Kuzul

The Giants celebrate their victory over the Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS to win the NL Pennant

I don’t want to do this.

I mean, I really don’t want to do this.  I put it off for a day, but I suppose I owe it to you all.

As a Phillies fan, nothing was more frustrating than the past week and a half.  Watching a team that was built to win championship after championship play like the Phillies of 2000 (65-97) was agonizing. 

The Giants’ offense–self-described as “torture”–looked more like your favorite slippers and a warm blanket when compared to that of the Phillies.

Yeah, it really was that bad.

Before I get too carried away, let’s look over the points discussed in the NLCS Preview.

The Rust Factor
The Phillies didn’t really show so much rust in Game 1.  At least not looking back on it.  At first, it may have appeared that way–Roy Halladay didn’t have his “A” game, and the offense sputtered and struggled to score.  But as we reflect on the series as a whole, it wasn’t rust for the offense, and maybe, just maybe, the Giants were so well prepared that they were able to jump on every opportunity and mistake.

Coming Back

Cody Ross hurt the Phillies more than any other Giant in the NLCS

Neither Pat Burrell, nor Aaron Rowand wound up doing much damage to the Phillies in their return to Philadelphia.  Actually, both were quite ineffective.  Burrell hit a measly .211 and knocked in just one run.  Rowand started a couple of games and went 1-for-5 with a run scored.  In the end, it wound up being another guy the Phillies were quite familiar with in Cody Ross that did the most damage.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching
Well, we didn’t really see much in the way of pitchers’ duels, but we didn’t exactly see the scoreboards light up, either.  This was a dirty series where most of the runs were scrapped together.  No pitcher was truly dominant (aside from maybe Roy Oswalt in Game 2), but on the flip side, only Jonathan Sanchez really failed on the hill.  In the end, pitching really didn’t determine this series.  The offenses did, but not in the way I expected, either.

Playing a Clean Game
Here’s where the games were decided.  Chase Utley played some poor defense all series.  Placido Polanco drilled Buster Posey in the back on a throw to first.  Shane Victorino couldn’t corral an over-the-shoulder catch at the wall.  The Phillies offense, well, they couldn’t do anything right. 

They had a horrible approach at the plate, swinging at bad breaking pitches and taking belt-high fastballs.  And they had opportunities, they just didn’t take advantage of them.  On the other side of the field, the Giants jumped on every bad pitch and made a point to get the runner home one way or another.

Not to take anything away from the Giants–they clearly wanted this more and played a damn good series–but the Phillies beat themselves first and foremost.  A team with this much offensive talent should not finish a six game series with a triple slash line of .216/.314/.321.  Note the last number.  The Phillies are known for their home run power.  Their postseason lineup slugged .449 in the regular season.  Ouch.

Chase Utley and the Phillies position players couldn’t do anything right against the Giants, in the field or at the plate

The Phillies couldn’t do anything right at the plate this series.  They struckout 56 times while walking just 20.  They left 45 runners on base (7.5/game) and hit just .178 (8-for-45) with runners in scoring position.  Countless times they couldn’t drive a leadoff baserunner home.  The only player who actually hit the baseball–Ryan Howard–finished without an RBI (and 12 K).

I’ll leave you with a rundown of some key players in the series.

 Giants

• Cody Ross – .350, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB/5 K
• Matt Cain – 1-0, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K/3 BB, 0.714 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
• Tim Lincecum – 1-1, 14.1 IP, 12 H, 5 ER, 16 K/4 BB, 1.116 WHIP, 3.14 ERA
• Brian Wilson – 1-0, 3 SV, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 K/2 BB, 0.800 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

Phillies

• Roy Oswalt – 1-1, 14.2 IP, 14 H, 3 ER, 14 K/3 BB, 1.159 WHIP, 1.84 ERA
• Carlos Ruiz – .167, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB/7 K
• Chase Utley – .182, 1 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB/2 K
• Ryan Howard – .318, 0 RBI, 1 R, 3 BB/12  

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Very few, if any, saw this coming.

Yeah, the Texas Rangers are a damn good team.  But c’mon, this is the Yankees we’re talking about.  They’ve been penciled into the 2010 World Series since they won the 2009 Series.

But, as they say, that’s why they play the games.

To the uneducated observer, it would appear as though the Rangers were the perennial playoff team and the Yankees were the team that just won its first ever playoff series.

The fact that the opposite is true only makes what the Rangers accomplished that much more impressive.

First, let’s review my series preview (as you may recall, I predicted the Rangers in six).

I mentioned two key factors that would play a major impact in the outcome of the series: the rest factor and the star factor.

Boy did they ever.

First, concerning the rest factor, I noted that there was a legitimate possibility that the Yankees could come out flat, allowing the Rangers to jump out to an early lead at home.  Well, they did, but unfortunately for the Rangers, the bullpen couldn’t hold their 5-0 lead and the Yankees stole Game 1.  Still, the Rangers proved to themselves that they could beat the Yankees.  And that was all they needed.

Then, the stars.  This is where the series really took shape.  Bottom line: the Rangers stars were up to the task and the Yankees stars faltered.

I’ll recap this with a review of the key players for each team:

Rangers

Elvis Andrus – .333/.379/.407, 2 RBI, 4 R, 4 SB, 2 BB/3 K
Nelson Cruz – .350/.435/.800, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB/6 K
Vlad Guerrero – .269/.269/.346, 3 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB/8 K
*Josh Hamilton – .350/.536/1.000, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 4 SB, 8 BB/4 K
Ian Kinsler – .250/.333/.400, 3 RBI, 1 R, 2 SB, 3 BB/3 K
Michael Young – .333/.357/.444, 4 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB/7 K
Cliff Lee – 8 IP, 1-0, 13 K/1 BB, 2 H, 0 ER, 0.375 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

Yankees

Robinson Cano – .348/.375/.913, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 1 BB/3 K
Derek Jeter – .231/.286/.423, 1 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB/7 K
Alex Rodriguez – .190/.320/.286, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB, 3 BB/4 K 
#Mark Texeira – .000/.176/.000, 1 R, 3 BB/4 K
Phil Hughes – 8.2 IP, 0-2, 6 K/7 BB, 14 H, 11 ER, 2.423 WHIP, 11.42 ERA
Andy Pettitte – 7 IP, 0-1, 5 K/0 BB, 5 H, 2 ER, 0.714 WHIP, 2.57 ERA
CC Sabathia – 10 IP, 1-0, 10 K/4 BB, 17 H, 7 ER, 2.100 WHIP, 6.30 ERA

*Named ALCS MVP
#Injured in Game 4

As you can see, the Rangers came out and got the job done.  Some—Cruz, Hamilton and Lee—were nearly unstoppable, while the rest held their ground and came up big when it was most crucial.

The Yankees, on the other hand, got almost nothing out of their stars.  Cano was spectacular, but he got no help from the rest of the lineup and the only game the Yankees got good starting pitching (Pettitte in Game 3), they couldn’t muster up enough run support to pull out the victory.

Before I wrap this up, I want to note the stellar performances by Colby Lewis.  Lewis—who pitched in Japan the last two years—was dominant against a potent Yankees lineup, shutting them down to the tune of 9 hits and three earned runs over 13.2 innings, posting a 1.98 ERA and a 1.098 WHIP in two victories. 

Lewis’ ace-like performances took the pressure off Cliff Lee and the offense, and quite possibly was the key player in the series.

Now, the Rangers will rest, fine tune and prepare themselves for the biggest stage they’ve ever seen.  Their opponent in the World Series, be it the Giants or the Phillies, will have their hands full with this group.  It should be quite the spectacular sight to see the dominant rotation that comes out of the NL face off against this group of violent and deadly bats.

Baseball fans, we’re in for a treat.

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The preseason favorites. The favorites after 162 games. The favorites after Game 6 in 2009.

These titles refer to the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yet they stand on the wrong side of the win-loss hyphen.

Both are losing to unproven teams with little postseason experience who were considered World Series long-shots before the season—the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants.

Here’s some advice to both teams on how they can turn things around.

Yankees

The Yankees need the most help, looking up at a 3-1 deficit. On top of that, they have to face Cliff Lee again and play two games in Arlington, Texas. Ouch. The Yankees’ to-do list is long. Or it’s a singular item, depending on your approach.

The Yankees still have to face this guy—in Texas—if they want a chance to repeat as world champions.

The List:

• Turn the pressure around. Even though the pressure is on the Yankees right now to win three straight, they can’t allow themselves to be enveloped by that pressure. Take some, use it for fuel, and turn the rest onto the Rangers. Prove to them you aren’t out of it. If nothing else, make them fear you just because you’re the Yankees.
• Make the Rangers work for their last win. That means taking pitches and getting to the bullpen. It means driving the ball hard, even if it’s for an out. It means not giving them easy outs. They still need 27 outs.
• Jump on the starters early. You’ve now seen CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis in the series. You know what they’ve got. Know what pitch you can hit, and jump on it.
• Play perfect defense. A good team makes you pay for giving them 4 (or more) outs in an inning. A team like the Rangers uses it to put you away.

Then there’s the short list:

• Play Yankees baseball.

Phillies

The Phillies are in a better position. Down 2-1, they still have the best pitching trio in baseball set to pitch in three of four games. Not coincidentally, three wins will get them to the World Series. The problem is, the Giants have a pretty good trio of their own.

The List:

• Stop helping the Giants. You can’t give a team extra outs and expect to survive. The Phillies almost suffered that fate against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 2 of the NLDS, but luckily the Reds defense turned around and gave those outs right back…and then some.
• Get a strong outing from Joe Blanton in Game 4. Winning Game 4 would be huge, and the key is staying in the game early on. With the Philly offense sputtering (okay, more like breaking down a few miles from home), the pitching needs to be extra sharp.
• Take Cody Ross out of the game. This is not a call for head-hunting, but you have to do something to keep this guy from hurting you. Pitch around him.  Don’t let anyone on base in front of him. But most importantly, don’t throw the ball down and in.

Cody Ross has killed the Phillies through three games. Limiting his opportunities is a key to the Phillies’ comeback attempts.

• Shake up the lineup. Charlie Manuel has to find a way to jump-start this offense. After hitting .212 against the Reds, they are under .200 in the NLCS. Maybe you put Jimmy Rollins back in the lead-off spot. Maybe you sit Raul Ibanez against the lefty in Game 4, going instead with Ben Francisco. Maybe you completely change the lineup—the Phillies have five guys in their lineup who have led-off for this team in the past, and another with the OBP to do so.
• Hit home runs. Ryan Howard is hitting the ball hard, but not out.  He needs to launch one to energize this team. A home run out of the lead-off spot would set the tone for the offense as well.
• Capitalize on opportunities. You know why Cody Ross is killing you? It’s because he’s doing what you’re not—taking a mistake pitch, or his pitch, and jumping on it. Don’t let opportunities—like lead-off base-runners and belt-high fastballs—go to waste.
• Know when to be patient and when to be aggressive. Guys like Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain don’t give you much to hit, so when you get a fastball, swing. You handled Sanchez perfectly. Knowing his tendency to be wild, you were patient early and were rewarded with walks. But as the game wore on, Sanchez tried harder to throw strikes, and you jumped on fastballs thrown early in the count.

That might seem like a lot, and frankly, it is. But it’s nothing that these teams haven’t done for years with roughly the same group of guys. A Phillies-Yankees rematch is still a possibility, and until a team has been beaten four times, don’t count either of them out.  This should be one heck of a finish.

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This is a feature I’d like to start here on the blog. I not only want to use this blog for commentary, but also as a place where sports fans can learn.

Part of that learning will be history lessons—telling stories about events that shaped sports and the people that made them what they are today. But it also involves knowing the terminology, and some of the most complicated of those are statistics.

This section will help you understand what someone means when they throw out some seemingly random acronym.

WHIP stands for Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched. It is a simple sabermetric statistic that is used to show how effective a pitcher is at keeping the opposing team off the basepaths. It is measured by adding the number of hits and walks and then dividing that total by the number of innings pitched.

Naturally, the lower this number is, the better the pitcher should be at keeping the bases empty—and after all, if the other team can’t reach base, they can’t score runs.

The statistic was probably invented by the man who is credited with inventing fantasy baseball: Dan Okrent. Okrent, who designed the game as a way to have fun with friends, created the statistic by using the Strat-O-Matic baseball game and a newspaper. The statistic was originally called IPRAT (Innings Pitched Ratio) and was later renamed WHIP.

Okrent developed the statistic in 1980, and it didn’t take long for the stat to become integrated as a useful tool for fans and baseball professionals alike.

The stat, however, is not without its flaws. In the Wall Street Journal article that credits Okrent for creating the statistic, the Director of Baseball Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays, Dan Feinstein, notes the team ignores the statistic when evaluating players. He gives the following explanation in the article for the organization’s decision:

“Once a ball is hit, the pitcher has no control over the outcome of the play, with the exception of the home run,” Mr. Feinstein explains. “There are too many factors that determine whether or not that ball will be a hit, including ballpark size and dimension, positioning of the defense and ability of his defenders.”

That said, WHIP is one of the more widely accepted sabermetrics in baseball. While there will never be one single, flawless statistic in sports, in context, there are many useful pieces of data. It is up to us, as humans, to properly apply each statistic properly.

I’ll wrap up this post with a list of the leaders in this statistic. Please note that for single-season data, a minimum of one inning pitched per game is required. For career data, a minimum of 1,000 innings pitched is required.

Lowest Single-Season WHIP: 0.7373, Pedro Martinez (2000)
Lowest Career WHIP: 0.9678, Addie Joss (1902-1910)
Lowest Career WHIP (Active): 1.0035, Mariano Rivera (1995-present)

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MLB
NLCS, ALCS Tied at 1-1
Both series are split after a pair of games. The Rangers blew a 5-0 lead in Game 1, or they’d be up 2-0 and sending Cliff Lee to the mound. Ouch. Both series could go the distance. Don’t count out the Rangers and Giants. They’re a couple of scrappy teams with just enough to pull off the upset.

Lilly Signs Extension with Dodgers
In a somewhat surprising move, the Dodgers signed LHP Ted Lilly to a 3-year extension. Financial terms are unknown, but its unlikely Lilly—who was to be one of the top available free agent pitchers—came cheaply.

Considering the Dodgers owners, the McCourts, are going through a nasty divorce, it was believed the team would not spend this offseason. Regardless, retaining Lilly is a good move for the Dodgers, giving them three solid starters in Lilly, Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley.

NFL
Injuries Galore
Eagles WR DeSean Jackson and Falcons CB Dunta Robinson collided, knocking both out of the game with head injuries. Jackson, who already has one concussion in his young career, is said to have suffered a severe concussion.

Texans star LB DeMeco Ryans tore his Achilles tendon and is out for the season.

Chargers TE Antonio Gates suffered an ankle injury.

The Lions lost backup QB Shaun Hill to a broken arm, but could have starter Matthew Stafford back for next week.

NCAA Football
More Undefeateds, Defeated
No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Nebraska and No. 9 Nevada all lost their first games this week, following the ousting of Alabama last week.

No. 12 Arkansas, No. 10 South Carolina, No. 22 Florida, No. 23 Air Force and No. 24 Oregon State all lost as well.

Oregon is now the No. 1 team in the polls, though Oklahoma leads in the BCS. Will we see a fourth No. 1 team in as many weeks? We’ll see, Oregon faces off against UCLA and Oklahoma has No. 18 Missouri (No. 11 in BCS).

Rutgers Player Paralyzed
Tragic news out of New Jersey.

Rutgers backup DT Eric LeGrand suffered a spine injury against Army on Saturday. He is now paralyzed from the neck down. LeGrand underwent emergency surgery and is currently in Intensive Care.

“Eric, his family and the Rutgers football family believe he will recover.” said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.

Let’s hope so. I know I’ll be praying for him. It’s a scary thing, and a reminder that as passionate as well all are about our sports, the bottom line is it’s still just a game, and there are a lot bigger things in this world.

NHL
Sharks Extend Captain
Newly-named captain and former Hart Trophy winner Joe Thornton signed a 3-year extension with the Sharks on Friday.

Thornton’s deal is worth $21 million over the 3-year stretch, considered by many to be a “slight pay cut” in order to help the team remain competitive.

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