Fall Classic Games 3 - 5: Freddie Kills...But So Do Errors

     Let's face it; we all know what happened in these games. Right? Let me just make sure I'm not wrong. Anyway, I've lost my train of thought, so these are my takeaways from each game. (Warning: This post is going have an extremely different feel to it.) Buckle up y'all.

    This time, I didn't watch any of game three, due to being places at the time of the game. I watched a lot of game four. But, I watched all of the fifth game, and had a very mixed experience with that one. 

Game 3: Game 3 of the good ol' World Series was a story of Freddie Freeman. Again. If you're a Dodgers fan, you must be really happy. If not, then you're probably not too happy. Clarke Schmidt pitched a little bit less than idealy, and Aaron Judge continued to be confuddled by the Dodger pitching staff. The Dodgers ended up winning 4-2, and had a chance to sweep on Tuesday.

Game 4: Freddie Freeman. Yet again. Coming into the game, Freddie had the highest slugging percentage in World Series history at .853, and when he went yard in the first inning, extended his Fall Classic home run streak to six games, also a record. The tide turned when, of all people, Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam to make the game 5-2 in favor of New York (that kid has talent). Gleyber and Austin Wells also hit homers. And Aaron Judge finally got a hit, which happened to be off of Brent Honeywell Jr. who was actively getting shellacked. Maybe that heats things up for the next game(s)? Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that fans assaulted Mookie Betts to take the ball out of his glove. They got in trouble.

Game 5: I wrote this one while actively watching the game, which is why it's longer and more detailed. In the first inning, I totally called a rejuvenated Aaron Judge two-run bomb. When he stepped in the box I said, 'Here comes the Judge tank,' and he did it first pitch. Jazz went yard the very next at-bat, and totally showed up Jack Flaherty. Moving on to the fifth inning, Yanks up 5-0.
    Alright, I don't care who it is, no major league team can ever make that many errors and mental mistakes in one inning. Between dropped flies, throwing errors, and missing covering first base, the Yankees gave the Dodgers 5 free runs (and I mean free: 0 earned runs) to tie the game. I hate errors. Watching them hurts. Nonetheless, Gerrit Cole ended up going 6 2/3 innings in 108 pitches. The statline is definitely an interesting one with 5 unearned runs (cringe), but at least he left with a 6-5 lead. 
    After the ninth inning, I gotta tell you two words: errors kill. This could have been a 6-2 game, but instead, it's 7-6. I'm not trying to bag on the Yankees, believe me. I was rooting for them. But that fifth inning was really painful. 
    On the bright side, Freddie didn't hit a homer this game. So the streak ends.

    

    I donned my 2023 Rangers World Series hat for the ninth inning of game five, knowing that it could my last day of the Rangers being reigning champs. It's kind of sad what happened to them this season, but I know they can, and believe they will make it up next year and have a postseason run. However, that's a conversation for another day. For now, the Dodgers are the champions. And I thought it was gonna be the Padres......

    It comes as no surprise to anybody that Freddie Freeman wins the World Series MVP. An enormous walk-off homer in game one followed by three more in the next three games makes for an obvious choice. But, since I've posted cards of him in a bunch of posts these last days, I'm afraid it's time for Walker Buehler and Tommy Edman.

I'm afraid I got nothing special for these guys, just base cards from years past

    You know what Gerrit Cole, you can get a feature on this post too. You're a work horse. You deserve it.

    Though I wasn't exactly rooting for the Dodgers to win, I am kind of glad that the series is over, because I was starting to get sick of writing these game recaps. After I wrote the first one I was going to keep on though, even though these wore fairly boring to write, and probably boring to read. I have a few decent posts in my queue to be released into the world in the near future.

   

    Post Script:
    Tomorrow's post will mark my third in as many days, which I don't typically like to do, but the post tomorrow is one I really want to do, and it can only be done tomorrow. You'll get it when you see it. Anyway, thank you for reading, have a great rest of the week, and happy collecting!

Fall Classic Games 1 & 2: Freddie for MVP

    Alas, I'm a dirty liar. It's baseball. I watched it. Most of it. I watched the entire first game of the World Series, and then most of the second game. Here are my personal recaps from them.

    

    The first game was a tale of (in my opinion) bad managerial decisions and a suffering bullpen. Nestor Cortes hadn't pitched in 37 days. That's typically the way it goes, I guess. I jokingly mentioned the intentional walk of Mookie Betts, and then it actually happened.

    I call it anticlimactic that the Yankees went through the free pass of Mookie, because Freddie Freeman deposited the very next pitch into the right field pavilion. Dang it. It was the first walk-off grand slam in (at the time) 696 World Series games.

    It also stinks that Juan Soto didn't have the best game on his birthday. You win some, you lose some.

    I had even less hope for the Yankees in Game 2. Carlos Rodon had been decent in the regular season, but he wasn't an ace. Yoshi Yamamoto is getting overpaid for a reason. He shut down the offense of the Yankees for 6 1/3 innings, his only blunder being a Juan Soto home run. Meanwhile, Tommy Edman went yard, and I called the second Freddie tank. After all Freeman's been through this year between his son's scary illness and the ankle injury, I'm kinda glad he's doing what he's been good at for so long.

    I left sometime in the fourth or fifth inning to practice dancing Footloose (I don't even know why I mention this), and came back somewhere in the last three innings. I saw Shohei get hurt attempting to steal second, which was a little bit frightening (hope he's alright). After a scoreless inning out of Mark Leiter Jr, the score was 4-1 in favor of the Dodgers, going into the ninth inning.

    Then Blake Treinen came on again, and instantly got himself into trouble. Juan Soto (who hit a homer earlier in the game), singled and then reached second on a wild pitch. Aaron Judge struck out again for the first out before a really weird Stanton RBI single off of third base. A Chisholm single followed, and then one of those classic Anthony Rizzo 'this pitch is inside so I'm gonna be on first base' plate appearances. This loaded the bases for Anthony Volpe. 

    Let me just say that I've never been more disappointed in a player when I have very little rooting interest in a game. That strike three pitch was so outside that I don't think he could have hit it with a 39 1/2 foot pole.

    And now, for the most anticlimactic portion of the game: Blake Treinen is pulled and Alex Vesia comes in to shut the door. Down to their last out, with the bases loaded, the Yankees send Jose Trevino to pinch-hit for Austin Wells. 

    He flies out on the first pitch, and that was all she wrote. 4-2 Dodgers.

    I know I said that I wasn't going to watch most of the World Series, but since it was on antenna, I was unable to hold back. Sure I was rooting against both these teams, I won't deny that. There is a ton of star-power in this series, which is definitely appealing. But the main reason for my watching is this: it's baseball. Whether or not you like the teams, this is the championship for this whole year of baseball. The rules may be less than ideal, and same with the teams, but this is the game that I've been with since I was in diapers. 

    So, I watched it. I will probably continue to watch most of it. But, maybe we can have the Rangers in the World Series next year for that adrenaline boost and the rooting interests. Please?

    Thanks for reading my very poorly written recaps, have a great start to the week, and happy collecting!

Well, we got a world series....

     Don't get me wrong, this is a clash of the titans; one seed on one seed, team y team. But, alas, I was rooting against both these guys. Apologies to the numerous Yankees and Dodgers fans out there; I come in peace. But ay caramba, couldn't the Tigers at least have made it?

    

    I think I'll be rooting for the Yankees on this one, for the same reason I was rooting for the Mets before; for the sake of a friend who's a die-hard fan.    

    Well, hopefully this will at least be an entertaining series. Both of these team like to hit homers. I don't know, but it may come down to which team provides the most longball. My money's on a Dodgers World Series, but considering that I was wrong on most of my predictions for the playoffs, the Yankees are probably going to win. 

    

    If any of my readers are fans of either of these teams, good luck to you and your squads. As for me, maybe next year the Rangers will make a rebound or the Tigers or Giants will do something interesting (yes, believe it or not, it wasn't long ago when I was a hard-core Giants fan; not expecting much from then).

    Y'all have a great start to the week, happy World Series, and happy collecting! 

I Think My Brain Just Broke

     We've successfully reached the end of the Divisional Series. It has been insane, to say the least. So much so that I think my mind needs a break before the Championship Series begin. But there's little time for that.

    Where to start? I know, how about in Philadelphia?
    Coming into this series, I don't know who ever thought that the Mets were going to take it, let alone in four games. The Phillies hitters forgot how to swing a baseball bat, and the whole bullpen forgot how to throw the ball. Meanwhile, guys like Jose Quintana are throwing gems for the Mets??? 
    Pete Alonso, after tripping over his bat and hitting into a double play because of it (which was hilarious to watch, by the way), cranked two home runs, both of them very decisive ones. And Francisco Lindor came up clutch in game 4, swatting a grand slam while down a run, and the Mets send the Phillies home, depressed and with some frosting to eat, while they move on. 

    I was rooting so hard for the Royals to beat the Yankees (sorry to a lot of people out there), but it just wasn't meant to be. They lost the series 3-1, though the offense of the Yanks looked a bit shaky. Giancarlo Stanton led the hitters with a .375 batting average and an OPS of 1.132. The pitching staff really did look good for the team though, who allowed just 14 runs across the four games. They're moving on too, hoping to take their 28th World Series, and first since 2009.

    Moving on to the final National League Series. The Dodgers and Padres fought an absolute war in this one. It was everything you ever wanted in a series, between staring at home runs for 40 years, getting baseballs thrown at you after robbing home runs, Mookie Betts finally doing something in a postseason, and a few blowout victories.

    After San Diego bashed 6 home runs en route to a 10-2 win and then took the next game, the Dodgers looked dead. But they came back to win game four by a score of 8-0, hammering Dylan Cease. 

    And when game 5 rolled around, the pitching matchup was two Japanese starters in Yu Darvish and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers came ahead 1-0 on an Enrique Hernandez home run in the second inning, and scored again in the seventh on a Teoscar Hernandez home run. And the Padres just forgot how to hit, so it's the Dodgers moving on. This messes up my entire bracket, which had the Padres winning the World Series. I am very unamused.

    And finally, for the Tigers. Oh the Tigers! They got shellacked in the first game of the series against the Flying Toasters; Indians, I'm sorry (by the way, shellacked is going to be used a lot more frequently on this blog). Then the Tigers won the next two, and the series looked in the bag. Then we lost. Oh well, Skubal is starting tomorrow, what could possibly go wrong?

    Everything. 

    Lane Thomas hit a grand slam off of Skubal, and he just plain got lit up, and the Tigers lost, 7-3. Now they're eliminated. I said before game two of the series that the Tigers need to win every game Skubal starts this postseason if they want a chance at the World Series. Well, this one was Skubal's fault. I have to be honest, though it hurts me to say it. He needs to own up to this one.

    Spoiler alert, none of these cards are actually mine. I've neglected to gather any 2024 cards of these guys, so I just scanned them. I know, I'm a liar.

    Now that the Tigers and Padres are kicked from the postseason, I just don't care anymore. I'll probably be rooting for the Mets, I guess, since I have a friend who desperately wants them to win, and I told him that if he roots for the Tigers, then I'll quit rooting against the Mets. Most likely I won't watch much of the rest of the playoffs. I am rooting against literally every team left (I know, it's a me problem), and have been more busy lately.

    Good luck to your teams if they're still in, and if not, I feel you. But, have a great rest of your weekend, happy collecting, and goodnight!

Here We Go.......Wait, Not Until Tomorrow - And thanks a lot Diamondbacks!

     Well, we have a doubleheader today between the Braves and the Mets, and so I cannot make my yearly playoff predictions for the National League yet. If the Diamondbacks had just lost to the Padres instead of smoking them, then we would be set. Now, a split in the doubleheader would eliminate the D-Backs, and a sweep would kick the team on the losing end. So, I guess these games are kinda big. C'mon guys, please split. 

    Since I cannot yet make my yearly playoff predictions for the NL, I think I'd better go ahead and do it for the American League. After all, the playoffs start tomorrow, and I'm gonna need to publish my NL predictions before the games start. 

    Before I start off on the journey of playoff guessing (which I'm historically bad at), I'd like to recap the seasons of, and speak to some of my favorite players, you know, for sentimental reasons. I'll go with just five.

    

    Jackson Merrill: Merrill finished the regular season going 1-for-2 with a walk (wait, he walked?) as the Padres got smoked to the Diamondbacks and Brandon Pfaadt. He finished the year with a slash of .292/.326/.500 and 24 homers and 90 RBI to go along with solid defense all year in center. Please win the rookie of the year Merrill! Please, I beg of you!

    Tarik Skubal: I guess I've already been over this. 18-4, 2.39, AL triple crown among pitchers. This is such a great year for you Skubal. I love that. Now I must beg a question from the readers: Skubal or Skenes? Who's better (this year)?

    Evan Carter: Maybe we skip this one? Poor Evan, playing through a back injury, batting a buck 88. Please rebound next year, I ask you. At least the GM knows he will. I still believe in you, and I'd better - you're my favorite guy (aside from Buster Posey).

    Nico Hoerner: Way to come back man!  Through June the batting average was at .248, and through July it was .252. But you never quit. Nico ends up batting .273, and getting that OPS over .700, all while playing stellar defense at second base. Good job kid.

    Zack Gelof: I guess the good has to come with the bad. Zack, what happened man? You went from .267/..337/.504 in 2023 to .211/.270/.362 this year. I know you got it in you, and though you'll be missing your fans in 2025 (don't you start crying too), I know you'll rebound. 

    Before, I get down to business, I would like to mention that if Chris Sale either doesn't start today, or starts and doesn't throw a stinker, he will also win a pitcher's triple crown. Amazing that I got both he and Skubal in one of my fantasy leagues (14th and 7th rounds, respectively).

    And now, I can stall no longer. It is time for my American League Playoff Predictions! 

    This is what the seeding looks like for the AL.

    1: New York Yankees
`   2: Cleveland Indians (or Guardians, but I only ever call them the Indians)
    3: Houston Astros
    4: Baltimore Orioles
    5: Kansas City Royals
    6: Detroit Tigers

    Thanks to that loss against the White Sox yesterday, the Tigers fell below the Royals in the standings and need to square off against the Astros - not that the Orioles is much better. 

    The Yankees and Indians will be getting the two byes, so it looks like our first matches will be

    Astros vs. Tigers

    and

    Orioles vs. Royals

    Let's break this down really quick. These Wildcard Series are of the three-game variety, so a team would need to win two games in order to move on. 

    

    

    I'll start with the 3 against 6 matchup: Astros against Tigers.
    Now, unfortunately, the Astros get home advantage, but we already knew that. Houston has a far superior offense than that of Detroit, but the Tigers have the better pitching staff. I think that they will be able to keep Houston's offense in check if their pitching set-up works. 
    The Tigers typically (with the exceptions of Tarik Skubal and sometimes Reese Olson) start their games with an opener (one of their relievers), and then move on to one of their starters, whether that be Keider Montero, Casey Mize, Reese Olson or Kenta Maeda. The starter pitches anywhere from 3-5 innings, and then the solid late innings crew comes in for the finish. This strategy is a big part of why the team's pitching is so good.
    I would hate to see the Tigers eliminated, and quite frankly have no idea who has the edge in this one, so I guess I'll go with the team from Detroit  (please don't think I'm trying to be biased). They've been really hot, though coming off a series loss to the White Sox sure doesn't feel good I'm sure. But I'm hoping (and thinking) that their momentum can power them past the team from Houston.

    Now for the second set in the AL Wild Card Series: Orioles vs. Royals
    Again, I have a team I'm rooting for in this one, and that would be the Royals. They have a solid team all-around, sixth-best in the league in ERA at 3.76. The Orioles' sits at 3.94. The Royals have a good offense that strikes out the least in the American League, but the Orioles' bats are just better. Baltimore has a .250 batting average (third in the league), .315 OBP (4th), and .435 slugging percentage (1st) with 235 homers (2nd). And with the return of Jordan Westburg, the team has another powerful bat back in their lineup. I'm really unsure that the Royals will be able to keep up with them, therefore I have to go with the Orioles.

    Now we move on to the ALCS, a five-game series. As of my predictions, we have the following matchups:

    1: Yankees vs. Orioles 4

    2: Indians vs. Tigers 6

    

    I think I'll start with the Yankees/Orioles matchup.

    Wow this is a juicy one. The Yankees are the only AL team with more homers than the Orioles, but only two more. Obviously they have Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who pack a heck of a punch, and the pitching staff has been very good too (3.74 ERA). I actually didn't know just how good the pitching of the Yankees is. 

    I've already been over the deal with the Orioles. They seem just slightly outmatched by the Brooklyn Bombers. They definitely have more depth offensively (and I would say from a pitching perspective), but the top four of the Yankees is straight-up overpowering, and Gerrit Cole is back to his old Cy Young self. So I think it's definitely going to be a good series, one definitely worth watching, but my money's on the Yanks.

    Moving on to the 3-6 matchup: Indians and Tigers
    Look, I'm trying to be unbiased, but I really think the Tigers have a very good shot at this series. The teams had the same ERAs across the regular season at 3.61. The offenses seem similar, but Cleveland's a bit better. I think the Tigers need to rely on how good they've been the last month and a half. It seems highly unrealistic that the team could pull off two upsets, but I think I have to go with them. 

    Now for the seven-game ALCS. I have it as Yankees vs. Tigers.
    I've been through both teams already, so let me just say it: I love the Tigers, think they have a team with the potential to go all the way, especially in the near future, but the Yankees would be far and away the best team they're facing in the American League. I can't give it to the Tigers this time. I'm sorry.

    That'll do it for my American League Playoff Predictions. Watch me get all of them wrong. 

    Let me know what you think of them and what I did right and wrong. I can tell you right now, I think I'm putting too much faith in Detroit, but we'll just have to see. Please come back tomorrow for my National League predictions. Don't worry, the post should be much shorter.

    Y'al have an amazing week, and good luck to the teams you're all rooting for in this Postseason. Happy collecting!