Today's games and starting pitchers:

AL DIVISION SERIES:

NEW YORK YANKEES VS. DETROIT TIGERS

Game 5: Detroit (Doug Fister, 0-1) at New York (Ivan Nova, 1-0), 8:07 p.m.

yeah yeah baby! Let's go Yankees!!!

ALDS Game 5: DET 3, NYY 2

W: Doug Fister (1-1)

L: Ivan Nova (1-1)

Detroit wins series 3-2, advances to American League Championship Series to play the Texas Rangers on Saturday, October 8, 2011.

A-Rod.......'nuff said.

-

And The Tigers Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tigers keep ya on the edge....Way to pull out the victory!!!!

stressful game, stressful series.

Yanks were in every game, that was good.

but same old Yankees. less than stellar starting pitching and disappearing offense equals an early exit.

good luck Tigers fans.

as for me.

JerseyKRS said:

stressful game, stressful series.

Yanks were in every game, that was good.

but same old Yankees. less than stellar starting pitching and disappearing offense equals an early exit.

good luck Tigers fans.

as for me.

Pitching wasn't the problem, they gave up just a little over 3 runs per game.

This falls squarely on ARod and Tex, not gonna win many games when your #4 and #5 guys hit a combined .139

And Verlander pitched only once!

I'm rooting for the Tigers all the way, Victor Martinez is a favorite of mine and you have to respect a manager who admits to not changing his underwear during a 12 game winning streak

L4OATheOriginal said:

i don't want 2 speculate too much here about the fans in the state of florida, marlin fans included in this, but would one speculate that since spring training happens in florida that fans there don't support their local teams as much? flip coin of that is saying about arizona but all year long i've seen that the diamondbacks have a good support fan system.

Spring training could be part of the reason, I think the bigger reason is there's not too many native Floridians. The snowbirds go down for just the winter and the transplants remain loyal to the teams they grew up with outside of Florida.

28,000 for a playoff game less than a week after a historic comeback, that's embarrassing.

for those that don't live here, the tampa bay area has been hit EXTREMELY hard by the recession. The unemployment rate in my county alone is around 17%. I am 50 minutes away from Tropicana Field. Foreclosure rate is one of the highest in the country, also. The stadium is a far drive for most people. Gas is currently $3.24 a gallon.

The media NEVER mentions any of these factors.

There are PLENTY Rays fans, they just can't go to the games the way the Rays management wishes. gas to get there, parking, ticket to the game, any kind of drink or food...it all adds up to an easy $50 per person to go to a game. 82 of them. A lot of them on work nights, or even during work days.

So yeah, the trop only holds about 35-36 thousand. 28 thousand on a work night in this local economy? Not embarrassing.....just realistic considering all the factors.

wtf do I care, I'm a Yankees fan.

it's easy 2 point the finger at A rod but i can point additional fingers at swisher and texiera. but i'm not mad, it wasn't Boston LOL

Pokeno4Money said:

Pitching wasn't the problem, they gave up just a little over 3 runs per game.

I will respectfully disagree with you. The amount of runs wasn't the problem, it was the ineffectiveness of the starting rotation.

Nova pitched very well in game 1. Garcia did not in Game 2 and we lost by 2. CC did not in game 3, we lost by 1 run. AJ survived some scary moments in game 4, but he and the bullpen were able to keep the Tigers in check. Girardi had to manage his ass off in game 5 because.......you guessed it, the starting pitching sucked.

Also, I agree the hitting was the bigger problem. But it wasn't the only one, and alex and tex aren't the only ones that sucked. Swisher and Martin didn't hit a lick. Jeter did not look good for most of the series. Blah blah blah, I'm just upset.

A-rod made $31 MILLION dollars this season. We're stuck with him until 2017.

L4OATheOriginal said:

it's easy 2 point the finger at A rod but i can point additional fingers at swisher and texiera. but i'm not mad, it wasn't Boston LOL

Martin and Jeter failed in a bunch of clutch at bats also.

JerseyKRS said:

for those that don't live here, the tampa bay area has been hit EXTREMELY hard by the recession. The unemployment rate in my county alone is around 17%. I am 50 minutes away from Tropicana Field. Foreclosure rate is one of the highest in the country, also. The stadium is a far drive for most people. Gas is currently $3.24 a gallon.

The media NEVER mentions any of these factors.

There are PLENTY Rays fans, they just can't go to the games the way the Rays management wishes. gas to get there, parking, ticket to the game, any kind of drink or food...it all adds up to an easy $50 per person to go to a game. 82 of them. A lot of them on work nights, or even during work days.

So yeah, the trop only holds about 35-36 thousand. 28 thousand on a work night in this local economy? Not embarrassing.....just realistic considering all the factors.

wtf do I care, I'm a Yankees fan.

all the media talks about is the trop stadium and how they need a new ballpark, well let's see what the marlins come up with their new stadium. here is something they won't mention either, playoff tickets cost almost twice as much as regular season games in this recession it's not impossible 2 think that a smaller market team can't fill up their stadium. but this is the problem with sports all across the board.

L4OATheOriginal said:

it's easy 2 point the finger at A rod but i can point additional fingers at swisher and texiera. but i'm not mad, it wasn't Boston LOL

and for the record, they don't make the money Alex does. He's the one that signed the contract, so he's the one that put the pressure on himself.

Let's be honest here, he's paid to be a devastating hitter more so than his glove. At this point, aside from the 2009 anamoly, he's an easy out. An expensive, easy out.

JerseyKRS said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

it's easy 2 point the finger at A rod but i can point additional fingers at swisher and texiera. but i'm not mad, it wasn't Boston LOL

Martin and Jeter failed in a bunch of clutch at bats also.

u realize also that last nights game was posada's last as a yankee

L4OATheOriginal said:

JerseyKRS said:

Martin and Jeter failed in a bunch of clutch at bats also.

u realize also that last nights game was posada's last as a yankee

I seriously had a dream last night that Posada gave a post game interview and cried. Even though I only watched the first three innings of the game (I was at the Aterciopelados show at Highline Ballroom), it was clearly on my mind when I went to bed later that night.

Today's games and starting pitchers:

NL DIVISION SERIES:

MILWAUKEE BREWERS VS. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Game 5: Arizona (Ian Kennedy, 0-1) at Milwaukee (Yovani Gallardo, 1-0), 5.07 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Game 5: St. Louis (Chris Carpenter, 0-0) at Philadelphia (Roy Halladay, 1-0), 8:37 p.m.

Yankees!

I love that it was A-Rod who struck out to lose the game. He is so overrated.

I am not a baseball fan, and definitely anti-Yankees, but I do like Robinson Cano.

sextonseven said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

u realize also that last nights game was posada's last as a yankee

I seriously had a dream last night that Posada gave a post game interview and cried. Even though I only watched the first three innings of the game (I was at the Aterciopelados show at Highline Ballroom), it was clearly on my mind when I went to bed later that night.

did you wake up bawling, or did you just shed a single tear??

JerseyKRS said:

jone70 said:

Yankees!

I love that it was A-Rod who struck out to lose the game. He is so overrated.

I am not a baseball fan, and definitely anti-Yankees, but I do like Robinson Cano.

I'm sad the Yanks lost but I'll be happy to see A-Rod and Cano back again next year---talk about two sexy dudes (jeter too, LOL!)

Also, what's so overrated about A-rod? This wasn't his best year but he's an incredible hitter when he's on....

Mark Texeira....no comment

SeventeenDayze said:

Also, what's so overrated about A-rod? This wasn't his best year but he's an incredible hitter when he's on....

he will NEVER be that hitter again. Besides, those years were in Seattle and Texas, neither team had anything to play for, no pressure. Maybe his early years in Seattle, but he was a stud rookie then. That was a LONG time ago. No one gets younger in baseball, except Barry Bonds, but that's another thread...

at 36, he is the most overpaid player in baseball. He's signed through 2017 (when he'll be 42) and is owed $143 million over the next six seasons, a terrible contract considering his best days are behind him. Not one team in MLB would sign him for that.

He hasn't played 140 games since 2007 (not even 100 this season).

His 13 year run of 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons ended in this season.

His on base percentage + slugging has gone down in each of the past five seasons.

His wins over replacement (measures a player's contribution in comparison to a marginal replacement) has fallen DRASTICALLY the past 5 seasons from 9.8 in 2007 to 4.2 this year.

More often than not, he looks lost at the plate. Like, completely lost. Opposing pitching isn't scared of him at all. You can tell by how every pitching staff attacks him.

Let's not forget how he doesn't have many co-players that have his back, not just in the Yankee clubhouse, but throughout MLB.

I could go on and on.......

I even understand striking out, he was going against damn good pitching, but at least swing the bat pussy.

[Edited 10/7/11 13:19pm]

SavonOsco said:

You're the reason the Rays could be in Charlotte..lol

Most of the residents of the Tampa area, are fans of other teams ...it's a transient city... All of the factors you mentioned are true...and a new stadium in downtown Tampa would help a little..but too many people don't care because they're fans of other teams ...

this is true.

It takes about 40 years to build a strong fanbase, especially in cities like Tampa where everyone is from somewhere else.

A stadium in downtown would NOT help. It would create a traffic nightmare here. Even if they moved it, attendence would only increase marginally.

Personally, at least 4 teams should be contracted IMO. Maybe even 6. That's the real problem. They're trying to get as much money as possible. Teams in cities that can't support them. That's the cities fault? yeah right.

There are players playing that shouldn't be. They would be on AAA teams in the past, now they're up in the majors doing SQUAT.

I hate Bud Selig.

JerseyKRS said:

SavonOsco said:

this is true.

It takes about 40 years to build a strong fanbase, especially in cities like Tampa where everyone is from somewhere else.

A stadium in downtown would NOT help. It would create a traffic nightmare here. Even if they moved it, attendence would only increase marginally.

Personally, at least 4 teams should be contracted IMO. Maybe even 6. That's the real problem. They're trying to get as much money as possible. Teams in cities that can't support them. That's the cities fault? yeah right.

There are players playing that shouldn't be. They would be on AAA teams in the past, now they're up in the majors doing SQUAT.

I hate Bud Selig.

what is your stance on the proposition of adding more teams 2 the playoff round and the astros moving 2 the AL?

IMO switch the brewers back 2 the AL where they were from and it would keep a "state" rivalry between the rangers and astros

JerseyKRS said:

SeventeenDayze said:

Also, what's so overrated about A-rod? This wasn't his best year but he's an incredible hitter when he's on....

he will NEVER be that hitter again. Besides, those years were in Seattle and Texas, neither team had anything to play for, no pressure. Maybe his early years in Seattle, but he was a stud rookie then. That was a LONG time ago. No one gets younger in baseball, except Barry Bonds, but that's another thread...

at 36, he is the most overpaid player in baseball. He's signed through 2017 (when he'll be 42) and is owed $143 million over the next six seasons, a terrible contract considering his best days are behind him. Not one team in MLB would sign him for that.

He hasn't played 140 games since 2007 (not even 100 this season).

His 13 year run of 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons ended in this season.

His on base percentage + slugging has gone down in each of the past five seasons.

His wins over replacement (measures a player's contribution in comparison to a marginal replacement) has fallen DRASTICALLYthe past 5 seasonsfrom 9.8 in 2007 to 4.2 this year.

More often than not, he looks lost at the plate. Like, completely lost. Opposing pitching isn't scared of him at all. You can tell by how every pitching staff attacks him.

Let's not forget how he doesn't have many co-players that have his back, not just in the Yankee clubhouse, but throughout MLB.

I could go on and on.......

I even understand striking out, he was going against damn good pitching, but at least swing the bat pussy.

A-Rod's best days are, unfortunately, probably behind him. But I still expect him to be a lot better than he was this year. I think there's some type of "block" he encounters when he's in the playoffs and he can't handle the pressure. It's probably similar to people who don't test well. They can master all in-class and homework assignments, but can't pass the test. I don't know what that is, but it's real. A-Rod hasn't really been able to pass the test. Although in 2009 he was pretty good.

Some how it was fitting for him to make the last out, of the last game by striking out. Just the icing on an already too sweet cake

We'll get them next year!!! Yankees Universe will live to have another parade down Broadway!!

-

L4OATheOriginal said:

JerseyKRS said:

this is true.

It takes about 40 years to build a strong fanbase, especially in cities like Tampa where everyone is from somewhere else.

A stadium in downtown would NOT help. It would create a traffic nightmare here. Even if they moved it, attendence would only increase marginally.

Personally, at least 4 teams should be contracted IMO. Maybe even 6. That's the real problem. They're trying to get as much money as possible. Teams in cities that can't support them. That's the cities fault? yeah right.

There are players playing that shouldn't be. They would be on AAA teams in the past, now they're up in the majors doing SQUAT.

I hate Bud Selig.

what is your stance on the proposition of adding more teams 2 the playoff round and the astros moving 2 the AL?

IMO switch the brewers back 2 the AL where they were from and it would keep a "state" rivalry between the rangers and astros

OMG, the additional wild card with a one game playoff between them to go to the playoffs?

I don't care one bit about creating state rivalrys. There are only a few that are worth a damn, and they only exist because of history. Just playing each other doesn't mean shit. Ask the crowds at the Marlins/Rays games.

While we're at it, can we please get rid of interleague play already? It's a fucking waste. Play more games in division. Another brainchild of commisioner bad hair Selig.

JerseyKRS said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

what is your stance on the proposition of adding more teams 2 the playoff round and the astros moving 2 the AL?

IMO switch the brewers back 2 the AL where they were from and it would keep a "state" rivalry between the rangers and astros

OMG, the additional wild card with a one game playoff between them to go to the playoffs?

I don't care one bit about creating state rivalrys. There are only a few that are worth a damn, and they only exist because of history. Just playing each other doesn't mean shit. Ask the crowds at the Marlins/Rays games.

While we're at it, can we please get rid of interleague play already? It's a fucking waste. Play more games in division. Another brainchild of commisioner bad hair Selig.

No way! I love interleague play. Why take away my annual Cubs-White Sox rivalry?

Having said that, there are too many interleague games which bring as much excitement as watching grass grow. How may of you can't wait for that Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Kansas City Royals matchup?

But I don't like the additional wild card team in the playoffs, even if it's just a one game playoff. The season is too long already, and the World Series is now stretching into November. If they really wanted to have more wildcard teams, they realistically should shorten the season to 154 games. That way they could get in maybe two more teams with the top two teams earning a bye. But then again, baseball is about momentum going into the playoffs, and while a bye week helps an NFL football team immensely, it would probably have an adverse effect on baseball teams as their players would get rusty.

728huey said:

JerseyKRS said:

OMG, the additional wild card with a one game playoff between them to go to the playoffs?

I don't care one bit about creating state rivalrys. There are only a few that are worth a damn, and they only exist because of history. Just playing each other doesn't mean shit. Ask the crowds at the Marlins/Rays games.

While we're at it, can we please get rid of interleague play already? It's a fucking waste. Play more games in division. Another brainchild of commisioner bad hair Selig.

No way! I love interleague play. Why take away my annual Cubs-White Sox rivalry?

Having said that, there are too many interleague games which bring as much excitement as watching grass grow. How may of you can't wait for that Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Kansas City Royals matchup?

But I don't like the additional wild card team in the playoffs, even if it's just a one game playoff. The season is too long already, and the World Series is now stretching into November. If they really wanted to have more wildcard teams, they realistically should shorten the season to 154 games. That way they could get in maybe two more teams with the top two teams earning a bye. But then again, baseball is about momentum going into the playoffs, and while a bye week helps an NFL football team immensely, it would probably have an adverse effect on baseball teams as their players would get rusty.

my main issue is why allow MORE teams that didn't do well enough in the season into the playoffs????

the one wild card is enough, enough with revenue grabs Selig!!!

JerseyKRS said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

what is your stance on the proposition of adding more teams 2 the playoff round and the astros moving 2 the AL?

IMO switch the brewers back 2 the AL where they were from and it would keep a "state" rivalry between the rangers and astros

OMG, the additional wild card with a one game playoff between them to go to the playoffs?

I don't care one bit about creating state rivalrys. There are only a few that are worth a damn, and they only exist because of history. Just playing each other doesn't mean shit. Ask the crowds at the Marlins/Rays games.

While we're at it, can we please get rid of interleague play already? It's a fucking waste. Play more games in division. Another brainchild of commisioner bad hair Selig.

it's already 18-19 games within a division already. u would want more? imo it's over kill already and not every team is a rivalry but ones could be created if they see more of the other teams