baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
What Went Wrong: Braves' Pitching Squashes Repeat Plans
You know how hard it's becoming to win back-to-back World Series? There have been two sets of back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions since the last time a team repeated as World Champions in MLB. Yet after the wild finish the Atlanta Braves had, it seemed like they had a pretty good chance to repeat the success they had in 2021. It was an amazing year; the Braves bounced back from a rough start to win the National League East, and then run the table in the postseason--capturing the World Series on November 2, 2021. The team did lose Freddie Freeman, the heart and soul of the team, to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the offseason, and they would pay for it with another rough start to 2022.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
2022 Division Series Preview
I do love the Division Series, which once served as the opening round of the MLB Postseason. The League Division Series (LDS) officially debuted in the 1995 season, and has been played under a best-of-five format ever since. From 1995 until 2011, the Division Series marked the beginning of the postseason, with three wins advancing the two winners in each league to the League Championship Series (LCS). Since 2012, the LDS is the second round after the Wild Card Game (now the Wild Card Series), and the LDS means, as Jim Ross often says, "Business is about to pick up."
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
The New York Mets' 61st season was full of immense promise. They won 101 games this season, which was only their fourth 100+ win season in franchise history. The other seasons: 1969, 1986, and 1988. In those first two years, the Mets won the World Series, with 1969 being the famous "Miracle Mets" year where they came back from 10 games down in the National League East to win the division, while 1986 was the infamous Bill Buckner series; Mookie Wilson's walk-off RBI single going in between Buckner's legs in Game Six. The Mets did not win the pennant in 1988, but would win two more pennants in 2000 and 2015. 2016 was their last postseason until this year, and their journey would begin with the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: The Last Hurrah
Without question, the centerpiece of the St. Louis Cardinals' 2022 season was the return of their beloved legend, Albert Pujols. The Cards were coming off a 2021 season that saw them go on a winning tear in September to nab one of the National League's Wild Card spots. This year, the winning tear started about a month or so early, basically nabbing control of the National League Central from the Milwaukee Brewers, and never looked back. The Cardinals faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series, and Game One looked like it would be quiet, until Juan Tepez struck with a pinch-hit two-run HR in the sixth inning.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: It Was 8-1
Ooh, boy. Well...that happened. You know, as a fan of a division rival, I only save my actual hatred for the Boston Red Sox. I have no reason to hate the Toronto Blue Jays. I remain fascinated by their team history; joined the American League in 1977, won their first division title in 1985, and became an AL powerhouse throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, which led them to back-to-back World Championships in 1992 and 1993. Many moons passed before they would become a playoff team again, but the Blue Jays appear to be a perennial playoff team at the current moment.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Where's the Offense, Rays?!
In any postseason, it is never good to be the first one eliminated, but someone has to carry that burden. In the case of the 2022 MLB postseason, that unfortunate dishonor went to the Tampa Bay Rays, who were ousted in two games in the best-of-three Wild Card Series by the Cleveland Guardians. For the Rays, this is their second straight postseason appearance since their run to the World Series in 2020. 2021 saw the Rays win a franchise record 100 games and capture the American League East, but they were ousted in the Division Series by the Red Sox. This year, they had a strong campaign that saw them nearly capitalize on the New York Yankees' late-summer skid, but once the Yankees woke back up, the Rays fell off in September, going from the #4 seed (the home Wild Card position) to finishing as the #6 seed, but still qualifying.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
2022 Wild Card Series Preview
The MLB Postseason is here! I've always enjoyed baseball's playoffs, I love everything about it, even the little things, such as MLB using the word "postseason" instead of "playoffs." Out of the three leagues that use a series format, MLB has the shortest postseason; the quest to crown a champion takes under a month with very few days off. This year begins the modified postseason that was made official during the lockout in March and April of this year, which features the 12 best teams participating in this round robin tournament. The single-game Wild Card round that has opened the postseason since 2012 is now changed to a best-of-three Wild Card Series, with one series pitting the #3 seed (the lowest division champion) against the #6 seed (the lowest Wild Card), while the other series features the other two Wild Cards (seeded #4 and #5).
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Phillies Complete 2022 Postseason Field
When the Seattle Mariners ended their 21-year postseason drought on September 30, 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies ended up becoming the new owners of the longest current postseason drought in MLB...for three days. At the time of Seattle's clinch, the Phils were on their own path, and on October 3, 2022, it was completed. The Phillies defeated the Houston Astros, 3-0, to clinch the last overall remaining spot in the 2022 MLB Postseason, and end a drought that lasted 11 years.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Seattle Parties Like It's 2001
The date was Friday, September 30, 2022. After the New York Yankees game ended, I saw the ESPN ticker and noticed that the Seattle Mariners were in the bottom of the ninth tied at one, so I switched to MLB Network to see the Mariners at bat. The reason is simple: the Mariners could clinch a postseason berth that evening. Carlos Santana came up short, leaving Cal Raleigh to come to the plate with two outs--one out away from extra innings. I was pulling for a walk-off HR, because it would be so fitting if the long suffering of Mariners fans would end on one swing. Sure enough, that's what happened. Raleigh's shot went long, it went far, and it hit the foul pole. When that ball hit the foul pole, the 21-year itch came to an epic end.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Yankees Are Beasts of the East. Top Story - September 2022.
On September 27, 2022, the New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2, to clinch the American League East for the 20th time in franchise history, and the first time since 2019. Divisional play began in 1969, with the American and National Leagues divided into two divisions: East and West (the Central Divisions were formed in 1994). It wasn't until 1976 that the Yankees won the AL East for the first time, but despite that long wait, the Yankees' 20 division titles are the most in the division's history, with the Boston Red Sox being second with 10, which is half of the total of their hated rivals.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2022: The Final 10 Days
We are down to the final 10 days of the 2022 MLB season, and so much is left to be decided. The past week saw quite a few developments in the pennant races, as well as a historic moment involving a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Let's get to that first:
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2022: Best in the West
The MLB regular season is going down to the wire, with 17 days remaining. Even with so little time left, there is still a lot to be decided; such is the effect of the expanded postseason format. A few things did get locked in during the past week, while some teams could be on the rise in certain postseason races. The developments are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
