Even though Jim Leyland is up in my top 5 of most hated figures of Cleveland sports (I rank him #4 above Belicheck), I have to salute the Tigers for their win today over the Yanks. Good job in knocking out the Yanks - and I guess some of the credit has to go to you, Mr Leyland, you always-choke-in-the-postseason-except-when-facing-the-Tribe.
Oakland-Detroit ALCS. Fox's nightmare ALCS comes true.
13 comments:
Still bitter about 97? I'm still bitter about 01 more than anything. Thanks for J Dub. He's still got the magic, oh wait, he's a rich man's cory lidle, oh no, we're out.
I'm trying to take a broader, calmer view of baseball after last night's meltdown. I still think watching the gambler, aka the cowering walk machine of 96-97 for the yanks, pump his fist, and pitch like a cowboy version of jimmy key justifies a bit of meltdown, but I decided it just wasn't healthy. And how did randy lose all of his intimidation factor in 2 seasons? He looks like a left-handed chad ogea. I still enjoy how every yankees playoff lose is followed up by predictions of a nuclear winter within the hour. Everyone that was good 3 games ago now has to go. I'm sure kevin kennedy will be jockeying for torre's job by morning.
I like leyland and the tigers, but i guess I'll root for the a's for derek. Can I have odds on jason kendall winning the series with his first homer in 10 years?
Who are the top 5?
5. leyland
4. belicheck
I'm going to guess...
3. Jose Mesa
2. Cory Snyder
1. Ernest Byner and Kevin Mack - tie
Oh c'mon, Jon - it's a lot easier than you think.
I did not include anyone on Cleveland teams...but, rest assured, if there was a list of most hated Cleveland players, Jose Mesa would be #1 with Sandy Alomar #2 (because he didn't drive in the insurance run in the top of the 9th that would have made it 3-1....)
#1 and #2 of the list (again, non-Cleveland people) should be easy. #3 would be surprising. Don would put Belicheck #4; I wouldn't. I have Leyland #4, and a pretty obvious #5.
Ok, I'll bite.
1. Elway
2. The guy that caught the td pass. I don't know, Vance Johnson or Steve Watson.
3. The ref that blew that call where the dog pound threw bobblehead dolls and human feces onto the feild for 2 hours.
4. Craig Counsell
5. Michael Jordan
You got Elway and Jordan...
c'mon - #1 is so easy---- I'm throwing a party when this person dies.
Counsell is good - but my #5 is Pedro.
Is it the guy who got the hit? I just looked it up, edgar renteria. He's number 1. It should be tony fernandez, but ok. Man, in reading the game line I don't know what was more surprising, bobby bonilla and charles johnson in a world series game or jaret wright in the 8th inning.
Try Art Modell
And Jon I'm not buying it. How can you be calm about what has happened???? Seriously. This has to be one of the biggest let downs in sports. I expected to get a call from Suz last night on how you went totally bonkers.
I can't hate Fernandez after the 11th inning HR in game 6 vs. the O's in the ALCS.....
And, I'm with Derek on this one - how can you not be distraught after what happened? I would daresay that this was the 2nd best Yankee team in the dynasty (after the 98 team)... and yet they choked.
I think a lot of this has to be placed on Jeter. Tino Martinez was saying that the "Yanks lack the clubhouse leader that will get in the vet's faces, like Paul O'Neill did". Well, what the hell is the captain Jeter doing, then?
I did go totally bonkers on friday night. I stomped on my toe with my other foot and then when I went outside to rage the front door locked and soozie had to let me back in. Utterly ridonculous. I think I even saw ben gleaming the cube on a truck on york road.
Honestly for the first time ever, including game 7 in 04 and game 1 in 06 I turned off the game. I am totally let down, but I had to take a stand. Saturday I calmly watched them punt the season away, and that was that. You kind of have to have that they can't win every year attitude which is very tough after they do win 4 out of 5 years. They're built to win the series, they're supposed to win the series, but they haven't for a while. What can you do? But yes the gambler sticking it to us really hurt. Good luck. They can pitch, and a lot of their 260 hitting outfielders with power can hit. Should be a good series.
I'm not totally surprised to hear about torre this morning. I hope he stays, but nothing would shock me. Half of the media drama about arod is created by the media, but it does seem like it wears everyone down. I think they will try to trade him unless lou comes in. I think he's overly sensitive, but he plays hard, and shit, it's a tough game. I'm not going to call the guy a choker after 2 bad division series. A lot of other guys didn't show up either. They were also a one run game away from being back in ny with wang, but whatever.
Biggest let downs for me:
1. 01 WS - heartbreaker
2. 04 ALCS - embarrassing
3. both of the angel losses and the marlins WS too - annoying
4. and just for eric, the 97 alds - totally demoralizing
And art modell... I forgot about that one. I was really hoping it was going to be the trainer that mislaced craig ehlo's sneakers in 86 causing him to jump awkwardly.
I don't place too much emphasis on the whole veteran leadership thing. I'm not saying it's not important to have leaders, but I honestly wonder how much it matters when you're on the field. By most accounts the late 70's yankees were a zoo, and they seemed to do fine.
Also, all our classic guys lost in 01. Were they different people than the 4 years before. It's a tough game. And Brosius, Tino, O'Neill, and Bernie all had some bad series. Knobbie had a career ending meltdown, yet because we won he doesn't get really ripped. I just think the media likes to put a story, emotional, pyschological or otherwise behind the results. Sometimes it makes sense, but most of the time it's misplaced hyperbole, good and bad.
Jeter has always just gone about his business. I know he gets lauded all the time for being a winner ("Captain Intangibles"), so I suppose he can get ripped when the team looks limp. All I really can judge on his how hard they play, and into the game they appear to be. He's always been steller in those respects in my book.
Now your sounding like Eric. Posting comment after comment without anyone responding. Its scary how much you sound like him right now. Its OK, vent...let it all go. That's why we have this thing. Trust me, once we get closer to the wedding I'll be rambling on here about how depressed I am. Shit, I hope Carol hasn't learned how to go into the comments yet.
Yea, why am I posting so much today? Richie said congratulations on the alcs by the way.
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