baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
What Went Wrong: The Last Hurrah
Without question, the centerpiece of the St. Louis Cardinals' 2022 season was the return of their beloved legend, Albert Pujols. The Cards were coming off a 2021 season that saw them go on a winning tear in September to nab one of the National League's Wild Card spots. This year, the winning tear started about a month or so early, basically nabbing control of the National League Central from the Milwaukee Brewers, and never looked back. The Cardinals faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series, and Game One looked like it would be quiet, until Juan Tepez struck with a pinch-hit two-run HR in the sixth inning.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: It Was 8-1
Ooh, boy. Well...that happened. You know, as a fan of a division rival, I only save my actual hatred for the Boston Red Sox. I have no reason to hate the Toronto Blue Jays. I remain fascinated by their team history; joined the American League in 1977, won their first division title in 1985, and became an AL powerhouse throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, which led them to back-to-back World Championships in 1992 and 1993. Many moons passed before they would become a playoff team again, but the Blue Jays appear to be a perennial playoff team at the current moment.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Where's the Offense, Rays?!
In any postseason, it is never good to be the first one eliminated, but someone has to carry that burden. In the case of the 2022 MLB postseason, that unfortunate dishonor went to the Tampa Bay Rays, who were ousted in two games in the best-of-three Wild Card Series by the Cleveland Guardians. For the Rays, this is their second straight postseason appearance since their run to the World Series in 2020. 2021 saw the Rays win a franchise record 100 games and capture the American League East, but they were ousted in the Division Series by the Red Sox. This year, they had a strong campaign that saw them nearly capitalize on the New York Yankees' late-summer skid, but once the Yankees woke back up, the Rays fell off in September, going from the #4 seed (the home Wild Card position) to finishing as the #6 seed, but still qualifying.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2022 Wild Card Series Preview
The MLB Postseason is here! I've always enjoyed baseball's playoffs, I love everything about it, even the little things, such as MLB using the word "postseason" instead of "playoffs." Out of the three leagues that use a series format, MLB has the shortest postseason; the quest to crown a champion takes under a month with very few days off. This year begins the modified postseason that was made official during the lockout in March and April of this year, which features the 12 best teams participating in this round robin tournament. The single-game Wild Card round that has opened the postseason since 2012 is now changed to a best-of-three Wild Card Series, with one series pitting the #3 seed (the lowest division champion) against the #6 seed (the lowest Wild Card), while the other series features the other two Wild Cards (seeded #4 and #5).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Phillies Complete 2022 Postseason Field
When the Seattle Mariners ended their 21-year postseason drought on September 30, 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies ended up becoming the new owners of the longest current postseason drought in MLB...for three days. At the time of Seattle's clinch, the Phils were on their own path, and on October 3, 2022, it was completed. The Phillies defeated the Houston Astros, 3-0, to clinch the last overall remaining spot in the 2022 MLB Postseason, and end a drought that lasted 11 years.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Seattle Parties Like It's 2001
The date was Friday, September 30, 2022. After the New York Yankees game ended, I saw the ESPN ticker and noticed that the Seattle Mariners were in the bottom of the ninth tied at one, so I switched to MLB Network to see the Mariners at bat. The reason is simple: the Mariners could clinch a postseason berth that evening. Carlos Santana came up short, leaving Cal Raleigh to come to the plate with two outs--one out away from extra innings. I was pulling for a walk-off HR, because it would be so fitting if the long suffering of Mariners fans would end on one swing. Sure enough, that's what happened. Raleigh's shot went long, it went far, and it hit the foul pole. When that ball hit the foul pole, the 21-year itch came to an epic end.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Yankees Are Beasts of the East. Top Story - September 2022.
On September 27, 2022, the New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2, to clinch the American League East for the 20th time in franchise history, and the first time since 2019. Divisional play began in 1969, with the American and National Leagues divided into two divisions: East and West (the Central Divisions were formed in 1994). It wasn't until 1976 that the Yankees won the AL East for the first time, but despite that long wait, the Yankees' 20 division titles are the most in the division's history, with the Boston Red Sox being second with 10, which is half of the total of their hated rivals.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2022: The Final 10 Days
We are down to the final 10 days of the 2022 MLB season, and so much is left to be decided. The past week saw quite a few developments in the pennant races, as well as a historic moment involving a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Let's get to that first:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2022: Best in the West
The MLB regular season is going down to the wire, with 17 days remaining. Even with so little time left, there is still a lot to be decided; such is the effect of the expanded postseason format. A few things did get locked in during the past week, while some teams could be on the rise in certain postseason races. The developments are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2022: 1st Berth Clinched, Are the Yankees Truly Back?
While many sports fans (myself included) were focused on the beginning of another sport's season, there was still a postseason push going on in Major League Baseball. The month of September is closing in on the midpoint, and there are still some intriguing storylines out there--as the season enters the final 24 days. They are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2022: Braves Moving Closer, Tight AL Central
Who doesn't love the month of September?! As every baseball fan knows, September is the ultimate month in the MLB season; it's the final countdown, the last chance for teams to make their mark and qualify for the postseason. It's a different race now--instead of 10 teams qualifying, it's 12. Three division winners and three Wild Cards, meaning that more teams are in the hunt in the vital month of September. The increased population of postseason teams makes for a much more intriguing race, and here are some of the stories that have developed with 31 days left in the season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
MLB August 2022 Review
Well, this is it. We have finally reached the home stretch of the 2022 MLB season. The regular season will come to an end on October 5, 2022, which is a Wednesday, meaning that the season has 35 days--an even five weeks--remaining. August has been quite eventful for us baseball fans, and here are some of the things that occurred during this pivotal month.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
