World Series: Game 5 thoughts, Part II
1. Here is my column from the final game of the 2008 season. Joe Maddon is clearly a bright, affable guy who connects with his players, and he'll deserve the AL Manager of the Year award he'll receive in a couple of weeks. But in the name of Mercury, how could he sleep last night knowing that he didn't put David Price in the game until it was too late?
You have a pitcher who has the stuff of a starter, the bulldog mentality of a reliever, and the arm strength to pitch for a long time. With your season on the line, how does he not take the mound the minute Charlie Manuel summons Geoff Jenkins to pinch hit for Cole Hamels?
When you throw in the other mistakes Maddon made in the three innings, you have to really wonder if he'll take the winter to re-evaluate his game managing. That marked the second game of this postseason, the other one being this, in which his managing appalled the senses.
He's a contrarian, and his big line after ALCS Game 5 - when he botched a number of matchups - was, "This is how we've done it all year." I didn't see enough Rays games to speak to that. But Maddon sure ignored common sense a lot. And it sure backfired on him, a lot.
2. That written, congratulations to the Rays for a truly remarkable season. I don't buy the idea that they're some sort of dynasty waiting to happen; unexpected stuff happens in this great game. But with their talent base and their dynamic front office, they figure to be a factor for many, many years to come.
3. Okay, now, the Phillies. There are three people who should really enjoy this moment. One is Pat Gillick, who came out of retirement three years ago to replace Ed Wade as Philadelphia's GM. Wade did a better job than people realized, setting up a nuecleus by drafting/acquiring and developing players like World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino (a Rule 5 selection), not to mention hiring manager Charlie Manuel.
But Gillick rounded out the roster with guys like Jayson Werth, Jamie Moyer, Matt Stairs, J.C. Romero and, last winter, Brad Lidge. He made the call to trade Jim Thome to clear room for Howard. And he had the humility to NOT rearrange the furniture just for the sake of proving that you can do so.
Gillick is an all-time, legendary GM: Three World Series titles and 11 playoff appearances in 30 years. If you eliminate the first seven years he ran the Blue Jays (1978-84), when he was building up an expansion team from scratch, he made the playoffs 11 times in 23 years. He doesn't get all warm and fuzzy with the media, which is why he doesn't get more coverage - and don't get me wrong, I loves me some warm and fuzzy. But to end his career on such a high note gives him a spotlight he richly deserves.
4. Charlie Manuel. I remember ripping Wade for hiring Manuel, wondering why such a country bumpkin would be brought in. Boy, was I wrong. Charlie proved to be a perfect fit for this tough city. He establishes such a positive environment in the clubhouse, every day, that the players have only themselves to blame if they get caught up in the negativity.
If you watched the post-game celebration on the field, and Manuel's interview with Fox, you saw how fired up he was. He deserved it, at age 64. He'll never be mocked again (or, at least until he botches a game decision next year).
5. Lidge, pictured above. I discussed him here. What I neglected to mention was that, the night Lidge served up that tape-measure shot to Albert Pujols, he was the first person at his locker after the game. He took full accountability for what happened, in multiple cyles with the large media contingent. Since then, I always have admired Lidge.
While Lidge might have maintained his strong stuff after '05, there's no doubt his subsequent two years with the Astros were a struggle. Everything he did was viewed through the prism of his '05 postseason. Now, he has rewritten his own biography. Good for him.
6. Philly. Good for them. As Dave Lennon and I left Citizens Bank Park at about 12:20 this morning, the crowd was rowdy but not violent. Apparently, hanging out of cars and dancing on top of cars is the cool thing to do there. They deserve it. Twenty-five years without a sports parade is a long time. They'll have theirs tomorrow. I also loved the booing of Bud Selig, even after they had won it all. I think Bud will look fondly upon it, too, eventually.
7. So now it's offseason time. Less running around for me means more blog entries. Thanks for the enthusiasm of the past week. And here is my final World Series Insider, focusing on Mark Teixeira's future.
SELF-PROMOTION UPDATE: I will be on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 175, with Charlie Steiner at 1:45 this afternoon.
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Comments (22)
Ken - I'm having a hard time with the inage of Joe Maddon.
A week ago, he was the person who would throw away the book and accpet unorthodox or new thoguts. Now he's in the "we've done it this way all year" mode.
Did the WS pressure get to him - was he afraid of being second guessed on a big stage at a big time? Was the fact that Charlie Manuel doesn't sweat the small stuff (or anything) more helpful to his team than Maddon's approach?
I still want Pat Gillick to come in and take over either the Yankees or Mets as GM.
Maddon made some mistakes last night. As soon as Balfour gave up the double to Jenkins, Maddon should have taken Balfour out and bought in Price. Then in the top of the 7th, Maddon lets Howell bat to bunt the runner over to 2nd instead of using a pinch-hitter. And then in the bottom of the 7th, Howell pitch to Burrell a righthand hitter and Burrell almost hit the ball outta here. Maddon should have used either Bradford or Price to start the 7th.
The Phillies winning the World Series must make Mets fans sick.
Everybody talks about the AL being better than the NL. But the NL has won 2 of the last 3 World Series. Go figure.
What a weird, disjointed World Series. I've already forgotten all about it. And with the suspended game, people moved past it before it was over. I am happy for the Phillies -- I like their fans and I like their players. It was especially nice to see Lidge get to celebrate.
I thought the funniest moment of the night was watching the Jimmy Rollins/Jamie Moyer interview on the field with Fox. Maybe too much Sam Adams was flowing, but it looked like Moyer was blowing some serious halitosis Jimmy's way and Jimmy was doing his best to stare straight down to avoid it and also not breathe through his nose. Moyer had a vicelike grip on his shoulder and Jimmy appeared queasy.
Okay, I have to get this off my chest...
I have been haunted this entire postseason by Pat Gillick. Around midseason I remember saying (adopt mook accent of your choice), "Yeah, Pat Gillick, what's he won since he left Toronto?"
I've already been chastised, so step away from the keyboard. But I must now purge my soul myself... I blew that one. Pat Gillick is great. He can put my team together anytime. Age has not slowed him down at all. And, yes, the Brothers Stein should stuff a Yankee satchel full of large bills and drop it at his doorstep with a note saying, "Please be our consultant... please?"
There. Thanks. I can move on now.
As for Maddon, well, when you're unorthodox and you win, you're a genius who makes his own rules, when you blow it, well, you're a flake. But let's face it, the very thought of turning to a Rays team and saying "Guys, we're going to win the pennant" is as about as unorthodox a thought as you can get... and he pulled it off. He didn't have a great Series by any stretch, but he had more plusses than minuses and he and his boys will be around for a long time.
Yes, Joe Maddon paid the "Price" for not starting him to begin the bottom of the 7th, but the Rays had a magical season and barring injuries are well set for the future with a good nucleus of young playesr and solid starting pitchers.
Looks like Ken Macha will be the new manager of the Brewers according to what I read on ESPN.com. Which means most likely that Willie Randolph will sit out next year and collect his money that he is owe by the Mets.
Bartlett should have stop at 3rd base instead of rounding 3rd knowing that Crawford was up next at the plate. When Utley field the ground ball hit by Iwamura, Utely didn't threw to 1st because of the speed of Iwamura, instead he pump fake and saw Bartlett coming home and Bartlett was thrown out at the plate by a good margin. And then in the 8th after Crawford hit a lead-off single to start the inning, Upton swings at the 1st pitch from Romero and grounds into a double play. The Rays stub their toe in those 2 spots.
Bob, I think if I were to guess on Maddon, it was that he enjoys being a contrarian so much that he always tried to defy the CW. If he were afraid to be second-guessed, then he would've started the game with Price last night, wouldn't he? I don't know if his players necessarily tensed up - Pena and Longoria played their best in the elimination game. I just think Xs and Os wise, Maddon was dreadful.
Ken
I just wanted to go back to a couple of earlier topics for a moment...
Like you, I have a 5 year old whose obsession with all things baseball really kicked in this season. Will missing large chunks of the playoffs and World Series (or as he thinks it's called, "The World Serious") damper his enthusiasm? No, for a couple of reasons - 1) he didn't really know what the playoffs were and 2) you can't miss what you've never experienced. But I do think it'll be an issue as he gets older and realizes he can't experience the biggest moments of his favorite sport. I have friends who DVR the playoffs and World Series and watch them the next day with their kids, but it goes without saying it's not the same. What's the solution? I'm not sure, but putting the pre-game at 7:30 would be a nice start so first pitch could be closer to 8:00. Also, I guess Goren said he'd do weekend day games as long as they can reach a financial agreement with MLB (he reasoned it could make a lot of sense for FOX - show the game and then show their primetime lineup)
As far as the Mets go, I know it's the popular thing to hate them, but I think this is being way over analyzed. Yes, they have other problems, but front and center is the bullpen. Teams like the Phillies think, "man, if we can get to the 7th with our bullpen, it's over." On the other hand, teams that play the Mets think, "man, if we can get to the 7th against their bullpen, it's over."
My wife's family is from PA, so as a Mets fan, I've been tortured these past two seasons. But one thing I admire about the Phillies that I wished the Mets had is the ability to deliver clutch hits up and down their lineup. It never seemed that any deficit was too much for Philly or any lead was safe against them. And what a bench - I'd take anyone on the Philly bench over Zobrist in the 9th with the tying run on second. What a contrast between him and Stairs, Dobbs, Coste, et al.
Okay, now that's over with, can we finally get the hot stove cookin'?
I didn't see the game, but it sure seems from my reading that Maddon made many key mistakes. The AL may be the 'better' league, but Maddon's lack of NL manager skills really shone through last night. I could really do without the DH myself.
Looking forward to a lot of Hot Stove posts Ken. For the Mets, signings of middle relievers will be exciting this winter.
Congrats Philly. Hopefully the Mets learned something.
I also thought not letting Rocco bat in the 9th was a huge mistake. Sometimes you have to trust a veteran. Though the kid did hit a liner.
I agree Ken...Madden made some blunders. And it really pissed me off when I heard Joe Buck say you'll hear from these Rays again. Not too many runnerups in sports come back and win a championship so soon. I know the Cardinals did it in 06 (from 04) but off the top of my head, I cant remember anyone else recently.
I think players receive too much praise for staying by their lockers when they blow a game. If you're going to sit by your locker when you win, you should sit by your locker when you lose. You should't get praised for doing the obvious right thing, even if a lot of others dont.
Yes the Rays did things against the grain the whole season and it usually, but not always, worked. Things like intentionally walking someone with the bases loaded (that worked). Sticking with Percival as your closer because Madden trusted him even though he was really hurt (not necessarily worked, but sometimes it did). Not trading for Jason Bay when they could have had him (not sure if he was part of that decision-making or not). So even though it didn't work last night whatever the reason he did it, he didn't deviate from what he normally does. If all of a sudden he had done things differently and they backfired, maybe you could call him out, but it was business as usual.
As far as Burrell, all the years he was there, he didn't play hard. He helped get Bowa fired. So, in his last game ever as a Phillie, he doesn't run the bases hard. I'd still take him over Adam Dunn. Just to get him off their backs the Mets should sign him to play LF.
Sandy, I agree I'd rather have Burrell than Dunn (sorry JE!!). And I think he'd actually be a pretty decent fit for the Mets...even if I can never root for him now. But its hard to ever get someone to try hard when they refuse to in Game 5 of the WS.
But I was hoping you answered my other questions from a previous thread about the 86 Mets.
For those that think Buckner cost the Sox the World Series...a few things.
1- Fielding is a big part of baseball...the Mets had a 1B that wouldn't make that error, therefor they were the better team
2- Even if you thought the Mets won in Game 6 bc of that error, how did the Sox win in Game 1?? A ball through the legs of Tim Tueffel in a 1-0 game.
3- The Mets would have won anyways!!! The Mets won the game on the passed ball (called a Wild Pitch). Everyone thinks Ray Knight scored two runs on that play. I read in Newsday a few years back in a story about Eptstein (Hope it wasn't Ken who wrote it!!) that Theo was your average Red Sox fan, waiting to jump up and down and celebrate had Buckner fielded that ball.
And in all of the Mets books, Davey Johnsons, Carters and Hernandez (Johnson and Hernandez had epilogues) they got part of that inning wrong. Unreal.
Hey Ken.
Great job with the blog this year. Hopefully, you'll be swaying in a hammock suspended by two large palm trees soon.
Oh, did you see at the end of the game, Mets' PR man Jay Horowitz on the field motioning to Jimmy Rollins? What gives?
~H
Unfortunately, I don't have time to express serious thoughts, as I am running around like a head without a chicken today (or is it the other way around?).
RG, I don't want Pat Burrell in my lineup, as he is on the wrong side of 30 (it's showing physically) and is probably even worse than Dunn defensively.
Oh, yeah, congrats to the f-cking Phillies....
Ken, a lot of kids will GO to a game, but few will WATCH it on TV. And I think parents make exceptions for their kids favorite team. What is your sons fav team btw? (If he says Mets we need to call CPS)
As for Lidge, thats not you who does it...EVERYONE does it. Hell I did it the day that Knoblouch stood in his locker after not going for the ball against the Indians in 1998. But I've since changed my stance becaue now that I'm a man, I realize what should and shouldn't be done. And I think they know they will get even more ripped when they DONT stand in front of their locker so I think they know what they're doing.
On that note, did you guy see the guy who cried begging for someone to find his wife. What a moron. Not him, me. My female co-workers started immediately saying he did it. I defended that guy, saying, "Just because he's a guy, didn't mean he killed his wife. Not all husbands are murderers." But he proved me wrong. ;(
Good job on 175 this afternoon. I couldn't tell what Steiner was thinking. It's almost as if he didn't watch the game(s).
Andy, I agree with you on the bullpen issue, and great point on the kid/viewership issue. We DVRd the games for my son this year, and he attended the first three innings of Game 3 (he left at around 11). I was chatting with a Fox Sports PR person Monday before the game, and he said that, simply, they get the most viewers in that 8:30-midnight window. I raised the issue of kids who grow up not seeing the end of games, and he pointed into the stands (we were standing on the field during batting practice) and said, "Look at all of the kids here." There were indeed a lot of youngsters who looked 10 and younger. So, I don't see things changing for the better.
Richie, I apologize for praising Lidge. LOL.
Howard, thanks for the kind words. Jay traditionally helps MLB with the World Series PR. A lot of eliminated teams' media-relations directors do the same.
Thanks for listening, JMH!
Richie, I agree with you on kids watching games/going to games. I'm just passing on the info that it ain't getting any better.
My son is a Mets fan and wore a D. Wright jersey to his baseball-themed birthday party earlier this month. I think my wife steered him that way. I tried to encourage him to root for the Tigers - my wife's parents live in the Detroit suburbs - but no dice.
Something wacky is going on with the order of these comments...
In response to your question from yesterday, Dennis:
There are a few folks here who sport Obama and Kirk buttons and many voters will undoubtedly ticket-split, but partisanship remains pretty strong. The only reason why this race is so close is because of Obama-mania. Still, we will win....
Ken, while the ballparks are full and there are plenty of kids in attendance, the sport is becoming less and less of a family outing thing. Maybe there is too much to do in society, too many choices, etc., but overall, kids aren't into baseball on a mass scale like they were 30 years ago. So, while the owners make money now, I am not sure what all of this means for the longterm popularity of the sport.
Richie from everything I remember about that last inning, Hernandez was already in the clubhouse with his shirt off when Buckner missed that ball.
JMH it's hard to do anything anymore that you need to devote 5 hours straight for. I know once upon a time I enjoyed going out to belmont Park to spend the day but that is a seven hour endeavour taking in travel, who wants to spend that much time? Baseball you need to devote all that time, and now it isn't cheap, family entertainment anymore either. It's a month's mortgage payment almost to take a family of four. All sports will have to do something to keep a fan base because they are becoming somewhat more irrelevant every year. maybe you can't see it in attendances yet, but you can on TV ratings, which are down for every sport except football sharply.
Sandy by the time Buckner had missed the ball, the game was tied. Obviously anything could have happened, but the Mets had all the momentum. They were not going to lose that game. Had Buckner fielded that ball and beat Mookie to first, there would have been no celebration.
Hernandez after lining out went to grab a beer in Davey Johnsons office. When the Mets started the comeback he refused to leave because he thought Davey's seat had luck in it.
And then Jeannie Zalesko from 5 this year was doing a story and she goes, "As for Game 7, not even close. The Mets won 8-5." Yeah...three runs not close. Especially when they were DOWN 3-0 and the Sox had 1st and 2nd and no out in a 6-5 game in the 7th or 8th inning.