to their potential.
In this respect, Fox has done such a great job with the playoffs. Today, it’s much tougher to get that kind of access, but they have used every resource under the sun to bring the viewer as close to the game as possible. They use replays and super slo-mo shots at just the right moment; the technology enhances the game instead of taking away from it. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are also terrific together in the booth.
Looking at these two broadcasts side to side, you can really how far we’ve come as an industry of broadcasting baseball. Our technology and skill has exploded, but the access back then was golden during such an innocent time.
Another parallel that ties that ’75 series to our current fall classic is the inordinate celebrity shots. Back then you had the same type of star power sitting in the front row, inspiring the players on the field, just like Kate Hudson is doing for A-Rod and the Yankees.
There is no doubt in my mind that Henry Kissinger is an early version of Kate Hudson. Henry’s a viable partner to co-star in romantic comedies, with Matthew McConaughey and Owen Wilson. Had the planets been aligned a tiny bit differently, he could have been a hit teamed up with Dean Martin or Jerry Lewis in classic romantic comedies.
Tune in to MLB Tonight before Game 3. I’ll go into a deeper analysis on this idea.
– Matt Vasgersian
10/28 MLB Tonight – Reviewing Instant Replay
This has been on my mind all postseason, and now it’s time to let it out. There is a desperate need for Instant Replay in baseball.
Look at that play in the Bottom 5th with Jimmy Rollins. He caught Cano’s jam shot, and got the double play by doubling off Matsui who didn’t know what hit him. It was a great intelligent play by Rollins that could have been erased by bad umpiring.
Just in this postseason alone, there have been a ton of plays where the umpires have made egregious errors. At home we can see them, all the fans at the game can see them, the players even turn to look at the replays on the Jumbotrons; everyone on the planet but these umpires sees the play and knows what the call should be.
In the ALCS you had two Yankees clearly tagged out at 3rd, Posada and Cano, who was on some other planet, but the umpire missed it. Then two plays with Swisher, the pick off at 2nd and the tag up at 3rd, more missed calls. All it took was a pair of eyes watching the right spot at the right time, which is the essence of umpiring.
We need Instant Replay.
Having one more umpire up in a booth, in front of a T.V. watching the game is the solution. Every MLB game is televised, so it’s just a matter of breaking out of this Stone Age way of thinking that the game isn’t pure unless human error is involved.
Having play go on when there is a clear and obvious error is a stain on the credibility of the umpires, which is a shame. These umpires are great umpires, but their job is extremely tough to do, no matter how many umpires are on the field.
Looking to the other professional sports, the NFL, NBA, NCAA, and NHL all use video replay to get the calls right.
Just using it for the HR calls is a joke, a tease. The number of times they review HR is minuscule compared to the number of calls that are wrong.
This postseason has been defined by missed calls. Do we really need to hear from umpires after the game that all they do is go out there and try to do their best?
I say leave the human element in baseball to the players, and let’s get the calls right. Put an extra umpire in the booth. With an umpire already in the booth, all they will need to do is signal the booth, and a few moments later, the right call will be made.
In the time it takes for the crew of umpires to huddle up, discuss, argue, ponder, and come to a decision, the right call can be made, and the game goes on.
If you want to cut down on delays, limit the number of times a catcher can go to the mound. It seemed like Jose Molina was going out to the mound talking to A.J. Burnett before every pitch in key moments. It was ridiculous.
If the players can have endless time-outs, why can’t the umpires have one?
I can go on and on with more examples, and I know you purists out there have many questions about my theories for improving the game, but hey, we’ve got a game out there in the rain. I’m going to watch the rest of Game 1.
Tune in to our post-game coverage following every World Series game, and don’t forget for two hours leading up to every World Series game is a special edition of MLB Tonight.
-Greg Amsinger
10/27 MLB Tonight – World Series Preview
How difficult is it to get into the World Series, win, and then repeat? Looking back to the Yankees Dynasty of the late 90’s, there was some luck conspiring in their favor to accomplish that feat.
In Game 1 of the ’98 World Series, the Padres had a 3-run lead and what seemed to be an inning ending strike 3 call on Tino Martinez in the 7th. If the call went the Padres way, the outcome of the series could have been quite different. The Padres were the kind of team people seemed to rally behind because of their play, and because of a few of my favorite players, Tony Gwynn, Kevin Brown and Trevor Hoffman. That call would have been a big step to securing their confidence, and securing a win.
But that 2-2 pitch from Mark Langston was called low, and the next pitch was a grand slam into the seats, which changed the series and the course of baseball history.
This was the first hint of that Yankee karma which dominated the baseball world. Looking back we can focus on that moment as a launch pad for the Yankees Dynasty of the late ’90’s.
The Phillies seem to have nothing conspiring in their favor over the last few seasons. It’s hard to look at one moment that changed the luck of the Phillies success because the team has just been awesome. The sustaining drive pushing the Phillies success has been a result of players’ heroics. If you look at their run to the World Series, it makes sense. They took care of the NL East, beat up on the Rockies, beat up on the Dodgers, and now will face the best of the AL. There is no doubt that the Phillies are the best team in the National League.
The ’09 Yankees made it out of a tough AL, but there were some key moments that brought them to the World Series. First there was the blown call in Game 2 of the NLDS. Joe Mauer’s 11th inning drive into the LF corner was called foul, but clearly fair. This swung the game and the series because instead of scoring a go-ahead run, Teixeira’s sinking liner into the LF seats ended up sinking the Twins.
Then there was A-Rod’s game tying HR off Brian Fuentes in Game 2 of the ALCS. He got a fat 2-strike pitch and it just sneaked over the RF fence.
Robinson Cano was either in or out of position, depending on how you look at it, but took care of a grounder up the middle to an Angels rally in Game 6.
These breaks helped launch the Yankee Dynasty in the late 90’s, showing how powerful that Yankee Karma can be carrying an already good team.
In saying all this, Cliff Lee has been the best pitcher this postseason. Sorry A-Rod, but Ryan Howard has been the scariest hitter this post-season. The Phillies have a dynamic lineup, and wildcard going in Game 2 (I can’t wait for Pedro in the Bronx). With all the karma being tossed around, the Phillies will win the World Series, a repeat, and the start of a new dynasty. -Matt Vasgersian
10/22 MLB Tonight – Thing’s Things
Just like I expected, the Phillies took care of the Dodgers, and are on their way to another World Series.
The Dodgers didn’t have enough starting pitching, their bullpen couldn’t clean up the mess, and it’s goodbye to the Dodgers.
Phillies hitters just pounded the ball, and pounded their way into the Fall Classic.
The Yankees are on their way to meeting up with the Phillies, although it looks like they’re going to have to settle it back in Yankee Stadium.
A-Rod and CC have been unbelievable this October. They put the Yankees on their shoulders and carried them through the best of the AL.
As hot as A-Rod is.
As hot as CC is.
The Angels can’t overcome that, it’s too lethal a combination.
Phillies and Yankees in the series, it’s going to be a battle of two monster teams.
– Mitch Williams
MLB Network 