SnakeBytes 9/29: Off-Day Edition

by kishi on Sep 29, 2011 6:41 PM EDT in Snake Bytes

Okay, so no play-in games. We know where we're headed- I'm sure the team's probably already in Milwaukee right now, getting ready for the game on Saturday...

Recaps:

[Dbacks.com] D-backs headed to Milwaukee to open NLDS - Sorry, Dodgers, you're pretty much a footnote on the game here. But you're probably just glad to have the season done with.
[FS Arizona] D-backs' rally falls short in loss to Dodgers - They gave it a try for another late-game rally, but didn't quite get it.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks to play Brewers in NLDS after loss to Dodgers - Who had "Cole Gillespie hits a grand slam in the last game of the regular season" in the pool?
[LA Times] Dodgers' Matt Kemp has one final blast in 7-5 victory - Well, almost going 40-40 isn't that impressive, Kemp, geez... No, it's actually still pretty cool.

DBacks News:

[DBacks.com] Five keys for D-backs this postseason - What will it take for the DBacks to succeed here? Besides winning more games than they lose.
[NBC Sports] Unlikely turnaround? Don't tell that to D-backs "People thought Gibby maybe was a bit crazy in spring training, with all the stuff he was making us do,'' closer J.J. Putz said. "But after that stretch in May, that's when we started gaining our identity as a team. Guys thought, you know what? Maybe he isn't crazy. He does know what he's doing.''
[AZ Central] Fans slow to join Arizona Diamondbacks' bandwagon - Well, it's Phoenix. The fans are slow to show up sometimes. But they had pretty good attendance over the past two series, right?
[The D-blog] Blum ecstatic to be back in postseason - Geoff Blum kind of has the Craig Counsell thing to him in my mind- I stop and think, "Wait, he's won a World Series?"
[FS Arizona] Top of rotation puts D-backs in elite crowd - Looking at how the bullpen has done better this year, it probably doesn't hurt that we've had three starters put up over 200 innings for the first time in franchise history...
[FanGraphs] Jarrod Parker Debuts For Diamondbacks - Hey, there was more to Tuesday's game than just extra innings? It may have been overshadowed by the excitement, but Jarrod Parker did have a pretty nice outing.
[FS Arizona] History on side of worst-to-first D-backs - DBacks are the ninth team to have gone from last place to the playoffs since 1979. Six of the previous eight went to the World Series? Really?

Around Baseball:

[ThePostGame] Greatest Collapses In Major League History - There's plenty of them out there...
[ESPN] ESPN predicts the 2011 baseball season - 45 experts. Seven of them still have a shot to be right about the World Series winner, but the other thirty eight picked teams that didn't make the playoffs- mostly the Red Sox. And no one picked the Diamondbacks to win the division.
[SI.com] Drama of Rays, Red Sox and Braves made for unforgettable final day - I hope you didn't take yesterday off from baseball. If you did, you missed out on some pretty tense games.
[The Washington Post] Major League Baseball attendance up by under 1 percent, 1st rise since 2007 - Well, after a lot of concern in the early season about attendance numbers, looks like they weren't that bad after all? The DBacks ended up averaging about 600 more fans per home game.
[Baseball Nation] Adam Dunn: Almost Famous - Aw, so close, Adam! Just a few plate appearances shy of making history.
[Big League Stew] Perfect: Dodgers’ Eugenio Velez sets record with 0-for-37 season - 0 for 37. That's impressive.

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Comments

I loathe the Dodgers with the fire of 10,000 suns.

That being said, it would have been awesome if Kemp had gotten to 40/40. It’s such a rare feat, that its fun to get a chance to watch it occur.

The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.

by Stupendous Man on Sep 29, 2011 9:50 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

had the temerity to watch espn's Baseball Tonight

first 20 minutes of the show, focusing on what happened to the Red Sox…. sigh

Watched MLB’s Path to the Playoffs, they credit Gibby with bringing about an emotional maturity to the team that made them work together as a unit.

everyone picked the Brewers to win, came down to being unable to contain the Milwaukee offense and that Greinke is too good to beat at home….which could be an incredibly valid take.

I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused....

by piratedan7 on Sep 29, 2011 10:50 PM EDT reply actions

Except we might not see him at home

If he starts game two, it’d be his second consecutive game on short rest.

"We have to resist it. Do whatever you have to. Cross your fingers. Say a prayer. Think of a basket of kittens. But do not give in to the fear..."

by Jim McLennan on Sep 29, 2011 10:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Well

I refer to the ESPN link to explain my stance on expert predictions.

"Never ignore a coincidence. Unless you're busy, in which case always ignore a coincidence."

by kishi on Sep 29, 2011 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions

A one hour show tonight, filled with 56 minutes of Red Sox hand wringing, a full Rays/Rangers breakdown, a full Yanks/Tigers breakdown(Mostly focused on Verlander v. Sabathia) and oh by the way, DBacks/Brewers and Cardinals/Phillies are playing too.

In a dispassionate view, the ardor for reform, improvement for virtue, knowledge, and even beauty, is only a vain sticking-up for appearances, as if one were anxious about the cut of one's clothes, in a community of blind men.

by BulldogsNotZags on Sep 29, 2011 11:25 PM EDT reply actions

to be fair

Verlander/Sabathia is a lot more exciting than Kennedy/Gallardo

and apparently Matt Moore is pitching in Game 1 of the Rays series…..i really think the Rays have a shot to get to the WS this year. Shields, Moore, Price at the top of that rotation is damn good.

by blue bulldog on Sep 30, 2011 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions

Well yeah

I don’t mind the breakdowns of the AL series, but it’s the Red Sox hand wringing that forced them to completely bypass the 2 NL series that I object to.

by BulldogsNotZags on Sep 30, 2011 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

ESPN

Yeah, I know everyone’s bagging on ESPN’s “expert” opinions. They do have some love for Arizona in their postseason photo galleries, though:

Postseason Classics: Goes over the top moments in each game of each series. The World Series game one top moment is tangentially related to Arizona, as it’s Gibby’s HR. Game 7? What else? Gonzo’s single.

Top Defensive Threats: Miggy is the top catcher and JUp is top right fielder. No love for my boy Parra, though.

Most Dangerous Players: Justin is listed as #8.

For Jeter-haters (who subscribe to Insider): The Captain is listed as the #1 defensive liability in the postseason. I don’t hate Jeter. I think he was great in his younger days, but he is getting kind of long in the tooth.

by azshadowwalker on Sep 29, 2011 11:54 PM EDT reply actions