Brandon Crawford’s performance in game seven of the recently concluded World Series deserves a positive note.
He drove in the Giants’ second run in the 2 run second inning and also helped execute the key double play in the bottom of the third inning.
Most important, Crawford made an excellent “short hop” pickup of Juan Perez’ throw on the ball hit by Alex Gordon with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Without that play, Gordon scores and the Royals are at worst, the home team in an extra inning game.
Brandon Crawford
Three predictions for week nine of the 2014 NFL season:
Though the 11 point favorite Cincinnati Bengals will very likely win, I predict the Jacksonville Jaguars to play well, and call the result, Bengals by 5 points.
Last week for the first time this season, the defending champion Seattle Seahawks won but did not cover the spread. It will happen again this week as 15 point favorite Seattle will win by 10 points, vs their old AFC West rivals, the Oakland Raiders. Of course Seattle has been in the NFC West since 2002.
Finally on Monday night I predict the New York Giants will pull a slight upset and win as three plus point underdogs vs the Indianapolis Colts. I think the winning team will do so by a field goal, perhaps in overtime.
Another interesting week of college football began last night as defending champion Florida State again fell behind but came back to not only win, but cover the spread, for the second time in eight games.
The Noles (Florida State) were 4 point favorites but trailed at Louisville (21-0) and rallied to win (42-31). They have won 24 straight games.
Many people do not like them for various reasons, but I believe even with one loss, should they lose, they deserve to be in the four team playoff.
Last night seemed to be their toughest test and it certainly is the least amount of points by which they will be favored for the rest of the regular season.
The San Francisco Giants won the 2014 World Series crown winning the decisive seventh game at Kansas City vs the Royals by a (3-2) score.
It is the Giants’ third World Series title in 5 seasons. They came in the last three “even years” (2010, 2012 and 2014.)
World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner, who already had notched two series wins with dominant starts, hurled five scoreless innings to preserve the Giants’ eighth title. It’s their third in “SF,” the others were as the “New York” Giants.
The big defensive play was turned in by Giants’ rookie second baseman Joe Panik, who started a great double play in the bottom of the third inning. By all accounts, (especially the one from dental hygienist Lia, the mother of Joe’s friend Carl) Panik is a good guy and he certainly has worked hard in achieving his goals. The play in game 7 was vital and a strong case can be made for the fact it saved the game.
Other Giants’ heroes included Michael Morse, who had 2 RBIs in game 7 and Pablo Sandoval, in perhaps his last game as a Giant–winking into the Fox camera and reaching base to start both Giants’ scoring innings (2nd and 4th).
The Giants are the first team to win game 7 of the World Series on the road since the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979. Meanwhile the Royals fell just short in a bid for their first World Series title in 29 years.
The Fox television network got what it wanted, as the World Series between the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants goes to a decisive 7th game tonight.
The Kansas City Royals won their only World Series title in 1985, going seven games. Their other previous World Series appearance resulted in a six game loss in 1980.
By contrast none of the Giants’ 7 World Series titles were achieved in a 7 game series, nor a six game one for that matter.
They did win a best of nine World Series in 8 games in 1921, but all six best of 7 World Series wins were in 5 games or less.
The Giants lost “winner take all,” games for the World Series title in 1912, 1924, 1962 and 2002.
If the field goal plus favorite Denver Broncos win at New England vs the Patriots in the late Sunday afternoon tilt this week, they will be a near certain AFC one seed for the third straight season.
The Broncos are now three to two favorites to win a second straight AFC crown. They are beyond prohibitive favorites to win the AFC West for the fourth straight season.
The 16 team AFC includes 4 teams (the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders) which have virtually no chance to make the playoffs.
The other 12, three quarters of the conference’s teams, have legitimate chances to make the playoffs.
At this near halfway point in the season, I will predict the playoff teams.
Though there are many contenders only the AFC North is without a prohibitive favorite. My predictions for the division winners are all favorites: New England in the AFC East, Cincinnati Bengals in the North, Indianapolis Colts in the South and the Broncos in the West.
The wild card situation is far more cloudy. My predictions are the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins to make it.
The other six contenders are the Buffalo Bills (quite a story to this point), Cleveland Browns (also a bit of a surprise), Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and already slumping as usual, San Diego Chargers.
The San Francisco Giants, bidding to win a third consecutive “even year World Series,” have a three games to two lead in the 2014 World Series.
“SF” won games one and five behind the brilliant pitching of Madison Bumgarner, who has a (4-0) career record in the World Series.
The Royals though trailing (1-0) in game 2, never trailed after a full inning in either of their wins in games 2 and 3.
The Giants never trailed in either “Bumgarner win” and only after the first inning last night in game 5, did not lead after a full inning in either of those games.
Thus to me, it is clear that to this point, and surely “KC” has both the ability and the historical precedent to go home and win the last two games and the title, that the Giants coming back from a (4-1) deficit in game four is this World Series’ defining game.
Analysts in defending Royals’ manager Ned Yost’s decision not to use his vaunted bullpen earlier, actually talked of it not being that important a game for the Royals.
Their reasoning was that the Royals had a (2-1) World Series lead. I counter that ridiculous thinking, by saying this is THE WORLD SERIES, not a spring training game in Arizona.
Regardless of the winners and losers, and infuriating announcer’s mistakes, we must all remember to put things in the proper perspective. The fact is, 22 year old Oscar Taveras of the St.Louis Cardinals, died in a car crash Sunday.
We should all reflect on Taveras’ death, and remember that baseball is only a game, and even a World Series game is not that consequential.
Oscar Taveras
RIP
Going into the college football week, four teams from the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division were ranked in the top five.
Three likely will remain in the top five with victories, however, one team lost and none of the four exceeded the point spread.
LSU handed Mississippi University aka “Ole Miss” their first defeat.
In the CBS national game, Mississippi State, over a two touchdown favorite, won by two touchdowns, at an inspired University of Kentucky team.
At night, Auburn nearly a three touchdown favorite, struggled winning by one touchdown, vs the Steve Spurrier coached, South Carolina team.
Alabama, also nearly a three touchdown favorite, won by two touchdowns at the University of Tennessee.
The monolith NFL doesn’t need my help, but here is a partial rundown of Sunday’s action.
The day starts in London, England with a game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. The game is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am Eastern time.
An attractive 1 pm Eastern Time game is the battle for the AFC North lead, with the slumping Cincinnati Bengals hosting the hot Baltimore Ravens.
In the 4:15 or so time slot, a 2008 NFC title game rematch between the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles is featured.
At night the New Orleans Saints host the Green Bay Packers. Each team features a Super Bowl winning quarterback, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers and Drew Brees of the Saints.
With game 5 of the World Series also scheduled at night, it is a full, 14 plus hours of sports. Try to get away from it for a bit, as difficult for some, that might be.
There are so many ridiculous comments being made about the World Series across the Sports media. I have singled out two of the bigger stars remarks for closer examination.
Fox TV executives must like Joe Buck, but to me he’s the modern day version of the “Emperor’s New Clothing.” Someone get those blind executives some glasses (and also some hearing aids).
Buck, after just 2 innings of game 2 of the World Series with the score already 2-1, gave the opinion that it was a well pitched game. What?
Chris Russo hosts the MLB Network TV show “High Heat.” On Tuesday’s show, he said that the Royals have been in Kansas City since 1954 or 1955. What? He obviously confused the 1969 expansion team Royals with the Kansas City A’s.
They are two separate franchises. The Royals have been in KC since their inception in 1969, while the A’s franchise started in Philadelphia as the A’s before moving to KC in 1955, and left KC moving to Oakland in 1968.
Joe Buck
Chris Russo
Andy B Sports 