COLORADO ROCKIES (90-73; 3-0) vs. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (90-72; 3-0)
Game 1: Thursday, October 11 @ Arizona Game 2: Friday, October 12 @ Arizona Game 3: Sunday, October 14 @ Colorado Game 4: Monday, October 15 @ Colorado *Game 5: Wednesday, October 17 @ Colorado *Game 6: Friday, October 19 @ Arizona *Game 7: Saturday, October 20 @ Arizona
All games televised on TBS * If necessary
So it's the team that was outscored overall this year versus the team that had to win 14 of 15 just to get into the playoffs--and did. Wow. Who would have predicted that? (Not me; I had the Cubs and Phillies.)
You'd think that the four days off would be enough to calm the Rockies' momentum, but I'm going to continue to say that the Diamondbacks aren't as good as their record would state. Rockies win in 6, with Brandon Webb getting both victories for the Diamondbacks.
Come on now when are we going to stop this notion that the Rockies are just hot and have momentum. They are winning because they are the best team in the National League. They're the best offensive team in the NL (Howard, Utley, Rollins are awesome top to bottom Rockies are better). Their team ERA has been the best in the NL for three months now and people still think "well they're Colorado so they can't pitch." They have the best defensive team in all of baseball. They have the player that should be the MVP, the player that should be the Rookie of the Year, Helton has one of the highest current career averages, Hawpe has more RBI per at bat than anybody in the NL, Torrealba is hitting .500 in the playoffs and Matsui has the most RBI in the playoffs, Fuentes/Corpas have been better than Joba/Mariano.
The Rockies aren't just hot they're a damn good baseball team and have been for several months now but I guess you would you have to look somewhere other than California, New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia to know that.
The Rockies passed the Padres because they are better than them, they beat the Phillies because they are better than them and they'll beat the Diamondbacks because they are better than them.
I'm not sure why anybody would be surprised it's the Rockies and Diamondbacks in the NLCS either, the Rockies and Diamondbacks are better teams and had better records.
Their team ERA has been the best in the NL for three months now...
True.
They have the player that should be the MVP...
Definitely arguable. Holliday led or was near the top in a number of categories, but it is worth noting that his home/road splits show that he was only above average away from Coors.
...the player that should be the Rookie of the Year...
Fuentes/Corpas have been better than Joba/Mariano.
No. Fuentes and Corpas have combined for a 1.09 WHIP in 139.3 innings; Mo and Joba were 1.03 in 95.3. Also, Mo and Joba only allowed 5 HR, compared to 12 for Fuentes and Corpas. I would definitely argue that Fuentes and Corpas were more valuable, because they had more combined innings, but they weren't better.
You've got to hand it to Arizona. They have got to have the worst lineup of any team in NLCS history, not to mention a pitching staff that sucks rocks after Webb and Livan, but here they are in the final four. To use, say, Toronto as a comparison, the Jays are better at SEVEN OF EIGHT POSITIONS than the Snakes, and yet the Jays are sitting at home while the D-Backs play on.
I've given up trying to figure that team out. My guy tells me Webb wins both starts but the Rockies win in six, but who knows.
Originally posted by Big BadYou've got to hand it to Arizona. They have got to have the worst lineup of any team in NLCS history, not to mention a pitching staff that sucks rocks after Webb and Livan, but here they are in the final four. To use, say, Toronto as a comparison, the Jays are better at SEVEN OF EIGHT POSITIONS than the Snakes, and yet the Jays are sitting at home while the D-Backs play on.
I've given up trying to figure that team out. My guy tells me Webb wins both starts but the Rockies win in six, but who knows.
If Vernon Wells had played like he used to play, the Blue Jays might have at least been around to the last week of the season. I know they had Gibson, but the '88 Dodgers line-up was no better than this Diamondback line-up, and they didn't have great pitching depth either.
Originally posted by redsoxnationI know they had Gibson, but the '88 Dodgers line-up was no better than this Diamondback line-up, and they didn't have great pitching depth either.
The 1988 Dodgers had a team OPS+ (On-base plus slugging, compared to league average) of 97. League average is 100, so those Dodgers were very slightly below average. The 2007 Diamondbacks have an OPS+ of 88, which is notably below average.
Pitching-wise, they're virtually equal. The '88 Dodgers had a staff ERA+ (same as OPS+, except for ERA) of 113; the '07 Diamondbacks were 114.
So the '88 Dodgers had a better offense and pretty much the same pitching as the '07 Diamondbacks. Plus they actually outscored their opponents (628-544), which is more than can be said of the Diamondbacks.
Another good, tight ballgame. The D-Backs made a valiant comeback, but they couldn't overcome Valverde's wildness. You can put Taveras' catch in the 7th right up there with Endy Chavez in the 2006 NLCS as the best grabs in recent playoff history.
Despite being down 2-0 going back to Coors, Arizona isn't dead yet. Livan's career numbers at Coors are awful, but he turns into a different pitcher in the post-season. Game 4 is Owings vs. Morales, so that's a crapshoot, and Game 5 has Webb back on the hill. I'm not saying they'll suddenly turn it on in Denver, but there's a decent chance that the Snakes can get the series back to Chase.
Originally posted by Big BadYou've got to hand it to Arizona. They have got to have the worst lineup of any team in NLCS history, not to mention a pitching staff that sucks rocks after Webb and Livan, but here they are in the final four.
Substitute "the Unit and Schilling" for "Webb and Livan", and you've got a pretty fair description of the 2001 edition of the team, which of course won it all. I don't think I appreciated what those two pitchers did until I saw how few of their hitters did anything at all after that. Add to that the fact that their closer blew two games in the WS, and that's one hell of an achievement.
Originally posted by Big BadYou've got to hand it to Arizona. They have got to have the worst lineup of any team in NLCS history, not to mention a pitching staff that sucks rocks after Webb and Livan, but here they are in the final four.
Substitute "the Unit and Schilling" for "Webb and Livan", and you've got a pretty fair description of the 2001 edition of the team, which of course won it all. I don't think I appreciated what those two pitchers did until I saw how few of their hitters did anything at all after that.
The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks were 3rd in the NL in runs scored, 4th in OBP, 4th in SLG and 4th in HR. The 2007 D'Backs were 14th, 16th, 9th and 7th in those respective categories.
Baseball-Reference is a great site. More people should use it, so that they can see things as they actually happened, instead of just buying into hype or believing things that just aren't true.
I was thinking the same thing. I don't know when Livan suddenly became a great pitcher this year. He's not even close to as good as he was in 2001 when he had 14 ERA in the World Series much less his years in Florida. Hell, Josh Fogg is by far the worst pitcher in the Rockies' staff, had to pitch half his games in Coors field and still only had an ERA 0.01 higher than Livan.
Originally posted by It's False You gotta love Todd Helton's victory pose when he got the final out.
What did he do - I couldn't make it up that late. Hopefully, it's on Sportcenter tonight
Should still be on the game recap page. Helton basically makes the out at first, scooping up the ball in the dirt, and raises both fists with a mighty victory shout. Truly the culmination of a long career that was fruitless to this point.
And on a tangent, remember all those Todd Helton to (insert contender here) rumors that were all put to rest when Helton decided to stay? Man, does he look like the Smartest Man in the World right now.