2020 MLB postseason thread

How much did not having Kershaw hurt tonight? Dodgers are notorious for big innings and they got one tonight but not before giving up 8 first. Does Kershaw keep it closer? Is their bullpen hosed as a result?

 

I don’t think I’ve seen a team hit in as much bad luck in a couple of games than Hou. Man seeing Altuve get the throwing yips is ugly and a bad memory. I hope he gets through it. Somehow someway I had to break it, you go from wanting the ball hit to you to hoping it isn’t then every ball is an in betweener. It looks like he’s trying to guide it; watch his fingers allayed out. Not a good look. Love Dusty but hate the cheating.

 

I’m interested in why three of the most notorious cases of the yips came from second basemen in Sax, Knoblauch and Altuve.

Is it the angle of the throws from second? Because it’s a short throw, there’s more time to think about it, compounding the psychological issue? Or just a coincidence?

 

Seems like there have been other catchers other than Mackey Sasser with the yips, too.

But that's a great question. Second is the only infield position where you have to adjust your body to throw.

 

Fuck that remorseless Little Person cheater. I broke my dvr 10 second back button re-watching his yips the last few nights.

 

If the Rays close the series out, eliminating the below-.500 Astros, the 16-team playoffs will give us a World Series featuring the AL's No. 1 seed against either the NL's No. 1 or No. 2.

I'd have to look back, but that's a rarity since the addition of the Wild Card. And it comes in, of all things, in a 60-game faux season.

 

Lourdes Gurriel had a horrific stretch last season playing second for the Jays, errant throws seemingly every night. Team demoted him to AAA where he became a left fielder which turned his career around

 

Unless you're after this specific event, it's happened more than you think. Just the last 10 years

2019 NL WC vs ALNo.1
2018 NL 2 vs AL 1
2017 1 v 1
2016 1 v 2
2015 3 v 1
2014 WC v WC
2013 1 v 1
2012 3 v 3
2011 WC v 2
2010 2 v 3

 

Thanks for doing the research. So seven out of 11, at least one No. 1 has made it, including now seven of the past eight years. That's better than Monte Carlo would suggest. 2014 is the true outlier.

The Giants are the team I think of most readily that not only showed up but won the WS from deep in the pack, which skews my perception and requires emotional support animals that aren't monkeys.

 

I only went back 10 years because it was getting tedious but I think there's 4 more, including the first year with the wild card was 1 v 1.

But two of the all wild card World Series featured the Giants, so I see how that's in your head. And if the Giants had a closer in 2016 the Cubbies and Indians would not have happened. Not that I'm still bitter or anything.

 

We share the opposite sides of the same coin, my friend. My kingdom for a closer.

Giants fans who endured five, almost six, decades of rare near-misses interspersed with long periods of suck -- and Candlestick Park to boot -- deserved as many titles as they could wild card their way into. I only wish spending the GNP of Denmark every season on the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Prince Fielder and four Cy Young Award winners could have at least stolen one flag to fly forever.

A pox on highlights showing David Eckstein, Pablo Sandoval and David Ortiz. Bitter tears shall flow from the Rouge River through South Detroit with any mention of their names.

 

I've seen it at the high school level too, and it's the position I played the most in Little League, which obviously makes me an expert on this. I'm kind of assuming it is because you usually have to turn and throw, yeah, and unlike SS and 3B, you're often not throwing it as hard as you can. You're *thinking* about the throw, instead of just throwing. Whereas if they had Altuve go play shortstop for a bit, I imagine he'd be fine throwing the ball.