The 2010 World Series is upon us. In the next week or two we have the chance to see baseball history, to see two teams competing at the highest level for the crowning achievement in all of baseball. Along the way, perhaps we’ll share in a collective moment that will last a lifetime.
As we prepare to watch the Texas Rangers face off against the San Francisco Giants in this year’s Fall Classic, let’s have a look back at some of the greatest moments in World Series history.
I can remember not long ago when a certain Giants fan voted against SF in the NLCS against the Phillies.
This Giants fan had lost his way, dazzled by the stats, highlights and in-depth commentary that pervaded his home before the series, all leading him to believe his beloved Giants would fight a good fight but ultimately crumble before the mighty two-time defending NL champs.
But the Giants didn’t lose. They didn’t crumble. In fact, they won four games to two, with the final win coming inexplicably in Philly against Roy Oswalt—who had dominated them in Game 2—and with their most unpredictable starter, Jonathan Sanchez, basically imploding.
That is when this Giants fan realized this team is bigger than any stats, bigger than anything on paper, and that talent alone wasn’t carrying this team—destiny was.
What this team has done this season has been remarkable, a team of castoffs many cast off as lucky to be in the playoffs, lucky to have the privilege of facing the powerful Phillies.
But this Giants fan knows better now—and he will be damned if he picks the Texas Rangers over the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.
Thus, here are 10 Reasons SF Will Win the Ring.
Almost seven months, 2,430 regular season games, an entire postseason completed and it all almost ended exactly where we were a year ago. Almost.
With this past weekend’s games resulting in the conclusion of both the ALCS and NLCS series, baseball fans worldwide were almost faced with a Yankees versus Phillies rematch for the World Series. It also would have marked the third straight season the Phils reached baseball’s most coveted destination. We almost watched as the Yankees competed for their 27th World Series title. Almost.
We almost ended the season following those ever so familiar faces of postseason heroes, who have made a living crushing the competition when the season mattered the most. The likes of Derek Jeter, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez…the list goes on and on. Almost.
Instead this year baseball fans will be tuning in to a series so new, for once, they really do not know what to expect. Sure the ratings certainly won’t be as high. How could they be? The Yankees and Phillies are located in two of America’s largest sports markets with fanbases of unmeasurable quantities.
Sure it would have been exciting to see CC Sabathia take on a Phillies lineup chock-full of talent, again. Sure it would be exciting to see if Cole Hamels and the rest of the Phillies All-Star rotation could hold off the Yankees erasing last season’s shortcomings. Sure it would be exciting to see if A-Rod, Jeter, Posada and company could do it again.
However, what is more exciting is the unknown this year’s Series most certainly presents.
With the stage set and the world of baseball tuned in, we turn the focus not to the ever so recognizable faces of the New York and Philadelphia ball clubs, but to the faces of baseballs new generation.
With a sport already widely considered “boring” or “too slow” it surely does not help when the same faces pop up every fall. In a sports world where the call for youth and personality has never been stronger, isn’t it time baseball got with the program?
Look at hockey with the emergence of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos in recent years. Basketball? Try Kevin Durant, Tyreke Evans and even LeBron James. Even football with the likes of Chris Johnson, DeSean Jackson and company has seen a shift to focusing on the players of the “new school.”
Finally we have not only a series featuring a Giants club who has not reached a World Series since 2002, where they infamously choked away a 5-0 lead in Game 6 eventually leading to a championship for the Angels, but a series featuring a Ranger’s club who has previously never won a single playoff series.
That, ladies and gentleman, is excitement.
Along with the change of teams and scenery comes that calling for the new “era” of baseball. Replace CC Sabathia and Cole Hamels with two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and the Rangers young ace C.J. Wilson. Derek Jeter for Elvis Andrus, A-Rod for Pablo “Kung-Fu Panda” Sandoval, Posada for Buster Posey. What are you left with? A Series full of under-25 players starving for their first taste of postseason glory.
One thing is for sure, for the first time in a while, nothing is for sure. Baseball finally got the facelift that has been needed for years. A changing of the guard that not only shook up this season, but will have implications on many seasons to come.
Don’t let the ratings fool you, this World Series will be the best one played in recent memory. And to think we almost had a repeat season. Almost.
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All that can be said about this Giants team in 2010 is, “Wow!”
The funny thing is, to be perfectly honest, I had a feeling coming out of spring training the team would do something special.
I told my friend to look out for the Giants this year. We were the best team in spring training and on paper and on the field had the best pitching in all of the Majors.
Even though I’m not a gambling man, I wanted to go put down a futures bet for the Giants to win it all. With 20/1 odds, there would be a nice payday if things worked out.
In investing or gambling, the goal is always to identify positions of leverage through superior knowledge or value.
In the Giants case, they would have great pitching along with strong potential from additions like Aubrey Huff, Mark DeRosa, Buster Posey, as well as the return of 2009 studs like Pablo Sandoval, Bengie Molina and Juan Uribe.
Say what you will, but there was only a tiny chance the Giants couldn’t best their record for 2009, 88-74.
The team was a better one going into 2010 then it was coming out of 2009, and some credit surely has to be paid to Brian Sabean and the brass.
Moreover, Sabean kept insisting the Giants did have the payroll to play with the big boys of New York and Boston.
Whether Texiera was ever going to come here when he could hit innocent fly balls for home runs in Yankee Stadium is another question.
So the Giants were better than 2009, had money to spend if it came down to it, a GM that was willing to roll the dice and a manager who had already led a team to the World Series.
The odds-makers had it wrong. The Giants should have been slotted anywhere from 4/1 to 10/1. 20/1 was absurd and therefore represented superior value.
I got as far as looking at flights and even thought about driving to the border and hitting a sports book near Reno.
But alas, I got lazy and never did.
Winning a sweet payout would have been nice if the Giants go on to win it all.
I do believe that this is the year.
I’ve had dreams about them doing it this year. The four-hit game Buster Posey had in Game 5 of the NLCS I dreamed about six weeks ago.
I’m either a little psychic or a little crazy.
Anyway, the most important thing about following the Giants is definitely not gambling. It’s not even entertainment.
It’s the camaraderie, friendship and love that having the common bond of San Francisco Giants creates and facilitates.
And the team, fans and ownership here all deeply and truly hold dear and embody this value.
So in a sense, we’ve already won.
But let’s not let that stop us from going down to Texas and wrangling us some Ranger meat!
Go Giants and enjoy the video!
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The stage is set for the 2010 World Series as the San Francisco Giants will host the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night. This will mark the first time that the National League Champions possess home-field advantage since the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks. For the Giants, this is not that big of an advantage.
After the 2002 All-Star game ended in a 7-7 tie in Milwaukee, Major League Baseball decided that the following year’s Midsummer Classic winner will be awarded home-field advantage in the World Series. Before this decision, home-field was alternated between the two leagues each year.
Since the All-Star game began the determinant for home-field advantage in the World Series in 2003, the American League has won all of them up until this year. In those seven Fall Classics, the home-field American League has a slight 4-3 edge over the National League. Being at a disadvantage for seven straight years, the NL Champs did pretty good for themselves.
This brings up the question if home-field advantage is any real advantage at all in the World Series.
The current home-field advantage format of 2-3-2 began to be used regularly in the 1924 World Series. Since then, this format was followed in every year but three. The 1943 and 1945 World Series followed a 3-4 format due to World War II travel restrictions and there was no World Series in a strike-shortened 1994 season.
In those 82 World Series, the team with home-field advantage has won 47 of them, which is slightly better than 57 percent. When something results in success just over half of the time, it is not very advantageous.
For Major League Baseball to grant home-field as a reward to the winning league in the All-Star game, they must believe that it gives a team some sort of edge. It is very likely that they were analyzing a highly unbalanced recent trend.
In the 28 World Series since 1981, the team with home-field advantage has won 21 times, which is a monstrous 75 percent. This trend is just that, as the previous 30 World Series from 1951 to 1980 saw the team without home-field advantage win the championship 20 times, or two-thirds of the Fall Classics.
Historical outcomes with fluctuating trends aside, it is important to explore the extra pressure that comes with home-field advantage. When a team starts the World Series at home, they are practically put in a must-win situation right off the bat.
While every game is crucial in a short series, it is particularly devastating for a home team to fall behind 0-2 and then go on the road for three games. In fact, there are only three teams in major league history to win the World Series after losing the first two games at home- The 1985 Kansas City Royals, 1986 New York Mets and 1996 New York Yankees.
For a road team in the first two games of the series, there is significantly less pressure. Winning both games puts them in the driver’s seat to a world championship. Winning just one of the first two games actually gives the road team a sort of home-field advantage for the remainder of the series. They now can look at the rest of the Fall Classic as a five-game series with three home games.
Even if the road team loses the first two games, they still have a better chance to win the World Series than if they dropped the first two at home.
Since the 2-3-2 format in 1924, seven teams have won the World Series after losing the first two on the road (as opposed to three who lost the first two at home)—the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, 1956 New York Yankees, 1958 New York Yankees, 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers, 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1978 New York Yankees and the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers.
The notion that the ever so important Game 7 is the whole point to home-field advantage is not very accurate. Historically, even game sevens of the World Series have been split very evenly amongst the home and road teams.
Since 1924, the home teams have a slight 17-16 edge over the away teams in the 33 game sevens played. In addition to this, there has not been a Game 7 in the Fall Classic since the All-Star game’s increased importance in 2003.
Although it is a welcome change to start the World Series in a National League park, home-field advantage will not be much of an advantage at all for San Francisco. While the fact that they are hosting the first two games is not that important, winning at least one if not both certainly is.
While today is a celebration for the National League Champion San Francisco Giants, come Wednesday, the pressure will most certainly be on.
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The “if necessaries” have evolved and have become absolutely necessary; they couldn’t be more necessary if you deliberately tried to make them be so much.
It was absolutely imperative on Thursday night that the San Francisco Giants finished off the Philadelphia Phillies. Silently, a loss in Game 5 seems harmless. The urgency hides behind, “Oh, it’s OK, just get back out there and get the win in Game 6.”
It can happen, yes. But here is what has been surrendered by the San Francisco loss on Thursday night:
They’ve Lost Home Field Advantage
Not that this really mattered too-too much, as they used the first two San Francisco games as efficiently as possible. But a loss last night forces them to finish this series in the rowdy Citizens Bank Park. No doubt the ball park will be at an all-time high of loudness and emotional fans.
I’d put my money, if I were a betting man, on another incident or two that the media will blow up (as if this stuff happens NOWHERE else).
They’ve Left the Window Open
A general, well-known proverb of life is: “If you play with fire, you will get burned.”
The Philadelphia Phillies aren’t called the “Fightin’s” for no reason. They’re called the “Fightin’s” because playing with their backs against the wall is when they are at their best.
If you give the Phillies anything to work with, it almost always will come back to haunt you. Now, with home field advantage back, you’ve restored their poise and shook the top of the mountain, allowing some snow to begin sliding.
What the Giants need to focus on in Game 6 is jumping on the Phillies early because that bit of snow trickling down the top of the mountain is bound to escalate into an avalanche if you allow them to continue this momentum.
They’ve Put Themselves in a Mini-Must-Win Situation
The only way the Giants would get full credit for handling the Phillies is if they were in the situation they were in Thursday morning.
Turning a 3-1 advantage into a 3-2 advantage resurfaces any slight doubt that may exist. Lord only knows the havoc this would wreak should the Giants lose Game 6, forcing a Game 7 in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.
Philly.com’s Sam Donnellon indirectly highlights the Phillies innate ability to not squander the opportunities:
Break No. 1.
Carlos Ruiz, who reached base when he was hit by an inside pitch, followed to second on the sacrifice. Shane Victorino then ripped a shot to the right side that careened off first baseman Aubrey Huff’s glove/leg and into no-man’s land in right- center field. Both runners scored and Victorino raced to second as three infielders chased after the ball.
Break No. 2.
“We did a lot of little things,” Halladay said.
Placido Polanco drove in Victorino with a single to left-center. Utley followed with a hit, but Giants starter Tim Lincecum struck out Ryan Howard and Werth flew out to left.
Lincecum retired the Phillies in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, although Victorino put a scare in the crowd of 43,713 in the fifth with a towering fly that pushed Ross to the base of the right field wall. But the Giants’ two-time Cy Young winner had thrown 67 pitches by the end of the fourth, and was up to 89 pitches after the sixth.
He left after seven innings, 104 pitches. If an argument can be made that Halladay outpitched Lincecum in losing Game 1, the same could be said about last night in reverse.
“It won’t go down as it, but this may have been the most impressive outing he’s had,” Brad Lidge, who pitched a perfect ninth for the save, said of Halladay. “He gutted it out with a lot less than 100 percent out there.”
Halladay struck out Juan Uribe with two runners on to end the sixth. Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero worked a scoreless seventh. Ryan Madson struck out the heart of the Giants’ order in the eighth, as impressive a performance in power pitching as Halladay was with his guile.
Halladay has now thrown 272 2/3innings this season, and that’s a ton for even him.
The groin?
‘I was able to keep pitching and it didn’t get worse,” he said. “I’ve got some time to rest, so, hopefully . . . ‘
How’s that for size? Lincecum out duels Halladay Game 1, but gets out dueled against a Roy Halladay with a groin injury. Who knows what this all means?
What we do know is that there is another game to be played and it’s on Saturday in Philadelphia a 3:57 PM EDT.
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The San Francisco Giants lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the 2010 NLCS. The Giants lead the series 3-2 but must now return to Philadelphia for Game 6 and Game 7 if needed. They are only one win away from from earning their fourth National League pennant since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. It would also be the team’s first pennant since 2002.
If Game 7 is needed, the Giants can place their champagne dreams on hold for next season. The window of opportunity for them to advance to the World Series is growing ever shorter. The Phillies have been the most dominant team in the National League for the past three seasons, advancing to the World Series in the past two seasons.
I believe that the Giants have all of the tools necessary to split the final two games in Philadelphia. I also believe that they are at a severe disadvantage in a Game 7, should it be necessary.
Here are 10 reasons that Game 6 is a do or die game for the Giants.
Add another momentum-shifting RBI to Cody Ross’ stellar postseason résumé.
A fourth inning single by the Giants right fielder opened up the scoring in Game 3 of the NLCS, giving Matt Cain (7 IP, 0 R) the only run support he would need in the Giants’ 3-0 home victory.
San Francisco has found lightning in a bottle with Ross, who was only claimed off waivers by the Giants to block the Padres from acquiring him.
After only seeing time in September because of an injury to center fielder Andres Torres, Ross made the most of his opportunity at the plate, registering three homers and five RBI during the last two weeks of the regular season.
Once Torres returned, Ross still split right field duties with fellow midseason pickup Jose Guillen, who now walks around in street clothes since he was left off the Giants’ playoff roster.
Finally a full-time starter, despite getting lifted for defensive specialist Nate Schierholtz in later innings, Ross has found his groove at the plate over the season’s last month.
In his last four playoff games, the Giants right fielder is batting an even .500 (6-for-12) with four home runs and six RBI despite facing the likes of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels (not to mention veteran Derek Lowe in Game 4 of the NLDS).
In Game 1, squaring off against a previously unhittable Halladay (batters were 0-for-34 in the postseason against Halladay up to that point), the Giants’ eight-hitter powered home runs to left field in consecutive at-bats against the Phillies’ ace, and his two RBI would end up being the difference in a tightly contested 4-3 San Fran win.
The seven-year veteran has driven in the opening run in each of the Giants’ last three games (including two home runs) and has slowly moved his way up in the San Francisco batting order, topping out at the five-hole in Tuesday’s lineup.
The Giants are hoping that Ross’ recent surge will spark an otherwise impotent San Francisco offense that has been searching for consistency at the plate all season long.
Aside from Ross’ production, the rest of the San Francisco lineup has combined to hit .189 (18-for-95) with just four runs batted in the first three games of the NLCS and has given no indication that it will heat up anytime soon.
Ahead in the series 2-1, the Giants have an opportunity to put the Phillies in a serious bind with a win in Game 5, and they have a chance to score runs against a very beatable Joe Blanton.
San Francisco may need to rely on Cody Ross to play hero once again for them if they have any hope of reaching their first World Series in eight years.
Jesse Paguaga is a regular contributor to Baseball Digest. He writes as an intern on the Bleacher Report website. Jesse writes for Gotham Baseball, along with Gotham Hoops and Gotham Gridiron. He can be reached at Paguaga@usc.edu and can be found on Facebook and on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/@jpags77
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Due to timely hitting and a dominating pitching performance by Roy Oswalt, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-1 in Game 2 of the 2010 NLCS.
Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies now need to focus on how to defeat the Giants in San Francisco in Game 3.
Matt Cain will get the start for the home team, as he will try and lead the Giants to a 2-1 series lead.
With the series tied 1-1, Game 3 may determine the winner of the series. The losing team will face some daunting questions.
If the Phillies lose, will Roy Halladay get the start in Game 4? If the Giants lose, will Tim Lincecum get the start in Game 4?
If the San Francisco Giants can defeat another member of “H2O”, the series may take a turn for the worst for the Phillies.
Here are five keys for victory for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS.
It was the matchup everyone was waiting for: Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay. Roy Halladay pitched a no-hitter in this postseason’s first game, while Tim Lincecum threw a two-hit shutout complemented by 14 K’s.
In Game 1 of the NLCS, however, neither pitcher lived up to the expectations of a 1-0 game.
Roy Halladay gave up four earned runs in seven innings of work last night, including two home runs to Cody Ross. Tim Lincecum got the win, matching Halladay’s seven innings and giving up three earned runs.
Neither pitcher was even close to being the player of the game. Both were in the shadows of Cody Ross, who had Roy Halladay’s number last night, bashing two homers off him. Lincecum gave up home runs to Carlos Ruiz and Jayson Werth. So, while the theme in Game 1 was supposed to be pitching, it turned out to be the long ball.
The Giants put the heavily favored Phillies behind in the series, 1-0, when Brian Wilson came in to get the save, striking out four out of the four batters he faced.
But the Phillies do not need to worry. Between Oswalt and Hamels, I like the Phillies’ chances of winning the next two games.
Oswalt has a 1.74 ERA since joining the Phils earlier this year, and Hamels has been pitching much better this year than he did in 2009. Hamels looked great throwing a shutout against the Reds to finish off the sweep of the Reds. Additionally, Hamels knows how to pitch in the playoffs. When the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, Hamels was awarded the World Series MVP.
Although this is the first time the Phils have lost Game 1 of a postseason series in three years, they just seem to win every playoff series they are in. In the Phillies last seven postseason series, they have only lost one.
With Oswalt going in Game 2 against Jonathan Sanchez, one has to think that there is going to be a pitching duel. Oswalt has been dominant for the Phils this year, especially at Citizens Bank Park. Sanchez has been great against the Phillies this year with a 1.38 ERA against them.
With Oswalt’s experience of pitching in the playoffs for the Astros, the Phillies have the edge in pitching experience for Game 2. Sanchez is a postseason rookie pitching in a hostile Citizens Bank Park.
In Game 3, the pitching matchup will be Cole Hamels vs. Matt Cain in San Francisco. Hamels is one of the best playoff pitchers left in this year’s postseason. Cain is a postseason rookie just as Sanchez, but he is not bad for a first-timer. Cain gave up no earned runs in 6.2 innings against the Braves in Game 2 of the NLDS.
Cain was chosen to start by manager Bruce Bochy in Game 3 instead of Game 2 because of his 5.29 career ERA at Citizens Bank Park. He will start at AT&T Park, where he has had a career 3.16 ERA.
The Phillies have to hold the edge in Game 3 with Hamels, who seems to always be lights-out in the playoffs. I believe Cain will pitch a good game, but the Phillies have too much star power with the bats, and will manage to score enough runs for Hamels.
In Game 4, it’s Joe Blanton going for the Fightin’ Phils and Madison Bumgarner for the Giants. Blanton has been far from good this year and Bumgarner is not only a playoff rookie, he is a first-year Major League pitcher. In terms of pitching, I am going to give the Giants a slight edge, but pitching will not be as much of a factor in this game as in the first three.
If there is any game in this series that will be a slugfest, it will be Game 4.
Whichever team shows up to hit the ball in Game 4 will probably be the winner. If the Giants can get an early lead, I think they will win the game. The way the Phillies can win the game is if Blanton gives up fewer than five runs and the Phillies just hit the ball pretty well against Bumgarner.
In Game 4, I believe the Giants have the best chance at winning the game.
If Game 5 is necessary, it will be a 50-50 toss-up, just like Game 1. Don’t expect another 4-3 game, think more along the lines of 2-0 or 2-1. Halladay will toss a great game and Lincecum should match him. With the game at AT&T Park, I like the Giants to win Game 5 with Tim Lincecum pitching a complete game.
If Game 6 is necessary, it will look very similar to Game 2 with Oswalt going against Sanchez. At Citizens Bank Park again, I have to stick with Oswalt in the matchup.
Oswalt has the experience of pitching in big NLCS games in Houston, and he has been brilliant at home for the Phillies this year. The X factor in Game 6 will be the home-field advantage for Oswalt and the Phils. I like Oswalt to outduel Sanchez and win Game 6 for the Phils.
If all of my predictions are correct and this series goes to Game 7, the pitching matchup between Hamels and Cain is the most likely scenario. If that is the case, the Phillies will be heavily favored to win Game 7. Cole Hamels will be dominant, there is almost no question about it. So Matt Cain will have to match Hamels with an absolute gem, and that is no easy task for Cain in Philadelphia.
The Phillies fans will be relentless and make it hard for Cain, along with the rest of the team. Cain has struggled in his career in Philadelphia and I don’t see that changing. Hamels will pitch a good Game 7 and the Phillies will score enough runs off Cain to pull off the win.
The Giants will definitely give the Phillies a run for their money in this series. But between the pitching, hitting and playoff experience of the Phils, they will find a way to win this series.
They always do.
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