Kuzul

Of all the major pro sports leagues, Major League Baseball’s postseason is the least valid at crowning a champ.  This is for a number of reasons.  There is good news, however. Many positive tweaks to the playoff structure have already been discussed.  Time to shed light on just what is missing, and what actions should be taken.

Baseball season is by far the longest of any of the four major sports.  Most teams, barring rainouts, will slog through 162 contests.  Hockey and Basketball teams play 82 games in contrast.  (In fact, even with half the number of games, NBA commissioner David Stern is considering a shortened schedule for his league.)  It’s a pretty large sample survey from which to judge the quality of a team.  It’s too large, in fact.  

This becomes painfully obvious when you realize how quickly half the teams in the postseason will last.  Imagine playing all those games and then getting swept in the first round after three games.  All those must-win games, the pennant chase and the buildup. Gone after a weekend.  

So one major flaw becomes obvious at this point.  To be successful in the regular season, the team must be built for consistency.  Pitching staffs generally need quality out of four or five starters, two or three set-up men and a closer.  The lineup needs at least a few sluggers, high on-base percentage players and usually at least one speedster on the basepaths.  

This is a recipe for long-term success, and after 162 games, suddenly these important regular season qualities lose much of their value.

Once the first round begins, you can throw them out the window.  It’s a best-of-five series after all.  Most of the time, the losing team will not even get a whole turn of their rotation.  It would seem to me that the team built for regular season depth would not even get to showcase that strength.  The criteria suddenly changes.  Forget a deep 5 man rotation, a three man rotation with 2 star hurlers will get you further.  

Doesn’t it seem a little too quick to send a playoff team home after five games at most?

It’s even worse when you consider how many upsets have taken place.  Don’t get me wrong, upsets are what gives sports their luster many times.  Upsets are not as exciting if they are so easy to come by.  In baseball,  too many times the fan is left feeling cheated.  Many exciting and talented teams have been sent off to the golf course without even getting a chance to play everyone that contributed during the year. 

There is a way to ease this issue.  Make every round a seven-game series.  Obviously there are some logistics to work out in that case.  I will get into that a little further down.  

The NHL and NBA already have implemented this structure.  And in those leagues, the same players compete every night.  If any of the sports had an argument for a shortened first round, it would be them since you are essentially showcasing the same matchup multiple times.  

In baseball, there are completely new pitchers each day. It makes for a different feel for each game.  And in the current format, there are only eight playoff teams.  That means that first round matchups are never duds on paper, since even top seeds vs. bottom seeds have more parity than other sports with double the teams in the postseason. That’s why baseball doesn’t get redundant in October.   

Another issue that troubles me is how the rotations are set.  If your team is still fighting for a playoff spot in the last few games, they will most likely not be able to give themselves the matchups they want when the postseason arrives.  Many people have argued that teams that have clinched earlier should get that advantage.  Let’s take a closer look.

This year, the Rays and the Yankees fought for the AL East crown to the wire.  These teams also had the two best records in the league.  It doesn’t matter if the Rangers clinched their weak divisions much earlier; the two best teams still had work to do.  

Why should the Rangers, who had a weaker record in a weaker division, get the advantage of setting their rotation while the two higher quality teams in a tougher division could conceivably be stuck with whoever is rested enough?

This would not be such a significant factor if the first round became a best-of-seven, as all of the pitchers would most likely get a chance somewhere in the series.  There should be a three-day break before the playoffs begin.  That will allow all of the teams to load up and truly play the best against the best, rather than just who is available each day.  

A guaranteed two or three-day period between further playoff series should be instituted as well, for the same reasons.  Obviously, as it currently stands, there would be scheduling conflicts.  If these changes were in place, any other off-days that aren’t designed for travelling should be eliminated.  That way, the teams cannot just skip pitchers.  It would be a lot more like the regular season for which these teams are built.

Changing the season from 162 games to 154 would be the best catalyst to make these sorts of improvements.  People always have a little hesitation when this idea is brought forth.  Most of the time they are concerned about the record books and how to judge new achievements.  It would be a pretty safe bet to say that if there were only 154 games in a season, then Barry Bonds could feel really good about keeping the home run record.  

But that’s just the point. Many of those records are tarnished anyway.  Bonds was an obvious steroid case, as well as many others in the last 20 years.  We are now at a point in baseball where we need to be honest with ourselves and admit that all records are subject to fallacy.  

Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in only 154 games.  Remember that many felt Roger Maris was a fraud since his 61 homers came in 162 games.  There is just is no consistency. Once baseball moves on from this naive notion, things can be streamlined.  

With only 154 games, there can be a pause to transition from the regular season to postseason. While pitchers are resting up, Major League Baseball can use the time to build some serious media hype.  Imagine all those Game 1’s with staff aces facing off against each other.   That’s drama.  They will also be available for at least another game if the series goes long.  Another plus.  More superstars equal more ratings.  

Baseball is a sport whose outcomes many times are affected by inches.  Sometimes the difference between a winner and a loser can come down to a lucky bounce.  The more games that are played with the most consistent preparation are a better measure of who is deserving of the title.  

Don’t worry though.  Upsets will still be plentiful.  The only difference (with the new rules in effect) is that upsets will seem much more significant.  To grant a much higher degree of validity to the World Series Champion, these changes would go a long way. After that maybe we can get rid of the designated hitter as well, since both leagues should play by the same rules (especially in the playoffs).  But for right now, this would be a major improvement.

-Follow me on Twitter (@ChiBdm)

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The San Francisco Giants are regarded more for their pitching than hitting—and for good reason. They ranked 15th in batting average and 17th in runs scored during the regular season.

But while their offense was mediocre then, their approach at the plate is one of the main reasons they’ve made it this far in the postseason.

One thing veteran poker players hate is when they are faced with inexperienced opponents because they are aggressive and have nothing to lose, many times catching gratuitous cards in improbable situations.

The veterans will usually prevail in the long run with this risky strategy, but the new guys will always have a fighting chance, especially in tense moments.  

The Giants are an aggressive offensive unit. They’re not afraid to swing on any count or any pitch. Playoff pitchers are often fearful of that and become tentative, which throws them off their game.

That aggressive mindset is helpful in the clutch because hitters won’t be obstructed by indecision. They’re going to swing, and they’re going to make pitchers pay for any mistakes.  

Beating the vaunted Phillies and Braves pitching staffs and now Cliff Lee, who became the fourth left-handed starter to allow seven runs in a World Series Game 1, was remarkable, but it wasn’t that surprising.

After all, if you play poker, you know that anyone can win. And if you can make the other players second-guess themselves, you’re chances of winning go way up.

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NOTE: PLAY THE  BELOW MUSIC WHILE YOU READ THIS ARTICLE

The San Francisco Union-Giants marched onto the fields at AT&T Gettysburg under an orange and black sky on this day of 27 October 2010.

General Lee (Cliff) looked to continue his invasion northward after successful campaigns against Fort Tampa and the Yankee outpost in the Bronx.

In the opening rounds of battle, General Lee attempted to flank the Union-Giants with cut fastballs and outlandishly wild curves.

But Calvary Captain Freddy Sanchez and Colonel Aubrey Huff were prepared for this tactic and managed several counter maneuvers, firing doubles to right field.

Lee’s face revealed his thoughts, “this is not going to be like previous battles.”

Furthermore, the doubles were the beginning of an onslaught to the right flank that left Confederate grunt Vladimir Guerrero bloody, limbless and concussed.

With the Confederate Rangers rolling through the countryside of late and Lee evoking the ghost of Julius Caesar, winning this critical battle would be a huge turning point in this World Series War.

Both Generals Lee and Lincecum seemed a little spooked by the magnitude of the battle in the early rounds.

After the first two rounds of battle General Lincecum was in mid-retreat and losing 2-0, but several of his mates,  Cannoneer Juan Uribe and Major Edgar Renteria, made dazzling saves in the field to prevent an even greater deficit.

Meanwhile, General Lincecum took several buck shots to the leg, but bravely fought on.

In the third round of battle, the tide began to change for the Union-Giants.

They spotted Lee with grunt Michael Young, and witnessed Young abandon his General with a costly error. With Lee alone, Scout Andres Torres cornered him and took one for the team in close combat.

That set the stage for Captain Sanchez, who took aim and blasted Lee with a double shot to left center field.

Private First Class Gerald “Buster” Posey, a Southerner by birth but fighting for the North, got his opportunity. He pounded Lee with a golden bullet from his revolver and the score was tied at 2.

Lee’s Confederate mates finally dragged him off his mound bloody and bruised, but not beaten.

The night was still young and the battle would rage on.

General Lincecum kept the pressure on by breezing through the next two rounds of battle.

Then in the bottom of the fifth round of battle, the entire Union-Giant Cavalry arrived with the sound of blaring horns and pounding hooves. Scout Torres fired and landed a double round, followed by a Captain Sanchez double bayonet cut to Lee’s left shoulder.

The tide had turned with the Union-Giants taking a 3-2 lead. Smelling and seeing Lee’s blood, the Union soldiers fought with extra vigor and spirit.

Major Pat Burrell managed a freebie, then Colonel Cody Ross whipped his hatchet into Lee’s left shoulder. The battle score now rested at 4-2 Union-Giants.

Lee’s entire left side was now bleeding profusely. Yet Confederate Senator Ron Washington foolishly believed that Lee could still fight on.

The inspirational leader of the Union-Giants, Colonel Huff, then approached General Lee surreptitiously.

Lee could barely muster a response as Huff grabbed his throat. Lee fired off a harmless shot, which Huff batted right back at him and down his throat.

In close combat, Huff removed his U.S. Union-Giant issued hunting knife from its sheath and cut deeply through and across Lee’s throat, severing his jugular veins and leaving him to gargle and choke to death in his own blood, urine, and feces.

Lee was defeated. His legacy would never be the same. The Union-Giants shouted, “he is not a God!” just as the natives once said after drowning a Spanish Governor.

General Cliff Lee came to Gettysburg an immoral marauder, and left a bloody corpse.

He came to know the meanings of team, divinity, and faith through the acts of the heroes that slayed him.

The world was at peace.

But the Confederate army refused to wave the white flag. So President Bruce Bochy brought out the canons and Cannoneer Juan Uribe.

Uribe fired one massive blast into the heart of the Confederate Army. It was final.

The Union-Giants defeated the Confederate Rangers on 27 October 2010 by a battle score of 11-7.

AT&T Gettysburg would not give way to the invaders.

President Bochy rose to the podium and addressed the gathered:

Two score and twelve years ago our fathers brought forth to this coast a new team, conceived in wood and leather, and dedicated to the proposition that Giants are created superior.

Now we are engaged in a great baseball war, testing whether the Giants, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that World Series War.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those Giants who here gave their lives that the team might live: Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Bonds Sr and Jr, Clark, Krukow, Mitchell, Williams, Kent, Nenn, Aurilia, and more than can be listed.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave Giants, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what the Giants did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which the Giants who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead Giants we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead Giants shall not have died in vain—that this Giant-nation, under God, shall have a new championship—and that their Superiority, of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Battle Commendations

Freddy Sanchez: Silver Star

Juan Uribe: Congressional Medal of Valor

Aubrey Huff: Silver Bullet

Tim Lincecum: Purple Heart

Message delivered via Pigeon Post…. from Union-Giant Scribe Ray Brennan…

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Cliff Lee jogged off the field.

This is what Cliff Lee does.

But Cliff Lee jogging off the field in the bottom of the 5th inning in the World Series?

What happened?

The San Francisco Giants had scored more than four runs just once since September 24th. Lee had allowed just nine earned runs total in his previous 7 postseason starts, all of them wins.

And yet, in Game one of the 2010 World Series, the Giants touched the untouchable for 6 earned runs in just 4.2 innings.

After pitching around doubles in both the first and second inning, Lee ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. The man who dominates with precision control did not have his typical command, and Freddy Sanchez made him pay.

Sanchez doubled in runs in the third and the fifth and his teammates got in on the act as well. Cody Ross and Aubrey Huff each singled in runs in the decisive fifth before Lee was pulled from the game with 2 on and 2 outs.

Juan Uribe welcomed Darren O’Day into the game by launching a 3-run shot to deep left field to put the Giants up 8-2.

AT&T Park was rocking and the Rangers wouldn’t recover.

On a night when Tim Lincecum also took the mound with less than his best stuff, the diminutive ace enjoyed a 6-run cushion when he went back to work in the top of the 6th.

While Lincecum couldn’t survive the inning, Giant relievers came to his rescue. It wasn’t pretty, but the bullpen got the job done just as they have all postseason long.

The game ended with Brian Wilson on the mound. And no, it wasn’t Brian Wilson closing out a 2-1 pitcher’s duel. It was Wilson mopping up an 11-7 marathon that included 12 total pitchers, 6 Giant doubles, 4 Ranger errors, and multiple Vlad Guerrero adventures in right field.

________________________________________________________________________________

Notes:

This article was tentatively titled “Ode to Cliff” or “I miss you Cliff” (I’m a Phillies fan) before the game started but Lee decided to throw a wrench into that plan, didn’t he?

I’d be absolutely shocked if Ron Washington sticks with Vlad in right in Game two. Matt Cain is scheduled to pitch for the Giants so expect to see David Murphy in left and Nelson Cruz in right.

It’s easy to praise Sanchez after a game like this but I really do love his approach at the plate. He’s the definition of a contact hitter and punches the ball around to all fields.

I’m still picking the Rangers in this series. I believe in their offense. I also believed in the Phillies offense.

I do miss Cliff Lee’s patented jog on and off the field.

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Ramon Ramirez allowed a hit and a walk to open the frame, but the hard-throwing righty finally gets the first out of the ninth on a pop to right.

Jeremy Affeldt comes in, tosses a 55-foot fastball to the backstop on pitch No. 1, then walks Josh Hamilton to load the bases.

In comes dynamic Giants closer Brian Wilson. No word on whether or not “The Machine” is watching.

Vlad Guerrero greets Wilson with a liner to right, caught by Nate Schierholtz, that scores Julio Borbon on a sac fly.

The Giants bullpen had tossed 10 straight innings of scoreless ball this postseason before that Rangers run.

Nelson Cruz then rips a ball into the gap in right-center, scoring two more Rangers, making the score 11-7 with two outs.

Finally, Wilson and his jet-black beard retire Ian Kinsler on a fly to short right to end the game.

The Giants claim Game 1 11-7 and take a 1-0 World Series lead. Cliff Lee gets the first postseason loss of his career.

Take a look at the previous updates or Bleacher Report’s live blog of Game 1 for more specific info on how it all happened.

Following a single to right by Edgar Renteria—and a horrible error by the geriatric Vlad Guerrero that allows Renteria to coast into third—the Giants get their sixth double of the night and their seventh extra-base hit courtesy of Travis Ishikawa, and they up their lead to 9-4.

Two batters later, Freddy Sanchez rips his fourth hit of the night down the right line, scoring Ishikawa, as Guerrero misplays another ball near the Texas bullpen for his second error of the inning. Giants lead 10-4.

Pinch-hitter Nate Schierholtz then greets new Rangers pitcher Michael Kirkman with another bonk up the middle to score a sliding Sanchez. 11-4, G-Men.

We head to the ninth with the home side well in control… of the game, at least. They’re clearly not in control of their facial hair.

Finally the first game of the 2010 World Series is about to begin.

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It’s finally that time.

The 2010 World Series is finally here.

Maybe your favorite team didn’t make it to the big stage this year and maybe you know nothing about the Texas Rangers or the San Francisco Giants, but this is the place that you want to be during Game One of the 2010 world Series.

It will be Tim Lincecum for the Giants versus Cliff Lee for the Rangers on the mound, in a pitchers duel meant for the ages of a World Series that should keep you on the edge of your seat.

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To the surprise and even disappointment of many, the World Series features two teams that are as unlikely participants in the Fall Classic as they are unfamiliar with the game’s biggest stage.

San Francisco has not been to the World Series since 2002. That was the last time when two teams from West divisions reached the Fall Classic. The Giants have not won a World Series title since 1954. Before this season, the Rangers had never even won a playoff series.

Yet here the Giants and Rangers are as the last two teams standing in baseball as they prepare to open the World Series Wednesday night at 7:55 p.m. ET in San Francisco’s AT&T Park.

Neither team got here by accident. The Rangers, owners of the best offense in the league, dispatched the defending champion New York Yankees. The Giants, owners of the best pitching in the league, dispatched the two-time defending NL champion Phillies.

Both teams won their series over the last two World Series champions, and they did it in six games.

Thanks to the National League snapping its 14-year All-Star Game drought, the series will open in San Francisco. Texas will play host to Games 3, 4 and 5 with San Francisco hosting the rest.

In this series, maybe home field is not exactly an advantage. Both teams have actually played better away from home. The Giants are 4-1 on the road including series-clinching wins at Atlanta and Philadelphia. Texas is 5-1 on the road including a win in a deciding Game 5 in the ALDS against Tampa Bay.

San Francisco and Texas did not meet this season in interleague play, and that is probably a good thing for Texas. The Giants have had their number in interleague meetings since 2000 with the Giants winning 11 of 12 contests, including a three-game San Francisco sweep in 2009.

The Giants lineup looks drastically different now than it did on opening day. One of the midseason acquisitions was Phillies-killer Cody Ross, who was named NLCS MVP. The Rangers leaned heavily on an offseason acquisition too—Cliff Lee.

A major storyline in this series is Texas catcher Bengie Molina. The Giants traded Molina to Texas in July. The move was a major coup for Texas to land the veteran, but it also allowed San Francisco to call up catcher Buster Posey.

The rookie catcher has been sensational in the postseason (.314 batting average), but Molina has been just as important for what he does behind the plate and at the plate (.333 batting average, 7 RBI in the playoffs).

Rangers vs. Giants World Series Pitching Matchups

Cliff Lee (LHP 12-9, 3.18 ERA) vs. Tim Lincecum (RHP 16-10, 3.43 ERA)

In the Year of the Pitcher is it any surprise that Game 1 pits the best the game has to offer in Lee and Lincecum. Lee is 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA in these playoffs, and Lincecum is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA. Lee is fresh for Game 1 thanks to the Rangers closing out the Yankees in Game 6.

Lincecum will be prepared, too, even after being brought in for the eighth inning of San Francisco’s Game 6 clincher over the Phillies.

After Lincecum the Giants will probably go with Matt Cain (1-0 with 13 2/3 scoreless innings in the playoffs) and Jonathan Sanchez (0-1, 2.02 ERA).

Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 4.22 ERA) will likely be used in long relief, and closer Brian Wilson has saved four games and won one this postseason without allowing an earned run.

In the Texas rotation there is a considerable drop off after Lee, but Colby Lewis (2-0, 1.45 ERA) has been impressive in 18 innings of work in the playoff.

Rangers vs. Giants World Series Odds

The Rangers are slight favorites to win their first ever World Series. They are listed at -135 to win the best-of-seven series while San Francisco is priced at +115. MLB World Series odds are courtesy of BetUS.

Rangers vs. Giants Betting Trends

Rangers are 10-1 in their last 11 games against the National League
Rangers are 8-1 in their last nine road games
Giants are 7-0 in their last seven games following an off day
Giants are 5-1 in their last six games as a home underdog
‘Under’ is 6-1 in the last seven meetings in San Francisco
San Francisco is 11-1 in the last 12 meetings
Rangers are 0-9 in last nine games in San Francisco

Rangers vs. Giants World Series Picks and Baseball Predictions

Both teams reached the World Series entirely different ways. The Rangers did it with hitting, and the Giants did it with pitching. Their paths to the World Series were different, as well.

San Francisco was locked in nail-biter after nail-biter; it had to win three games in the NLCS by exactly one run. The Rangers played only one close game in the ALCS, and the final five games in the series were decided by five or more runs.

Things are expected to be decidedly closer in this series, and that favors San Francisco. The Texas bullpen has only been needed to save one game all postseason.

In the Year of Pitcher it is only fitting the team with the best pitching, the San Francisco Giants, will be the ones left standing. Look for the Giants to win in six games.

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The Texas Rangers have a flexibility about them that would make Mary Lou Retton jealous.

From pitching to fielding, slugging to plate discipline, stealing bases to a fat kid that runs funny, the Texas Rangers can beat a team using more variety than a Swiss Army knife.

The following slides will present analysis into the various ways the Texas Rangers can finally realize their first World Series championship.

Begin Slideshow