Postseason Progress [Wednesday Morning Quarterback]

It’s time for Wednesday Morning Quarterback, your weekly sports round-up.

Things aren’t looking good for the Dodgers. Their supposed strong point, their bullpen, is being totally trashed by the brutal Phillies offense. In fact, their starting pitching, Kuroda excluded, has been their most dominant factor and the only thing that’s been keeping them afloat most of these games. Still, you can only blow so many leads before I stop believing that your team can actually put wins on the board. In fact, the Dodgers are nice and down three games to one with little hope of winning tonight to actually make this a series. Padilla will be pitching against Cole Hamels and, since Vicente is responsible for the only Dodgers win, this is really their last chance.

In American League news, the Yankees are totally annihilating the Angels. The games have all been close, sure, but the relentless Yankees lineup just won’t cut the Angels any slack. It’s tough to play a team when you know that no matter what kind of lead you put up, no matter what inning it is, there’s always a chance for them to come back with the win. Yankees relief has been top notch while the Angels have all but given away the games that they’ve lost.

The big story of the playoffs this year has to be the rampant bad umpiring. Whether it’s the abysmal foul ball call on Mauer’s hit in the ALDS or the constant close plays that are being repeatedly missed. I have yet to see a game go by without some complaint by the announcers about the calling and a call for automated umpiring. While some of these calls are absolutely ridiculous, what would they do to fix them? Put sensors in the ball and along all the lines? It doesn’t seem like the right answer. I like the human element of baseball umpiring, but there’s also no glory or joy in seeing your team win or lose based on an incorrect call. Perhaps the proper thing to do, for now, would be to train these umpires better, because they’re doing a terrible job this year.

Besides, Bud Selig has made all the changes he needs/wants to make. Nothing more will happen along these lines until we have a new commissioner.

In other postseason baseball news, the NPB is ready to begin its semifinal round, the Climax Series. The best of three series between the Swallows and Dragons and the series between the Eagles and Hawks have resolved in precisely the way I’d want them to. Despite my hatred for DH baseball, I found myself quite fond of the Golden Eagles after seeing them play out in Japan. Darvish is still my favorite Pacific League player, but the Eagles have got to be my favorite team. They completely spanked the Hawks 11-4 in the first game and dispatched them with similar ease with great games from their starting pitching. Tanaka, Iwakumi, and the Eagles will go on to face the Fighters, sans Darvish, who is currently out with a back injury.

While my beloved Carp may not have made the playoffs, I’ve still got my second favorite Dragons to root for and they had an exciting series against the Swallows after losing the first and coming back with two wins to make it to the Climax against the Giants. Can they manage to beat the behemoths of the Central League? I certainly hope so.

Comments

4 responses to “Postseason Progress [Wednesday Morning Quarterback]”

  1. Eric Mesa Avatar

    It didn’t help that the pitcher in the first have of last night’s Yankee v Angels game sucked. He kept throwing balls that bounced off the ground when he meant to do a slider. Then he loaded up the bases twice. (And there were a bunch of runs scored because of that – though no grand slam)

    Bad ump calls go both ways. Saturday’s game had one against the Yanks and last night one against the Angels.

    It was interesting that the catcher yesterday had to get out of the way for the home plate usher. It seemed to be messing with his head and wrecking his ball handling skills.

    1. Dan Avatar

      It was a way sloppy game played by the Angels and the next one won’t be pretty either. I’m about ready to give this series to the Yankees and hope the Dodgers manage to pull it together for a dramatic, three-game comeback.

      I don’t know what I’d do if it were a Phillies and Yankees World Series. Despite my NL leanings, I can’t root for the hated Phillies, but then should I root for the Yankees? It’s lose-lose-lose either way.

      1. Danielle Avatar
        Danielle

        If you hate the Phillies, then yes root for the Yankees. You have to hate one more than the other. Which will it be?

        1. Dan Avatar

          In the end I just can’t betray the National League for any team but the Tampa Bay Rays. Since I fully expect the Dodgers to choke tonight, looks like it’ll be the Phillies for me this postseason.

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