MLB Postseason Baseball 2021

[JohnS]

Greeting dear and valued friends!

I reckon whoever said, 'tis the season to be jolly' was drunk at the time and was really meaning October Postseason Baseball and not Christmas! After all, is there a better time of year? Like Max Scherzer above, baseball fans are typically one-eyed aren't they? There's nothing like the joy of your team winning or the schadenfreude of the team you hate losing. Hence why I love this time of year!

The Playoffs look like this now...

 

My personal opinion on the table above is to lament why the SF Giants are playing the LA Dodgers in the NLDS? (Shouldn't it have been the NLCS?)  Anyway, that's another matter.

In the next coming weeks we can use this thread to discuss the postseason...all the pains and joys, the whole lot! I also aim to utilise FoH ZOOM to share a cigar or two with our members and laugh/discuss/cry together!

Remember, if your team loses in the postseason the image below will sum up how you feel...

But if your team wins the lot, I swear the cigar can be the most plugged, bitter dog-rocket you'd ever imagine and it will taste great! If you don't believe me, ask Jayson Werth below!

[JohnS]

So, currently we know that Houston beat Chicago 6-1 in Game 1 (I missed the game but my son said it was boring). I'm watching Tampa Bay play really well in Game 1 of their ALDS matchup with Boston, leading 5-0 in the 7th after Randy Arozerena stole home! My God...seriously, who does that? I've read that Ty Cobb did it 50 times in his career (yes, true) but it's something we never see in the modern game!

[Bri Fi]

Go Giants! I’m very excited to watch them to play the dodgers in the NLCS. At the same time, I’m terrified. Either way it should be a hell of a series. 

[X-Man]

Resilient!!!

[KCCubano]

I want White Sox in AL. Not off to good start. LA SF should be instant classic. TB looks unbeatable. Maybe repeat of last years WS. 

[Cairo]

  On 10/8/2021 at 2:49 AM, JohnS said:

Randy Arozerena stole home!

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I have been watching baseball for more decades than I would care to admit, and I had never seen this in real time.     It required the perfect combination of a left-handed pitcher (who could not see third base during his delivery) with a long slow windup, a shift that kept the third baseman far away from the base, a super-fast runner, and a batter alert enough to back away and not swing at the pitch.

[armada_crew]

Dodger fan checking in, this is the best time of the year, going to be such a tough series against the Giants. A lot of what ifs with injuries, but there is no crying in baseball, so gotta roll with who you got, just feel bad for Kersh and Muncy, going out right at the end.

 Ditto, the steal home was outrageous! So amazing to watch.

On a personal level, baseball keeps me and my sons connected, 2 of my 3 boys are away at university and it is fun to trade texts while the games are going on, when Taylor hit the walkoff, it was a great moment to share. I might have to consider world series tickets this year, if the Dodgers can make it, I will have to cut back on my cigar budget though

Cheers

 

[Shrimpchips]

I’m rooting to see the Southsiders take on the dodgers.  The transformation of that franchise has been amazing, and they’re definitely the team having the best time paying baseball.  Sucks that my Blue Jays didn’t even make it to the WC game, but they’re going to be a force next year. 

[KCCubano]

  On 10/8/2021 at 6:01 PM, Shrimpchips said:

I’m rooting to see the Southsiders take on the dodgers.  The transformation of that franchise has been amazing, and they’re definitely the team having the best time paying baseball.  Sucks that my Blue Jays didn’t even make it to the WC game, but they’re going to be a force next year. 

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Blue Jays have quite the nucleus to be very good down the road!

[JohnS]

  On 10/8/2021 at 1:43 PM, Lord Verulam said:

you know, i really think he did that so much because he would just drop kick the catcher and they would lose the ball lol.....it was definitely all about the collision.....ricky henderson was probably the best base stealer of all time and he only did it 4 times.....so there's definitely something there....interesting point you bring up 

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I think the audaciousness of it all is what is even more incredible. Randy Arozarena might have set the momentum to with this series against Boston just on that move!

  On 10/8/2021 at 3:06 PM, Cairo said:

I have been watching baseball for more decades than I would care to admit, and I had never seen this in real time.     It required the perfect combination of a left-handed pitcher (who could not see third base during his delivery) with a long slow windup, a shift that kept the third baseman far away from the base, a super-fast runner, and a batter alert enough to back away and not swing at the pitch.

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I'm with you at @Cairo, when I saw it in real-time I had to back-track and question myself,as in, "what did I just witness there?". Everything has to go right for a steal of home. In that situation the pitcher will throw home low below the knees but Josh Taylor, pitching for Boston, I felt panicked and overthrew the ball and it went too high for the catcher to bring the ball down in time for Arozarena's slide.

  On 10/8/2021 at 4:44 PM, armada_crew said:

 Ditto, the steal home was outrageous! So amazing to watch.

On a personal level, baseball keeps me and my sons connected, 2 of my 3 boys are away at university and it is fun to trade texts while the games are going on, when Taylor hit the walkoff, it was a great moment to share. I might have to consider world series tickets this year, if the Dodgers can make it, I will have to cut back on my cigar budget though

Cheers

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I too am enjoying this Postseason series with my son. There's already much to discuss!

 

Anyway, here's some sobering or exciting facts, based on your viewpoint, about Game 1 of 5-game Postseason Series:

• In postseason history, teams taking a 1-0 lead in any best-of-five series have gone on to win the series 101 of 140 times (72%).

• In Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams winning Game 1 in their home ballpark have advanced 33 of 43 times (77%). This excludes 2020, when the Division Series were played at neutral sites.

[Kaptain Karl]

The giants-Dodgers game is living up to its billing so far!!! Who would have guessed Buster’s oppo taco on a 3-0 count?! 
Also that double play by La Stella/Crawford was an instant classic! 

[Kaptain Karl]

Logan freaking Webb. What a domination!!!!!!!!!!

[JohnS]

  On 10/9/2021 at 4:15 AM, Kaptain Karl said:

Logan freaking Webb. What a domination!!!!!!!!!!

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The Beatles once sang that 'happiness is a warm gun', but the happiness derived from a starting pitcher getting 2-out strikeouts, with a runner in scoring position, in consecutive innings when they've gone through the line-up a third time...well, that is a happiness that is quite another thing!

I'm guessing this you below right now...

[KCCubano]

  On 10/9/2021 at 4:15 AM, Kaptain Karl said:

Logan freaking Webb. What a domination!!!!!!!!!!

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Webb was dealing for sure. Great comand last night. I am hoping its a long series for entertainment value. 

[El Hoze]

I do not watch any MLB if/once the Yankees are out of postseason contention. Can’t do it. Once the Yanks are out the season is officially over/irrelevant. I’m a typical a-hole.  😂 

I am also a Jets fan. Context/expectations matter as if I did the same thing there it would be a 1-2 week season for me every year and I like watching football too much. 

[canadianbeaver]

We will watch any teams play. The game of baseball is fantastic to me, especially because I have an obsession about the rules. Two books sit in the room where we watch it. Love it when guys get pissed at the umpires too. 
 

Another thing I love is reporters or color guys when they say hilarious things about a hit. We call a straight up in the air hit for an infield out an “elephant’s ass” from when we were growing up. I remember a guy saying, “I hear they have movies on that flight”.

CB

[Kaptain Karl]

  On 10/9/2021 at 4:27 AM, JohnS said:

The Beatles once sang that 'happiness is a warm gun', but the happiness derived from a starting pitcher getting 2-out strikeouts, with a runner in scoring position, in consecutive innings when they've gone through the line-up a third time...well, that is a happiness that is quite another thing!

I'm guessing this you below right now...

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That was just an incredible start. The Giants have had some legendary postseason starts from Tim Lincecum and MadBum, but none were against a team near the caliber as the Dodgers. Just an incredible performance!!!

And yes I've been on cloud nine, I dont think anyone saw Webb becoming this good this year! (you could say that for about 12-15 Giants players!)

[JohnS]

Indeed, well said. Game 1 of the SF-LA series was so good, that even though I'm having a 'downtime' day on a Sunday (here) from the work week (i.e. I'm a little tired physically), I'm colloquially 'super-pumped' for Game 2 starting in 20 minutes (from the time of posting this)!

It makes it more fun that my young adult son, (George) will be joining me to watch the game.

[Kaptain Karl]

That’s awesome!!! I have a feeling this is going to be a very tight, 1 run ball game all the way through. Gausman has his fastball working real well today, if he can get the split working it’ll be another rough way for the Dodgers line up. 
And of course we have Angel Hernandez calling balls and strikes (that call against Ruf was awful!)

  On 10/10/2021 at 12:49 AM, JohnS said:

Indeed, well said. Game 1 of the SF-LA series was so good, that even though I'm having a 'downtime' day on a Sunday (here) from the work week (i.e. I'm a little tired physically), I'm colloquially 'super-pumped' for Game 2 starting in 20 minutes (from the time of posting this)!

It makes it more fun that my young adult son, (George) will be joining me to watch the game.

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[BigGuns]

GAME ON. 

[JohnS]

I didn't think that Kevin Gausman pitched that badly today in Game 2. The Dodgers opened up the game in the 6th innings and now we're onto the all-important game three!

[ElReyDel757]

The Dodgers are my true love. They have the most talented team possibly ever. With that being said, the hated Giants are also outstanding and refused to go away all season, and may very well take us down. With this said, if the Dodgers don’t win it all, it’s a massive disappointment given our payroll and stacked roster.

[Kaptain Karl]

  On 10/10/2021 at 4:41 AM, JohnS said:

I didn't think that Kevin Gausman pitched that badly today in Game 2. The Dodgers opened up the game in the 6th innings and now we're onto the all-important game three!

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No he wasn’t bad but he wasn’t particularly sharp. I agree with Kapler taking him out in the 6th. Our bullpen laid a gigantic egg, which is rare for how good our bullpen is. 
I don’t think the Giants would have won that game if different decisions were made or Angel Hernandez figured out how to call a good game. We were not executing crisp, quality AB’s like we normally do and just didn’t look sharp all the way around. 
The Giants have beaten a number Hall of Fame pitchers in the postseason before so I don’t think tomorrow’s game is a gimme, no matter how insanely good Scherzer is. 

[JohnS]

@Kaptain Karl, watching the game with George (my son who is even better at making calls on pitching and I consider myself no dummy in this area!), we both figured that Kapler would pull Gausman at that point. It was a logical and unsentimental decision on behalf of Gabe Kapler.

As for Game 3, certainly the game can go either way. Things to consider:

• The Dodgers have won 59 games at home this year and are difficult to beat there. The Giants may be thinking to grab one of two of the next games to get a game 5 decider may be a more realistic expectation then sweeping the next two games.
• Max Scherzer got hit quite a bit in his last pitching effort if I recall, didn't he give up 13 hits? He's still a fantastic pitcher, but he's not the Scherzer of old that I remember. But most likely, Game 3 will probably come down to the last three innings of the game rather than the first three, I would best guess.

[JohnS]

Interesting developments with the Braves beating the Brewers in Game 3 and the Astros-White Sox Game 4 postponed until tomorrow due to inclement weather. Currently the playoffs look like this....