Anyone Believe Me Yet?

[andyfox]

About the Yankees doing it with smoke and mirrors considering their starting pitching (or, rather, their lack thereof?) I may have been wrong about them missing the playoffs (although it's still possible), but it sure doesn't look like a team that can go anywhere in the post-season. Gordon and Rivera have been wonderful, but that's it. They're in a hitting slump and I know how bad a team can look when they're not hitting, but their runs scored/runs allowed totals show that they were lucky the first half of the year.

[Sooga]

Yea, in the playoffs, if you have an average offense and 2 stud horses to throw out there, you're at a decided advantage over a good offense and an average staff. If the Yankees have just an average offense heading into the playoffs, and no pitchers pitching effectively.... it looks like a pretty quick exit. But I'm sure ol Georgy will be cobbling together an all-star rotation this off-season.

I think the Cards have just enough decent pitching (Morris has been unbelievably inconsistent this year) to go all the way. I don't see any teams that should give the Cards many problems.

[Zeno]

And Boston just stumbled into another victory tonight.

Not getting Randy Johnson was a big non-deal that may haunt the Yankees.

Still with about 35 games left - A lot of time for things to swing up (or down [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]).

You still are lucky, I've been reduced to asking myself if the Diamondbacks can win 50 games this year in addition to hoping the Mariners pull out 65 wins. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

-Zeno

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't see any teams that should give the Cards many problems.

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Not even the Dodgers?

-Zeno

[Sooga]

Hmm, not sure if you're kidding or not, but I hate the Dodgers with a passion, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Adrian Beltre has turned in an unbelievable year, but really, does anyone else on the Dodgers lineup even remotely scare you? Their pitching on the surface looks solid, but when you look at their home/away numbers, there's a huge difference. Odalis Perez is the only really effective pitcher home and away, and let's face it, nobody really considers Perez to be an ace (yet). I just don't think anyone right now can beat the Cards in a 7-game series.

[bugstud]

I would give the Cubs a shot, as well.

[Sooga]

Oh, absolutely, I love the Cubs' chances a lot more than the Dodgers'... they got a good offense, and terrific pitching. But here's the big question. Assuming the Cubs make the Wild Card, and given the fact that in the playoffs teams typically only use 3 starters, who are they gonna be? Zambrano should be a lock, but outside of that, who's it gonna be? If Kerry's 100% healthy (which is a BIG if), then he should be in... but who's the third? Clement clearly has the best numbers out of the rest of the rotation, but are you really gonna keep Maddux out? And what about Mark Prior? Something's clearly going wrong with him. It'll be interesting to see what Dusty decides on.

[Zeno]

As things now stand this sounds about right. I did not realize you hated the Dodgers so much.

I started following them a bit since I made a silly bet on them to win the WS. I passed on the Cards at 9/4 and took the Dodgers at 10/1 (in late July). So I am not a fan, just that the D-backs and Mariners are so dismal that I wanted to have something to scream and whine about during the playoffs. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

-Zeno

[andyfox]

"You still are lucky, I've been reduced to asking myself if the Diamondbacks can win 50 games this year in addition to hoping the Mariners pull out 65 wins."

Interesting. Which is tougher, do you think: being a fan of a team that fails to make the playoffs year after year, (say, Tampa Bay or Milwaukee); or being a fan of a team that comes close but no cigar year after year (Oakland recently)? It's probably more fun being a fan of a good team during the year, but then those playoff almosts have to hurt. My team has lost two of the last three World Series, one in excruciating fashion in the bottom of the ninth in game seven, but there were 28 other teams that didn't get that far (and then again, they pulled out two games in that series with two out in the bottom of the ninth).

I LOVE your 10:1 bet on the Dodgers.

[nothumb]

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It's probably more fun being a fan of a good team during the year, but then those playoff almosts have to hurt.

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Boston fan here. Still hurting.

Announcers were rehashing the Pedro and Grady show tonight while I was watching the Sox in the bar... they just don't let you forget.

I think Boston is an extremely dangerous team when they are hitting and can beat anybody. However I'm not stoked about Cabrera, but the D looks a lot better now and Manny and Ortiz are just destroying everything in site (including the outfield grass tonight [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] Way to go Manny!)

I think I pick the NL this year to win it but I'm not counting my guys out yet. They've got a lot of clutch experience and they can beat any team on a given night.

I didn't think their win tonight was too bad. Timlin was back in tip-top form which was a welcome sign. But why all the fastballs? I guess he's got a lot of confidence in the heater... or he was afraid to throw one in the dirt with Alomar on third.

NT