Baseball, Beisbol, whatever.

I'm going to do the unthinkable and "assume" (notice the first 3 letters of that word) that my beloved Red Sox are going to win tonight, or sometime before the final bell, and clinch a spot to play Oakland in the opening round of the American League Playoffs, set to begin next Tuesday..

Understanding that there is so much parity in the game today - and that all 4 underdogs won in the first round last year - it's old news to say that there are no more "dominant" teams like there seemed to be in the past.

With that said, how do you (the message board fandom) feel about this year?s entrants, and their chances at advancing to the next round and onto the World Series (sorry Robert, it's still the "World" Series, get over it).

My view is grossly skewed with MY team being in it, but on the surface I see this:

American League:

Yankees: (0.14% Dominican) Immense pressure on them to not only advance, but anything short of their 27th title will presumably induce an intense bloodletting in the upper levels of the organization. Is that a good thing or bad? If they?re winning it will be good, if they are losing it will be bad. Pretty simple.
How this team won as many games as they did is incredible, so obviously there is something special about this group.

Minnesota: (0.03%) They're playing very well, have a huge home field advantage and possess the hottest pitching staff in the ML's. Their success and the resulting confidence is also a worthy component. Very strong bullpen, excellent defense, but lacking that offensive anchor.

Oakland: (0.09%) There are only two ways to pitch to Miguel Tejada right now. A prerequisite is to not put anyone on base ahead of him. (1) Throw four changeups in the dirt and give him first base, or (2) have your catcher set up about 16-18 feet outside the plate, and don't miss "inside".

The loss of starter Mulder is significant, especially facing a lineup like Boston's that doesn't give up any at-bats. But his absence shouldn't really be felt unless they get to the second round and a 7-game series (I thought I heard that first round is 7 games now anyway, but I haven't been able to confirm that).

Red Sox: (0.09%) No comment.

National League :

Atlanta: (0.3%) An incredible (and admirable) organization. They may not be the best at anything, but they are good at everything; they can win AL or NL style. They haven't advanced very far in recent times, and this team doesn't give me any reason to think otherwise. They've received incredible production from unexpected areas, will that continue into the playoffs?

Cubs: (0.14%) I'd love to see them advance, but I think their entire lineup can be pitched to, and in the playoffs, advance scouting is instrumental, and they'll know how to pitch to "them" (Sammy "Golo" Sosa and Moises Alou) when the times arise. I could see them out quickly, but if Alou gets hot, and they are forced to pitch to Sosa, they could be very dangerous and in the mix. Starters are good, bullpen is ok.

Marlins: (0.06%) I don't have any particular read on this team. The loss of their #4 hitter and starting 3B had me writing them off 6 weeks ago. I'm not sure if they?re just the best of what's left, or are legitimate contenders. The Angels of 2003? I don't see that. Urbina to me can be terrifying when the pressure rises, I'm glad he's not on my team anymore.

Giants: (0.11% + Felipe Alou) Sentimental favorite out of the NL by way of Alou, and they have some players at nearly every position. Bonds is an anchor like no other, if pitchers have to pitch to him, there will be some crooked numbers going up.

Essentially, the results will depend heavily on the bullpens. A team with a hot offense and a strong, deep and dependable bullpen will be there at the end. Sounds simple enough, but when the tourney starts, it's truly a whole new ballgame.

Anyone else?
Thoughts?
Or am I just out riding my bike by myself?

Sox won big tonight.

Kaylie1 said:

Red Sox over Oakland

Click to expand...

Kaylie1, I love you and honor you in my heart! Everything you stand for is goodness. We share the same God.

You're the most beautiful person I've never met in my life.

My dear Golo...

... who cares?

Well, I can think of an entire region that cares mightly. I remember very well in 1986 people telling me how they went and woke their kids out of a deep sleep to come see the TV and watch the Red Sox win the World Series. We know how that ended, but if it did anything it galvanized the love of baseball that flows through me and many others in a region that takes baseball as serious as the Vatican takes service.

(On a side, a writer from Boston was once visiting the Vatican many years ago to do a story on the Pope, and one of the Cardinals pulled him aside, and knowing he was from Boston, showed him his "lucky" socks underneath his robe - a pair or Red Sox with the logos emblazoned all over them.)

I've seen rows of nuns leading the wave in the bleachers.... Middle Easterners (without a stitch of English beyond "Fenway Frank") wearing the full towel headdress and with Red Sox jackets on chanting "Pedro, Pedro, Pedro".

I sat next to Dale Murphy in the bleachers a few years ago and he was taking his crew of Latter Day Something or Others to Fenway from Atlanta to see - where, as he put it - "the most passionate fandom in baseball is on display at every home game."

I've sat next to and near Steven King on numerous occasions - he's in section 27, in the teens if you're curious to track him down. You'd be hardpressed to find a more die-hard Sox fan.

Even AFTER they won the World Series, if you go to see the Sox play IN Anaheim California, it will better than 70/30 Red Sox fans.

Point being, a lot of people care.

I'm happy that Sammy keeps your attention on baseball. If you really only care about stats and believe it's an individual game, so be it. You'll be wrong, but that wouldn't be the first time we've disagreed about baseball.

Baseball is the ultimate in team sports (football is close). It's the only game where the defense controls the ball; even if the pitcher dominates, he's still has a catcher doing all the dirty work for him, and there has yet to be a 27 K performance.

Individual accomplishments in baseball are really trumped up by the press and most notably the dopes on ESPN that give you more absurd statistics and bravado/machisimo baloney than any sensible person can stand.

But where the rubber meets the road is that it's a team game. If you've never played sports, then the value of a team accomplishment vs. an individual statistic is lost on such neophytes of sport, competition and the will to win.

Ask any baseball player if they'd prefer a W.S. ring or an individual record and I think the results would be obvious, Sammy included.