Happy New Year everyone

First post of the New Year... sitting in Palo Alto wondering who will be the Edgar Renteria, the Armando Gallaraga or the Jose Bautistas for 2011.

Right now, people seem to think that the Phillies and Red Sox are destined to meet in the World Series. I would love that of course, but how often do the consensus picks actually meet up in October.

I am saying right now on January 1, 2011 that neither the Phillies nor the Red Sox will be in the World Series. There will be some team that will sneak up on both of them and force Major League Baseball and Fox to actually use their imagination in terms of promoting the series (and they won't do it.)

Now keeping in mind that my predictions tend to be terrible, that is good news for Phillies and Red Sox fans... and for Fox for that matter.

So Happy New Year everyone. Get over that hangover. Let's get through football and have pitchers and catchers report already!!!

Can we please ease up on the "Cliff Lee turned down money!" rhetoric?

I am getting a little tired of hearing about all the money Cliff Lee walked away from when he signed with the Phillies.

Yes, he could have tens of millions of dollars more if he signed with the Yankees and Rangers. And yes it is rare for a player to NOT sign for the highest dollar.

But let's slow down the selfless Cliff Lee not caring about money storyline please.

He isn't walking away from the Rangers and Yankees to go to Calcutta and help the sick.
He isn't Gandhi, making his own clothes and living on a crust of bread.

He is still making $120 million!
If he isn't stupid with his money, his great grandchildren should be able to go to Law School with the full tuition paid.

And he gets to pitch for a contender and one where he doesn't have the pressure of being the #1 starter.

It was a smart baseball decision because Halladay is ahead of him in the rotation and the Phillies have the best shot to make the World Series in 2011 and 2012.

It was a smart decision in terms of going to a fanbase where he already has goodwill in the bank.

It was a smart family decision because his wife and kids loved Philadelphia.

And it STILL made him $120 million.

He had three offers. One was obscene. And the other two were OBSCENE!

It's easier to walk away from $50 million when you still get to pocket nearly 2 1/2 times that!

File this under HOLY CRAP! Cliff Lee goes back to the Phillies

OK, who saw THIS coming?

Seriously... when I heard the Phillies were wandering in the mix for Cliff Lee I thought "They are still trying to make up for sticking Lee in the Roy Halladay trade. They are at least showing their fans that they knew they screwed that up."

It seemed like it was for show.
And I had asked Phillies fans to let their team off the hook for dealing Lee.

But obviously they weren't REALLY in the hunt.
We all read the articles. It was clear. It was either going to the Yankees for the big money or going to Texas to live a peaceful life, pay less taxes and murder deer.

It was like waiting for a new Pope. Black smoke meant Yankees. White smoke meant Rangers.

And napalm means EVERYONE ON THE PLANET EARTH WAS WRONG!

A night after the Dexter season finale disappointed with no big twist, Lee supplied one that has given shockwaves throughout baseball.


THE PHILLIES... they want to be the big bad monster of the National League and be included in the sentence with the Yankees and Red Sox as big ticket destinations.

Well it sure looks like they are that now. With a rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt... is 110 wins out of the question? Plus they can deal Blanton for relief help or a veteran outfielder.

And you don't have to wonder if he can handle it. He WANTS to be there.

It is World Series or bust in Philadelphia.



THE YANKEES... There are two gigantic slaps in the face to the Yankees in this signing.

First of all it destroys the idea that the Yankees can sign anyone they want. The whole "Just get him... he'll take our money" didn't fly with Cliff Lee. And why not? I don't think it had to do with anyone spitting on his wife. He's going to Philadelphia where they VOMIT on each other in the stands.

It is the idea that if you want a sure fire chance at a ring, you are better off going to Philadelphia and NOT New York. Seriously which team is more likely to make it to series now? Clearly Philadelphia. Their #4 starter would be an ace for a contender.

And now the Yankees have to pick up the pieces. Their off season has been NOT subtracting while the Red Sox have been adding. After Sabathia, who do you trust in the rotation? Hughes? Is Petitte even coming back? Ivan Nova? Is Ed Figueroa around?

Dare I say it? Carl Pavano? He's available.



THE RANGERS... Well, Cliff Lee's role in Rangers history will be that of a mercenary. A spectacular cameo but a cameo nonetheless. You can't blame the Rangers. They went all in to get him... finally got the World Series and bent over backwards to retain him.

Ironically it was the Rangers willingness to sign him that allowed Lee to not automatically take the Yankees money and gave the Phillies time to get into the chase.

The Rangers still have a ton of young talent and could win the West. Look for them to target Zack Greinke and offer him the same Cliff Lee money.

(I thought Lee resigning with the Rangers would be the last scene of my Clint Eastwood movie.)


THE RED SOX... The fabulous off season in Boston just got a little bit better. With Lester and Buchholz, the Sox have a solid 1-2 punch in their rotation. They just need either Beckett, Lackey or Dice-K to rebound. And oh yeah, they need Papelbon to pitch for a new contract.

The lineup is set provided Youk is back and they have some depth. And unlike the Yankees they actually IMPROVED in the off season.

With the Rays dismantled and the Yankees pitching uncertain after Sabathia, the Red Sox MUST be the favorites now!


THE GIANTS... the World Champions are still giddy over winning it all and with the Padres dismantling, the Dodgers a mess, the Rockies questionable and the Diamonbacks in transition, they remain the team to beat in the West.

If Jonathan Sanchez gets his act together and Madison Bumgarner pitches the whole season, they could have the SECOND best 1-2-3-4 rotation in baseball. And prepare for a rematch in the NLCS.

Of course you realize this means War! (Not W.A.R.)



THE BRAVES...They should be on full "Let's go for the Wild Card" mode. They have good pitching and some great young talent. And picking up Dan Uggla was a big move and Jason Heyward is the real deal. But any hope that the mighty Phillies were going to take a big step backwards this year just was flushed down the toilet.

Having Lowe, Hanson, Hudson and Jurrjens might not be as sexy as what they have in Philadelphia, but it could lead to a 95 win season and an October ticket.



THE MARLINS... Like the Braves, they have a rotation that can best be described as "Diet Phillies." Josh Johnson is a top pitcher. Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco are solid. Javier Vasquez should fit in well in Miami.

Plus if Chris Volstad, Alex Sanabia or Jhan Marin develop they'll be five deep. And there's some talent in the line up. But with the Phillies entering "Yankee/Red Sox land" the Marlins shouldn't even be paying attention to them. They are Wild Card hunters in 2011 and hoping for more when they move into their new part in a few years.


THE NATIONALS... they are not a good team. At ALL. They are a 90 loss team that will probably have another losing season next year.

But God Bless them for pretending that they are just a few pieces away from being a winner. They overpaid for Jayson Werth and put themselves in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. Now look for them to make a big push for Greinke.

Washington fans, you can't complain that your front office isn't TRYING, even though if EVERYTHING goes well in 2011 they will probably finish no higher than third.


THE METS... For Mets fans, tonight was the ultimate "I have good news and bad news" scenario. The good news? Cliff Lee isn't going to the Yankees. Take THAT arrogant Yankee fans.

The bad news? It is only going to get worse for the Mets and the Phillies are only going to get stronger.

If the Mets get off to a bad start in 2011, they have to consider dealing Johan Santana. A bad start could mean falling too far behind the Braves and Marlins in the Wild Card hunt and a meaningless season. The new brass can't be seduced by the "New York" in their name. They need to be realistic, something that was NOT Omar Minaya's strength.



So there you have it. One decision and suddenly all of baseball is turned sideways.
Man, do I have to wait this long to have it be more than "in theory"?

LET'S PLAY BALL ALREADY!

Reviewing who was traded for Cliff Lee

As the baseball world focuses on Arkansas for the first time EVER and wonder where Cliff Lee will go, one thing is certain:

One team will be grumbling when the season begins that all of their courtship yielded nothing.

Well, if he goes to New York, the Rangers will get a pair of draft picks.
And if he goes back to Texas, the Yankees will still have the money and some prospects to try and make another deal.

But I started thinking about the Indians, the Phillies and the Mariners... all the other teams to have employed Cliff Lee since winning the Cy Young Award in 2008.

None of them are currently involved in the mating dance for Lee... but each team has players who were brought in exchange for him.

Let's review who they are.

THE CLEVELAND INDIANS' COMPENSATION FOR CLIFF LEE

The Indians sent Cliff Lee to the Phillies along with outfielder Ben Francisco on July 29, 2009. In return they got:

CARLOS CARRASCO

The 23 year old right handed pitcher had a rough cameo with the 2009 Indians. But he had a solid 2010 in AAA Columbus and looked more like a big leaguer when he was recalled in September. His best game came on September 11th when he pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings against the Twins, matching Nick Blackburn inning for inning. He looks ready for the show.



JASON DONALD

Every single baseball fan and many non baseball fans saw the most famous moment in Jason Donald's career. According to the official record, he got an infield hit off of Armando Gallaraga to break up his perfect game this June. Of course he was out. The replay showed it. But why rehash that? Let's look at the positive! He showed he can hustle!

He also showed that he could play every day as he started 44 games at shortstop before manager Manny Acta made him the regular second baseman. In order to keep that gig, the 25 year old infielder will have to hold off switch hitting Cord Phelps who tore up AAA. But his flexibility could make the 25 year old a valuable reserve infielder.


JASON KNAPP

The 19 year old righthander pitched in the South Atlantic Legaue following shoulder surgery. He struck out 29 in only 16 innings and looks like a solid prospect.



LOU MARSON

A 24 year old catcher, he will compete with another young prospect in Carlos Santana. He played 87 games with Cleveland last year and looked over matched at the plate, but he's young and evidently handles pitching staffs well.

Was considered a top prospect before the trade, he may become a serviceable reserve catcher.

THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES' COMPENSATION FOR CLIFF LEE

The Phillies sent Cliff Lee to the Mariners on December 16, 2009. In return they got:


PHILLIPPE AUMONT

Listed as one of the top 100 prospects by Baseball America in 2008, 2009 and 2010, it is unlikely that he'll make it four years in a row after a subpar first season in the Phillies organization. The Quebec native and former first round pick started the season in AA Reading, thinking he was on the fast track to Philadelphia. Instead he was demoted to the Florida State League after a brutal start to the season.

He was unimpressive this year, but he was only 21 and could rebound. And could also develop into a good reliever. Time will tell.


TYSON GILLIES

Gillies was the 21 year old hitting stud who tore up the California League was supposed to be on the fast track to joining Domonic Brown as the new young center pieces of the Phillies outfield.

Instead he had a terrible season in AA, had hamstring issues and was arrested for cocaine possession.

It is safe to say that the Phillies weren't happy. But hey! How can 2011 be WORSE for him?


J. C. RAMIREZ

Like Aumont, Ramirez is a 21 year old right handed starter. And like Aumont he was unimpressive in both Clearwater and Reading in his first year in the Phillies pipeline. He has decent stuff and maybe with a good pitching coach he could be a serviceable big league pitcher. But as of this writing, he has yet to raise his head above AA.

THE SEATTLE MARINERS' COMPENSATION FOR CLIFF LEE

The Mariners sent Cliff Lee to the Rangers along with reliever Mark Lowe on July 9, 2010. In return they got:

BLAKE BEAVAN

A huge pitcher (6'7", 250 pounds) he 21 year old was terrific in AA and made 7 starts for AAA Tacoma. He was the Texas League pitcher of the year and figures to be one of the Mariners best pitching prospects going into 2011. And with the team rebuilding, a good year in AAA could land him in the majors.

And hey! He has a Fan Club!



MATTHEW LAWSON

The 24 year old second baseman tore up the Southern League pitching after arriving in the Mariners organization.

Where he fits in the long term plans of the Mariners is unknown with middle infielders Nick Franklin, Dustin Ackley and Carlos Triunfel also in the organization.

But hey! A little competition never hurt anyone.




JOSH LUEKE

An exceptionally talented reliever, Lueke put up terrific numbers wherever he went. So why isn't a feel good story?

Well because in 2009 he only played in four games in the Rangers organization.
When the Mariners inquired why, Rangers GM Jon Daniels basically said "Oh there was some legal trouble, but he got acquitted."

Turns out he wasn't. He was in jail for some lurid incident with a woman in 2008. I have no clue what actually happened, but the fact that "false imprisonment" was the LESSER charge that was in the plea bargain, it makes me shudder.

When word got out of his past, both the Mariners and Rangers did the whole "I'm shocked! SHOCKED!" routine and the Mariners scouting director got fired.

Obviously he wasn't acquired as a "good character" guy.

JUSTIN SMOAK

The centerpiece of the Cliff Lee deal, Smoak may not have been a Rookie of the Year candidate. But he has a sweet left handed swing that was good enough to get 13 homers in 397 plate appearances.

One of Baseball America's Top 25 prospects in 2009 and 2010, he has nothing left to prove in AAA. He is the Mariners starting first baseman going into next year. The Mariners hope he will be an All Star before long.




It's too early to tell who got the best deal.

Carlos Carasco and company could thrive in Cleveland or fizzle.
The Phillies prospects look like busts now but they could turn it around.
Justin Smoak could be the next great hitting prospect or he could be Dave McCarty.

One thing is certain: When Cliff Lee's inevitable 7 year contract is up, some of these players might be filing for free Agency.

THEN we can really see what team got the best out of the deals.

Latest Post on THE HARDBALL TIMES - If Jamie Moyer had been average in his 20s

My latest article for The Hardball Times ponders the question "If Jamie Moyer had pitched better in his twenties, would he be a Hall of Fame candidate?"

The debate over the value of wins in determining a pitcher's worth found an interesting case study with Felix Hernandez and the Cy Young Award this year.

Imagine if Jamie Moyer was on the cusp of 300 wins?

CLICK HERE to read the article.

Of COURSE you couldn't make this easy, Giants!

We all thought it, didn't we? When Halladay was taken out for Ross Gload and he lined into a double play, everyone watching the game thought "This is the turning point... 1 run game... Halladay is out... the middle relief can be exposed... this is going to be the night!"

And when Lidge came in... admit it you thought "Oh man... he can blow it can't he?"

So now they have to go to Philadelphia and win 1 game... Let's hope there best chance didn't slip away today.

Torture indeed.

Off sync with the Giants and my parents

I called my parents the second Juan Uribe won the game for the Giants last night to get their thoughts on the Giants somehow taking a 3-1 lead.



SULLY:
Some game! Up 3-1!

SULLY'S DAD:
I love it.

SULLY'S MOM:
It's great but watching it out of sync is driving me crazy.

SULLY:
(As confused as you)
Wait. Are you watching it live or on DVR? Do you not know how it ends?

SULLY'S MOM:
Oh we watched the ending. But it's all out of sync because Poppy has the radio on.


SULLY'S DAD:
I have to hear Kruk and Kuip.

(Kruk and Kuip refer to Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper, the wonderful Giants announcers on KNBR.)

SULLY:
But dad... if you are listening to the radio, you are hearing it before you are seeing it.

SULLY'S DAD:
The delay isn't bad.

SULLY'S MOM:
It's AWFUL. It's 30 seconds.

SULLY'S DAD:
It's NOT 30 seconds. It's about 11 seconds.

SULLY:
11 seconds? It might as well be a minute! You could be hearing "Long drive and it is GONE!" while the visual is the pitcher picking up the rosin bag.

SULLY'S MOM:
It drives me crazy.

SULLY'S DAD:
I just can't take Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

SULLY:
I know it is rough. I had to hear them call two Red Sox World Series titles. But you've got to bite the bullet on this and watch it live.

SULLY'S MOM:
Thank you!

SULLY'S DAD:
But baseball is basically a lot of talk and a highlight here and there. So most of the time it is fine to be out of sync. It only affects it on the big plays.

SULLY'S MOM:
Yeah, it only is annoying at the most exciting moments of the game.

SULLY:
Dad. Why don't you go into the living room and listen to KNBR and let mom watch the game without her feeling like she is watching a Godzilla movie?

SULLY'S DAD:
Maybe I will.


Today I found out that my dad "figured out how to get the radio in sync with the TV." I am sure it will work fine.

So Poppy... if you want to see the end of the game with the KNBR guys in SYNC... CLICK HERE.

And if you want to share my mom's experience, watch this movie:

A mystery that will perplex scientists and historians for generations to come

Why the hell did Roy Oswalt throw Juan Uribe an off speed pitch?
Seriously... the guy has a busted wrist and looked overpowered on the first few pitches. He wasn't going to get around on one of those fastballs.

And oh yeah, the winning run was on third with less than 2 outs.
I would call that a situation where you needed a strikeout.

Off speed pitch... deep fly to left... and somehow the Giants with the makeshift lineup consisting of guys with torn biceps, hurt wrists and the 16th caller on KNBR are one win away from the World Series.

Seriously?
An off speed pitch?

Show of hands, Giants fans...

If I told you at the beginning of the NLCS that the Giants would beat Roy Halladay AND Cole Hamels, raise your hand if your would take it.

That if in Game 4, the Giants would face Joe Blanton, who hasn't pitched in nearly a month, and throw Madison Bumgarner, raise your hand if you'd take that.

Now how about if I told you that if EVERYTHING goes wrong in Game 4... they lose 20-0 and are no hit... they would still be tied 2-2 with Tim Lincecum on the mound at home? Show of hands if you would take it.

I expect to see a LOT of hands in the air.

I thought the Phillies were winning in 5.
They've got to run the table to win in 6.

And tomorrow is the ONE TIME the Giants aren't going to face a former Cy Young winner or NLCS MVP on the mound.

Blanton is a decent pitcher with a big heart.
Bumgarner is a solid pitcher with great stuff.

You'd have to favor the home team in that match up.

Hands up if you'd take that.

I know Giant fans shouldn't get ahead of themselves... but isn't cool to be in a situation where they SHOULDN'T get ahead of themselves?

Win tomorrow... then start getting giddy.
The Giants are half way there.

Hands up if you were expecting THAT?
(Mine would NOT be up.)

A silver lining for Giants fans

Hey!
It wasn't a one run game!

They've had 6 post season games and the first 5 were one run games. At least with this one Giants fans don't have to grumble about that one play or that one bad break.

Yeah it was close most of the game... but 6-1 is 6-1.

The Giants got out of Philadelphia was a split.
Move on.

Nothing to grind your teeth over with this one.

Anything happen in baseball while I was away?

I went to Big Bear Lake this weekend with the family...

Went on walks, went kayaking, and reconnected to nature just like Emile Hirsch in Into The Wild.

Anything happen in baseball?

Oh nothing... except the very balance of the post season was thrown into disarray.

The Rangers? Well they made the ALCS a best of 5 series with Cliff Lee pitching in 2 of the remaining 5 games on full strength.

Like I said before, the Yankees rotation is insane... they will be facing Cliff Lee twice and be throwing A. J. Burnett once.

Um... that's 3 wins THERE, isn't it?

And the Giants? Well let me put it this way:

The supposedly lousy San Francisco attack got INFINITELY more hits and runs off of Roy Halladay than the feared Cincinnati offense.

Could it be a Rangers/Giants World Series?

That would mean my fish was correct AGAIN.

So not much happened I guess.

By the way, the movie Into The Wild was overrated... just my point of view.

The Don of the Phillies

I am rooting for the Giants as is my dad in the NLCS. But I have a soft spot in my heart for the Phillies because of my many relatives who lived most of their lives in the Philadelphia area.

This series is going to be an interesting one because my Uncle Don, my dad’s brother, is the biggest Phillies fan of them all. I wonder what their correspondence will be like during the NLCS.

Now my Uncle Don has had some ups and downs health wise, but I am happy to hear he is doing a lot better now.

I am thinking about you, Uncle Don, and I can’t wait to breakdown the Phillies roster piece by piece and compare them to the 1980 team.

I am no cardiologist, but I always think watching your team in a thrilling October playoff match up is the best thing for your health.

Keep getting better.
And PLAY BALL.

BIGGEST POST SEASON SERIES UPSETS OF WILD CARD ERA

I admit, it doesn't look good for the Giants.

I am rooting for them to win the National League Pennant and any team that has Tim Lincecum pitching twice in a series can't be counted COMPLETELY out.

But it will be a longshot.

There is NOTHING the Phillies can't do now and their lineup is a little more fearsome than the Braves.

A safe bet would be the Phillies winning in 5 games.

But every once in a while there is a playoff match up that looks like a total mismatch (even worse than this Phillies/Giants NLCS) that turns out to raise a middle finger to all of the predictions.

Obviously there are some great historical upsets... like the 1926 Cardinals, the 1954 Giants, the 1969 Mets and 1988 L. A. Dodgers come to mind.

But let's look just at the Wild Card era (1995 to present) and see which series looked like no brainers and it turned out the experts had no brain.

BIGGEST POST SEASON UPSETS OF WILD CARD ERA


1997 ALCS
INDIANS defeat ORIOLES

The Orioles led wire to wire and won 98 games. The Indians won only 86 games and barely squeaked past the Yankees in the Division Series.

IT LOOKED BAD WHEN:
The Orioles shut out the Indians in Game 1 and had a 2 run lead in the 8th inning of Game 2.

THINGS TURNED AROUND WHEN:
Marquis Grissom hit a 3 run shot off of Armando Benitez in Game 2. Then the Indians won in 12 for Game 3 and finished Game 4 with a walk off win.

THE DAGGER
The Indians overcame a brilliant Mike Mussina outing in Game 6 to win in 11 innings and stunned Baltimore.

1997 NLCS
MARLINS defeat BRAVES

The Braves had won 4 of the last 5 pennants. With a 101 win season, a 5th pennant in 6 years looked all but assured. The Marlins won 92 games and the wild card, but they were playing the varsity team and looked over matched.

IT LOOKED BAD WHEN:
The Marlins won a pair early but the Braves tied the series when Denny Neagle threw a complete game shutout in Game 4. With Maddux and Glavine looming in Games 5 and 6, it looked bleak for Florida.

THINGS TURNED AROUND WHEN:
The late Eric Gregg called any pitch that Livan Hernandez threw a strike as long as it didn't hit the ground. He struck out 15, giving the Marlins the lead.

THE DAGGER
Tom Glavine imploded in the first inning of Game 6, letting the first four batters read base and having them all score before the Braves even came to bat. It would be all Kevin Brown would need to clinch the pennant.

2002 American League Division Series
ANGELS defeat YANKEES

The Yankees were in full dynasty mode. The Angels had never won a post season series and looked like a bunch of inexperienced kids heading into Yankee Stadium. No doubt this would be a forgettable series much like the Yankees manhandling the Rangers all of those years.

IT LOOKED BAD WHEN:
The Yankees rallied to win game 1 in the 8th and took a lead late into Game 2. It was going to be a sweep a la the Yankees/Texas series of the past.

THINGS TURNED AROUND WHEN:
Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus hit back to back 8th inning homers off of El Duque to take the lead in Game 2. Then in Game 3, the Yankees blow an early 6-1 lead and the Angels break the tie with a Tim Salmon home run in the 8th.

THE DAGGER
David Wells melts down in the 5th inning of Game 4 as the Angels score 8 times and go on to win their first ever playoff series.

2002 American League Division Series
TWINS defeat A'S

Thanks to a 20 game winning streak, an MVP season from Miguel Tejada, a Cy Young season from Barry Zito and 103 wins, the A's looked poised to stampede into the ALCS. The Twins, who were rumored to be contracted just the year before, were just happy to be there.

IT LOOKED BAD WHEN:
A series of Twins blunders gave the A's a 5-1 lead in Game 1, making it clear that this series was Men versus Boys. Later, the A's were up 2-1 with Hudson and Mulder ready for games 4 and 5.

THINGS TURNED AROUND WHEN:
The Twins came back to win that Game 1 and scored 11 unanswered runs in Game 4.

THE DAGGER
A. J. Pierzynski's homer and David Ortiz's double broke open a tense Game 5 in the 9th. The Twins would need every run as Mark Ellis homered to bring the A's to within 1 but Ray Durham, the potential series winning run, popped up to give the upstart Twins a most unlikely series win.

2006 American League Division Series
TIGERS defeat YANKEES

The Tigers slumped badly down the stretch and went from a lock for the Division title, home field in the Division Series and playing the A's to claiming the Wild Card and going to New York to face a stacked and eager to wipe away 2004 from their memories Yankee team. They were no match.

IT LOOKED BAD WHEN:
The Yankees torched Nate Robertson for 5 runs in the third and cruised to an 8-4 Game 1 win. Then Johnny Damon hit a three run shot in Game 2 and it looked like the sweep was on.

THINGS TURNED AROUND WHEN:
Carlos Guillen hit a game tying homer off of Mike Mussina but Curtis Granderson drove the Yankees crazy. He got a run scoring sacrifice fly in Game 2 and gave the Tigers the lead with an RBI triple. In Game 3, former Yankee Kenny Rogers out pitched Randy Johnson in what turned out to be the Big Unit's final game for New York.

THE DAGGER
Joe Torre dropped the slumping Alex Rodriguez to 8th in the fourth game and gave the starting assignment to Jaret Wright. He was bombed and the Tigers finished the Yankees in 4.

2006 NLCS

CARDINALS defeat METS

With the Yankees eliminated in the Division Series, the Mets looked poised to capture the city's baseball heart. Neither American League team (the Tigers nor the A's) looked dominating and all they had to do for the pennant was beat an injured and underachieving Cardinals team who won only 83 games.

IT LOOKED BAD WHEN:
The Mets shut out the Cardinals in Game 1, scored 3 in the first of Game 2 and were tied going into the 9th of Game 2. The Mets were clearly in control.

THINGS TURNED AROUND WHEN:
So Taguchi hit a go ahead 9th inning homer off of Billy Wagner to give the Cardinals a Game 2 win. Then, behind Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver, took a 3-2 series lead back to Shea.

THE DAGGER
The Mets forced a Game 7 which was an all time classic. Endy Chavez preserved a tie with a mindboggling catch that turned a go ahead homer into an inning ending double play. Yadier Molina homered in the 9th to give St. Louis the win and rookie Adam Wainwright got Carlos Beltran to strikeout looking with the bases loaded in the 9th to win the pennant. The Mets have never recovered.



Interestingly, there are 6 upsets but only 3 different years. They've come in pairs.

Are the Giants as unlikely to win as the 2006 Cardinals or Tigers?
Probably not.

So there is hope.

Maybe one of the Giants pitchers will get Ryan Howard looking to end the series!