2023 MLB postseason thread

[Bellhorn04]

In the ALCS , the home team has yet to win a game.

 

That's weird too.

[jacksonianmarch]

So all we needed to do was pitch Jordan Montgomery vs the Astros, interesting

[moonslav59]

The home team should offer to play all of the series away.

[notin]

You can cite quantitative data all day on pitching and hitting in the NL West ballparks compared to in the AL East ballparks.

 

But there are qualitative differences, which may be hard to accept unless you've played competitively in each or talked to guys who have.

 

I am sure many posters here have researched a guy like Trevor Story, and his stats playing in Colorado. There might even be forum members who would agree that a young Rockies' pitcher with mediocre numbers may be more successful if he joined the Red Sox -- even facing the mighty AL BEasts. The Rox pitching staff would be worth a look by a new GM seeking to recruit some hidden potential (if you can pitch there, and stay in the Show, you made it).

 

A lot of media attributed Baltimore's surge this year specifically to moving back the leftfield fence in Camden Yards. Pitchers were more aggressive -- on the mound, and agreeing to join the O's.

 

Are you really arguing that the Diamondbacks staff took a huge hit by playing 6 games in Colorado?

 

Let’s look at park factors, courtesy of Baseball-Reference

 

Colorado - 110

Fenway - 109

Arizona - 100

 

I think the 81 games the Sox pitchers pitched in Fenway was far more detrimental to the staff than the 6 games the DBacks pitched three in Denver. And certainly more than the 81 they threw in their “neutral site” ballpark in AZ..

[notin]

You can cite quantitative data all day on pitching and hitting in the NL West ballparks compared to in the AL East ballparks.

 

But there are qualitative differences, which may be hard to accept unless you've played competitively in each or talked to guys who have.

 

I am sure many posters here have researched a guy like Trevor Story, and his stats playing in Colorado. There might even be forum members who would agree that a young Rockies' pitcher with mediocre numbers may be more successful if he joined the Red Sox -- even facing the mighty AL BEasts. The Rox pitching staff would be worth a look by a new GM seeking to recruit some hidden potential (if you can pitch there, and stay in the Show, you made it).

 

A lot of media attributed Baltimore's surge this year specifically to moving back the leftfield fence in Camden Yards. Pitchers were more aggressive -- on the mound, and agreeing to join the O's.

 

And which of these did you do? Otherwise all you’re doing is theorizing said data exists.

 

So far nothing you have said comes even close to supporting and there that the DBacks staff was very good, or even marginally better than even the Sox staff. In fact, the more one looks into it, the more it becomes evident the Sox staff was actually better.

 

I’m not sure why this is hard to believe. No one is saying the Sox had a great pitching staff. Just saying the DBacks didn’t either. In fact both staffs appear to be below average…

[jacksonianmarch]

I wonder where you can get guys like Aroldis Chapman…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

And which of these did you do? Otherwise all you’re doing is theorizing said data exists.

 

So far nothing you have said comes even close to supporting and there that the DBacks staff was very good, or even marginally better than even the Sox staff. In fact, the more one looks into it, the more it becomes evident the Sox staff was actually better.

 

I’m not sure why this is hard to believe. No one is saying the Sox had a great pitching staff. Just saying the DBacks didn’t either. In fact both staffs appear to be below average…

 

You can keep citing numbers, if that's where you're most confident... but rationally there are other factors that can also be considered in context that aren't always quantifiable.

 

I haven't even looked at the stats of the Dbacks or Sox pitching staffs, so I believe you that neither is very good. But conditions in the majority of ballparks they frequent are quite different.

 

I'm not going to get too much into my past, but will admit playing on several professional diamonds with and against ex-pros or DI players all over New England and Arizona for years. Dimensions of fences in the latter are much deeper because the ball travels further; in places like Tempe Diablo and Scottsdale it's 360 feet down the line. The ball travels faster, too, because the dirt is like red gravel and the natural "grass" is baked into crunchy turf... both also offer rug burn raspberries for those inclined to slide or dive.

 

You may be aware that Phoenix set a national record as the hottest city last July, with average highs of 114.7 degrees. You probably also know from following the Red Sox that it rained for basically four straight months in New England. Extreme weather causes extreme conditions.

[moonslav59]

You can keep citing numbers, if that's where you're most confident... but rationally there are other factors that can also be considered in context that aren't always quantifiable.

 

I haven't even looked at the stats of the Dbacks or Sox pitching staffs, so I believe you that neither is very good. But conditions in the majority of ballparks they frequent are quite different.

 

I'm not going to get too much into my past, but will admit playing on several professional diamonds with and against ex-pros or DI players all over New England and Arizona for years. Dimensions of fences in the latter are much deeper because the ball travels further; in places like Tempe Diablo and Scottsdale it's 360 feet down the line. The ball travels faster, too, because the dirt is like red gravel and the natural "grass" is baked into crunchy turf... both also offer rug burn raspberries for those inclined to slide or dive.

 

You may be aware that Phoenix set a national record as the hottest city last July, with average highs of 114.7 degrees. You probably also know from following the Red Sox that it rained for basically four straight months in New England. Extreme weather causes extreme conditions.

 

There are a lot of factors, including how good the offenses are of the teams they faced.

[notin]

You can keep citing numbers, if that's where you're most confident... but rationally there are other factors that can also be considered in context that aren't always quantifiable.

 

I haven't even looked at the stats of the Dbacks or Sox pitching staffs, so I believe you that neither is very good. But conditions in the majority of ballparks they frequent are quite different.

 

I'm not going to get too much into my past, but will admit playing on several professional diamonds with and against ex-pros or DI players all over New England and Arizona for years. Dimensions of fences in the latter are much deeper because the ball travels further; in places like Tempe Diablo and Scottsdale it's 360 feet down the line. The ball travels faster, too, because the dirt is like red gravel and the natural "grass" is baked into crunchy turf... both also offer rug burn raspberries for those inclined to slide or dive.

 

You may be aware that Phoenix set a national record as the hottest city last July, with average highs of 114.7 degrees. You probably also know from following the Red Sox that it rained for basically four straight months in New England. Extreme weather causes extreme conditions.

 

And you’re not providing anything except supposition and an intense desire to prevent the Sox pitching staff from being mentioned in any fashion except the Ultimate Negative Light. They played in the AL Least, so called becsuse only postseason stats matter. Unless we’re talking about Mookie, whose career .710 postseason OPS is a guaranteed omission.

 

And now - it’s too hot for those Diamondback pitchers?

 

They don’t have a good staff. Without looking it up, can you even name four starting pitchers on that team? If you can’t, don’t sweat it. Torey Lovullo clearly can’t either, because here it is Game 4 of the NLCS with his team trailing and he’s resorted to a bullpen game.

 

Also, if you’re watching this series, you might have also noticed the Diamondbacks defense sucks, too. Do not defend that defense…

Edited October 21, 2023 by notin

[redsoxrules]

Kimbrel pooping the bed again tonight

[moonslav59]

The pen bites DD in the ass, again.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

And you’re not providing anything except supposition and an intense desire to prevent the Sox pitching staff from being mentioned in any fashion except the Ultimate Negative Light. They played in the AL Least, so called becsuse only postseason stats matter. Unless we’re talking about Mookie, whose career .710 postseason OPS is a guaranteed omission.

 

And now - it’s too hot for those Diamondback pitchers?

 

They don’t have a good staff. Without looking it up, can you even name four starting pitchers on that team? If you can’t, don’t sweat it. Torey Lovullo clearly can’t either, because here it is Game 4 of the NLCS with his team trailing and he’s resorted to a bullpen game.

 

Also, if you’re watching this series, you might have also noticed the Diamondbacks defense sucks, too. Do not defend that defense…

 

I don't have an intense desire to argue with other posters, and don't quite understand the beef of this one. Are stats really the end-all be-all of any discussion here, or are others with actual experiences allowed to participate on this board?

 

Is qualitative data the enemy? Is it possible that many subjective realities can co-exist on a forum and contribute different perspectives to discussions?

[Bellhorn04]

"Closin' ain't easy." - dgalehouse.

 

Ryan Pressly has emerged as the reigning money man of closers.

 

Pressly has allowed 1 earned run in his last 30 postseason innings.

[notin]

I don't have an intense desire to argue with other posters, and don't quite understand the beef of this one. Are stats really the end-all be-all of any discussion here, or are others with actual experiences allowed to participate on this board?

 

Is qualitative data the enemy? Is it possible that many subjective realities can co-exist on a forum and contribute different perspectives to discussions?

 

Qualitative data isn’t the enemy. However you cannot refute statistical data merely by saying “but qualitative data exists.” Provide some…

[Bellhorn04]

Arizona has no right to be where they are right now. They had a run differential of -15 this year!

 

But Rob Manfred's Crapshoot Extravaganza has opened the door to mediocre teams to get hot in October and grab a ring...

[notin]

Arizona has no right to be where they are right now. They had a run differential of -15 this year!

 

But Rob Manfred's Crapshoot Extravaganza has opened the door to mediocre teams to get hot in October and grab a ring...

 

They were an 84-78 team. Their mediocrity is no secret…

[redsoxrules]

Arizona has no right to be where they are right now. They had a run differential of -15 this year!

 

But Rob Manfred's Crapshoot Extravaganza has opened the door to mediocre teams to get hot in October and grab a ring...

 

Agreed. They only won 84 games at that as well.

I miss the old format. 162 game season is becoming irrelevant now as you just need to barely finish above 500 to get in.

[notin]

Agreed. They only won 84 games at that as well.

I miss the old format. 162 game season is becoming irrelevant now as you just need to barely finish above 500 to get in.

 

I’d like to see them just get rid of divisions altogether and just send the best teams. It makes zero sense to let the 84 win Diamondbacks , 84 win Marlins, and the 87 win Twins in, but the 88 win Mariners can’t go.

 

Just create two 15 team leagues and let the 2, 4 or 6 best records in regardless of geography. (4 is enough). And call it s a day.

 

Also please stop the World Series from running into November…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I’d like to see them just get rid of divisions altogether and just send the best teams. It makes zero sense to let the 84 win Diamondbacks , 84 win Marlins, and the 87 win Twins in, but the 88 win Mariners can’t go.

 

Just create two 15 team leagues and let the 2, 4 or 6 best records in regardless of geography. (4 is enough). And call it s a day.

 

Also please stop the World Series from running into November…

 

The Mariners can't go because they traded their closer Paul Sewald to Arizona on the last day of July. His 2023 small sample size crapshooting postseason so far: 5 saves in 6 IP, 0.00 ERA.

 

Dang, those were stats. Here's more supposition on calculatesox.com: my supposition is not at the head of the table, but at the end of the bar, just like my breakposition. My lunchposition is in the sunroom, where it's not quite quality when our pack of rescue dogs barks at the neighbors' mutts they spy through the picture windows.

[Jasonbay44]

As much as I dislike him, Jose Altuve is one of the most clutch post season hitters I’ve ever seen.

[Bellhorn04]

The Mariners can't go because they traded their closer Paul Sewald to Arizona on the last day of July. His 2023 small sample size crapshooting postseason so far: 5 saves in 6 IP, 0.00 ERA.

 

Seattle got exactly what they deserved for trading their closer when they were in the hunt.

 

What a loser franchise.

[dgalehouse]

That's weird too.

 

In the ALCS , the home team has still not won a game.. In the NLCS, the home team has not lost a game.

[dgalehouse]

Kimbrel pooping the bed again tonight

 

His velocity is down considerably. He is either hurt or completely out of gas. Either way, he should not have been out there again last night. Thomson apparently has no faith in Walker and Lorenzen. Hard to understand his thinking.

[moonslav59]

That Altuve HR was like a punch in the gut.

[dgalehouse]

"Closin' ain't easy." - dgalehouse.

 

Ryan Pressly has emerged as the reigning money man of closers.

 

Pressly has allowed 1 earned run in his last 30 postseason innings.

 

Closing is tough. Texas is still trying to find one. They have gone from Smith to Chapman to Leclerc. And still having trouble.

[Bellhorn04]

Ryan Pressly was a Rule 5 selection from the Red Sox in 2007.

[Maxbialystock]

Agreed. They only won 84 games at that as well.

I miss the old format. 162 game season is becoming irrelevant now as you just need to barely finish above 500 to get in.

 

Ignorance is once again rampant on talksox.

 

To remind: the very best MLB team this year with 104 wins was the Braves, who won 64% of their games. The last place (in the AL East) Sox won 48%. If those two teams played a 5 game series, the Sox would normally win 2 and the Braves 3 games, which means the Sox would only need a break in one game to win the series.

[dgalehouse]

Baseball is just a more random sport than most other sports. There is no major upset in any baseball game.

[moonslav59]

Ignorance is once again rampant on talksox.

 

To remind: the very best MLB team this year with 104 wins was the Braves, who won 64% of their games. The last place (in the AL East) Sox won 48%. If those two teams played a 5 game series, the Sox would normally win 2 and the Braves 3 games, which means the Sox would only need a break in one game to win the series.

 

Maybe they used up their breaks, already winning those 2 of 5.

 

[Maxbialystock]

That Altuve HR was like a punch in the gut.

 

It's turned into a competitive series between two Texas teams. The Rangers had a big advantage going in because the new format meant the Astros sat on their duffs from Sunday to Saturday--and lost their edge.

 

Then NLCS between the Phillies and Diamondbacks is also competitive.