[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Yankees (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 10/10/2005 4:18:42 PM EDT
Go Yanks!
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hahahaha Man thats funny. By the way your last trip to Houston resulted in a 0-2 sweep. And we took you to 7 last year, this year we have a healthy  Who is the best pitcher in baseball since the allstar break. Your reliever is out for the season. Our bullpen is on top of their game and we are scoring runs. Also from the allstar break we have the best record in baseball. Good luck. 
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It is about the line-up. You can have the best defense, but when it comes down to the end, it is the most runs on the board. From ESPN: 6) Which team has the more dangerous lineup? 95.9% St. Louis Cardinals 4.1% Houston Astros 9) Which team has the edge on defense? 69.5% St. Louis Cardinals 30.5% Houston Astros Good luck to yourself.  ETA: Cards on another level By Phil Rogers Special to ESPN.com Archive Cardinals Astros Why St. Louis could win: It's been a long time since the NL has had the most dominant team in the majors for any extended period of time -- not since the Big Red Machine, to be exact -- but these Cardinals could change that with a World Series victory. They've already won 225 games the last two years and have a chance to push that to 233. No other team has won more than 204, and the Astros have won a mere 190. The Astros are good, but they're not on the level of the Cardinals, who can win games just about every way you can win games. The Astros won't be able to stop the lineup that scored at least six runs in all three games against San Diego. Why Houston could win: Look no further for your sentimental favorites. In Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, the Astros have a terrific collection of veterans trying to bring the World Series to Texas for the first time. All are capable of coming up huge when they are called on, as Clemens showed with those three shutout innings of relief in Sunday's 18-inning classic against Atlanta. Biggio and Bagwell, previously known for postseason futility, are hitting a combined .292 with four homers and 15 RBI in Houston's 16 playoff games the last two years. Late innings: Conventional wisdom gives Houston the closer edge over anyone it plays, but we don't. As strong as he is, Brad Lidge will have to pay for throwing 85 pitches in a four-day span, including 45 on Sunday. The surprising reality is that Lidge has been outpitched by St. Louis' Jason Isringhausen over the last two seasons. Izzy has piled up 86 regular-season saves in 2004-05, 15 more than Lidge, and held opponents to a .202 average this season, better than Lidge's .223. Getting leads to Isringhausen is not as simple as it once was, however, as the Cardinals are without Ray King and Al Reyes, their top set-up men. The bullpen allowed eight runs in 8 1/3 innings against the Padres, giving Tony La Russa something to worry about. That's OK. He's a man who needs something to worry about. Style points: Look for the Cardinals to come through with the big at-bats. They led the NL with a .290 batting average with men in scoring position. So Taguchi (.407), David Eckstein (.373), Yadier Molina (.330), Albert Pujols (.329), Mark Grudzielanek (.308) and Abraham Nunez (.300) have been rock solid in those situations. ... The impending implosion of Busch Stadium could heighten the angst of St. Louis fans if the Astros take a lead in the series. ... Will La Russa use Jason Marquis as a pinch hitter? He was 6-for-12 with one homer against Houston pitchers this season. ... The Cardinals miss the injured Scott Rolen in the field. They allowed 74 unearned runs, the most in the NL. ... The Cardinals are 6-5 in postseason series under La Russa. ... Pujols could be ready to explode after finishing second in the NL with a .330 batting average, third with 41 homers and second with 117 RBI. Head-on: The Cardinals made the Astros wear it this year, going 11-5 in the season series, and have a 23-18 edge over the last two seasons. ... Chris Carpenter and Marquis were a combined 8-0 against Houston this season. ... Phil Garner has shied away from using Chad Qualls the last two postseasons but ought to consider a heavy dose of Qualls in this series. The right-hander is 4-1 against the Cards the last two years, as many wins as Clemens and more than Roy Oswalt. Writer's block: If the Astros keep knocking on the door, don't they have to get admitted to a World Series sometime? This is the ninth time the franchise has gone into the postseason and its fifth time in the championship series. It has won only two of 10 playoff series. It's time to bring a World Series to Texas. Prediction: Cardinals in six Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a Web site at www.chicagosports.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2005/columns/story?columnist=rogers_phil&id=2186539 |
I come with facts and stats. You come back with articles and polls. BTW more ESPN "experts" have picked Astros than STL 6 picked Astros 2 picked Cards. |
I did come back with facts - in the article. Here are some quotes: They've already won 225 games the last two years and have a chance to push that to 233. No other team has won more than 204, and the Astros have won a mere 190. The Astros won't be able to stop the lineup that scored at least six runs in all three games against San Diego. The surprising reality is that Lidge has been outpitched by St. Louis' Jason Isringhausen over the last two seasons. Izzy has piled up 86 regular-season saves in 2004-05, 15 more than Lidge, and held opponents to a .202 average this season, better than Lidge's .223. Cardinals to come through with the big at-bats. They led the NL with a .290 batting average with men in scoring position. So Taguchi (.407), David Eckstein (.373), Yadier Molina (.330), Albert Pujols (.329), Mark Grudzielanek (.308) and Abraham Nunez (.300) have been rock solid in those situations. Pujols could be ready to explode after finishing second in the NL with a .330 batting average, third with 41 homers and second with 117 RBI. The Cardinals made the Astros wear it this year, going 11-5 in the season series, and have a 23-18 edge over the last two seasons. ... Chris Carpenter and Marquis were a combined 8-0 against Houston this season |
Go Yanks indeed!
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Dude Lidge has not been outpitched. Lidge 23 walks 103 Ks Isringhausen 27 walks 51 Ks Here is the basics of the series. Starting Pitching? Advantage Astros We have 3 absolute ACES Relief Pitching? Advatage Astros Closer? Advantage Astros Bats? Advantage Cards Defense? Advantage Cards The whole thing comes down to can the Astros get the cluth hits. If we are hot (like they are recently) they can win this series. Most playoff series are not high scoring games. And the cards will be forced to face an ACE in all but one game. Game 4. I'm not claiming they will win the series but it would surprise no one if they fell 0-2 to Pettitte and Oswalt. Oswalt is an absolute freak. |
Only because the last time STL was in Houston we didn't give a rat's ass what happened. Seeing as we clinched it so damn early. Wait, aren't the stro's in the same division as St. Louis? That's right, they are. They came in second. Way back in early September. Your relievers won't mean much when they come into games when they are behind by 5 runs. 
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5 runs on Oswalt, Pettitte, or Clemens??   ok ok wait |
April 5: Cardinals 7, Astros 3 (Beat Oswalt) April 22: Cardinals 8, Astros 7 (at one point the cards led by 7) April 23: Cardinals 1, Astros 0 (Clemens; the guy can still pitch when he remembers to take his Geritol) April 24: Cardinals 8, Astros 5 (I don't know who Brack Brandon was but he sucked) June 3: Cardinals 2, Astros 0 June 4: Cardinals 11, Astros 9 (yawn) July 15: Cardinals 4, Astros 3 July 16: Cardinals 4, Astros 2 (Oswalt, again) July 17: Cardinals 3, Astros 0 (Clemens, again) Sept. 3: Cardinals 4, Astros 2 (the Rocket fizzled again) Sept. 4: Cardinals 4, Astros 1 (the Cardinals just about had the division wrapped up by this time) And if that is not enough, our ball park is named after beer  and your's is named after sissy orange juice. So there. |
Ok so basically you have proven my point which was putting 5 runs on out starters is pretty much impossible. Thanks |
Fixed it. Yanks OWNED by a 22 year old rookie pitcher....  What else ya got?
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I fucking hate the Yankees. They can't even buy a championship! The Braves had Sheffield a few seasons back and he didnt hit at all in the playoffs. and look he choked again he hit like .100 the whole series. A-rod choked so bad on his 20 million + salary,he forgot how to hit, some MVP he was. Matsui left like 7 runners on base in Game 5. Randy Johnson pitched a whole 3 innings in his start. All the cheap salary guys did the best for the Yanks. Cano, Chacon, Leiter, Wang. |
GREAT observation! I like what happened to the Seattle Mariners... they let their Gold Glove contender Bret Boone go. After that day, That team was like "OH SHIT! I might be next!!!" and the next few games they were on a winning streak. I say let Steinbrenner say... "Im firing one of you at the middle of the season"... watch them play like the hungry rookies they once were there is A LOt of talent on that team. they need to spark it back up. |
True. I'll give you that. Now, that facts also indicate that the Cardinals owned the Astros this year in the season series 11-5. 
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Hey, it works everywhere ELSE in business it's tried!  Go Cardinals, I guess. After last year, sheesh.....
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