2010 MLB League Championship Series running thread

AL
Rangers vs. Yankees

NL
Phillies vs. Giants

Who ya got? Yankees and Giants here ... so get ready for the Rangers-Phillies World Series

 

Well, since i've been goddamn perfect thus far, I'll stick with the original predictions: Rangers in 6, Phils in 5, Phils in 4 in the World Series. Though the idea of the Rangers trying to split a pair in Texas with C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis is terrifying.

 

Not sure why, they've been really good. And even if not, they're almost guaranteed games 3 & 4 with Lee & Burnett going. If they can win 2 Lee starts against Hughes & the Burnett start - all safe guesses, they need to take 1 of the four games with Wilson or Lewis on the mound. Pretty reasonable to me.

 

The shrapnel from Mark Shapiro's decisions as Indians GM are flying around in this final four -- Sabathia on the Yankees, Cliff Lee on the Rangers, Charlie Manuel on the Phillies, Tim Lincecum on the Giants. (Yeah, the Indians drafted him in 2005 and didn't sign him. They offered him $300K less than he wanted.)

 

Yankees tattooed Wilson in Texas in September and Lewis has been Lewis lately: 4.29 ERA since Aug. 1 and 5 BB in 5 innings against the Rays on Saturday. Hope the Rangers win it but having to throw Lee in Game 5 tonight definitely puts them at a disadvantage.

 

Definitely. Wilson was 0-1 with a 5.65 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season. He also pitches much better on the road than at home.

 

The one thing in the Rangers' favor is they can match the Yankees' bats and middle relief. Unlike the Twins, the Rangers can spot the Yankees a few runs and still have hope of winning 10-9.

 

Cliff Lee is, in fact, the reason the Yankess WILL beat the Rangers in the ALCS.
Seems poor little Cliffie refuses -- absolutely refuses -- to pitch on anything less than 4-days rest.
If the owner of the Rangers had is way, Lee would have gone on 3-days rest Sunday and closed out the Rays, then had his precious 4-days rest before opening the ALCS on Friday.
Instead, he went on 5-days rest tonight and will get 5 more days off before he goes in Game 3 with the Rangers already down 2-0.

 

Well, sheeeeeeit.

Lee has to save himself for his close-up.

 

Why do so many people keep ripping Cliff Lee for this, but nobody bitched about either Price or his manager for the very same thing?

 

And for that huge deal he'll sign with the Yankees in a couple of months.

My picks: Yanks and Phils.

I had picked the Rays, thinking their pitching and speed would get by the Yanks, but since they're out, I might as well go with NY.

 

Where does it say he refused? Besides, even if asked, he should have refused. Look at the numbers for postseason starters who are asked to pitch on three days' rest. They're terrible. And remember that it's not the back-of-the-rotation guys who have given it a go on three days' rest in the past; only the front-liners are asked to do that.

Lee pitched on five days because of the travel day. He'd have been available on four days but for that break. Both Lee and Wilson will be available twice in the ALCS if it lasts that long, and if it doesn't it won't be because Lee was given his normal rest in the ALDS.