Haven’t written much about baseball lately, have I? Well, as a Yankee fan, I spent much of this season holding my breath. Things looked pretty grim in May, and even as late as Labor Day, the Bombers didn’t quite have the look of a team that could win as many as 90 games. Their turnaround is as weird as it is exhilarating. You’d have gotten pretty good odds in Vegas with a bet on Aaron Small, Shawn Chacon, and Chien-Ming Wang going a combined 25-8 – as in, bet a quarter and win a pot the size of the national debt.
It’s quite an accomplishment for the Astros to have made it back to the playoffs as well. Never mind their historic rise from 15 games under .500, their offense stinks. Fortunately for them, the air freshener that is their starting pitching is more than enough to cover that up, and that’s even before we get to Brad Lidge and Dan Wheeler.
There should be some excellent series as well. The Battle of the Soxes presents two teams that couldn’t be more different, with the Yankees and the Greater Orange County Metropolitan Area Angels a close second. The Astros and Braves are a rematch from last year. Even the lowly Padres and the 100-win Cardinals offer some intrigue, with the schedule allowing San Diego’s Jake Peavy (the best National League starter not wearing an Astros uniform) the chance to do to the Cards what Kevin Brown did to the ‘Stros back in 1998. I suspect my TiVo’s gonna get a workout over the next couple of weeks. Play ball!
UPDATE: Oops. So much for Jake Peavy. Thanks, Patrick!
Right now the Cards are treating Peavy like a pinata, 8-0 in the 6th.
As to the Astros, I’m still trying figure out which 2 players are going to get the last to roster spots. According to McTaggert of the Chron it’s down to pitchers Astacio and Rodriguez plus outfielders Scott and Gibson.
I like Astacio’s arm and if he’s going to be in the pen he’s more of an asset than Rodriguez. The decision between Scott and Gibson is a decision between pop and base-running/defense. Tough call.
Frankly as much as I love Jeff Bagwell, I wouldn’t have him on the roster so I could take both Scott and Gibson. He’s strickly a bat that can’t play defense. That just constrains the manager’s flexibilty even more and God love Phil Garner, but he’ll need all the “help” he can get.
Even the lowly Padres and the 100-win Cardinals offer some intrigue, with the schedule allowing San Diego’s Jake Peavy (the best National League starter not wearing an Astros uniform) the chance to do to the Cards what Kevin Brown did to the ‘Stros back in 1998.
Or not. 16.62 ERA today against the Cards. Ouch.
San Diego’s Jake Peavy (the best National League starter not wearing an Astros uniform)
Don’t think much of Chris Carpenter, eh?
The good news is the Pads knocked the Cardinal bullpen around today. With Reyes out, that will be the key to beating them. Likewise with the Braves.
You could have a Yankees-Astros WS, Chuck. That would make us ALL happy.
You could have a Yankees-Astros WS, Chuck. That would make us ALL happy.
Except those of us who wanted the Yankees to not even make it at all, but out in the first round will be good enough. To deny Tim McCarver three rounds of a Derek Jeter lovefest is good enough for me.