So I may go with a different format for my MLB playoff entries this year, because I've decided to approach everything in a different way. Last year, I deliberately skipped the Wild Card Round because I thought it was a travesty. But that didn't work -- I just spent the whole month of October being angry after the Wild Card teams in the National League -- the Phillies and the Padres -- knocked out the Braves and the Dodgers.
I'm not happy with MLB's new format, but I have to live with it -- I like baseball more than the folks at MLB dislike it. So I'm going to watch the Wild Card Round, not because I think it's fair, but because this is the system we have.
OK, so here's how the Wild Card Round will work. There are four series, each of which is played in one location, and each of which is best two out of three. Both today and tomorrow, we have the exact same TV schedule (all times Central, with home teams listed first):
The Astros are trying to win the American League for the third year in a row. No one has done that since the Yankees won it four times in a row from 1998 to 2001.
ReplyDeleteAt some point over the last five years, the Yankee teams of the late 1990's surpassed the Big Red Machine as the best team I ever saw.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees won the pennant in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001. They won the World Series in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000, and lost in Game Seven in 2001.
ReplyDeleteThe Reds won the pennant in 1970, 1972, 1975, and 1976. They won the World Series in 1975 and 1976, and lost in Game Seven in 1972.
So the Yankees won more trophies, but over time I've also come to believe that their superior pitching actually make them the better team.
Now Houston is getting up there. The Astros won the pennant in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022. They won the World Series in 2017 and 2022, and lost in Game Seven in 2019. So they already have as many pennants and World Titles as the Big Red Machine, and they have another chance this year.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the Astros are the best team since the Yankee teams of the late 1990's.
ReplyDeleteI learned today that the Twins have lost 18 post-season games in a row. They haven't won a post-season game since October 2004. They haven't won a post-season series since 2002. They've lost seven post-season series in a row, and they've also been eliminated twice as a wild card.
ReplyDeleteThe two teams that left Washington -- the Twins and the Rangers -- are both in the playoffs. As always, I will be rooting against them.
ReplyDeleteKentucky has announced that it will resume playing men's basketball games against Indiana. Here is the schedule:
ReplyDelete2025-26: Rupp Arena
2026-27: Lucas Oil Stadium
2027-28: Rupp Arena
2028-29: Assembly Hall
So I think we can assume that Coach Cal will retire before the 2028-29 season. I don't think he's going back to Assembly Hall.
If I'm right, then Cal has five more seasons left at UK.
DeleteThis is an excellent theory.
DeleteTampa Bay opens the playoffs by breaking out the old "DEVIL RAYS" uniforms. That makes me feel justified in referring to them as the "Devil Rays" for the rest of Playoff Month.
ReplyDeleteI figure that the portion of Tampa that won the fight to call them the "Tampa Bay Rays" were the same people who lost the fight to have the football team known as the "Bay Bucs."
DeleteThe Rangers are managed by Bruce Bochy, who took the Giants to the World Series championship in 2010, 2012, and 2014. In only one year, he took them from being also-rans to the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay's best player, Wander Franco, is off the team due to an investigation underway in the Dominican Republic.
ReplyDeleteIt's odd how we went all of these baseball years without any players named Wander, and now we have two. I'd never heard at all of Wander as a first name until Wander Franco and Wander Suero. There have been some pro-soccer players named Wander.
DeleteI've only ever seen Randy Arozarena play about ten games of baseball, but in those games he has been one of the greatest players of all time. He laces a single up the middle in the bottom of the first for the first hit of the game.
ReplyDeleteRangers lead 1-0 after four.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 5th, Texas loads the bases with a double, a walk, and single, and then a wild pitch brings in a run. Then a walk loads the bases again. Texas leads 2-0 in the top of the 5th with one out, and the Rangers are on the verge of blowing it open.
ReplyDeleteAs usual with men on base these days, the next two batters strike out. Texas leads 2-0 after 4 1/2 innings.
ReplyDeleteI'm now switching to the Blue Jays and the Twins from Target Field, because I think when you're watching day baseball you should be watching a game that's being played outside.
ReplyDeleteThe Twins are wearing cream-colored uniforms that have a navy hat with the old TC logo in white, and "Twin Cities" in cursive on the front. The Blue Jays are wearing their powder blue road uniforms from around 1985.
ReplyDeleteThe Rays were horrible today. They committed four errors, and lost 4-0 to Texas in a game that was never interesting.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, the Twins lead Toronto 3-0 after 4.
ReplyDeleteOn Twitter, Matt Jones is out with a strong statement about how UK fans just don't care that much about playing IU. He says that if UK played IU this year, it would be the fifth most anticipated non-conference game between Kansas, UNC, Gonzaga, and U of L. So now there are IU fans arguing that UK fans should care. Well, I don't care, and I think it's silly that we are playing them again. Just in the Big 10 alone, I'd rather have a series with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, or Maryland than IU. We just don't gain anything from playing IU -- it's purely entertainment for them and annoying for us.
ReplyDeleteNo school spends more time trying to please people who hate it than the University of Kentucky. If IU desperately wanted to play U of L, or UT, and those schools didn't think it was in their interest to play IU, they wouldn't even bother to return the Hoosiers' calls.
DeleteToronto scrapes back a run in the top of the 6th, and the Twins lead 3-1. Former Nat Michael A. Taylor makes a great catch at the wall in center field to rob Toronto of a potential three-run homer.
ReplyDeleteBecause the Twins are one of the teams that left Washington, I do not want them to win the World Series. Having said that, I will support the Twins over the Blue Jays, and I would probably support them over the Astros in the next round.
ReplyDeleteScores so far today (home teams listed first):
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay 0 - 4 Texas (Final)
Minnesota 3 - 1 Toronto (Bottom 6)
The Courier-Journal has an article about the five most memorable IU-UK games. Here is their list:
ReplyDelete1. 1975: UK 92, IU 90
2. 2011: IU 73, UK 72
3. 1974: IU 98, UK 74
4. 2002: UK 70, IU 64
5. 1987: UK 82, IU 76 (OT)
I don't remember games 4 and 5 at all. I literally did not watch them, and have no memory of them. The 1974 and 1975 games are from the same season, and the 1975 game is truly one of the great moments in UK basketball history. The 2011 pick is just silly -- UK came back and beat IU in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and that was a much more meaningful game.
Honestly, the IU game hasn't really had any meaning for me since Bobby Knight left IU. The rivalry was with him, not with IU.
ReplyDeleteIn my life as a fan, UK has had intense rivalries with three coaches: Bobby Knight, Dale Brown, and Nolan Richardson. I think the rivalry with Denny Crum was not limited to Crum, but actually applied to U of L. Same with Dean Smith and Coach K -- the rivalry is with the school, not the coach. But Knight, Brown, and Richardson each had their own rivalry with the UK fan base, and those were some of the most intense games I can remember.
ReplyDeleteBruce Pearl comes the closest to that type of rivalry today.
ReplyDeletePearl is one of the few modern coaches who has the same type of big personality that used to dominate college basketball.
ReplyDeleteKen Pom lists the top 20 programs in college basketball from 1997 to 2023:
ReplyDelete1. Duke
2. Kentucky
3. Kansas
4. N. Carolina
5. Michigan St.
6. Gonzaga
7. Arizona
8. Villanova
9. Ohio St.
10. Connecticut
11. U.C.L.A.
12. Louisville
13. Texas
14. Florida
15. Tennessee
16. Michigan
17. Virginia
18. Illinois
19. Wisconsin
20. Baylor
Do you see IU on that list? Neither do I.
DeleteIU is number 24 on the list, behind Oregon, Purdue, and Maryland.
DeleteHere's a way to think about it. Duke is number 1 on the list, UNC is number 4, and Maryland is number 23. Maryland used to play some of the most frenzied games of the year against Duke and UNC. Duke and Maryland have played 177 times. UNC and Maryland have played 180 times. They haven't played at all since Maryland went to the Big 10. Do you think Duke or UNC misses playing Maryland? Of course not. Do you think they're going to agree to give the Terps a home and home series anytime soon? Obviously not. So why is UK obliged to play IU?
DeleteThe Twins win 3-1, and end their 18-game post-season losing streak.
ReplyDeleteI know one actual Twins fan, and I am happy for him.
DeleteNow we've got the Phillies and the Marlins on ESPN. Buster Olney is here, because this is the most interesting of the Wild Card Series.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies entered the playoff last year as the Number 6 seed, and stormed to the NL Pennant with wins over the Cardinals, Braves, and Padres. Now they are back as the number 4 seed, and they've got a huge and boisterous crowd in Philly.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in Milwaukee, the Brewers and the D-Backs are tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 3d.
ReplyDeleteIn the regular season, the Phillies went 90-72, and the Marlins went 84-77.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies are wearing their normal home uniforms, and the Marlins are wearing their normal road uniforms. Good for both teams!
ReplyDeleteI think Miami and Arizona have two of the worst uniform sets in the history of MLB.
ReplyDeleteArizona leads 4-3 in the bottom of the 4th.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 3d, a two-out double from Alec Bohm puts the Phillies up 1-0.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies get one run from a single, a double, and another single. A second Phillie tried to score but was thrown out at the plate. Phillies lead 2-0 with one out in the bottom of the 4th.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies get another single -- their fourth hit in a row -- and they lead 3-0 with one out in the 4th.
ReplyDeleteAfter 4, Phillies lead 3-0.
ReplyDeleteAfter 5, Arizona leads 4-3.
ReplyDeleteZack Wheeler (13-6, 3.61 ERA) is dominating the Marlins so far. Philly leads 3-0 after 5 1/2 innings.
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay 0 - 4 Texas (Final)
ReplyDeleteMinnesota 3 - 1 Toronto (Final)
Philadelphia 3 - 0 Miami (After 5)
Arizona 4 - 3 Milwaukee (Bottom 6)
We've reached the stage of the game where the announcers on ESPN radio are talking about how they got to Philly. One of the announcers came by train, and he's all excited about the advantages of train travel.
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia 3 - 0 Miami (After 6)
ReplyDeleteMilwaukee 3 - 4 Arizona (Top 7)
Miami gets a run on three singles, and Zack Wheeler leaves with two on and two out in the top of the seventh. Philly leads 3-1, and Jose Alvarado comes in to pitch for the Fightin' Phils.
ReplyDeleteAlvarado puts out the fire, and the Phillies lead 3-1 after 7 1/2.
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia 3 - 1 Miami (After 7)
ReplyDeleteMilwaukee 3 - 4 Arizona (Top 9)
Four former Nationals started in this game. The Phillies have Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber. The Marlins have Josh Bell.
ReplyDeleteD-backs add two runs and lead Milwaukee 6-3 in the top of the 9th.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies get an insurance run on a single by Harper and a double by Nick Castellanos. Phillies up 4-1 in the bottom of the 8th.
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia 4 - 1 Miami (After 8)
ReplyDeleteMilwaukee 3 - 6 Arizona (Bottom 9)
The D-Backs finish off Milwaukee by a final score of 6-3, and Arizona is one game from a Divisional Series matchup with the Dodgers.
ReplyDeleteJosh Bell leads off the top of the 9th with a double. He's 3 for 4 in this game, as the former Nats are dominating tonight.
ReplyDeleteCraig Kimbrel has no trouble with the other Marlins, and the Phillies wrap up an easy 4-1 win.
ReplyDeleteSo Texas, Minnesota, Arizona, and Philly will all be looking to advance tomorrow. The Rays, the Blue Jays, the Brewers, and the Marlins will be looking to survive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this report!
ReplyDelete