Running 2011 Baseball Thread, Vol. I: Dedicated to spnited

Wilson has been less than impressive in this series. Last time Carpenter pitched on short rest, he got tattooed. Could be another double-digit runs, double-digit pitchers encounter. Or since I think that, more like 2-1 double compete game.

 

Any word on Napoli?

Would not be surprised if he's DH'ing...or not in the line up at all tonight.

 

It would be a big upset and a major statement about their character. And it would probably cause me to soften my stance on Ron Washington: horrible tactician or not, any manager who can get his team to recover after a loss like that and win the whole thing on the road in a Game 7 deserves praise.

But that's not going to happen. The Rangers are more likely to get crushed tonight the way the Cardinals did in Game 7 in '85 after the Don Denkinger debacle.

 

I'd be pretty damn surprised if he's DH'ing, seeing as how there won't be a DH tonight.

I wonder about Cruz ... as in, I wonder if he pulled something going after that ball in the 9th.

 

Per the DMN site, Cruz has a groin pull of some indeterminate severity ... I thought he pulled up lame on the Freese triple in the ninth ... You watch a team all season long and you get to know 'em pretty well.

 

Allow me to explore a stupid thought I've had all my baseball-loving life:

I've always enjoyed Game 6s more than Game 7s.

In a Game 7, there doesn't seem to be anything to lose for either team. The drama of the team up 3-2 not wanting to play in Game 7 and the desperation of the team trailing in the series seems to make Game 6s more urgent to me.

With a Game 7 it's simple — you throw the kitchen sink at the game and see what happens.

With a Game 6, there's the fear/hope of a Game 7 as the ultimate motivation. The anticipation of a deciding game is more important-feeling than the actual Game 7.

 

How do you feel about game 5's?

 

I don't disagree at all. Seems like most of the great moments in World Series history came in Game 6's.

In the NFL, I always enjoy the conference championship games more than the Super Bowl, as well.

As far as Nelson Cruz goes, didn't he leave the game in the 11th? Obviously it was only for one pitch, basically, but I'm pretty sure he was taken out of the game because of the injury.

 

It's clearly the most pivotal game of most series. I don't know if the drama matches Game 6s and Game 7s, though.

That sentence probably makes no logical sense. But, here we are.

 

Even though I'm sure that all of the empirical evidence would tell me that Game 5 is actually the most important game, emotionally it's not the same unless a team faces elimination. I'm sure that's irrational on some level, but I'm OK with that.

 

That best fans stuff has always been a steaming pile of bullshit anyway. Cardinal fans, by and large, are a bunch of fucking douchebags.

 

Holy shit what a brain fart on my part.