When Winning Sets You Up For Losing
Lots of talk about how the *100 win teams* are at a disadvatage going into these series vs the wild card teams because they had so much time off. Like they lost their edge and the WC teams come in razor shape. Um, I guess? I think it’s more likely that the favored teams are just playing a little tighter than usual. It doesn’t take much to disrupt your team if you are playing tight. But let’s say it’s true what they say, that sitting for 4-5 days sets you up for failure. There isn’t much you can do about that. The only think I can think of is push the series back another 4-5 days so the WC team has to sit 4-5 days, too. But MLB is already playing so late into the season I don’t know if that’s feasible. Plus, then the division winners are sitting 8-10 days. Anyone here got a better idea?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I know what this guy means when he says “Melky’s team” but it also could be read that *team means *the Giants. Poorly written. But still a good reminder of how crazy this time was back then.
https://deads-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/cover-96ad?utm_source=deads-newsletter.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-cover-up
My memory must be a bit cloudy, because I don’t remember Melky owning up to using until maybe after he left the team. I seem to recall he left without saying shit to anyone on his way out the door.
he left without talking to anyone on the team but he was still scheming behind the scenes to try to get out of it
lol
https://x.com/NBCS49ers/status/1711823916023324976?s=20
After 6 month slog of a season I’d imagine players of Division winners glad for time off to reset. Still too many days off all around in scheduling imo. Reggie Jackson of today will soon be known as Mr. November.
what’s bizarro to me is that AL East went 0-7 in playoffs, including Balt and TB 0-4 at home.
Jays lost 2 straight to Twins on road. Yanks finished up 82-80 and fans calling for heads to roll for Boone and Cashman. Boston dead last with 78 wins already ousted Prez Bloom.
This won’t happen because of the monies involved, but the best playoff scenario IMO is going back to just having the one wildcard. Every team had the same number of off days.
Exactly! One WC game, in or out and onto Final 4 in each league.
Actually, I meant one wildcard per league. The best record plays the WC, 2nd and 3rd play each other, the winner of those games meet for the championship. Again, I know it won’t happen.
I wouldn’t be surprised if MLB went to a 150 game regular season schedule with 10 team per league in playoffs, it’s all about the money.
yeah me too–4 playoff teams instead of 6 in each league, old format with 1 game winner is in WC. Hard to believe (even if it’s right move) owners would agree to cut regular season down, in any major sport. It’s been talked about in NBA (where players have strong voice) for years but ain’t happening.
The play in game was exciting. 2014 eg. Both winners to the WS.
I keep forgetting to ask what the chatter is out there for a new manager. Vogt is a complete Farhan kind of pick so I can see that. Why is there no Matt Williams chatter? He has the managing experience and would have lot of love from the fan base.
Now in terms of the question of sitting hurts teams I never find that in baseball a great excuse because pitching and defense are crucial in the playoffs and how does rest hurt either one? Orioles have zero playoff experience and that was exposed with probably mid-tier starting pitching. Twins also facing a playoff deep team in the Astros. Flodgers just maybe were actually not that good overall. Just won easily in an easy overall underperforming division. They had starting pitching issues all year Urias possible scumbag and Playoff Kershaw is Playoff Kershaw.
Haven’t a clue which way Zaidi will go, but I could see him staying with the LA connection and hiring Donnie Two Steps. That would be pretty funny.
GH, no one cares as it’ll be a lame duck hire. It’ll be either someone on the team (Chick Correa) or a guy with no managing experience (Vogt).
Don’t forget Deetroit waiting a week after their sweep of the Yanks while the Giants went 7 games vs StL to get to the 2012 WS.
Same thing happened to Nats in 2019. Finished NLCS Oct. 15, didn’t start WS until Oct 22.
O’s pitching is what doomed them, running into hot Rangers. Same thing with LA after Opie and the rook SP Miller both got lit up earlier by hot hitting DBax. LA rotation is without Buehler Urias May and Gonsolin, and added Lance Lynn at deadline after Thor ($13 mil FA signing) had sucked earlier. Traded Thor at deadline for Amed Rosario from Cleveland, who released Thor a month later.
Pleased that Bochy is still pulling rabbits out of his hat. Would love to see his team take it all the way.
kokonuts was texting me this morning heaping praise on Bochy for all he’s done. Sorry, I’m just not seeing it. I’m not saying he’s not having an impact but come on, look at that line up! They are totally stacked. And unlike our shitty boring ass GM they have a GM that actually did something at the break. Must be nice to have all that, right? Bochy is possibly putting them over the top, I’ll give him that. But they have a great team already.
Lot of back n forth over how much managers really matter, magnified in post season.
This quote is from Bochy in “The Grandest Stage A History of the World Series” by Tyler Kepner of NYT from 2022. here’s Boch stuff from Chapter 4:
“When I hear, ‘Well, this is how we did it during the season, it’s how we’re gonna do it now,’ I’ve never agreed with that, because to me, you’ve got to try to win every game you can, pretty much at all costs, and worry about tomorrow tomorrow” Bochy says. “So you can’t be afraid to pull the trigger a lot earlier than normal. You’ve gotta be willing to take risks.”
love that.
I don’t know if Bill Walsh ever said anything like that. But, he “managed” games like that. He’d go for the jugular when the opportunity was at hand…
Prolific drummer Billy HIggins born on this day Oct 11 1936 passed May 3 2001. per All Music Guide played with Bo Diddley in 40s, Dexter Gordon in 50s, Ornette Coleman in 60s, and countless others for various labels including Blue Note. Saw him in person in little big band Timeless All-Stars in Saratoga Garden City, combo gambling room/steakhouse restaurant, small room w free Sunday cover for headliner w dinner res.
Great drummer in my book.
Guess there are more chapters still to be written, but Boch bio would be helluva good read.
I had the Orioles in the WS, they had a good juju season, seamed like some destiny. But, Rangers had their bats working. I’m good with Boch, but if your team is banging out 6+ runs per game (32 runs in total of 5 post season games so far), you’ve got to be a really crap manager to mess that up…
Most of Bochy’s decision making through our playoffs/WS runs worked out in our favor. His use of the bullpen was somewhat magical to me. Of course our starting pitching sealed the deal. And, the baseball Gods definitely blew some sunshine our way.
Old school managers like Boch &Dusty just have a calming effect on their players in the dugout and in the clubhouse they have over 50 years experience between them and u never see them blow their stacks on the field ( unless it’s really a bad call) and it works with their players, a chill Corey Seager is always calm and his insane hitting at Globe Park? is incredible 17 games .355 8 HR’s 20 RBI’s and 1.226 OPS that’s why their both moving on ( yeah Stros will finish off Twins)
Some chron writer back about 10, 15 years ago chanced into the visiting manager’s office at the E Coli when Dusty’s team was in Oakland for an interleague game and Dusty’s old friend Elvin Bishop happened to be visiting. The guy filled his entire column with description of the two talking music and fishing and personal reminisce. That was not a tense manager worried about how his team would prepare for the game that night.
Dustiny
It’ll be the battle of former Giants skippers in the AL.
Also, the Astros seem to handle the time off just fine.
Meanwhile in AZ, D-Backs starting to hit Lance alot.
lulz
Houston moves on..And Dusty&Bochy facing each other now in the AL Championship Series this will be epic between these 2HOF matters in the Battle of Texas!
4 home runs in a row. Can you imagine the Giants doing something like this? LOL. The dbacks are incredibly exciting and I’m jealous of their fans that they get to watch the team grow and get better
Haha, 4 straight bombs!
Damm did Lynn get lit 🔥 up giving up 4HR’s in the inning! oh hell yeah Arizona Diamondbacks!!
Eat it Dogpile /Roberts again your toast!!
Looks like Doghairs may exit again early in the post season. That would be quite a chuckle again for us Giants fans. But, the reality is they’ve won the division, what — 10 out of the last 11 years? And, the Giants, once. That’s ridiculous for Giants fans. BF is right — Dbacks are looking like an exciting team the next few years. Giants would need a gigantic offseason trade/FA number of moves, and their youngsters break out big time next season — to get to being an exciting team with real post season prospects…
For once this isn’t Roberts’ fault. His entire rotation + Kerchoke in the playoffs = early exit.
It sure sounds like winning isn’t a high priority for the current ownership group. They are all about the real estate. When Greggie and Farhan throw around words like ‘competitive’ and ‘meaningful games’ you know you are being sold a bag of turds.
Lose Again!
The Dogs are dead!
Last year, LA’s western division brother SD knocked ’em out. This year, AZ. Maybe next year, it will be the Giants….. A man can dream.
Or maybe the Rockies.
THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS SWEEP the Dodgers it has such a great ring to it!
Huge party in Scottsdale, Old Town Tonight. Drinks are on the Dodgers 🥂🍾🍻🍺🍸🍹🤪🤣😂🤣
The bums bust again. Beautiful. DBacks are a likable team. But that closer Sewald — that guy is also likable enough but his fairly lo velo stuff looks very hittable. Yet he gets the outs.
I doubt that Roberts can survive yet another early exit from the post season. Ownership has to blame someone…
Love Bryce Harper! That guy’s AB’s the most exciting in MLB. The crowd roar on his 1st homer was epic!
Bye Bye Dodgers.
My daughter sent me this text..
“My favorite holiday of the year. The day the Dodgers get bounced from the playoffs! HAHA!”