The Swamp

Afternoon games are so stupid. Not ashamed at all by playing the manager card and working from home today.

My warm take: the Astros-Indians series is a total mismatch and lots of people are vastly overestimating Cleveland’s chances based on their performance in 2016 and 2017. I don’t think a 103 win team from the AL West and a team that went 42-44 outside of the AL Central are remotely comparable.

Joe K wrote: ↑Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:52 am My warm take: the Astros-Indians series is a total mismatch and lots of people are vastly overestimating Cleveland’s chances based on their performance in 2016 and 2017. I don’t think a 103 win team from the AL West and a team that went 42-44 outside of the AL Central are remotely comparable.

Houston had 108 third-order wins, according to Baseball Prospectus. Cleveland had 92. So yeah.

On the other hand, that's a difference of one win per 10 games. And they're only playing a best of 5.

I’m looking at Cleveland’s projected pitchers (with the starters moving to the pen) against Houston’s hitting versus righties.

EdRomero wrote: ↑Wed Oct 03, 2018 7:05 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Wed Oct 03, 2018 6:24 pm Dennis Eckersley had his best years with the Athletics and the Red Sox. So, if the A’s beat the Yanks tonight, you might expect TBS to put him on that series. Nope - he’s got the Astros/Indians. Dumb.

And he's working with Don Orsillo which would have been nice hearing him do more Red Sox games.

Orsillo, Eckersley and Hazel Mae!

It's a reunion!

Putting in Bauer to get shelled in relief is an interesting choice by Francona. Probably doesn’t matter though, because this Astros team is a juggernaut.

Sale is painting tonight.

Painting the clubhouse.

Didn’t age well.

And while I agree astros are favorite, the Indians are certInly a good team. I could see them turning this series around if they can win today.

A_B wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 4:10 pm And while I agree astros are favorite, the Indians are certInly a good team. I could see them turning this series around if they can win today.

I don’t know. I really think Indians aren’t that good and probably would’ve missed the playoffs had they been in any other division in baseball. I can’t get past the losing record outside of the AL Central. Guys like Donaldson, Encarnacion, Allen and Miller are nowhere near as good as they were a couple of years ago.

Working on a theory that Aaron Judge hits the ball far.

JFC.

mister d wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 9:47 pmJFC.

Should've been a GS.

That ground level view was enough to overturn an out call on the field.

mister d wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 10:15 pm That ground level view was enough to overturn an out call on the field.

Disagree. No way of knowing when the ball's secured in the mitt. Conclusive evidence? No.

You New York guys might enjoy this.

Dave Roberts doing zero managing is somehow still in this game. Maybe we needed this game as a throwback to when the manager's job was to chew on sunflower seeds.

Didn’t Francona used to be a good in-game manager? Because leaving Bauer in to die in the 7th inning, when he was pitching for the 3rd straight game and was obviously struggling, was inexplicable.

I'd argue this makes Francona a good manager and person.

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:25 pm I’m looking at Cleveland’s projected pitchers (with the starters moving to the pen) against Houston’s hitting versus righties.

About this ...

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:05 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:25 pm I’m looking at Cleveland’s projected pitchers (with the starters moving to the pen) against Houston’s hitting versus righties.

About this ...

Usually my predictions aren’t that good, but my high level of bullishness in the Astros seems warranted so far.

Roberts did some managing there not walking the 8th hitter. But Hill could not get out the pinch hitter Suzuki.

Joe K wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 3:15 pm Didn’t Francona used to be a good in-game manager? Because leaving Bauer in to die in the 7th inning, when he was pitching for the 3rd straight game and was obviously struggling, was inexplicable.

I was wondering WTF he was doing, too.

Of course, he was hamstrung because Andrew Miller isn't what he's been the past few years. But yeah, to hell with the starting pitcher. Go with Brad Hand there to start the 6th.

Sevy looks off and Eovaldi doesn't go deep into games. Might be time to switch from booze to coffee.

Rex wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:12 pm Sevy looks off and Eovaldi doesn't go deep into games. Might be time to switch from booze to coffee.

Does not compute.

Coffee keeps me awake longer than booze!

But...booze
Is a perfectly acceptable coffee additive.

How is Angel Hernandez here? And by that, I mean how is it that Trump hasn't appointed him to an important government post?

“Hernandez” doesn’t help.

And yes, Severino is having one of his “doesn’t have it” games. No one is going to chase a 55 footer.

So unlike Lance Lynn to issue a walk?

Rex wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:23 pm Coffee keeps me awake longer than booze!

Good news. You can go on to bed.

I can’t wait to hear why Boone used his long man mid-inning for less than an inning (with Sabathia tomorrow).

I don’t have spray charts handy but why is judge playing so far off line?

Man Hernandez is having a howler.

Apparently in Boone's regime there's nobody tasked with confirming with the game's starting pitcher the BP session start time?

What's the official story on this? Assumed delay or told there would be a delay that was cancelled or just bad timing?

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:11 pm What's the official story on this? Assumed delay or told there would be a delay that was cancelled or just bad timing?

I'm hearing Sevy went out to the pen with under 10 minutes to go before game time. Apparently he thought the game was delayed.

Don't teams have a pre-game checklist, akin to a preflight checklist? I mean, the stadium isn't going to go down in flames, but there are 24 other players, and about 50,000 fans that really want the starting pitcher to be ready for the start of the game.

I mean, this has to fall under the responsibility of the pitching coach to confirm with the starting pitcher the BP session time? And when he hasn't made it out there yet, it's up to Grandpa Larry to go find Sevy?

And then there's the fact he rushed a session in under 10 minutes. Once they realized where Sevy was, why didn't they just get somebody like Tarpley up to start the game so that Severino could enter it fully prepared?

It'd appear there's been a ton of failure that occurred here tonight, and a lot of it played into the fact the Yankees are now down 10-1.

I have no idea if it would be Rothschild or Harkey or what but that certainly seems like a serious fuck up. Unless he was sick, I can’t see how any of that happens.