Wednesday, October 23, 1985 - World Series - Game 4 vs Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium II - Attendance: 53,634 - Starting Pitchers: John Tudor vs Bud Black
John Tudor blanked the Royals on five hits - while the Cardinal offense played a long-ball/Whitey Ball parlay - en route to a 3-0 Game Four World Series victory. With a three games to one lead over Kansas City in the Fall Classic, the Cardinals were on the cusp of their second world championship in four years.
With methodical efficiency, Tudor had this game under control from start to finish - issuing just one base on balls while striking out eight.
Meanwhile, Kansas City starter Bud Black made few mistakes in his five innings of work, but when he did, the Cardinals were able to capitalize. With one out in the second-inning, Tito Landrum's opposite-field solo home run down the right field line gave Tudor the only run he would need.
The unexpected power surge continued - when 1982 World Series hero Willie McGee launched another solo home run off Black - this one coming with two out in the third-inning.
In the fifth-inning, the Redbirds scored their final run of the night in a more conventional manner - at least for Whitey Herzog's '85 Cardinals. With one out, Terry Pendleton lined a triple in the right center field gap - then scored when catcher Tom Nieto laid down a perfect squeeze-play bunt. In fielding the ball, a distracted Black threw wildly past first base, allowing Nieto to reach second, but that was inconsequential. Nieto didn't score, but three runs were plenty tonight.
Those three runs would've come in handy in Game Six - the devastating 2-1 loss when Cardinal fans are still blaming a blown call at first base for costing the team a world championship. What really cost the Cardinals was their inability to hit - and score runs. Credit the Royals' pitching staff for doing their job against a once-potent Cardinals' offense.
With this Game Four win, manager Whitey Herzog still had his trump card available for a possible seventh game showdown - John Tudor - who had been so flawless for the Cardinals in his first two World Series starts.
Showing posts with label kansas city royals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kansas city royals. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
October 16, 1985 - Clark's 3-Run 9th-Inning Blast Sends Cards to World Series
Wednesday, October 16, 1985 - Game 6 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers - At Dodger Stadium - Attendance: 55,208 - Starting Pitchers: Joaquin Andujar vs Orel Hershiser
The Cardinals are trailing, 5-4, with two on and two out in the top of the ninth-inning. Ozzie Smith is on second - Willie McGee on third. The next scheduled hitter is Jack Clark - aka "Jack the Ripper". Andy Van Slyke - aka "Van Strike" - is on deck.
Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda has a decision to make: With first base open, should he instruct reliever Tom Niedenfuer to intentionally walk Clark to face Van Slyke? Lasorda's decision is captured by lip-readers from coast to coast watching the game on NBC: "Pitch to the son of a bitch!"
At this moment, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast are leaning forward in anticipation of what is about to transpire on Niedenfuer's very first pitch - a fastball, right down the middle: Jack rips it deep into the left field bleachers. Dodgers' left fielder Pedro Guerrero - a demonstrative slugger who can't believe what he just saw - slams his glove to the ground as the ball zooms a hundred or so feet over his head.
The instant Clark makes contact with the ball, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast leap
for joy - knowing that ball is long gone. No doubt some of those fans, who may have been taking an extended lunch hour to watch the game at a nearby sports bar, have caused quite a commotion by accidentally knocking over the little table where they are sitting - and with it, whatever is left of the burger, fries and coke that sits atop that tabletop. Broken glass and stoneware litter the area as Clark slowly makes his triumphant trip around the bases - no doubt oblivious to the property damage his swing inadvertently incurred.
Complete strangers, sharing an allegiance to St Louis Cardinal baseball are sharing high-fives, as an assortment of harried bus boys are busy sweeping the area of the carnage, making little attempt to hide their contempt for such reckless customer behavior. The waitress hovers over the culprit asking with feigned concern for his well-being - implying that all this extra work deserves extra compensation - and rightfully so.
As the NBC camera relentlessly fixates on the distraught Tommy Lasorda in the Dodgers' dugout - the pained expression on his face reveals what's he's now asking himself: "Why didn't we walk that son of a bitch?" Lasorda's trembling hand smooths down his white mat of hair which has suddenly gotten even whiter in just a few seconds. Even those who despise Lasorda's tiresome "Dodger Blue" mantra feel some measure of compassion - if only for a split second - for this man after making what was a blatant tactical error. Of course, Lasorda would never admit it - but anyone with any knowledge of baseball would be able to see through the facade.
The Cardinals had survived a start by their least reliable pitcher over the past several weeks - Joaquin Andujar: 6 IP - 6 H - 4 R - 2 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR - Although two of the runs he coughed up were "unearned", they came as a direct result of Andujar's own defensive miscue.
In typical Andujar fashion, his greatest contribution to Cardinal victory came while batting in the third inning, down 2-0 already. Leading-off the inning, Andujar doubled and eventually scored from third base on Tommy Herr's two-out single.
The Cardinals were even rougher on Dodger starter Orel Heshiser: 6.1 IP - 9 H - 4 R - 4 ER - 1 BB - 1 SO. Still, Hershiser was in line for the win, had Niedenfuer avoided calamity for the second straight game: 2.2 IP - 3 H - 3 R - 3 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR
Earning the win was rookie Todd Worrell, despite giving up a tie-breaking home run to Mike Marshall in the eighth-inning: 2 IP - 2 H - 1 R - 1 ER - 2 BB - 2 SO - 1 HR
The Cardinals had to put together a bit of seventh-inning magic to forge that tie to begin with. Trailing 4-1, both Darrell Porter and Tito Landrum singled off a tiring Hershiser to start the inning. Pinch hitting for Andujar - Steve Braun - moved both runners up with a ground ball to the right side. Then Willie McGee - an unsung hero in this game - singled in both runners to make it a 4-3 game.
Lasorda then brought in the guy who gave up Ozzie's "Go Crazy, Folks" home run in Game Five - Tom Niedenfuer - who was forced to face his nemesis once again - with similar results. Ozzie lined one off the base of right field wall - just missing a home run by a few feet. The ball rattled around in the corner long enough for Ozzie to cruise into third, as McGee easily scored the tying run, to make it a 4-4 game.
Niedenfuer then walked Herr intentionally to set up a potential double play with Clark due up next. However, Clark struck out - as did Van Slyke to end the threat. After Marshall's eighth-inning home run over the right field fence gave LA a 5-4 lead, Niedenfuer's heroics came to an abrupt halt with the iconic Jack Clark blast deep into the Southern California early-autumn afternoon haze.
Getting his second postseason save was Ken Dayley, who retired the shell-shocked Dodgers in order in the bottom of the ninth: 1 IP - 0 H - 0 R - 0 BB - 2 SO
Heading into the World Series, the Cardinals were huge favorites to win their second world championship in four seasons - but for a variety of reasons, that didn't come to pass. Their opponents - the Kansas City Royals - won the last three games - to not only capture their only championship in franchise history. They also started quite a postseason winning streak, in the process. With eight straight postseason victories in 2014, their overall streak has now reached eleven in a row - an unsustainable streak that will in all likelihood end with a World Series defeat.
The odds-on favorite to oppose the Cinderella Royals are now the San Francisco Giants, who lead the Cardinals three games to one in the NLCS. The Cardinals have never recovered from such a deficit to win any best-of-seven postseason series. In fact three out of the four times they trailed by such a margin, they lost Game Five (1943 World Series, 2000 NLCS & 2002 NLCS). The one time they staved-off elimination in Game Five happened in the 2005 NLCS - when Albert Pujols hit his iconic three-run home run in Houston to extend the series for a Game Six showdown in St Louis.
No fairy tale ending there - as the Cardinals were bounced out of the postseason by those wild card Astros in the last game ever played at Busch Stadium II.
But wouldn't it be fitting, if the Cardinals could turn the tables on the Giants - who overcame a three games to one deficit to the wild card Cardinals two years ago - en route to a World Series sweep of the Detroit Tigers? Besides, the Cardinals have a 29-year-old score to settle with that Royals team.
If they can somehow salvage Game Five in San Francisco...anything's possible.
The Cardinals are trailing, 5-4, with two on and two out in the top of the ninth-inning. Ozzie Smith is on second - Willie McGee on third. The next scheduled hitter is Jack Clark - aka "Jack the Ripper". Andy Van Slyke - aka "Van Strike" - is on deck.
Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda has a decision to make: With first base open, should he instruct reliever Tom Niedenfuer to intentionally walk Clark to face Van Slyke? Lasorda's decision is captured by lip-readers from coast to coast watching the game on NBC: "Pitch to the son of a bitch!"
At this moment, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast are leaning forward in anticipation of what is about to transpire on Niedenfuer's very first pitch - a fastball, right down the middle: Jack rips it deep into the left field bleachers. Dodgers' left fielder Pedro Guerrero - a demonstrative slugger who can't believe what he just saw - slams his glove to the ground as the ball zooms a hundred or so feet over his head.
The instant Clark makes contact with the ball, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast leap
for joy - knowing that ball is long gone. No doubt some of those fans, who may have been taking an extended lunch hour to watch the game at a nearby sports bar, have caused quite a commotion by accidentally knocking over the little table where they are sitting - and with it, whatever is left of the burger, fries and coke that sits atop that tabletop. Broken glass and stoneware litter the area as Clark slowly makes his triumphant trip around the bases - no doubt oblivious to the property damage his swing inadvertently incurred.
Complete strangers, sharing an allegiance to St Louis Cardinal baseball are sharing high-fives, as an assortment of harried bus boys are busy sweeping the area of the carnage, making little attempt to hide their contempt for such reckless customer behavior. The waitress hovers over the culprit asking with feigned concern for his well-being - implying that all this extra work deserves extra compensation - and rightfully so.
As the NBC camera relentlessly fixates on the distraught Tommy Lasorda in the Dodgers' dugout - the pained expression on his face reveals what's he's now asking himself: "Why didn't we walk that son of a bitch?" Lasorda's trembling hand smooths down his white mat of hair which has suddenly gotten even whiter in just a few seconds. Even those who despise Lasorda's tiresome "Dodger Blue" mantra feel some measure of compassion - if only for a split second - for this man after making what was a blatant tactical error. Of course, Lasorda would never admit it - but anyone with any knowledge of baseball would be able to see through the facade.
The Cardinals had survived a start by their least reliable pitcher over the past several weeks - Joaquin Andujar: 6 IP - 6 H - 4 R - 2 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR - Although two of the runs he coughed up were "unearned", they came as a direct result of Andujar's own defensive miscue.
In typical Andujar fashion, his greatest contribution to Cardinal victory came while batting in the third inning, down 2-0 already. Leading-off the inning, Andujar doubled and eventually scored from third base on Tommy Herr's two-out single.
The Cardinals were even rougher on Dodger starter Orel Heshiser: 6.1 IP - 9 H - 4 R - 4 ER - 1 BB - 1 SO. Still, Hershiser was in line for the win, had Niedenfuer avoided calamity for the second straight game: 2.2 IP - 3 H - 3 R - 3 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR
Earning the win was rookie Todd Worrell, despite giving up a tie-breaking home run to Mike Marshall in the eighth-inning: 2 IP - 2 H - 1 R - 1 ER - 2 BB - 2 SO - 1 HR
The Cardinals had to put together a bit of seventh-inning magic to forge that tie to begin with. Trailing 4-1, both Darrell Porter and Tito Landrum singled off a tiring Hershiser to start the inning. Pinch hitting for Andujar - Steve Braun - moved both runners up with a ground ball to the right side. Then Willie McGee - an unsung hero in this game - singled in both runners to make it a 4-3 game.
Lasorda then brought in the guy who gave up Ozzie's "Go Crazy, Folks" home run in Game Five - Tom Niedenfuer - who was forced to face his nemesis once again - with similar results. Ozzie lined one off the base of right field wall - just missing a home run by a few feet. The ball rattled around in the corner long enough for Ozzie to cruise into third, as McGee easily scored the tying run, to make it a 4-4 game.
Niedenfuer then walked Herr intentionally to set up a potential double play with Clark due up next. However, Clark struck out - as did Van Slyke to end the threat. After Marshall's eighth-inning home run over the right field fence gave LA a 5-4 lead, Niedenfuer's heroics came to an abrupt halt with the iconic Jack Clark blast deep into the Southern California early-autumn afternoon haze.
Getting his second postseason save was Ken Dayley, who retired the shell-shocked Dodgers in order in the bottom of the ninth: 1 IP - 0 H - 0 R - 0 BB - 2 SO
Heading into the World Series, the Cardinals were huge favorites to win their second world championship in four seasons - but for a variety of reasons, that didn't come to pass. Their opponents - the Kansas City Royals - won the last three games - to not only capture their only championship in franchise history. They also started quite a postseason winning streak, in the process. With eight straight postseason victories in 2014, their overall streak has now reached eleven in a row - an unsustainable streak that will in all likelihood end with a World Series defeat.
The odds-on favorite to oppose the Cinderella Royals are now the San Francisco Giants, who lead the Cardinals three games to one in the NLCS. The Cardinals have never recovered from such a deficit to win any best-of-seven postseason series. In fact three out of the four times they trailed by such a margin, they lost Game Five (1943 World Series, 2000 NLCS & 2002 NLCS). The one time they staved-off elimination in Game Five happened in the 2005 NLCS - when Albert Pujols hit his iconic three-run home run in Houston to extend the series for a Game Six showdown in St Louis.
No fairy tale ending there - as the Cardinals were bounced out of the postseason by those wild card Astros in the last game ever played at Busch Stadium II.
But wouldn't it be fitting, if the Cardinals could turn the tables on the Giants - who overcame a three games to one deficit to the wild card Cardinals two years ago - en route to a World Series sweep of the Detroit Tigers? Besides, the Cardinals have a 29-year-old score to settle with that Royals team.
If they can somehow salvage Game Five in San Francisco...anything's possible.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
May 22, 2009 - Greene & Greene Star in Win Over KC - May 23, 2010 - Extra-Inning Walk-Off Win Over Halos
Friday, May 22, 2009 - With a nice crowd of 43,429 predominantly Cardinals fans at Busch Stadium III, the Redbirds' cross-state rivals - the Kansas City Royals - dutifully played sacrificial lamb in the first game of a three-game series - The final score: Cards 5 - Royals 0.
Todd Wellemeyer, who spent some time with Kansas City in '07, started the game for St Louis. The Royals' lineup had to be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a former teammate who posted a 10.34 ERA in 15.2 IP as a Royal - featuring four home runs allowed. Was that just a ploy to lull them to sleep two years later? If so, it worked beautifully. Wellemeyer pitched quite well tonight - 6 IP - 4 H - 0 R - 3 BB - 3 SO - but ran into trouble in the seventh - a lead-off walk and a single had runners on first and second, with nobody out. At this point in the game, St Louis only held a slight 2-0 advantage.
Out of the Cardinal bullpen came Trevor Miller to pitch to one batter who intended to bunt the runners up to second and third. He did, ending Miller's work day. The next guy out of the Cardinal bullpen was Jason Motte, with the game on the line. He preserved the lead by striking out Bloomquist and Butler, then pitched a scoreless eighth-inning before turning the ball over to McClellan.
For the Royals, Kyle Davies started this game and took the loss, thanks to a two-run first-inning single by Nick Stavinoha, which scored Braden and Pujols. Those were the only runs Davies allowed in six innings of work. His replacement, Horacio Ramirez, couldn't get anybody named "Greene" out. Unfortunately for Horacio, there were two guys named "Greene" in the St Louis lineup.
The first "Greene" - Tyler - hit a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh-inning to pad the Cardinal lead to 3-0. The second "Greene" - Khalil - entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth-inning with the bases loaded and one out. His single scored the final two runs of the game, making "Greene" a household name in Cardinal Nation for a day or so. Of course, both Tyler and Khalil are long gone; and so is Stavinoha and Wellemeyer, for that matter. Farewell, stars of this game. We hardly knew ye.
Sunday, May 23, 2010 - This was the rubber game of a three-game series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the St Louis Cardinals of Downtown St Louis. Today's pitching match-up featured a couple of Cy Young Award-caliber hurlers - Jered Weaver for the visiting Halos and Chris Carpenter for the Redbirds. A typical Sunday afternoon Busch Stadium III crowd of 42,417 for the most part, probably expected a low-scoring pitcher's duel. Not quite. What they got instead was a nice, come-from-behind walk-off winner for the Cardinals to send most of the folks home happy.
LA A of A drew first blood off Carpenter in the second-inning when Kendrys Morales led off with an opposite-field home run to right. They drew second blood in the fourth-inning when Mike Napoli also homered, but with two runners on base, extending the Halos lead to 4-0. Seemingly a comfortable lead with Weaver on the mound. Not quite.
The Cardinals came right back in the home-half of the fourth with three runs of their own - Yadier Molina drove in two with a bases loaded single, then shortstop Eric Aybar booted Brendan Ryan's ground ball, allowing an unearned run to score.
The Halos scored an unearned run of their own in the fifth. It all started with one out, when Aybar hit a ground ball in the direction of Albert Pujols, who booted it for an error - his first of the season. With Aybar on first, the next hitter, Howie Kendrick hit another ground ball to Pujols, who fielded it cleanly, but made a bad throw to second trying to get the lead runner - his second error of the season. Both runners were safe; then Aybar came in to score on Bobby Abreu's bloop single to left field. Carpenter was able to pitch out of further trouble, but the Cardinals now trailed, 5-3; and it was getting late. The good news for the Cardinals: Weaver would be finished after six innings of work, and the Angels' bullpen wasn't very reliable in 2010 (it still isn't in 2014). Carpenter would be finished after six innings of work as well, allowing five runs - four earned runs. The Cardinal bullpen - Reyes, Motte, and Franklin - kept the Angels from scoring again in four innings of work.
One guy who was no doubt very happy to see Weaver depart was Cardinals' left fielder, Ryan Ludwick, who struck out all three times against him. In the bottom of the eighth-inning, Ludwick led off against Fernando Rodney, a free-spirited dude notorious for wearing his baseball cap tilted in an absurdly cockeyed manner to irritate baseball purists like me. Ludwick grounded out to third, ecstatic he didn't strike out this time.
With one out, Albert Pujols, trying to atone for committing two errors in the fifth-inning which led to an unearned run, drew a walk. With Holliday now batting, and Rodney concerned about the angle of tilt on his cap, Albert catches everybody by surprise by stealing second. An indignant Rodney then strikes out Holliday, bringing the flaky Colby Rasmus to the plate with two out. Rasmus lays off a couple of nasty sliders out of the strike zone to coax a walk. The next hitter is David Freese, who patiently took the first pitch for a strike as Pujols and Rasmus caught everybody by surprise by executing a perfect double steal.
(Note: It's the first time in his career that Pujols has stolen two bases in one game; which makes up for the first time in his career he's ever committed two errors on back-to-back plays.)
With first base open and two runners now in scoring position, Rodney elects to pitch to Freese, who grounds a single to right field, scoring both runners to tie the game, 5-5. That's where the score remained as the Cardinals came up to bat in the bottom of the tenth.
Scot Shields was now pitching for the Angels, and he had some control problems, first walking Matt Holliday to lead off the inning. After Rasmus struck out, David Freese was hit by a pitch, then Yadier Molina drew another walk to load the bases. Exit Shields; enter Trevor Bell to pitch to Felipe Lopez, who struck out back in the seventh-inning pinch hitting for Brendan Ryan; then took over at shortstop.
With the bases loaded and one out the outfield had to play extremely shallow. Felipe took advantage of that - got a pitch he could handle - and lofted a fly ball over center fielder Torii Hunter's head for a game winning single. Ryan Franklin (2 IP - 0 H - 0 R - 3 SO) got the win (3-0).
At this point in the season, the Cardinals seemed to be in good shape, occupying first place in the NL Central. Inexplicably, they faded in the second half, losing with alarming regularity to teams like the Cubs, Astros, and Brewers. Go figure.
Todd Wellemeyer, who spent some time with Kansas City in '07, started the game for St Louis. The Royals' lineup had to be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a former teammate who posted a 10.34 ERA in 15.2 IP as a Royal - featuring four home runs allowed. Was that just a ploy to lull them to sleep two years later? If so, it worked beautifully. Wellemeyer pitched quite well tonight - 6 IP - 4 H - 0 R - 3 BB - 3 SO - but ran into trouble in the seventh - a lead-off walk and a single had runners on first and second, with nobody out. At this point in the game, St Louis only held a slight 2-0 advantage.
Out of the Cardinal bullpen came Trevor Miller to pitch to one batter who intended to bunt the runners up to second and third. He did, ending Miller's work day. The next guy out of the Cardinal bullpen was Jason Motte, with the game on the line. He preserved the lead by striking out Bloomquist and Butler, then pitched a scoreless eighth-inning before turning the ball over to McClellan.
For the Royals, Kyle Davies started this game and took the loss, thanks to a two-run first-inning single by Nick Stavinoha, which scored Braden and Pujols. Those were the only runs Davies allowed in six innings of work. His replacement, Horacio Ramirez, couldn't get anybody named "Greene" out. Unfortunately for Horacio, there were two guys named "Greene" in the St Louis lineup.
The first "Greene" - Tyler - hit a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh-inning to pad the Cardinal lead to 3-0. The second "Greene" - Khalil - entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth-inning with the bases loaded and one out. His single scored the final two runs of the game, making "Greene" a household name in Cardinal Nation for a day or so. Of course, both Tyler and Khalil are long gone; and so is Stavinoha and Wellemeyer, for that matter. Farewell, stars of this game. We hardly knew ye.
Sunday, May 23, 2010 - This was the rubber game of a three-game series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the St Louis Cardinals of Downtown St Louis. Today's pitching match-up featured a couple of Cy Young Award-caliber hurlers - Jered Weaver for the visiting Halos and Chris Carpenter for the Redbirds. A typical Sunday afternoon Busch Stadium III crowd of 42,417 for the most part, probably expected a low-scoring pitcher's duel. Not quite. What they got instead was a nice, come-from-behind walk-off winner for the Cardinals to send most of the folks home happy.
LA A of A drew first blood off Carpenter in the second-inning when Kendrys Morales led off with an opposite-field home run to right. They drew second blood in the fourth-inning when Mike Napoli also homered, but with two runners on base, extending the Halos lead to 4-0. Seemingly a comfortable lead with Weaver on the mound. Not quite.
The Cardinals came right back in the home-half of the fourth with three runs of their own - Yadier Molina drove in two with a bases loaded single, then shortstop Eric Aybar booted Brendan Ryan's ground ball, allowing an unearned run to score.
The Halos scored an unearned run of their own in the fifth. It all started with one out, when Aybar hit a ground ball in the direction of Albert Pujols, who booted it for an error - his first of the season. With Aybar on first, the next hitter, Howie Kendrick hit another ground ball to Pujols, who fielded it cleanly, but made a bad throw to second trying to get the lead runner - his second error of the season. Both runners were safe; then Aybar came in to score on Bobby Abreu's bloop single to left field. Carpenter was able to pitch out of further trouble, but the Cardinals now trailed, 5-3; and it was getting late. The good news for the Cardinals: Weaver would be finished after six innings of work, and the Angels' bullpen wasn't very reliable in 2010 (it still isn't in 2014). Carpenter would be finished after six innings of work as well, allowing five runs - four earned runs. The Cardinal bullpen - Reyes, Motte, and Franklin - kept the Angels from scoring again in four innings of work.
One guy who was no doubt very happy to see Weaver depart was Cardinals' left fielder, Ryan Ludwick, who struck out all three times against him. In the bottom of the eighth-inning, Ludwick led off against Fernando Rodney, a free-spirited dude notorious for wearing his baseball cap tilted in an absurdly cockeyed manner to irritate baseball purists like me. Ludwick grounded out to third, ecstatic he didn't strike out this time.
With one out, Albert Pujols, trying to atone for committing two errors in the fifth-inning which led to an unearned run, drew a walk. With Holliday now batting, and Rodney concerned about the angle of tilt on his cap, Albert catches everybody by surprise by stealing second. An indignant Rodney then strikes out Holliday, bringing the flaky Colby Rasmus to the plate with two out. Rasmus lays off a couple of nasty sliders out of the strike zone to coax a walk. The next hitter is David Freese, who patiently took the first pitch for a strike as Pujols and Rasmus caught everybody by surprise by executing a perfect double steal.
(Note: It's the first time in his career that Pujols has stolen two bases in one game; which makes up for the first time in his career he's ever committed two errors on back-to-back plays.)
With first base open and two runners now in scoring position, Rodney elects to pitch to Freese, who grounds a single to right field, scoring both runners to tie the game, 5-5. That's where the score remained as the Cardinals came up to bat in the bottom of the tenth.
Scot Shields was now pitching for the Angels, and he had some control problems, first walking Matt Holliday to lead off the inning. After Rasmus struck out, David Freese was hit by a pitch, then Yadier Molina drew another walk to load the bases. Exit Shields; enter Trevor Bell to pitch to Felipe Lopez, who struck out back in the seventh-inning pinch hitting for Brendan Ryan; then took over at shortstop.
With the bases loaded and one out the outfield had to play extremely shallow. Felipe took advantage of that - got a pitch he could handle - and lofted a fly ball over center fielder Torii Hunter's head for a game winning single. Ryan Franklin (2 IP - 0 H - 0 R - 3 SO) got the win (3-0).
At this point in the season, the Cardinals seemed to be in good shape, occupying first place in the NL Central. Inexplicably, they faded in the second half, losing with alarming regularity to teams like the Cubs, Astros, and Brewers. Go figure.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Postseason "Wild Ride" Nothing New for Cardinals
A little over two weeks ago, Barry Zito - an unlikely hero - pitched the San Francisco Giants back into the National League Championship Series, winning Game Five over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, and sending the two teams back to San Francisco for the final two blowouts. Zito's surprising win over the Redbirds was the first of seven consecutive postseason victories San Francisco would compile en route to their second World Championship in the last three seasons.
For the Cardinals, it was a bitter disappointment; ending their postseason dream of successfully defending a World Championship which nobody outside of the St Louis organization thought possible to begin with. Just when so many of the naysayers finally jumped on the Redbirds' bandwagon, those magical bats - which carried them past Atlanta, then Washington DC, and through the early contests with San Francisco - were abruptly neutralized by the Giants' three hottest pitchers: the aforementioned Zito, then Vogelsong and Cain. All pitched brilliantly in the NLCS, and carried that momentum into a World Series four-game sweep of a Detroit Tigers team most baseball analysts predicted would do the "sweeping". They were wrong again (See: 2006 World Series).
Meanwhile, back in Cardinal Nation, the frustration of getting within one win from an eighteenth World Series appearance - and four wins away from their 12th World Championship - had players and fans alike shaking their heads in disbelief. Perhaps many of those disheartened souls don't remember what happened in 1968; or 1985; maybe not even 1996? Perhaps they just remember the last time the Cardinals held a three games to one postseason advantage - over the Detroit Tigers, in the 2006 World Series. Of course, that story had a happy ending, with St Louis taking care of business at home, winning three straight to clinch their 10th World Championship in just five games. Believe it or not, I never felt comfortable about that favorable outcome until that last out was recorded in Game Five. Here's why:
The Cardinals have actually blown more 3 games to 1 postseason leads than not; and more than any other MLB team. After their most recent meltdown against the newly crowned World Champions - the Redbirds, in their long and glorious history - have now blown four, while only winning three, after holding that seemingly insurmountable three games to one postseason advantage. To get a better understanding of what went wrong, let's examine the crime scenes:
1968 WORLD SERIES VS DETROIT TIGERS - Strangely enough, it was the Detroit Tigers who trailed Bob Gibson and the St Louis Cardinals in the 1968 World Series, three games to one, but proceeded to win the final three games of that Fall Classic; including the Game Seven shocker, when Mickey Lolich out-dueled the Great Gibson in front of 54,692 stunned Cardinals' fans at Busch Stadium. As I skipped a day of drudgery from Kirkwood High School to watch what was surely going to be another Gibson triumph on national television; in a little more than two hours, had evolved into a numbing defeat; the first of its kind for Cardinal fans:
*This was the first time in franchise history the team had ever coughed up a three games to one advantage in the World Series to lose.
*This was the first time in Bob Gibson's history that he had ever lost a World Series - Game Seven. He prevailed in 1964 over the mighty New York Yankees; and three years later, pitched brilliantly and even hit a home run to beat the Boston Red Sox by a score of 7-2 at Fenway Park, in front of 35,188 stunned fans. With Game Seven in '68 being played at Busch Stadium, the thought of losing never even crossed my mind; nor the minds of most other Redbird fans, for that matter.
1985 WORLD SERIES VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS - If anything, blowing a three games to one World Series advantage in the cross-state I-70 showdown with the Royals seemed even more improbable than what had occurred seventeen years earlier; especially after St Louis won the first two games on the road. Until that time, no team in World Series history had ever lost the first two games at home, and then gone on to win it all; of course, that's exactly what happened. When the Royals won two out of three at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals were forced into a return trip to KC to capture title number ten; but we all know what happened in Games Six and Seven. Kansas City won their first World Championship instead, while St Louis would have to wait another 21 years to get that tenth title.
1996 NLCS VS ATLANTA BRAVES - In Tony LaRussa's first year as manager, the NL Central champion Cardinals somehow grabbed a quick three games to one NLCS advantage over the defending World Champion Braves. Coming off an exciting comeback win in Game Four didn't give the Cardinals enough momentum to overcome a clearly superior Atlanta pitching staff, which allowed just one run over those last three games. Nor could they stop an offense that put crooked numbers on the scoreboard at an alarming rate; the Braves scored 32 runs in that span, featuring a 15-0 annihilation in that final debacle. Although this setback was a disappointment, it came as no big surprise. After all, the Cards fell to three future Hall of Fame hurlers - Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine - and a ferocious lineup that seemed to be able to score at will. The over-matched Redbirds were fortunate to have extended the series for the full seven games.
2012 NLCS VS SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - Well, at least the Cardinals made a bit of progress, as rookie manager Mike Matheny led his Wild Card team into the postseason, all the way to the NLCS; this time losing those final three games of the series by a composite 20-1 margin; a twelve-run improvement! Still, the last three "Game Sevens" produced no runs for the Redbirds; lots of runs for their opponents; thirty-nine, to be exact. All told, St Louis was outscored 93-9 in Games 5-6-7 by the postseason quartet of Detroit/Kansas City/Atlanta/San Francisco. If someone is going to draw up a blueprint for blowing a three-games-to-one postseason lead, getting outscored 93-9 by four teams works quite well.
So much for rehashing epic collapses. How about some remarkable postseason comebacks? No, the Cardinals have never been down three games to one and successfully overcome that deficit to win a best-of-seven postseason series; but they've perfected the art of coming back when trailing three games to TWO. And that ain't bad. Here's a quick summary of how things played out (and where Series ended) when the Redbirds faced a three games to two postseason series deficit (They've had a lot of experience in these situations - 9 different times):
1926 vs New York Yankees - STL Wins Series (Home)
1930 vs Philadelphia Athletics - STL Loses Series in 6 Games (Away)
1934 vs Detroit Tigers - STL Wins Series (Away)
1946 vs Boston Red Sox - STL Wins Series (Home)
1982 vs Milwaukee Brewers - STL Wins Series (Home)
1987 vs San Francisco Giants - STL Wins Series (Home)
2004 vs Houston Astros - STL Wins Series (Home)
2005 vs Houston Astros - STL Loses Series in 6 Games (Home)
2011 vs Texas Rangers - STL Wins Series (Home)
From their very first World Championship in 1926 to their most recent title in 2011 - and five other times in between - the Cardinals have managed to overcome seven out of nine 3-games-to-2 deficits; six out of seven comebacks were finished off at home for Games Six and Seven. That's a pretty impressive postseason resume for St Louis, after all.
If this kind of stuff fascinates you as much as me, check out my two books on Cards' trivia (below).
http://www.amazon.com/St-Louis-Cardinals-IQ-Ultimate/dp/0982675933/ref=cm_pdp_books_itm_title_4
http://www.amazon.com/St-Louis-Cardinals-IQ-Ultimate/dp/0983792259/ref=cm_pdp_books_itm_title_5
For the Cardinals, it was a bitter disappointment; ending their postseason dream of successfully defending a World Championship which nobody outside of the St Louis organization thought possible to begin with. Just when so many of the naysayers finally jumped on the Redbirds' bandwagon, those magical bats - which carried them past Atlanta, then Washington DC, and through the early contests with San Francisco - were abruptly neutralized by the Giants' three hottest pitchers: the aforementioned Zito, then Vogelsong and Cain. All pitched brilliantly in the NLCS, and carried that momentum into a World Series four-game sweep of a Detroit Tigers team most baseball analysts predicted would do the "sweeping". They were wrong again (See: 2006 World Series).
Meanwhile, back in Cardinal Nation, the frustration of getting within one win from an eighteenth World Series appearance - and four wins away from their 12th World Championship - had players and fans alike shaking their heads in disbelief. Perhaps many of those disheartened souls don't remember what happened in 1968; or 1985; maybe not even 1996? Perhaps they just remember the last time the Cardinals held a three games to one postseason advantage - over the Detroit Tigers, in the 2006 World Series. Of course, that story had a happy ending, with St Louis taking care of business at home, winning three straight to clinch their 10th World Championship in just five games. Believe it or not, I never felt comfortable about that favorable outcome until that last out was recorded in Game Five. Here's why:
The Cardinals have actually blown more 3 games to 1 postseason leads than not; and more than any other MLB team. After their most recent meltdown against the newly crowned World Champions - the Redbirds, in their long and glorious history - have now blown four, while only winning three, after holding that seemingly insurmountable three games to one postseason advantage. To get a better understanding of what went wrong, let's examine the crime scenes:
1968 WORLD SERIES VS DETROIT TIGERS - Strangely enough, it was the Detroit Tigers who trailed Bob Gibson and the St Louis Cardinals in the 1968 World Series, three games to one, but proceeded to win the final three games of that Fall Classic; including the Game Seven shocker, when Mickey Lolich out-dueled the Great Gibson in front of 54,692 stunned Cardinals' fans at Busch Stadium. As I skipped a day of drudgery from Kirkwood High School to watch what was surely going to be another Gibson triumph on national television; in a little more than two hours, had evolved into a numbing defeat; the first of its kind for Cardinal fans:
*This was the first time in franchise history the team had ever coughed up a three games to one advantage in the World Series to lose.
*This was the first time in Bob Gibson's history that he had ever lost a World Series - Game Seven. He prevailed in 1964 over the mighty New York Yankees; and three years later, pitched brilliantly and even hit a home run to beat the Boston Red Sox by a score of 7-2 at Fenway Park, in front of 35,188 stunned fans. With Game Seven in '68 being played at Busch Stadium, the thought of losing never even crossed my mind; nor the minds of most other Redbird fans, for that matter.
1985 WORLD SERIES VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS - If anything, blowing a three games to one World Series advantage in the cross-state I-70 showdown with the Royals seemed even more improbable than what had occurred seventeen years earlier; especially after St Louis won the first two games on the road. Until that time, no team in World Series history had ever lost the first two games at home, and then gone on to win it all; of course, that's exactly what happened. When the Royals won two out of three at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals were forced into a return trip to KC to capture title number ten; but we all know what happened in Games Six and Seven. Kansas City won their first World Championship instead, while St Louis would have to wait another 21 years to get that tenth title.
1996 NLCS VS ATLANTA BRAVES - In Tony LaRussa's first year as manager, the NL Central champion Cardinals somehow grabbed a quick three games to one NLCS advantage over the defending World Champion Braves. Coming off an exciting comeback win in Game Four didn't give the Cardinals enough momentum to overcome a clearly superior Atlanta pitching staff, which allowed just one run over those last three games. Nor could they stop an offense that put crooked numbers on the scoreboard at an alarming rate; the Braves scored 32 runs in that span, featuring a 15-0 annihilation in that final debacle. Although this setback was a disappointment, it came as no big surprise. After all, the Cards fell to three future Hall of Fame hurlers - Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine - and a ferocious lineup that seemed to be able to score at will. The over-matched Redbirds were fortunate to have extended the series for the full seven games.
2012 NLCS VS SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - Well, at least the Cardinals made a bit of progress, as rookie manager Mike Matheny led his Wild Card team into the postseason, all the way to the NLCS; this time losing those final three games of the series by a composite 20-1 margin; a twelve-run improvement! Still, the last three "Game Sevens" produced no runs for the Redbirds; lots of runs for their opponents; thirty-nine, to be exact. All told, St Louis was outscored 93-9 in Games 5-6-7 by the postseason quartet of Detroit/Kansas City/Atlanta/San Francisco. If someone is going to draw up a blueprint for blowing a three-games-to-one postseason lead, getting outscored 93-9 by four teams works quite well.
So much for rehashing epic collapses. How about some remarkable postseason comebacks? No, the Cardinals have never been down three games to one and successfully overcome that deficit to win a best-of-seven postseason series; but they've perfected the art of coming back when trailing three games to TWO. And that ain't bad. Here's a quick summary of how things played out (and where Series ended) when the Redbirds faced a three games to two postseason series deficit (They've had a lot of experience in these situations - 9 different times):
1926 vs New York Yankees - STL Wins Series (Home)
1930 vs Philadelphia Athletics - STL Loses Series in 6 Games (Away)
1934 vs Detroit Tigers - STL Wins Series (Away)
1946 vs Boston Red Sox - STL Wins Series (Home)
1982 vs Milwaukee Brewers - STL Wins Series (Home)
1987 vs San Francisco Giants - STL Wins Series (Home)
2004 vs Houston Astros - STL Wins Series (Home)
2005 vs Houston Astros - STL Loses Series in 6 Games (Home)
2011 vs Texas Rangers - STL Wins Series (Home)
From their very first World Championship in 1926 to their most recent title in 2011 - and five other times in between - the Cardinals have managed to overcome seven out of nine 3-games-to-2 deficits; six out of seven comebacks were finished off at home for Games Six and Seven. That's a pretty impressive postseason resume for St Louis, after all.
If this kind of stuff fascinates you as much as me, check out my two books on Cards' trivia (below).
http://www.amazon.com/St-Louis-Cardinals-IQ-Ultimate/dp/0982675933/ref=cm_pdp_books_itm_title_4
http://www.amazon.com/St-Louis-Cardinals-IQ-Ultimate/dp/0983792259/ref=cm_pdp_books_itm_title_5
Sunday, July 22, 2012
'85 Cards' Game 7 Comeback World Series Miracle
Saturday's 12-run 7th-inning outburst against the hapless Chicago Cubs tied a St Louis Cardinals' franchise record for most runs scored in a single inning. As everyone remembers, they also turned the trick on September 15, 1926 against the hapless Philadelphia Phillies. As it turned out, the Redbirds were just getting warmed up for their first ever World Series appearance, which ended in a classic seven game triumph over the heavily favored not-so-hapless New York Yankees.
Of course, Cardinals fans are hoping for history to repeat itself in 2012; twelve runs in a single inning during a regular season game surely means another World Series title for St Louis; doesn't it? This would be their 12th championship in franchise history - and first back-to-back World Series winner, to boot. I wonder if the invincible Texas Rangers from the vastly superior American League will be the patsies again this time around? No, let's make it the LA Angels of Anaheim with What's His Name going up against his old team this time around. Maybe he can strike out to end it in the ninth-inning with the bases loaded in Game Seven with the Halos trailing by three runs in front of his former legion of fans at Busch Stadium, just to make it more dramatic; especially, since the world is coming to an end on December 21, 2012, as the Mayans predicted a few thousand years ago. As we all know, the Mayans were always right.
As much as I enjoyed that big inning against the Cubbies on July 21, 2012, I couldn't help but fantasize what it would have been like to experience that type of production in Game Seven of the 1985 World Series, with the Cardinals entering the seventh-inning trailing the Kansas City Royals by the score of 11-0. To every Cardinals fan who remembers that ill-fated Fall Classic, Game Seven was the culmination of the most disastrous collapse in World Series history. It may have been the single worst 24-hour span in St Louis Cardinals postseason history.
But now, thanks to a very well-written script authored by the current Redbird edition, here's a condensed play-by-play description of the miracle seventh-inning comeback by the '85 Cardinals to shock the Royals in the new and improved Game Seven, as seen on ABC. Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, and Tim McCarver (the last minute replacement for Howard Cosell) are in the booth, describing the incredible on-field events. It might have gone something like this:
AL MICHAELS: Jack Clark is leading things off for the Cardinals, trying to get something started, down eleven runs to the Royals.
JIM PALMER: Al, Bret Saberhagen is in complete control; St Louis has no chance against the ace of the Royals staff. What do you think, Tim?
TIM MCCARVER: There's plenty of time for St Louis to get back into this game. They're due to break out of their World Series slump. They're hitting under .200 as a team; that's simply impossible!
AL: As if on cue, Clark hits a slow roller down the third base line; George Brett charges, makes a nice bare-handed grab, and fires a strike to first base, but Clark beats it out on a bang-bang play at first base! The first base umpire is Bill Williams, perhaps giving the Cardinals a break this time around.
TIM: No, it looks like the replay shows Williams made the correct call; Jack Clark is no speed demon, but he flew down the line on that one; of course, Brett was playing deep which gave Jack that extra step to just barely beat the throw!
JIM: I wouldn't get too excited, Tim. That was more luck than anything else; he barely got his bat on that pitch.
AL: That brings up Andy Van Slyke, who tries to bunt his way on base, but pops it up down the third base line; Brett makes a nice diving catch, while Clark scrambles safely back to first.
TIM: George Brett made a nice play, but failed to double Clark off first base! Had Brett immediately fired the ball over to first base, he would've had Clark dead to rights!
JIM: Yeah, look at Saberhagen; giving his buddy a good-natured ribbing about not making the double play; those guys are really something, aren't they? They're really having some fun out there tonight.
AL: That brings up Terry Pendleton - the hero of Game Two...and just as he did in Game Two, Pendleton slaps one down the left-field line for a two-base hit, with Clark motoring to third; of course, being held up there, with St Louis still trailing by a bunch.
JIM: Uh-oh; Saberhagen's in danger of losing his shut-out; time for the Royals to panic! Ha!
AL: That brings Tito Landrum to the plate...and he promptly grounds one through the hole into left-field, scoring Clark, with Van Slyke holding at third. Now it's 11 to 1, in favor of Kansas City. The shutout is gone, but Saberhagen is still very much in control.
TIM: Better tell Reggie Jackson to get ready and move the champagne over to the Cardinals' clubhouse; this could be a big rally for St Louis! Ha!
AL: Coming up to bat for St Louis is 1982 World Series hero Darrell Porter...who promptly launches one to right-center field, in the gap! This will score both Van Slyke and Landrum...as Porter makes it all the way to third base for a rare triple for the Cardinals catcher. Now it's 11 to 3.
TIM: With one out, that was a good decision for Porter to go for the extra base, where he can score on a sacrifice fly; had there been none out or two outs, he probably would have stayed at second base; good base-running by Porter!
JIM: You just like him because he's a catcher and he's wearing your number "15". Ha ha ha!
AL: That'll bring up a pinch-hitter for pitcher Bob Forsch; that's Steve Braun grabbing a bat for the Cardinals; trying to keep the inning alive...and Braun draws a base on balls! That gets the Kansas City bullpen stirring.
JIM: Saberhagen may be getting a bit tired now; you know, his wife just had a baby, so maybe he's losing his concentration; thinking about his new-born son and his lovely wife; what a cute couple. He's still smiling, though; I think he wants to pitch his way out of this jam and stay on television. What a ham! Ha ha ha ha ha!
AL: Back to the top of the order now, is NLCS hero Ozzie Smith, whose home run in Game Five gave the Cards a thrilling 3-2 win over the Dodgers; his first-ever home run as a left-handed batter...and Smith corks another one down the line in right! It may go! No; it bounces into the stands on one hop for a ground-rule double, scoring Porter, but Braun has to stay at third base; I don't think he would've scored anyway. Now, it's 11 to 4, and the natives are getting a bit restless here in Kansas City; and perhaps some of the St Louis fans are going a bit crazy right now!
JIM: I'm a little surprised they're leaving Saberhagen in there; if he loses the next batter, I'm pretty sure he's gone.
TIM: Absolutely! Look at that Cardinals' dugout! They're coming alive now!
AL: Still down by seven runs, however; that brings up NL batting champion Willie McGee with first base open; runners on second and third...This is odd; they're walking McGee intentionally; I suppose to set up the double play; but it seems strange to put another runner on base.
TIM: Absolutely! You've got to pitch to McGee in this situation! The Royals just need to get outs; they don't need to give St Louis any breaks by putting another runner on base here! Makes no sense!
AL: That brings up the Cardinals' leading RBI guy during the regular season - Tommy Herr - to the plate, with the bases loaded with Redbirds and just one out...and Herr pops it up! The infield fly rule is in effect as second baseman Frank White squeezes the second out of the inning. Oh, that's a big out for Saberhagen, as Cardinal fans are letting out a collective groan. Herr is beside himself; he had a pitch to hit, but got under it; that's not like him; he's a notorious line-drive hitter.
JIM: You have to credit Saberhagen for making a big pitch when he had to, Al. Look at him; he's still smiling. Ha ha ha!
AL: Well, the guy who started all this noise for St Louis - Jack Clark - is coming to bat with the bases still loaded. Any kind of hit here could have the Cardinals right back in this thing; Clark is of course, their only legitimate power hitter. He had 22 homers during the regular season, and his ninth-inning bomb in Game Six of the NLCS gave the Cardinals an impressive 7-5 come-from-behind win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
TIM: Absolutely! If you'll recall, first base was open in that situation, and Tommy Lasorda elected to pitch to Clark with Andy Van Slyke on deck for St Louis; a huge mistake, in my opinion. You never pitch to the one guy in that Cardinals lineup who can beat you; and that's Jack Clark.
AL: Of course, no place to put Clark here; the bases are loaded, although there are two out. This could get very interesting...and Clark rips one to right field! Braun and Smith both score; it's 11 to 6 now, as Clark rumbles into second base with McGee stopping at third!
TIM: And that's exactly why you don't walk McGee. He represents the seventh run of the inning - and the game - for the Cardinals! You've got to get Saberhagen out of there now. No way a right hander pitches to the left-handed swinging Van Slyke in this situation. They've got to bring in a left-hander out of the bullpen.
JIM: That's a shame; Saberhagen pitched just great tonight - and the whole Series for that matter - but he must be out of gas; but look at him; he's still smiling! Ha ha ha ha ha!
AL: And as Saberhagen leaves the mound to a standing ovation, the new pitcher for Kansas City is Charlie Liebrandt - who pitched so brilliantly in Game Two, before losing the game on a miracle ninth-inning rally, just one week ago, tonight. The southpaw will try to quell the Cardinal uprising here in Game Seven, and send Kansas City to its first-ever World Series championship.
TIM: Even though first base is open, there's no way they're going to walk Van Slyke. They've got to go after him, especially since switch-hitter Terry Pendleton is due up next; and we all know what happened the last time he faced Liebrandt. His double scored the winning runs in that remarkable ninth-inning comeback win.
AL: And Van Slyke slices a line drive to left field! Two more runs are in, making the score 11 to 8 now, as Andy pulls into second base with another St Louis double! Do you believe in miracles? Seriously!
JIM: Ha ha ha ha ha! You've already used that line, Al! But you're right; this is getting out of hand if you're a Royals fan!
TIM: I told you; this team is too good to keep down for an entire seven-game series! Here's proof!
AL: Now it's just a three-run game; but still, the Cards only have one runner on base with Pendleton coming to the plate. Liebrandt's going to stay in there and make Pendleton bat right-handed...and Terry does it again! A shot into right field scores Van Slyke from second base; Pendleton has the fifth double of the inning for the Cardinals, making the score 11 to 9! There are a lot of Cardinals fans here tonight, and we're really starting to hear from them now! The St Louis dugout has really come alive now! Look at Vince Coleman; he's out of action of course, with a broken bone in his leg, but it looks like he's break-dancing down there! There's starting pitcher John Tudor, with his left hand bandaged after punching a fan; even he's smiling! And no, I'm not talking about a baseball fan; he punched a real fan that blows cool air; so please, don't call the network to complain, folks. It's all good!
JIM: This is a weird game, that's for sure! Ha ha ha!
AL: Okay, with Pendleton at second base, the batter will be Tito Landrum who singled his first time up this inning to drive in the first run for St Louis...and the pitch misses for ball four! The tying runs are on base now for St Louis! Here comes Darrell Porter again; Porter tripled in a couple of runs earlier in this wild and crazy inning...and Porter lines one into left field this time! Pendleton will easily score as Landrum races around to third base! Porter makes it into second base, representing the go-ahead run for St Louis! Landrum represents the tying run, just 90 feet away! It's just a one-run game now; 11 to 10!
TIM: That's the sixth double of the inning for the Cardinals! Never before has a team had so many doubles in a single inning in World Series history! Never! This is unbelievable!
JIM: Where did Saberhagen go? He's not in the Kansas City dugout, grinning for the cameras any more. He must have retreated to the clubhouse. I wonder if Reggie Jackson is still in the Kansas City clubhouse with all that champagne? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
AL: That brings Steve Braun up again. Braun pinch hit for pitcher Bob Forsch earlier in this inning, and with the game on the line, could drive in the runs to make Forsch the pitcher of record for St Louis. Forsch only worked 1.1 innings, but allowed no runs; keeping the Royals at 11 runs. At the time, it seemed inconsequential; but now, it could make him the winner of Game Seven!
JIM: I'm surprised they're leaving Liebrandt in there; he clearly doesn't have anything tonight!
AL: And Braun rips one to right field! Landrum will score, and they're waving Porter around from second base; he'll easily score the go-ahead run as Braun motors into second base with the seventh double in the seventh-inning of Game Seven for the running Redbirds! St Louis has grabbed the lead for the first time; 12 to 11! And this ballpark, which was fantasy-land just a few minutes ago has turned into a Cardinals' private party with several thousand St Louis fans going crazy right now! You're looking at one for the ages! I don't believe what I just saw! I don't believe what I just saw! This is absolute pandemonium!
Time restraints ends the play-by-play coverage of this inning, which finally ends with Willie McGee striking out to end the seventh inning with no further damage. Heading into the bottom of the seventh-inning, St Louis is leading 12 to 11. The Royals are shell shocked, but they still have three chances to take the lead and still win the game and the World Series.
Not this time. The St Louis bullpen retires the Royals in order; nine up and nine down to close out the most improbable World Series comeback in history. Terry Pendleton is voted the World Series MVP, and Don Denkinger is spared decades of abuse from disgruntled Cardinals' fans for blowing that call at first base in Game Six.
All it took was a twelve-run rally in Game Seven to make Cardinal Nation forget what happened in Game Six. Just a simple little twelve-run rally, featuring seven doubles. And nice commentary from Al Michaels, who was forced to use some classic play-by-play calls a bit earlier than history otherwise dictated. Big deal; at least Tim McCarver got to provide his expert color commentary for the first time in postseason history, as the last minute replacement for Howard Cosell, who fell out of favor with the ABC executives for writing his scathing book, "I Never Played the Game". McCarver has done just about every postseason series ever since, and I've always appreciated his words of wisdom. He's finally getting some recognition from Cooperstown, as the recipient of the Ford C Frick Award, which may have happened a bit sooner had the Cards actually pulled off that miracle in '85!
Of course, Cardinals fans are hoping for history to repeat itself in 2012; twelve runs in a single inning during a regular season game surely means another World Series title for St Louis; doesn't it? This would be their 12th championship in franchise history - and first back-to-back World Series winner, to boot. I wonder if the invincible Texas Rangers from the vastly superior American League will be the patsies again this time around? No, let's make it the LA Angels of Anaheim with What's His Name going up against his old team this time around. Maybe he can strike out to end it in the ninth-inning with the bases loaded in Game Seven with the Halos trailing by three runs in front of his former legion of fans at Busch Stadium, just to make it more dramatic; especially, since the world is coming to an end on December 21, 2012, as the Mayans predicted a few thousand years ago. As we all know, the Mayans were always right.
As much as I enjoyed that big inning against the Cubbies on July 21, 2012, I couldn't help but fantasize what it would have been like to experience that type of production in Game Seven of the 1985 World Series, with the Cardinals entering the seventh-inning trailing the Kansas City Royals by the score of 11-0. To every Cardinals fan who remembers that ill-fated Fall Classic, Game Seven was the culmination of the most disastrous collapse in World Series history. It may have been the single worst 24-hour span in St Louis Cardinals postseason history.
But now, thanks to a very well-written script authored by the current Redbird edition, here's a condensed play-by-play description of the miracle seventh-inning comeback by the '85 Cardinals to shock the Royals in the new and improved Game Seven, as seen on ABC. Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, and Tim McCarver (the last minute replacement for Howard Cosell) are in the booth, describing the incredible on-field events. It might have gone something like this:
AL MICHAELS: Jack Clark is leading things off for the Cardinals, trying to get something started, down eleven runs to the Royals.
JIM PALMER: Al, Bret Saberhagen is in complete control; St Louis has no chance against the ace of the Royals staff. What do you think, Tim?
TIM MCCARVER: There's plenty of time for St Louis to get back into this game. They're due to break out of their World Series slump. They're hitting under .200 as a team; that's simply impossible!
AL: As if on cue, Clark hits a slow roller down the third base line; George Brett charges, makes a nice bare-handed grab, and fires a strike to first base, but Clark beats it out on a bang-bang play at first base! The first base umpire is Bill Williams, perhaps giving the Cardinals a break this time around.
TIM: No, it looks like the replay shows Williams made the correct call; Jack Clark is no speed demon, but he flew down the line on that one; of course, Brett was playing deep which gave Jack that extra step to just barely beat the throw!
JIM: I wouldn't get too excited, Tim. That was more luck than anything else; he barely got his bat on that pitch.
AL: That brings up Andy Van Slyke, who tries to bunt his way on base, but pops it up down the third base line; Brett makes a nice diving catch, while Clark scrambles safely back to first.
TIM: George Brett made a nice play, but failed to double Clark off first base! Had Brett immediately fired the ball over to first base, he would've had Clark dead to rights!
JIM: Yeah, look at Saberhagen; giving his buddy a good-natured ribbing about not making the double play; those guys are really something, aren't they? They're really having some fun out there tonight.
AL: That brings up Terry Pendleton - the hero of Game Two...and just as he did in Game Two, Pendleton slaps one down the left-field line for a two-base hit, with Clark motoring to third; of course, being held up there, with St Louis still trailing by a bunch.
JIM: Uh-oh; Saberhagen's in danger of losing his shut-out; time for the Royals to panic! Ha!
AL: That brings Tito Landrum to the plate...and he promptly grounds one through the hole into left-field, scoring Clark, with Van Slyke holding at third. Now it's 11 to 1, in favor of Kansas City. The shutout is gone, but Saberhagen is still very much in control.
TIM: Better tell Reggie Jackson to get ready and move the champagne over to the Cardinals' clubhouse; this could be a big rally for St Louis! Ha!
AL: Coming up to bat for St Louis is 1982 World Series hero Darrell Porter...who promptly launches one to right-center field, in the gap! This will score both Van Slyke and Landrum...as Porter makes it all the way to third base for a rare triple for the Cardinals catcher. Now it's 11 to 3.
TIM: With one out, that was a good decision for Porter to go for the extra base, where he can score on a sacrifice fly; had there been none out or two outs, he probably would have stayed at second base; good base-running by Porter!
JIM: You just like him because he's a catcher and he's wearing your number "15". Ha ha ha!
AL: That'll bring up a pinch-hitter for pitcher Bob Forsch; that's Steve Braun grabbing a bat for the Cardinals; trying to keep the inning alive...and Braun draws a base on balls! That gets the Kansas City bullpen stirring.
JIM: Saberhagen may be getting a bit tired now; you know, his wife just had a baby, so maybe he's losing his concentration; thinking about his new-born son and his lovely wife; what a cute couple. He's still smiling, though; I think he wants to pitch his way out of this jam and stay on television. What a ham! Ha ha ha ha ha!
AL: Back to the top of the order now, is NLCS hero Ozzie Smith, whose home run in Game Five gave the Cards a thrilling 3-2 win over the Dodgers; his first-ever home run as a left-handed batter...and Smith corks another one down the line in right! It may go! No; it bounces into the stands on one hop for a ground-rule double, scoring Porter, but Braun has to stay at third base; I don't think he would've scored anyway. Now, it's 11 to 4, and the natives are getting a bit restless here in Kansas City; and perhaps some of the St Louis fans are going a bit crazy right now!
JIM: I'm a little surprised they're leaving Saberhagen in there; if he loses the next batter, I'm pretty sure he's gone.
TIM: Absolutely! Look at that Cardinals' dugout! They're coming alive now!
AL: Still down by seven runs, however; that brings up NL batting champion Willie McGee with first base open; runners on second and third...This is odd; they're walking McGee intentionally; I suppose to set up the double play; but it seems strange to put another runner on base.
TIM: Absolutely! You've got to pitch to McGee in this situation! The Royals just need to get outs; they don't need to give St Louis any breaks by putting another runner on base here! Makes no sense!
AL: That brings up the Cardinals' leading RBI guy during the regular season - Tommy Herr - to the plate, with the bases loaded with Redbirds and just one out...and Herr pops it up! The infield fly rule is in effect as second baseman Frank White squeezes the second out of the inning. Oh, that's a big out for Saberhagen, as Cardinal fans are letting out a collective groan. Herr is beside himself; he had a pitch to hit, but got under it; that's not like him; he's a notorious line-drive hitter.
JIM: You have to credit Saberhagen for making a big pitch when he had to, Al. Look at him; he's still smiling. Ha ha ha!
AL: Well, the guy who started all this noise for St Louis - Jack Clark - is coming to bat with the bases still loaded. Any kind of hit here could have the Cardinals right back in this thing; Clark is of course, their only legitimate power hitter. He had 22 homers during the regular season, and his ninth-inning bomb in Game Six of the NLCS gave the Cardinals an impressive 7-5 come-from-behind win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
TIM: Absolutely! If you'll recall, first base was open in that situation, and Tommy Lasorda elected to pitch to Clark with Andy Van Slyke on deck for St Louis; a huge mistake, in my opinion. You never pitch to the one guy in that Cardinals lineup who can beat you; and that's Jack Clark.
AL: Of course, no place to put Clark here; the bases are loaded, although there are two out. This could get very interesting...and Clark rips one to right field! Braun and Smith both score; it's 11 to 6 now, as Clark rumbles into second base with McGee stopping at third!
TIM: And that's exactly why you don't walk McGee. He represents the seventh run of the inning - and the game - for the Cardinals! You've got to get Saberhagen out of there now. No way a right hander pitches to the left-handed swinging Van Slyke in this situation. They've got to bring in a left-hander out of the bullpen.
JIM: That's a shame; Saberhagen pitched just great tonight - and the whole Series for that matter - but he must be out of gas; but look at him; he's still smiling! Ha ha ha ha ha!
AL: And as Saberhagen leaves the mound to a standing ovation, the new pitcher for Kansas City is Charlie Liebrandt - who pitched so brilliantly in Game Two, before losing the game on a miracle ninth-inning rally, just one week ago, tonight. The southpaw will try to quell the Cardinal uprising here in Game Seven, and send Kansas City to its first-ever World Series championship.
TIM: Even though first base is open, there's no way they're going to walk Van Slyke. They've got to go after him, especially since switch-hitter Terry Pendleton is due up next; and we all know what happened the last time he faced Liebrandt. His double scored the winning runs in that remarkable ninth-inning comeback win.
AL: And Van Slyke slices a line drive to left field! Two more runs are in, making the score 11 to 8 now, as Andy pulls into second base with another St Louis double! Do you believe in miracles? Seriously!
JIM: Ha ha ha ha ha! You've already used that line, Al! But you're right; this is getting out of hand if you're a Royals fan!
TIM: I told you; this team is too good to keep down for an entire seven-game series! Here's proof!
AL: Now it's just a three-run game; but still, the Cards only have one runner on base with Pendleton coming to the plate. Liebrandt's going to stay in there and make Pendleton bat right-handed...and Terry does it again! A shot into right field scores Van Slyke from second base; Pendleton has the fifth double of the inning for the Cardinals, making the score 11 to 9! There are a lot of Cardinals fans here tonight, and we're really starting to hear from them now! The St Louis dugout has really come alive now! Look at Vince Coleman; he's out of action of course, with a broken bone in his leg, but it looks like he's break-dancing down there! There's starting pitcher John Tudor, with his left hand bandaged after punching a fan; even he's smiling! And no, I'm not talking about a baseball fan; he punched a real fan that blows cool air; so please, don't call the network to complain, folks. It's all good!
JIM: This is a weird game, that's for sure! Ha ha ha!
AL: Okay, with Pendleton at second base, the batter will be Tito Landrum who singled his first time up this inning to drive in the first run for St Louis...and the pitch misses for ball four! The tying runs are on base now for St Louis! Here comes Darrell Porter again; Porter tripled in a couple of runs earlier in this wild and crazy inning...and Porter lines one into left field this time! Pendleton will easily score as Landrum races around to third base! Porter makes it into second base, representing the go-ahead run for St Louis! Landrum represents the tying run, just 90 feet away! It's just a one-run game now; 11 to 10!
TIM: That's the sixth double of the inning for the Cardinals! Never before has a team had so many doubles in a single inning in World Series history! Never! This is unbelievable!
JIM: Where did Saberhagen go? He's not in the Kansas City dugout, grinning for the cameras any more. He must have retreated to the clubhouse. I wonder if Reggie Jackson is still in the Kansas City clubhouse with all that champagne? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
AL: That brings Steve Braun up again. Braun pinch hit for pitcher Bob Forsch earlier in this inning, and with the game on the line, could drive in the runs to make Forsch the pitcher of record for St Louis. Forsch only worked 1.1 innings, but allowed no runs; keeping the Royals at 11 runs. At the time, it seemed inconsequential; but now, it could make him the winner of Game Seven!
JIM: I'm surprised they're leaving Liebrandt in there; he clearly doesn't have anything tonight!
AL: And Braun rips one to right field! Landrum will score, and they're waving Porter around from second base; he'll easily score the go-ahead run as Braun motors into second base with the seventh double in the seventh-inning of Game Seven for the running Redbirds! St Louis has grabbed the lead for the first time; 12 to 11! And this ballpark, which was fantasy-land just a few minutes ago has turned into a Cardinals' private party with several thousand St Louis fans going crazy right now! You're looking at one for the ages! I don't believe what I just saw! I don't believe what I just saw! This is absolute pandemonium!
Time restraints ends the play-by-play coverage of this inning, which finally ends with Willie McGee striking out to end the seventh inning with no further damage. Heading into the bottom of the seventh-inning, St Louis is leading 12 to 11. The Royals are shell shocked, but they still have three chances to take the lead and still win the game and the World Series.
Not this time. The St Louis bullpen retires the Royals in order; nine up and nine down to close out the most improbable World Series comeback in history. Terry Pendleton is voted the World Series MVP, and Don Denkinger is spared decades of abuse from disgruntled Cardinals' fans for blowing that call at first base in Game Six.
All it took was a twelve-run rally in Game Seven to make Cardinal Nation forget what happened in Game Six. Just a simple little twelve-run rally, featuring seven doubles. And nice commentary from Al Michaels, who was forced to use some classic play-by-play calls a bit earlier than history otherwise dictated. Big deal; at least Tim McCarver got to provide his expert color commentary for the first time in postseason history, as the last minute replacement for Howard Cosell, who fell out of favor with the ABC executives for writing his scathing book, "I Never Played the Game". McCarver has done just about every postseason series ever since, and I've always appreciated his words of wisdom. He's finally getting some recognition from Cooperstown, as the recipient of the Ford C Frick Award, which may have happened a bit sooner had the Cards actually pulled off that miracle in '85!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Greene's Game Winner Silences Critics
When asked to explain his somewhat unorthodox approach to hitting, Yogi Berra supposedly once said, "Ninety percent of hitting is half mental." Behind all the zaniness of the irrepressible Berra was a ballplayer with terrific hand - eye coordination, who used that natural ability to become one of the greatest hitting catchers of all time. He rarely allowed his mind to be burdened with outside distractions or an over-analysis of his hitting technique. When asked what he was thinking whenever he was in the batters box, Yogi responded, "Think! How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"
Nowadays of course, many fine hitters watch hours upon hours of video, trying to figure out what they were either doing right or wrong in their approach to hitting at any given time, and armed with that information, take appropriate action. For some - "the thinkers" - this is a very helpful tool; for others, Yogi Berra's "non-thinking" approach produces the best results.
That "non-thinking" approach certainly worked for baseball's all-time hit king, Pete Rose, who shared his perspective in a recent interview with sportswriter Michael Dolan:
"I never watched myself hit on video and I never hit a ball off a tee, and I got 4200 fucking hits. I mean, a guy strikes out on a ball that bounces in front of home plate, and he runs into the dugout to watch it on video. Why the fuck would you put yourself through that?
I used to get texts from A-Rod a few years back. A-Rod would say things like 'I don't know what's going on, Pete. I'm hitting inside the ball.' I would say, 'Alex, I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.' You can't think about hitting all the time. Calm down! I would tell him that you've got to just get a pitch and hit the fucking ball hard somewhere."
Let's face it; not all hitters are convinced that simple approach works best for them, especially when they're not hitting well; especially for extended periods of time. So they continue tinkering with their swing and continue trying new batting stances, until they find something that seems to work. Quite often they would have made so many adjustments, they come full-circle and return to an approach that worked well for them earlier in their careers, but abandoned at the first sign of a slump.
"Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting." That's how Yogi responded to a Yankees beat reporter who was pestering the three-time AL Most Valuable Player about his uncharacteristically slow start, early in the 1957 season. The previous year was one of Berra's finest, tying a career high with 30 home runs while driving in 105. Yogi also hit a solid .298, but most importantly, racked up a career high .534 slugging percentage.
It was bound to happen; after an impressive nine-year run (1948-1956) in which Berra averaged 106 RBI per season, the 32-year old Yankees catcher had his worst season in 1957, establishing career lows in three key offensive categories: RBI (82), BA (.251), and SLG (.438). That last number really stands out, since it's nearly 100 points less than the slugging percentage Yogi produced just one year earlier. It's also the best yardstick for measuring a hitter's true offensive productivity. Not only had Berra begun hitting for a lower average, his extra-base power was diminishing, as well; not uncommon for players on the wrong side of thirty.
When an aging player experiences a noticeable drop-off in production, the problem is often exasperated by drastic changes the player usually incorporates into his normal routine, designed to "fix" things. Typically, with all the changes happening, the player becomes confused and frustrated; especially if the fans and the media are constantly harping on what is perceived to be a prolonged "slump". Confused and frustrated players are usually unproductive hitters; that's why they're confused and frustrated to begin with! Unfortunately, by the time they start figuring things out again, their season is usually deemed a failure; especially, if they're an over-hyped superstar in the first year of a long-term multi-million dollar contract that seemed to come with a postseason guarantee as part of the deal.
Quite possibly, the pressure to succeed for some players is so intense, they self-destruct; especially when playing in front 40,000 now-hostile home fans, who boo them on every strikeout, pop-out, or error. That could explain why Cardinals second baseman Tyler Greene has had little success playing at Busch Stadium; while perhaps his finest hour came in a two-home run multiple-hit game in Houston earlier this year. ***UPDATE: Speak of the devil; Tyler's 2-out-2-run-8th-inning bomb was a game winner in St Louis! With the Cardinals already mired in a four-game losing streak, and only four outs away from losing their fifth straight game - at home - to the worst road team in the NL - the San Diego Padres - Greene's opposite field blast off a pitch clocked at 100 mph in front of 40,360 delirious fans, has now become the beleaguered second baseman's finest hour.
Or it could explain why a young and talented Kansas City Royals team endured that mysterious twelve-game losing streak earlier this year in front of their adoring fans at Kaufman Stadium; yet have played quite well on the road, away from the distractions they encounter at home.
Or it could explain why even a seasoned team like the Boston Red Sox have had so much difficulty playing in front of their rabid Fenway Park fans; but when they hit the road, they start winning with relative ease, away from all the noise of talk radio.
Quite possibly, the best solution for players going through any prolonged periods of poor performance is to stop thinking about it. That's easier said than done; especially when they constantly hear the outcry of public sentiment proclaiming them to be a bum. Of course, the larger the market, the louder the outcry. That may explain why some players simply don't feel comfortable playing under the intense scrutiny of New York or Boston, but thrive in more laid-back environments like Pittsburgh or Houston.
"Paralysis from analysis" can be a debilitating barrier to success in any endeavor; especially in a sport like baseball that requires split-second execution and timing. The slightest bit of indecision on any given play can be disastrous; that state of mind usually occurs when players spend so much time thinking about every little thing they need to do, they overload their brains with useless information, and don't seem to do anything right. If they were somehow unaware of their inability to perform their job description in a satisfactory manner, the fans would certainly remind them.
If more players would only heed the words of wisdom from both Yogi Berra and Pete Rose; to keep things simple; the quality of play would certainly improve, and the fans would really appreciate it. That's a real no-brainer. ***Finally; let's hope Tyler Greene will keep fans in St Louis cheering, rather than jeering his play. The Cardinals needed him to come through last night in order to escape another bitter defeat; he did it, in dramatic fashion. Lets hope this is the start of something big for Greene and the Redbirds!
Nowadays of course, many fine hitters watch hours upon hours of video, trying to figure out what they were either doing right or wrong in their approach to hitting at any given time, and armed with that information, take appropriate action. For some - "the thinkers" - this is a very helpful tool; for others, Yogi Berra's "non-thinking" approach produces the best results.
That "non-thinking" approach certainly worked for baseball's all-time hit king, Pete Rose, who shared his perspective in a recent interview with sportswriter Michael Dolan:
"I never watched myself hit on video and I never hit a ball off a tee, and I got 4200 fucking hits. I mean, a guy strikes out on a ball that bounces in front of home plate, and he runs into the dugout to watch it on video. Why the fuck would you put yourself through that?
I used to get texts from A-Rod a few years back. A-Rod would say things like 'I don't know what's going on, Pete. I'm hitting inside the ball.' I would say, 'Alex, I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.' You can't think about hitting all the time. Calm down! I would tell him that you've got to just get a pitch and hit the fucking ball hard somewhere."
Let's face it; not all hitters are convinced that simple approach works best for them, especially when they're not hitting well; especially for extended periods of time. So they continue tinkering with their swing and continue trying new batting stances, until they find something that seems to work. Quite often they would have made so many adjustments, they come full-circle and return to an approach that worked well for them earlier in their careers, but abandoned at the first sign of a slump.
"Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting." That's how Yogi responded to a Yankees beat reporter who was pestering the three-time AL Most Valuable Player about his uncharacteristically slow start, early in the 1957 season. The previous year was one of Berra's finest, tying a career high with 30 home runs while driving in 105. Yogi also hit a solid .298, but most importantly, racked up a career high .534 slugging percentage.
It was bound to happen; after an impressive nine-year run (1948-1956) in which Berra averaged 106 RBI per season, the 32-year old Yankees catcher had his worst season in 1957, establishing career lows in three key offensive categories: RBI (82), BA (.251), and SLG (.438). That last number really stands out, since it's nearly 100 points less than the slugging percentage Yogi produced just one year earlier. It's also the best yardstick for measuring a hitter's true offensive productivity. Not only had Berra begun hitting for a lower average, his extra-base power was diminishing, as well; not uncommon for players on the wrong side of thirty.
When an aging player experiences a noticeable drop-off in production, the problem is often exasperated by drastic changes the player usually incorporates into his normal routine, designed to "fix" things. Typically, with all the changes happening, the player becomes confused and frustrated; especially if the fans and the media are constantly harping on what is perceived to be a prolonged "slump". Confused and frustrated players are usually unproductive hitters; that's why they're confused and frustrated to begin with! Unfortunately, by the time they start figuring things out again, their season is usually deemed a failure; especially, if they're an over-hyped superstar in the first year of a long-term multi-million dollar contract that seemed to come with a postseason guarantee as part of the deal.
Quite possibly, the pressure to succeed for some players is so intense, they self-destruct; especially when playing in front 40,000 now-hostile home fans, who boo them on every strikeout, pop-out, or error. That could explain why Cardinals second baseman Tyler Greene has had little success playing at Busch Stadium; while perhaps his finest hour came in a two-home run multiple-hit game in Houston earlier this year. ***UPDATE: Speak of the devil; Tyler's 2-out-2-run-8th-inning bomb was a game winner in St Louis! With the Cardinals already mired in a four-game losing streak, and only four outs away from losing their fifth straight game - at home - to the worst road team in the NL - the San Diego Padres - Greene's opposite field blast off a pitch clocked at 100 mph in front of 40,360 delirious fans, has now become the beleaguered second baseman's finest hour.
Or it could explain why a young and talented Kansas City Royals team endured that mysterious twelve-game losing streak earlier this year in front of their adoring fans at Kaufman Stadium; yet have played quite well on the road, away from the distractions they encounter at home.
Or it could explain why even a seasoned team like the Boston Red Sox have had so much difficulty playing in front of their rabid Fenway Park fans; but when they hit the road, they start winning with relative ease, away from all the noise of talk radio.
Quite possibly, the best solution for players going through any prolonged periods of poor performance is to stop thinking about it. That's easier said than done; especially when they constantly hear the outcry of public sentiment proclaiming them to be a bum. Of course, the larger the market, the louder the outcry. That may explain why some players simply don't feel comfortable playing under the intense scrutiny of New York or Boston, but thrive in more laid-back environments like Pittsburgh or Houston.
"Paralysis from analysis" can be a debilitating barrier to success in any endeavor; especially in a sport like baseball that requires split-second execution and timing. The slightest bit of indecision on any given play can be disastrous; that state of mind usually occurs when players spend so much time thinking about every little thing they need to do, they overload their brains with useless information, and don't seem to do anything right. If they were somehow unaware of their inability to perform their job description in a satisfactory manner, the fans would certainly remind them.
If more players would only heed the words of wisdom from both Yogi Berra and Pete Rose; to keep things simple; the quality of play would certainly improve, and the fans would really appreciate it. That's a real no-brainer. ***Finally; let's hope Tyler Greene will keep fans in St Louis cheering, rather than jeering his play. The Cardinals needed him to come through last night in order to escape another bitter defeat; he did it, in dramatic fashion. Lets hope this is the start of something big for Greene and the Redbirds!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Ten Teams Most Likely to Improve in 2012
The 2011 MLB season will be forever remembered for that outrageously dramatic conclusion - Game 162 - which settled two of the wildest Wild Card races, ever. That final game capped off epic September collapses for both the Boston Red Sox, in the American League, and the Atlanta Braves, in the National League.
The beneficiaries of these epic collapses - the St Louis Cardinals and Tampa Rays both finished strong, and took care of business in Game 162; the Cards were easy winners with their ace, Chris Carpenter completely shutting down the Astros; while the Rays overcame an eighth inning seven run deficit to beat the Yankees, capped off by Evan Longoria's low-flying walk-off laser down the left-field line which barely had the height requirement to clear the lowest fence in baseball (excluding Little League fences).
Lost in the daily September Wild Card drama that was unfolding in both leagues, building up to that exciting night of baseball known as Wild Card Wednesday - Game 162 - was the contrasting lack of drama in all of the division races. In case you've forgotten, just take a look at the margin of victory each division champ enjoyed by season's end:
Yankees (97-65) - 6 games
Brewers (96-66) - 6 games
D-Backs (94-68) - 8 games
Rangers (96-66) - 10 games
Phillies (102-60) - 13 games
Tigers (93-69) - 15 games
Not only did these teams play extremely well last season, getting career years from many of their key players; their divisional rivals, for the most part, had unusually bad years, which helped foster a great deal more disparity than normal between the top teams and those on the bottom of the heap.
Many of the teams that struggled last year appear well-positioned to rebound in 2012; some even appear to have playoff-caliber talent after investing in some key free agents and/or making shrewd trades; some teams were decimated by injuries last season but appear to be relatively healthy now; while others have up and coming talent waiting in the wings to emerge as star players right now. The net effect in 2012 should be a great deal more parity from top to bottom, which should make the division races themselves, much more competitive, and - unlike last year - much more captivating for the fans.
Here are ten teams that should win a lot more games this time around. For some, those extra wins have playoff implications; for others, it's just a small step towards respectability:
*Chicago Cubs (71-91) - They probably won't make the postseason, but old school new manager Dale Sveum has already had a positive influence in changing the lackadaisical Cub culture; making the players accountable, getting them to hustle and play sound, fundamental baseball; that alone should bring them back to respectability; dishing their number one head-case, Carlos Zambrano off on Miami doesn't hurt. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Minnesota Twins (63-99) - Had the worst luck with injuries than any other team in baseball last year, losing both Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau for extended periods of time; everything seemed to go wrong with this team last year; however, if they can stay relatively healthy this year, they should come very close to .500 this year - giving them the distinction of easily being baseball's most improved team. 2012 PROJECTION: 80-82
*Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90) - This team played well enough in the first half of last season to spend a day or two in first place in the NL Central; lots of young talent here, featuring center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who keeps getting better every year. The rotation could be decent, if Erik Bedard stays healthy and AJ Burnett gets healthy and stays healthy while returning to his pre-Yankees pitching form. Finally, if former-Brewer slugging third baseman Casey McGehee rebounds from a disappointing 2011 to knock in close to 100 runs again (like he did in '10), this could be the year the Buccos play .500 ball for the first time in 20 years; Barry Bonds' last year in Pittsburgh. 2012 PROJECTION: 81-81
*Kansas City Royals (71-91) - Sure, they were dealt a blow when they lost closer, Joakim Soria to season-ending Tommy John surgery, but they'll have Eric Hosmer for a full season with a strong supporting cast, including the slugging doubles machine, Billy Butler, defensive whiz Jeff Francoeur patrolling right field, and the talented Alex Gordon; they'll score a bunch of runs and could reach .500 level with any luck at all. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Colorado Rockies (73-89) - Many picked the Rox to win the NL West last season; that's how badly things unraveled for them; made many wholesale changes, including signing free agent Michael Cuddyer in the off season; returning to a hitter-friendly environment will help him return to old form, when the Metrodome was his home; throw in the hitting prowess of Troy Tulowitzki along with a healthy Carlos Gonzalez, and this team could lead the league in runs scored. Pitching may be an issue, but they picked up a reliable starter, Jeremy Guthrie from Baltimore, who should give them 200+ quality innings this year. Their number two starter is 49-year old Jaime Moyer, who would be the oldest human to ever win a major league game, if he does it; he'll probably do it at least twelve times if his body can hold out all season. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Cleveland Indians (80-82) - The Tribe got off to a sensational start last season, but gradually faded as the Tigers went on a late season tear; they have a solid pitching staff, but need Ubaldo Jimenez to pitch like he did in Colorado to make a serious run for the division title; Silver Slugger shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera should be even better this year; finally, if the oft-injured pair of Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore can play over 100 games apiece, that may help the magic return to Progressive Field all season long this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 87-75
*LA Dodgers (82-80) - After getting off to a horrendous start last season, LA recovered nicely over the second half, fueled by Matt Kemp's monster near-Triple Crown-MVP-caliber season and the brilliant pitching of Cy Young Award winner, Clayton Kershaw. The offense should be much better, overall, assuming Andre Ethier and James Loney return to form; adding the potent bat of former-Angel Juan Rivera to this lineup should help them score enough runs to win the very competitive NL West. 2012 PROJECTION: 92-70
*Miami Marlins (72-90) - After spending tons of free agent money in acquiring shortstop Jose Reyes, pitcher Mark Buerhle, and aging closer Heath Bell, while importing volatile manager Ozzie Guillen to run the ship, and adding the volatile pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the rotation, this team is expected to be much better; along with changing the team name, they'll occupy a brand-new stadium, but will it be enough to reach the postseason in the competitive NL East? That's unlikely, but at least they'll escape the cellar. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Atlanta Braves (89-73) - They were one of the best teams in baseball for most of last season, boasting a young and very talented bullpen which simply ran out of gas in September. The starting pitching should be good enough, assuming a healthy Tim Hudson returns to the rotation sometime in May, while Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrgens stay healthy and pitch effectively. Second baseman Dan Uggla, who had a terrible start last year but came on strong at the end, should be able to put it all together for a full season; possibly good enough to earn him his first NL MVP Award; also, expect a healthy and trimmed-down Jason Heyward to swing the bat much better this year; finally, if Chipper Jones can keep his knee troubles to a minimum in his final season to play at least 120 games, it could be one to remember; yes, they should be able to get past the banged-up Phillies this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 95-67
*LA Angels (86-76) - When the Halos landed Albert Pujols, they became the best team in the American League, just like that. Unless he sustains some sort of freak injury, Pujols will have a monster season for his new team, putting up typical AP numbers (last season was an aberration), and become a strong candidate for the AL MVP Award; especially if his new team wins the AL West this time. Not only will Albert do much damage of his own at the dish, he'll make the rest of the lineup better, with his mere presence, batting third in the order. Almost lost in all the Pujols hype is the addition of flaky lefty CJ Wilson to an already formidable starting rotation. 2012 PROJECTION: 96-66
These ten teams are projected to win 96 extra games, over last year. Most of the extra wins will be coming from the 2011 division champions; the end result for 2012 will be much greater parity throughout major league baseball; and that means each division race is likely to come down to the wire this time around, creating even more fun and excitement than last year's Wild Card Wednesday.
The beneficiaries of these epic collapses - the St Louis Cardinals and Tampa Rays both finished strong, and took care of business in Game 162; the Cards were easy winners with their ace, Chris Carpenter completely shutting down the Astros; while the Rays overcame an eighth inning seven run deficit to beat the Yankees, capped off by Evan Longoria's low-flying walk-off laser down the left-field line which barely had the height requirement to clear the lowest fence in baseball (excluding Little League fences).
Lost in the daily September Wild Card drama that was unfolding in both leagues, building up to that exciting night of baseball known as Wild Card Wednesday - Game 162 - was the contrasting lack of drama in all of the division races. In case you've forgotten, just take a look at the margin of victory each division champ enjoyed by season's end:
Yankees (97-65) - 6 games
Brewers (96-66) - 6 games
D-Backs (94-68) - 8 games
Rangers (96-66) - 10 games
Phillies (102-60) - 13 games
Tigers (93-69) - 15 games
Not only did these teams play extremely well last season, getting career years from many of their key players; their divisional rivals, for the most part, had unusually bad years, which helped foster a great deal more disparity than normal between the top teams and those on the bottom of the heap.
Many of the teams that struggled last year appear well-positioned to rebound in 2012; some even appear to have playoff-caliber talent after investing in some key free agents and/or making shrewd trades; some teams were decimated by injuries last season but appear to be relatively healthy now; while others have up and coming talent waiting in the wings to emerge as star players right now. The net effect in 2012 should be a great deal more parity from top to bottom, which should make the division races themselves, much more competitive, and - unlike last year - much more captivating for the fans.
Here are ten teams that should win a lot more games this time around. For some, those extra wins have playoff implications; for others, it's just a small step towards respectability:
*Chicago Cubs (71-91) - They probably won't make the postseason, but old school new manager Dale Sveum has already had a positive influence in changing the lackadaisical Cub culture; making the players accountable, getting them to hustle and play sound, fundamental baseball; that alone should bring them back to respectability; dishing their number one head-case, Carlos Zambrano off on Miami doesn't hurt. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Minnesota Twins (63-99) - Had the worst luck with injuries than any other team in baseball last year, losing both Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau for extended periods of time; everything seemed to go wrong with this team last year; however, if they can stay relatively healthy this year, they should come very close to .500 this year - giving them the distinction of easily being baseball's most improved team. 2012 PROJECTION: 80-82
*Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90) - This team played well enough in the first half of last season to spend a day or two in first place in the NL Central; lots of young talent here, featuring center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who keeps getting better every year. The rotation could be decent, if Erik Bedard stays healthy and AJ Burnett gets healthy and stays healthy while returning to his pre-Yankees pitching form. Finally, if former-Brewer slugging third baseman Casey McGehee rebounds from a disappointing 2011 to knock in close to 100 runs again (like he did in '10), this could be the year the Buccos play .500 ball for the first time in 20 years; Barry Bonds' last year in Pittsburgh. 2012 PROJECTION: 81-81
*Kansas City Royals (71-91) - Sure, they were dealt a blow when they lost closer, Joakim Soria to season-ending Tommy John surgery, but they'll have Eric Hosmer for a full season with a strong supporting cast, including the slugging doubles machine, Billy Butler, defensive whiz Jeff Francoeur patrolling right field, and the talented Alex Gordon; they'll score a bunch of runs and could reach .500 level with any luck at all. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Colorado Rockies (73-89) - Many picked the Rox to win the NL West last season; that's how badly things unraveled for them; made many wholesale changes, including signing free agent Michael Cuddyer in the off season; returning to a hitter-friendly environment will help him return to old form, when the Metrodome was his home; throw in the hitting prowess of Troy Tulowitzki along with a healthy Carlos Gonzalez, and this team could lead the league in runs scored. Pitching may be an issue, but they picked up a reliable starter, Jeremy Guthrie from Baltimore, who should give them 200+ quality innings this year. Their number two starter is 49-year old Jaime Moyer, who would be the oldest human to ever win a major league game, if he does it; he'll probably do it at least twelve times if his body can hold out all season. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Cleveland Indians (80-82) - The Tribe got off to a sensational start last season, but gradually faded as the Tigers went on a late season tear; they have a solid pitching staff, but need Ubaldo Jimenez to pitch like he did in Colorado to make a serious run for the division title; Silver Slugger shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera should be even better this year; finally, if the oft-injured pair of Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore can play over 100 games apiece, that may help the magic return to Progressive Field all season long this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 87-75
*LA Dodgers (82-80) - After getting off to a horrendous start last season, LA recovered nicely over the second half, fueled by Matt Kemp's monster near-Triple Crown-MVP-caliber season and the brilliant pitching of Cy Young Award winner, Clayton Kershaw. The offense should be much better, overall, assuming Andre Ethier and James Loney return to form; adding the potent bat of former-Angel Juan Rivera to this lineup should help them score enough runs to win the very competitive NL West. 2012 PROJECTION: 92-70
*Miami Marlins (72-90) - After spending tons of free agent money in acquiring shortstop Jose Reyes, pitcher Mark Buerhle, and aging closer Heath Bell, while importing volatile manager Ozzie Guillen to run the ship, and adding the volatile pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the rotation, this team is expected to be much better; along with changing the team name, they'll occupy a brand-new stadium, but will it be enough to reach the postseason in the competitive NL East? That's unlikely, but at least they'll escape the cellar. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Atlanta Braves (89-73) - They were one of the best teams in baseball for most of last season, boasting a young and very talented bullpen which simply ran out of gas in September. The starting pitching should be good enough, assuming a healthy Tim Hudson returns to the rotation sometime in May, while Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrgens stay healthy and pitch effectively. Second baseman Dan Uggla, who had a terrible start last year but came on strong at the end, should be able to put it all together for a full season; possibly good enough to earn him his first NL MVP Award; also, expect a healthy and trimmed-down Jason Heyward to swing the bat much better this year; finally, if Chipper Jones can keep his knee troubles to a minimum in his final season to play at least 120 games, it could be one to remember; yes, they should be able to get past the banged-up Phillies this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 95-67
*LA Angels (86-76) - When the Halos landed Albert Pujols, they became the best team in the American League, just like that. Unless he sustains some sort of freak injury, Pujols will have a monster season for his new team, putting up typical AP numbers (last season was an aberration), and become a strong candidate for the AL MVP Award; especially if his new team wins the AL West this time. Not only will Albert do much damage of his own at the dish, he'll make the rest of the lineup better, with his mere presence, batting third in the order. Almost lost in all the Pujols hype is the addition of flaky lefty CJ Wilson to an already formidable starting rotation. 2012 PROJECTION: 96-66
These ten teams are projected to win 96 extra games, over last year. Most of the extra wins will be coming from the 2011 division champions; the end result for 2012 will be much greater parity throughout major league baseball; and that means each division race is likely to come down to the wire this time around, creating even more fun and excitement than last year's Wild Card Wednesday.
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