I am vehemently opposed to both the wild card presence and the three plus rounds of playoffs that diminish the importance of baseball’s 162 game regular season.
With that in mind, one must make some allowances for the Detroit Tigers’ failures in post season, they have nary a World title, and just one pennant to show for 4 straight AL Central titles.
However, their “measured” play in regular season, often struggling to win the mediocre AL Central, makes me feel less sympathy for this underachieving team.
Further, there are some annoying and vastly over rated current and former players/manager that also make it easier to swallow the slight injustice, that denies Detroit its first title since the “wire to wire,” 1984 Tigers won it all 30 years ago.
The annoying, and yes over rated players include Miguel Cabrera, the least of the offenders, but he was seen laughing in the dugout with his team still down (4-3) in game 1 of the division series vs Baltimore after he homered in the top of the eighth inning.
Would Joe DiMaggio have been laughing with his team behind late in the game, even if he had hit 3 home runs.
Also Cabrera, a great hitter, but not the deity all the “lazy, say what is easy commentators” make him out to be, has not exactly torn it up in post season play and certainly has failed in many clutch situations.
Others also annoying, include current pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Meanwhile ex Tigers Prince Fielder’s hitting woes and ex manager Jim Leyland’s really unforgivable, in baseball terms, decision to pitch to left handed slugger David Ortiz with a right-hander in game 2 of last year’s ALCS are well documented.
For the record, Verlander stuck it to the Yankees and their fans (that does not include me, by the way), by staying on for a full inning with TBS, which also should be ashamed, as Detroit scored runs while completing a sweep of the Yankees in the 2012 ALCS. The SF Giants then swept Detroit.
Scherzer thinks he is the greatest thing since “sliced bread,” is beyond mercenary, and what has he done in post season?!
Only one team can win it all and the three (plus) tiered playoff rounds is horrible, but the failure of good, but measured Tigers’ teams
Annoying
(2011-2014) to win it all is not that great an injustice, if one at all.
After a week off last week, NFL predictions returns with three opinions all on tomorrow’s games, in this the 6th week of the 2014 season.
As stated in last week’s AFC update, I believe the Jets will play well vs the Denver Broncos, who are 9 point favorites. The Broncos will win in a close game.
In their last two games, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have covered the spread with first an overtime touchdown vs the Broncos and then with a field goal, that likely should not have been attempted.
Said field goal made some happy and others not. Seattle, up 7 points with 25 seconds left at the Washington Redskins 25 did not have to kick the field goal. Washington had no timeouts remaining.
This week the surprising Dallas Cowboys, a nine point underdog, will keep it close at Seattle, vs the Seahawks.
The Buffalo Bills enter tomorrow’s game vs the New England Patriots tied for first with the Pats in the AFC East. Each team is (3-2). Buffalo needs this game desperately, as they have lost so often vs New England. I predict the Bills, a field goal underdog will get the big win.
So it is the Jets, Cowboys and Bills.
After last weekend’s astounding upsets, 5 of the top 8 teams in the Associated Press poll lost for just the second time in history. Two Mississippi teams and Notre Dame are all in the top six this week. Predictions on their games this week follows.
Mississippi State tied for the third spot with intrastate rival, the University of Mississippi, hosts second rated Auburn this week. Just under a field goal favorite, Auburn will win by a touchdown.
The University of Mississippi, after its win vs Alabama last week, is also an underdog this week, playing in College Station, Texas against Texas AM.
Normally I would pick Texas AM, but since New York Radio Station WFAN’s Mike “so often wrong” Francesa was pretty adamant they would win, I will pick Mississippi in a close game. Texas AM is also just under a field goal favorite.
Notre Dame is a 17 point favorite vs North Carolina. They will win, but not by more than 17, let’s say 10 as they look ahead to their visit to Tallahasse next week, where current number one and defending champion, Florida State will be waiting for them.
The predictions are Auburn, Mississippi and North Carolina to beat the spread.
Tomorrow night the American League Championship Series begins with the unlikely match-up of the Baltimore Orioles vs the Kansas City Royals.
As was the case in both National League Division Series, the series underdogs won in the American League Division Series.
The Orioles, who had home advantage, beat the underachieving Detroit Tigers, while “KC” with or without “The Sunshine Band,” took the top ranked Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Each team won in three straight games.
This will be the first post season clash between the Royals and Orioles, whose most telling association until now, was the difficulty in reading scores in games involving the two teams. For example “Royals 4, Orioles 3” is a bit of a “tongue twister.”
The Royals, in their 6th ALCS and first since 1985, once appeared in 4 in 5 seasons, all vs the New York Yankees from (1976-1980).
They are (2-3) in ALCS play having won their last two, in 1980 and 1985. They followed their 1985 ALCS win with a World Series triumph vs the St. Louis Cardinals, who of course, are a possible World Series opponent this year.
The Orioles, who were in the first 3 ALCS (1969-1971) and 5 of the first 6, are in one for the first time since 1997. Baltimore is (5-4) in previous ALCS.
If both the Orioles and Cardinals win their LCS, there would be a World Series battle between the two franchise that met in the all St. Louis World Series of 1944. The Orioles were once the St. Louis Browns, having moved to Baltimore in 1954. The Cardinals won that 1944 World Series in six games.
For the second time in three seasons, it will be the St. Louis Cardinals vs the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.
Each team, the Cards vs the L.A. Dodgers and the Giants vs the N.L. one seed, Washington Nationals, won as significant series underdogs.
Additionally, both the Cards and Giants posted (3-2) wins in the 4th game clinchers as fairly significant, game underdogs.
The Cards and Giants are meeting for the fourth time in the NLCS with “SF” holding a 2-1 edge. St. Louis won in 1987, winning the last two games at home to win in seven games.
Two years ago, vs the Cardinals in the NLCS, the Giants also won the last two games at home and overcame a (3-1) series deficit to win in seven games.
Unlike the 1987 Cardinals, the Giants went on to win the World Series in that 2012 season.
Click here for some 1987 Cards vs Giants memories
This is a note that “nobody but me,” will convey. I do it largely from memory and please enjoy or cringe in the spirit of “did you know?”
Sunday’s Baltimore Orioles win to clinch their division series and move on to face the Kansas City Royals, who also completed a sweep in their division series, was the 16th time in 16 different post season series, that the Orioles played a Sunday post season game. All 16 times, the Sunday game winner was the series winner.
This includes two World Series clinchers for the Orioles in both 1966 and 1983 and the Pittsburgh Pirates 7th game win at Baltimore in 1971.
The Royals lone World Series triumph was secured with a Sunday game seven win in 1985. Unless there is a postponement on one of the scheduled game days in the upcoming Royals/Orioles ALCS, there will not be a Sunday game in the series.
Our update begins in the AFC West where both the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos scored decisive victories. (4-1) “S.D.” shutout the (1-4) New York Jets. Meanwhile the (3-1) Denver Broncos knocked the now (3-1) Arizona Cardinals from the unbeaten ranks.
The (3-2) New England Patriots ripped the now (3-1) Cincinnati Bengals last night, leaving the NFL with no unbeaten teams just 5 weeks into the season.
Cincy still leads the tight AFC North with (3-2) teams Pittsburgh (Steelers) and Baltimore (Ravens) just behind. The (2-2) Cleveland Browns are one game back.
In their first game, the Browns were down by 24 points at Pittsburgh and tied the game, only to lose on a field on the game’s last play. Yesterday Cleveland was down (28-3) at one point, (28-10) at the half, but rallied for a (29-28) win at now (1-4) Tennessee (Titans).
The Thursday night game this coming week will be a battle of the two (3-2) teams that lead the AFC South. The Houston Texans, who lost by 3 points as 6 point underdogs at the now (4-1) Dallas Cowboys, will host the Indianapolis Colts, who have won and covered three straight games, the latest vs the Ravens.
There also will be a game between the two (3-2) teams that lead the AFC East this week. On Sunday, the (3-2) Buffalo Bills, who yesterday rode a 58 yard field from Dan Carpenter to a win at the now (3-2) Detroit Lions, will host the (3-2) New England Patriots, who as cited ripped Cincinnati last night. The Pats have won 20 of their 21 games vs the Bills.
The Miami Dolphins are (2-2), right there in the AFC East and I predict the (1-4) Jets with Michael Vick playing some at quarterback, will at least keep it close at home next week, vs the mighty Broncos.
Both the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles, though each were series underdogs, have taken two games to none leads in their best of five series vs the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Detroit Tigers respectively.
The Royals are writing an incredible story, playing in post season for the first time since winning it all in 1985. They staged a great comeback in winning the “play in” game vs the Oakland Athletics (9-8) in 12 innings. Twice in that game, they faced a potential final at bat and overcame the deficit, tying the game in the bottom of the ninth and winning it in the twelfth inning.
The Royals have won the first two games at the top ranked Angels, each in extra innings. Mike Moustakas in game one, and Eric Hosmer in game two, struck home runs in an extra frame.
Meanwhile, the Orioles have had two huge eighth innings to take the first two games from the favored Tigers.
Playing at home, in this the first ever Baltimore/Detroit post season battle in any major league team sport, Baltimore scored eight runs in the eighth to wrap up game one and four in game two to overcome a (6-3) deficit and win (7-6).
Click here for Royals 1985 clip
Incredibly, the St. Louis Cardinals down (6-2) vs certain NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw in the 7th inning on the road, won (10-9) at Los Angeles vs the Dodgers in game one of their NLDS.
That result coupled with the San Francisco Giants’ win at Washington vs the NL top ranked Nationals earlier in the day, meant once again, the Giants won and the Dodgers lost in very important October 3rd games.
This was “only” game one of a best of five “quarterfinal series” also known as the NLDS, so the impact is nowhere as great as the Giants dramatic wins head to head vs the Dodgers on October 3rd in both 1951 and 1962.
Those Giants victories by the New York Giants on October 3rd, 1951 (Bobby Thomson’s one out three run home run was decisive) and the by then, relocated San Francisco Giants on October 3rd, 1962 (SF rallied for four runs in the top of the 9th inning to win 6-4) won the National League Pennant in decisive 3rd games of unscheduled playoffs.
However, the startling Dodgers loss and/or surprising Giants win (not to me) may lead to one advancing and the other not doing so.
Giants Win, Dodgers Lose, October 3, 1962
I truly do not watch much of the sports talk and preview shows that both proliferate and pollute the airwaves.
Tuning in for just a few minutes yesterday, I heard three factual mistakes.
First Israel Gutierrez on yesterday’s ESPN “Around the Horn” Show said in a 5 game series Giants top starter (Madison) Bumgarner would start twice. The trouble is he pitched Wednesday night and hence will not pitch until game three on Monday.
He will not make two starts but why should Gutierrez, who like the others on the panel is paid to give strong, often ridiculous opinions (you know what they say about opinions) get his facts correct?
Next, Pedro Gomez covering the Baseball divisional playoffs in California for ESPN’s “Olbermann” Show said game three of the St. Louis Cardinals/Los Angeles Dodgers series will be Sunday. Wrong. It is scheduled for Monday.
Later on the same show, Keith Olbermann himself said Rusty Kuntz is the Detroit Tigers’ first base coach. The problem is that he is the Kansas City Royals’ first base coach.
Israel Gutierrez–two starts?
Rusty Kuntz–Royal not Tiger
Pedro Gomez–Sunday? Monday?
Andy B Sports 