Plenty Of LCS And Network “Notes”

The networks and even worse the baseball hierarchy won both last night, as baseball, to me all but ruined by the far too many ‘offs games, now has (2-2) and (2-1) “semis,” after Houston ripped Texas, in what has been an all road series to this point (see ’19 W.S. and ’95 NBA semis and you will, as you proceed in reading) and in the first last at bat clinching win in the 29 ‘offs games thus far (sans cable I, who once watched every inning and loved baseball, have seen almost none) ‘Zona won (2-1) vs the Phils, however, still trails (2-1), in what has been an all home NLCS to this point.

I recall the great words of my late friend Beano Cook, (though at the time while I found them humorous, I did not agree, as I still loved baseball), when asked which team he rooted for in the World Series, “the team that wins game 1 to sweep in 4 straight.”

“It”/the results was going great vs baseball and the networks, as last year there were just 9 (1 over the minimum– for those keeping score, remember keeping or Herb Score) LCS games, now there will be at least 11 (9/11 again).

There were 4 “12 to 8” round sweeps this year and only 9 (again 1 over the minimum for 4 best of 3, totally prostituted ‘offs series) games in that atrocious round last year

Certainly the biggest is the World Series, which last year went 6 games, yielding Houston its second crown and the team’s manager John “Dusty” Baker, his first managerial and non strike season title.

Let’s start with the ‘Stros, who are 25 games over .500 on the road (4-0) in these ‘offs and 5 under the break even mark at home, (1-3) in these ‘offs. They have prevailed in 8 of the 9 tilts at Texas, including the ‘offs. Their last “such” is scheduled for about 5 P.M. this afternoon.

Now to that “see,” involving a Houston team. In truly unprecedented and unbelievable fashion, the Washington Nationals won an all road 2019 World Series going (4-0) at Houston.

Add the only other ? all Texas teams semi, in any major North American sports league, the 1995 NBA Western final, in which the Houston Rockets upset the “Tonio” Spurs, winning all 3 games at San Antonio as the road team won the first 5 games, before the Rockets with the great Hakeem Olajuwon and on their way to a repeat crown, won #6 at home, to clinch the series.

The game 4 winner in a Dusty Baker involved post-season series (said winner was (8-0) in Baker series, with Dusty as a player, (2-0) in ’77 and ’78, (3-0) in strike marred ’81 and (1-0) in ’83) is (20-5) (those 8 straight wins became 11 via results in the 2000 “div,” 2002 “div” and 2002 NLCS when Baker was in his first managerial stint that with S.F. (Giants), it did not manifest in the ’02 W.S. and in both the ’03 “div” and NLCS, the latter when Florida overcame a (3-1) series deficit, eventually 6’ing the Yankees, again to repeat the fact Michael Kay said the Marlins did not belong on the same field as the Yankees after N.Y. took a (2-1) W.S. lead with a close game/#3 win).

Continuing Baker and his Reds (’00 was S.F. ’03 was the Cubs, ’12 Cincy Reds, ’15 and ’16 Washington Nationals and ’20-’23 Astros for Baker) suffered a horrible “div” series loss to current Texas manager Bruce Bochy and S.F. when the latter lost the first two at home but won all 3 at Cincy, I believe the only such occurrence to complete a baseball post-season series).

Thus– make the #4 indicator (12-3) and (20-3). With Wash it manifested in ’15 but not ’16 and with Houston it “clicked” (Larry Hagman waited for that “clicK” via drink but was great and just after I heard Patrick Duffy talk of his “also love” for another friend/working TV show partner, Suzanne Somers last Friday, sad news came that Ms. Somers, whose poster is somewhere here and likely ripped, had died too young at 76 years old one day before her birthday) in Astros’ ’20 joke playoffs “quarter”, all 3 series in ’21 and in all 3 possible instances ‘2022 ALCS, 2022 W.S. and 2023 “div” while failing to do so in the ’20 ALCS when Houston down (3-0) won games (4-6) only to lose to Tampa Bay in 7 games.

No details, but I have the “indicator” (11-2) in previous Bochy managed post-season.

What preceded is likely all accurate but there might be a mistake or two. Please let me know as I truly care about accuracy. If only so many well paid media members who seemingly do not–DID!!

No post “Remembering Piper Laurie, who died days back at age 91 (shame on me), however, I redeem citing her character’s “You’re a Roman Burt” to a character so often found on this earth, played brilliantly in that seminal film, “The Hustler,” by G.C. Scott (George C. Scott not George Scott of ’67 Red Sox vintage).