Wednesday, October 03, 2012

SO IT COMES DOWN TO THIS

## 161 Games aren't enough, we need that last game to determine the match ups. We are blessed with TWO Cinderella teams this year, Oakland & Baltimore. Not only did these two teams make the playoffs, which is surprising enough, but both have a chance to be division champs. The A's have their fate in their own hands, but Baltimore will need the Yankees to lose and then beat them in a playoff game - a daunting task.
Accu-score runs thousands of simulations of every game and posts the results every day, by percentages. Usually the results end up being anywhere from 50% - 50%, to as much as 70-30.  Today, Baltimore win percentage was 55 and Oakland won 53%. The Yankees won 83% of the games,  I have never seen a number that high before. I'm guessing that most of that comes from the fact that Boston has a Triple A lineup and Matsuzaka pitching, not exactly a combination that brings fear to an opponent.

## The Red Sox looked like they were really trying last night, and went into the bottom of the ninth with a two run lead. I'm sure there was some celebrating going on in the Oriole clubhouse in Tampa at that time. The Yanks should have been way ahead of Boston by that time, but Mark Teixeira hit into two double plays and grounded out to short with two men on each time. When Raul Ibanez saved Mark & the Yankees with a pinch-hit two-run shot in the ninth and then won it with an RBI single in the 12th, no one was happier than Tex. ...and no one was sadder than the Orioles.
Teixeira said afterwards that he must have thanked Ibanez "a hundred times." Raul has done it all year. Of his 19 home runs, 10 have tied the score or put the Yanks ahead. Teixeira said, "Raul has done it from the first at-bat in spring training." Well, not really. He was so bad in the spring, I wanted the Yanks to release him until sometime in June.  Hard to admit, but Girardi was right and I was wro..., wro..., um, not right.

Bobby Valentine told reporters yesterday, that he was "100% sure he would be in Boston for the next two years."  And he will be: He has a two-year lease on his condo there.

## The Seattle Mariners have announced that they will be moving in the fences at Safeco Field this off-season. Before the Mariner hitters get too excited, they should know that the left-center power alley will be 378 feet instead of 390, and the right-center alley will be 381 feet, a reduction of 4 feet. Center field is also being moved in 4 feet. The Mariners hit 55 home runs at home this year (by contrast, the Yanks hit 134 homers at the stadium).

## Jayson Stark of ESPN, published his version of the 2012 awards. He believes that Mike Trout of the Angels deserves the MVP award. Personally, I favor Miguel Cabrera.
The funniest part of his list was the weirdest injuries of the year.
5) Tie
Ryan Howard dropped an iron pipe on his foot, breaking it while in the on-deck circle
David Ortiz blew out his Achilles heel rounding second while trotting home after an Adrian Gonzales homer.
Neither of these guys run very well to begin with.

4) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy was on the floor trying to retrieve a sock when his wife dropped a suitcase on his hand, breaking it. She claimed it "just got away from her."

3) Josh Hamiton ended up with Ocular Kerititis (dried corneas) caused by drinking too much caffeine. He did offer an explanation: "Guys, it's me. It's Josh. It's going to be something weird."

2) Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt made the list last year by stabbing his hand with a knife trying to separate two frozen burgers. This entry: He squatted down to catch a hug from his running 4-year old and sprained a knee ligament. It seems obvious that Jeremy is no help around the house.

1)  Tie (both occurred celebrating no-hitters)
Ramon Ramirez, Mets, blew out a hamstring running out to congratulate Johan Santana 
Aubry Huff, Giants, sprained a knee when he failed to hurdle the dugout railing rushing out to congratulate Matt Cain.

THEY SAID IT
"Valentine will not be dismissed because he didn’t win. Valentine will be dismissed because he didn’t help. The next manager will be asked only to help more than he hurts."  -- Boston writer Brian MacPherson
"Biologists claim they have proof the zombie virus has spread to Washington state. "Finally! " say locals,  "An explanation for the Mariners."  -- RJ Currie
"If Rasheed Wallace, 38, comes out of retirement, as expected, it'll give the Knicks five players over the age of 35.In lieu of champagne, they'll celebrate any championships by spraying Mylanta."  -- Dwight Perry
"Tiger Woods KO'd a Ryder Cup fan with a tee shot: "Tiger said he was sorry, unless, of course, the fan turns out to be a divorce lawyer."  -- Brad Dickson
"MLB has said it could be FRIDAY until game times for Saturday are announced.   Basically so they can assure that NY will be in primetime. "  -- Janice Hough
" Division races are tight in Major League Baseball.  Detroit's  Prince Fielder has a saying about pressure.  When the going gets tough, the tough get nachos."  -- Alan Ray
"Kerri Walsh Jennings just revealed she was pregnant when she and her partner won their last Gold medal at the London Olympics. And may I join millions of women around the world in saying "Weaker sex, my ass."  -- Janice Hough

"NHL players have turned down the owners' latest proposal to end their lockout. Which was, start the season on time — but use replacement refs."  -- Dwight Perry
"Washington Redskin long-snapper, Nick Sundberg, is a human crash-test dummy at a taser company. Who says NFL players are unable to segue into successful business careers? If anyone with NFL ties became a crash-test dummy, I always assumed it would be Terry Bradshaw."  -- Brad Dickson

CP-






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