**** OFFICIAl 2014 MLB PLAYOFF THREAD ****

[slag]

Royals do it again in extra innings.

 

[SP33Demon]

I don't think the A's had any problems with their pitching before the all star break. Especially considering they had the best record in baseball and they were dominating. True they had offense to help out as well but their pitching was pretty top notch. Giving away your power hitter like they did has huge ripple effects throughout your lineup. Changes how pitchers will pitch towards everyone else in the lineup.

hindsight may be 20/20 but I wasn't the only one scratching my head when the A's got rid of Cespedes for a rent-a-pitcher

The Cespedes crap is overblown. He had the worst season of his career posting a 100 OPS+ (.296 OBP, .423 SLG); I could name 20 or more power hitters off the top of my head in the AL alone who have > a 100 OPS+. Trust me when I say that teams were not scared of him at the plate in the same way they're not scared of Adam Dunn (113 OPS+) at the plate, other than making a mistake down the pipe - yet if they execute, he's not a threat. Comparatively speaking, Josh Donaldson posted a 126 OPS+, Brandon Moss 119, Norris 118, Jaso 117, Reddick 115; and 4 out of those 5 had a higher SLG (i.e. power percentage) than Cespedes. His bat was highly replaceable, that is a fact. Even Coco Crisp posted a 100 OPS+.

It's also hard to dispute Billy Beane's claim that they wouldn't have made the playoffs without Lester because LAA was winning at an unfathomable pace.

‘€œSimply put,” Beane told reporters in Oakland, “if we don’€™t have Jon Lester, I don’€™t think we make the playoffs.’€
...

Beane suggested that the Angels’ dominance over the season’s final two months would have made it impossible for the A’s to keep pace in the division, regardless of whether or not the trade had occurred.

‘€œOne thing I’€™m going to say right now,’€ Beane told reporters, ‘€œthe Angels were going to catch us. They played nearly .700 ball from a certain point on.’€

 

[drebo]

As a Yankees fan, losing the game for the A's couldn't have happened to a better person.

Fuck Jon Lester.

 

[chowderhead]

Giants win. Dodgers lose. Kershaw gets bombed It's a great day.

 

[glenn1]

Giants win. Dodgers lose. Kershaw gets bombed It's a great day.

Not like Waino was in Cy Young form either - 4.1 IP, 6ER and 12.46 ERA, 11 hits and 1BB which would give him a WHIP around 3.

 

[slag]

Royals do it again in extra innings.

starting to become a routine..

 

[acheron]

Jordan Zimmermann just owned the Giants for 8.2 innings but Drew Storen gave up a tying run. Off to bottom of the 9th now after a long replay review.

 

[dbk]

Storen..... of course

 

[pete6032]

I wouldn't have pulled Zimmerman.

 

[videogames101]

As a Yankees fan, losing the game for the A's couldn't have happened to a better person.

Fuck Jon Lester.

Lester actually pitched well, retard manager that will never win still doesn't win

 

[IAteYourMother]

I'm telling my grandchildren about this Giants game. They're right next to me.

 

[purbeast0]

this game is ridiculous!

 

[drebo]

Lester actually pitched well, retard manager that will never win still doesn't win

No he didn't. He squandered a lead and allowed 2 first inning runs. 6 earned runs in 7.1 innings is not "pitching well."

 

[TallBill]

I wouldn't have pulled Zimmerman.

Nationals like to stick to their "plans". The strasburg decision of 2012 was insanely retarded as well. Don't think they realize that they're supposed to win the playoffs.

 

[SP33Demon]

Nationals like to stick to their "plans". The strasburg decision of 2012 was insanely retarded as well. Don't think they realize that they're supposed to win the playoffs.

Yup, can't stand Rizzo. What happened to the arrogant "we'll be back and doing this a couple more times" BS of not starting Strasburg in 2012 playoffs (even when Davey Johnson said they would have possibly won the World Series had they started him).
http://www.federalbaseball.com/2013...stephen-strasburg-nats-gm-mike-rizzo-on-davey

They didn't make the playoffs in 2013 and failed the first round 2014. Rizzo will die regretting not using Strasburg in 2012 and also regret the stupidity of not cutting Drew Storen who came back to haunt them this year. If I was GM, that guy would have been released the next day after failing to get 1 out and giving up 4 runs in 2012's Game 5. Pure stupidity and a shame the rest of that team has to suffer; I like some of the players on that team like Span, Rendon, both Zimm's, Ramos and Harper's not bad either.

 

[lupi]

Was looking forward to the Nats-Dodgers series.

Now I can only hope the NLCS ends in a tie and the ALCS winnder is given a trophy so we can call the season over as soon as possible.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Cards.

 

[JEDI]

Nats had best reg season record. They lose in Round 1 of playoffs

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typical Washington DC team. (Nationals, redskins, wizards, capitals)

at least they weren't the mariners who broke the record w/most wins during the reg season, only to lose in rd1

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Nats had best reg season record. They lose in Round 1 of playoffs

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typical Washington DC team. (Nationals, redskins, wizards, capitals)

That's not typical of DC teams. They made the play-offs, that's a miracle.

 

[darkewaffle]

Hey, Wizards did pretty well last year, they're probably on an upswing at least.

 

[JEDI]

Hey, Wizards did pretty well last year, they're probably on an upswing at least.

wow.. google tells me the wizards made it to the 2nd round of playoffs?!
I'm shocked!

but still.. w/4 major sports teams and no championships this century... DC is a black hole for fair weather fans (like me).
heck, did any of them even make it to the finals (this century)?

 

[purbeast0]

wow.. google tells me the wizards made it to the 2nd round of playoffs?!
I'm shocked!

but still.. w/4 major sports teams and no championships this century... DC is a black hole for fair weather fans (like me).
heck, did any of them even make it to the finals (this century)?

i wouldnt even call you fair weather since you had no clue about the wizards making it to round 2 against the pacers last year. and the caps as well as nats have been decent the past 3-4 seasons.

you just sound like a clueless sports fan.

but yes, dc is loserville central.

 

[JEDI]

i wouldnt even call you fair weather since you had no clue about the wizards making it to round 2 against the pacers last year. and the caps as well as nats have been decent the past 3-4 seasons.

you just sound like a clueless sports fan.

but yes, dc is loserville central.

ppfftt.. I only care about the finals (if its not football).
efficiency man.. it's all about the efficiency

 

[drebo]

i wouldnt even call you fair weather since you had no clue about the wizards making it to round 2 against the pacers last year. and the caps as well as nats have been decent the past 3-4 seasons.

you just sound like a clueless sports fan.

but yes, dc is loserville central.

Yeah, but round 2 in basketball playoffs doesn't really count because almost a third of all basketball teams make it to round 2. So really, you could be in the 68th percentile and still make round 2.

D's don't get degrees!

And no, I don't agree with the double wildcard in baseball.

 

[JEDI]

Yeah, but round 2 in basketball playoffs doesn't really count because almost a third of all basketball teams make it to round 2. So really, you could be in the 68th percentile and still make round 2.

D's don't get degrees!

And no, I don't agree with the double wildcard in baseball.

double wildcard?