Say what you want but the NLCS definitely gave the fans the most bang for their buck both in terms of excitement as well as story lines. Carlos Beltran, the postseason Cardinal-killer, was perfectly set up to be the hero last night. And he struck out on three pitches.
And what about Oliver Perez? Perez was dubbed the Game 7 starter despite a 3-13 regular season record. I may be mistaken but I think that is the worst record for a postseason game starter. How does he respond? He allows one run in 6 innings with only 2 walks (Perez has had issues with control during the regular season).
Finally, Yadier Molina who hit .216 and slugged only a half dozen dingers all year was deigned by the baseball gods to be the NLCS hero. It doesn’t get any better than this.
So we got a Cardinals-Tigers series. Both teams are not without their similarities. The Cardinals, seen by many baseball pundits at the beginning of the postseason as the worst team in the playoffs. The Tigers on the other hand, were the hottest team for most of the year then tanked for the last 60 games.
Detroit breezed through the ALDS and ALCS but St Louis had to work to get to where they are now. Whether the Cards can use their momentum to their favor remains to be seen.
One thing I’ve learned from listening to the pundits out there is not to make rash predictions or observations based on one game. We saw that happen with Detroit in Game 1 against the Yankees in the ALDS. The media had pretty much handed the Yankees the series after the first inning. Anything can happen in a five game series, let alone a seven game series, and that’s why we love this game.
That said, I will say this. The Cards will have their work cut out for them against the Bengals. Unless we see some serious heroics from Albert, they over matched both in the pitching and hitting departments.
Bob Gibson, where are you?
Followup: Just heard on MLB radio that Oliver Perez had worst W-L record AND the worst ERA for a postseason starter. Just goes to show when it comes to the postseason, you don’t follow the numbers.
One thing I do like about this year’s WS: the classic look of the home uni’s for both teams. No softball-style jerseys (at least I hope none of them are used). Especially for the games in Detroit, the players will look a lot like they did in 1968 (minus the silly WS2006 emblems, of course). Now if the Tigers would give up the orange “D” on their road hats, things would be a lot better IMHO.
Re: Perez and his record-as I understand it, Randolph had very little choice with two of his starters down. I think it was Fox who was reporting on how we remember these “all time great” game seven matchups-and as often as not, its the 4th or fifth starters for each team in those games. :-)
Everybody, but everybody in the press seems to be picking the Tigers; and most seem to be going no more than five games. It would be fun to have a seven gamer, just to hear them make excuses.
Bob Gibson LOST Game Seven of the 1968 Cardinal-Tiger Series.
I know Cardinal fans don’t think Bob Gibson ever lost a game (sarcastic grin). Certainly not a BIG game (bigger grin, more sarcasm). But it’s true. Jim Northrup blasted a triple over Curt Flood’s head with the bases loaded, and that was enough for Mickey Lolich.
BTW: Juan Marichal was better than Bob Gibson.
DonS.
tell Johnny Roseboro that ;-)
ok, I made my Gibson comment off the cuff but just for the sake of arguement, I decided to look up his 1968 WS stats:
3 GS, 3 CG, 27 IP, 35 K, 4 BB, and only 5 ER.
17 Ks in Game 1.
but you’re right. he did lose Game 7.
Trivia Question: In the 1960’s (1960-1969), the decade in which both pitchers were in their primes, how many seasons did Bob Gibson win more games than Juan Marichal?
I am so tempted to bring up baseball reference.com, right now.
but that woould be cheating. :)
I would assume this a trick question.
You mean 1964 World Series & 1967 World Series MVP Bob Gibson? That over rated guy?
Here is what the Wikiencyclopedia had to say about Mr. Gibson… Hard to believe Juan Marichal was better than Bob Gibson.
His earned run average in 1968 was 1.12, which is a Live Ball Era record. He threw 13 shutouts, and allowed only two earned runs in 92 straight innings of pitching. He also won the National League MVP. In Game One of the 1968 World Series, he struck out 17 Detroit Tigers to set a World Series record for strikeouts in one game, which still stands today. His season was so successful that his performance is widely cited in Major League Baseball’s decision to lower the pitcher’s mound by five inches in 1969. The change had only a slight effect on him; he went 20-13 that year, with a 2.18 ERA. Some say that his 13 shutout season may never be repeated by anyone again given the heavier emphasis on pitch counts and relief pitching today.
The Trivia Question: In the 1960’s (1960-1969), the decade in which both pitchers were in their primes, how many seasons did Bob Gibson win more games than Juan Marichal?
Trivia Answer: ZERO. Not a trick question. In no season in the 1960’s did Bob Gibson win more games than Juan Mrichal. In 1961, each had 13 wins. The other 9 years, Marichal had more.
In the 1960’s: Juan Marichal’s W-L record was 191-88. Bob Gibson’s was 164-105. Marichal was 103 games over .500, Gibson was 59 games over .500.
Marichal’s career record was 243-142 (101 games over .500), with a career ERA of 2.89. Gibson’s career record was 251-174 (77 games over .500) with a career ERA of 2.91. If Marichal had 40 more decisions, and went 8-32 in those decisions, his W-L would have been the same as Bob Gibson’s.
I know about the World Series. A few well-pitched games on the National Stage, repeatedly rehashed, make Gibson seem unbeatable. UnHIT-able, even.
We are talking about OBVIOUS Hall-of Famers; I think the evedence is that Marichal was better.
One Unrelated Thought: To me, the most amazing fact about Marichal is that, if you add together his four best seasons (1963, 1964, 1966 and 1968), his W-L record is better than that of the four Cy Young Award winners. Marichal: 97-31, Cy Winners: 94-32. Yet, not only did he not win a single award, he didn’t get ONE Cy Young vote in any of those years.
DonS.
Don I know better than to argue about baseball that took place when i was 3 years old ;)
it is interesting that in StL best year, 1967 when they won 101, Gibson won only 13.
again ironically, that would have been his chance to catch JM. He only had 14.