Tigers in 4

I was amazed that if you pitch the cards up they cant hit - IMHO, most MLB players would dream for some of the pitches they saw - they are a pretty gutzy team but I take Detriot in 4 as well.

There's a very good chance of that, but I'll just stick with my team.

The one that just beat the dominant-all-season Mets.

The one whose Adam Wainwright struck out Former Cardinal Killer Beltran...looking...with the bases loaded and the winning run on first...on three of the sweetest pitches I've ever seen!

How does beltran take that pitch?

Because his CB is a "real" 12-6 curveball and not a slurve!
Fungo

quote:

How does beltran take that pitch?

He had to protect against the mid 90's heater just like Cliff Floyd. Nobody was going to hit that pitch.

BTW, based on the Dynasty predictions coming out of Chicago last year that never materialized, I am going to pick the opposite of any predictions coming from that same region this year.

Cardinals in 4.

Dynasty? Chicago? Michael Jordan is retired...so don't worry CD.

Now if you're talking politics and the City of Chicago...that's a different story altogether.


King Richie


And as for Detroit...that town definitely needs some perking up. Get excited for something other than Devil's Night or Satan's Soiree or Lucifer's Fling or whatever they call it when the city is set ablaze.

Woodman -- sent your better half an e-mail yesterday.....just FYI!!

Krak

Thanks Krak...I'm sure she read it, unless you entitled it something like "Nice Nuking You" from Kim Jong Il. She most likely would dump that one.

I'll remind her to check for it. Thanks again.

By the way...the NLCS has been decided...I know you have to wait a half a day or so before the news cuts loose from that pesky International Dateline. I'll give you a hint about the victor...it's no one you've met before and it's in the cards. Sorry Krak...I know the suspense is unbearable, but NAFTA is NAFTA...you gotta' play by their rules...no exceptions!

I was able to see the last two outs at our base Burger King!! They have a bigscreen in there - right at lunchtime, too -- sadly, the outcome wasn't what I'd hoped.....but the Tigers are IN!! And now I can tell everyone again that I'm from the Detroit area......and not have to say it through a faux coughing fit.

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
And as for Detroit...that town definitely needs some perking up. Get excited for something other than Devil's Night or Satan's Soiree or Lucifer's Fling or whatever they call it when the city is set ablaze.

Gotwood.....have you forgotten that we had the Super Bowl just nine months ago, and the ML All-Star game just last year, the Ryder cup in 2005, and we have hosted several Stanley Cup Finals as well as a few NBA Finals in the past decade, all without incident? Why do you have to join some of the national media with your negative perception of a city that doesn't deserve it? Have you been to Detroit lately?

Since Beenthere double posted his thoughts, I'll post mine (Colored version in the Illinois forum).


Steve Philips commented with about 2 weeks left in the season that the Cardinals wouldn't even make the playoffs. Essentially, he pointed out all of the deficiencies of the Cardinals and then also took a shot stating that they aren't even good enough to win the weakest conference in baseball.

The Cardinals then made it to the playoffs. On Baseball Tonight, the staff lamented that the representative of the National League Central shouldn't even be in the playoffs. They pointed out that the Cardinals have the worst record in baseball for any team making the playoffs and that they would take an early exit. In fact, only one on that panel picked the Cardinals to win any game. Well, they did and advanced.

Next, it was the Mets with the "best record in the National League" and tied with the New York Yankees for the best record in baseball. Again, the Cardinals were picked to lose. In fact, since Carpenter was to be pushed back and although the Mets had lost their two best starters, few gave the Cardinals a chance to win even one. The entire panel of Baseball Tonight again predicted that this one would end in 5! They did think that Carpenter would win his game.

Tony Kornheiser and Mike (You Knucklehead) Wilbon both on PTI have absolutely torn the Cardinals apart. I expect as much from Wilbon who did so all year long and admitted early and often that he is a Cubs fan and roots for all teams non Cardinals.

Fox showed a lot of class last night in the Cardinals victory celebration asking at least three Cardinals players what it was like knowing that they are the underdogs again and everyone is picking the Tigers.

As a life long Cardinals Fan and a proud member of the Redbird Nation, I don't care what other people choose to do or their opinions. Something can be said for the overachiever. The guys that play as a team despite a lack of all of the big money free agents. A team comprised of castoffs for throughout Major League Baseball rising to the ultimate dream of making it to the World Series. This is why I love this game so much. On any given day any team can beat the other. Are the Cardinals better than the Mets? Who knows! Yesterday, that one given day, the Cardinals rose to the occassion and allowed a small market team from the Midwest to enter the classic of all sports for the 17th time.

Go Cardinals!

The Cards took 4 of 7 which is all required


We all know that the "supposedly" best team rarely wins these battles

I am looking forward to a great World Series

quote:

Yesterday, that one given day, the Cardinals rose to the occassion and allowed a small market team from the Midwest to enter the classic of all sports for the 17th time.

CoachB,

Do people in St Louis consider the Cardinals a "small market" team? I would think a combination of attendance and payroll would determine a "small market" team. If so, it would be hard to call the Cardinals a 'small market" club.

Cardinals finished 4th in attendance just ahead of the LA Angels and Chicago Cubs… Just behind the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets.

19 MLB Clubs have a smaller payroll than the Cardinals. Only 10 have a higher payroll.

It is odd that the two teams that played the worst in the last month of regular season are in the World Series. Two great managers, two great cities!

TR - I'm with you.... looking forward to a great series! I can't wait!!

Go Tigers!!!

Well, in the 9th, Comcast decided they were having a problem, cable out. Got up at 3am to see who one (now that's sic).

Congratulations to the Cardinals and fans! No excuses for anything, both teams played well, and these outcomes determine why we LOVE the game sooo much!

By the way, those NL teams really know how to put on an exciting series!

I am going with the Tigers in 6 games.

grateful:

quote:

Originally posted by grateful:
Have you been to Detroit lately?

Yes. 'Burbs? Very nice. City? Not so good.

Detroit, in my opinion, needs a Rudy Giulani style leader to really clean it up and restore its once gleaming luster. It doesn't matter what ethnicity or political stripe that leader is...just roll up the sleeves, open the mind, gather everyone up, and get busy.

It can't be denied that Detroit has built some spanking new and beautiful sporting venues. It's leaders now must build upon the progress made in that sector and spread it to the rest of the city.

I'm quite serious when I say that I hope a Tigers World Series win helps turn the fortunes of the City of Detroit around.

Most, but not all, of our big cities deserve better than what they're getting from their elected leaders.

You're right about all of that burning down the house stuff...it evidently hasn't occurred recently. I guess the memory of all of that nonsense during the Piston's reign still lingers vividly in my mind.

I don't pay too much attention to the national media...believe it or not we finally got cable service only three days ago having never had it before. Cable or no, I still will not become a fan of the main stream media. Way too much pessimism in their ranks for me.

Much success to your Detroit Tigers in the World Series.

Tigers in 4.

The pitch Beltran shouldn't have taken was the first pitch. Fastball, belt high, inside. It was the best pitch he got in that entire at bat.

Why can't people give the Cards pitcher credit for a great pitch for strike three ? --he obviously fooled Beltran---

Congrats to the Tigers and Cards...As a baseball fan I just hope we have a WS to watch this year as I can't recall the last time an NL team actually won a WS game

Talk about ironic, if one was to seed the 8 teams going into the playoffs, it probably would have looked something like this:

1 Yanks
2 Twins
3 A's
4 Mets
5 Dodgers
6 Tigers
7 Padres
8 Cards

As Willie said, "That's Baseball"

Gosh, I'm just glad that they will get to play. Do you think that the Cardinals will get to play 4?

TR, you're right. Every hitter that has ever stepped into that box has had that happen. On one pitch the pitcher simply froze you on a ball that appears to everyone else as highly hittable. I'm just taking a guess here but I'm willing to bet that most of us posters would have waved bye bye to Uncle Charlie as well. JMHO!

Texan:

You got that absolutely right! It set up his entire at bat. Young Mr. Wainwright could not have been more pleased!

TR:

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Why can't people give the Cards pitcher credit for a great pitch for strike three ? --he obviously fooled Beltran---

I give that young Mr. Wainwright a tremendous amount of credit and respect for all of his pitches.

quote:

Curious...has a team ever swept their way thru playoffs and the World Series?

Not sure if it's ever happened before, but it can't happen this year either since Detroit lost one to the Yankees.

Krak:

quote:

Originally posted by Krakatoa:
I was able to see the last two outs at our base Burger King!! They have a bigscreen in there - right at lunchtime, too -- sadly, the outcome wasn't what I'd hoped...

Now, now Krak. Cheer up.

It's tough being forced to settle for just a Whopper when you're heart is set on their new, delicious Angus, Mushroom, Grilled Onion, and Swiss Cheese Burger. That hurts. I know.

Did they say what the problem was?

Did they offer you a free Dutch Apple Pie to help with your despair?

Did that scary looking King put his arm around your shoulder to console you?

It looked to me as if Beltran was frozen on the pitch. It was a great pitch, but perhaps not as good as strike two. Strike two was a nasty 12-6 curve on the inside to the left hander. Good luck with that.

I thought that Beltran was beat after that pitch. On 0-2, he was frozen. My son asked "Didn't he know a curve was coming?"

Seems as if he should have. It was a good curve, but it was over the plate. He could have fouled it off it seems.

My take: after that natsy strike two to go 0-2, Beltran's head was reeling. Strike three was a formality.

quote:

FrankF....okay, just chalk up that question to a frustrated Phillies fan who hasn't seen post-season play since........ The brain obviously shut down on that question!

Try rooting for the Rockies!

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Why can't people give the Cards pitcher credit for a great pitch for strike three ? --he obviously fooled Beltran---

Who is taking credit away from him? He did a great job. That doesn't change the fact that Beltran should have taken a cut at that first fastball.

Although I agree with TPM and TR, I don't necessarily share Beenthere's enthusiasm. I was pulling for Detroit before the playoffs began, and I always root for the Cardinals. Cards vs Mets was a great NLCS, and the best team won. Not necessarily the best team this year, but the best team in THAT 7 game series. I am just excited to watch a good series, unlike the last two years. The last time I watched the Tigers vs. Cards in the World Series I was 12 years old, and cried my eyes out when Curt Flood misplayed the ball in Centerfield for a triple that basically cost the Cards the Series in Game 7. Cardinals were ahead 3-1, and all of a sudden Micky Lolich comes alive, and the rest is history. What a great series. I remember asking my parents if I could stay home from school to watch it on Television, came up with the flu all of a sudden. On paper the Tigers have everything they need to win this series. Although, their lineup doesn't exactly strike fear into opposing pitchers. But great pitching, and defense wins in the playoffs, just ask the Mets.

quote:

Posted by Orlando: The one whose Adam Wainwright struck out Former Cardinal Killer Beltran...looking...with the bases loaded and the winning run on first...on three of the sweetest pitches I've ever seen!

I listened to a Braves crosschesker talk about Adam Wainwright just after the Braves traded the farmhand, like his best coon dog had run off. He was not happy.
Tigers in 3

texan, when you are talking about a guy throwing 95 mph, if you are not looking fastball you will not hit it. Beltran has a scouting report and prolly wanst looking for that pitch in that spot.

Also, the yankees one of the best hitting teams in the league almost always take strike one. its part of their plan make the pitcher throw strikes. not uncommon to see professional hitter take good pitches for strike one.

Who said Beltran shouldn't have been looking fb? I didn't. If fact, I said he shouldn't have taken that first pitch fb. He should have been looking fb.

Taking until you get a strike can be an appropriate strategy - but not in every situation, IMHO. "Making the pitcher throw strikes" isn't necessary when he is already doing so.

r44, when a pitcher is on a roll, taking a belt high inside fb is just a good way to put you behind in the count. At that point, you are more vulnerable to the offspeed.

With two outs in the ninth, the game on the line, you don't take a fb that you can drive to the wall. Regardless of whether it is the first pitch.

quote:

Originally posted by FrankF:

quote:

Curious...has a team ever swept their way thru playoffs and the World Series?

Yankees almost did it in 1999.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BeenthereIL:
Cards have no chance. Worst hitting team that I've seen in the post season.

Don't pitch to Pujols and they won't score.



Im not here to call anyone out on a quote(because I said here that NYM would make the WS)but this is the most ironic thing that couldve happened.

The cards are up 4-1
Pujols hits a HR

The baseball gods are funny like that

Just goes to show you that, in my opinion, you can be a mope and be an advanced scout for a Major League team.

Hello, Tigers, don't pitch to Pujols!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thing I love about leyland is he took the blame

Yeah but the Cards seem to have won even without Pujol's homer.

Reyes has been brilliant.

Reyes was very good! Not the outcome I was hoping for!

Go Tigers!!

to quote a famous announcer...HOW BOUT THAT

John, you can be a mope and still be a mope.

Tigers won't win in four.