Archive for October, 2011
The Top 5 Setup Men in Baseball »
It's the closers who get all the recognition, but these guys are the ones who keep the leads intact or the games within reach.I am talking about Middle Relievers. If a pitcher gets knocked out of a game in the sixth, seventh or eighth inning then these are the guys the manager calls on.It is quite possibly the most underrated statistic in [...]
MLB Playoffs 2011: Picking Each Team’s Best »
After a turbulent ride of walk-offs, clutch pitching and huge meltdowns, the 2011 MLB postseason is finally here.The Rays, Rangers, Yankees, Tigers, Brewers, Phillies, Cardinals and Diamondbacks have all joined together as this year's greatest teams to compete on baseball's biggest stage.For some players, being put on the spotlight in the [...]
MLB Playoff Predictions: Yankees Offense Will Be Too »
Pitching wins championships.Nobody has been better in Major League Baseball than Detroit Tigers’ starter Justin Verlander. He was the guy that was ready to set the tone of the series, but instead, rain decided to wash away Game 1. Now, Verlander can’t go and the Tigers aspirations rest on the rest of their rotation. The Yankees will [...]
World Series and MLB Playoff Predictions »
With last year's World Series Champion San Francisco Giants out of the race, who is primed to be this year's World Series Champion?Will Tampa Bay's momentum carry them all the way through?Will New York's payroll buy them another championship?Will The Phillies pitching staff bring them the title they deserve?Begin Slideshow
2011 MLB Playoffs: Not Starting CC Sabathia in Game 2 »
The rainout of Game 1 has had a profound effect on the Yankees starting rotation. For one, AJ Burnett now is slated to start Game 4. But an even more pressing matter is when to pitch CC Sabathia.Joe Girardi says it will happen on Monday, for Game 3. That's the wrong move.The main reason for pushing CC back to Monday is simple: Joe doesn't want the [...]
2011 MLB Playoff Schedule: Mother Nature Does Yankees »
The Yankees need to give Mother Nature a high-five after her performance in Game 1 in their series with Detroit. The score was tied 1-1 when the rain halted play in the second inning. The game will resume on Saturday. Impact of Rain DelayThis is going to seriously alter a pitching rotation that both teams spent the end of their season [...]
John Sterling Will Tell Us “Ball Game Over, »
After the Pittsburgh Pirates won a game, broadcaster Lanny Frattare closed the game by telling listeners "...and there was no doubt about it,” which was similar to Bob Prince saying, "We had 'em all the way." In a few days, John Sterling will tell New York Yankees fans, “Thuuh Yankees win. Ball game over, series over. THUUUH Yankees [...]
World Series Predictions: Why the New York Yankees Are »
When the regular season started, the easy favorites were the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox. They had it all: the pitching, the hitting, the bullpen, you name it.But now it's October, and while the Phillies are just as good as the hype they received, the Red Sox failed to make the playoffs.We all know what happened. The Red Sox entered [...]
2011 MLB Playoffs: MLB Made a Mistake by Even »
Just as Major League Baseball had gained the most momentum it has had in years, it came to a screeching halt on Friday night in the Bronx.After what was the most fantastic finish in MLB history, baseball had silenced some of its critics—until Game 1 of the ALDS between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.In what was slated as the best [...]
2011 MLB Playoff Schedule: Why Late October Games Will »
Pitching wins championships.That's the age-old cliche when October rolls around. Past all the sabermetrics, new statistics and cliches, pitching remains true.However, it doesn't necessarily mean you need the best pitching staff.The Philadelphia Phillies have three of the top 10 pitchers in the league, but that doesn't mean we should hand them the [...]