MLB Playoffs 2009

[Scar]

Sorry Marryanne, I was just trying to make a joke, wasn't trying to start a debate.

But, since we are, I would even add Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, LA, and maybe San Francisco before Philadelphia as far as national following. In the NL anyway, I couldn't care less about the AL.

[Phantod]

Okay, so ... am I nuts in thinking this delay really works in the Phils' favor?

They get an extra day for the team to adjust to the local time zone, a full extra day's rest for their pitching staff, and an extra day away from the momentum swing the Rockies got from winning game 2.

So now you have the luxury of pitching Pedro tomorrow and, if you win, pitching Blanton or Happ on Monday and holding Lee back for a potential game 5.

If there's no game 5, then both Lee and Hamels would pitch on extra rest when the next series starts.

Doesn't matter. IF they sneak by the Rockies, they'll just have to face the Dodgers who want a little revenge from last year. And guess where the series starts? You got it LA.

GO DODGERS....Even though I now live in Northern California, I still bleed Dodger blue.

[Hammer]

Okay, so ... am I nuts in thinking this delay really works in the Phils' favor?

They get an extra day for the team to adjust to the local time zone, a full extra day's rest for their pitching staff, and an extra day away from the momentum swing the Rockies got from winning game 2.

So now you have the luxury of pitching Pedro tomorrow and, if you win, pitching Blanton or Happ on Monday and holding Lee back for a potential game 5.

If there's no game 5, then both Lee and Hamels would pitch on extra rest when the next series starts.

It works in our favor only if we can win the next 2 games. Then, the team can just stay out there before the start of the series against the Dodgers (provided that the Cardinals do not mount a historical comeback, which is always possible). If they have to fly back for a game 5 and manage to win it, they would need to immediately fly back out across the country to play a game Wednesday.

But, since we are, I would even add Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, LA, and maybe San Francisco before Philadelphia as far as national following. In the NL anyway, I couldn't care less about the AL.

Scar has it right. Many people across the country grew up watching the Braves and Cubs on cable. St. Louis has a large following based on its location close to so many states. The Cubs/Cards rivalry puts Phillies/Mets to shame.

[PirateLover]

Sorry Marryanne, I was just trying to make a joke, wasn't trying to start a debate.

But, since we are, I would even add Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, LA, and maybe San Francisco before Philadelphia as far as national following. In the NL anyway, I couldn't care less about the AL.

It's all good I'm with you on Atl, LA, and Chicago... not so much the others but I haven't sat around and analyzed ratings. ETA good point about Cards, Christine, forgot about that.
I don't really want to debate this anymore though. Times are set, "it is what it is." Again my point was only that it stinks to get odd times for almost every game in your series.

I wonder what Monday and Tuesday's (if needed) times will be? Are any of the Yankees bat boys having press conferences?????

J.A. Happ has been announced as tomorrow's starter for the Phils. All of the players are relieved the game was canceled. No one wanted to play in the freezing cold and the snow.

[PirateLover]

To the point about watching entire games outside of your hometown market... I try to watch when I can, because I just like baseball in general, but I can count on my one hand the amount of other people I know who do watch other baseball teams in the divisional round. Let's face it, it;s a slow moving game that's typically much more enjoyable in person, and can be boring to watch on TV if you don't have a rooting interest or an absolute love of the game.

[Hammer]

J.A. Happ has been announced as tomorrow's starter for the Phils. All of the players are relieved the game was canceled. No one wanted to play in the freezing cold and the snow.

Can I tell you how much I wanted it to stay with Pedro? If you saw the virtuoso performance he had in September where he pitched 8 innings of superb baseball, you would want him on the mound too. Now that he is healthy, I feel he is the one pitcher that just has that ability to reach inside and go to that next level. He has the experience of rising to the occasion (and 3 Cy Youngs ). I do not want him to feel disrespected.

[Ian]

I'm with you, Christine, except ... I think Pedro might be a little dinged. That's the only way I can see Charlie sitting him for this game.

Unless his thought he this allows him to keep Pedro and Lee in his back pocket if the unthinkable happens and they lose game 3?

[coloradowendyl]

Due to our lovely weather, Pedro has an extra day to rest! He was complaining yesterday about the weather lol.. Phillies/Rockies game is postponed until Sunday!

Denver is not nearly as bad as where I live..we have 6 inches of SNOW on ground, still coming down lightly and was 14 degrees when I got up! At 2pm, it has reached a balmy 24!

Wendy

[PirateLover]

Here is what Pedro is saying:
"It's the most reasonable thing to do," Martinez said this afternoon in the lobby of the team's hotel. "I haven't thrown in 10 days. Difficult weather. Happ has been in there. He has a better feel for the ball. I'm just hoping I get an opportunity to pitch a couple innings before they use me."

From an outsider's perspective, Pedro does seem to have a great attitude about the team- I think he's just happy that someone took a chance on him and he's playing in the MLB again. I do think he wants to get in there, but he understands the situation. We'll see!

[barnaby]

Look, I am not saying that national interest in the Phillies is comparable to NY or Boston.

I am a Sox fan and I would much rather be the reigning World Champs like the Phillies than be more popular nationally like the Red Sox.

[Scar]

... I think Pedro might be a little dinged.

Yea, a couple years with The Mets will do that.

[JPL]

Loving the Yankees play so far Some good plays, some breaks and some good luck could add up to something special!

[Ian]

Loving the Yankees play so far Some good plays, some breaks and some good luck could add up to something special!

By "some breaks" I assume you mean "refs in our back pocket?"

That call on the non-foul by Joe Mauer was a disgrace.

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

By "some breaks" I assume you mean "refs in our back pocket?"

Refs? Refs? Are you serious? Let's go with umps...the rest of the quote I'll believe.

[sportsguy2315]

I try to watch a balanced amount of games out of both leagues every year, so here are my results of who I feel are the Top 5 supported teams in each league:

AL:
1. Yankees (Duh. If you look hard enough you can find a Yankee hat in almost every city in this country)
2. Red Sox (The only ballclub with a "nation")
3. Angels
4. Twins (Okay, some bias, but the fans show up regardless of what's going on and unlike Montreal came out in full force when the threat of contraction came up)
5. White Sox

NL:
1. Cubs (101 years since their last World Series and the fans still pack them in)
2. Dodgers
3. Cardinals (As a Cub fan I shudder at this pick, but even I can't deny the love affair between baseball and this city)
4. Phillies
5. Giants

Let the debate begin...

P.S. Cubs/Cards in my mind even puts Red Sox/Yankees to shame

[Ian]

Refs? Refs? Are you serious? Let's go with umps...the rest of the quote I'll believe.

Ha ha ha ... yeah good catch.

My only excuse is that it's Sunday and I was in football mode.

Umps it is!

[PirateLover]

Bring on the Dodgers baby! I have tickets for game 3 and game 5. Woot woot!

[Ian]

Wow! Just ... Wow!

What an emotional roller coaster that was the last two days. But it was worth it! Back to the NLCS for the second year in a row to again face the Dodgers.

I don't, for a minute, expect this series to be like last year's. I think the Phils can win it, but it's going to be a lot harder than it was in '08.

I give the Phils the edge in starting rotation and lineup, but the Dodgers pen is definitely better than the Phillies. Hopefully we can blow some games open early and not need these late inning, heart attack comebacks, because I don't think we could pull that off against the Dodgers' pen.

[DAKustodial]

Last night was incredible, guys, just incredible! The weirdest thing was when the Rockies took the lead in the 8th, I didn't get really upset. I looked at the top of the order coming up in the 9th and really felt confident that they could come back and win.

It's going to be really hard to beat this team in a seven game series...really hard. You can throw Hamels twice who has owned the Dodgers if need be, and I'm more than comfortable with Happ or Blanton on the mound for Game 2 out in L.A. Ian, you're right about the bullpens, the Dodgers definitely have the better of the two teams, but lineups, starting pitching, and team defense, in my opinion, all favor the Phillies.

I have tickets to Game 4 at CBP...hopefully the Phillies will take a commanding lead in the series that night!

[Ian]

The weirdest thing was when the Rockies took the lead in the 8th, I didn't get really upset.

You have a lot more confidence than I did ... I pretty much wrote us off completely at that point!