American League Championship Series

[biggunsbob]

Houston has now made 7 straight championship series. This is the first ACS for the Rangers since 2011.
Houston is 9-4 verses Texas this year.
Houston is 39-42 at home and 51-30 on the road.
Texas is 50-31 at home and 40-41on the road.

Texas (90-72) wildcard winner verses Houston (90-72) Winner west Division.
Playoffs
Texas 2-0 over Tampa Bay??????..Houston 3-1 over Minnesota.
Texas 3-0 over Baltimore


Game #1 Texas at Houston?..Rangers win 2-0 Final.
Game #2 Texas at Houston?..Rangers win 5-4 Final.
Game #3 Houston at Texas??.Astros win 8-5 Final.
Game #4 Houston at Texas??.Astros win 10-3 Final.
Game #5 Houston at Texas??.Astros win 5-4 Final.
Game #6 Texas at Houston??Rangers win 9-2 Final.
Game #7 Texas at Houston?..Rangers Win 11-3 Final.
Rangers win series 4-3

 

[byco42]

I'm pulling for the Rangers so that Bruce Bochy becomes the other manager to have won a World Series in both leagues. Fittingly, he was on the Padres team the Tigers beat in 1984.

 

[tomdalton22]

I haven't been paying any attention to the post season. I didn't even know that they were already to the ALCS.

 

[biggunsbob]

I haven't been paying any attention to the post season. I didn't even know that they were already to the ALCS.

So many short series. Teams that won 100 games were no shows.

 

[biggunsbob]

Houston is the last divisional winner left.

 

[kalinecountry]

https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/10/14/deeper-discussions-91/
DEEPER DISCUSSIONS.
Totally Tigers

Once again, the playoffs this year are generating lots of discussion among both teams, corporate MLB and fans. TV shows, radio and national articles are focused on whether the modern day format is a good one.

MLB added another wild card slot, followed shortly thereafter with yet another one. Now, each league has 3 wild card slots each.

The reasons for these moves were financially based. It extended the playoff games thus generating more revenue from the number of games played to tv broadcast rights to advertising revenue.

But another factor was to keep fans involved, engaged and attending games. And you do that by giving hope to as many as possible that their team may play in October.

Among the actual teams, they have now come to universally label winning in the playoffs as a ?crapshoot.? No longer is it about pure talent or having one of the best records. It?s become about the luck of the draw, playoff positioning and who?s hot at the right time.

Everyone in baseball agrees that the October games are no longer about the best teams playing the best teams with the winner being known as the best team in baseball.

It has become a tournament instead where a team who barely scrapes into the playoffs can win a ring over another team with 103 wins.

What do you think about the playoff system?

Should it return to being contest of the best vs the best?

Or should it turn into a unpredictable tournament in which a variety of teams all have a fairly equal chance of winning?

Today?s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!

For this one blog only, you?ve got 6 sentences max to share your thoughts. Of course, you can also respond to other readers.

TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.

Ready?

What kind of October playoff format do you prefer?

1. A format in which the best only play the best.

2. An unpredictable tournament style in which anything can happen.

VOTE

 

[kalinecountry]

https://www.mlb.com/news/justin-verlander-expects-astros-to-rebound-after-alcs-game-1-loss
Verlander on Game 1 loss: Been there, overcome that.
MLB.com

 

[biggunsbob]

I know the Astros have a terrible home record this season (39-42) but this series is over I think. If they don?t win game 3 it is for sure.

 

[Mitchrapp]

I hope it is. No Astros again would be a win. I think Arizona-Philly will be a good series.

 

[byco42]

Altuve channeling his inner Merkle. In a way. Baserunning 101: Retouch the occupied base when retreating to the previously occupied base. And that the umpire(s) initially ruled ?safe? on the appeal only proves that no one was watching. Six umpires and they all missed the obvious misstep by Altuve.

Also: The appeal was odd. I thought that the pitcher had to take the mound, get in a set position, step off the mound and throw to a fielder who then would touch the occupied base. A runner simply stepping on a base, as I understand the rule, is not an appeal.

 

[Mitchrapp]

I need context because no idea what you're talking about.

 

[byco42]

I need context because no idea what you're talking about.

Bottom 8, Altuve on first. Bregman lifts a fly ball to deep LCF. Altuve advances to 2B, Carter catches the ball, Altuve retreats to 1b without retouching 2B. Texas appeals, Altuve ruled safe, Texas gets a review, call overturned and Altuve ruled ?out.?

 

[Mitchrapp]

Bottom 8, Altuve on first. Bregman lifts a fly ball to deep LCF. Altuve advances to 2B, Carter catches the ball, Altuve retreats to 1b without retouching 2B. Texas appeals, Altuve ruled safe, Texas gets a review, call overturned and Altuve ruled ?out.?

Thanks. Just saw the replay definitely out though I can understand the ump missing the call in real time. The pitcher needing to get in a set position is on someone who moves up on base, leaving early, on sac fly.

 

[byco42]

Thanks. Just saw the replay definitely out though I can understand the ump missing the call in real time. The pitcher needing to get in a set position is on someone who moves up on base, leaving early, on sac fly.

The only umpire exempt from catching this miss is the HPU. Definitely the first base and third base umpires should have watched and flagged this.

 

[Mitchrapp]

The only umpire exempt from catching this miss is the HPU. Definitely the first base and third base umpires should have watched and flagged this.

He barely missed the base. I'm not sure how the first and 3rd base UMPS would have that kind of vision to see that he missed. I had to watch the replay from a could different angles to see he didn't touch 2nd on the way back.

 

[byco42]

He barely missed the base. I'm not sure how the first and 3rd base UMPS would have that kind of vision to see that he missed. I had to watch the replay from a could different angles to see he didn't touch 2nd on the way back.

It was obvious to me that he never retouched on the initial real-time look. It?s one of the more-obvious no-touches I?ve seen. 90 feet is close enough to call that a no-touch when you are looking for one. But these umpires weren?t even looking, so the point is moot. The 2BU was especially negligent as his head was pointed in a direction that made zero sense. His only responsibility in this situation is to watch the runner approaching second (R1 who became R2) and he kicked that into the Gulf of Mexico.

2BU further messed up by not asking for help when it?s obvious he didn?t see the play. And he admitted that to Marcus Semien.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Cup4aq3fbsY

?He (Eddings) told me that he was looking at the ball; he didn?t see [the no-touch], I reminded him of that and he still called him safe.? said Semien. The guy admitted that he was looking exactly where he shoudn?t have been looking.

And the Rangers? bench saw the no-touch from farther away than either the 1BU or 3BU umps were and immediately requested a review. So did the Rangers? 3B. He was pointing from his 3B position.

 

[Mitchrapp]

I doubt the Rangers bench saw a thing. Probably the middle infielders.

 

[byco42]

I doubt the Rangers bench saw a thing. Probably the middle infielders.

You?re right, I can?t prove it, but I can prove that none of the 6 umpires were watching 2B and Jace Jung was pointing from 80 feet away before Semien even indicates that he saw the no-touch.

 

[biggunsbob]

Can any team win a home game that is the question ?

 

[Mitchrapp]

Texas blue this one.