Playoff rooting interests

[satchel]

All right, so we've talked about our predictions. How about your rooting interest - not who you think will win each series, but who you want to win each series? And having asked the question, I'll naturally go first.

If my hometown Yankees can't advance this year, I want the A's to win it all. I like their team, and my dad taught me that when your team gets beat, it should get beat by the best.

In the NL, I like St. Louis, although please don't tell my roommate from Phoenix. St. Louis is a good old fashioned baseball town, and I think the Cards in the world series would just have a comforting, old-timey feel to it.

[BuzzBuzzard]

I'd like to see the A's and anyone other than the Braves. D'Backs would be good. Cards I could take. Astros are too bland for me.

[NetShrine]

Satch - - thanks for starting the thread. I live for thread starters.

Yanks are my rooting interest in the AL.
Ms/Indians - - I'm kinda rooting for the Tribe - - but, the M's help me more with tickets and dates in the ALCS.

If the Yanks can't win, I guess I'd be rooting for the A's to go all the way. Best team thing - same as you.

NL - - I was rooting for Houston - - looks moot now.
Cards and D-backs leave me flat - - I don't like the ARZ organization and I don't like LaRussa. Can they both lose?

So, I guess I'm now rooting for the Braves in the long run, by default in the NL.

[Duque]

I'm with Satchel - I think World Series baseball, in St. Louis, would be a great thing for the nation right now.

It'd also be nice if the other half of that Series was in New York, but the pessimist in me doesn't like the odds on that.

Back to the picks - I have to go with the Tribe vs. the Ms, since I picked them way back on 10 September. Obviously, I'm rooting for the Yanks, but have no problem pulling for the As, especially since the As winning the World Series would shut Bud Selig up.

In the NL, I wish the 'Stros could have some postseason success, and, as previously mentioned, I like St. Louis.

[ChrisCary]

I'm a die-never Yankee fan so that's the priority.

After that I'd like the Mariners to do it which is odd given my long term hatred for them. 95 broke my heart and I thought I'd never get over the mariners. But I've always loved Sweet Lou and still do. I also get a kick out of them sheding The Unit, Junior and A-rod and getting better.

Now, the above contradicts what I'm doing right now which is rooting for Cleveland to give my Yankees a better shot in the second round.


So if the Yankees don;t make the second round and my current rooting interest in the other DS prevails I'll be rooting for the A's, I like the young brash team and I also like Art Howe.


YANKEE BASEBALL!!!!

Mighty depressed over 2 straight losses to the A's, but they'er a tough team. Can't put anything against them.

Since Joe feels like keeping Justice in too long, Hitchcock went too long on Wednesday, Shane didn't bat, it's all up to Moose, who could've won in game 1 had he been the SP. With our run support, who could win unless Moose actually does pitch that perfect game?

I'm thinking that if the A's win, which I hate admitting they're likely to do, they should beat the M's. Not sure I could tolerate the M's winning, especially since they just want to show they can outdo the Yanks. I'd prefer that Cleveland beat them, then the A's beat the Tribe.

I sure wish it was the Yanks winning the next 3 games, but this doesn't seem likely.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Yogi#8Fan
I sure wish it was the Yanks winning the next 3 games, but this doesn't seem likely.

Mussina has the best shot at shutting down the A's on the Yankees staff. Keep in mind, the A's scored only 2 tonight, and the last one was on a broken bat double played into a triple followed by an error to score the run. They, the A's, are still OH FOR EVERYTHING with RISP in the ALDS. Oakland is not exactly mashing.

Say Mussina wins on Saturday. Then it's 2-1 with El Duque (known to do well in a big game) v. the A's 4th starter - - who is still just a Met & Tampa Bay castoff in my mind.

Until the Yanks lose on either Saturday or Sunday, I am still hoping for a game five back in NY.

[Duque]

Originally posted by NetShrine


Mussina has the best shot at shutting down the A's on the Yankees staff. Keep in mind, the A's scored only 2 tonight, and the last one was on a broken bat double played into a triple followed by an error to score the run. They, the A's, are still OH FOR EVERYTHING with RISP in the ALDS. Oakland is not exactly mashing.

You could look at it two ways - that the Yankees pitching has been really clutch, or that the Yankees have been extremely lucky these games weren't bigger blowouts. Truth is, the As have had 17 guys in SP, and they've had a sac fly in there too. Sooner or later those "seeing eye" singles through the 5.5 hole or those Texas leaguers are going to drop in.

Mussina's probably the best pitcher in the AL this postseason, and he's had good success vs. the As at the Coliseum. But the fact that he's been opposed by Barry Zito, who's been equally of good of late, is not encouraging. If the Bombers have more than one or two of their lefties in the lineup for Game 3, it doesn't look good.

[Duque]

Originally posted by NetShrine
the A's 4th starter - - who is still just a Met & Tampa Bay castoff in my mind.

Lidle's actually had a pretty good year, with a 1.15 WHIP ratio and a 3.59 ERA. He's also got a low walk rate and a great Groundball/Flyball ratio.

Course, you could say El Duque's just a Havana Industriales castoff

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Duque
Lidle's actually had a pretty good year, with a 1.15 WHIP ratio and a 3.59 ERA. He's also got a low walk rate and a great Groundball/Flyball ratio.

According to the Ballpark factors which nyy26wc has just released, Oakland is the 3rd best park for pitchers in the AL.

What's Lidle's home road splits? I can't get ESPN now - my PC is acting up.

Originally posted by NetShrine
Mussina has the best shot at shutting down the A's on the Yankees staff. Keep in mind, the A's scored only 2 tonight, and the last one was on a broken bat double played into a triple followed by an error to score the run. They, the A's, are still OH FOR EVERYTHING with RISP in the ALDS. Oakland is not exactly mashing.

Say Mussina wins on Saturday. Then it's 2-1 with El Duque (known to do well in a big game) v. the A's 4th starter - - who is still just a Met & Tampa Bay castoff in my mind.

Until the Yanks lose on either Saturday or Sunday, I am still hoping for a game five back in NY.

To tell you the truth, I couldn't care less about this RISP or anything else. You know why? If a pitcher throws a WP, you can still tag out the runner at 3B coming home. That's how the Yanks won a game in September or August. Sloppy, but a win is a win is a win.

I look at a sac fly, if you get 1 or 2 of those in a game, you've got yourself an RBI. A deep single w/1B & 2B could lead to 2 ribbies. That's what I think about. Not does on WHICH type of play, but DOES the runner score. If it's an error, sac fly, double, triple, I don't really care. I'm strictly bottom line oriented. Does the runner touch home plate?

Too many blown opportunities tonight, where runners WERE ISP but no one could simply drive the ball into the OF, perhaps even advancing a runner if not scoring them. Things like pop flies and DPs just kill me.

Now it's two straight wins to get to the deciding game or at least a single win. This means that with our low scoring production, if we don't get at least 2 runs, we could lose. Andy went 6 1/3 and gave up only 1 run but gets the loss. Had we scored 3 like last night, that would've won it for us. Now Moose AND the bats will all have to be in sync. Not a good time for low run support for Moose night, I'm sure.

Net, presuming Moose is spellbinding on Saturday and we can at least hit Zito for a few runs, or at least their pen, El Duque would need to do to the A's what he'd done to Pedro for his first two wins of the season. He looked pretty good going 4 innings in relief of Moose but we're hanging by a needle and a thread about now.

I feel like a great big car is being held aloft by just this, not by a chain or a crane. If it's not over on Saturday, I can at least say we weren't swept. If we at least take it to 5 games, losing wouldn't be as bad. Getting slammed bad on Saturday would be cause for an unscheduled vacation is my only thought.

[Duque]

Originally posted by NetShrine

What's Lidle's home road splits? I can't get ESPN now - my PC is acting up.

Here you go:

Home: 8-5, 114 IP, 107 H, 32 BB, 67 K, 4.03 ERA
Road: 5-1, 74 IP, 63 H, 15 BB, 51 K, 2.92 ERA

Maybe being such an extreme groundball pitcher, he doesn't benefit from the spaciousness of the Coliseum.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Given the state of the Yankee offense over the last couple months, Moose is going to have to work with little run support. Nothing new to him, but if he gives up only 2 that may be too many. I wouldn't want anyone else taking the mound on Saturday if I were the Yankees, but he is not the question mark in my mind. They need runs and they are not coming easy.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Duque
Here you go:

Home: 8-5, 114 IP, 107 H, 32 BB, 67 K, 4.03 ERA
Road: 5-1, 74 IP, 63 H, 15 BB, 51 K, 2.92 ERA

Maybe being such an extreme groundball pitcher, he doesn't benefit from the spaciousness of the Coliseum.

Thanks Andy. Interesting. Wonder why he has 40 less IP on the road? That's a lot of games missed.