Tagged: Rivera

For them, it’s a Fall Crisis

Multiple-choice quiz time:
Who is most tortured by a Phillies-Yankees World Series?
(a) Mets fans, who have their crosstown rivals on one side and their braggadocio NL East rivals on the other.
(b) The Cleveland Indians, who must watch Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia light it up, no Chief Wahoo in sight.
(c)  The Pittsburgh Pirates, who are watching their cross-state rivals in their third World Series since they last had a winning season.
(d) Bobby Abreu, whose Angels lost to the Yankees and who now must watch his two former teams play on.
Tough choice. Don’t think any of the above will be the life of any World Series-viewing party. … 
So we’ve had a couple of 583-homer men making news lately. Alex Rodriguez, getting into his first World Series. And Mark McGwire, getting back into the game as the Cardinals’ new hitting coach. … 
This postseason has been anything but a yawner — unless we go by some of its principals. The cameras repeatedly caught Sabathia yawning on the Yankees’ bench and Mariano Rivera doing the same in New York’s bullpen. And then Ryan Howard admitted not having seen all of the riveting Game 5 of the ALCS — won by the Angels 7-6 — because  “I fell asleep at the end.” … 
In case you were wondering, the World Series will end during Week 11 of the college football season. … 

Mo (is still) money

Mariano Rivera’s postseason legacy is safe. But his continued excellence in the context of this October just adds another layer of marvel to his resume.
Other closers had a wretched time of it. Huston Street, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Braxton, Jonathan Papelbon, Brian Fuentes — they all had major meltdowns.
And in the midst of it all, it was still Mo Money. … 
Speaking of meltdowns … what is it with Angels left-handed relievers in the postseason?
Twenty-three years ago, Gary Lucas “blanks out” and hits Boston’s Rich Gedman with his only pitch of Game 5 of the ALCS. In the 2004 ALCS, Jarrod Washburn serves up a series-losing 10th-inning homer to David Ortiz. A week ago,  Fuentes feeds three identical fastballs to Alex Rodriguez, the third being swatted for a game-tying homer. And tonight, Scott Kazmir plays Frisbee with a bunted ball. … 
Do you realize there were no home runs hit in two of the three ALCS games in Yankee Stadium, after only one such game during the entire regular season? …
The World Series opponents are even in at least one regard: The Phillies’ starting infield jacked 109 home runs, the Yankees’ 112. …
Curt Schilling definitely is one guy who didn’t see Alex Rodriguez’s October revival coming. The former pitcher had dismissed A-Rod’s prospects a week before the start of the postseason, saying, “For a guy that’s as good as he is, he still strikes out a lot. Guys who strike out a lot tend to have a tough time in October.”
You mean, Curt, guys like Reggie Jackson? … 
Congrats to Tony La Russa for his new deal with the Cardinals? Nay – congrats to fans who will have the pleasure of the brilliant strategist’s and motivator’s continued presence in dugouts a little longer.
Following the bitterly disappointing NLDS, La Russa had briefly considered making his getaway from the Gateway. What changed his mind? Certainly not the lure of becoming MLB’s all-time winningest manager. Though La Russa is No. 3 on the list, he is 1,179 wins behind Connie Mack (although he now has a good shot at the 212 he needs to pass runner-up John McGraw’s 2,763). …