Nate: I posted the rest of our e-mails on my blog around the time the Sox lost. I'll understand if you don't want to continue doing the e-mail thing. And I know you've already heard a bunch of that “well at least the Yankees lost too shit,” as if that should make you feel any better.
But you know it has to.
At least a little right?
3 questions
1. What were the worst three plays, calls, and/or managerial moves (or lack thereof) in the Sox Sox series?
2. It appears Bartolo Colon might be out of shape. Who is the fattest awesome player ever besides the babe? I'm probably going with Kruk.
3. I'm calling the Birds and White Sox in six or seven games (I'm way out on that limb). After the Cardinals steady season play, shaken up only by the post-clinch period, and their quality post season play thus far, how can you doubt them? The only IF right know is Larry Walker. Feel free to pick the Astros again. Feel free. Go on. I dare you. Oh yeah. You have been dared.
Justin: Ok, a few quick thoughts about the Red Sox series:
1. The White Sox were simply the better team. What more can you say? If you have shaky pitching, an unreliable bullpen, poor baserunning, sloppy defense, shitty coaching, and an offense that relies entirely on two guys, you don't win a playoff series. Meanwhile, Chicago did everything right, made the right plays, got the big outs and big hits. That's all there is to it.
2. Ozzie Guillen sounds just like Scarface, to the point when he was screaming at the umps during Game 3, I chimed in: “And fuck the fucking Diaz brothers! Fucking cocksuckers!”
3. I still say Padres in five.
Ok, on to your three:1. Well, the play that changed the series was T-Graff's error in Game 2. I don't blame Graff, he didn't give up the 3-run homer. But that was the turning point, when you realized it just wasn't mean to be for your team. Also, there was that egregious sixth inning of Game 3 when they had the bases juiced with no outs and didn't score a run. I was so heavily medicated by that point though I didn't realize how bad it was until the next day. Oh, and I'll take Game1 as a mulligan, one of those Game Ones (like in theSt.Louis-San Diego series) where you look around and think: “Holy shit, we don't stand a chance.”
2. Umm, in terms of fat and awesome, how could yourforget Big Papi? Ooh, and Rich Garces. And Cecil Fielder.
3. Ok, let's break this down. Bear in mind, everysingle one of my ALDS predictions (Red Sox in 4, Yanks in 3, Braves in 4, Padres in 5) didn't happen. I can'tbelieve how much of an idiot I am sometimes. I shouldn't be allowed to drive a car.
ALCS: Chicago vs. Anaheim. Both teams play damned good baseball, but I'm giving the edge to Anaheim, even with a relatively weak pitching staff. Also, Orlando Cabrera is turning into Adam Vinatieri (one of theguys you just need to have in the playoffs). Plus, the Angels, unlike the Red Sox can get timely hits, run, and play defense. Call me crazy, I just don't trust Chicago here. I say Anaheim in 6.
NLCS: Much tougher call here. Everyone will give the edge to Houston for the pitching, but I think the Cardinals can match Clemens/Pettite/Oswalt with Carpenter/Mulder/Morris. Isringhausen and Lidge are a wash. Same with the coaches. The difference is Pujols. Houston has nobody that comes close. He's an absolute game-breaker. Coupled with Eckstein and the incomparable Reggie Sanders, the Cards are truly dangerous. As for Houston, a lot of people will ride them for what happened in the 18-inning Game 4, but I don't care. I picked against the Cards before; I don'tmake the same mistake twice. Cards in 5. Now you.
Nate: As I'm typing this, I'm beaming with respect for Fox. They threw Lou Pinella into the broadcast booth, and though he's sucking a raw egg, he's stealing color time from McCarver, and he's better than McCarver. I swear, McCarver must thank the good Lord every time he cashes a paycheck.
You know, Vegas is just awesome. I've written about it once for PIC back in the article days. It's one of those cities like New Orleans—I couldn't actually keep a job if I lived in those towns, but man will I visit.
Onto the questions.
1. I got nothing on one, except this quote from my buddy Aaron, who grew up in Woerster (sp). “I think they're asking a lot of Ortiz. One DH may be able to win the MVP, but he can't win a series.”
2. Papi doesn't count as awesome 'cause I've never seen him layout or play good defense. Same with Cecil and Garces. Kruk, on the other spike, drug his fat ass over the field like a mad man, belly flopping to make diving catches and even dragging his chubby ass down second to steal a base. Fielder did all that when he was skinny, but fat Fielder didn't do nothing ‘cept pass the lucky gravy. I'll stick with Kruk.
3. Glad to see you're on the Cardinals bandwagon now. It got run over by your Jimmy Fallon driven bandwagon last year (ouch, yeah, I guess that was a shot). By the way, I still haven't seen Fever Pitch, but a chick I'll probably never date again said she heard it was the perfect date movie. She even called it the Jerry Maguire of baseball. Yeah, I don't know about her. Onto my picks.
ALCS
White Sox in 7.
The Angels have the bullpen, but they don't have the lineup (as I type this, the Angels are up by a run and their bullpen is trying to save it—ironic, huh?). The Sox will probably lose game one, but I see them winning game 2 and then showing up in California motivated like cokeheads with no money but “some really cool stuff to trade.” They come back to Chicago down by a game, and win the next two. Sports Hype Artists everywhere will blame it on the loss of Bartolo Colon, who will be too busy sampling the new year's Hostess products to give two cream filled shits.
NLCS
Cardinals in 7
Oswalt and Clemens will lose a combined three games. And we'll win the opener against Pettite. My only worry is our bullpen and Larry Walker (LaRussa is putting too much faith in the aging slugger because he's allegedly showing spirit on the bench. Yeah, there's a fat guy in Right Center showing spirit on a bench, too, and he ain't playing right field. Whatever. I hope he proves me wrong), Reggie will keep hitting and Pujols is gonna have some fun against Clemens. But, if things don't go right, LaRussa will start over managing again (he's scared me three times already). Still, I just don't think any team in the NL matched up with us well this year except the pre-injury Marlins, and they're probably all fishing in the Everglades right now so why even worry about 'em?
Now, three more questions?
Which show are you most upset about not getting to see until the end of the post season and would you rather watch that show than a post season game your team is not in?
What's the shitiest stadium you have ever seen a game in (I live in Tampa, so I have you beat)?
Bottom of ninth White Sox need a run. I'm out.
Justin: First of all, how bout that Angels-Sox game last nite? My word. The best part is seeing all the columnists and talking heads on ESPN screaming: “WHY NO INSTANT REPLAY?!” Of course, the best analysis of the game came courtesy of the Botox Knight himself, Skip Bayless, who actually argued that the ball hit the ground, when every single video of the pitch conclusively proved the catcher caught the ball. It's like watching the Zapruder tape and saying, “Yeah, I don't think Kennedy was shot.”Here's my argument. Bring in instant replay, but also demand umpires to have a uniform “Three strikes–you're out” call. Football refs can't get cute with the penalties, so why umps?
Ok.
1. It has to be the Simpsons. Granted the Simpsons officially died with Maude Flanders (although last season's episode with the webcam girls in Ned's househad flashes of brilliance), but it pains me to see a Halloween Spectacular scheduled for November 6. Would it kill them to start a Sunday World Series game ataround 6ish (like the Super Bowl), then shows the Simpsons afterwards? Fox is the worst.
2. I've only seen a game in Fenway so I'm ignorant. I bet Yankee Stadium blows though.
Ok, same questions to you, followed by this doozy.If you ran Fox, name improvements you would make for the telecast. Only three!
MORE EVENTUALLY