As I have often said baseball is a game where something unexpected happens every day.

Wednesday was no exception.

First, the Giants climbed back into the Series with a 4-3 win over the Angels behind the excellent pitching of Kirk Reuter and company.

Next, the Bay Area lost one of its finest managers when it was learned by the media that Art Howe has accepted the Mets offer to become their manager for the next four years.

Who will succeed Howe is still not 100% certain, but the specualtion I heard at the park was that Ken Macha, Howe’s bench coach will be named the new A’s manager when the series is concluded.

What does it mean to the A’s? Are the Giants now the favorites to win the Series?

Click “Read more” and we’ll talk. [Read more →]

The weather was defintely not a factor in last night’s World Series game at Pac Bell Park. The story was Livan Hernandez and his inability to throw a good game against the Angels.

The Angels can hit. We all know that after watching them match the the AL West champion A’s all through August and September, win for win.

But, come on, they aren’t the 27 Yankees.

Hernandez had absolutley nothing on the ball, whenever he threw the ball over the plate it looked like batting practice.

Tonight, Kirk Reuter tries to slow the Angels down. If he throws as Russ Ortiz and Hernandez did, it will be difficult for the Giants to avoid being knocked out Thursday night at home.

Usually, in a World Series someone steps up on the mound and distinguishes himself. Right now, the only one doing that is Anaheim’s Francisco Rodriguez who wasn’t needed Tuesday night.

It’s another foggy, drizzly morning in the Bay Area, usually that means a low scoring game in a cold, foggy San Francisco ball park, but who knows what to expect tonight.

The Angels have pounded lefties all year long. John Lackey has been steady, if not very solid for the Angels since he replaced Aaron Sele in the rotation this summer.

I picked the Giants in seven, but I’m worried about my pick because SF has now put too much pressure on its offense by not slowing down the Angels hitters.

Baseball is a funny game, I’m sure tonight will have some surprises.

For the Giants sake they better hope Reuter is one of them.

More on the managerial circus in the Bay Area tomorrow. Stay tuned.

[Read more →]

I’ve watched games in Pac Bell park since it opened and it is tough to score runs there.

Tonight, without the DH, Anaheim will need to hit more doubles than the Giants to win the game. Homers just don’t come easy in this park unless your initials are BB.

Nerves have played a part in both games, with Russ Ortiz, Kevin Appier, and the Angel bull pen (except for the 20 year old Francisco Rodriguez), all looking like a deer in headlights, while on the mound.

Livan Hernandez will not have that problem tonight since he has pitched many big gmaes in his career as an amateur in Cuba and in the NL.

Ramon Ortiz has thrown well at times, I think he is more susceptible to being too high for the game, thus getting out of his normal pitching rhythm.

Ortiz did beat Pedro Martinez two years ago in the best game he ever pitched, he did pitch well in Yankee Stadium in August this year, so he can keep the game close.

So, with no DH, and the game back in the NL, this should be a low scoring 5-4 or 4-3 type game with sacrifice bunts, hit and runs, stolen bases (I think the Angels believe they can run on Benito Santiago) and plenty of pitching changes after the sixth inning.

Click “Read More” for a few baseball thoughts. [Read more →]

Roy Thomas pitched in the major leagues for over ten years with the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners from 1977 thru 1987. With a pitching style that intimidated the best hitters of his generation, Thomas was one of the feared relievers of his time. Thomas ended his career with a 20-11 mark, and when he retired he had the Seattle Mariners record for consecutive wins. Roy, whose insight is always on the mark, gives us his perspective on game one of the World Series.

Click “read more” and see the game through the eyes of a major leaguer. [Read more →]

You can have all the post season records you want, most hits, games in the post season, homers, wins, you name it, but the only records that matter to me are the ones that are set in the World Series.

October baseball is unique and special. Heroes are etched in baseball lore forever, goats are never forgiven.

Mickey Lolich winning three games in the 1968 series for the Tigers, Catfish Hunter shutting down the Reds in ’72, Brooks Robinson destroying Cincinnati with his glove in 1970, and Ron Swoboda, breaking the Orioles back with great catches in the outfield in 1969 for the Miracle Mets.

World Series memories go on and on right through Randy Johnson and Luis Gonzalez last year in Arizona.

So, what will happen this year between the Angels and the Giants. (click “read more”) [Read more →]

This time of year most losing teams are looking around in an effort to hire the right manager for next season.

All of a sudden, the A’s, Giants, Mariners, and Cubs have become entwined in a tug of war over potential managers that is worthy of a Hollywood script.

The A’s won 103 games, the Mariners in the 90’s, the Giants may win the World Series, and the Cubs have the best up and coming rotation in baseball.

Why are these teams connected in their search, click “read more” [Read more →]

Growing up a die hard Orioles fan, I thoroughly rememebr each and every world series appearance the O’s made.

The first was in 1966, I was in my senior year at the University of Florida.

I was in Gainesville that October watching game four in the housemother’s room of my fraternity because it was a weekend and the only TV in the main room was tuned to Florida football.

The Orioles were 8-5 underdogs to the Dodgers, and I bet $10.00 to win $16.00 from dorm rat Richard Melker.

After the Orioles swept the Dodgers that day in four, I celebrated by hugging the septugenarian Mrs. Stern, who didn’t know why I was so ecsatic seeing a baseball team win the series.

It was a moment I’ll never forget.

The Angels are in for the first time in their 42 seasons. For me, I was an Orioles fan from 1954 (I liked the Bird on the hat) so waiting to see my team in the Fall classic was not as torturous.

Angels fans from 1961 thru the present now have gotten the ultimate thrill seeing their team get into the the World Series, there is nothing like it for a fan.

The Giants have won two pennants on the West Coast, 1962 and 1989. A third will be special since the team always seems to fall short of the series. The Giants teams in the 60’s were excellent baseball teams, but they could never get past the Dodgers.

The 2002 Giants have the greatest player of the last 50 years on their team. Barry Bonds and friends are enough to bring this team to the Series

Will they do it tonight?

[Read more →]

I was asked by the Turn2 Sports Page Editor of the Oakland Tribune to argue why the Giants will beat the Cards in the NLCS. The article appears in all of Friday’s ANG newspapers in the Bay Area.

I don’t know who took the other side of the Sports Spat.

Interestingly, I had to write the article on Wednesday night, immediately following the Giants game one victory due to newspaper deadlines.

We now know that the Giants are up two games to none in the series. Lucky for me.

Click “Read More” for my unedited work, the one I submitted to the paper Wednesday night. The reasons still apply.

[Read more →]

The baseball season is unique in that it is split into two distinct seasons.

First, the 162 game schedule balances out the vagaries of slumps, winning streaks, and other variables that are lost over the course of six months.

The second season is a cut throat tournament. One injury, one win, one two game losing streak and a team is on the brink of elimination.

During the regular season these items go unnoticed on the march to October.

Five games proves very little in matching up the strengths of two teams, seven games gives a better idea of the worth of the combatants.

Some teams play better in the tournament because of match ups, speed, power, mangerial acumen, or player experience.

With that in mind let’s look at the tournament.

[Read more →]

The season came to a crashing close for the A’s Sunday at the Coliseum before 32,000 fans.

The Twins hit when they needed it, the A’s didn’t. If the A’s didn’t have a lefty on the mound the Twins eyes light up.

The Twins hit up and down the order, they made use of the eight and nine spots with AJ Pierzyinski and Denny Hocking coming through with key hits in the biggest game of the year.

The Twins got away with their ineffective closer Eddie Guardado, the A’s couldn’t get out of the ninth inning without Billy Koch giving up three runs.

Tim Hudson couldn’t win a game, Brad Radke won two, including game five, the biggest game of his career.

Now the Twins face the Angels. One of those two teams will be in the world series.

Hitting is the common thread of the two teams. They both used a good offense to oust their opponents, two teams, the A’s and the Yankees, that won 103 regular season games.

Now the Giants and Braves play game five in Atlanta.

Here’s what I think. [Read more →]