And That Happened: World Series

Phillies 8, Yankees 6: Jimmy Rollins on the win: “We didn’t have a choice. It was either go home and watch football and college basketball or extend the season.” Somewhere Cole Hamels is whimpering. He really likes college basketball. Other random thoughts:

  • Braves fans have long known — and lamented — how awesome Chase Utley is, so it’s nice that the rest of the country is getting a chance to see how we feel every time he kicks our butts.
  • The not-so-good Cliff Lee showed up, but lucky for Phillies fans, the really-not-so-good A.J. Burnett did too. Credit the oh-my-god-you-suck Phil Coke with an assist.
  • A three-run lead entering the ninth and the Phillies don’t use their closer, Brad Lidge? What? Has something occurred that has caused Charlie Manuel to lose confidence in him? Isn’t Lidge automatic? Has anything else odd taken place since I went into that coma in November 2008?
  • I’m assuming it’s Pettitte v. Martinez in Game 6, but since Happ hasn’t pitched, he could go in Game 6 with Pedro going in a Game 7, thereby (a) bypassing the less-than-motivated Cole Hamels; and (b) setting up the possibility of a legendary final achievement for a legendary pitcher. Really, I couldn’t give a rat’s patootie about the Phillies, but how awesome would it be to see Pedro Martinez beat the Yankees with some stellar performance in Game 7? I mean, sure, Yankees fans and Cole Hamels would commit suicide, but everyone else would freak the hell out.
  • Finally, regarding that Hamels business, it’s never good to have a guy make some unfortunate and distracting comments. Thankfully his teammates are there to pick him up.
  • Today is the last off day before the season is over. Can’t decide if that’s a good thing (no more waiting around a whole day for baseball) or a bad thing (we’re so close to months of waiting around for baseball).


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    bigcatasroma
    14 years ago

    1. I though Cap’n Jetes was clutch and the Second Coming?  What happened????  HAHA, Derek “GIDP” Jeter!!! 

    2.  Cole Hamels should take the ball in a Game 7.  I would give it to him in a heart beat.  He wants the season over – he’s been hurting, probably fatigue (mental and physical) from last year, his wife did just have a child last week – so, I would say, Cole, end the season w/ an F-U to Myers, the Philly media, etc.  I think it would be perfect. 

    3.  Please, no J.A. Happ.  Jetes, Teixeira, A-Rod from the right side would eat him alive.  Though I do like the thought of Pedro sticking it to the Yankees in one last big up-your-ar$e moment.

    t ball
    14 years ago

    I assume Myers thought he was attacking his wife, briefly forgetting he was in the locker room.

    RickyB
    14 years ago

    Why does nobody mention the fact that Lidge threw 30 pitches the night before? I thought Madson was a no-brainer decision, and not just because Lidge has been awful this year. After 30 pitches, most closers get the next night off, especially when they couldn’t get the job done.

    Greg Simons
    14 years ago

    I’m really enjoying the Chase Utley coming-out party, too, Craig.  He’s a terrific all-around player, and it’s great that everyone is getting to see just how good he can be.

    And Jayson Werth isn’t doing too shabby, either.

    Rob²
    14 years ago

    This is a day late, and probably a dollar short, but Game 4 demonstrated yet another argument in favor of the DH.

    With one out, a man on first, and Blanton on-deck, Ruiz hit an easy grounder to second.  Cano barely even looked to second to try for the double-play.  Instead, he tossed to first to force the Phillies to pinch hit for Blanton.

    The rules of the game ought to provide incentive to try for the better play.  The offense should be encouraged to get on base and score runs, while the defense should be encouraged to get outs and prevent runs.  Because there was no DH, the Yankees instead opted against a relatively easy double-play in favor of knocking out the starting pitcher.  That’s not strategy, that’s reverse-logic.

    Wooden U. Lykteneau
    14 years ago

    Assuming, of course, a double-play. And assuming, of course, that Manuel *wasn’t* going to pinch-hit for Blanton anyway. There is this thing called a double-switch, after all.

    Personally, I think you’re giving WAYYYY too much credit to Cano for thinking that far ahead, just as folks did for Damon yesterday. Neither will be confused for Moe Berg, if you know what I mean.

    Ben2009
    14 years ago

    I thought Lee pitched really well for most of the game.  I know in the end his line doesn’t look great (7 IP 5 ER).  But he kept the Yankees in check while the Phils built the big lead(s).  I know Manuel doesn’t trust his pen – who does? – but I was surprised he sent Lee out for the 8th.  Especially if he’s going to be on-deck for relief help in a possible Game 7, you’d think they’d want to save his pitches.

    Also, what was up with Manuel taking Victorino out of the game, like this was a split-squard spring training affair?  There are no more games if you lose this one, Charlie.  Unless Shane is asking out becuase his hand hurts, you keep your best defensive players in the game.

    Greg Simons
    14 years ago

    Ben – While I can somewhat understand Manuel removing Victorino – he’s not going to aks to be taken out, even if his hand is broken, and sometimes the manager has to make that decision for the player – there probably would have been significantly less drama at the end of the game if Francisco had been inserted for Ibanez, because Francisco would have been much more likely to catch the ball the glanced off Ibanez’s glove and got the Yankees closer.

    Wow, that was all one sentence.  My English teachers would either be very ashamed or very impressed.

    bon
    14 years ago

    And t ball with the zinger of the day!

    ecp
    14 years ago

    Victorino wasn’t going to ask out, it’s the &*$%#@ing World Series!  It was clear his hand was hurting and, for all we knew, it might have been swollen up twice its normal size by then.  I missed the end of the game so don’t know if Victorino was still able to throw, but if he couldn’t and was called on to make a key play in center people would be screaming about how Manual didn’t pull him when he should have.

    Pasha
    14 years ago

    I had a Grady Little flashback as Cliff Lee walked out to the mound for the 8th inning. Is Charlie Manuel an absolute moron? Six run lead, plenty of bullpen help, and especially, if the Series goes to seven games, you have a semi-rested Cliff Lee.

    Did Manuel want Lee to get another complete game? Does he not trust his bullpen. This seemed like a no-brainer to me.

    Aarcraft
    14 years ago

    Utley is indeed awesome. In fact, according to Joe Buck, there is a new fangled statistic that is in vogue nowadays – I think it is called ops, or something like that – that rates Utley second all time among second basemen, behind Rogers Hornsby. Sometimes Buck astounds me with his knowledge.

    Rob²
    14 years ago

    @Wooden – My point is that Cano didn’t even try for the DP.  He didn’t even try to get the lead runner.  That would never happen with the DH.

    And these guys might not belong to Mensa, but you can bet that all nine of them were well-aware of the fact that an automatic out was standing in the on-deck circle.

    Wooden U. Lykteneau
    14 years ago

    This is a day late, and probably a dollar short

    This, I can agree with.

    Carlos
    14 years ago

    “sure, Yankees fans and Cole Hamels would commit suicide, but everyone else would freak the hell out.“What a great line, love it.

    The Phillies seem to be doing everything they can to lose this series. The media is eating them alive and they act like they don’t know better.

    Richard Dansky
    14 years ago

    Lee’s line would have looked a lot better if the Phillies had decided to play defense. Between Rollins botching the grounder and Raul Ibanez reverting to Peter-Boyle-singing-Putting-On-The-Ritz mode, it looked like the Royals out there.

    Simon DelMonte
    14 years ago

    I think that they had to not play today as it’s Election Day, and while there is almost nothing of national import, there probably is some sensitivity about the day.  Next year, we are going to face the same thing, I think, but on a much bigger day.  You have to let the local affiliates not be stuck choosing.

    Not that Fox has news coverage usually.  Or that a World Series game wouldn’t beat election coverage most years.

    Just another reason to long for baseball to end in October.

    TC
    14 years ago

    Good Christ, Brett Myers is a douchebag.  That story reminds me of the way kids talked to each other in the locker room in 6th grade.  Not that Hamels is handling adversity well or anything, but man am I looking forward to cutting Myers loose after this season. 

    Part of me would also love to see Happ in game 6 and Pedro in 7, if for no other reason than Pedro could use the rest, but my confidence in Happ is super low right now…  Maybe start Happ, and have everybody else ready to go from the start.  The proverbially Johnny Everyone starting.

    Andy H
    14 years ago

    I was wondering about Happ.  Just listening to Olney on ESPN, and he said he didn’t know who the Phillies would start in games 6 and 7, but he didn’t mention Happ.  Has he been hurt, or are they just nervous about throwing a rookie at Yankee stadium?

    MooseinOhio
    14 years ago

    Watching the 9th inning last night I thought I was seeing the reincarnation of Calvin Schiraldi.  Glad it turned out differently for Madson.