Nat'l League rules are going to hurt the Sox--why I'm freaking out.

[Phillycat]

That's one out per nine batters, automatically. When was the last time Pedro batted? And then no Big Papi. Unless, will they put him in the outfield somewhere just so he can bat? Take Manny out? No, they wouldn't do that. My guess is they'd take Trot Nixon out, which would be a huge mistake.

4 errors per game--yeah we won at Fenway, but St Louis is awesome at home (then again, so were the Yanks).

I am starting to freak out. Now I understand what all you longtime Sox fans were saying. My blood pressure is through the roof.

That said, we only have to win at home to win the Series.

Tell me why I'm needlessly nervous. Please.

[kick-ass-bob]

1. I think he goes to 1st base...

(Ortiz)

:scared:

[Phillycat]

3. Yes, that was the other spot I thought too.

Which is equally as terrifying.

[The Great Escape]

2. I Think The Sox Take At Least One Game in STL...

do that and you're in terrific shape.

[Phillycat]

4. God I hope so.

If they won in StL, that would go a long way toward calming me down. :)

[BOSSHOG]

5. Are any of you AL fans ready to get rid of the bad 30 year

experiment? Its time for the DU to go. I'm a Phillie fan but I'm pulling for the Sox this year. And please, someone tell me why Pitchers can't hit? Are we not paying them enough? And why do our kids have to stay up till midnight to watch a world series game? I think there should be holidays declared in cities with world series teams and day games should be played. Two cities? Maybe seven days? Share my idealism, to hell with the TV audience.

[Phillycat]

8. "Are we not paying them enough?"

:) That's funny.

We only pay them enough to bleed through their sock, not to bat, too. ;-)

The kids have to stay up til midnight because on the West Coast, the game starts at 5:00.

But I would love it if they declared a holiday and played day games. To hell with the kids, I'm exhausted myself!!

[kick-ass-bob]

9. No.

It's here to stay.
Build a bridge. Get over it. :P

As for the World Series start times - that pisses me off to no end.
Night games on the weekend???? Fuck Fox! I wish they would get run into the ground and we could get a real deal for baseball on TV so kids can watch it without falling asleep.

My son (8) tried to stay up for the AL Game 7 and fell asleep during Tynan's 7th inning song. Couldn't effectively wake him.
:grr:

[gpandas]

40. tv & night games here to stay, get over it.

[Bog Frog]

22. "Its time for the DU to go." Heh heh.... change to "DH" and I agree --

completely.

[rockymountaindem]

6. Ortiz can also play first base.

And if we build up a lead we can replace him with Mientkewitz. Furthermore, we can use him as a PH when we change pitchers, which will eliminate at least one of your automatic outs, and add a power explosion to the bottom of the lineup. We'll probably use a couple of pinch hitters tonight.

It will be a challenge, but it won't sink us.

[Phillycat]

10. That's true, he will be used as a PH.

But I have to quibble with you. We won't use any pinch hitters tonight. ;-) Tomorrow though, for sure!

[Commendatori]

7. So?

St. Louis pitchers have never hit against the Red Sox pitchers, either, and I don't know of any Cards pitchers who are scary hitters anyway.

I'd share your concern if the Cards pitchers were all .270+ hitters with consistently dangerous HR power, but if Boston's pitchers can get through Pujols / Edmonds / Walker, I don't think the Cards hurlers are going to do a whole lot more damage than the BoSox pitchers will.

Pedro won a Cy Young in Montreal, BTW. Schilling was a Phillie and a Diamondback for years. Arroyo was a Pirate.

Take a shot of Chivas and relax, friend. Everything will be okay.

[Phillycat]

11. Boston's pitching has been absolutely brilliant.

Good analysis, and you've calmed me down a bit. I don't drink, but I'll try to cut back on the coffee, how's that?

[Commendatori]

16. Do what I do

Find a tolerable decaf and mix it in with your favorite regular coffee, make a half and half.

By "tolerable" I mean "reasonably bland," so that it doesn<'t interfere with the good stuff a whole lot.[br />
The Cards play well at home, lose on the road. They were 4-0 in St. Louis and 0-3 in Houston. If the BoSox can take one of three in St. Louis, which I think they will, they're sitting pretty.

No reason to worry, friend.

[Phillycat]

20. Thanks. :)

:hug: We're gonna make it! I BELIEVE!!

[frylock]

30. card's pitchers can bunt

[calico1]

12. I think that either both leagues should use

the DH, or neither.

[Phillycat]

13. Agreed! I think it's an unfair advantage for the NL in inter-league play.

[kick-ass-bob]

18. Isn't it unfair for the AL in AL parks?

Most NL teams don't have another really good hitter to be DH - otherwise, they would be playing!

I really think that is a wash in general...

[Commendatori]

17. I vote for neither.

The leagues are diluted enough without jobs for aging sluggers who can't run or field.

Dave Parker and Dave Kingman could still DH effectively, for God's sake.

[troublemaker]

14. You are needlessly nervous because what you're saying applies to ALL

American League tems in the world series (since the 1970s), yet American League teams seem to do just fine

[kick-ass-bob]

15. Here we go: start Ortiz at 1st in Game 3

then game 4 have him on the bench if the Sox win game 3.
If they lose game 3 and he didn't f* it up at 1st, start him again.

How about that?

[Phillycat]

23. Sounds like a plan.

Honestly, he couldn't be any worse than Mueller was last night. :eyes:

[kick-ass-bob]

24. Mueller's usually not that bad

and his first error really wasn't his fault - the catcher needs to move...

[Phillycat]

27. Oh, I know.

He's been very good throughout the postseason. He just had a hell of a shitty night. Luckily Boston's pitching saved them.

[Tempest]

19. Cardinals are undefeated at home in post-season

5-0.

Soxs are going down.

[kick-ass-bob]

25. and no one ever came back from 0-3 before either...

They won't win all 3...

[Phillycat]

26. Well, but, the Sox only have to win at home to win.

Not to mention, the Yankees weren't too bad at home either, if you'll remember, and we managed to KICK THEIR ASS IN THEIR OWN STADIUM. :)

[Bog Frog]

21. The Sox will win, and "NL" rules should be MLB rules.

ABOLISH THE DH!

[Phillycat]

28. I like it.

I think it makes the game more interesting.

[frylock]

31. it makes the game LESS interesting..

there is no strategy involved with the DH; just fill out your lineup card, and count pitches. What if your pitcher is throwing great, but you have runners in scoring position? The decision must be made to let the pitcher bat, or pull him for the PH. That is far more interesting, and part of what makes the NL the superior league.

[Phillycat]

32. We'll have to agree to disagree.

:shrug:

[nickgutierrez]

38. I guess it depends on what 'strategy' is

Is it the rote application of "the book"? Doing something that we all know should happen is not strategy (pinch hitting for a pitcher that can't hit, for instance, is not strategy but something you just have to do). Is the way most managers run their bullpens now strategy?

"I'm not an advocate of the Designated Hitter Rule; I'm only an advocate of seeing the truth and telling the truth. What the truth comes down to here is a question of in what does strategy reside? Does strategy exist in the act of bunting? If so the Designated Hitter Rule has reduced strategy. But if strategy exists in the decision about when a bunt should be used, then the DH rule has increased the differences of opinion which exist about that question, and thus increased strategy... that there is more of a difference of opinion, not less, in the American League." - Bill James in The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (1986)

More recent analysis shows that a sacrifice bunt is almost always a bad play unless you need one run and only one run to win a game, but that's beside the point.

In the AL, there is that extra good hitter in every lineup (the average DH hit .263/344/.445 this season) that makes pitching against an AL lineup much harder: there's not an automatic out in most lineups as there is against an NL lineup. Doesn't that extra hitter make filling out the lineup card harder? Is there no strategy in that? And doesn't that extra hitter make managing a bullpen that much harder?

The DH doesn't reduce strategy enough for that to be an argument for its removal. There are other, better, reasons - this one just doesn't hold water.

[Arkana]

29. They're gonna put Ortiz at 1st

and remove Millar from the lineup. No way they'd go into St. Louis without Big Papi in the batting order.

[WilliamPitt]

33. Ortiz will play first

and the Cardinals do not seem to have the pitching to stop our hitting. That's going to be the same no matter which league they play in.

[tsakshaug]

34. Don't worry

I won't be watching so the sox will win.

[Phillycat]

41. Thanks for your contribution!

:hi:

[skygazer]

35. Welcome to Red Sox baseball

I've been watching the Sox since I was a kid in the 60's. It is always a heart pounding, nail biting, jaw clenching, adrenaline rushing experience. There's nothing quite like it in sports.

But this is OUR year. Go Sox!!!! :yourock:

[Phillycat]

42. I really thought I was going to be sick earlier.

But now I'm feeling more confident. I BELIEVE!!

PS. I hate my BF for doing this to me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be watching baseball.

[sniffa]

36. jeez - you sound Like a true bostonian

Leave the hand-wringing to us. :P

[Phillycat]

43. I'll try.

:hi:

[nickgutierrez]

37. How bad could Ortiz possibly fuck up at FIRST BASE???

Millar isn't exactly a beast with the glove, and he seems to be playing just fine over there. First base is the *least* demanding of the defensive positions, based on Bill James's defensive spectrum:

1B, LF, RF, 3B, CF, 2B, SS, C

Yeah, I know, Buckner was a first baseman, but that's a very unusual situation. Not to mention that the Sox still could have won Game 7 that year... ;)

[JVS]

39. That's because the American League uses shitty designated hitter rules...

which pervert the game.