2009 MLB Playoffs

[DodgerKing]

The weather could be dicey everywhere besides LA. The Cardinals had a rainout in the WS back in 06, some of the playoff games in Detroit that year were played in near freezing temperatures, and there was a rainout in Philly last year in the WS.

You guys need to remember that the rainy season in LA is during the winter and often starts in the fall. Even though LA gets about 15 to 20 inches are year, most of it falls within 4 months. During those 4 months they get about the same to more rain than most other places in the country. The reason why you don't see rain-outs in LA during baseball season is because it NEVER rains during the summer.

 

[anders5189]

You guys need to remember that the rainy season in LA is during the winter and often starts in the fall. Even though LA gets about 15 to 20 inches are year, most of it falls within 4 months. During those 4 months they get about the same to more rain than most other places in the country. The reason why you don't see rain-outs in LA during baseball season is because it NEVER rains during the summer.

More likely someone sets a fire out there that winds up cancelling a game.

 

[DodgerKing]

More likely someone sets a fire out there that winds up cancelling a game.

True that...

Actually, fall season is Santa Ana and fire season.

 

[Jimbo]

Whoever wins the Tigers/Twins division, who would have a better shot at taking the Yanks down in the LDS?

Tigers, better pitching .....

Verlander
Jackson and
Porcello

If they can get Jackson on a roll again, he was one of the best for a long stretch this season.

I would take those three over the yanks top 3.

 

[SandraC]

Anyone hear about the 'Gammons Playoff Plan'? I don't usually like Gammons, but this is interesting.

He proposes not one but two wildcards make the playoffs each year from each league. They play in a best of three series beginning the Monday after opening day, then the winner goes right into the LDS against the team with the best overall record in the league.

This forces the wildcard teams to use their best pitchers, and gives the division champs a bigger advantage than what they have now...almost nothing. One extra home game in a five game series that does not usually go five.

It would extend the season by just a couple of days.


Sandra

 

[KCK_Halo]

Not to point fingers or make fun...but to speak the reality:

Can there be a more embarrassed team than the Dodgers right now? They just can't clinch the NL West! I mean...getting crushed by the lowly Pirates and the Padres? (Last night's performance by Clayton Richard was beautiful.)

If they have one shining ray thru all of this it's now they can clinch at home.

But, no one is limping into the playoffs more wearily (especially mentally) than the Boys in Blue.

Who knows? This may all be a cover and they may bolt their way right thru the Series!

 

[Ramy]

Anyone hear about the 'Gammons Playoff Plan'? I don't usually like Gammons, but this is interesting.

He proposes not one but two wildcards make the playoffs each year from each league. They play in a best of three series beginning the Monday after opening day, then the winner goes right into the LDS against the team with the best overall record in the league.

This forces the wildcard teams to use their best pitchers, and gives the division champs a bigger advantage than what they have now...almost nothing. One extra home game in a five game series that does not usually go five.

It would extend the season by just a couple of days.


Sandra

The Monday after opening day?? I am confused.

 

[SandraC]

The Monday after opening day?? I am confused.

Opening day...closing day...they're so similar I lose track!


Sandra

 

[cosmo_kramer]

FWIW, here's the announcers that will be calling the LDS on TBS:

Play-by-Play: Chip Caray, Don Orsillo, Dick Stockton and Brian Anderson

Analysts: Ron Darling, Buck Martinez, Joe Simpson, Dennis Eckersley and David Wells.

No word yet on who will be teamed with who.

Orsillo will be with Martinez and Eck will be in the studio. I doubt they would assign Orsillo to the Sox series. That's OK because I go nuts every time Buck mispronounces Papi's last name... :rant:

 

[DodgerKing]

Not to point fingers or make fun...but to speak the reality:

Can there be a more embarrassed team than the Dodgers right now? They just can't clinch the NL West! I mean...getting crushed by the lowly Pirates and the Padres? (Last night's performance by Clayton Richard was beautiful.)

If they have one shining ray thru all of this it's now they can clinch at home.

But, no one is limping into the playoffs more wearily (especially mentally) than the Boys in Blue.

Who knows? This may all be a cover and they may bolt their way right thru the Series!

I predicted this over a month ago, and yet people are still surprised.

Let me repeat again what I said over a month ago, "The Dodgers are NOT going to win the West". I also said they are not going to the playoffs. I was wrong about that, but barely.

And it is not cover. The team has a losing record over the last 30 games, and is only about a .500 team in the second half of the season. They are not that good of a team. If it was not for the hot start where they won their first 14 games at home, they would already be eliminated.

 

[DodgerKing]

Orsillo will be with Martinez and Eck will be in the studio. I doubt they would assign Orsillo to the Sox series. That's OK because I go nuts every time Buck mispronounces Papi's last name... :rant:

That is OK, because Orsillo is probably the worst announcer of the whole bunch.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

That is OK, because Orsillo is probably the worst announcer of the whole bunch.

Worse than today's Dick Stockton?? Hardly.

 

[DodgerKing]

Worse than today's Dick Stockton?? Hardly.

Much worse. IMO

 

[KCK_Halo]

I predicted this over a month ago, and yet people are still surprised.

Let me repeat again what I said over a month ago, "The Dodgers are NOT going to win the West". I also said they are not going to the playoffs. I was wrong about that, but barely.

And it is not cover. The team has a losing record over the last 30 games, and is only about a .500 team in the second half of the season. They are not that good of a team. If it was not for the hot start where they won their first 14 games at home, they would already be eliminated.

DK,

Let me ask you this...Why is that no one will fess-up and say the real reason that Manny is playing so poorly is that he is off the juice? Everyone from McCourt to Scully and Torre all are using other excuses. Isn't it as plain as the proverbial nose on their faces? Or am I just seeing things from an outsider's P.O.V.?

 

[DodgerKing]

Skid potentially historic for Dodgers

NL West title at risk as magic number remains stuck at one



By Doug Miller / MLB.com
10/01/09 1:15 AM ET


The Dodgers' saga has the potential to be historic, and not in a good way.
Los Angeles had a magic number of two over the Rockies to clinch the NL West on Saturday and Sunday. That number changed to one on Monday and has since been unchanged.
The only way the Dodgers don't win the division title is if the Rockies beat the Brewers on Thursday afternoon and then sweep the Dodgers in the season-ending three-game series that begins Friday at Dodger Stadium.
If that were to occur, it would be the longest -- nine days -- a team held a magic number of one or two and did not win the division. Colorado would be NL West champions and Los Angeles would be the Wild Card entry.
In addition, the Dodgers' seemingly insurmountable lead in the race for home-field advantage has been whittled to a half-game by the Phillies, so this slump could have a major impact on their postseason success, division title or not.
Needing one win to wrap up the title they'd seemingly been cruising toward, the Dodgers have lost all of their past four games. The latest depressing result for the citizens of Dodgertown was a 5-0 loss to the Padres in San Diego. Meanwhile, in the same four days, the Rockies went 3-0.
As manager Joe Torre said Tuesday, "Anything worthwhile is worth waiting for," but does the stoic skipper and veteran of many Octobers have a real reason for concern?
Will this lapse into a sudden late-season scuffle carry over into the playoffs, or will the Dodgers finally capture the division and get enough momentum out of that accomplishment to snap out of their current malaise?
Recent history tells us it can go either way.
In 2005, the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox had a magic number of one for two days from Sept. 29-30 for the AL Wild Card over the Indians, and they were taken out in the Division Series by the eventual World Series winner, the Chicago White Sox.
In '06, when the eventual AL West champion Oakland A's held a magic number of two from Sept. 22-24 over the Angels, they ended up beating the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS before losing in the AL Championship Series to Detroit.
In '07, the Red Sox held a magic number of two for two days from Sept. 26-27 over the Yankees before clinching the AL East and going on to win the World Series.
But that same year, San Diego held a magic number of one over Colorado for two days, from Sept. 27-28, lost the lead and ultimately fell to the Rockies in a one-game playoff and missed the playoffs altogether.
The Dodgers entered Thursday, an off-day, having held a magic number of one for three full days.



Skid potentially historic for Dodgers | MLB.com: News

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Most sports analyzers are Monday Morning QBs. They usually state the obvious after the fact. Something that many of us Dodgers fans knew months ago is just now being picked up by the media.

 

[DodgerKing]

DK,

Let me ask you this...Why is that no one will fess-up and say the real reason that Manny is playing so poorly is that he is off the juice? Everyone from McCourt to Scully and Torre all are using other excuses. Isn't it as plain as the proverbial nose on their faces? Or am I just seeing things from an outsider's P.O.V.?

I don't know. I think it is because he is off of the juice. Not because it makes him weaker, but because it takes away a lot of his confidence. He is swinging at pitches he normally never swings at and his entire stride is out of whack as well.

It is not just Manny. The entire team is not hitting. Torre never lets his starters go past 6 innings (even if they are dominating the game). There Bullpen is over used, thanks to Torre. And they are playing as if they really don't care (they have been playing this way for about 2 months.

It is the last issue that is the biggest concern and the reason why I predicted they would fall apart, despite many on this site criticizing me for being honest.

 

[DodgerKing]

And the Roxs are winning again. It will come down to the last three games at Dodger stadium, even though everyone said they WILL clinch on the road.

Prediction: Rox sweep the Dodgers and blow them out in at least one game (10 run or more difference) to win the West.

Playoff Prediction: The Dodgers still continue their lack luster depressing play as if they just want to hurry up and go home to get swept in the first round by the Phils or Cards.

 

[SabresRule]

Not to point fingers or make fun...but to speak the reality:

Can there be a more embarrassed team than the Dodgers right now? They just can't clinch the NL West! I mean...getting crushed by the lowly Pirates and the Padres? (Last night's performance by Clayton Richard was beautiful.)

If they have one shining ray thru all of this it's now they can clinch at home.

But, no one is limping into the playoffs more wearily (especially mentally) than the Boys in Blue.

Who knows? This may all be a cover and they may bolt their way right thru the Series!

What about Boston?

They've lost six in a row and got crushed by Toronto twice at home!

 

[anders5189]

DK,

Let me ask you this...Why is that no one will fess-up and say the real reason that Manny is playing so poorly is that he is off the juice? Everyone from McCourt to Scully and Torre all are using other excuses. Isn't it as plain as the proverbial nose on their faces? Or am I just seeing things from an outsider's P.O.V.?

Gee. Big surprise. Manny sucks when he's not on the juice. Wasn't he hitting like .470 last year when he got traded to the Dodgers? I'd love to see the "steroids don't help you play better" crowd explain this one.

 

[KCK_Halo]

What about Boston?

They've lost six in a row and got crushed by Toronto twice at home!

Boston has their future all set. They can afford to lose games and play lesser-known guys as they rest and retool for the Angels. Believe me, they are focused and ready to begin the playoffs. They KNOW they ave the upper-hand going into the ALDS.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, STILL have no idea if they are going to win the NL West or not and have to face their 2nd half of the season nemesis to close out the year. There is ALOT of doubt and uneasiness in Dodgertown right now.