2009 World Series games

[hawing]

Whether your stance on the 2009 World Series is "yeah!" or "meh," it's about to become part of baseball's historical record.

The intended schedule (all games on FOX):

 

Game 1: Wednesday, October 28, 6:57 PM CDT (Phillies at Yankees)

Game 2: Thursday, October 29, 6:57 PM CDT (Phillies at Yankees)

Game 3: Saturday, October 31, 6:57 PM CDT (Yankees at Phillies)

Game 4: Sunday, November 1, 7:20 PM CST (Yankees at Phillies)

And if necessary...

Game 5: Monday, November 2, 6:57 PM CST (Yankees at Phillies)

Game 6: Wednesday, November 4, 6:57 PM CST (Phillies at Yankees)

Game 7: Thursday, November 5, 6:57 PM CST (Phillies at Yankees)

 

November baseball. Something seems wrong with that phrase.

[Invader3K]

Something seems wrong with that phrase.

 

Yeah, but that's due to the WBC this year.

[hawing]

Oh, I know it's due to the WBC (the same event that allowed for a spring training game on my birthday in February).

So is this the longest season ever? in terms of early start and late finish?

[Polish Falcons]

I think that the late season schedule has as much or more to do with MLB accommodating Fox's playoff scheduling preferances than it does the WBC. For example the WS could easily start tonight, but Fox wants to start on Wednesday so that they could play two in NY and have an off day for travel on Friday. Meanwhile an off day for travel between NYC and Philly is not really necessary but convenient for TV because Friday is a low viewership day.

 

I don't really mind this since I like watching the games. I would like to see games played a little earlier, especially on weekends. For example 8pm and later on a Sunday night seems kind of late when they could get the game in under much more favorable October/November daytime conditions. Then again there is the NFL schedule to consider...

[TooLiveBrew]

I know many don't like this matchup (& I understand why), but I like the fact that this series features two franchises with such long histories. The modern-day Phillies franchise started up in 1883 (!) as the Philadelphia Quakers, changing to the current name in 1890. The Yankees franchise began in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles, became the New York Highlanders in 1903, and finally... the Yankees in 1913.

 

Yes, I am a baseball geek.

[pitchleague]

does the earlier start times for WS games that Bud declared would happen this summer begin with this year's series or next? Based on hawing's times, I'm guessing this year but I don't really recall when they have started in the past.

[TooLiveBrew]

Dave Cameron (of USS Mariner) gives his two cents over at FanGraphs.

 

In a short series, anything can happen. Even with the talent advantage on the Yankee side of things, the Phillies still have something like a 40 percent chance to win the series. But as much as I'm hoping for a classic series with seven close games, there remains a distinct possibility that the Yankees could just blow the Phillies out of the water. They're that good.

[hawing]

Our neighbor the journalism professor says "Phillies in 6." He repeated it several times, so take what you will from that.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, now they don't even need to play the games http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Invader3K]

Hey, Ozzie Guillen is on the broadcast! All right.

[Schlitz001]

I would love to see a 7 game series.

[jlau20]

...Never heard of a spiked curveball? Really?

[owbc]

I've had plenty of complaints about this year's postseason, but I am really enjoying tonight's pitcher's duel.

[hawing]

I'll admit, I've almost always (except for 1982, when I was new to baseball) preferred a pitcher's duel to a slugfest, and in that sense, this game is OK.

 

Edit: well, was OK.

[davego]

Where would the 'Crew have ended up if they could have gotten Pedro to spend some of the summer at Miller Park?

 

I still think the Yankees are going to win the series.

[TooLiveBrew]

...Never heard of a spiked curveball? Really?

It's not like he was a catcher. Or an analyst. Or anything.

[crewcrazy]

While CC didn't pitch poorly last night, I really think Girardi's three-man rotation will start to show its negative effects in this series. CC can handle it for the most part, but sometimes you're left with a scenario like tonight where a shaky A.J. Burnett is starting and you used 5 relievers the night before. It'd be like the Brewers needing Dave Bush to go 6 or 7 strong with only a couple available relievers -- you know the potential for a great start is there, but you can't be sure you're going to get it.

[TabbertBB]

FOX, enough with that stupid "Funeral" music that you must play before every "big" event.

I also hate that they think that we must have a guy run on the field with a camera every time someone hits a home run so we get to see a running view from 3rd base to Home. Enough.

[pitchleague]

what "funeral" music are you speaking of?

[crewcrazy]

Heckuva series developing after the first two games, but surprisingly the pitching has been the story. Both Burnett and Pedro had great outings last night. Here I was thinking there would be about 35 homers hit between the two teams in this series.

[Polish Falcons]

Oh I know about the "funeral" music. It's the musical ensamble that fades us to and out of commercial between innings when they want to try and add a dramatic flare. Last night I did the ole turn on the radio announcers while watching the game on tv, a move that in the past has only been reserved for my admiration of Bob Eucker.

[TooLiveBrew]

While CC didn't pitch poorly last night, I really think Girardi's three-man rotation will start to show its negative effects in this series. CC can handle it for the most part, but sometimes you're left with a scenario like tonight where a shaky A.J. Burnett is starting and you used 5 relievers the night before. It'd be like the Brewers needing Dave Bush to go 6 or 7 strong with only a couple available relievers -- you know the potential for a great start is there, but you can't be sure you're going to get it.

 

I've read/'heard' that the Yanks are going with a foursome of Sabathia/Burnett/Pettitte/Gaudin if they win G.3 tonight. If they lose, I think they'll stick with the 3-man.

[pretendastronaut]

How did Joe Buck think that ARod homer was debatable? He acts like the camera stuck out 5 feet from the wall.

[crewcrazy]

Yeesh, what the heck happened to Cole Hamels?

 

As much as I dislike the Yankees, I do like seeing Alex Rodriguez get the huge playoff monkey off his back. Sure, he's an unbearable person who is hard to get behind, but the media scrutiny he's had to deal with in New York due to a handful of bad at-bats over his years there was short-sighted.

[JoeH33]

It was really funny watching the post game show, and seeing John Kruk almost have a brain aneurysm he was so upset about the loss.