The 84 win(s), N.L. 6 seed (N.L. 6’s are 2 for 2 in grabbing the N.L. title, as the Phils, vanquished by the “6” Diamondbacks, won the N.L. as such last season) Arizona Diamondbacks won their second N.L. Pennant and first since 2001, doubling the Phillies (4-2)– to “(4-3)” them in the 2023 NLCS.
Next ‘Zona, (6-2) on the road and (3-1) at home, in these ‘offs, will sojourn to Texas, to face the “5” seed, (8-0) on the road (1-3) at home (each team is (9-3) in these prostituted ‘offs, but credit due each team) in game 1 of the 2023 World Series, commencing in Texas (a first ever Texas Rangers’ World Series opener to be played at their home) Friday night.
In #7, Corbin Carroll (3 hits, 2 rbis, 2 runs) and relievers Kevin Ginkel (retired all 5 batters he faced including Trea Turner and “still no titles as with Trout and Judge,” Bryce Harper) and Paul Sewald, who worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The last out was a Jake Cave fly out to right, the catch made in an eerily similar spot on the field (fair or foul? down the line. In another 7th/’65 World Series, Saam, who for so long did Phils’ games with no crowns or first place finishes, then retired and the Phils reeled 6 ‘offs appearances in 8 seasons (’76-’83), “Byron’d” “fair or fair” on Lou’s (Johnson) “solo,” that got L.A. and Sandy a (1-0) lead, in an eventual “pitching on TWO days rest TWO-0 Dodgers’ title clinching win) to where Castellanos (1 for 24 in the just completed LCS after a stellar performance in the division series vs Atlanta) made last year’s World Series’ final out).
Arizona won in its only other World Series appearance 7’ing the Yankees in 2001.
Corbin Carroll, (remember Clay Carroll) pictured twice with his 2 r’s and l’s, was the #7 star while Ketel Marte, (he has hit safely in all 16 post-season games, in which he has played, one shy of Derek Jeter’s record) was named NLCS MVP.
Mark Lindsay is still “kicking high” and singing such great songs as “Arizona.”
Only I: There was Mayor John V. Lindsay, benefitting greatly and getting re-elected after the long, long odds, but 100 wins, Mets won the ’69 World Series.
Already big $ if, one “Arizona’d,” and they were in “V” Lindsay’s New York City (rhyme), not long ago, however, to do so one must “take off that rainbow/shades of fear,” and really seek “that rainbow.”
Yesterday, while the Arizona Diamondbacks eased (5-1) at Philadelphia (the Phils’ first home loss in 7 tilts this post-season and first after 11 non World Series home ‘offs games wins, the last two seasons) forcing a first ever 7th game, involving the Phillies tonight, the Texas Rangers dismantled the defending champion Houston Astros (11-4), handing the ‘Stros (2 titles, 4 pennants and 7 straight LCS appearances) a second, all road team, 7 game series defeat.
That has only occurred twice in all 4 major North American sports leagues and the Astros were on the losing end both times. (Washington (Nationals) in a game 7 started by Max Scherzer, as was the case last night, won an all road 2019 World Series as “Bell,” who along with such as “The Can” and “Schtunk” will forever? “toll” vs me, cashed it).
The Rangers won their third pennant, having done so in 2010 and 2011.
They lost in both subsequent World Series, the former to the S.F. Giants, managed by their current and incredible “post San Diego days”/post-season manager, Bruce Bochy and rooted for by Bell, with home games at corporate named — Bell, with the latter being a horrible loss, in 7 games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Adolis Garcia had a big #7 with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted (he had a record (for any p.s. series) 15 in the ALCS, while Corey Seager (see his exploits in 2020 for eventual champion L.A. (Dodgers) albeit in a “joke” season) set the tone with a T1 “solo,” as Texas scored 3 runs.
Jordan Montgomery (3-0) in these ‘offs, got the win going 2 and one third innings in relief of Scherzer, who lasted but two and two thirds (innings).
Arizona won its only other #7, scoring two runs B9 vs the to keep them from a 4th straight crown. Though Arizona vastly outplayed the Yankees it was a (3-3) series and the Yankees with their great relief pitcher Mar Rivera, 1 inning away from even rarer air than the 3 straight and 4 titles in 5 seasons places them.
Tony Womack, not Luis Gonzalez, the latter getting a misguided disproportionate amount of the glory, got the big hit “tuning” in the tying run and sending the potential World Series winning run to third.
Anyway no matter the result tonight, Texas has home advantage? (they are (8-0) on the road, but (1-3) at home in these ‘offs and I will “guess” they will play better, even well at home in the World Series.
We shall see. More updates and notes tomorrow after that #7, Phils/Diamondbacks tonight.
Adolis Garcia, pictured above, certainly “stirred” (think Reggie (Jackson) in both performance and “stirring”–of drink, why must so many?!!) and was ALCS MVP.
Last season’s World Series opponents, the defending champion, Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, both once N.L. teams, who engaged in the classic 1980 NLCS, each take (3-2) leads back home, after each won a game 5 on the road.
On Friday, Houston made it (3-0) at Texas in this series, riding Jose Altuve’s incredibly clutch 3RHR (see Thomson’s 3RHR that yielded (5-4) Giants and literally the ’51 N.L. pennant– (Russ Hodges’ immortal “The Giants Win The Pennant!!!!-one ! for each time Russ (Hodges) said such and also one vs the Astros, T9 in #5 ’05 NLCS hit by Pujols of St, Louis, but #6 at St. Loo went vs Albert “Poo” after (it and his many, many factual mistakes surely did not – his bank account) Christopher Russo all but guaranteed the Cards would win the last 2, alas they did even manage to win one) to a (5-4) win in what has been an all road team wins series, to this point.
#6 is tonight, you would think/hope on Fox after their “pig” coverage ends, but NOOOO!!
The #4 indicator, (21-2) in previous Phils post-season series is now a decided underdog as the Phils are now 6 to 1 series “faves.”
On the two occasions the #4 indicator did not manifest (’80 World Series and ’81 strike affected “div” round) in the previous Phils’ post-season entities, the home team won the first four games and lost the fifth.
In the ’80 World Series, of course best of 7, as is this NLCS, the Phils came home and won their first ever title in game 6.
The ’81 strike effected “div” series was best of 5 and after the aforementioned home team wins in games (1-4), the then Montreal Expos won what to be their only post-season series such, with a game 5 win at Philadelphia.
Willie “Mays” Aiken, pictured above hit 2 home runs in the Royals’ game 4 win in the ’80 World Series.
However it was the Phils in 6, one of only two times the game 4 winner in a Phils’ post-season series lost that series.
It is likely to happen for a third time this year, but that is far from certain!!
The networks and even worse the baseball hierarchy won both last night, as baseball, to me all but ruined by the far too many ‘offs games, now has (2-2) and (2-1) “semis,” after Houston ripped Texas, in what has been an all road series to this point (see ’19 W.S. and ’95 NBA semis and you will, as you proceed in reading) and in the first last at bat clinching win in the 29 ‘offs games thus far (sans cable I, who once watched every inning and loved baseball, have seen almost none) ‘Zona won (2-1) vs the Phils, however, still trails (2-1), in what has been an all home NLCS to this point.
I recall the great words of my late friend Beano Cook, (though at the time while I found them humorous, I did not agree, as I still loved baseball), when asked which team he rooted for in the World Series, “the team that wins game 1 to sweep in 4 straight.”
“It”/the results was going great vs baseball and the networks, as last year there were just 9 (1 over the minimum– for those keeping score, remember keeping or Herb Score) LCS games, now there will be at least 11 (9/11 again).
There were 4 “12 to 8” round sweeps this year and only 9 (again 1 over the minimum for 4 best of 3, totally prostituted ‘offs series) games in that atrocious round last year
Certainly the biggest is the World Series, which last year went 6 games, yielding Houston its second crown and the team’s manager John “Dusty” Baker, his first managerial and non strike season title.
Let’s start with the ‘Stros, who are 25 games over .500 on the road (4-0) in these ‘offs and 5 under the break even mark at home, (1-3) in these ‘offs. They have prevailed in 8 of the 9 tilts at Texas, including the ‘offs. Their last “such” is scheduled for about 5 P.M. this afternoon.
Now to that “see,” involving a Houston team. In truly unprecedented and unbelievable fashion, the Washington Nationals won an all road 2019 World Series going (4-0) at Houston.
Add the only other ? all Texas teams semi, in any major North American sports league, the 1995 NBA Western final, in which the Houston Rockets upset the “Tonio” Spurs, winning all 3 games at San Antonio as the road team won the first 5 games, before the Rockets with the great Hakeem Olajuwon and on their way to a repeat crown, won #6 at home, to clinch the series.
The game 4 winner in a Dusty Baker involved post-season series (said winner was (8-0) in Baker series, with Dusty as a player, (2-0) in ’77 and ’78, (3-0) in strike marred ’81 and (1-0) in ’83) is (20-5) (those 8 straight wins became 11 via results in the 2000 “div,” 2002 “div” and 2002 NLCS when Baker was in his first managerial stint that with S.F. (Giants), it did not manifest in the ’02 W.S. and in both the ’03 “div” and NLCS, the latter when Florida overcame a (3-1) series deficit, eventually 6’ing the Yankees, again to repeat the fact Michael Kay said the Marlins did not belong on the same field as the Yankees after N.Y. took a (2-1) W.S. lead with a close game/#3 win).
Continuing Baker and his Reds (’00 was S.F. ’03 was the Cubs, ’12 Cincy Reds, ’15 and ’16 Washington Nationals and ’20-’23 Astros for Baker) suffered a horrible “div” series loss to current Texas manager Bruce Bochy and S.F. when the latter lost the first two at home but won all 3 at Cincy, I believe the only such occurrence to complete a baseball post-season series).
Thus– make the #4 indicator (12-3) and (20-3). With Wash it manifested in ’15 but not ’16 and with Houston it “clicked” (Larry Hagman waited for that “clicK” via drink but was great and just after I heard Patrick Duffy talk of his “also love” for another friend/working TV show partner, Suzanne Somers last Friday, sad news came that Ms. Somers, whose poster is somewhere here and likely ripped, had died too young at 76 years old one day before her birthday) in Astros’ ’20 joke playoffs “quarter”, all 3 series in ’21 and in all 3 possible instances ‘2022 ALCS, 2022 W.S. and 2023 “div” while failing to do so in the ’20 ALCS when Houston down (3-0) won games (4-6) only to lose to Tampa Bay in 7 games.
No details, but I have the “indicator” (11-2) in previous Bochy managed post-season.
What preceded is likely all accurate but there might be a mistake or two. Please let me know as I truly care about accuracy. If only so many well paid media members who seemingly do not–DID!!
No post “Remembering Piper Laurie, who died days back at age 91 (shame on me), however, I redeem citing her character’s “You’re a Roman Burt” to a character so often found on this earth, played brilliantly in that seminal film, “The Hustler,” by G.C. Scott (George C. Scott not George Scott of ’67 Red Sox vintage).
The Las Vegas Aces have joined the NHL Golden Knights as current “L.V.” champions, “barking” outright say plus 6 without starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes, an occurrence that moved “L.V.” from an original say, 1 plus point(s) underdog.
Las Vegas prevailed (70-69) at the Liberty’s Brooklyn home, joining the ’41,’49,’52 and ’56 Yankees with at Brooklyn title clinching wins. I like the WNBA but it “ain’t” anywhere near baseball back then, maybe now it is)
A’ja Wilson, pictured here the other day (it will be hard not to do so again, but we/you shall/will see) had 24 points and 16 rebounds in the clincher, while Jackie Young had 16 points and 7 assists.
L.V. coach Becky Hammon, of course doing so in the WNBA, joined Van Chancellor (first 4 years yielded titles for his Houston Comets. Per the headline “L.V.” is the first repeat WNBA champion since Michael Cooper, still shamefully not in the Basketball Hall of Fame, guided the L.A. Sparks to crowns in ’01 and ’02) and the great John Kundla (’49 and ’50 with the Minneapolis Lakers, who went on to win crowns from ’52-’54 and noting Cooper played on 5 L.A. Lakers title teams) to win basketball titles in at least their first two years as a head coach.
The Aces went (8-1) in the ‘offs, the Liberty were (6-4). In WNBA annals, all 18 teams that fell down (2-0) in best of 5 series (5 is the WNBA maximum # of games in a series) lost (0-9) in the final round.
Hail the team, hence the above picture. Wilson was great for a team shorthanded that “road clinched” a basketball crown, however, not really near Johnson (42) and Wilkes (37) when L.A. won at Philly without Kareem in the #6, 1980 title clincher.
She was great, that is for sure.
In what I think is a slight over reaction, but one that I do think will manifest (famous last words plus baseball only got 9 LCS tilts last year, 1 over the minimum, so ……) a Texas Rangers (as cited here, up (2-0) vs Houston in the all Texas ALCS, in which Fox telecast the first two, but will leave those of us sans their ancillary channel in the literal/proverbial dark the rest of this. NLCS even worse as without TBS, no coverage!!) vs Philadelphia Phillies World Series is now considered a “favored” outcome.
The Rangers are current -500/+400 series faves, having won the first two games at Houston (I do not believe any team has overcome a (2-0) LCS deficit with both losses at home while 4 teams (unofficial and again you people please check, as I will take some criticism for not checking, but at least I cite there may be one or two more instances) have done so, three in World Series play (’85 Royals vs St. Louis, ’86 Mets vs the Red Sox and the ’96 Yankees vs the Braves) and say one in div series, that vs current Houston manager, Dusty Baker and his Cincy Reds, vs you guessed it, the Bruce Bochy managed/eventual title winning, 2012 Giants.
Philadelphia (Phillies), which has now won 10 straight non World Series/post-season home games, all in the last two seasons, opened the series as about a 9 to 5 “fave” vs Arizona (Diamondbacks), who like the Rangers, won their first 5 ‘offs games this year, 4 on the road.
The last time the Phils lost a home/non World Series ‘offs game was in a decisive #5 of a “div” series vs eventual champion, St.Louis (Cardinals). That was the Cards winning their second highest (must note the Yankees have won 27 crowns), 11th title in 20ELEVEN! (Sorry).
Also they beat the TExas Rangers in what was an excruciating Texas loss in 7 games. It is likely you will hear more about that W.S. in the next days.
However, the Phils (5-3’d) Az in the opener and moved to a -400/+310 “fave,” ( a bit or decent amount too high as it moved over 200 points after what was a home (-170) Philly win. So splitting the difference I get say (-170).
Thus it is about 8 and a half to 5 in favor of a World Series clash between the team/franchise that has the record no World Series win drought, the Phillies (77 completed seasons, no World Series in 1904, from 1903-1979, finally winning it in ’80, not before they best Houston in probably the greatest LCS ) vs the team/franchise, Texas, with the longest such current drought.
That drought encompasses 61 completed seasons, (no World Series in 1994), from 1961-2022).–(the Browns/Orioles had/have the second longest “never a title drought,” (62 completed seasons, no World Series in 1904, (1903-1965), before finally winning it in their 13th Baltimore year, all but the first season in ’54, with the now late, great Brooks Robinson on the team as he would be for another 11 and 3 pennants/1 title).
Bryce Harper, a star Phils’ player is pictured above.
Much more in the days to come.
A quick early evening update: the Texas Rangers (7-0) in these prostituted ‘offs, (6-0) on the road, are up (2-0), vs the defending champion Houston Astros, who are in their 7th straight ALCS.
Texas is managed by Bruce Bochy, now (43-17) in the ‘offs starting in 2010, (he was (8-16) in previous ‘offs games), when he guided the truly undeserving of 3 titles, (the Mays/McCovey/Marichal and others teams of the ’60’s never won one) S.F. Giants to the crown and seems headed to the watered down “Hall.”
Texas and the Minne Vikings have each been in existence since 1961 with no crowns, the longest such droughts.
Maybe Texas ends that drought under Bochy this year. They are now big favorites to make their third World Series appearance, the first a loss to Bochy managed S.F. in 2010 and a horrible loss (I will spare the details) to the Cardinals of St. Louis in 2011, the Red Birds’ 11th and to date last crown.
Mike Napoli, pictured as a Texas player above, likely would have been a non bet World Series MVP in 2011.
He did win a title, contributing mightily to the Red Sox third one of this century, in 2013.
P.S. I put on sound, 2 out none on, bottom 9, game ended when on a (3-1) pitch there was a fly out to center.
John Smoltz said it was gutty to challenge on a (3-2) pitch. He is beyond mistake prone!!
The Las Vegas Aces are up 2 games to none in their best of five WNBA final vs the New York Liberty.
“L.V.” bidding for a second straight crown eased in the first two “at L.V” games vs the Liberty, who in their 27th season are still seeking and are now overwhelming underdogs to do so, their first WNBA crown.
Game 3 and a 4th game, if necessary would be home games for the Liberty.
Today’s #3 is on ABC beginning at 3 P.M. Eastern Time
The Aces, as is the case with the loaded Liberty (alas a problem, among many within all this), have some excellent players.
Their (The Aces) A’ja Wilson, pictured above, is certainly one such, excellent player.
Surprisingly, at least for now, other than an “I told you so,” and that I believe Selig, Manfred and those who imposed the wild card presence, ruined baseball, and did so, by the way, WITHOUT reaching the very spoiled (my generation was, but subsequent ones with computers, which are worse than television and television is bad,), demographic they sought, but will likely never get, with one of many reasons being they have no childhood memories of World Series games, I simply state both LCS are set with 90 wins Philadelphia (Phillies) facing the 84 wins Arizona Diamondbacks and the battle of Texas, to be contested between an additional two, 90 wins teams, the defending champion Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.
The Phillies, last night, won (3-1) to “(3-1)” the 104 wins/top ranked Braves, winning the “quarter” in 4 for a second straight season, each time with a far inferior regular season record. A night earlier, 84 wins Arizona (Diamondbacks) completed a 3 game sweep of 100 wins L.A. (Dodgers), handing the latter a second straight “quarter” loss to a fellow N.L. West team, that finished way behind them in the “true test,” but so diminished by Selig/Manfred and their ilk, regular season.
In the days to follow (no games today and tomorrow I will have many notes on much, especially the failures of the Dodgers and Braves in post-season–though in the case of the Braves a legitimate one and in the Dodgers’ case, one in a joke “bubble” season, each attained a reason title.
Speaking of titles, the Houston Astros, last year’s winners under Dusty Baker (do not look now but surely not out of the realm, the first non Yankees repeat baseball/whoreball champion in 30 years and one with a truly good man, who happens to be among other things, one with black skin, Cito Gaston and the Blue Jays in ’92 and ’93 and now with 8 wins still needed and that will not be easy, John “Dusty” Baker 30 years later) took Minne (yes they finally won some kind of post-season entity, if you want to call an even more prostituted “12 to 8” series such, but the franchise has now lost 7 straight “quarters” since their ’02 team, which included the great clutch hitter, David Ortiz, who now sadly and shamefully, promotes gambling, beat the A’s in 2002.
The Astros, also title winners in 2017 under A.J. Hinch, are in their 7th straight ALCS and will open at home/have home advantage, in such for a fifth time in 6 possibilities as the 2020 ALCS was played in a neutral park during the pandemic crisis.
It was already cited here that Texas (Rangers) (5-0 in these ‘offs, (4-0) on the road, ditto Arizona, (by the way, while as you tell, I despise this ‘offs format, I credit all the upstart teams for their incredible performances to this point and surely the 4 remaining teams’ (18-2) mark is I guess as impressive as the (1-13) mark compiled by 5 series faves, Atlanta, L.A., the 101 wins Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays is unimpressive. Then again it is baseball! Hopefully you understand the incredible random nature of baseball result possibilities something Selig/Manfred surely knew as they are not stupid but far worse greedy and WRONG!!
Only I, because I once loved and watched all of this and now suffer but refuse/can not afford to cable watch the ‘offs, and have incredible recall for much of what does not really matter, note that last year Nick Castellanos made the last out as the Houston Astros 6’d the Phillies to win the title. (Each team is an LCS “fave” and has home advantage in their series this year) and in the just completed (I will use the slang because that is what it is and accomplishments such as the multiple homers in consecutive games in a “quarter” is not on par with doing so in a “semi”/LCS and certainly not a World Series, especially those played from (1903-1993 with no World Series, 90 years apart in 1904 and 1994) “bast” became the first in post-season annals (my comment above) to hit multiple homers in consecutive games.
I will start my Atlanta dissertation, sorry for the vitriol, with a great last out note that likely was NOT cited by the announcer? on the Phils/Braves tilt. My being asleep while whomever was on air does exacerbate this and a deadly one of 7 sins is in play, however, I feel that I am right.
On I must go!!
There is a related to my vitriol, included post above regarding Dick Sisler, (pictured above.)
His last day of the then meaningful “reg” 10th inning 3RHR ostensibly clinched the 1950 N.L. Pennant for the Phillies. As Casey Stengel, the manager of the team (the Yankees) which swept the Phils in the subsequent W.S. said “look it up” regarding more details.
They took all of that type incredible drama away, with the wild card presence.
It was exactly 56 years ago, another Thursday October 12th, this with a day off from school on the actual Columbus Day, that the St. Louis Cardinals prevailed (7-2), in game 7 of the 1967 World Series, vs the upstart/100 to 1/ “Impossible Dream,” Boston Red Sox.
It was the Cardinals, behind the incomparable Bob Gibson’s third World Series win, in a game vs Jim Lonborg, who dropped to (2-1) in that memorable World Series, that won the title repeating a 7 game triumph, vs Boston in 1946.
Let me cite Curt Flood, (Al “Grampa” Lewis on my show, regarding what all the subsequent players OWE Curt Flood) for his great contributions as a player, among the biggest, a 2 out hit to give the great Gibson, the lead after both Gibson on a lineout and another great, Lou Brock failed to get Dal Maxvill home, after his triple opened T3.
Later in the frame, Roger Maris, he still not in the so diminished Hall of Fame, now nearly 38 years after his death, singled Flood to third, from where he scored, when Lonborg uncorked a wild pitch.
Mr. Gibson hit a solo home run and also T5, Lou Brock singled, stole second and third, the latter as Flood walked. Orlando Cepeda, the ’67 N.L. MVP “tuned” Lou with a sacrifice fly.
Julian Javier’s 3RHR in the next inning essentially iced the game and the World Series title for St. Louis.
A truly great season, in sharp contrast to the fiasco playing out now (next post), an inspirational underdog Red Sox team led by Carl Yastrzemski, winning the pennant, battling back from a (3-1) W.S. deficit to force the above written about #7, only to lose making it 49 years sans title on the way to 86 years, with horror 1986 World Series loss included.
Yet that team, that season, that day at “Silly Boh Pavillion” (my name for Santasieri residence at “25”) are part of great memories, of a once not only great sport, but one though even then and always a business, was conducted with some dignity and produced as almost always manifested, a true result, with a deserving champion, in that case, an excellent 1967 St. Louis Cardinals’ team.
The great player and activist (his cause was correct but now the pendulum has swung far too great a distance in favor of largely unappreciative players, however, again Curt for what he tried and accomplished, enduring great personal sacrifice), Curt Flood pictured above.
Andy B Sports 