Sorry, Angels and John Lackey

[gsabc]

The better team did win the ALDS. For a change, it was not offense but defense. Way too many oopsies (not all of which were called errors) for the Angels. It's not for nothing that the Red Sox starting infield includes three Gold Glove winners.

That said, I'm not sure the Bosox will outlast Tampa Bay. I predict a seven game series, and hope that Pedroia really is coming out of his slump.

[dodgersteve182]

The better team did win the ALDS. For a change, it was not offense but defense. Way too many oopsies (not all of which were called errors) for the Angels. It's not for nothing that the Red Sox starting infield includes three Gold Glove winners.

That said, I'm not sure the Bosox will outlast Tampa Bay. I predict a seven game series, and hope that Pedroia really is coming out of his slump.

Not exactly the case. How can you say a Wild Card team is better than a team with the best record in Baseball?
That Angel infield was horrible! No team will win a playoff series with a DP combo of Kendricks and Aybar. What were they thinking? And KRod had his head up his agent's arse trying to figure out his free agency contract for next season (which is prob. down like the stock market based on his abysmal performance against Boston!). While Scioscia i.e. "Mr. Roboto", forgot he was supposed to manage the team during the playoffs and not wait for the camera light to go red so he would look awake on TBS! He should have brought the Infield in with Runners on 1st and 3rd with one out in the 5th inning when the game was scoreless. That way bumble fingers, Kendricks wouldn't have had to worry about trying to make a DP on that sharp grounder that was hit to him and he could have definately thrown the base runner out at the plate preserving the tie! Especially since no one in the Angel lineup did any clutch hitting the entire series! Why concede a 1-0 lead on the oft chance that bumble fingers Kendricks or shakey Aybar would miraculously turn a double Play! And what's up with Aybar not being able to make contact on a Squeeze Bunt in the 9th inning with only one out? And why did numbskull Scioscia call for a squeeze in this situation when a fly ball or a hard ground ball with the infield drawn in would have given the Angels the go ahead run or at least if Aybar struck out, they would have had another chance at a base hit! If the situation was 1st and 3rd with one out, I wouldn't be criticizing this bad play. With a runner on first, on a missed squeeze, he can at least make it to second base or even third base if Willits gets in a long run down play!
And what's up with Willits being put in right field as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the 9th inning. He almost played a bloop single into an inside the park homerun! I guess Scioscia, Mr. Roboto has been studying tapes of the 1986 Red Sox because I haven't seen suck a horrible defensive substitution since the non substitution of Buckner in 86!
Good riddance to KRod, hopefully Aybar and Kendricks too! I doubt if the Angels will pay for Teixeira's Free Agent contract in 09 as well. They better surgically replace Figgin's legs for the upcoming season with bionic legs. He certainly is capable of more than 34 steals during the regular season. After all by default he looks like the leadoff man for 09.

As for the Red Sox, Tampa Bay handled them down the stretch when it really counted, they have the home field advantage now, and they look more solid than the Sox. Bet the house on Tampa!

[tanstaafl2]

Not going to bet the house, or anything else for that matter, but definitely pulling for the Rays!

Angels have kind of been a house of cards all season playing in the weak west and living off pitching with a suspect offense. It caught up with them this week and adding in a soft defense certainly didn't help.

[nitrah55]

Oddly enough, I find myself rooting for the Red Sox, to a point.

As admirable as the Rays achievement has been this year, Boston has the post-season experience to overcome a great team under trying circumstances (see: 2004 ALCS - yeesh).

I- and no doubt, Fox Sports- would like to see a Boston-LA World Series. For me, there would be the possibility of ex-Beaners Lowe, Ramirez and possibly Garciaparra taking it to their old team with Torre at the helm.

I can't count out the Rays, but there's no way I'm putting the ranch on them, either. Right now, the Dodgers seem to be the hottest team.

[kayrharris]

I've spent the better part of a week trying to figure out what ALDS or NLDS stood for. OK, I didn't spend that much time thinking about it, but it finally just came to me today.

[littlebeast13]

The better team did win the ALDS. For a change, it was not offense but defense. Way too many oopsies (not all of which were called errors) for the Angels. It's not for nothing that the Red Sox starting infield includes three Gold Glove winners.

That said, I'm not sure the Bosox will outlast Tampa Bay. I predict a seven game series, and hope that Pedroia really is coming out of his slump.

Not exactly the case. How can you say a Wild Card team is better than a team with the best record in Baseball?

Um.... how many games did the Angels play against the Rangers, A's, and Mariners?

lb13

[ShamelessWeasel]

The better team did win the ALDS. For a change, it was not offense but defense. Way too many oopsies (not all of which were called errors) for the Angels. It's not for nothing that the Red Sox starting infield includes three Gold Glove winners.

That said, I'm not sure the Bosox will outlast Tampa Bay. I predict a seven game series, and hope that Pedroia really is coming out of his slump.

Not exactly the case. How can you say a Wild Card team is better than a team with the best record in Baseball?

Um.... how many games did the Angels play against the Rangers, A's, and Mariners?

lb13

As a Red Sox fan let me say...It was not a factor. King Kaufman on Salon looked into this recentley (Oct 1,2008) and posted this (note I am posting the section relative to your point LB)

http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/featu ... standings/

The Angels were 36-21 against the A.L. West, for a .632 winning percentage. Against everybody else, they were 64-41, a .610 winning percentage. If they'd had the same winning percentage against their own division as they had against everybody else, they'd have won 99 games instead of 100. They didn't get fat on Texas, Seattle and Oakland.

[BigDrawMan]

i am no fan of the Annoying Empire, but i am happy for Jason Bay.
He belongs in the good guy Hall of Fame.




I told someone he would outproduce manny after the trade.

[dodgersteve182]

i am no fan of the Annoying Empire, but i am happy for Jason Bay.
He belongs in the good guy Hall of Fame.




I told someone he would outproduce manny after the trade.

Huh! Manny in his short 2 month stint in the Senior Circuit is a legitimate MVP candidate! Bay is let us say just another power hitter. Manny shouldn't win MVP that should go to someone who played most if not all of the season in the NL, but he sure changed the Dodgers into a contender for the first time in 20 years, i.e. Gibson!