Much of the mystery is gone from this extra round of baseball playoffs that the lords of baseball love almost as much as their money. Of course they love it because it makes them more money. Two teams are up two games to none, while two others won best of five openers on the road and have the potential last three games at home. Three of the teams that have these big advantages were higher ranked teams.
The Cincinnati Reds managed by Dusty Baker, (I think he is coming to NY for a fourth time this year and a fourth World Series vs the Yankees) dominated the San Francisco Giants winning both games in the “city by the bay.” This is the ninth post-season series for a Baker team either as a player or manager, with exactly two road games for his team. On all nine occasions one team won both of those games. This is the fourth time Baker’s team won both games. Seven of the eight teams that won both road games won the series with the lone exception being when Baker’s lone title team, the 1981 Dodgers, won all three at home to take a best of five series from the Houston Astros. By the way, that Houston team included Nolan Ryan, the losing pitcher in the decisive game. The year before Ryan stood on the mound at home in the top of the eighth inning with a three run lead in the decisive game. Ryan and his team failed to hold the lead and lost the game. Ryan has suffered similar heartbreak as a Texas Rangers’ executive notably in last year’s World Series and with the team’s collapse this year. Also in strike marred 1981, Ryan retired Baker for the last out as he broke the no hit record he had shared with Sandy Koufax. However, Baker and the Dodgers went on to win their first title since 1965, when Sandy Koufax, pitching on two days rest pitched a three hit shutout in the seventh game of the World Series at Minnesota. (The only home World Series loss in 12 games for the Twins, who are 0-9 in road World Series games but won titles in 1987 and 1991.)
The Washington Nationals gave the D.C. area its first post-season win since 1933 winning (3-2) at St. Louis vs the world champion Cardinals. Tyler Moore delivered a two out, two rbi single in the top of the eighth and there was no more scoring after that hit. The Cardinals failed to score despite having the bases loaded and no one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Odds wise, the Cardinals will be deemed the team with the best chance of the four “disadvantaged” teams but with the potential last three games in Washington, will be over two to one underdogs.
The Detroit Tigers won both home games from the Oakland A’s, whom I picked to win this best of five series. The Tigers have now won six straight post-season games and eight of nine vs the Athletics, who also are likely to lose a post-season series for the eighth time in their last nine such events. These A’s are one of three teams in baseball history to trail in its entity by 13 or more games and win it. The previous two, the 1951 New York Giants, who lost the World Series to the Yankees and the 2006 Minnesota Twins, who were swept by the A’s (their last post season wins to this point) lost in its first post season round.
Finally the Yankees and their former manager, Buck Showalter, who just can not seem to beat them. He was fired as Yankees manager after an excruciating division series loss to the Seattle Mariners in 1995. Joe Torre took the Yankees’ reins and won four titles in five seasons. Now since then the Yankees have won but one title in eleven seasons and were denied in excruciating fashion by the Arizona Diamondbacks’ only world title in 2001. The D/Backs fired Showalter before that season. This year, Showalter’s long shot Orioles never went ahead of the Yankees down the stretch and had to play in a one game “play in” game. Odds wise, the Orioles and “dutiful” Showalter did the Yankees a favor by beating the Texas Rangers. The Yankees were over two to one favorites when the series began and now are overwhelming favorites after their game one rain delayed win at Baltimore. The Yankees are (4–0) in post-season games at Baltimore.
Clearly I am exaggerating the advantage of the four teams. After all, this is baseball and anything can happen. Also I picked the A’s to win their series vs the Tigers and they are down two games to none. Yet the Reds, Tigers, Yankees and Nationals in decreasing order of quantity all have nice advantages in this extra round of baseball post-season play.
Dusty Baker
On the season’s final day, the 30 to 1 underdog Oakland Athletics overcame an early (5-1) deficit and went on to a (12-5) win over the Texas Rangers to capture the AL West crown. It is the 15th divisional title for the A’s, eight being “one quarter” titles. This is the 6th of the “one eighth” variety while another was won in a strike marred extra round of playoffs in 1981. Beware of the A’s in years ending in “2” of late as they won divisional titles in 1972, 1992, 2002 and now 2012. They will face the Detroit Tigers in a best of five division series beginning in Detroit on Saturday. On their way to the first of three straight World Series wins, the A’s defeated the Tigers in a great five game, best of five ALCS in 1972. Oakland then captured the franchise’s first title since 1930 when they were the Philadelphia A’s and managed by Connie Mack. The Tigers swept the A’s in four straight in the 2006 ALCS but bowed to the St.Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
Only one American League franchise has more titles than the A’s and of course that is the New York Yankees. The Yankees won their 13th “one eighth” division title in 17 seasons when they completed a sweep of the Boston Red Sox and actually finished two games ahead of the 100 to 1 underdog Baltimore Orioles, who lost two of three games in Tampa vs the Rays. The Yankees are the AL one seed and await the winner of the Baltimore at Texas “play in” game. That game’s winner will host the Yankees in the best of five divisional series beginning on Sunday.
So the favored Yankees, longshot A’s, and heavily favored Tigers won divisional titles. Meanwhile the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles gained wild card spots. The Angels and Rays had too many slumps and lost out to teams that were not as highly regarded. Both Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon are good managers but also vastly overrated ones. Scioscia was the manager and Maddon served as bench coach when the Angels won it all in 2002. Since then but 2 ALCS appearances, both losses to the eventual World Champions with the Angels winning but three games in the two series.
“The Master” which has a trio of tremendous actors, top billed Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Laura Dern was a powerful and truly good movie. The reason for this is that the cast includes a truly great actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I have seen them “come and go” and while Mr.Hoffman still has a ways to go to be an all-time actor, his work including this role as “Lancaster Dodd,” the charismatic leader of a new “religion,” is fantastic.
The film was written and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. Much has been made of this movie being about L.Ron Hubbard and Scientology. Surely that is a part but Anderson also based the story on the life of John Steinbeck. Additionally, and very interesting to me, is that Anderson recounted stories of “Navy Days” drinking told to him by the late, great actor, Jason Robards.
Hoffman’s performance as a charismatic man with the first name “Lancaster,” evoked memories of Burt Lancaster’s Academy Award performance as another charismatic “religion” promoter, in “Elmer Gantry.” The movie soundtrack was excellent. It includes “Changing Partners” which certainly was a big song in Patti Page’s career. Past memories, great music (Patti Page was in the cast of Elmer Gantry) an most of all great acting, especially by Hoffman, make “The Master” really worth seeing and yes, discussing.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
- Burt Lancaster
- Patti Page
The three teams that were unbeaten through three games made it to four this past weekend. While the Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons pulled out dramatic victories to stay unbeaten, the Houston Texans eased to their fourth straight win, all of them by more than the expected margin.
Seven teams have (3-1) records which means more than two thirds of the NFL’s 32 teams are no better than .500 after four weeks of play. The (3-1) teams are the Chicago Bears, the surprising Minnesota Vikings, and the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC. Teams successful in three quarters of their games thus far in 2012 from the AFC are the San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Baltimore Ravens.
Last week both the Colts and Steelers, each with (1-2) records had a bye. This week the Steelers are three point home favorites vs the (3-1) Eagles, whose three wins have been by a total of four points. While I do not think it is necessarily the game to go against Pittsburgh, I honestly felt and feel pretty strongly this is not the Steelers’ year. Seeing that Jason Whitlock picked them to make the Super Bowl makes me that much more confident that they will not make it.
Finally, last week the Baltimore Ravens honored former running back Jamal Lewis who was a member of their 2000 season title team. In 2003 he threatened to break the NFL single season rushing mark held by Eric Dickerson but fell short. The number 2,003 reminds me this is the 40th season inclusive since Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson broke Jim Brown’s single season rushing mark when the former ran for 2,003 yards.
The Detroit Tigers, top heavy favorites to win the AL Central when the season began almost certainly will end up winning it. The Tigers had a (6-1) week while the White Sox continued a collapse that has seen them lose 10 of 12 games (2-5 this week at home) leaving Detroit with a magic number of 1 to clinch a second straight Central Title. The Tigers have three games in Kansas City vs the Royals while the White Sox go to Cleveland to face the Indians.
The Texas Rangers got two home runs and six rbis from catcher Mike Napoli in a big (8-7) win over the Angels in the second game of a home day/night doubleheader. The big win leaves Texas two games ahead of the Oakland A’s in the AL West. The teams play a three game series in Oakland. Thus the A’s can still win the division but only if they win all three games vs the Rangers.
The closest divisional or playoff race is in the AL East where the New York Yankees and the 100 to 1 shot, Baltimore Orioles are tied with three games left. On Sunday, it appeared the Orioles under Buck Showalter would finally go ahead of the Yankees when they led big vs the Red Sox, whom they would go on to sweep while the Toronto Blue Jays had a (5-1) lead after five innings vs the Yankees. However, the Yankees rallied for a (9-6) win and the seeming advantage as the Bombers host the Boston Red Sox while the Orioles go to Tampa to face the Rays in the season’s final three games. When Showalter managed the 1993 Yankees, his team, despite numerous opportunities, never went ahead in the AL East and so far, now managing against the Yankees, the same thing has happened.
The win by Texas in the Sunday nightcap clinched playoff berths for the Yankees (their fourth straight and 17th in the 18 seasons since failing in 1993, as stated above), the Rangers (a third straight) and Orioles who will be making their first post season appearance since 1997. The Tigers and A’s, who clashed in a great ALCS 40 years ago, each have magic numbers of one to gain entry into the post-season. Both the Rays and Angels need to win all three of their games while the A’s would have to lose all three of their games just to get into a one game playoff for a chance at another one game playoff.
Summing up, the Tigers almost certainly will be the three seed. The Rangers need one win to win the division and have a magic number of three vs the Yankees to be the A.L. one seed. Their magic number vs the Orioles to be the one seed is two. The Yankees have the tie breaker vs Texas. Stay tuned.
The Washington Nationals, who host the Philadelphia Phillies in the season’s final three games, have a magic number of one to clinch the NL East. They have a magic number of three to clinch the NL top seed. Davey Johnson’s team has already clinched the first post-season appearance for a Washington D.C. baseball club since 1933. The Atlanta Braves are in Pittsburgh to face the Pirates and only three Braves’ wins and three Nationals’ losses and then a Braves’ playoff win would net the Braves a division title. Atlanta undoubtedly will be the four seed and host a one game “play in” on Friday.
The Braves’ opponent in that game almost certainly will be the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals lead the Dodgers by 2 games with 3 game to play for each team. St. Louis won 2 of 3 vs both the Houston Astros in Houston and the Washington Nationals in St. Louis in the past week. Hence the Cardinals, very likely will be in some kind of post-season play for the 25th time. The Cincinnati Reds will be at least the two seed and the one seed if they gain a game on Washington in the final three games.
The Nationals host the Phillies while the Braves go to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. The Reds play in St. Louis while the Giants visit the Dodgers. This year is the same calendar as 1951 and again the Giants are playing the Dodgers on Oct 1, 2 and 3. That year the Giants won the pennant on Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round The World.” Now, very likely, the game on Wednesday October 3rd, 2012, will be meaningless in determining post-season berths.
On Friday, Homer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds pitched a no hitter vs the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the 7th no hitter of this season tying the modern record which had been achieved in both 1990 and 1991. There were 8 no hitters in 1884 (I put that note in because I am reading Norman Macht’s book about Connie Mack and realize the wonders in baseball before 1900).
The last time the Pirates were no hit, the pitcher was the great, Bob Gibson. As in the case with Bailey’s no hitter, the game was in Pittsburgh. The year was 1971. That was the only no hitter of Gibson’s career and it occurred in the Pirates’ first full season at Three Rivers Stadium. Before then they had played for nearly 62 seasons at Forbes Field. There was never a no hitter pitched at Forbes Field. The Pirates won the World Series in 1971 just as the New York Mets won the World Series in 1969, a year they were “no hit” by the Pirates’ Bob Moose. Both Gibson’s and Moose’s no hitters were on Saturdays.
Meanwhile, the no hitter by Bailey was the first by a Reds’ pitcher since Tom Browning pitched a perfect game against the eventual world champion, Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988 (that year Kirk Gibson hit some big post season home runs for LA and with the Dodgers 3 behind St. Louis with 5 games left in the wild card race, it is very likely it will be 25 years and counting since a Dodgers’ World Series win or even an appearance in the “Fall Classic”). That perfect game was also pitched on a Friday night.
The Reds have as good a chance as any team in the upcoming “tournament” while the Pirates added to their North American sports league record with their 20th consecutive “non winning” season after being no hit by Bailey. They were in contention for a while and as was the case with the Mets faded in the 2nd half of the season. However, both teams won more games than expected by the “experts” in Las Vegas, the Mets clinching that “distinction” with 5 games left Friday night in Atlanta. Speaking of the Braves, they clinched at least a wild card spot (that is all it will be as they trail the Washington Nationals by 4 games with 5 left) when Freddie Freeman hit a game ending home run on Tuesday night. Last year, Freeman hit into a double play that ended the Braves’ season which completed their collapse and gave the Cardinals entry into the 8 team tournament. The Cards took that “entry ticket” and hit big, winning their 11th World Title. Almost certainly the Braves will get a chance for revenge next Friday as they will host the Cardinals in a one game playoff, the winner becoming one of 8 teams vying for the 2012 Title.
Last year Allan “Bud” Selig, who allows 2 wild card teams in each league and continues in conspiracy with other baseball brass to keep the great Pete Rose out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, had his “blank’ dream when the race for the wild card spot in both leagues culminated with 3 exciting games on the final day of the regular season. The next day I foolishly listened to Selig “gushing” about it with Mike Lupica, on the latter’s radio show. Lupica, by the way, “bailed” on his opposition to the wild card when the “local,” long time Lupica family team, the Yankees, made a run to make the wild card in its initial year in 1995. There are so many reasons to be against the wild card but I will address only one.
Last year was no doubt exciting but at least one factor produced by the wild card race and its exciting conclusion was not addressed. The tying home run by the Rays’ player (I know about Hartnett in 1938, Aaron in 1957, Dick Nen in 1963 and of course Bobby Thomson in 1951 but “fight the windmills” me has no desire nor inclination to remember wild card races and thus do not recall who hit the tying home run) was not hit vs Yankees’ relief star Marianno Rivera. The Yankees had nothing to gain by winning. In the days when a team had to finish first in its entity (league or division) to make the post season, no team that had clinched said entity had any games of consequence remaining in the regular season.
Looking ahead, if the Orioles win all 3 vs the Boston Red Sox and then play spoilers vs the Yankees would the Orioles finish first? That would not eliminate the Yankees but force them into a one game playoff just to be one of 8 teams left? A rare prediction here is that the Orioles will at best win 2 of 3 vs Boston as was the case last week. I think the Toronto Blue Jays( 5 of 7 relevant Jays’ games have gone in the Yankees’ favor) might start helping the O’s by winning 2 of 4 vs the Yankees. However, that is at best, I predict. If that happens the Yankees will lead the Orioles by one game with 3 left. The Yankees would/will not sweep Boston but would the Sox win 2? The Orioles close in Tampa and at best win two. The Yankees now are only a half game behind Texas in the loss column (Texas is up 1 in the loss column but the Yankees have the tiebreaker) are far more likely to be the 1 seed than not win the division. So for the record, the Yankees split 4 in Toronto and the Orioles win 2 of 3 vs Boston. Yet that proves not to be enough for the Orioles. The Yankees will win the division and very well could be the AL one seed.
While the big talk around the NFL is about the replacement officials, especially regarding the Monday night ending which also affected the point spread result, only three teams are unbeaten after three weeks. After the Minnesota Vikings denied the “anointed” San Francisco 49ers in an early Sunday game, three teams won in late games to raise their records to (3-0). Two of the teams won vs other (2-0) teams, the Atlanta Falcons (at San Diego) and the Arizona Cardinals, who won at home vs the Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams represent areas starting with the letter “A,” have “bird” nicknames and were 3 point underdogs. The other (3-0) team and they will be “anointed” this week; the Houston Texans, who won as 2 point favorites in Denver vs the Broncos. The Texans’ seemingly easy division (they are 35 to 1 favorites to win the AFC South) and schedule make them a logical choice to be the AFC top seed. They are very good but let’s not put them in the CBS broadcast “Supe” just yet. Why cite CBS as to the Super Bowl so early? I can just see lead announcer Jim Nantz and his Houston “friends” really enjoying themselves in nearby New Orleans. Paraphrasing “Archie Bunker,” I can live without seeing that spectacle.
The outburst regarding replacement officials is now officially “viral” as the kids say and typical of our virtually doomed society as I wish I could tell those who are so disproportionally outraged by it. Sure it was the improper call at the end of the Seattle Seahawks’ upset win vs the Green Bay Packers. Also I truly feel sorry for anyone who lost a big bet on the result, but if one has to gamble, one has to be aware of the financial and emotional risk. There have been worse “gambling burns” than this one where while like most of the populace, I agree it was the wrong call it was not a totally blown call. Also this was the 2nd last play “Hail Mary” that went for a touchdown in this 3rd week of NFL action. The Packers also allowed such a play right before the half of their division round loss to the Giants. This type of play really should never work and certainly not twice in a week and also in a playoff game. The pass defense was worse than the officials’ calls and those are not replacement players.
Alas all the furor will cause the greedy NFL owners and league brass to do as the big, big stockholder and exert its real power. Thus the “regular” officials will be back within 2 weeks. That is my opinion and so is the above. You know what they liken “having an opinion” to. One more such opinion or really a feeling: and that is I sometimes wish Marty Glickman, Ray Scott and others were not such great broadcasters. Also that Jim Brown, John Unitas, Bart Starr, Lance Alworth and others were not such great players. See they were of football past and I was young and not aware. Football became a big part of my “emotional landscape.” Now it is all too clear that the NFL has a few too many “warts” to love or perhaps even like/watch. I will not stop but I have already severely cut back my time spent watching and will decrease said watching by an even greater margin. I will review it here so stay tuned and most of all, please keep it all in perspective.
