Division Series Review

Much of the mystery is gone from this extra round of baseball playoffs that the lords of baseball love almost as much as their money. Of course they love it because it makes them more money. Two teams are up two games to none, while two others won best of five openers on the road and have the potential last three games at home. Three of the teams that have these big advantages were higher ranked teams.

The Cincinnati Reds managed by Dusty Baker, (I think he is coming to NY for a fourth time this year and a fourth World Series vs the Yankees) dominated the San Francisco Giants winning both games in the “city by the bay.” This is the ninth post-season series for a Baker team either as a player or manager, with exactly two road games for his team. On all nine occasions one team won both of those games. This is the fourth time Baker’s team won both games. Seven of the eight teams that won both road games won the series with the lone exception being when Baker’s lone title team, the 1981 Dodgers, won all three at home to take a best of five series from the Houston Astros. By the way, that Houston team included Nolan Ryan, the losing pitcher in the decisive game. The year before Ryan stood on the mound at home in the top of the eighth inning with a three run lead in the decisive game. Ryan and his team failed to hold the lead and lost the game. Ryan has suffered similar heartbreak as a Texas Rangers’ executive notably in last year’s World Series and with the team’s collapse  this year. Also in strike marred 1981, Ryan retired Baker for the last out as he broke the no hit record he had shared with Sandy Koufax. However, Baker and the Dodgers went on to win their first title since 1965, when Sandy Koufax, pitching on two days rest pitched a three hit shutout in the seventh game of the World Series at Minnesota. (The only home World Series loss in 12 games for the Twins, who are 0-9 in road World Series games but won titles in 1987 and 1991.)

The Washington Nationals gave the D.C. area its first post-season win since 1933 winning (3-2) at St. Louis vs the world champion Cardinals. Tyler Moore delivered a two out, two rbi single in the top of the eighth and there was no more scoring after that hit. The Cardinals failed to score despite having the bases loaded and no one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Odds wise, the Cardinals will be deemed the team with the best chance of the four “disadvantaged” teams but with the potential last three games in Washington, will be over two to one underdogs.

The Detroit Tigers won both home games from the Oakland A’s, whom I picked to win this best of five series. The Tigers have now won six straight post-season games and eight of nine vs the Athletics, who also are likely to lose a post-season series for the eighth time in their last nine such events. These A’s are one of three teams in baseball history to trail in its entity by 13 or more games and win it. The previous two, the 1951 New York Giants, who lost the World Series to the Yankees and the 2006 Minnesota Twins, who were swept by the A’s (their last post season wins to this point) lost in its first post season round.

Finally the Yankees and their former manager, Buck Showalter, who just can not seem to beat them. He was fired as Yankees manager after an excruciating division series loss to the Seattle Mariners in 1995. Joe Torre took the Yankees’ reins and won four titles in five seasons. Now since then the Yankees have won but one title in eleven seasons and were denied in excruciating fashion by the Arizona Diamondbacks’ only world title in 2001. The D/Backs fired Showalter before that season. This year, Showalter’s long shot Orioles never went ahead of the Yankees down the stretch and had to play in a one game “play in” game. Odds wise, the Orioles and “dutiful” Showalter did the Yankees a favor by beating the Texas Rangers. The Yankees were over two to one favorites when the series began and now are overwhelming favorites after their game one rain delayed win at Baltimore. The Yankees are (4–0) in post-season games at Baltimore.

Clearly I am exaggerating the advantage of the four teams. After all, this is baseball and anything can happen. Also I picked the A’s to win their series vs the Tigers and they are down two games to none. Yet the Reds, Tigers, Yankees and Nationals in decreasing order of quantity all have nice advantages in this extra round of baseball post-season play.

Dusty Baker