MLB Post Season (was: Roy Halladay)

[Damn True]

....just threw the 1st post season no-hitter since Don Larsen in the 1956 (or '54?) World Series.

That's gotta sting a little JP.

[BonzoHansen]

Albert is probably mad!

Halladay was in total control tonight, you saw it right off the bat.

[shortrack]

as a "sort of" Jays fan its good to see Halladay do well in what he wanted SO bad...to play in the post season.

[dropit69]

WOW only 1 stinking walk away from a perfect one too..but he had that in the regular season..im just mad i was working alllll day and missed it Congrats Roy !!!!

[alowerlevel]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/imagesqtbnANd9GcTRDjZhnXfVabpMs7EfyWOk73-1.jpg

[BLWN1]

Reds will win it....

[parsonsj]

I watched every pitch. You gotta admire Halladay. The game was over in lightning speed. The Reds had one baserunner the whole game, and the Phillies only had two after the 2nd inning. Watching batter after batter swing and miss on the 2nd pitch (which was nearly always a slider) to go down 0-2 in the count was a little frustrating, to say the least.

But there was another thing going on too: according to the little box of balls and strikes that TBS keeps on the screen, Halladay got calls just off the plate (which Herschbeck is famous for), and Volquez didn't. The only difference it would have made in the game is that Volquez would have gotten out of the 2nd inning, and the final score would have been 2-0 instead of 4-0. But it was annoying, I gotta say.

I have tickets in Cincinnati for games 3 and 4. Hopefully, I'll get to see Halladay in person.

Go Reds!

jp

[wiedemab]

I have tickets in Cincinnati for games 3 and 4. Hopefully, I'll get to see Halladay in person.

Go Reds!

jp

JP - I have tickets for the game(s) in Cincy - let's hope it's games. Maybe we can at least meet up to say Hi, or if you have time we can grab a cold one before the game.

Let me know and I'll PM you my cell.

[parsonsj]

Brandon, sounds good! Send me your cell! I'll respond with my cell.

jp

[COPO-RAT]

I watched every pitch. You gotta admire Halladay. The game was over in lightning speed. The Reds had one baserunner the whole game, and the Phillies only had two after the 2nd inning. Watching batter after batter swing and miss on the 2nd pitch (which was nearly always a slider) to go down 0-2 in the count was a little frustrating, to say the least.

But there was another thing going on too: according to the little box of balls and strikes that TBS keeps on the screen, Halladay got calls just off the plate (which Herschbeck is famous for), and Volquez didn't. The only difference it would have made in the game is that Volquez would have gotten out of the 2nd inning, and the final score would have been 2-0 instead of 4-0. But it was annoying, I gotta say.

I have tickets in Cincinnati for games 3 and 4. Hopefully, I'll get to see Halladay in person.

Go Reds!

jp

I'm glad I wasn't the only one that noticed Volquez wasn't gettin the calls Roy was. Like you said, the only difference would have been the final score. Not taking anything from Halladay, he was ON for sure.
Wood did a good job shuttin em down though. He had a perfect game or no hitter going into the 9th against the Phillies in the regular season. With 4 of the Phillies 5 wins against the Reds in the regular season going to extras and the 5th win being a one run win, I'm hoping that the Reds can make it a series. It's hard to count them out, if you've watched them at all this year. We will see.

[parsonsj]

It's hard to count them out, if you've watched them at all this year. We will see.I've watched at least a hundred games this year via MLB.com. They are indeed a tough, don't quit, never-say-die bunch. I'm hopeful the Reds can earn a split by beating former Reds-killer (until this year) Roy Oswalt. Let's just hope Bad Bronson is out playing his guitar, and Good Bronson takes the mound tomorrow night.

jp

[Damn True]

What has two thumbs and is going to game #1 tonight at Mays Field (refuse to call it AT&T) between The Giants and Braves?

THIS GUY!

I also have tix to game #5 but hope that the series will be over before then.

[COPO-RAT]

I'm hopeful the Reds can earn a split by beating former Reds-killer (until this year) Roy Oswalt. Let's just hope Bad Bronson is out playing his guitar, and Good Bronson takes the mound tomorrow night.

jp

I'm with ya there! Bad Bronson needs to be playin his guitar making JTM commercials and leave good Bronson to take the mound!

They have beaten Oswalt 2x this year, albeit when he was with the 'Stros (they did beat Halladay once in philly too), but he typically does indeed own the reds.

Good thing the Phillies don't still have Cliff Lee! Their starting rotation is tough enough as it is.

[parsonsj]

Have fun at the ballpark (though that's redundant)!

I've been to one game (it was Pac Bell park then) there. I've frozen my ass at Candlestick many times in the 70s/early 80s.

jp

[Damn True]

Kathy and I were at the Giants v Madres on Firday and again when they clinched on Sunday. My ears were ringing the next day after both games. Never heard that yard so loud. Tonight is going to go to 11!

....secretly hoping for a Giants v Yankees World Series.

[dadto2jays]

The guy is a "Stud" great pitcher now you have the media questioning the strike zone...

[parsonsj]

The guy is a "Stud" great pitcher now you have the media questioning the strike zone...Ah, so they noticed too? Got a link?

jp

[parsonsj]

I'm in the "anyone but the Yankees" camp for the AL side. It would be cool if the Rays could get there. Failing that, I'm kind of fond of the Rangers, if only because Josh Hamilton was a Red.

jp

[John Wright]

<sneaks in the room and yells> Go Braves!<quickly runs back out the door>

[Damn True]

CJ Wilson is dealing and the Rangers are leading 6-0

[Damn True]

<sneaks in the room and yells> Go Braves!<quickly runs back out the door>

Stop the chop!



.....and take the owners name off the yard. Unless your last name is Komisky or Wrigley you shouldn't have your own name on your teams ballpark.

[parsonsj]

I found this link:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/nlds-game-one-review-philadelphia/

Excerpt:
And yet, he had a tiny bit of help, including a great play by Carlos Ruiz to close out the game. Check out this game graph from Brooks Baseball, which shows that John Hirschbeck’s strikezone was a little bit generous on the sides, but nothing that Orlando Cabrera should have been whining about:

Anyway, kudos to Halladay. I hope the Reds get the chance to see him again in this series.

jp

[BonzoHansen]

Go Yanks!

[CRCRFT78]

Tim "F*@k Yeah" Lincecum is teaching a class on pitching tonight. The Braves are getting chopped so far.

[John Wright]

dang it....

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/game/20101007/atlanta-braves-vs-san-francisco-giants/301007126?type=recap&flv=1

[parsonsj]

Congrats to the Giants and Tim Lincecum. He pitched better than Halladay.

Check this (http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/keeping-score-was-lincecums-gem-more-brilliant-than-halladays/?hp) out.

This kind of stuff is why baseball is the greatest game on earth!

Excerpt:

Neither Halladay nor Lincecum gave up a home run, so they were even on that score. But their strikeout totals were markedly different: Halladay punched out “only” 8 batters to Lincecum’s 14. By my calculation, with normal luck, a pitcher with Halladay’s eight strikeouts, one walk, and zero home runs allowed in 28 batters faced would give up an average of 1.55 earned runs per nine innings, while one with Lincecum’s 14 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 0 home runs allowed in 30 batters faced would surrender just 0.37.

This approach tells you who pitched better. Whose pitching was more valuable is an entirely different question — and the answer is even more favorable to Lincecum.

The Phillies didn’t need Roy Halladay to throw a no-hitter, or even a shutout. Since they scored four runs, they would have triumphed even if Halladay had allowed three. Lincecum’s shutout, by contrast, won the Giants a 1-0 nailbiter — with anything less than Tim Lincecum at his best on the mound, they would have gone into extra innings or lost outright.

[moreHP]

Isnt it amazing how obvious the importance of pitching becomes once the post season starts?

Especially in a short series when you are not likely to see a pitcher more than once in the series. If you cant get to him the first go around you are in trouble!

[Damn True]

JP,

Thank you for understanding Baseball stats and what they mean.

Honestly, both performances were epic. But Lincecum was just a little bit better from the perspective of INDIVIDUAL PITCHING performance while Halladay's was a bit more dependent on team effort.

Lincecum Game Score - 96
Halladay Game Score - 94

Why the difference?

Pitching with a 4 run lead =/= pitching with a 1 run lead.

14 K's for Lincecum vs 8 for Halladay

Win in a save situation for Lincecum vs a win for Halladay.

Better Strike/Ball ratio for Lincecum.

IP - 9
P - 119
Strikes - 75
H - 2
BB - 1
ET - 2:26

.....oh....and of particular note: The slider that Lincecum threw for 4 of his 14 punchouts....

He learned that pitch.......wait for it.........less than 6 weeks ago.


...and 31 swings and miss strikes for Lincecum last night, most by any pitcher in any game this season.

12/14 K's were swing and miss.

Struck out the entire side in the 2nd inning, all 9 strikes were swing and miss.

One word - Dominance.

[parsonsj]

Right. The Big 162 (as Scott Rolen calls it) is a marathon. The best teams emerge during the regular season, and hot and cold streaks usually get averaged out, and a team's best pitcher can only go every 5 games.

It's different during the playoffs. That's a sprint, and a team's best pitcher can go every 3 games. So pitching's importance is increased during the playoffs. Teams like the Giants and Phillies with their top of the rotation studs will have an advantage over teams that don't like the Reds and Braves.

jp

[Damn True]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Plus one more K

[parsonsj]

Well, the Reds have the Phillies right where they want 'em. :2nd:

[Damn True]

Analysis of this game is simple:

Braves got over on the toughest bullpen in the majors tonight and the Giants offense failed to execute.

That is all.









.....Rick freaking Ankiel? Are your freaking kidding me?

Brian McCann or Jayson Heyward I could live with....but Ankiel? Gee whiz!

[Flash68]

.....Rick freaking Ankiel? Are your freaking kidding me?

Brian McCann or Jayson Heyward I could live with....but Ankiel? Gee whiz!

Ankiel is a stud. He was performing at a high level 10 years ago in the post season. (Granted, that was as a pitcher!) That guy is an athlete - plain and simple.

Still .. go giants! I'm hoping for game 5 now too so I can see them live!

[Damn True]

Ankiel is a stud. He was performing at a high level 10 years ago in the post season. (Granted, that was as a pitcher!) That guy is an athlete - plain and simple.

Still .. go giants! I'm hoping for game 5 now too so I can see them live!

I have tix to game 5 as well. I really hope to not need them, but I told my wife when we clinched that the series would most likely be 5 deliciously TORTURE filled games.....right on track so far.

[BonzoHansen]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this: http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2010/10/08/unfazed-by-confusion-with-lincecum/

[BonzoHansen]

Hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/NolanRyanAndW-1.png (http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=14872014&content_id=12833591)


Tonight's game Lincecum vs.Halladay is must watch TV

[Damn True]

I was speechless during the series with the Phillies. I was able to go to game #4 in SF. Hands down the best ballgame I have ever seen.

So pure. So perfect. Straight up country hardball. Loved it! The whole series with Philly was just epic.....


....and now this...

LOVING THIS!

[parsonsj]

Go Giants! (go National League!)

jp

[Damn True]

THAT JUST HAPPENED!

I can't believe it. I never thought I'd see it happen. Can't even put it in perspective.

[wedgehead]

My team did not win but it was a great ride. The best season ever for us Ranger fans and hopefully more to come. I did get to go to a World Series game and never thought I would get to see my team in it.

[moreHP]

You have to give major credit to the giants for making the most of their chance in post season. They barely got in to the playoffs and only because san diego rolled over and choked the last month of the season. Then the giants run the table and win it all. Impressive.

[CRCRFT78]

The season and the playoffs are two different monsters. Glad to see the Giants walked the walk. Clinching every series in the away ballpark. Bittersweet it is.

[zbugger]

I've waited a long time for this. I'm so happy and still can't believe it. They are real proof that it takes a TEAM to do great things. And with this pitching staff it could be one of many playoff runs to come.