World Series Game 5.5: Random Thoughts Thread, Game On!
No live blog...but let's throw this up as a place to throw out some random thoughts, grumblings and poop jokes.
Until the game starts, let's consider this...
Let's assume Grant Balfour starts the bottom of the 6th inning and Charlie Manuel pinch-hits one of his lefty bats. Do you want Balfour to stay in knowing Jimmy Rollins (switch-hitter with fairly even splits) and Jayson Werth (righty) follow...OR do you immediately bring in David Price to face the lefty, knowing that the two big lefties (Chase Utley and Ryan Howard) will follow Werth?
Until the game starts, let's consider this...
Let's assume Grant Balfour starts the bottom of the 6th inning and Charlie Manuel pinch-hits one of his lefty bats. Do you want Balfour to stay in knowing Jimmy Rollins (switch-hitter with fairly even splits) and Jayson Werth (righty) follow...OR do you immediately bring in David Price to face the lefty, knowing that the two big lefties (Chase Utley and Ryan Howard) will follow Werth?
Labels: Rays Index Game On, RIGO
posted by The Professor at 8:01 PM
47 Comments:
i gotta go Price. I worry about Balfour not being jacked up at the "start" of the game
Balfour will be fine. i didn't like how he looked in the ALCS, but he found it again here in the WS.
i can't remember for sure, but i think i read it here. Balfour had one of the best relief seasons EVER. you want to be able to use him tonight and if you pull him, that is maybe the best weapon that won't be available.
GO RAYS!
gotta go Balfour, our #9 spot comes up forth, we can not give up an out or having david price available at that point in the 7th. Only bad thing is what happens if utley gets up in the 6th do we go to Miller or let Price pitch...
gotta save Price, as you would want to save the 9 hole for a pinch hitter. A double swap would not be cool as you would have to would Longo or Pena (who just started getting hot at the plate); although Abyar is very capable from a defensive perspective).
a bunch of REAL tough choices. Thats why Madden gets paid, and I pay for tickets
LOL
Price is not even warming up
its balfour versus Jenkins...fastball versus fastball hitter
i like the look in Balfour's eyes.
really i cant be too upset with Jimmy Rollins sacrificing. just took the bat out of one of their best hitters
i've been told that the Fox gun is about at least 2-3 MPH fast
jesus... i just had to go to the freezer for some whiskey to deal with this shit. turns out its Philadelphia brand. had to cross it out and write 'tampa bay.' just knocked it back with the third out. come on rays.
aki's defense in the world series leaves much to be desired.
are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!?! ROCCO!
wait. i am confused. I thought the Phillies bullpen was invincible. unhittable. best EVAH.
ROCCO ROCCO ROCCO ROCCO
I would like to thank Luis for turning the game off and turning his TV to the Lifetime Supply of Midol channel, after the Phillies scored.
We all owe Luis and his unrelenting pessimism
you used the correct tense, Prof. Was. ROCCO! Only Ray I have met, at the downtown Publix. Nice guy.
Hate to say it folks, but the Rays lead the league in getting thrown out at the plate.
they do, but with 2 outs, that was not a terrible play. Utley just made a head's up play. if Bartlett doesn't go, it is about a 30% chance he scores. if he does go it is about 50-50.
my issue is why let Howell hit in the 7th inning when Maddon still has 5 relief pitchers available?
granted one is named Edwin Jackson. but there is still Wheeler, Miller, Bradford and Price
especially if Maddon is just going to pull him after one hit in the 9th. a long hit. but still just one hit.
The best I can guess is that Maddon thinks this will go longer than a 9 innings. Why burn through pitchers in the 6th inning.
true. but he has 2 pitchers (Price and Jackson) that can work multiple innings.
then again, 2 of the pitchers can barely work 1 inning (Bradford and Miller)
Victorino's back foot wasn't even i the box
This game is simple - the Phillies have outscored the Rays. But with the exception of game 4, all games have been a case of the Rays can not score.
Nice play by Aki.
ok. that doesn't make up for all the errors. but it was pretty darned good
Rays chance of pulling out this game has dropped to 25%.
Let me finish my thought (Aki's play caught my attention...)
With the exception of game 4, having the Rays score the number of runs they usually score would have been the difference.
One of Crawford's best at-bats.
Worst at bat by Upton... sigh.
I hope Longo can go LONG
Crawford and Upton both hit into wayyyyy too many double plays.
did I miss the announcement? Aybar is in at first base. Price is in Pena's spot in the order.
7 Pitch Single For Crawford
Great At Bat for Crawford
Romero Border line Wild
Makes perfect sense for Upton to swing weakly at a pitch 4" off plate
That double play by Upton was the single most destructive play for the Rays in this game.
You are correct, double switch. Aybar batting 9th, Pena out.
where is Dan Johnson when you need him
Longoria
Navaro
Hinske (For Rocco)
Let's break their hearts boys
No Tomorrow
Oh Zorilla -- Ouch
Wish Perez would have stole third on first move
Tag up he'd be home
Umpires Again
Strike two not even close
This game was lost when the Umpires Squeezed the strike zone on Kaz
Next Year Boys
Congrats to the Phillies.
Thanks Prof - one hell of a year. Most exciting team I've followed since the 78 Red Sox. The team really should not have been in the playoff, but they were. They were not favored against the Red Sox, but they pulled it off. I sort of thought the WS would be anti-climatic
I plan to continue to follow the Rays (like I have for the past few years.) The Yankees and the Red Sox will retool. Next season should be just as exciting.
My most fondest memories of this season did not occur in the playoffs (except game 7 of the ALCS), but during mid summer when it was bright and warm out, making dinner, lots of Italian dishes, drinking good wine, and listening or watching the Rays game on my computer.
You have a good website, Prof. I will continue to read your posts. Thanks again for the updates.
Hats off to the Phillies. They stopped Longo and Pena. And now I owe a Philly's fan friend a fish sandwich.
it sucks tonight, but tomorrow we will realize how wonderful this year was.
Cant wait for pitchers and catchers to report in a few months!!!
Thanks for the boards, Prof and all. Wish I had discovered this site earlier in the year. Congrats Phillies. How many days til spring training? I'll have to travel more than two miles to see a spring training game next year.
well....that sucked
so many mental mistakes, baserunning (wtf bartlett?), not taking advantage of opportunities (crawford not stealing, perez not stealing third), and bad managerial strategy (not pinch hitting for howell).
however, looking back, this was an awesome season. who would have thought at the start of this year the rays would win the al pennant. seriously, what a great season, and this team will only get better.
it stings tonight, but there is a lot to look forward to for the spring of 2009
drink of choice for the rest of the night? scotch....lots of it
Maddons BRAIN FROZE in the cold air. Very poor decisions in this series but still Manager of the Year. David Price has proved he belonged but I guess he didn't kiss Maddon goodnight last night. Price is a starter and should have pitched all three innings and more if necessary.
I Wish Perez would have stole third on first move so he could have taged up and he'd scored the tying run. It stinks tonight, but tomorrow we will all realize how wonderful this year was. I Cant wait for pitchers and catchers to report in 114 days. Next year we will be even better.
What a fantastic season of baseball. I cant believe I had the opportunity to see the Devil Rays play in the World Series.
The best thing about this season is that next year is the year of the Devil Rays. We all knew at the beginning of the year that we were going to be much improved, but next year was the year it was all going to come together. Well we were much improved, but way more than I thought we would be.
Next years starting 5:
Kazmir
Shields
Garza
Price
Davis
Best starting 5 of all time? Very possible. Go Rays!
Sonny, not Davis (in my humble opinion.
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