The Baseball Continuum

PP Adrian Gonzalez– 3

P Gerrit Cole– 3

PP Pedro Alvarez– 3

P Jon Lester– 3

P Mike Minor– 3

PP Hanley Ramirez– 3

PP Yoenis Cespedes– 3

P Jason Grilli– 3

PP Carl Crawford– 3

P Chris Capuano– 3

PP Seth Smith– 3

P Dan Otero– 3

PP Juan Uribe-3

PP (Position Player) Russell Martin– 1

P (Pitcher) Francisco Liriano– 1

PP Desmond Jennings– 1

P Alex Cobb– 1

Mr. Octobers of Yesterday (October 14, 2013)

Posted on October 15, 2013 by danglickman

Yesterday’s Mr. Octobers are Hyun-jin Ryu and Yasiel Puig. Ryu went 7 shutout innings and gave up just three hits, while Puig went 2-3 with an RBI on his crazy triple, where he was able to get to third standing up despite spending his time getting out of the box admiring the hit while flipping his bat.

Standings (PP= Position Player, P= Pitcher):

PP Carlos Beltran– 11

P Clayton Kershaw– 11

P Max Scherzer– 11

P Justin Verlander– 9

P Adam Wainwright– 9

PP David Ortiz– 8

P Michael Wacha– 8

PP Jhonny Peralta – 8

P Koji Uehara– 6

PP Shane Victorino– 6

PP David Freese – 6

PP Miguel Cabrera– 6

P Zack Greinke– 5

P Anibal Sanchez – 5

P Hyun-jin Ryu- 5

PP Yasiel Puig- 5

PP Adrian Gonzalez– 3

P Gerrit Cole– 3

PP Pedro Alvarez– 3

P Jon Lester– 3

P Mike Minor– 3

PP Hanley Ramirez– 3

PP Yoenis Cespedes– 3

P Jason Grilli– 3

PP Carl Crawford– 3

P Chris Capuano– 3

PP Seth Smith– 3

P Dan Otero– 3

PP Juan Uribe-3

PP (Position Player) Russell Martin– 1

P (Pitcher) Francisco Liriano– 1

PP Desmond Jennings– 1

P Alex Cobb– 1

Mr. Octobers of Yesterday (October 12, 2013)

Posted on October 13, 2013 by danglickman

Who are the Mr. Octobers of yesterday?

Well, the Cardinals-Dodgers game has Mr. Octobers in Michael Wacha (who again impressed with 8 Ks in 6.2 scoreless innings) and, in another case where two pitchers are getting the award, Clayton Kershaw, who got a tough-luck loss, having given up just two hits in the game and no earned runs.

As for the Tigers-Red Sox game? Anibal Sanchez, who has 6 hitless innings with 12 Ks before the pitchcount took him out, and Jhonny Peralta, who had three hits, including the game’s lone RBI.

Standings (PP= Position Play, P= Pitcher):

PP Carlos Beltran– 11

P Clayton Kershaw– 11

P Justin Verlander– 9

P Adam Wainwright– 9

P Michael Wacha– 8

PP Jhonny Peralta – 8

P Max Scherzer– 6

P Koji Uehara– 6

PP Shane Victorino– 6

PP David Freese – 6

PP Miguel Cabrera– 6

P Zack Greinke– 5

P Anibal Sanchez – 5

PP David Ortiz– 3

PP Adrian Gonzalez– 3

P Gerrit Cole– 3

PP Pedro Alvarez– 3

P Jon Lester– 3

P Mike Minor– 3

PP Hanley Ramirez– 3

PP Yoenis Cespedes– 3

P Jason Grilli– 3

PP Carl Crawford– 3

P Chris Capuano– 3

PP Seth Smith– 3

P Dan Otero– 3

PP Juan Uribe-3

PP (Position Player) Russell Martin– 1

P (Pitcher) Francisco Liriano– 1

PP Desmond Jennings– 1

P Alex Cobb– 1

Preview/Predictions for the 2013 ALCS

Posted on October 12, 2013 by danglickman

I have no clue. I have basically zero clue as to what will happen in this upcoming series between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers. It’s like trying to determine who would win between an unstoppable force (the Red Sox) and an immovable object (the Tigers, especially their pitching staff). That said, there are some hints as to what the outcome may be, and it suggests that the Red Sox will be the ones coming out on top.

Most importantly, the Red Sox have their rotation set-up how they want it, a result of finishing off the Rays in four while the Tigers had to go five against Oakland. That means Max Scherzer will have to wait until game 2 and Verlander won’t be in until game 3. In contrast, the Red Sox have it all set up for Jon Lester to pitch game 1 against Anibal Sanchez, with Clay Buchholz set up to go ace-on-ace against Max Scherzer. In other words, they are set up to have a great chance at winning game one and have perhaps an even chance at game 2. And, in fact, that could be pretty important for the Red Sox, as it would mean they could stumble against Verlander and still be in command of the series.

Besides that, though, I feel like the Red Sox have an advantage in bullpen and in general health. The Tigers’ bullpen was rather shaky during the ALDS (remember how they allowed the tying run to come to the plate in game 5?), which was the complete opposite of what the Red Sox was, as Koji Uehara (aside from one bad pitch to Jose Lobaton) was lights-out and Craig Breslow was similarly effective. As for health, despite that home run, it’s obvious that Miguel Cabrera is still far from what he’s supposed to be, and that could change everything.

With the better pitching set-up, better bullpen, and better health, I’m going with the Red Sox in 6.

Mr. Octobers of Yesterday (October 11, 2013)

Posted on October 12, 2013 by danglickman

It’s very easy to pick who the Mr. Octobers of yesterday were: Zack Greinke and Carlos Beltran.

Greinke pitched great in a loss, going 8 innings of 4-hit ball and striking out 10.

Beltran, meanwhile, continued to be perhaps the greatest postseason performer of our era, which is especially impressive when you consider he has never even been to a World Series. His walk-off hit, of course, will be what first comes to mind, but that forgets the great throw he made to get the would-be go-ahead run at home in the 10th inning.

Standings (PP= Position Play, P= Pitcher):

PP Carlos Beltran– 11

P Justin Verlander– 9

P Adam Wainwright– 9

P Clayton Kershaw– 6

P Max Scherzer– 6

P Koji Uehara– 6

PP Shane Victorino– 6

PP David Freese – 6

PP Miguel Cabrera– 6

P Zack Greinke- 5

PP David Ortiz– 3

PP Adrian Gonzalez– 3

P Gerrit Cole– 3

PP Pedro Alvarez– 3

P Jon Lester– 3

P Mike Minor– 3

PP Hanley Ramirez– 3

PP Yoenis Cespedes– 3

P Jason Grilli– 3

PP Carl Crawford– 3

P Chris Capuano– 3

PP Seth Smith– 3

P Dan Otero– 3

P Michael Wacha– 3

PP Juan Uribe-3

PP Jhonny Peralta – 3

PP (Position Player) Russell Martin– 1

P (Pitcher) Francisco Liriano– 1

PP Desmond Jennings– 1

P Alex Cobb– 1

Preview/Predictions for the 2013 NLCS

Posted on October 11, 2013 by danglickman

It could be a classic series in the making in the National League Championship Series. After all, we are seeing two pitching-rich members of the “Original 16” facing off, with exciting hitters old and new dotting their lineups as well. Who holds the edge? Well… I don’t know. As I’ve said before and will say again, it’s really difficult to predict a series, where one funny hop or blown call can change everything. So, let’s go aspect by aspect.

First, starting pitching. In this aspect, the Dodgers have an edge. Not too big of an edge, but an edge nontheless. First off, the fact that they were able to finish off the Braves in four games means that they can set up their rotation roughly how they want, with the exception that they will have to swap Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw in the rotation, which, while not what they would have preferred, is hardly a death-blow. By comparison, the Cardinals will be unable to call upon their ace, Adam Wainwright, until Game 3, although they will be able to have young phenom Michael Wacha go against Kershaw. This leads to another advantage that the Dodgers’ rotation has over the Cardinals: depth. Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly are certainly capable pitchers who could defeat the Dodgers, but they aren’t quite at the one-two punch level of Hyun-Jin Ryu (who would be a Rookie of the Year candidate most seasons) or Ricky Nolasco.

Now, lineup. This goes in St. Louis’ favor. They have a deeper bench, more depth, and have Carlos Beltran, who, as has been noted before and will be noted again, is the greatest postseason hitter of our era, if not any era. The redbirds scored 77 more runs this season than any other NL team, and there’s really only one hitter of their eight position players (Pete Kozma) that I wouldn’t fear due to either numbers or reputation.

So, what about bullpen? I give this one to the Dodgers, slightly. Kenley Jansen is an awesome reliever, especially when you consider he once was a catcher. And they also have Brian Wilson, who seems to be back to normal (or whatever he calls normal), as well as other good relievers like J.P. Howell. While the Cardinals certainly aren’t hurting in the bullpen, with Trevor Rosenthal at the helm most notably, but I feel like the Dodgers have a slight advantage here- I’m not entirely sure why, I just feel that way.

However, there are other factors to keep in mind: the Cardinals have home field and more experience, for example, and, well, Don Mattingley still hasn’t won a World Series, despite playing for and then coaching with the Yankees, so you have to wonder if there is some sort of hex upon him.

I don’t believe in hexes, though. Well, not for the purposes of this article at least, as I predict the Dodgers will win in 7.

Mr. Octobers of Yesterday (October 10, 2013)

Posted on October 11, 2013 by danglickman

It’s easy to pick the Mr. Octobers of Game 5 of the ALDS between the A’s and Tigers: Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. Cabrera had a 2-run HR, while Verlander had a no-hitter into the 7th and more-or-less shutdown the Athletics all eight innings he started in.

So, for that, they get DOUBLE points, adding 6 points to their Mr. October scores.

And, starting with the LCSes, it’s five points for being a Mr. October!

Standings (PP= Position Play, P= Pitcher):

P Justin Verlander– 9

P Adam Wainwright– 9

PP Carlos Beltran– 6

P Clayton Kershaw– 6

P Max Scherzer– 6

P Koji Uehara– 6

PP Shane Victorino– 6

PP David Freese – 6

PP Miguel Cabrera- 6

PP David Ortiz– 3

PP Adrian Gonzalez– 3

P Gerrit Cole– 3

PP Pedro Alvarez– 3

P Jon Lester– 3

P Mike Minor– 3

PP Hanley Ramirez– 3

PP Yoenis Cespedes– 3

P Jason Grilli– 3

PP Carl Crawford– 3

P Chris Capuano– 3

PP Seth Smith– 3

P Dan Otero– 3

P Michael Wacha– 3

PP Juan Uribe-3

PP Jhonny Peralta – 3

PP (Position Player) Russell Martin– 1

P (Pitcher) Francisco Liriano– 1

PP Desmond Jennings– 1

P Alex Cobb– 1

Mr. Octobers of Yesterday (October 9, 2013)

Posted on October 10, 2013 by danglickman

Game 5 last night in the NLDS. And the Mr. Octobers are easy to pick: David Freese and Adam Wainwright. For that, they get DOUBLE points, adding 6 points to their Mr. October scores.

Standings (PP= Position Play, P= Pitcher):

P Adam Wainwright– 9

PP Carlos Beltran– 6

P Clayton Kershaw– 6

P Max Scherzer– 6

P Koji Uehara– 6

PP Shane Victorino– 6

PP David Freese – 6

PP David Ortiz– 3

P Justin Verlander– 3

PP Adrian Gonzalez– 3

P Gerrit Cole– 3

PP Pedro Alvarez– 3

P Jon Lester– 3

P Mike Minor– 3

PP Hanley Ramirez– 3

PP Yoenis Cespedes– 3

P Jason Grilli– 3

PP Carl Crawford– 3

P Chris Capuano– 3

PP Seth Smith– 3

P Dan Otero– 3

P Michael Wacha– 3

PP Juan Uribe-3

PP Jhonny Peralta – 3

PP (Position Player) Russell Martin– 1

P (Pitcher) Francisco Liriano– 1

PP Desmond Jennings– 1

P Alex Cobb– 1

Mr. Octobers of Yesterday (October 8, 2013)

Posted on October 9, 2013 by danglickman

Okay, first off, the game between the Tigers and Athletics. Among position players, the Mr. October was Jhonny Peralta. His home run tied the score at 3-3 and he had another hit as well.

Meanwhile, on the mound, I’m going with Max Scherzer. Not because he was good- as he initially not and allowed the Athletics to tie it up during his relief appearance- so much as how he was able to escape the mess, getting out of a bases-loaded situation with no outs without letting another run to score.

As for the Red Sox-Rays game, the position player who wins is Shane Victorino, who’s single in the seventh was ultimately the winning run. The pitcher was Koji Uehara, who made up for his loss in Game 3 by shutting down the four Rays he faced as he finished the game and got the save.

So, tonight is a Game 5. And a Game 5 means points will count double!

Anyway, here are the standings:

PP Carlos Beltran– 6

P Clayton Kershaw– 6

P Max Scherzer– 6

P Koji Uehara– 6

PP Shane Victorino– 6

PP David Ortiz– 3

P Justin Verlander– 3

P Adam Wainwright– 3

PP Adrian Gonzalez– 3

P Gerrit Cole– 3

PP Pedro Alvarez– 3

P Jon Lester– 3

P Mike Minor– 3

PP Hanley Ramirez– 3

PP Yoenis Cespedes– 3

P Jason Grilli– 3

PP Carl Crawford– 3

P Chris Capuano– 3

PP Seth Smith– 3

P Dan Otero– 3

P Michael Wacha– 3

PP Juan Uribe-3

PP Jhonny Peralta – 3

PP (Position Player) Russell Martin– 1

P (Pitcher) Francisco Liriano– 1

PP Desmond Jennings– 1

P Alex Cobb– 1

Mr. Octobers for October 7, 2013

Posted on October 8, 2013 by danglickman

Wow, what a day. Four games, and all of them had something good in them.

In the A’s-Tigers game, the position player Mr. October was Seth Smith, who had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, including a homer. Meanwhile, on the mound, Dan Otero wins the award for his two innings of good relief. Also, just an honorable mention to Grant Balfour and Victor Martinez for getting so many swear-words past MLB Network’s audio guys.

The next game, Pirates-Cardinals, almost saw history get made, as Michael Wacha got into the 8th inning before losing his no-hitter on a Pedro Alvarez HR. Wacha, of course, gets the Pitching award, while the position player getting the award was Matt Holliday, who’s two-run HR was ultimately the difference in the close 2-1 contest, and who had another hit too.

Boston-Tampa Bay was another classic, ending with Jose Lobaton‘s 9th-inning walk-off into the Ray tank in the outfield. Lobaton, of course, gets the award for position players- he only had one at-bat, but he really made it count. On the mound, Jake McGee wins, as his nice escape from having a man on second with no outs allowed the Rays to keep the game tied.

Finally, deep into the night, there was Braves-Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw, on short rest, threw 6 innings without an earned run, allowing him to outduel an overachieving Freddy Garcia (if not for the defensive problems of the Dodgers, the game would have been a shutout) and later Juan Uribe hit a two-run home run to put the Dodgers ahead for good. They are the Mr. Octobers for that game.

Standings (PP= position player, P= pitcher):

PP Carlos Beltran– 6

P Clayton Kershaw– 6

PP David Ortiz– 3

P Koji Uehara– 3

P Justin Verlander– 3