MLB Playoffs Thread

50PoundHead said:
Put down the crack pipe. You made a lot of good points and then inhaled before you typed in the Lowe/Shields comparison.
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Why? No doubt Shields is the better pitcher and has sustained more consistant success during a longer period of time, but Lowe was on absolute fire the last month of that season and almost single handedly got us into the postseason going 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA in September. Lowe also has had more success in big must win games throughout his career and has risen to the occassion more often than "Big Game James".

I'm not arguing, there is no doubt that James Sheilds is the better pitcher over the long haul, BUT the "Big Game James" thing is a little overblown IMO and there are many pitchers currently and in the past that I'd aren't known for necessarily success in the must win games over "Big Game James." Take for instance, the percieved notion that Maddux and Glavine were chokers, which were overblown IMO.

For comparison sakes:

"Big Game James" 9 GS 3-4 5.19 ERA

Derek Lowe 12 GS 5-7 3.42 ERA

Greg Maddux 30 GS 11-14 3.28 ERA

Tom Glavine 35 GS 14-16 3.31 ERA

Mike Mussina 21 GS 7-8 3.42 ERA

and let's look at others that are perceived to be great big game pitchers

Andy Pettite 44 GS 19-11 3.81 ERA

I'll take Maddux and Glavine, thank you. And I will take a whole plethra of pitchers to pitch before I would "Big Game James."
 
gilesfan said:
The majority of runs seem to be on mistakes....games decided on pitchers throwing the ball away, etc. It's not a matter of 1 team executing, it's a matter of the other not doing it.
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Pretty much my point. But look at the Royals' winning run the other night. Aoki gets on. Dyson runs for him. Showalter decides to use the "off base" (in more ways than one) approach to hold Dyson. Pearce, who is a not a particularly good defensive first baseman, is leaning the wrong way as a result and can't flag down Hosmer's single (which Pearce probably could have at least knocked down had he been holding Dyson in the more traditional sense), which gets Dyson to third base. Butler then hits a medium-deep fly ball and the Royals go ahead. I thought it was a pretty good cat-and-mouse episode.

The defensive play of Pearce and Adams show the importance of having a good defensive first baseman.

These aren't a set of playoffs for the ages, but teams have paid for their fundamental physical and mental errors and I think it's good for fans to see that.
 
What? This is one of the better MLB playoffs in recent memory. If not the Braves, I preferred the Royals and Giants in the WS. Never though it could happen... hopefully the Giants take care of business.
 
Millwood1Hitter said:
Why? No doubt Shields is the better pitcher and has sustained more consistant success during a longer period of time, but Lowe was on absolute fire the last month of that season and almost single handedly got us into the postseason going 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA in September. Lowe also has had more success in big must win games throughout his career and has risen to the occassion more often than "Big Game James".

I'm not arguing, there is no doubt that James Sheilds is the better pitcher over the long haul, BUT the "Big Game James" thing is a little overblown IMO and there are many pitchers currently and in the past that I'd aren't known for necessarily success in the must win games over "Big Game James." Take for instance, the percieved notion that Maddux and Glavine were chokers, which were overblown IMO.

For comparison sakes:

"Big Game James" 9 GS 3-4 5.19 ERA

Derek Lowe 12 GS 5-7 3.42 ERA
Greg Maddux 30 GS 11-14 3.28 ERA
Tom Glavine 35 GS 14-16 3.31 ERA
Mike Mussina 21 GS 7-8 3.42 ERA

and let's look at others that are perceived to be great big game pitchers

Andy Pettite 44 GS 19-11 3.81 ERA

I'll take Maddux and Glavine, thank you. And I will take a whole plethra of pitchers to pitch before I would "Big Game James."
Click to expand...

I don't necessarily buy into the "Big Game Whoever" for anyone. I just think Shields is a much better pitcher than Lowe. A MUCH better pitcher.
 
50PoundHead said:
Pretty much my point. But look at the Royals' winning run the other night. Aoki gets on. Dyson runs for him. Showalter decides to use the "off base" (in more ways than one) approach to hold Dyson. Pearce, who is a not a particularly good defensive first baseman, is leaning the wrong way as a result and can't flag down Hosmer's single (which Pearce probably could have at least knocked down had he been holding Dyson in the more traditional sense), which gets Dyson to third base. Butler then hits a medium-deep fly ball and the Royals go ahead. I thought it was a pretty good cat-and-mouse episode.

The defensive play of Pearce and Adams show the importance of having a good defensive first baseman.

These aren't a set of playoffs for the ages, but teams have paid for their fundamental physical and mental errors and I think it's good for fans to see that.
Click to expand...

Give me good play. I don't want to see the winner declared by who doesn't screw up the easy plays. Maybe some hits against awful starters like Guthrie, and such.
 
Millwood1Hitter said:
Why? No doubt Shields is the better pitcher and has sustained more consistant success during a longer period of time, but Lowe was on absolute fire the last month of that season and almost single handedly got us into the postseason going 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA in September. Lowe also has had more success in big must win games throughout his career and has risen to the occassion more often than "Big Game James".

I'm not arguing, there is no doubt that James Sheilds is the better pitcher over the long haul, BUT the "Big Game James" thing is a little overblown IMO and there are many pitchers currently and in the past that I'd aren't known for necessarily success in the must win games over "Big Game James." Take for instance, the percieved notion that Maddux and Glavine were chokers, which were overblown IMO.

For comparison sakes:

"Big Game James" 9 GS 3-4 5.19 ERA

Derek Lowe 12 GS 5-7 3.42 ERA

Greg Maddux 30 GS 11-14 3.28 ERA

Tom Glavine 35 GS 14-16 3.31 ERA

Mike Mussina 21 GS 7-8 3.42 ERA

and let's look at others that are perceived to be great big game pitchers

Andy Pettite 44 GS 19-11 3.81 ERA

I'll take Maddux and Glavine, thank you. And I will take a whole plethra of pitchers to pitch before I would "Big Game James."
Click to expand...

I'll take my chances with Schilling and/or Smoltz over anyone in a game 7.
 
It's easy to be a "big game pitcher" when the offense scores 10 runs a game like they did for Pettite. Smoltz is the epitome of big game pitcher and in my lifetime is the greatest big game pitcher. That's from about 1990 on because that's the earliest I can remember.

Shields is pretty hated by Royals fans from what I have read over the years because he has crumbled in big games for them.
 
cajunrevenge said:
It's easy to be a "big game pitcher" when the offense scores 10 runs a game like they did for Pettite. Smoltz is the epitome of big game pitcher and in my lifetime is the greatest big game pitcher. That's from about 1990 on because that's the earliest I can remember.

Shields is pretty hated by Royals fans from what I have read over the years because he has crumbled in big games for them.
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What big games have the Royals had over the years?
 
Prikichi said:
I'll take my chances with Schilling and/or Smoltz over anyone in a game 7.
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No doubt, those 2 are the best big game pitchers of my generation but that wasn't my point. My point was that "Big Game James" isn't indeed a big game pitcher, while guys like Maddux, Glavine, Mussina, etc were very good despite being labeled guys who come up short in the limelight, when indeed they weren't.
 
Matheny is a moron. Had Choate ready in the pen and left Wacha on the mound to face left handed hitting Brandon Crawford.
 
CyYoung31 said:
What big games have the Royals had over the years?
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Big games for a team that hasn't been to the playoffs in 30 years are different than for a team that has been to the playoffs about 20 of the last 25 years. They have had some games that were critical for their playoff chances late in the year this year and last year where he **** the bed. Call him Big Game James on a Royals forum and they will think your a troll.
 
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