World Series Chat

[h2oface]

Apparently the strike zone is now on a need to know basis.

[flpmagikat]

Do people really think this was a great game? Exciting or interesting I'll give you, but that was pretty terrible imo. Awful, awful pitching, and a horribly inconsistent ump. Probably related. Seemingly a bunch of walks and hrs, with neither team showing any ability to hold a lead. It doesn't help that i think the astros are maybe the most dbaggy team in baseball this year, making the dodgers the likable ones. ugh

[notoriousgod71]

This is the first World Series since I turned eight that I can not sit through.

 

GET AN OUT PLEASE.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

For nine inning games, I draw the line at 5 hours.

[Blake]

 

Do people really think this was a great game? Exciting or interesting I'll give you, but that was pretty terrible imo. Awful, awful pitching, and a horribly inconsistent ump. Probably related. Seemingly a bunch of walks and hrs, with neither team showing any ability to hold a lead. It doesn't help that i think the astros are maybe the most dbaggy team in baseball this year, making the dodgers the likable ones. ugh

Not much to argue there.

 

I work with a bunch of Dodger fans. I may start answering my phone with the phrase: "Dodger fan depression hotline, how may I help you?"

 

 

[drjim]

I wonder if this World Series will slow the roll on bullpenning a little. Baseball is plenty reactive.

[drjim]

 

I wonder if this World Series will slow the roll on bullpenning a little. Baseball is plenty reactive.

 

Didn't realize Cameron wrote a post on this: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/so-what-do-we-think-about-bullpenning-now/

[notoriousgod71]

 

I wonder if this World Series will slow the roll on bullpenning a little. Baseball is plenty reactive.

 

I switched over to MLBN last night during the game and watched Baseball Seasons 1997 for the 100th time, which caused me to do a little research on the playoff series.

 

Florida got complete game wins from Livan (143 pitches) and Kevin Brown (140 pitches) in back to back games to close out the Braves. Livan followed that up with 142 more in the World Series against Cleveland over eight innings. Also, Smoltz had a 127 pitch six inning effort earlier in the series.

 

I wonder if I'll ever see a 140 pitch game in my lifetime again.

 

 

 

 

[ashbury]

The maxim, "you have all winter to rest up", only applies if the pitchers can indeed summon up their best stuff when tired. The data provided in that FG piece suggests the hand was overplayed in this case.

 

Of course the pitch quality is being discussed after the fact, and sometimes you just don't know for sure while the reliever is only warming up, just as you (probably) can't know that a Darvish is going to come out there one night with absolutely no command.

 

I also wonder if Cameron overstates the point about the starting pitcher going through the lineup a third time. He states the analytics as suggesting the lower-tier relievers are no worse than your starter by that point - but that careful phrasing (used twice) also doesn't give a compelling reason to make that pitching change either, if the data is only suggesting one is as good (bad?) as the other.

[Vanimal46]

Nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the room? Kershaw is probably the best regular season pitcher in the MLB right now... But it still hasn't translated to the playoffs. The stage was set for a vintage 7-8 inning outing to save the bullpen. Instead he blew a 4 run lead in the 4th, and another 3 run lead in the 5th.

 

For my money I'd take Verlander over Kershaw simply because Verlander shows he can be a game changer for his team in the playoffs.

[Blake]

 

The maxim, "you have all winter to rest up", only applies if the pitchers can indeed summon up their best stuff when tired. The data provided in that FG piece suggests the hand was overplayed in this case.

 

Of course the pitch quality is being discussed after the fact, and sometimes you just don't know for sure while the reliever is only warming up, just as you (probably) can't know that a Darvish is going to come out there one night with absolutely no command.

 

I also wonder if Cameron overstates the point about the starting pitcher going through the lineup a third time. He states the analytics as suggesting the lower-tier relievers are no worse than your starter by that point - but that careful phrasing (used twice) also doesn't give a compelling reason to make that pitching change either, if the data is only suggesting one is as good (bad?) as the other.

I read Cameron's article and, to me, he basically made the case you need to use the entire bullpen and not just a select few arms because, surprise, over used relievers lose their effectiveness. 

 

Anyway, I seem to recall a manager that won a couple of World Series rings and one of the relievers later said they had clearly defined roles and basically a rotation within the rotation so on any given day, they knew who was going to be called.

 

Any guesses as to who the manager was?

[spinowner]

 

I read Cameron's article and, to me, he basically made the case you need to use the entire bullpen and not just a select few arms because, surprise, over used relievers lose their effectiveness. 

 

Anyway, I seem to recall a manager that won a couple of World Series rings and one of the relievers later said they had clearly defined roles and basically a rotation within the rotation so on any given day, they knew who was going to be called.

 

Any guesses as to who the manager was?

Gotta be TK.

[drjim]

 

I read Cameron's article and, to me, he basically made the case you need to use the entire bullpen and not just a select few arms because, surprise, over used relievers lose their effectiveness. 

 

Anyway, I seem to recall a manager that won a couple of World Series rings and one of the relievers later said they had clearly defined roles and basically a rotation within the rotation so on any given day, they knew who was going to be called.

 

Any guesses as to who the manager was?

 

Bullpen roles are a good, effective way to win baseball games!

[Blake]

 

Gotta be TK.

And we have a winner!

[spinowner]

I didn't watch the second half of last night's game. But here is what appears to me to have happened:

1.) Two teams with good hitters.

2.) Two teams with pitchers showing the effects of fatigue, not just because of the last few games but because we are now some 175 games into the season.

3.) Short distances down the lines, especially LF.

4.) Baseballs that have specifications favoring hitters.

Combine these factors and you get a ridiculous baseball game. Entertaining? To many, I'm sure, but these games get tiring. I'd rather watch pitchers having their way with batters than watch batters having their way with pitchers.

[mickeymental]

now all this series needs to be considered among the best ever is a 1-0 extra-inning game 7. 

[twinsfanstreif]

Do people really think this was a great game? Exciting or interesting I'll give you, but that was pretty terrible imo. Awful, awful pitching, and a horribly inconsistent ump. Probably related. Seemingly a bunch of walks and hrs, with neither team showing any ability to hold a lead. It doesn't help that i think the astros are maybe the most dbaggy team in baseball this year, making the dodgers the likable ones. ugh

I actually disagree with you here. I get it, I'm a baseball fan that's been trying to explain why I love baseball to all my friends for years. The pitching was not good but dang these two offenses are fantastic and it made for entertaining baseball. Games like these bring non baseball fans into the sport and get people talking about baseball where they normally wouldn't. I also disagree about the likability of the Houston team. lived in Houston for 10 years and you have to understand that Houstonians have a massive chip on their shoulder because they always play second fiddle in the state to Dallas, get little national attention dispite being the 4th largest city in the nation, and rarely win anything (2 forgotten Rockets Championships in the 90s is it and a franchise pulled out from under them over a stadium issue dispite good attendance, sound familiar Minnesota sports?). Houston is the hardworking blue collar city and Dallas is the flashy white collar brother that gets all the attention, that is the personality they take on. This team is young, energetic, diverse, and fun. Sure they're cocky sometimes and the racist gesture by Gurriel was inexcusable but this team is bringing together a city that was recently devastated by a massive natural disaster and is giving hope to sports fans who really haven't had much in the past 50 years. That's something to cheer for right there.

[h2oface]

 

Nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the room? Kershaw is probably the best regular season pitcher in the MLB right now... But it still hasn't translated to the playoffs. The stage was set for a vintage 7-8 inning outing to save the bullpen. Instead he blew a 4 run lead in the 4th, and another 3 run lead in the 5th.

For my money I'd take Verlander over Kershaw simply because Verlander shows he can be a game changer for his team in the playoffs.

 

 

Kershaw has had some problems in the playoffs, and now World Series. After Game One, it seemed like it might be on a different track.

But let's take a look at Verlander in the 3 World Series he has been in to date.......

4 games, 0-3, 6.43 ERA, 21 innings, 18 runs, 15 earned, 6 Homers, 8 walks, 2 wild pitchers, WHIP 1.333, with 21 Ks.

He has been quite good, even great, in the ALCS and ALDS (11-2 in 16 starts with ERA about 2.30 and WHIP about 1.000)...... but in the Series....... not so fine.

[h2oface]

Kenley Jansen is doing a fine Joe Nathan impersonation this World Series.

[Vanimal46]

Verlander looks pretty locked in tonight.

[Vanimal46]

Another example of a manager getting into his own head and pulling a starter too early. That's twice this series for Hill getting the raw end of the deal.

[ashbury]

Verlander looks pretty locked in tonight.

Nice jinx.

[Vanimal46]

Nice jinx.

I'll take it. I want to see a game 7 tomorrow.

[Vanimal46]

Frankie Franchise is alive and well! No longer rotting out in the bullpen this series.

[ashbury]

Maybe it's overwrought, but I like Tim Brown's writeup of the game. It hearkens back, for me, an older style of sports writing.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/world-series-game-6-defensive-play-helped-force-game-7-065832847.html

 

"There are no pitch counts on Halloween night."

 

True dat.

[drjim]

Twins dodged a bullet by not trading for Verlander. Clearly can't win when it matters the most.

[ashbury]

Twins dodged a bullet by not trading for Verlander. Clearly can't win when it matters the most.

Looking forward to Darvish's audition for the big job in Minneapolis, tonight.

[Guest]

The Dodgers have more payroll in their bench (Ethier), inactives (Gonzalez), DL (Kazmir), trades to other teams (Kemp), retirements (Crawford) and several other players in those conditions and other non-starter or non-roster conditions, than the Twins have in total payroll.

[spinowner]

The last game of the WS has some melancholy overtones.

There are two seasons to the year: baseball season and waiting for baseball season. Starting tonight there's a void in my life until February.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

This game is making the 10-inning, five hour game look like a speedy pitchers duel, but I am in it for the long haul