Are the New York Mets finished gagging? They are?
Well then, let the postseason begin.
With 16 things you need to know. ...
1. Tampa Bay. Seriously.
Maybe their "fans" just found "baseball," and maybe their "ballpark" has "catwalks" that sometimes ensure that what goes up really does not come down.
Maybe some continue to mistakenly refer to the Rays as "Devil," and maybe others couldn't distinguish a "Rocco Baldelli" from a "Johnny Gomes."
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| Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon helps to put a new face on the postseason. (US Presswire) |
"You never see anything faze us, no matter what," pitcher Scott Kazmir says. "It's amazing to see how loose we are, how we just brush things off. We've been through everything. A lot of injuries. We didn't panic when everybody expected us to fold."
Manager Joe Maddon's club is only the second in major league history -- and first in the American League -- to advance into the postseason after owning the worst record in the majors the year before. The only other club to do it rocketed all the way to the World Series when the turnaround was on: The 1991 Atlanta Braves.
The Rays' 31-game improvement from 2007 is the third-greatest turnaround in American League history, trailing only the 1946 Boston Red Sox and 1989 Baltimore Orioles.
Amazing thing is, these Rays barely shave. Their rotation, average age of 24.6 years, is the youngest to pitch its way into the postseason since the 1986 New York Mets. No truth to the rumors the Rays stock their clubhouse with graham crackers and milk for Kazmir (24), James Shields (26), Matt Garza (24), Andy Sonnanstine (25) and Edwin Jackson (24).
"They're good," noted baseball scout (and Boston designated hitter) David Ortiz says. "They're good. They'll whip your ass. That's what they've been doing all year, to everybody. They've won at home, they've won close games. They fight. They're playing like they have nothing to lose. They're dangerous."
Yeah, and they swept four series this season at home against playoff teams: Boston (twice), the Angels and the Cubs.
Oh, and one last thing about the Rays: The third baseman, "Evan Longoria," does not play on Desperate Housewives. That's "Eva Longoria." But in a classy move, the actress did send Evan a bottle of champagne when he was selected to this year's All-Star team.
2. The Home Theater System Effect ...
Based on the regular season, four clubs should have a significant advantage when they play at home.
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| The road team won only three of 18 games this season when the Rays and Red Sox squared off. (Getty Images) |
Boston's problem? Thanks to Tampa Bay's romp, the Red Sox are the only one in this group that will not have home-field advantage during the playoffs (they would in the World Series, however, because the AL has home-field advantage throughout).
As for the Rays, the last team with more home victories in one season was the 1998 Yankees, who went 62-19.
Tampa Bay won 53 of its final 69 home games, and bandwagon fans or not, keep this in mind: The Rays were 22-2 this season in front of crowds of 30,000 or more at The Trop.
3. ... and the Willie Nelson Effect
On the road again didn't phase the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Friendly Skies. Their 50-31 road record was by far baseball's best -- and the only winning road record among any of the AL playoff teams. That's partly how Mike Scioscia's team earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with baseball's best record. Oh, and a game of consistency? The Angels were an identical 50-31 at home.
4. Uneasy lies the head(s) that wear the crown
The Red Sox are the defending World Series champions, and the feeling here is their first-round series with the Angels might be this fall's unofficial World Series. But the Sox are hurting.
Their October Big Game Hunter, Josh Beckett, suffered a side strain in a bullpen session a few days ago and cannot go until Game 3. Third baseman Mike Lowell is playing with a partially torn labrum in his right hip and has answered the bell in only 12 games since Aug. 13. Outfielder J.D. Drew mostly has been useless since mid-August with a back strain.
"Obviously, it's hurting him bad," Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia says of Lowell. "To know Mike as a guy, he's going to do anything possible to play.
"It's killing all of us to see him like that. He's going to do what he can to be out there, we know that."
Lowell's biggest problem is moving laterally, side-to-side, rather than straight in or straight back. But file this away, especially if Lowell is able to play and if Boston matches up with the King of the Infield Hits -- Minnesota -- in the American League Championship Series: If a team is smart and Lowell is at third, it will bunt ... and bunt ... and ...
"Not too many guys are good bunters," Lowell says. "And bunting off of (knuckleballer Tim) Wakefield is nearly impossible. Josh (Beckett) and Daisuke (Matsuzaka) throw hard. They're not comfortable for guys to bunt off of. It's not a major concern."
5. The Cubs' 100-Year War
Maybe you've heard: It has been 100 years, 1908, since the Cubs last won a World Series.
In fact, the Cubs are in the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in ... 100 years. Last time it happened: When they were in the 1906, 1907 and 1908 World Series.
Billy goats didn't even exist back then!
(Neither did Ernie Banks nor Ron Santo.)
Anyways, the Cubs have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and the first thing everyone will do each day upon stepping onto the Wrigley Field grass is to check and see which way the wind is blowing -- in or out. The Cubs lineup had five guys with 20 or more home runs for only the third time in franchise history (2008, 2004, 1958): Alfonso Soriano (29), Aramis Ramirez (27), Geovany Soto (23), Mark DeRosa (21) and Derrek Lee (20).
"I think the most important thing is to go out and play the way we can," closer Kerry Wood says. "Regardless of where you play, home-field advantage is nice, but playing the type of baseball that got you here is what's important."
Listen to the man. Wood is the preeminent expert on October baseball in Wrigley Field: He's the first man to play in four postseasons for them since Stan Hack.
Yes, THE Stan Hack, who was on the Cubs' World Series rosters in 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1945.
6. Hollywood, Deadwood ... Mannywood
In the marquee NL series, the Cubs won five of seven games against the Dodgers this season. But that wasn't against these Dodgers. Los Angeles hadn't yet acquired outfielder Manny Ramirez, third baseman Casey Blake or shortstop Angel Berroa when these two teams played.
Don't underestimate the importance of Blake, who plays a good third base and keeps Joe Torre's lineup moving (and can pop a ball over the fence). But it's Ramirez, who batted .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI in 53 games for the Dodgers that turned them from just another team in the wasteland that was the NL West into a team with a legitimate chance to play in a World Series this October.
"Obviously, they've got different personnel now," Wood, the Cubs' closer, says. "We'll get a report on all those guys and go over it.
"When you get to the postseason, there will be a couple of guys -- at least one -- on every team that you don't want to let beat you. He's definitely on that list."
The danger here not only is with Ramirez, but his presence in the lineup has made better hitters of the Dodgers' younger players -- especially Andre Ethier. They're getting more pitches to hit, and they're whacking 'em.
7. Baywatch without the bikinis
He's out of Pittsburgh and into the big time, and it's about time Manny's replacement, Jason Bay, got his priorities straight, baby.
You might recall that late in the season, when Bay missed the last two games of a key series in Tampa Bay to be there for the birth of his child, Red Sox manager Terry Francona was deluged with e-mails trashing Bay. Many said and wrote that their problem with Bay's departure was that it wasn't even his first child.
Imagine the gall.
The Neanderthals have remained mostly silent since as the Red Sox clinched a playoff spot, as well they should. Bay, in 49 games with the Red Sox, batted .293 with a .370 on-base percentage, nine home runs and 27 RBI. The Red Sox, since Bay joined their lineup on Aug. 1, went 34-19. They were 61-48 at the time of the deal.
The general consensus, and the record backs it up, is that Boston actually played better without a certain, dreadlocked Future Hall of Famer.
"I played with Jason Bay in '06," first baseman Sean Casey says. "I knew what kind of guy we were getting. No one knew Jason Bay because he was with the Pirates all those years.
"But in anyone's mind, if they say it didn't cross their mind that they wondered, 'Are we going to be the same team?' they'd be lying."
The looming question now is, will Boston be the same team <em>in October</em> with Bay instead of Manny? As Lowell says, however you break it down, it's a whole different thing when the crowd is screaming and Manny is in the on-deck circle.
Boston won two World Series with Ramirez.
Now comes the What Have You Done For Me Lately part.
8. Tex and the Angels' new day
The Angels now have lost nine consecutive playoff games to the Red Sox, dating back to 1986.
They've been the springboard for the Red Sox's two world championships in the past four years, with Boston's titles in 2004 and 2007 starting with a three-game TKO of the Angels in the first round.
So here they come again, only this time, the Angels think they've got their deepest lineup yet thanks to the July acquisition of first baseman Mark Teixeira. In 53 games with the Angels, Teixeira batted .358 with a .449 on-base percentage, 13 home runs and 43 RBI. Almost downright Manny-like.
Teixeira arrived in Anaheim with a reputation as being a selfish player -- Texas manager Ron Washington hated him -- but the Angels haven't seen it.
"He ain't about himself," Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher says. "This guy really knows his swing. He talks to me about his swing, and the things he wants me to look for. He talks about what the pitcher is probably going to do to him today. And most times, he's right."
One fascinating aspect of the high-octane Angels-Boston series is that there's no telling how Teixeira will react. In six seasons and 904 major league games, he has yet to step into the postseason.
"I talked to Torii (Hunter) about it and the first thing he said was, 'You need to drink coffee every morning in the playoffs,' " Teixeira says.
9. Joe Torre in, Yankees out
Most intriguing managerial matchup in the divisional-series round, hands down, is the wily old veterans, Torre matching his Dodgers against Lou Piniella's Cubs. These two old wizards have met twice before in postseason, with Torre's Yankees taking out Piniella's Seattle Mariners in 2000 and 2001.
"Joe's a Hall of Fame manager," Piniella says. "He's had a lot of success, a lot of experience postseason. He's a classy guy and a darn good manager.
"They've had a big transformation over their talent-wise with Ramirez, Blake and Maddux. It'll be a challenge."
10. Ryan Howard's playground
Sure, the Phillies will score in Citizens Bank Park. And score, and score ...
But can their guys hold the other guys down?
One of the best moves of the season came when general manager Pat Gillick, who says he will retire following this season, acquired closer Brad Lidge last winter from Houston. When Lidge, who finished with 40 saves, is given the ninth inning, he usually closes it out.
But Philadelphia's pitching can be spotty, and starter Brett Myers didn't inspire confidence when his final two regular-season starts produced two losses, a 15.12 ERA and opposing hitters scorching him for a .452 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. This after Myers returned after being banished to the minors for a tune-up and went 7-2 with a 1.80 ERA over 11 starts.
Manager Charlie Manuel admits he worries about Myers' confidence, and he should. Myers' Game 2 opponent: Milwaukee's Heavyweight Champion of the World, CC Sabathia.
11. Philadelphia-Milwaukee: A long (ball) story
The jobs of Cole Hamels, Myers, Jamie Moyer, Yovani Gallardo, Sabathia, David Bush, et al. could not be more clear: Keep the $%#*#@#$ ball in the park!
The Phillies are 78-42 when they hit at least one home run and 14-28 when they don't.
The Brewers are 74-46 when they go deep and 16-26 when they don't.
12. The Swingin' A's: The Sequel
Meet the battling, scuffling Chicago White Sox, the closest thing today to the old Oakland teams of the early 1970s that often despised each other. The Sox -- the last ones into the playoff pool by virtue of their one-game playoff victory against Minnesota on Tuesday night -- have seen this season, among other things:
Manager Ozzie Guillen feuding with shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera angering teammates when he phoned the press box to complain to the official scorer about being charged with an error. Guillen calling out the White Sox for lousy play in early May. The White Sox responding to their lousy play by holding a clubhouse ceremony to bust out of a slump, a ceremony that involved an inflatable doll (for which the Sox were blasted by a repulsed public).
Cabrera calling out some of his teammates last week for not caring enough. Guillen telling people Cabrera is not as good as he thinks he is. Cabrera and outfielder Jermaine Dye going at it. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski and pitcher Javier Vazquez going at it.
Guillen blasting White Sox fans for second-guessing his lineups and for being too critical. Guillen, in the heat of the AL Central scramble last week, still going on about the scrutiny surrounding his lineups, saying, "If you don't like my lineups, don't watch the Sox."
But you know what shuts people up? Just when things look bleak for the White Sox, they unload -- on the baseball. They led the majors this season with 235 home runs, the third-highest total in franchise history. They are 80-43 when hitting a home run.
Advice to the Rays: Keep the Sox in the park, especially at U.S. Cellular Field: Chicago's 143 home runs at home are the most in baseball.
13. Dale Sveum's job status
The interim Brewers manager is 7-5 so far during the late-season hostile takeover that was spearheaded by owner Mark Attanasio.
The move to replace Ned Yost with Sveum has paid great dividends so far in that the Brewers did grab their first playoff berth since 1982.
Attanasio says he likes the way Sveum has handled himself so far in the skipper's chair, and he likes how loose the team is.
Will Sveum return next year?
"Doug will make that decision," Attanasio says.
Clearly, a march through the playoffs would get Sveum the permanent keys to the manager's office. Heck, just getting the Brewers into the playoffs might have earned him his keep.
That said, general manager Doug Melvin remains conflicted by the club's stunning, unprecedented (that late in the season for a contender) ax-dropping on Yost, who took over a very young team and helped it grow.
"Ned sacrificed wins early on so it would help the organization later on," Melvin says, referring to things like Yost refusing in the early days to pinch-hit for second baseman Rickie Weeks, or remove shortstop J.J. Hardy for defensive purposes. "That's the thing that's made it tough. I understand things need to happen for momentum. But our style of play now is not going to change. We are who we are."
Which is -- a slugging team that lives and dies by the home run.
14. Best potential matchups in World Series
Boston vs. Chicago Cubs: The baseball poets would go crazy if it were Fenway Park vs. Wrigley Field.
Boston vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: Manny Ramirez returning to the Hub in a Dodgers uniform? Get out!
Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: The cast of the new Beverly Hills 90210 could throw out all the first pitches.
Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox: Can you imagine? Ozzie Guillen vs. Lou Piniella? Wrigley Field vs. The Cell? It has been 102 years since the Cubs and Sox met in the World Series, when the Sox won in six games.
Cubs vs. Tampa Bay: The Rays could have two-thirds of their former managers going against them in Lou Piniella and Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Those two, and Hal McRae, are current skipper Joe Maddon's only predecessors.
15. Best story
Rocco Baldelli. The Tampa Bay outfielder was Tampa Bay's first pick in the 2000 draft, suffered through a couple hundred or more losses and then nearly saw his career end because of a rare neuromuscular disease called mitochondrial myopathy. There is no cure for this disease, which can lead to diabetes, deafness, blindness, seizures and heart failure.
If you're looking for one player to root for, it's a no-brainer.
16. No Yankees. Seriously
This is the first time since 1993 a postseason will commence without the Yankees.
"There's going to be hell to pay with the Yankees next year," Rays closer Troy Percival says. "They'll end up with CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Ben Sheets. I'm serious. But we don't have to do that. We already have them."
Their names are Kazmir, Shields, Garza, Sonnanstine and Jackson.
Enjoy.
