MLB 2014 season thread

[outofplace]

C.J. Wilson can't get three outs for the second start in a row.

The other one was two starts ago, Sept. 22 against Oakland. He went six innings Sept. 27 at Seattle.

That said, he really fell off this year after four decent seasons. He always seemed to pitch on the edge, with a WHIP that didn't really support his relatively low ERA, but he fell over that edge far too often this season, including tonight's game.

 

[exmediahack]

Always waiting for the wolf at the door, as a KC fan.

I know we've had other times in recent years where some of the other posters have their obscure (and, often, losing) teams when they reach a smidge of glory. This is mine - 29 damn years in the making.

What a magical week it's been. I don't want this to end for three more weeks.

 

[exmediahack]

Feeling confident and incredibly nervous for the Royals tonight.

With Shields on the start and Kauffman Stadium probably the loudest it will ever be, I'd like to think the Angels have more pressure on them because they have no more margin of error.

I was going to question this based on what I remember of 1985 with Darryl Motley's home run.

But I think you're right.

Here's why I would argue it, lightly.

In 1985, because of the I-70 series, you still have pockets of Cardinals fans all over this place. That probably dampened a little of the noise.

A lot more than I encountered in the stands on Tuesday (I think I counted, oh, about 14 A's fans in the entire building).

 

[LongTimeListener]

Whatever, it's a blast from this far away too.

A Baltimore-KC league championship series (especially if KC wins) would lead to the inevitable wailing about TV ratings being so down and "Nobody Cares!!!!!!!!!"

Talk about missing the forest for the trees.

 

[old_tony]

Unless the Nats pull off a miracle against the Giants, I already know I'll be pulling for the American League entry in the Worlds Series.

 

[steveu]

Whatever, it's a blast from this far away too.

A Baltimore-KC league championship series (especially if KC wins) would lead to the inevitable wailing about TV ratings being so down and "Nobody Cares!!!!!!!!!"

Talk about missing the forest for the trees.

I try to tell people that all the time. Be careful what you wish for... there's a reason why the networks want New York and LA teams in a series because it supposedly draws the biggest markets.

My take? Who cares? A Baltimore-Kansas City series will be fun. Anyone doesn't want to watch, they're missing out on something really special.

 

[old_tony]

Could Wilson really have done much worse than the Angels bullpen?

 

[MileHigh]

Bitterly disappointing for the Angels, but not a surprise. It's been cruise control to the division title for a month. Zero momentum going into the postseason. Series was lost in the opener when Kansas City pulled off four incredible defensive plays and that just fed the Royals' momentum after their epic win over the A's.

Seen it in a lot of Octobers. Hamilton has been a complete joke and shouldn't have been in the lineup. I certainly don't put this on Scioscia like I have in previous playoff letdowns. Actors act and they didn't in these three games.

Certainly beats the four previous years.

 

[outofplace]

Bitterly disappointing for the Angels, but not a surprise. It's been cruise control to the division title for a month. Zero momentum going into the postseason. Series was lost in the opener when Kansas City pulled off four incredible defensive plays and that just fed the Royals' momentum after their epic win over the A's.

Seen it in a lot of Octobers. Hamilton has been a complete joke and shouldn't have been in the lineup. I certainly don't put this on Scioscia like I have in previous playoff letdowns. Actors act and they didn't in these three games.

Certainly beats the four previous years.

It doesn't help that they lost their ace in late August. Hard to say Garrett Richards turns the entire thing around by himself if the Royals hold on and sweep, but his absence certainly hurt.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

Could Wilson really have done much worse than the Angels bullpen?

If they had so little faith in this guy, and they clearly did, why was he starting a must-win?

 

[MileHigh]

Bitterly disappointing for the Angels, but not a surprise. It's been cruise control to the division title for a month. Zero momentum going into the postseason. Series was lost in the opener when Kansas City pulled off four incredible defensive plays and that just fed the Royals' momentum after their epic win over the A's.

Seen it in a lot of Octobers. Hamilton has been a complete joke and shouldn't have been in the lineup. I certainly don't put this on Scioscia like I have in previous playoff letdowns. Actors act and they didn't in these three games.

Certainly beats the four previous years.

It doesn't help that they lost their ace in late August. Hard to say Garrett Richards turns the entire thing around by himself if the Royals hold on and sweep, but his absence certainly hurt.

Agreed. But the starting pitching in the first two games was good. All of the pitching was. They just stopped hitting. Nothing clutch in the two games in Anaheim, and those were both 50-50 games that didn't go their way. It happens in October. Still, the better team at this time of the year won the series.

And I'm waiting for Scioscia to channel Earl Weaver in terms of pitching changes in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series.

 

[MileHigh]

Could Wilson really have done much worse than the Angels bullpen?

If they had so little faith in this guy, and they clearly did, why was he starting a must-win?

Because Josh Hamilton isn't a starting pitcher.

 

[Chef2]

This isn't really happening, is it?

 

[jr/shotglass]

Orioles-Royals. I don't think I could have hand-picked a better ALCS.

 

[cjericho]

wish it started tues or wed.

 

[mpcincal]

Bitterly disappointing for the Angels, but not a surprise. It's been cruise control to the division title for a month. Zero momentum going into the postseason. Series was lost in the opener when Kansas City pulled off four incredible defensive plays and that just fed the Royals' momentum after their epic win over the A's.

Seen it in a lot of Octobers. Hamilton has been a complete joke and shouldn't have been in the lineup. I certainly don't put this on Scioscia like I have in previous playoff letdowns. Actors act and they didn't in these three games.

Certainly beats the four previous years.

It doesn't help that they lost their ace in late August. Hard to say Garrett Richards turns the entire thing around by himself if the Royals hold on and sweep, but his absence certainly hurt.

Agreed. But the starting pitching in the first two games was good. All of the pitching was. They just stopped hitting. Nothing clutch in the two games in Anaheim, and those were both 50-50 games that didn't go their way. It happens in October. Still, the better team at this time of the year won the series.

You pretty much captured my feelings on this series, MileHigh.

Credit to the Royals, they were definitely the better team. However, and it may be my emotions being raw right now, that was an utterly embarrassing performance by the Angels in this series, almost to the point that I rather would have seen them miss the postseason again than play like that in front of a national audience.

 

[cjericho]

Could Wilson really have done much worse than the Angels bullpen?

If they had so little faith in this guy, and they clearly did, why was he starting a must-win?

Because Josh Hamilton isn't a starting pitcher.

Maybe he can do a reverse Rick Ankiel.

 

[exmediahack]

This isn't really happening, is it?

It's really happening.

 

[ChrisLong]

Josh Hamilton has sucked the life out of the Angels for two years. If anything, Scioscia should get credit for having his team pull out victories with a hole in the cleanup spot when Hamilton was hitting fourth.
Hamilton was hitting about .320 through the first quarter of the season. He went the rest of the season either in a slump or hurt. Not coincidentally, the Angels made their big push to the AL West title when Hamilton got hurt. I think it coincided almost exactly with their 10-game winning streak.
Scioscia erred horribly playing him in the ALDS ... and I said that before the starting lineup was posted last Thursday.
Wilson ... god knows what's going through his head. Some people are just too smart for their own good. He overthinks everything. Still, I was surprised he was pulled in the first inning. There had to be a limit to all of these "bullpen games." That should be an emergency plan, not a regular plan.

 

[Batman]

This is the first ALCS since 2005 (White Sox-Angels) that won't involve either the Yankees, Red Sox or Tigers.
Hell, this was the first playoffs in the wild card era that didn't involve either the Yankees or Red Sox. Gotta savor these breaths of fresh air.