Yankees, Ventura, NLDS Game 5 Predictions
It was refreshing to wake up this morning and see some classy responses from the Yankees fans on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. Yankee fans are notoriously some of the biggest blowhards I've ever encountered- right up there with fans of any of the Philadelphia sports teams and adult film stars.
Yeah, I went there.
Anywho, anytime the Yankees fail in the postseason, it is cause to pause and reflect on just how a team with so much payroll can lose to team that has nowhere near the same star power.
Any sports fan knows that regular season stats are nice, but if you can't do it in the playoffs, your image is tarnished. Apparently no other player in Major League history has ever struck out to end his team's season in the postseason in consecutive years before Alex Rodriguez did it last night. Rarified air to be sure.
A-Rod has become the poster child for failing in the clutch, but he's not alone. Mark Teixeira? Career .207 hitter in the postseason. Russell Martin? .225. Nick Swisher? .169.
That's worrisome enough without even thinking about the total lack of quality starting pitching behind CC Sabathia. Ivan Nova was a nice story in the regular season, but his playoff stat line is less than desirable: 8.1 IP, 4.32 ERA. I won't even get into the whole "stiff forearm" thing. Too many snide comments, so little time.
Hitting wins games, pitching wins championships. The 2011 New York Yankees couldn't get enough of either when it counted.
How 'bout Robin Ventura as manager of the Chicago White Sox? Everyone's up in arms because Ventura has no previous managerial experience and consider this a major gamble by GM Kenny Williams.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. As a Mets fan, I watched Ventura toward the end of his career and while he will never be remotely as animated as Ozzie Guillen was, I remember him- from a fan's standpoint of course- as being a leader in the clubhouse.
Does that mean he can manage his way out of a paper bag? Damned if I know but I will say this: no other development will have as big an impact on Ventura impending success or failure as who he surrounds him with on his coaching staff. The White Sox have a talented roster so experience may not be the most important trait for their manager.
A smaller market team who relies on developing Major League talent in the moment would not have been a good fit. My gut tells me this might actually work.
Tonight we get the Milwaukee Brewers trying to take care of the Arizona Diamondbacks at home; and the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals from the shoebox known as Citizens Bank Park.
I really like the Diamondbacks, maybe for no other reason than Kirk Gibson is their manager. However, I don't think they're coming out of this one and the Brewers will advance to face the Phillies in the NLCS.
Crap, I just gave away my pick for the other game. I'm sorry, but if Roy Halladay loses this game it, along with the Yankees loss yesterday, instantly restores faith that it is possible that a small market team who plays sound baseball can make it.
But Halladay cruises, in my opinion. The big hitter in the Cardnials lineup- Albert Pujols- is 2-11 in his career against Halladay. No one else on the Cardinals scares me in this situation.
The Phillies are at home and their ace is better than the Cardinals. Hmmmm there's that whole pitching angle again. Pattern? Maybe?
Posted by 87sportsfans at 10/7/2011 9:01 AM 
Categories: MLB
Tags: MLB Yankees White Sox ventura Rodriguez A-Rod Phillies Brewers Cardinals Diamondbacks baseball ALDS NLDS
Categories: MLB
Tags: MLB Yankees White Sox ventura Rodriguez A-Rod Phillies Brewers Cardinals Diamondbacks baseball ALDS NLDS
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