2020 MLB postseason thread

Football Outsiders' analytics guy Aaron Schatz points out that teams which score one run in a game are quite likely to lose no matter how they handle their pitching.

 

poor Walter Johnson.

 

Which prompted the L.A. Times' classic headline, "Champagne With A Twist Of Lemon"

 

The Rays were still winning, right? It was still 1-0 right? Runner on first and one out and the next three guys up were as successful against Snell the first 2 times around as any of us would be.
He showed zero sign that he was losing any velocity or movement. And based on what the Dodgers said after the game, they knew it too.

 

That's a tremendous headline.

 

This clip will come in handy the next time someone complains ESPN is soft on its league partners.

 

Kurkjian doesn’t give a shit. He’s pundit royalty, as bulletproof as anyone on air. And good for him saying Cash deserves the pillory he’ll be tie to.

 

Apropos of nothing, I have been interested in an unusual fraternity: guys who have made the last out, or last play, of the World Series. Willy Adames joined that club last night.

I've traced back to 1950 so far, and in case you were wondering (and you probably weren't):
Over the last 70 World Series, the most common methods were:
1. Struck out swinging (15)
2. Flied out to left (9)
3. Flied out to center (7)
4. Walk-offs (6)
T5. Grounded out to third/grounded out to short (4)

Hall of Famers (plus future Hall of Famers and one asterisk):
Manny Machado (2018)
Miguel Cabrera (2012)
Mike Piazza (2000)
Tony Gwynn (1984)
Carl Yazstremski (1975)
Pete Rose (1972)
Willie McCovey (1962)
Bill Mazeroski (1960, walk-off HR)
Luis Aparicio (1959)
Red Schoendienst (1958)
Jackie Robinson (1956, last at-bat of his career)
Billy Martin (1953, walk-off single)
Pee Wee Reese (1952)

Pitchers:
Mariano Rivera (5, one a walk-off against)
Bob Kuzava, Ralph Terry, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Will McEnaney, Rollie Fingers (2 apiece, one of Terry's was a walk-off loss and Fingers was removed from a third clincher with two out in the ninth)

Edgar Renteria is the only player to have ended a series with a walk-off ('97) and an out ('04).

There have been more foul pop-ups on the infield (6) than fair ones (3).

Also, I haven't gotten to the year where Babe Ruth ended the World Series getting caught stealing, which would probably make the pundits' heads explode if that happened now.