During the Alabama/LSU game on Saturday, CBS play by play man Verne Lundquist erroneously announced that Oregon, one of four unbeaten teams that has a realistic title shot (Ohio State is ineligible and Louisville is just not going to be considered), had won its game (vs USC) by one point. Oregon, in fact won by 11 points as a seven point favorite. The margin of victory certainly means something in the voting and computer rankings which may well determine the title game matchup.
Lundquist’s mistake with a “one” involved, recalls a far greater mistake he made during an NBA telecast for CBS circa 1990. He said “we all remember where we were when Bobby Thomson hit his pennant winning home run in 1952.” Of course, the famous home run was hit in 1951. The certainty with which Lundquist said 1952 was scary. Is any sense of history required for these network announcers who make far more than teachers, city workers and nurses combined? Imagine if a teacher got up and said Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1493 and truly believed it as Lundquist did in his “cocksure” manner concerning the year of Thomson’s pennant winning home run. School principals would not have been as kind as the media critics and network executives, who allow this erosion of standards.
Verne Lundquist
The new World Champion San Francisco Giants navigated the baseball tournament waters flirting with disaster early in the event but then eased to seven straight victories including a four game sweep vs the favored Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Make it 22 of 27 wins for the team opening the World Series at home since 1985. That was the first year of the best of seven league championship series and also a year the Kansas City Royals won six must games to win the title. The Giants also won six must games and five others and have their second title in three seasons.
Pablo Sandoval was the MVP but how about Hunter Pence, who did not have gaudy numbers but contributed in three of the four wins while Sandoval only really mattered in game one. Is Matt Cain the first pitcher to start in his team’s series clincher in all three rounds of the expanded baseball playoffs, again a veritable tournament? Cain joins Paul Derringer in 1940 and Sandy (not the hurricane although he had that kind of power and is the best pitcher since Lefty Grove) Koufax in 1965, as pitchers to win the All Star Game and a seventh game in the same season. Derringer and Koufax won Game seven of the World Series while Cain won game seven of the NLCS.
It was a masterful managerial job by Bruce Bochy using his deep bullpen which was nearly flawless. The Giants are a nice team but think about it: they have two titles in three seasons, and their predecessors of the ’60’s with Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie Mc Covey and three others won nary a title. They had to finish first in a super National League and did that only once. That year, 50 years ago, they lost (1-0) in game seven to the Yankees.
Hunter Pence
The television reception came back after “Hurricane Sandy” had disrupted it and so did the factual errors by sports networks. While watching a “countdown” show on MLB Network which was comprised of the so called greatest League Championship Series games ever played, I noticed a caption that was wrong. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ game three, 1977 NLCS comeback win, at Philadelphia vs the Phillies, was referred to as “Blue Monday.” The title should have read “Black Friday” because that was the day of the game and what that game is referred to in Philadelphia.
A really bright spot in the piece was the use of real play by play. The calls of four key plays in the LA comeback win were those of the great Harry Kalas. Though less enthusiastic than he would have been had the Phils won, Kalas displayed great emotion and credited the Dodgers for a great comeback win. Kalas was so great, I would drive in my car, use gas (only if Harry came back to life and maybe not then should one waste gas now) and listen to Phillies’ exhibition games during the innings he did the play by play. That is both a testimony to Harry Kalas’ greatness as a broadcaster and to an absence of having something more meaningful in my life.
Why did Justin Verlander stay on the air with the TBS announcers for the entire bottom of the third inning of game four of the ALCS vs the Yankees. He was allowed to cheer for his Tigers on a so called neutral broadcast? I do not like the managers or pitching coaches coming on for a minute but compared to what was allowed by TBS with Verlander, that every game occurrence is only a minor annoyance. By the way, imagine Vince Lombardi, the late, great football coach talking to a sideline reporter before a game. Alas the next insightful thing to come from a sideline reporter will be the first insightful thing.
Maybe the karma of doing all that talking and rooting came back to “get” Verlander, the high priced favorite and losing pitcher, in game one of the World Series. No matter, it was a “bush” act by a supposedly great pitcher.
As the New York area braces for a possible hurricane it is noteworthy that had the Yankees won the ALCS games Sunday, Monday and Tuesday would likely have been postponed. Those games would have been at Yankee Stadium.
The San Francisco Giants lead the Detroit Tigers two games to none in the 2012 World Series. In 2010, the Giants also won the first two games of the World Series at home and went on to defeat the Texas Rangers in five games.
The Giants offense was on display in their (8-3) win in game one. Pablo Sandoval, joined three greats as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game. The previous players were Babe Ruth, who did it twice, Reggie Jackson, and the still active, Albert Pujols, who did it last year. Game two showcased the Giant’s pitching as Madison Bumgarner combined with two relievers on a two hit shutout in the (2-0) SF win.
In their first two World Series appearances in 1907 and 1908 the Tigers lost the first two games. This is the first time in the Tigers nine World Series appearances since then, that they have lost the first two games. The Tigers lost the World Series in both 1907 and 1908. Their opponents? The Chicago Cubs! Those 1907 and 1908 World Series victories are the only ones in Cubs’ history. They have gone 104 years and within two weeks, 27 U.S. Presidential elections, without winning the World Series.
Madison Bumgarner
Pablo Sandoval
It will be the San Francisco Giants vs the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 World Series after the Giants completed yet another astounding series comeback beating the St. Louis Cardinals (9-0) in game seven of the NLCS. The Giants trailed for only two innings in the six must win games they faced in overcoming a two games to none series deficit vs the Cincinnati Reds in the best of five division series nor in overcoming a three games to one, NLCS deficit against the defending World Champion, Cardinals. Only the Kansas City Royals (remember them) in 1985 had ever won six games facing elimination in one post season, three in each series, to win said series. Their second comeback from a three games to one series deficit (as was the case with the Giants’ second comeback), was vs the Cardinals, and produced a Royals’ title, in what was their last post-season appearance to date.
The Giants have only made the World Series, and they will be underdogs vs the Tigers in the first ever major sports league final featuring the cities of San Francisco vs Detroit.
The San Francisco Giants are now (8-0) all time in Monday post-season games. Additionally, six of their eight post season series clinching wins were on a Monday including the World Series winner in 2010. SF has now clinched three pennants on a Monday, the others were in 1989 and 2002, in far more dramatic fashion. All three pennant clinchers were at home while the 2010 World Series clincher and division series clinchers in 2002 and 2010 were on the road. The other Giants’ Monday post season wins as the San Francisco Giants were on October 15th, fifty years apart, in 1962 and 2012. Both victories were at home to even series, game two of this just completed NLCS vs the Cardinals and game six of the 1962 World Series eventually won by the Yankees. One more note; the Giants actually won another playoff game on a Monday in 1962 but that game one of an unscheduled “playoff” with the Los Angeles Dodgers is considered part of the regular season in baseball records. The last Giants’ post season loss on a Monday was as the New York Giants in game four of the 1951 World Series vs the New York Yankees. For the record, it was October 8th and 1951, 1962 and 2012 have the same calendars. The Giants lost in the World Series in the other two and again will be underdogs, likely significant ones, vs Detroit in the 2012 Fall Classic.
While the lone unbeaten team in the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons, had a bye, a team representing that other city of the future circa 1980 (Houston), namely the Texans, ripped the (5-2) Ravens and have a one and a half game lead for the AFC one seed. Atlanta and Houston were considered the cities of the future and many so called “yuppies” flocked there. Now each city’s Pro “pigskin” team has a more than one game lead in the race for the conference top seed. However, the season is not yet at the halfway point and the one seed has not meant as much in the playoffs as of late.
Elsewhere in the AFC, other than Houston, only the (4-3) New England Patriots, who were very fortunate to beat the (3-4) New York Jets, won to be over .500. In the NFC, both the New York Giants on yet another big play touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz, (he of the annoying dance), and Minnesota Vikings won to raise their records to (5-2). On Thursday past, the San Francisco 49ers won and also have a (5-2) record.
City of the Future?
In the iconic film “The Wizard of Oz,” three of the four characters repeatedly chant, if not sing, “Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!” as they walk through the forest before meeting the “Cowardly” Lion. That chant/song comes to mind as I think about tonight’s big televised events. In addition to a Lions at Bears football game, there will be the final Presidential Candidate Debate for 2012, as well as the decisive seventh game in the NLCS. The winner of that seventh game will face the Tigers in the World Series. Lions, Tigers, Bears and much more, indeed.
Which, if any, will you watch tonight? The busy Monday schedule features the final Presidential Debate beginning at nine p.m. (Eastern time), while the final game of the National League Championship Series begins at eight p.m. (Eastern time). Additionally, there is a “Monday Night Football” game starting at eight thirty p.m. (Eastern time).
TV remote controls will be working overtime. Taping one and not hearing any results or opinions is a good way to circumvent this confluence of “big” events. Personally, I will watch the baseball with no sound, and listen to the debate. Often, the candidates’ rhetoric can be annoying, but to me, less so than seventh game NLCS commentators, Joe Buck and Tim Mc Carver.
Coincidentally, years back, some people turned off the sound on Monday Night Football and listened to the radio. The late Jack Buck, Joe Buck’s father), was the play by play man on those radio broadcasts. Now, I can “reverse” that circumstance and another one involving “Joe Buck.” In the song, “Everybody’s Talking At Me,” (sung by the late, great Harry Nilsson) which was the theme song for the movie, “Midnight Cowboy,” the main character “Joe Buck” laments “Everybody’s talking at me but I don’t hear a word they are saying.” Now by shutting off Joe Buck, not only do I “reverse” people shutting off the sound on the television to hear Joe’s late father Jack, but now Joe Buck will be talking at me and I will NOT hear a word HE is saying.
There was a TV commercial promo for the NFL Network’s “Thursday Night Football” matchup that aired today during the fourth quarter of the televised CBS game between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. The announcer’s deep voice told the audience about the upcoming game between the Seahawks and 49ers. The only problem is that the game was played last Thursday night. The 49ers won that game (13-6).
The actual game airing this Thursday night is the Bucaneers vs Vikings.
The Houston Texans are (6-1) after ripping the (5-1) Baltimore Ravens. Please look for our NFL review this Tuesday. Tomorrow, will there be seventh game in the NLCS going head to head with not only Monday night football, but the final Presidential Debate? Otherwise will the Cardinals have advanced to their second consecutive World Series? Look for our baseball review.
Double the digits and you have the very likely 2012 World Series matchup. I realized it too late to “do anything about it” but alas the Cardinals and Tigers met in the 1934 World Series and then (double the year’s two digits) again in the 1968 Fall Classic. Now after meeting in the 2006 World Series, they very likely will meet in the (double the year’s defining digits six to twelve) 2012 World Series. Keep reading this blog until 2024 when the “doubling” may happen again!
The Cardinals won in seven games in 1934 and in five games in 2006. The Tigers overcame a three games to one deficit to beat the Cardinals in the 1968 World Series. The defending World Champion Cardinals have won 11 World titles, but have never won in consecutive years. (The Yankees have won 27 World titles: an amazing 5 consecutive years once, 4 consecutive years once, 3 consecutive years once (under manager Joe Torre) and 2 consecutive years three times.) By far the closest the Cardinals ever came to two in a row was was in 1968, before losing to Detroit, circumstances cited above.
It is noteworthy that if the Cardinals and Tigers meet this year, it is during the first year of the “five teams from each league making the tournament format.” Their 1968 World Series clash was the last “one team from each league into the World Series format.” The new playoff format gets me depressed. But when I think back to ’68 and Tiger’s Al Kaline’s big hit in game five, and Jim Northrup’s big hits in games six and seven it alleviates the pain.
Actually, this would be a good World Series matchup in which the Tigers will be the favorites (I say seven to five). However, remember the Cardinals will have home advantage in the “Classic” and the team that has enjoyed that advantage has truly “enjoyed” it (ie won the Series) an incredible 21 times in the last 26 World Series. One of the exceptions was the Cards’ 2006 triumph vs the Tigers.
I am posting this before game five of the NLCS realizing full well, that the Cardinals, though playing at home in game 5 could easily lose the game. If that were to happen the series would head back to SF and anything could happen. Wonder if the TV network crew assigned to the game in St. Louis today wants to go back to San Francisco or conceivably wait in St. Louis for game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday, five days hence?
