MLB Post Season Thread

Boiling mad. Comcast is my cable tv provider, and MLB is not allowing me to stream the game on any devices. I can only watch it on tv on MLB Network. 

Cubs and Indians rematch

Dark horse picks - Diamondbacks and Astros

Astros won 101 games.  I wouldn't call them a dark horse. 

I have Cleveland beating the Nationals in 6.

MidAtlanticDad posted:

Boiling mad. Comcast is my cable tv provider, and MLB is not allowing me to stream the game on any devices. I can only watch it on tv on MLB Network. 

No, xfinity is not allowing you to view it.   

 Download the ESPN app..... Nope that doesn't work either.

Here it is on MLB and Later game FSN. I have xfinity to.

I am going with the Astros and Verlander for AL and the Cubs for NL.

Wow!

JGC

did you know Two Cubs coaches are from SRJC. One Cleveland Indians coach from our Goodwill Series in Korea. 

Bob

Astros 2017 World Series Winners

Stick a fork in the Red Sox. They’re done. The advantage the Red Sox had was to play even late into the game and let the bullpen take over.

Chris Sale had to be on his game, win two and hope someone else (Pomeranz?) could win one. Sale was the mediocre pitcher he was in his last eleven season starts (4-4, 4.04)

Jim Kaat did a good job of explaining what’s wrong with Sale. Due to fatigue he has dropped his elbow and his hand flattening out his pitches.

i predicted on July 1 the Sox would win their division and get flattened in the playoffs. I’m not rooting for it. But it was easy to see very early.

The upside to getting flattened could be maybe Farrell gets fired. He’s never been a good in game manager. I figured he was a player’s manager. But with so many players finishing below their abilities he’s either lost them, can’t motivate them or both.

JCG posted:

Astros won 101 games.  I wouldn't call them a dark horse. 

I have Cleveland beating the Nationals in 6.

That is my prediction as well. But you know who really has this prediction thing down? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7NWPP3w8-I&t=0s

Don't be semipro. 

The Red Sox are an interesting team.  They have zigged a bit when others have zagged.  Their outfielders are all very athletic high contact athletes in an era when teams are stacking their lineups with elevate and celebrate  dudes swinging up and swinging for the fences.   It is clear that Boston over pitched Sale down the stretch and that will be their undoing.  Dombroswki is the one who should be fired, in my opinion. He seems relatively clueless.

if it turns out to be Astros-Indians in the ALCS, that could be on heckuva series.

I have no idea what to think about the NL.  Cubs might surprise people.  Nationals on paper look like the strongest team but Baseball isn't won on paper.

RS never adjusted to Verlander, he was consistantly high in the zone and he just dominated.

A couple random, post season thoughts on a crazy Friday with 4 Division Series games.  

1) My dream of a Red Sox vs Nationals World Series is not going to happen this year.  I'm not feeling it.

2) Cleveland vs Diamondbacks World Series.  Picking the Indians.  I have a man crush on Tito Francona.

3) Gary Sanchez has no business pretending to be a catcher in the post season.  Yankees need to DH him if he is in the lineup.

3and2Fastball posted:

The Red Sox are an interesting team.  They have zigged a bit when others have zagged.  Their outfielders are all very athletic high contact athletes in an era when teams are stacking their lineups with elevate and celebrate  dudes swinging up and swinging for the fences.   It is clear that Boston over pitched Sale down the stretch and that will be their undoing.  Dombroswki is the one who should be fired, in my opinion. He seems relatively clueless.

if it turns out to be Astros-Indians in the ALCS, that could be on heckuva series.

I have no idea what to think about the NL.  Cubs might surprise people.  Nationals on paper look like the strongest team but Baseball isn't won on paper.

Dombrowski is OK. Farrell should be fired. He’s a former pitcher who overuses pitchers. He’s a terrible in game manager. He seems to lack the ability to motivate. Too many players underperformed this year. 

fenwaysouth posted:

A couple random, post season thoughts on a crazy Friday with 4 Division Series games.  

1) My dream of a Red Sox vs Nationals World Series is not going to happen this year.  I'm not feeling it.

2) Cleveland vs Diamondbacks World Series.  Picking the Indians.  I have a man crush on Tito Francona.

3) Gary Sanchez has no business pretending to be a catcher in the post season.  Yankees need to DH him if he is in the lineup.

Geez, no kidding with Sanchez.  I don't think I've seen a worse performance defensively by a MLB catcher.  He couldn't handle any of the P's they rolled out.  There were a couple strange kicks and really bad pitches but still..

Maybe everyone can switch managers.

Who wants Matheny? Talk about using pitchers incorrectly! Maybe teams can switch GMs while they are at it. Moz for Dombrowsi?

MLB lacks the lure it used to have. Hoping this off season helps the sport.   

I'm jealous.  Games are over by the time I get home from work--late meetings all week.

TPM posted:

Maybe everyone can switch managers.

Who wants Matheny? Talk about using pitchers incorrectly! Maybe teams can switch GMs while they are at it. Moz for Dombrowsi?

MLB lacks the lure it used to have. Hoping this off season helps the sport.   

I'll keep Francona.  Sure had doubts about the Bauer decision but he is obviously a lot smarter than me.  My only complaint is continued use of Shaw.  I really hope I'm not being a prophet right now.

My takeaways from watching the games thus far are mainly these.

#1: The players are just soooo much better now on average than ever in the past.

#2: The game is faster now (not pace of play, obviously) but mound velo & exit velocity of balls in play, arm strength, athleticism & speed of position players.

#3: You had numerous pitchers run out there bumping high 90's / 100 who could get virtually nobody out while throwing strikes. This would not have happened 20-30 years ago. That velo alone would have translated into a degree of success.

$4: Command of the fastball, movement & secondary pitches are more relevant than ever & velocity is diminishing in effect.

All true. 

It's hard not to wonder if stealth juicing technology has improved of late.