Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - This Day in Baseball, Playoff Edition: October 18

This Day in Baseball, Playoff Edition: October 18

Before last night, the most memorable homers of this post-season had been hit by Brad Ausmus and Chris Burke. Not your most likely suspects.

Albert Pujols. That's a little more like it.

The Cardinals still have to beat Roy Oswalt, and if they do that, they have to beat Roger Clemens.

The Yankees have received permission to talk to Leo Mazzone. The Mets tried this in 2002, and Mazzone wasn't tempted. The Braves did kick in a nice raise to sweeten the pot.

The Yankees have more at stake, of course - mainly the millions of dollars they've invested in Jaret Wright.

No baseball today? What's up with that?

Posted by Magpie on Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 08:00 AM EDT.

This Day in Baseball, Playoff Edition: October 18 | 34 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

DrJohnEvans - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 09:27 AM EDT (#130252) #

I have class tonight. They were nice enough to schedule around me.

Wedding Singer - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 09:46 AM EDT (#130253) #

Wouldn't you have walked Pujols in that situation? I would much rather pitch to Sanders with the based loaded than Pujols with two men on. I know you move two men into scoring position if you walk him, but was I the only one who sensed the inevitability of Pujols homerun? You really have to feel for Astros fans, being one strike away from the their first appearance in the Series, and having it all unravel like that.......

Flex - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 10:06 AM EDT (#130254) #

Not to steer things away from the discussion of Pujols, who deserves all kinds of admiration (and let's not forget Eckstein and Edmonds, without whose work the Pujols homer would have been impressive but meaningless). However, I wanted to share with you a story I found at STLToday.com that gives us a little background on our favourite umpire, Phil Cuzzi:

http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/sports-tipsheet/2005/10/mondays-tipsheet-6/

A couple of the highlights:
"He attended the Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School in 1982 and 1983, then the Joe Brinkman Umpire School in 1984 without getting offered a job. Finally, after another trip to the Wendelstedt school, he was hired to work in the rookie-level New York-Penn League.

After eight years in the minors, Cuzzi worked his way up to the Class AAA level and reached the major leagues for 95 games of fill-in work. Then, in 1993, he was passed over for promotion as six other umpires (including excellent Game 3 umpire Wally Bell) got the call. After that season, Cuzzo was fired.

He spent the next three years living with his mother and working odd jobs."

I really am in favour of following the example costanza showed in yesterday's thread, when he used Cuzzi's name as a synonym for derriere, as in such phrases as "I slipped and fell on my Cuzzi."

This practice should continue until we are assured that he is never again given a post-season opportunity.

Mick Doherty - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 10:09 AM EDT (#130255) #

I'm sorry, but don't you have to admire the perserverance of someone who worked so hard and overcame so much to get to the very top of his profession?

Shortstop - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 10:25 AM EDT (#130256) #

I do not consider Cuzzi to be on the top of his profession. He has pictures of someone, thats the only reason he still has a job.

Mike Green - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 10:26 AM EDT (#130257) #

No, I wouldn't have walked Pujols. A Sanders' hit to tie the game is much more likely than a Pujols' extra base hit. A Sanders' extra-base hit to take the lead is much more likely than a Pujols' homer. Reggie Sanders is a fine hitter, albeit not in Pujols' class. This is not Neifi Perez we're talking about.

Shortstop - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 11:00 AM EDT (#130259) #

When you have your closer, the best closer in the national league, you let him face Pujols. In less it was 2nd and 3rd, you let him face Pujols. he made a bad pitch, and albert being albert killed it. i think that was the longest, clutch homerun i have ever seen. i mean, it exploded out of the park.

Flex - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 11:33 AM EDT (#130261) #

I am torn in my admiration for Cuzzi (unlike my admiration for Pujols, he said, trying to keep within reach of the topic of the day).

On the one hand, I admire his perseverence. On the other, I regret that he has used it for evil rather than for good.

Skills - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 11:41 AM EDT (#130262) #

Just for clarification, what exactly has Cuzzi overcome? I see that he was persistent in his efforts, but the above conversation does not describe any adversity. It only seems to suggest and confirm the idea that he is not good at his job. If by "has overcome so much" you mean that he overcame his severe lack of talent to make it to the top of his profession, then I see what you mean, but you probably could have chosen better words to describe it.

Jordan - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 11:41 AM EDT (#130263) #

Perserverance is usually a trait associated with a degree of humility -- anyone who's had to work so hard and so long to reach his or her station in life is usually fully aware how special it is to have the stars align to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Cuzzi, however, from most accounts, is (professionally, anyway) arrogant, combative and stubborn. That's the disconnect, because we want to admire someone who worked so hard to get from the bottom to the top.

I think that if there's any lesson here, it's in the truth of the adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If you continue not to succeed, maybe you ought to consider another line of work. And if you still continue to try after repeated failures, you might have an obsessive disorder. You should really get that checked out."

Jordan - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 11:47 AM EDT (#130264) #

The legend of Albert Pujols grows. Thirty years from now, they'll look back on Pujols and Alex Rodriguez as the two most outstanding players of the turn of the millennium, and Pujols will probably eclipse A-Rod well before it's all over.

I mean, look: three straight 40-homer seasons, three straight .330+ batting average seasons, 200 home runs and a career .600+ SLG percentage, and he doesn't turn 26 (officially, anyway) till April. His top 4 BB-REF comps are DiMaggio, Frank Robinson, Foxx and Aaron. Brad Lidge has nothing to be ashamed of.

VBF - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 12:26 PM EDT (#130265) #

Phil Cuzzi has his bad moments there's no question. However, for the most part he's actually been pretty good. He was pretty consistent and fair throughout 2005. Heck, the Cheer Club made a sign about it.

Tyler - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 01:36 PM EDT (#130267) #

�The punchout was probably the worst call I�ve seen in a long, long time,� said then-Jays slugger Carlos Delgado, not the most selective hitter ever.

This is from that story linked above about Cuzzi. It's a quote that Carlos gave in 2003, when he finished second in the AL in OBP (.001 behind Manny). I guess Cuzzi isn't the only guy who struggles at his job from time to time.

GeoffAtMac - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 03:11 PM EDT (#130270) #

You really have to feel for Astros fans, being one strike away from the their first appearance in the Series, and having it all unravel like that.......

Actually, I think they were two strikes from the World Series: Lidge threw one pitch that Pujols whiffed at big time, and then he hit that monster of a home run on the second pitch.

I aboslutely agree with walking Pujols though. I was at a bar on Yonge St., and I said to my friend, "They need to walk Pujols. Then they can get the last out from Sanders."

My friend said, "No way they walk him -- but Sanders would strike out."

Sure enough, they should have walked him.

Cristian - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 03:36 PM EDT (#130271) #

I think Eckstein and Edmonds were down to their last strike. So the Cards were, in effect, down to their last strike on two occasions.

Shortstop - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 03:41 PM EDT (#130272) #

Eckstein had 2 strikes on him.

Chuck - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 03:49 PM EDT (#130273) #

Sure enough, they should have walked him.

Aside from the 20/20 hindsight, I don't agree with this.

Going by regular season stats, and presuming that a double would score the runner from first and a single the runner from second:

* the probability of Pujols hitting a double or triple to tie the game was 7%

* the probability of Pujols hitting a homerun to take the lead was 7%

* with the bases loaded (via an IBB to Pujols), the probability of Sanders hitting a single to tie the game would have been 14%

* the probability of Sanders hitting a double or better to take the lead would have been 13%

So... The probability of Pujols tying the game or better was 14% (his batting average on non-singles). The probability of Sanders doing so was about 27% (his batting average on all hits).

Walking Edmonds was the unpardonable sin of the inning. That's where Lidge was asking for trouble. After that, I believe he was correct to pitch to Pujols.

costanza - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 04:04 PM EDT (#130274) #

Well, gee, it looks like Delgado is not only not the most selective hitter ever, he wasn't even the most selective hitter in 2003, his best year? So what's the problem? :-)

costanza - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 04:08 PM EDT (#130275) #

Actually, I think they were two strikes from the World Series

After absolutely dominating the first two batters, Lidge was 1-2 on Eckstein. The Cards could hardly have looked more "done" to me at that point.

Mike Green - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 04:11 PM EDT (#130276) #

Thanks, Chuck, for supplying the numbers. It's funny- the same suggestion was made in '85 when Niedenfuer gave up the homer to Jack Clark by Whitey Herzog (that Lasorda should have walked Clark to face Van Slyke because Clark was a clutch hitter...). The numbers worked out about the same that time.

It's extremely rare for a playoff team to have such a drop-off from one spot to the next in the batting order to justify an intentional walk with runners on first and second. The Royals of 85 had Brett followed by a 39 year old Hal McRae (who was not the hitter at that point in his career as Sanders is now), but again the numbers would not support a walk in this kind of situation.

Gitz - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 04:12 PM EDT (#130277) #

Nah, walking Pujols was not the way to go.

Lidge's mistake was throwing a slider. When you've got a 97 MPH fastball, get beat with that, if you're going to get beat. Frankie Rodriguez, for all his talent, has the same propensity: relying too much on his breaking pitches to the detriment of his fastball. You can't "hang" a fastball; it can flatten out, and it can sit in the strike zone. But you don't speed up a hitter's bat -- just about the last thing someone as magnificent as Pujols needs.

Four Seamer - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 04:35 PM EDT (#130278) #

Lidge's mistake was throwing a slider. When you've got a 97 MPH fastball, get beat with that, if you're going to get beat.

I couldn't agree more, Gitz. Which is why I was very nearly tearing my hair out when Steve Lyons (or I think it was Steve - I was cradling a crying baby at the time) asserted that Pujols would see nothing but sliders the whole at-bat, given that Pujols is such a great fastball hitter. I didn't figure Lidge would be that tentative - but once he chose not to challenge Pujols on the first pitch with a fastball, I thought he might be in some trouble. If you're going to get beat, get beat with your best pitch.

James W - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 05:23 PM EDT (#130279) #

Lidge did make Pujols look stupid with the slider on the first pitch, don't forget. The problem was not that he threw a slider, it was that he hung the slider.

Twilight - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 05:28 PM EDT (#130280) #

I agree too, though I can't imagine how nervous Lidge must have been. He probably thought the slider was the safest pitch to go with, and he does have a very good slider. It's a slider that moves as much as a fork ball.

I'd like to see a White Sox & Astros WS. Talk about two underdogs making it this season. No Yanks, no Braves...Chicago and Houston.

We'd be seeing some great pitching matchups in that series. I'd pay to see Contreras vs. Pettite, Buehrle vs. Oswalt, Garland vs. Clemens... :)

costanza - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 05:34 PM EDT (#130281) #

If you're going to get beat, get beat with your best pitch.

But he did try that, with Jim Edmonds. Three straight times... three straight balls. (According to Stark, anyways) That's why Pujols came to the plate in the first place.

The slider was working much better for him than the fastball last night, so I'd argue that the slider *was* his best pitch at the time.

Braby21 - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 05:41 PM EDT (#130282) #

MLB awards voted by the players here

nicton - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 05:43 PM EDT (#130283) #

I'm not sure if this is the right thread for a Hot Stove question, but...

I was just glancing through some headlines on prosportsdaily and one article says the Jays would have interest in Paul Konerko. Even with a payroll increase. I wouldn't think the Jays could afford him. Would they entertain the thought?? Or is the writer just naming teams looking for an upgrade at 1B??? Thanks...

Chuck - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 05:49 PM EDT (#130284) #

the Jays would have interest in Paul Konerko

I'm predicting Konerko will be in sox next season. Most likely white, possibly red. I guess blue couldn't be ruled out either (that would be Dodger blue).

VBF - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 05:51 PM EDT (#130285) #

There is a 100% chance he's going to sign with White, I'd say. They can afford him and he wants to return.

-----

Tony Lacava turns down an interview for GM of the Devilrays.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051012.wblair1012/BNStory/Sports/

nicton - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 06:08 PM EDT (#130286) #

Thanks...

Rob - Tuesday, October 18 2005 @ 06:11 PM EDT (#130287) #

Jordan - Wednesday, October 19 2005 @ 08:06 AM EDT (#130288) #

Tell you what, the Devil Rays aren't going to be the last team to inquire about hiring Tony Lacava. He's probably the best-kept secret in the Blue Jays' front office, but around baseball, he's known and respected.

I'm very glad to hear he's staying for the moment, for two reasons: (1) the Jays are a better and smarter ballclub with him on board, and (2) when JP Ricciardi hangs 'em up in a few years' time, there's no one I'd rather see get first crack at Toronto's GM job than him.

Named For Hank - Wednesday, October 19 2005 @ 08:28 AM EDT (#130289) #

That Jeff Blair article and the others on the same page look strikingly similar to what us lowly Internet writers call "blog entries" (if only for the simple reason that I've read Blair's stuff for years and I've never seen him use a personal pronoun).

I had noticed that Blair's stuff had been moving more and more towards "personality" opinion stuff (I think I commented about it at the start of the season). I approve. He's a lot of fun to read when he gets grumpy.

Gerry - Wednesday, October 19 2005 @ 10:06 AM EDT (#130291) #

One advantage of the Cardinals win is we have baseball tonight. I think that had the Astros won on Monday the five day gap between games would take away some of my anticipation for the world series. It's that you know you have to get to all those things you were putting off while baseball is on, and the gap between games gives you a chance to go do them and starts weaning you off baseball. I usually want all the series to go seven games. While I was happy the Red Sox won last year, a seven game win would have been better.

This Day in Baseball, Playoff Edition: October 18 | 34 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.