10/15/11 Detroit Tigers 5, Texas Rangers 15

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX
ALCS Game 6

Nelson Cruz makes Postseason History: 6 HR, 13 RBI, an MLB single Postseason Series record!

This was a “must-win” game for the Tigers, who had battled admirably against the favored Rangers during this series…but the Tigers didn’t show up today.



You can skip ahead to my scoresheets and see that pretty much an entire pencil was used on the Rangers’ page…Detroit’s pitching was asleep at the wheel, while their offense was substantial in a vacuum, it was not significant and the Rangers literally ran away with this game to win the AL pennant for the second consecutive year.

The running away occurred in the 9 run, 6 hit 3rd inning…Leyland used 4 pitchers who faced 14 batters. Michael Young became the 1st LCS player ever with 2 XBH in the same inning.

The final score of 15-5 is shocking enough, when you consider that the Rangers left 11 on base (compared to the Tigers leaving only 3) that provides pretty much all the analysis one needs to see where things fell apart.

Nearly 3 hours into the game (2:59 to be more precise), Joe Buck proclaims “it looks like the X Factor will be on tomorrow night!”

Tom Hallion was the home plate umpire this evening…incidentally, Tom resides in Louisville and was the subject of a featured article in the Courier-Journal on the eve of the 2008 World Series, just a week or so before gaining some notoriety on a questionable call against the Phillies in game 3 (which the Phils won anyway). Hallion long ago replaced Jim Joyce as my personal favorite “called strike three,” an athletic maneuver wherein he makes a near-complete 180 with his upper body, lurches his arms (fists clenching) violently into the air and utters a shriek from down under. Always great to see him behind the plate.

Here’s a video montage tribute to "Hallionetics" from the 2009 Postseason; he’s even more impressive 2 years later!!

Rangers win series 4-2



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10/10/11 St Louis Cardinals 12, Milwaukee Brewers 3

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
NLCS Game 2

It’s called #BabyMode.

After taking the first game of the NLCS, the Brewers get an unanticipated response from the Cardinals in this moderately lopsided display of offense…no surprise that the meat of it comes from the 2012 FA of the offseason, Mister Albert Pujols.

Don’t call him Alberta.



During the pregame show, Chris Rose, A.J. Pierzynski, and Eric “hair product” Karros discuss the need for adjustment Pujols needs to consider if he is to be a significant contributor to the Cardinals’ postseason success. I picture Albert in the batting cage all night (a la Tony Gwynn), trying to scientifically and systematically determine the source of his hitch and in the same manner of those cheezy 80s sports tearjerkers South Park spoofs on a regular basis, he finds his hitch, makes his adjustments, and after a hearty Bacon-Chocolate shake, buffers his resolve for Game 2. Because the Cardinals need to win tonight.

This sets the stage for “Whoppapalooza,” where the Cardinals rage into control of the game early on, with a table setting that is nothing less than a textbook opportunity for Pujols in the first inning; with 1 on and 1 out Pujols’ hitch vanishes and thus begins ”The Pujols Game,” where Albert plays 8 innings of 4-for-5, 5 RBI, 3 run scoring baseball…each of his 4 hits were for extra bases (10 total bases).

More Angry Bird madness ensues in the 7th inning, where the Cardinals touch RHP Kameron Loe for 6 back-to-back base hits, beginning with Pujols’ 1 out GRD and continuing with 5 consecutive singles for a 4-run inning before Loe gets the hook and is replaced by LaTroy Hawkins.

The funniest moment for me in the game actually started on September 7, when the Cardinals had begun their September run and the ever-pokeworthy Nyjer Morgan taunted the team boldy with these direct comments (spelling not corrected at the Editor’s preference):

Where still n 1st and I hope those crying birds injoy watching tha Crew in tha Playoffs!!! Aaaaahhhhh!!! ... Alberta couldn't see Plush if she had her gloves on!!! Wat was she thinking running afta Plush!!! She never been n tha ring!!! ...

Fast forward to the blastitudinous 7th inning, when Yadier Molina punched a single to right-center, scoring Matt Holliday and bring the Cards to a 9-2 lead over the Brewers with only 1 out and 0-for-3 David Freese on-deck. We see Molina on first, grinning from ear to ear, as he brings his fists up to his face and twists them into a “crybaby” demonstration…it’s called #BabyMode, a direct response to the media-adored Brewers’ #BeastMode celebrations.
I hope Morgan, the crying sud, “injoys” watching the Angry Birds in the WORLD SERIES. Just another reminder that some athletes are really better off at just shutting up and playing the game.



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2011 League Division Series - Best Pitchers*

* according to Bill James' Game Score

And the WINNER is...

CHRIS CARPENTER!

Now before you say "DUH" let's review Bill James' Game Score real quick.

In case you didn't know, "Game Score" is a neat and easy and FUN way to look at a starting pitcher's line in a Box Score and apply a basic formula on the stats to come up with a fundamental 'score' that "determines the strength of a pitcher in any particular baseball game.

To determine a starting pitcher's game score:

1.Start with 50 points.
2.Add 1 point for each out recorded, so 3 points for every complete inning pitched.
3.Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th.
4.Add 1 point for each strikeout.
5.Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed.
6.Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed.
7.Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed.
8.Subtract 1 point for each walk.

The maximum possible score in a 9-inning game with no baserunners allowed is 114, but of course this is possible only if the starting pitcher goes nine innings, strikes out every single batter he faces, and faces no more than 3 batters per inning. The exception to this gets a little hairy mathematically, but is never impossible...because this is baseball.

FYI, the highest game score for a 9-inning game in the history of baseball happened on May 6, 1998, when Kerry "Kid K" Wood famously struck out 20 Astros at Wrigley Field. Yowsah, that Game Score was 105.

So I thought it would be a "hoot" to complie Game Score for all SP during the postseason; now that the League Division Series is over...here are the results, and the top 5 winners:

Chris Carpenter (84) 10/7/11 STL @ PHI NLDS G5
Yovani Gallardo (78) 10/1/11 ARI @ MIL NLDS G1
Matt Moore (77) 9/30/11 TB @ TEX ALDS G1
Josh Collmenter (73) MIL @ ARI NLDS G3
Roy Halladay (72) STL @ PHI NLDS G5

Interesting notes I made, regarding the top 5:
Only 1 AL pitcher appeared in the top 5 (Moore)
Only 1 pitcher earned his score at home (Collmenter)
Only 1 pitcher did not win the game (Halladay)
Each of the 4 contending NL pitchers made the top 5

In general (all 38 pitchers with starts in the LDS):
Lowest score - Randy Wolf (14) 10/5/11 MIL @ ARI NLDS G4
Lowest score by a winning pitcher - Derek Holland (47) 10/1/11 TB @ TEX ALDS G2
Average Game Score by SP in the 2011 LDS: 50.6

So now you can say "DUH"...I think even folks who have been dead for several years said nothing less than "WOW" when Carp tossed his gem on 10/7/11 to efficiently help the Cardinals advance to the LCS...Halladay's top score as the losing pitcher in that very same game also speaks volumes to the level of competition seen during that game.

You can review my work on the spreadsheet on Google Docs.

I will continue to tally the Game Score for the LCS, and post the results when that phase of the postseason is over.

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10/2/11 St Louis Cardinals 5, Philadelphia Phillies 4

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
NLDS Game 2

Allen Craig…he does it again!


Another postseason classic pitching match-up ensues; Cliff Lee versus Chris Carpenter at Citizens Bank Park: The CLASH of the TITANS!



The Phillies took game 1, and just like that the Cardinals’ win expectancy yielded a few percentage points when facing “the greatest rotation in history”…or so they say. Lee hangs in for 6 innings, fanning 9 batters, and outlasts a seemingly struggling Carpenter who leaves the game after three mushy innings (5H, 4ER, 3BB, 2K). It seems as if LaRussa is playing the tournament baseball game so soon in the NLDS; many ask “why?” but so few understand…there is no need to wait any longer, the Cardinals are still on a roll. TLR intends to keep it that way.

The majority of the Phillies’ damage to the Cardinals erupts in the very first inning, an exhaustive combination of patient plate discipline and timely hitting (in the first inning!) where 3 runs scored on 3 hits. Another run scores in the 2nd, and after 3 innings the Phils are up by four and the Cards are still scoreless.

The Cardinals find their teeth in the 4th, and do so immediately. After Lance Berkman’s full-count walk and David Freese is called out on strikes, Yadier Molina, Ryan Theriot, and John Jay open up a can of hot sauce and tag Lee for 3 runs on 4 hits, leaving 1 behind as Jay is thrown out at home on a 7-2 flyball by Rafael Furcal. We already know Carpenter is done when Nick Punto bats in his spot (and strikes out); LaRussa summons Fernando Salas to the mound and the game is on.

Salas handles the Phils with 3 groundouts, Lee returns in the 5th to strike out two and get Berkman to pop out but in the 6th, Theriot doubles and is brought home by another John Jay spray single. The inning ends with the score tied, and Lee at 101 pitches. The Cardinals take the lead in the 7th when Allen Craig belts a husky triple on a fly ball to CF and Albert Pujols’ go-ahead RBI single scores Craig easily. He does it again, Berkman reaches on a bloop single to RF, and Lee leaves the game after 110 pitches and 5 ER.

Of interesting note during this frame is Pujols’ exceptional attempt at a productive out, Freese’s dribbler bounces near the mound; with Pujols at 3rd and Placido Polanco recovering the ball, Pujols induces a 5-2 Fielder’s Choice rundown that allows sneaky Lance Berkman to advance from 1st to 3rd without a throw. Pujols claps joyously as he is tagged out by Carlos Ruiz and Berkman is standing on the bag, now in scoring position with only 1 out, and 2 men on base. This prompts an intentional walk to Molina, and the stage is perfectly set…until Theriot ends this crafty exercise by grounding into a 6-4-3 DP. You can’t knock Prince Albert for trying!

LaRussa brings on the bullpen now, as if he is negotiating a sinister chess match…well, he is. Marc Rzepczynski hits Chase Utley to start the 8th, and Hunter Pence hits a sure-fire double-play ball to Furcal. There are no easy outs; Utley masterfully breaks up the DP by uprooting Theriot at second. However, the Phillies are unable to score; TLR summons 2 more pitchers to face the next 2 batters with 1 on and 1 out and the shut down is executed.

The Phillies can’t touch Jason Motte, brought in for a 4-out Save, and the Cardinals slide their way into a win.

The attendance of 46,575 sets a Citizens Bank Park attendance record.

Series tied 1-1



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10/1/11 Tampa Bay Rays 6, Texas Rangers 8

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX
ALDS Game 2
Tampa Bay leads the Series (1-0)

Not much of a moustache…really…

The hashtags this baseball season have gone from the most arcane of inside humor (#countrybreakfast) to the stark raving bizarre (#want) to the predictable (#beastmode), but the raves that #staching has generated has me wondering, truly, what this season would have been without Twitter.

Not to be excluded from the throwback moustache movement, The Rangers’ Derek Holland did, indeed, attempt to sport his own. An attempt that seems to have frozen on his face in the first five minutes of his growth, but that hasn’t hindered his success since the attempt.



I’ve been a supporter of Holland, more or less, since last year. Seeing him come to the mound, with post-season ‘stache still threatening to occupy real estate on his lip someday, I wondered if the fuzz made him look a lot younger than he did without it. But I wasn’t wondering how he’d do tonight against James Shields and the Rays.

This ALDS series has me a bit confused, as far as ‘rooting’ for someone. I find it about as much more difficult to root “against” the Rays than I find it to root “for” the Rangers…and vice-versa. Both teams are excellent, and I really would like to see them both win. But only one can win, and tonight the Rangers trail the Rays after the first game and the overwhelming (and deserved) hype of Matt Moore’s start against the Rangers last night.

A rocky 1st inning and a Matt Joyce 2-out 2-run HR in the 4th found Holland standing his ground and doing well. Not as well as his line would suggest (5IP, 6H, 3R – only one earned, as Joyce’s blast brought in a runner that reached due to Holland’s error), Holland’s command was there most of the time but when it went, so did a few close situations…the Rays stranded 5 baserunners during his innings of work.

After his exit, the Rays just kept on coming back…particularly in the 7th when Koji Uehara pitched to 3 batters, all 3 scored on a Longoria HR with no outs recorded. I almost vomited when Darren Oliver was brought in to relieve Uehara, but he neatly retired the next 3 batters to end the inning.

As for the Rangers…they just did what Ron Washington likes to do the most, staying in front of the long ball Rays by moving baserunners; Mitch Moreland’s 1 out HR in the 8th was the first Rangers HR of the series.

I’m not going to subscribe to the moustache theory just yet…I’m still looking at this year’s Rangers with last year’s Rangers in the back of my mind. But Derek Holland is a pretty good pitcher. I don’t think now is the time to shave off the fuzz.

SCOREKEEPER'S NOTE: Regarding earned runs, I made a theological error on my scoresheet, where I recorded that all 3 of Holland's runs were earned. Yes, 2 of the 3 runs allowed by Holland came in due to an error by Holland. Casey Kotchman would have been the 3rd out; Holland fielded the ball poorly, allowing Kotchman to reach 1st, followed by Joyce's HR. My gut is to always chalk this up as "the pitcher was charged with the error, so he earned that/those run(s)." As much as I hate to admit it (and do so every time I make this mistake), the rules are clear:

10.16(e) "An error by a pitcher is treated exactly the same as an error by any other fielder in computing earned runs."

For this fact, from the rule book, I have no defense...regardless of my typical rule where "it's my scoresheet and I can do whatever the heck I want to."




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10/1/11 Arizona Diamondbacks 1, Milwaukee Brewers 4

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
NLDS Game 1

You can count on it, Yovani Gallardo is pretty good at pitching.

The postseason begins as the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks take on the also surprising (but certainly less surprising) Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, where visiting teams tend to fall. Ian Kennedy is a great pitcher, but Gallardo…whoa. Even after a shaky start to his season, he is pitching like Yovani Gallardo when it matters the most: Right here, right now.



Ryan Braun has a great game (3-for-4, 2H, 3 total bases, 2 runs scored, 1 broken bat, 1 flyout), but most fans are used to hearing this. His stunning outfield assist that caught Willie Bloomquist at home with Jonathan Lucroy waiting was very impressive, but I’m still rubbing my eyes at Jerry Hairston, Jr. I hear myself and others saying “well, looks like the real Jerry Hairston, Jr. came to play baseball” and that’s kind of an understatement. His 15 minutes of baseball fame are here, right now. He made two very distinctive defensive plays at 3B, the second of which was a ginormous charge for a 5-3 groundout by Justin Upton.

Gallardo, on the other hand, throws a tidy gem in the process, 8IP, 4H, one R (earned on an 8th inning HR by Brian Roberts), 8K and a BB. And as usual, he looks like he’s about to yawn the entire time.

John Axford earns a save on a 3-up, 3-down inning of work…he pitched for the “closer cycle” with a flyout, a groundout, and a strikeout. And the moustache is looking very outrageous and phenomenal these days.




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Terry Francona: SOMEBODY HIRE HIM

WHINE BAWL CRY!!

My father said this anytime we wailed and moaned as kids and didn’t have any basis for it.

WHINE BAWL CRY!!

I do have friends who are Red Sox fans around here. They are pretty much over the “Red Sox Collapse” of 2011, but apparently Boston isn’t, and now reports of Terry Francona’s outage are rampant on the internet.

WHINE BAWL CRY!!

Good for you, Boston. Can his butt. I can think of a couple of very fine teams who would LOVE to have your record for the last 10 years (regular season as well as postseason appearances alone…not to mention the 2 rings Boston earned during that timeframe, 8 of those years under Francona’s leadership.

Here’s what the simplified big picture looks like:


So, if you really believe that Francona let your team down this year (or even in the past 10 years), then you can sit and spin on this chart.

Needless to say, millions of fans of franchises such as the Cubs and the Royals could really, really learn to love numbers even close to being this good. We would even deeply appreciate 10 years overall winning season percentage.

Don’t even bring up the Red Sox slide in September…in many ways, that looks better on paper than September being the only good month you’re having all year!

One of my biggest fears in being a diehard Cubs fan is really being justified this week…if we DID win the World Series, let’s say TWICE, and a few years later came within one game of the Wild Card and didn’t make it…would we suddenly turn into the wailing-and-gnashing-of-teeth Red Sox fans that flooded the call-in lines at WEEI yesterday??

Yesterday, I would have suggested that fans in Boston should ‘lighten up’…now I am only making one suggestion.

SOMEONE PLEASE HIRE TERRY FRANCONA, and I don’t need to even begin to write where I think he should go, but I have two ideas. You may have your own, there are several teams who could stand for even 5 years of results like this.