It is not enough that the Yankees have won 27 World Series and the Astros none. Nor is it enough, that if the Yankees win the ALCS they squared at two games apiece, overcoming a (4-0) after 6 and a half innings deficit in #4 to do so, that they would have FORTY MORE pennants than the Houston Astros.
Houston has two “jinxed” team members, at least in a baseball sense, in “BP,” current player Carlos Beltran and coach Gary Pettis.
Beltran has the quantity when it comes to post-season failure, but unless his Astros fail to win this series (even with Keickel and Verlander in the next two, I would neither count on it nor of course, rule them out, they once had Vernon Ruhle on one of their many post-season horror teams, the ’81 team, that lost 3 straight to L.A.) he really has not been on a team that blew a post-season series.
Not so Gary Pettis, who in fairness, was a coach on two of the three “crushed” post-season failures and a reserve player on the other.
Now both are part of a Houston team, a franchise that lost decisive series games in ’80 (blowing a 3 run lead, at home top 8, with Nolan Ryan pitching, Pete got a big hit, but of course, there are wild card teams, extra rounds–the wild card Yankees already sank another cursed franchise/100 plus win “div winner,” (Cleveland),but Pete is not in the sham Hall of Fame), ’81(blowing a 2-0 series lead with Nolan Ryan losing the decisive 5th), ’04 and ’15(this “Hinch bunch” blowing a (2-1) best of 5 series lead, in which they blew game 4 despite a 4 run lead at home, in the 8th inning) plus being ousted in a game 6, 16 inning 1986 NLCS classic , in which they blew a 3 run lead at home, in the top of the ninth inning).
“Quantity” Beltran has lost one “4 vs 5” game that, coincidentally, with the Yankees, vs Houston, one “div” series, that last season when his top seed team Texas, was swept by Toronto, 3 NLCS, (none with anything near a significant blown lead in a potential clincher, though his ’12 Cards dissipated a (3-1) series and the other two (’04 Astros and ’06 Mets) also lost in decisive 7th games) and one World Series (his Cards up 2 games to 1, lost in 6 to the Bo Sox, but did not blow any significant lead in the 3 straight losses. By the way to emphasize the “non blowing leads” aspect of this, his ’12 Cards never led in any of the 3 losses, games (5-7), vs eventual World champion, SF in ’12).
Not so for Mr. Pettis, who again was just a reserve player (’86 Angels) and a coach with the ’11 Texas Rangers and ’15 Astros, with whom he is still a coach (having successfully waved in Altuve in #2–consider the Gary Sanchez juxtaposition games 2 and 4—).
The ’86 Angels, bidding for their first pennant, had a three games to one ALCS lead and a (5-2) home, game 5 lead, but lost the game and series to the Red Sox. I recall the horses on the field and feeling negative about that “law and order” Orange (certainly not black,Orange was/is the old (anti/no) black(s) County approach. It turned out the horses and security were not necessary!
In ’11 Pettis’ Texas team twice was one strike away from a World Series win, but failed to get it. Need I say more!
Houston in ’15 as referenced, blew a (2-1) “div” series lead to eventual champion, K.C. in which 4’s were operative, a dissipated 4 run lead, in #4, as late as top 8 at home.
The Angels were also one strike away from victory in ’86, but Angels’ hurler Donnie Moore, who later committed suicide, partially due to that game, surrendered a 2rhr to Dave Henderson, who now also is dead.
People forget the Angels tied that tilt and a Doug DeCinces failure (runner on third < than 2 out, actually not sure which way the “less than” sign points) kept them from winning the pennant.
Additionally Pettis himself, who did nothing “wrong” in any of this, himself made a bid to win the pennant for ’86 “Cal,” but Jim Rice made a very good and obviously incredibly clutch catch, on Gary’s extra inning drive toward left.
So on the exact 39 year anniversary of clinching their incredible 1978 title, the Yankees, (5-0) at home in these ‘offs, matching their ’09 team under Joe Girardi, who may use went/gone incorrectly, but who guided them to a title then and has had nary a losing season in ten years as Yankees’ manager, staged an incredible comeback and thus squared the series, which is the first of 32 best of seven ALCS, in which the home team won the first four games.
Perspective: Moore, Henderson and Thurman Munson, who grabbed the last out in the ’78 W.S. but died less than a year later should/could and maybe will remind us INCLUDING and ESPECIALLY me, this is not life and death.
Tomorrow, now today, is another day, with another game, the pivotal 5th game at 5 Eastern Time on Fox (Sports One), which with L.A. (6-0) in these ‘offs and up (3-0) vs the Cubs in the NLCS, is very likely, but not definitely, going to get a longer LCS than their TBS “competitor” for the 5th straight time (’09, ’12, ’14, and ’16 were the others). There were 4 “ties.” Bye bye!!!
“Did’i DID it again, not the star of the game, but 2 key hits.
Two days ago, playing on the exact 39 year anniversary of being routed by the Yankees in #5 ’78 W.S, the L.A. Dodgers rode Justin Turner’s 2 out, 3 run home run to (4-1) the Cubs and take a (2-0) LCS lead, for the first time since 1985.
That year, as was the case this season, both LCS stood (2-0) and for the only time in 31 seasons of best of seven LCS play (’85-’16, no playoffs in ’94), both trailing teams, each from Missouri “showed” it could be done, the Cards overcoming L.A. in 6 when Dodgers’ manager Tom Lasorda pitched to Jack Clark and the ball is still going while K.C. in the second “Bob Costas ALCS,” overcame not only a (2-0), but a (3-1) series deficit, to beat Toronto.
Only twice have the Dodgers both gone up (2-0) and won that NLCS. Both times they went (4-0) in the commonwealth/state of Pennsylvania and split at home, in ’74 vs the Pittsburgh Pirates and in ’78 vs the Philadelphia Phillies.
Alas, much is being made of Turner’s post-season game ending/winning home run, having occurred on the anniversary of Kirk Gibson’s far more important and dramatic home run, vs the too often loser in post-season, Dennis Eckersley.
Forget the fact Gibson limped to the plate that Saturday night and that it was a round later, namely the World Series, (the Turner homer, obviously still dramatic/important, was on a Sunday, by the way as only I will note, a day the Cubs have lost on in ALL SIX of their LCS appearances, including ’84 when they lost a decisive game 5 at San Diego and blew a (2-0) LCS lead) in that game L.A. a big series underdog, TRAILED by a run.
In this one, L.A. was a big series “fave,” bigger when they won the opening game, and most of all, the score was TIED with L.A. the home team, still a nice game favorite, had the game gone to extra “frames.”
“Bowl” on folks.
There are three NFL teams with the number 57 immersed in their franchise history, this season.
They are the Philadelphia Eagles, whose (5-1) record is the best in the NFC and tied with the K.C. Chiefs, the one team to beat them, for the best in the NFL, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.
“Philly” last won the NFL crown 57 (FIFTY SEVEN) years ago in 1960. They took the title game (17-13) on the day after Christmas, a Monday, 26 days before John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as United States President, Robert Frost read and my once only, “Trivial Pursuit” partner, the fabulous Karen was born.
The Eagles’ title gave the state/commonwealth of Pennsylvania both the baseball and football crowns of 1960 as key home runs by Bill Mazeroski, Hal Smith and an early one by Rocky Nelson had vaulted the Pittsburgh Pirates to their first title in 35 years, winning game 7 on October 13th, 25 days before the above events and the day/night of the last presidential debate between Mr. Kennedy and his opponent/1946 friend, when both were freshman U.S. senators, R.M. Nixon.
Minnesota is (4-2) thus far this season, which is their 57th (FIFTY SEVENTH) having entered the NFL in 1961 with the Eagles’ title winning quarterback Norm Van Brocklin as their coach.
The Vikings have made 4 Super Bowls but never as much as had a lead in any of them.
Detroit which fell to (3-3) with a (52-38) loss in New Orleans yesterday, last won an NFL title 60 years ago in 1957 (nineteen FIFTY SEVEN).
While the Vikings have at least made 4 Supes/NFL final, the Lions have not only not made such, but have been in but one “semi”/NFC title tilt, that a loss to the eventual champion “Wash” in the 1991 game.
Speaking of Washington D.C. sports, after a 4th loss in as many “quarterfinals/div series, all in the past 7 seasons, the four current “Wash” sports teams have made as much as a semi-finals appearance, but once in a combined 90 seasons (’92-’16 for the currently (3-2) Redskins, who sojourn to Philly next Monday night, (’92-’17 for both the NHL Capitals and NBA Wizards nee Bullets and 13 for the baseball Nationals).
For just the third time in their 15 post-season series,(two this season, with Carlos Correa leading the offense in both game 2 wins), the Houston Astros have grabbed a two games to none lead.
Correa’s double scored Jose Altuve with the winning run in game 2, a second straight Houston (2-1) win “under/vs” the New York Yankees in the ALCS.
The Astros opening an LCS at home for just the second time (the other was vs another New York team, the Mets in 1986) are bidding for just their second pennant and are now nice favorites to become the first team to play in a World Series from both major leagues.
The Yankees lost to a home team in extra innings, falling down (2-0) in the best of 5 “div” series but overcame Cleveland. They have won 40 American League Pennants, the Astros have one National League Pennant, none in the American League and nary a World Series win having been swept by the Chi Sox in the ’05 World Series.
This is the fifth straight season, the last 4 in the ALCS that the team winning Friday night came back and won Saturday afternoon to take a (2-0) LCS lead.
The previous four teams won said series,
The Astros are (4-0) at home in these ‘offs, have never won both an LCS opener and the series. This is their 5th LCS.
They head to New York where the Yankees are (3-0) this post-season. The Yankees (11-3) in previous ALCS, (the Astros were (1-3) in 4 NLCS), have never lost game 1 of an LCS on the road and won the series.
The vaunted Yankees’ franchise has won 40 pennants, the Astros have won just one.
Houston has won 6 of its last 7 LCS games while the Yankees, once (10-1) in LCS have lost 6 straight LCS games and 10 of 11 since the Yankees opened with a win at Texas in the 2010 LCS opener.
Suggestion for the Astros: go up (3-0) and certainly get it done in New York.
The “fix on Fox” scares me especially after they lost money, as the U.S. soccer team did not qualify for World Cup play.
Also the ‘Stros did not exactly rout the Yankees in either tilt, but are (7-2) counting “reg” (alot “reg” meant as Cleveland and Washington, each at one time the home city for the great football player, Bobby Mitchell, found out).
Why do I care? Maybe because the Astros (The Jetsons’ dog was named Astro) have suffered so greatly in post-season, maybe because despite progress, I still root vs the Yankees, maybe both.
Oh, was I wrong concerning the Chicago Cubs and for that matter, the now (0-4) in “div” series, Washington Nationals.
The Cubs prevailed two nights ago on Thursday October 12th to advance to their straight NLCS, this one vs the nearly two to one favorites, the L.A. Dodgers.
I believe last year, the Cubs bidding for their first pennant in 71 years were slightly bigger “faves” vs L.A. and of course prevailed in 6 games, en route to ending a 108 year title drought.
It was exactly 50 years ago yesterday, on Thursday October 12, 1967 when Columbus Day was observed then, hence no school, that the great pitcher Bob Gibson hurled the St. Louis Cardinals to a decisive 7th game triumph at Boston vs the Red Sox.
Julian Javier had a big hit as Gibson won in a game 7 for the second time in 4 seasons.
St. Louis handed the Red Sox the first two of their 4 game 7 losses, the four W.S. they lost from the time they had last won in 1918 until they did so in 2004, against St.Louis whom they also beat in the 2013 W.S. under John Farrell, who regrettably was let go by Boston the other day.
The Cards led 3 games to 1 in that ’67 World Series but needed Gibson in game 7.
The next year they were not as fortunate.
Much credit to the New York Yankees, who overcame a (2-0) series deficit and took out the Cleveland Indians, who again dissipated a (3-1) series lead, losing in a Corey Kluber start on a Wednesday night. (See last year’s World Series and now it will be at least 70 years between Indians’ titles as they last won it all in 1948.)
Of course they are a wild card team, Boston beat them out for the entity/one eighth division but in a reversal of ’04, the lower seeded Yankees advance while the higher seeded Red Sox are out.
Referencing ’04, the Yankees got some revenge vs Terry Francona the current Cleveland manager as in the ’04 ALCS Francona’s Red Sox overcame a (3-0) series deficit to “7” the Yankees en route to ending an 86 year title drought.
Finally my incredible note (none of the four Yankees’ fans I “sent” it to seemed to care) was enhanced with Francona as “noted” here Monday, now having managed in 14 post-season series and incredibly 13 have manifested in one team or the other (now 5 vs Francona), winning at least three straight games within the series.
Didi Gregorious, (pictured above), on a “G” night, (Brett “G”ardner also had a big hit) became the third Yankees’ player to hit two home runs in a decisive game of a series.
Jason “G”iambi did so in the ’03 ALCS.
The great Yogi Berra did so in the most important game of all, in his case #7 World Series 1956.
I referenced Yogi’s great feat every time I met him and the modest Mr. Berra always talked of how “Johnnie Kucks pitched a great game for us/the Yankees that day.”
In two straight seasons, the Houston Astros needed just win vs the L.A. Dodgers to win the N.L. West title.
Those two franchises, the Dodgers sans a World Series appearance or title since Orel Hershiser, Kirk Gibson and company led one in 1988 and the Astros, a team sans a World Series game win and now of course in the American League, won their division series two days ago and await their LCS opponents.
Houston which needed a Joe Niekro win in an extra game after losing the last 3 “reg” games at L.A. in ’80 and lost all 3 in L.A. in ’81 as the Dodgers won the strike marred season division series, will face the winner of tonight’s Yankees at Indians game.
When the ‘Stros won that game to win their first crown of any kind in that their 19th season, first baseman Dave Bergman made the clinching play, in an easy win.
Two days ago, similarly named Alex Bregman, hit a very important game tying home run in the top of the eighth inning.
The Dodgers will face the winner of the Cubs/Nationals series which “Chi” leads 2 games to 1. If it is L.A. vs Chi, as was the case last year, recall the winner of a “semi” between those two cities, is unbeaten in the five subsequent finals, including the Cubs’ 108 year drought ending, final win last season.
I would like to be in the Carnegie Delicatessen right now eating a pastrami sandwich.
Would not it be nice to hear Ray Scott announce an NFL game?
I have a vague memory of Y.A. Title, who died at age 90, throwing a record tying 7 touchdown passes in a 1962 game.
The 18 inning game referenced on the telecast of the recent 13 inning game was played in 2014, an even year Giants’ title season not the odd year 2015.
Matt Vasgersian, who made that factual error, also called C.C. Sabathia’s 5 and one third inning, 3 runs yielded, pitching performance “BRILLIANT.”
He said it twice and I have to learn/adapt to not get upset by these things.
Would not that be nice?!!!
Ray, The Carnegie, and Y.A. are gone, while Vasgersian gets what will likely be a highly rated (quantity) telecast of the decisive 5th between the Yankees and Indians.
Before last night’s game Cleveland (Indians) manager Terry Francona hoped or would have hoped, in the unlikely event he knew, the incredible fact 12 of his 13 post-season series have manifested in either his team (8 times) or the opposing team (4 times), win at least three straight games within the series.
Now after the Yankees (1-0) win forced a Monday 4th game (10 years apart “Cleve” div’d out the Yankees clinching on a Monday, doing so 10 years ago in game 4, as a nice road underdog in Joe Torre’s last tilt as Yankees manager and in ’97, then at home, winning a decisive 5th game) Francona, whose Indians dissipated a (3-1) World Series lead to the Cubs last season, extending their title drought to 68 years, can only hope there is no 3 game win/loss skein within this series.
Elsewhere baseball gets 4 games today as Boston overcame a (3-0) deficit and ripped Houston. Their 4th game is at 1, Cubs hosting Wash in a (1-1) series starts around 4:00, the Indians/Yankees commences around 7:00 while top ranked L.A. (Dodgers) takes its (2-0) series lead to Arizona in a 10 P.M. (all the times cited are Eastern) game.
For the record, en route to World Series wins with the Boston Red Sox, the first in 2004, ended an 86 year title drought, the Francona managed team won (3-0 in both div series, each time vs the Angels also in ’07 and swept both the St. Louis Cardinals (’04) and Colorado Rockies (’07) in World Series play.
Last season, the Francona managed Indians swept the Red Sox in the “quarters/div series before going up (3-0) vs the Blue Jays, en route to a 5 game ALCS triumph.
Speaking of the ALCS, Francona’s Red Sox staged two highly improbable comebacks in that round en route to the ’04 and ’07 crowns. First was their still unprecedented, in baseball or basketball, comeback from a (3-0) series deficit to beat the Yankees in ’04 and then down (3-1) they overcame the Indians.
As defending champions, Francona’s Red Sox were swept out of the “div” series by the eventual ’05 champion Chicago White Sox, the latter ended an 88 year title drought that season.
When Boston clinched their aforementioned first crown in 86 years, they did so with the St. Louis player Edgar Renteria making the last out. The next season Edgar made the last out as a Red Sox player, to complete the Chi Sox sweep.
Renteria also delivered the World Series ending, decisive game 7 hit, vs you guessed it, the Indians, in the worst moment of their drought, to give the Florida Marlins the ’97 crown.
Need I say, Renteria surfaced with the 2010 S.F. Giants, contributing mightily as they ended a 56 year title drought. Before their ’10 title, the Giants had never won as the S.F. Giants, last winning, you guessed it, vs a heavily favored, 111 win, 1954 Cleveland Indians’ team.
Completing this, Francona’s Red Sox lost games (2-4) and in 7 games vs the Joe Maddon managed Tampa Bay Rays in the ’08 ALCS, one of three times a Maddon team ousted a Francona team in the ‘offs (the others were of course last year’s World Series the fourth time a 3 game loss skein beat Francona and the 4 vs 5 game in ’13, Maddon with the Cubs for the former and Rays for the latter. Terry was with Cleve in ’13) and in 3 straight, as the Angels got some revenge in the ’09 div series vs Boston.
The only time in the first 13 Francona managed Post-season series, there was not a 3 game win or loss skein was in ’08, also vs the Angels, when Francona’s team up (2-0), lost on a Sunday night at home, before winning in 4 on a Monday night.
Among the many heartbreaking or at least bad moments in the Indians’ title drought, none was worse than the Marlins clinching the ’97 W.S. as pictured above.
Mr. Renteria and all that/he entails drove in the winning run in one of only two World Series in which Bob Costas was the lone network television, “lead” broadcaster.
Andy B Sports 