L.C.S. Set

Surprisingly, at least for now, other than an “I told you so,” and that I believe Selig, Manfred and those who imposed the wild card presence, ruined baseball, and did so, by the way, WITHOUT reaching the very spoiled (my generation was, but subsequent ones with computers, which are worse than television and television is bad,), demographic they sought, but will likely never get, with one of many reasons being they have no childhood memories of World Series games, I simply state both LCS are set with 90 wins Philadelphia (Phillies) facing the 84 wins Arizona Diamondbacks and the battle of Texas, to be contested between an additional two, 90 wins teams, the defending champion Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.

The Phillies, last night, won (3-1) to “(3-1)” the 104 wins/top ranked Braves, winning the “quarter” in 4 for a second straight season, each time with a far inferior regular season record. A night earlier, 84 wins Arizona (Diamondbacks) completed a 3 game sweep of 100 wins L.A. (Dodgers), handing the latter a second straight “quarter” loss to a fellow N.L. West team, that finished way behind them in the “true test,” but so diminished by Selig/Manfred and their ilk, regular season.

In the days to follow (no games today and tomorrow I will have many notes on much, especially the failures of the Dodgers and Braves in post-season–though in the case of the Braves a legitimate one and in the Dodgers’ case, one in a joke “bubble” season, each attained a reason title.

Speaking of titles, the Houston Astros, last year’s winners under Dusty Baker (do not look now but surely not out of the realm, the first non Yankees repeat baseball/whoreball champion in 30 years and one with a truly good man, who happens to be among other things, one with black skin, Cito Gaston and the Blue Jays in ’92 and ’93 and now with 8 wins still needed and that will not be easy, John “Dusty” Baker 30 years later) took Minne (yes they finally won some kind of post-season entity, if you want to call an even more prostituted “12 to 8” series such, but the franchise has now lost 7 straight “quarters” since their ’02 team, which included the great clutch hitter, David Ortiz, who now sadly and shamefully, promotes gambling, beat the A’s in 2002.

The Astros, also title winners in 2017 under A.J. Hinch, are in their 7th straight ALCS and will open at home/have home advantage, in such for a fifth time in 6 possibilities as the 2020 ALCS was played in a neutral park during the pandemic crisis.

It was already cited here that Texas (Rangers) (5-0 in these ‘offs, (4-0) on the road, ditto Arizona, (by the way, while as you tell, I despise this ‘offs format, I credit all the upstart teams for their incredible performances to this point and surely the 4 remaining teams’ (18-2) mark is I guess as impressive as the (1-13) mark compiled by 5 series faves, Atlanta, L.A., the 101 wins Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays is unimpressive. Then again it is baseball! Hopefully you understand the incredible random nature of baseball result possibilities something Selig/Manfred surely knew as they are not stupid but far worse greedy and WRONG!!

Only I, because I once loved and watched all of this and now suffer but refuse/can not afford to cable watch the ‘offs, and have incredible recall for much of what does not really matter, note that last year Nick Castellanos made the last out as the Houston Astros 6’d the Phillies to win the title. (Each team is an LCS “fave” and has home advantage in their series this year) and in the just completed (I will use the slang because that is what it is and accomplishments such as the multiple homers in consecutive games in a “quarter” is not on par with doing so in a “semi”/LCS and certainly not a World Series, especially those played from (1903-1993 with no World Series, 90 years apart in 1904 and 1994) “bast” became the first in post-season annals (my comment above) to hit multiple homers in consecutive games.

I will start my Atlanta dissertation, sorry for the vitriol, with a great last out note that likely was NOT cited by the announcer? on the Phils/Braves tilt. My being asleep while whomever was on air does exacerbate this and a deadly one of 7 sins is in play, however, I feel that I am right.

On I must go!!

There is a related to my vitriol, included post above regarding Dick Sisler, (pictured above.)

His last day of the then meaningful “reg” 10th inning 3RHR ostensibly clinched the 1950 N.L. Pennant for the Phillies. As Casey Stengel, the manager of the team (the Yankees) which swept the Phils in the subsequent W.S. said “look it up” regarding more details.

They took all of that type incredible drama away, with the wild card presence.