San Francisco Giants win the World Series

The San Francisco Giants completed their improbable run to the World Series Championship. They were the underdog in just about every series they played in. It just goes to show you how much the so called experts know. The Giants ranked 17th in runs, 15th in batting average, 19th in on base percentage and 13th in slugging percentage. Not exactly tearing the league up with those numbers, but what really mattered with this team was their pitching. The trio of Lincecum, Cain, and Bumgarner went 8-1 this postseason.

The Rangers bats were never able to catch a break. They were the hotter team entering the Series. They had all the big bats and the MVP candidate in Josh Hamilton. I predicted the Giants in 7 but had a sneaky feeling that the Rangers might come away with this series. It seemed like when the ball Ian Kinsler hit in game 3 landed on the wall, that the baseball gods had spoken and said sorry Texas this isn’t your time.One of my fellow writers and big San Francisco fan wrote “With the way the Rangers have been playing I don't think there will be a 7th game. Someone needs to tell the Rangers the World Series started 4 games ago.” Boy was she ever right.

Tim Lincecum was just filthy last night. He had the hitters of Texas looking like a minor league team. His matchup with the leading AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton showed just how great Lincecum was. He kept Hamilton off balance with a dose of fastballs and change-ups. Hamilton didn't have a clue what was coming next and eventually struck  out. Hamilton was but only one victim for “The Freak”, Lincecum would go on to pitch 8 innings and strikeout 8 batters while allowing only one earned run. It was a masterful performance but almost matched by Texas ace Cliff Lee. Lee would only make one mistake but it was costly in pitching to a former World Series hero, Edgar Renteria. The former Florida Marlin hero had been swinging a hot bat of late and was able to connect on a cutter from Lee and drove it deep into the Texas sky. "I was only looking for one pitch," Renteria said. And that was the one.

The three run blast proved to be all that was needed. Lincecum was relieved by Brian “The beard” Wilson in the 9th. Wilson may be one the weirdest guys in baseball, but he has got the job done all year. He didn't allow a run this entire post-season. Wilson closed it out in the 9th and San Francisco’s 55 year drought was over. A team that once was scrapping to get into the playoffs had ousted all its foes. This is about as an unlikely run as you could imagine. You can argue there is not one superstar position player on the team. It was a team patched together as the year went on. Each series they had a new hero, be it Juan Uribe, Aubrey Huff, the rookie Buster Posey, Cody “The Boss” Ross and last night it was Edgar Renteria’s turn. "We're just a bunch of guys," said outfielder Cody Ross,

You’re not just a bunch of guys Cody you are World Series champions now.

World Series Update: Giants up 3-1

The Giants have been rolling in the World Series thus far and have a 3-1 lead. Now with the season on the line, The Rangers hand the ball to their ace Cliff Lee who got shelled his time out going only 4 innings allowing 8 hits and 6 earned runs. He still had 7 strikeouts to just 1 walk.

This is the very reason the Rangers went out and acquired Lee. He was expected to led them to places they have never been. And to this point Lee has done everything asked of him. If he can get the win for them in this must win game, he will always be remembered in Rangers lore.

Cliff Lee is great but he can’t do it himself. The Rangers who had been bashing everyone in the playoffs until now, need for their bats to wake up. Madison Bumgarner silenced them for eight shut out innings in game four. Brian Wilson with his trademark beard came in and closed the door for the Giants. The Giants will have their ace going tonight with Lincecum set to pitch. It sets the stage for an epic Game 5.

With the Giants on the brink of there first championship since 1954, Can Cliff Lee and the slumping bats of the Rangers save their seemed for destiny season? I picked the Giants in 7 thinking that the Rangers would win at least two games this series but who knows? Tune in to see what happens tonight

World Series Preview: Texas Rangers vs. San Francisco Giants

One of these teams will end the futility that has held both of these franchises hostages for the last half a century. Texas is making its first appearance in the fall classic and San Francisco has 18 appearances, but since moving to the bay in 1958, this will be only their fourth trip. The Giants haven’t won since 1954 for those keeping count and that was when the say-hay kid Willie Mays was patrolling the outfield.

The Rangers, meanwhile, are the fourth team in the past six seasons to be appearing in their first World Series. Led by the big bat of AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton and the arm of ace Cliff Lee, the Rangers are looking to make up for lost time. This is a team that was in shambles financially at the beginning of the season. The team was in the midst of being sold and also had to be placed on bankruptcy protection. Enter the former Rangers great Nolan Ryan, who led a group of investors that scooped the team up and have been firing on all cylinders every since. They have a nice balance of youth and veterans including youngsters Elvis Andrus, Netfali Feliz, Nelson Cruz and veterans Micheal Young and the off season addition of Vladimir Gurrerro.

The Giants barely made it in the Playoffs but are definitely making the most out of the trip. A team dominated by pitching, the Giants added a lot of key pieces during the season to entrench the team. The additions included: Cody Ross, Javier Lopez, a call up of rookie Buster Posey and off season additions included Aubrey Huff and Pat “the bat” Burrell. For this season at least all these moves have had a positive impact on the club. Their pitching is off the charts with two top of the line starters in Tim “The Freak” Lincecum, and Matt Cain. The closer Brian Wilson is one of the quirkier guys you will meet in baseball but is also one of the best. It’s fitting that this patchwork of an offense will meet a patchwork of a front office in the Rangers for the World Series.

Now time for the breakdowns:

Pitching: Texas has the best postseason pitcher that has come along in awhile with Cliff Lee and also are benefiting from quality starts from C.J Wilson and the former Japanese league pitcher Colby Lewis.

San Francisco counters with maybe the deepest rotation in all of baseball: Lincecum, Cain, Jonathon Sanchez, and Madison Bumgarner.

The Edge: San Francisco

Offense: Texas has the big bats in Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Gurrerro, Ian Kinsler, and Nelson Cruz. They also have a nice platoon of for average hitters in Michael Young, Elvis Andrus and Mitch Moreland.

San Francisco doesn’t have the power of the Rangers but has timely hitting with Buster Posey, Cody Ross and Aubrey Huff leading the way. They will need a big series from Posey and for Ross to continue his hot streak of late.

The Edge: Texas

Fielding: Texas has a solid defense led by the former gold glove winner Michael Young. The Rangers have been playing good enough defense but not the best.

San Francisco’s fielding has been just as solid if not better than the Rangers. Rookie Buster Posey leads the team in that department.

The Edge: Even

The Series prediction: This is sort of a karma infused World Series. It seems both teams haven’t been successful over the past few decades and both are trying to exercise those demons of the past. Pitching is always the most important factor in the playoffs to me and the Giants are deeper in that department. Cliff Lee is amazingly only getting better as the playoff’s progress but he can only start so many times for the Rangers. Josh Hamilton will keep it close and should have his moments as the best hitter in the series. One for sure winner in this series will be Bengie Molina, who after playing for both teams this year is going to receive a ring either way.

 

         The Pick: Giants in 7

Tuesday Musings

So the NFL wants to put the hammer down on those on are doing the hammering all of a sudden. I won't go into all the details like I did on yesterday's post (http://sportaholic2112.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-hits-keep-coming.html) but I guess I can sympathize a small bit seeing as how guys were dropping like flies this weekend but it does seem premature to just all of a sudden make a mid season rule change. Another funny part of the story is that none of the guys: James Harrison, Brandon Merritweather, or Dunta Robinson got suspended. They all were fined but not suspended. That's the way you enforce your rules Goddell, hopefully next time someone actually gets suspended.

MLB Playoffs

What ever happened to that Yankee mystique? The Rangers are just humiliating the Bronx bombers and doing it the way the Yanks usually do with home run bashes. I was under the impression that the game 1 meltdown was going to lead to an inevitability for the Rangers. Lance "Fat Elvis" Berkman even went as far as saying that the bullpen pitchers looked scared, so much for that huh? No doubt the Rangers pitching has been great but I am just as impressed with their hitting. Taking a look at Texas's lineup it shouldn't come as a surprise. Josh Hamilton is a MVP candidate, Vlad Gurrerro is a future HOF, Micheal Young is consistently is the top of league in batting average and Nelson Cruz can hit the ball as far as anyone I've seen. I look for them to make it to the world series with C.J Wilson on the mound. What a story for Nolan Ryan's bankrupt bunch

They do a little pitching in the Bay too - The way the media was all over the newly minted H2O pitching trio of Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt you would have thought it was no chance for the Giants to win the series. What was forgotten is that San Fran has pretty damn good rotation themselves. The likes of Lincecum, Sanchez, Cain, and even rookie Madison Bumgarner has to be as solid as a four man rotation as there is. Lincecum may get all the praise but the other guys have all held their own against a very dangerous Philly line up. And when you add the hot bat of Cody Ross and some timely hitting from the other Giants hitter, you have a team capable of beating anyone. Now Philly has to turn to Joe Blanton ( The last guy they want on the mound) to rescue their season. May be to little to late.