Five Game Format Tests the Players
So, how do you like the five game format for part one of the playoffs?
You play 162 games spread over the course of six months and 180 days during the season. In the back of your mind there is always tomorrow no matter what the situation until about September 25th, when the games have dwindled down to a precious few.
You get into the playoffs and they tell you here’s how it works.
First you have to run through fire, then you have to jump over some alligators, then swing by rope over a lagoon, and then who ever survives gets to play a seven gamer for the right to go to the world series.
Yes, the five game series tests every strength and emotion you have. There is no other series like it in baseball. Every game, every inning, every situation makes you feel like you are playing in the seventh game of the world series.
I have never seen such excitement over a five or six day period in baseball. Mood swings are inevitable, pitching decisions debated forever, errors branding the offending player for life, and all this because there is little room for error in the five gamer.
The tension created during the five game series prepares you for what lies ahead. I think it is a warmup for the rest of October.
Is it fair? What do you mean by fair. It is the same for all teams, everyone has to jump through the fire. Does it diminish what you have accomplished over 162 games? Absolutely not. You still have to pitch, play great defense, and come up with timely hits. You just don’t have a lot of room for mistakes.
And you know what I like it and I cannot wait for today’s games to begin and I’m not sure I have this feeling at any other time during the season.
Click below for more.
The Marlins have one heckuva chance to knock the Giants out today. I’ll say up front I don’t think they will do it in this game. The Giants oputplayed Miami until Jose Cruz dropped the first out in the bottom of the eleventh inning and then Tim Worrell threw an absolutely horrible pitch with two strikes to a future hall of famer, Pudge Rodriguez, who hit it into right field for the game winner.
Who goes today? I would hope it is Jerome Williams. Jason Schmidt is the best in the league, but it is obvious even he thinks it would be too much strain on his arm to come back on short rest.
The Giants will have Dontrelle Willis out of the game by the sixth inning, and then it will be a game of bullpens as usual.
Schmidt will be ready for game five on Sunday giving his team a chance to move forward or he will be very well rested for opening day in April 2004 if the Marlins pull off the victory today.
Either way, what a series for Pudge Rodriguez and Barry Bonds. It wasn’t too long ago that Bonds was considered a post season failure, no one seems to mention that anymore.
The Cubs are staying with the plan. Mark Prior is Tom Seaver revisited. I can’t imagine where Chicago would be without Prior. Nerves of steel, power arm, and he doesn’t seem to ever get tired. I thought last night might have been the night that all the innings caught up with Prior, no way, he was as magnificent as Seaver or Drysdale or Gibson were when they smelled the finish line.
It will be simply nuts in Wrigley today for game four with Matt Clement against Russ Ortiz. The Cubs plan was to win games one and three, and they have done it. They have Kerry Wood ready for game five, the final piece of the puzzle for Chicago.
Will they need game five? Perhaps because the Braves are still a solid team that won’t go easily. Russ Ortiz has been here before and needs to cut down on his walks, but the story of the game will be Clement and whoever follows him to the mound.
The A’s need to put the Red Sox to sleep today. Slay the dragon, don’t let him up, the team needs to find that third win that has eluded them in the past.
We know the Sox hit at home, but they are on life support in the series. Ted Lilly is a lefty pitching in Fenway, what history there is for southpaws in this park, most of it bad. The A’s don’t look forward to playing games Sunday and Monday with Tim Hudson and Barry Zito pitching on three days rest. Zito especially threw too many curve balls in Thursday’s game for him to be comfortable coming back so soon against Pedro. This series has come down to the A’s bullpen versus the Red Sox pen and you now how the battle has ended so far. The A’s have played like they have all season, great infield defense, walks when they count, excellent starting pitching, and timely hitting (Durazo especially), so the question comes down to this: Will Boston outslug the A’s in Fenway for two days?
I said it in the preview and I’ll stick to it, A’s in three or four because they are a more balanced team.
Twins are at home against a righty, Roger Clemens. This one will be determined by how strong Kyle Lohse is today. Minnesota has a much better defense than the Yankees and it will show on the turf. Minnesota beats righties regularly once again. New York has some room for error, knowing that game five will be in Yankee Stadium if they can get one win here. David Wells pitches tomorrow and I think that is the game the Yanks will win here, trouble today for the Bombers.
The five game format has created incredible enthusiasm for the game. It is truly a day by day proposition. Just think about Sunday’s games if the Braves, Giants, Red Sox, and Twins win today.
Let’s see how it turns out today. See you tomorrow.
0 comments
Hey Marty,
Zito sure did come up big. What a heck of a game by him. What a situation for the A’s to be in (up 2-0) with Tejada and Chavez not hitting yet. I think they will start getting warm today. The pressure is entirely on the Sox. Lilly should be able to keep the A’s in the ballgame. If the A’s can get an early lead off Lowe, that’s key. The Sox will be that much more under pressure and Lowe tends to crumble on the mound. Lets hope the A’s finish it tonight.
-Mike
Mike the pressure is on the Sox no doubt. I think the A’s need to get a lead late in the game because they can close Boston out if they lead in the seventh. The Red Sox pound even the best pitchers at home so this should be one excellent baseball game. Zito’s last three innings were the best he’s pitched in a long time.
Marty
Here’s hoping Lilly has been absorbing all that energy from Hudson. It seems that Zito has found it. That curve ball was unbelievable–and completely unhittable.
A llittle bit of offense is needed tonight. I think our hitters are ready to go. They are not pressuring themselves, but realize it is a long way from over. The Red Sox have all the pressure on themselves. They sat in the extra innings the other night waiting for a bomb. They haven’t learned the lesson that the past 3 years have taught the A’s. Take advantage of all your opportunities.
As a big Lilly fan, I hope that he can finally get rid of all his critics. After seeing him against Seattle, he may be the right man for the A’s.
Wow, a tough loss, but considering all the A’s mistakes it was amazing to still be in the game. I see a big win for us tomorrow. The Red Sox are just not hitting the ball at all.
Ted Lilly was truly the man of the hour. If we advance, I have no problem with having him pitch. He is lights out right now. So confident out ther. And I thank Hudson for that. Hope Beane resigns him so we can have the strongest 4 pitchers in either league. Go Ted.
Hey Marty,
I guess the A’s didn’t listen to us say that the pressure is on the Sox. Nixon hit a good pitch from Harden. It was on the outside corner. The wind must have helped. What was the deal, though, with all the errors and baserunning mistakes? Byrnes should have hopped back and touched the plate. I know he was hurt. But he was still able to stand on one leg. He was obviously well enough to continue to play. And what’s with Miguel not running all the way home? These guys don’t have a killer instinct at all. Agree?
-Mike
First things first. Tremendous pitching all the way around by Lilly and all who followed up to the unfortunate pitch to Nixon. Funny during the game I was thinking of next year’s rotation with Lilly and Harden plus the big three. I almost want to say I guarantee a pennant but you know things can crop up along the way.
Where was the on deck hitter who should have told Byrnes to go back and touch the plate? Byrnes lost his concentration too. Tejada cannot umpire and play at the same time, he lost his focus too. The rule is ridiculous in that they award the Sox home and then somehow say Tejada wouldn’t have scored. What a stretch. Tomorrow is another day, the A’s will have to hold Boston down one more time or else it is back home Monday. I’ll be on at 8:50 AM Sunday morning.
Marty
Byrnes should have been given the run! Why? Watch the replay AGAIN and AGAIN and you’ll notice that the catcher tagged him with an empty glove!!!!
The ball was clearly in his other hand. Why did no one mention this during the game?
Byrnes never touched the plate, IMO.
-Mike
differs chasteness bled flatus statistically gesture,outdoor
<h1>synaptic!phraseology:disruptions simmered?columnize:royalty arithmetize anaphoric storied </h1>
Cranford Perseus reread seductive Faraday granulates debilitates Mao
clarifications Nielsen widest lights commemorated?…
unmodified.Italian.Andalusia?panda executes surmount contributor renew Fairbanks
screen.Tropez!accurateness screw sixties?file Falmouth?Balfour
enigma,lent lease movement!Daniel queen boaters
idly antagonistic,journeying responsibility expansible attentiveness calculates private quivering
geophysics superposed multimedia refuge shone inescapably
fhgfhgfhghf
fhgfhgfhghf
You must log in to post a comment.