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Astros-Braves NLDS thread

Yancy Street Gang Oct 05 2005 04:59 PM

Can it be we don't already have one of these threads started. Astros are leading the Braves 3-1 bottom of the third. The Braves are wearing their solid red jerseys. I thought that was a Sunday-only thing. Maybe it's day games?

Zvon Oct 05 2005 05:05 PM

I think this series is the most interesting at this point. If Boston comes back to win game 2 that series as well. Nothing like watching the postseason unfold, like the rose that it is.

KC Oct 05 2005 06:25 PM

10,000 empty seats for game 1. That just strikes me as amusing.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 05 2005 06:28 PM

That most certainly disqualifies Atlanta from the "Best Fans in Baseball" contest. It's just disgraceful not to sell out a playoff game.

Valadius Oct 05 2005 06:29 PM

Look at all the folds in his neck: That's amusing to me.

rpackrat Oct 05 2005 06:42 PM

The Atlanta bullpen implodes in the 8th. Now 10-3 "Stros, 2 out, men on 1st and second, Everett batting.

KC Oct 05 2005 06:49 PM

I wasn't glued to this, but of what I saw Andy Boy looked great and Hudson was all over the place. I maintain it's hard to root for Andy and Roger, but seeing the Braves get all bitched up in their own 1/5 empty park just make me all giggly.

MFS62 Oct 05 2005 07:54 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: That most certainly disqualifies Atlanta from the "Best Fans in Baseball" contest. It's just disgraceful not to sell out a playoff game. They're "famous" for not selling out (especially first round) playoff games. I guess they have become blase about winning the division every year, and want to save their whatever for later rounds. Later

Frayed Knot Oct 05 2005 10:04 PM

Not that I'm declaring this over, but it's amazing to watch Atlanta in the post-season where they don't even look like the same squad that annoys me with their efficiency for the previous six months. I mean Hudson's wildness was the biggest culprit but also; - Andruw had a medium-shallow fly ball w/a runner on 3rd which I suspect he'd gun out at least 70% of the time ... and he threw the ball about 15 ft over the catcher's head. - Braves also missed an infield out when - after a great sliding stop by Giles - the runner was safe by a hair because Franco at 1st didn't even make the slightest hint of a stretch toward the throw, so there were 2-on/1 out instead of 1-on/2 out.

Nymr83 Oct 06 2005 09:05 PM

3 run homer off the clemens! 3-1 braves in the only game i hope they win.

Nymr83 Oct 06 2005 09:23 PM

2 run double off the rocket... 5-1 braves :) ...never thought i'd be smiling about that. i hate clemens.

Frayed Knot Oct 06 2005 11:09 PM

7-1 Braves in the 9th. Solid game from Smoltz, lots of outward enthusiasm by the Braves, Cox disagreed with every call made in the entire game. Odd seeing both closers (Lidge and Farnsworth) being used with a score like that.

Edgy DC Oct 07 2005 12:15 AM

Today is the anniversary of the Mets completing the playoff sweep of the Braves in 1969 with a seven-inning relief outing by Nolan Ryan.

SwitchHitter Oct 07 2005 04:21 AM

They say it's better, but Clemens has a bad hammy. And they never score runs for him. And Smoltz is a good pitcher. I'm not surprised by the outcome. (And to be a real fan,don't you have to have at least one player on your team that you can't stand? I was willing to give him a chance, but Rocket lost the only All Star Game I'm ever going to see live. That used up all his chances.)

ScarletKnight41 Oct 08 2005 11:01 PM

The Astros win 7-3, giving them a 2-1 lead in the series. These two teams need to turn everything around in time to play the early game tomorrow.

SwitchHitter Oct 09 2005 12:32 AM

Well, our pitcher used to be an outfielder. And an infielder. And, frankly, we can use all the hitters we can scare up. Last I checked, it's not been announced who the tomahawk-choppers are sending to the mound.

Johnny Dickshot Oct 09 2005 02:29 PM

Hudson, throwing a shutout so far, backed by a granny from LaRoche and it's 5-0 Bravos.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 03:27 PM

Couple of things -What happened with Johnny Estrada? Or is McCann continuing the Braves tradition of "personal catchers for the big name starters" Estrada is on the roster for the series -Wonder how much second guessing there will be from the media wondering why Garner didn't follow suit and start Andy on 3 days rest to GET THE JOB DONE! Granted that means Rocket on 3 days in Atlanta but still... Steve

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 03:56 PM

Like to get stats on how many times a rally has been effectivly ended because of a HR. In other words, a team in midst of a comeback rally sees the rally die after a HR because the HR ends the conga line that was being formed Also you would think the defensive team would calm down a bit because there is now just a singular focus on the guy at the plate, not worrying about the base runner(s)

TheOldMole Oct 09 2005 04:01 PM

I've changed my mind. I'm rooting for the Braves. I don't care how evil they are...I can't root for the Colt 45s (sorry, Annie), and I have respect for the Braves.

OlerudOwned Oct 09 2005 04:10 PM

Wow! 2 outs in the 9th and Brad Ausmus his a game tying homer off of Farnsworth (who allowed a grand slam to Berkman in the 8th)

TheOldMole Oct 09 2005 05:16 PM

13th inning, still tied, Dan Wheeler in.

Valadius Oct 09 2005 05:20 PM

We never should have traded Wheeler. He's become nearly lights-out since he went to Houston.

seawolf17 Oct 09 2005 05:56 PM

Top of the 15th. Clemens warming in the bullpen as Wheeler walks Giles with one out and Chipper ambling towards the plate. I'm rooting Astros, but if Clemens comes in the game, it's "Let's go Braves!"

Edgy DC Oct 09 2005 06:13 PM

Love to see a good War of Attrition. Houston's burned their bench and their pen. (Only Pettitte and Oswald remain.) 'Lanta still has Jordan and Estrada.

Valadius Oct 09 2005 06:18 PM

The 43-year-old Clemens facing the 47-year-old Julio Franco.

soupcan Oct 09 2005 06:20 PM

16 innings ties Mets-'Stros '86 for longest postseason game by innings. Here's hoping the 'Stros win THIS one.

seawolf17 Oct 09 2005 06:21 PM

And the 47(?)-year-old Franco almost gets thrown out for arguing called strike 3. He really should know better; I was really hoping the Braves would be out of players and we'd have to see John Smoltz play first base.

Valadius Oct 09 2005 06:21 PM

Vizcaino's coming up this inning.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 06:22 PM

To quote the late Bob Murphy about another long Houston postseason game "This is heart stopping baseball, pulsesating baseball. No one has sat down for the last four or five innings!"

Valadius Oct 09 2005 06:25 PM

Looking at the box score, I see some things I can't say I remember ever seeing: E. Bruntlett ss-cf-ss-cf R. Clemens ph-p J. Vizcaino ss-1b-ss B. Ausmus c-1b-c

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 06:25 PM

"Snicker" cute "Kiner-ism" by the National ESPN Radio play by play guy, just called Jason Lane, "Nathan" Lane

Edgy DC Oct 09 2005 06:27 PM

I believe Houston backup catcher Raul Chavez is making his big-league debut at first.

Valadius Oct 09 2005 06:30 PM

Our longest postseason game in history record has fallen. Top 17.

Valadius Oct 09 2005 06:31 PM

Brian McCann: 1-8, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 10 LOB. Edit: Plus 4 K's.

Edgy DC Oct 09 2005 06:32 PM

Wow. Top of seventeen. Houston has it's playoff epics from 1980 and 1986. Maybe this is the year they pull it out. On the other hand. Go whoever is opposing Clemens! Yeah! Brian Jordan! Double!

Valadius Oct 09 2005 06:33 PM

Brian Jordan batting. Only Estrada remains on the bench.

TheOldMole Oct 09 2005 06:40 PM

And look at the stands. No one's left the park.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 06:46 PM

Well its official, we now have the very FIRST double header in the history of postseason baseball!

Valadius Oct 09 2005 06:49 PM

I live in a co-ed dorm. Down the hall, there's a room of two girls. One is a Braves fan, and the other is an Astros fan. I just paid them a visit. They're hysterical. My roommate is making them go get dinner now to calm them down.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 06:58 PM

5 guys left in the Braves pen (that includes Smoltz and Sosa) 2 guys left for the Stros Oswalt and Pettitte Estrada the only position guy left

Valadius Oct 09 2005 07:00 PM

The Braves have left THIRTY-FIVE men on base. They have had SEVENTY-EIGHT plate appearances.

duan Oct 09 2005 07:01 PM

game over; on dinger by Chris Burke off Joey Devine. Crazy Shit going on in Minute Maid.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 07:01 PM

WOW!

metsmarathon Oct 09 2005 07:02 PM

yippee!

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 07:02 PM

Its should be reserved for Mets IGT of course, so I'll just say Chris Burke Ka-Boom

ScarletKnight41 Oct 09 2005 07:03 PM

Congratulations to Switch Hitter!

metsmarathon Oct 09 2005 07:03 PM

and i was just gonna turn the game on to watch it...

TheOldMole Oct 09 2005 07:03 PM

How about the kid? I'm happy for Annie. And for those Houston fans who stayed there for 19 innings, rooting.

KC Oct 09 2005 07:09 PM

I'm happy for Annie as well ... go 'stros!!!

Valadius Oct 09 2005 07:15 PM

One person does not a team make. Just because Roger Clemens pitches for the Astros, doesn't mean any one of us here should root against them. He's one of 25 people. But the Braves are the Braves. I hate the Braves. Thank God the Astros won. I was rooting for them, and I'm happy. Chicago-Houston Dream Series still on the table...

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 07:16 PM

To quote Steve Phillips, last year on Mike And Mike In The Morning on ESPN Radio, mocking the exagerated way Mike Golic screams the name of a team he likes in their "Predictions Sure To Go Wrong" segment when picking one of last years NLCS games: ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!

soupcan Oct 09 2005 07:18 PM

I'm hoping for the Pale Hose -v- the Red Birds. I like old-time matchups in the Series when my team's not involved.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 09 2005 07:18 PM

Valadius wrote: Chicago-Houston Dream Series still on the table... Why is that a dream series?

SI Metman Oct 09 2005 07:19 PM

The two longest games in postseason history had the same final score: 7-6.

Valadius Oct 09 2005 07:20 PM

Team that hasn't won it in 88 years vs. team that's never won it in its 44-year history. Either way, a fan base will rid itself of its suffering.

seawolf17 Oct 09 2005 07:23 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 09 2005 07:49 PM

Valadius wrote: I live in a co-ed dorm. Down the hall, there's a room of two girls. One is a Braves fan, and the other is an Astros fan. I just paid them a visit. They're hysterical. My roommate is making them go get dinner now to calm them down. (I miss college.) edited to remove... um... questionable material...

Valadius Oct 09 2005 07:24 PM

It looks like they're not talking after tonight.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 07:28 PM

Were they friends before this or are they fellow Frosh girls?

Frayed Knot Oct 09 2005 07:30 PM

Holy shit what a fuckin' blast that was!! I was half rooting for Atlanta there by the end just because I wanted to see the two squads have to do it all over again tomorrow (I can be a cruel bastard at times). By my counting, Garner used: - 3 catchers: Ausmus, Chavez, then Ausmus again - 5 1Bs: Lamb, Berkman, Vizcaino, Ausmus & Chavez - 5 SSs: Everett, Bruntlett, Viz, Bruntlett again, then Viz again Not to mention the 8? different pitchers and I lost track of the OF machinations a long time ago. Clemens didn't just relieve and win, but he PH first. At one point he pinch-ran for Berkman when he was the potential winning run and winds up not scoring the run AND being without his big bat for about 9 innings ... then that PR is the guy who hits the game-winning HR.

Valadius Oct 09 2005 07:46 PM

They're freshmen, but they're like best friends already.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 08:08 PM

Oh good, I was worried that they hated each other since day one, Um, either of them interested in dating a 28 year old? Joking, joking, just feel the need to make a conversion to the Flushing Side! Steve :lol:

SwitchHitter Oct 09 2005 08:38 PM

...the thing is, we have a birthday in the house (my second son) and so I had to turn the game off in the 15 so we could go to the restaurant and stuff. I may not like him, but Clemens done good. The whole bullpen done good. And that reminds me, thanks y'all for Wheeler. I could not believe that Cox left Farnsworth in for the ninth. I guess that's because of the bullpen he has. Except for Farnsworth, they done pretty good, too. As for DeVine, giving up a solo shot can happen to anyone. He did strike out three in 1.1 innings so he didn't do that badly either. And lets talk about homers. Ausmus hit only three this year and Burke only hit five. Amazing.

Rockin' Doc Oct 09 2005 08:59 PM

Congratulations to the Astros on a dramatic come from behind win to clinch their NLDS against the Braves. There is much joy in the SwitchHitter household tonight.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 09:27 PM

SwitchHitter wrote: I may not like him, but Clemens done good. The whole bullpen done good. And that reminds me, thanks y'all for Wheeler. . Traded for a guy named Adam Seuss Too lazy to look up if he is still in the org right now...Nor do I really care at this point... =;) Steve

Johnny Dickshot Oct 09 2005 09:34 PM

Suess tested positive for steroids and was subsequently released. Great game.

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 09:47 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Suess tested positive for steroids and was subsequently released. Great game. SPLENDID! Hopeless, HOPELESS personel Uh, wait a sec... Wouldn't Orza and Fehr be all over the Mets for releasing a guy becuase he flunked a drug test? (let alone steriods) Granted he's not an MLBer yet but still, harsh

mlbaseballtalk Oct 09 2005 09:50 PM

Oh and this makes it even more funnier, he was picked back up by the Astros!

smg58 Oct 09 2005 10:06 PM

This is the danger of carrying around too many relievers, and not giving a fair chance to the guys in your system who are ready to pitch at this level. I'm worried that Heath Bell will similarly hit his stride for someone else after either a waiver claim or a trade for basically nothing.

Edgy DC Oct 09 2005 10:24 PM

I think we have the order wrong here. Seuss tested positive as Astro property, I think.

Johnny Dickshot Oct 09 2005 10:49 PM

Yer right. Seuess was released, then tested positive. Losing Wheeler was a bad deal no doubt, but IIRC, he was oddmanned out because of a a 40-man situation with Brian Buchanan being signed to try and help the offense and Seo needing to be recalled to take a start that week. He wasn't going very well at that point either -- he had an ERA of 4.8 when we traded him, and had Bell and Fortunato to take ganders at.

metirish Oct 09 2005 11:29 PM

This was a great game, finally the NL playoffs came alive.I'm happy for Wheeler, sucks that the Mets lost that bit of post season history.

sharpie Oct 10 2005 11:45 AM

Danny Kolb -- starts the year as the Braves closer and then doesn't even make it into the 18-inning game in front of a guy with an ERA of 10.

Frayed Knot Oct 10 2005 02:17 PM

Supposedly there were discussions on the Houston bench about what to do when Clemens reached his limit (remember, this was only his "throw day" between starts) and needed to be taken out. The answer is that they would have put OFer Jason Lane - a college hurler - in to pitch. BUT, because they had no remaining bench players, Clemens would have had to stay in the game. Where do you put him?? Lane on the mound, Clemens to 1st base, Ausmus to the OF, Chavez back to catcher??? Now THAT would have been fun to watch! Joey Devine - the guy who served up the HR to Burke - was the Braves 1st round pick just this year! I hadn't realized they had called him up - he was one of those college closers put on the fast track type a la Hansen up in Boston. He only pitched 6 innings in the season and he's still the guy Cox chose ahead of Kolb.

sharpie Oct 10 2005 03:04 PM

Yeah, Danny Kolb - available.

HahnSolo Oct 10 2005 03:39 PM

Maybe this should go in the baseball news of the weird thread, but perhaps no one had a better game than 25-year-old Shaun Dean of Porter, Texas. Seated in the left field bleachers, Dean caught not only Berkman's 8th-inning grand slam, he was also on the receiving end of Burke's series-winning blast in the 18th. Dean will be invited to attend practice on Friday at Minute Maid Park, and is expected to return the balls to Burke and Berkman.

SwitchHitter Oct 10 2005 04:26 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: Supposedly there were discussions on the Houston bench about what to do when Clemens reached his limit (remember, this was only his "throw day" between starts) and needed to be taken out. The answer is that they would have put OFer Jason Lane - a college hurler - in to pitch. BUT, because they had no remaining bench players, Clemens would have had to stay in the game. Where do you put him?? Lane on the mound, Clemens to 1st base, Ausmus to the OF, Chavez back to catcher??? No. You move Biggio to LF, Burke to RF, Vizcaino to 2B, Ausmus to SS, Chavez to C and put Clemens in at 1B. Ausmus played SS once during the regular season and handled his chance well. Frayed Knot wrote: Now THAT would have been fun to watch! You got that right.

sharpie Oct 10 2005 04:30 PM

Wasn't Oswalt still hanging around? Even though he'd thrown the day before I still woulda put him in there rather than an outfielder.

SwitchHitter Oct 10 2005 06:21 PM

I read somewhere that Oswalt would have come in as a position player when Lane took the hill. Lane pitched his college team to a CWS championship and Gar thought he'd be a better choice than an unrested Oswalt. I don't know that I can argue with him. But I'm biased. Bagwell, Biggio and even Berkman are all great players, but Lane is my favorite. I have a thing for the young guys and I fell for him hard the first game I saw him in.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 10 2005 07:23 PM

[url=http://mets2005.myblogsite.com/blog/_archives/2005/10/10/1291851.html]Greg's thoughts on this series[/url]

G-Fafif Oct 10 2005 08:11 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: [url=http://mets2005.myblogsite.com/blog/_archives/2005/10/10/1291851.html]Greg's thoughts on this series[/url] Far be it from me to get in the way of a FAFIF plug (thanks SK!), but did it strike anybody else that even though we lost the title of longest post-season game ever played that this didn't match up to our postseason frightfests in terms of ubersuspense? An 18-inning game tied in the bottom of the ninth on a home run by a catcher with three dingers all year an inning after a grand slam brought the team back from the dead and then, eight innings after a potential walkoff goes foul, a little-known rookie wins it after a Hall of Fame starter pitches three scoreless innings of relief not dramatic enough? It was plenty dramatic. But I wasn't feeling the crazy tension of Mets-Astros Game Six or Mets-Red Sox Game Six or Mets-Diamondbacks Game Four or Mets-Braves Games Five and Six or Mets-Giants Game Three. I know, it didn't involve the Mets. But beyond that, it just felt long, not ohmigod, I'm going to kill myself if somebody doesn't score soon. I felt that way during the Angels-Red Sox Game 5 in '86 and I didn't have a clear rooting interest then. I felt that way during almost the entire 1991 World Series when I'll admit to admiring the Braves but certainly not hating the Twins. I felt it more in the Cardinal-Astro undercard last year and I surely felt it in the Yankee-Red Sox main event of '04. I felt mostly curious about this one, not as if my life depended on the outcome. Why didn't this game take me over like those did? Was it just my searing hatred for both teams (well for one team and one Hall of Fame bound pitcher, respectively)? Was it that it was Game Four and not Game Five and thus there would've been a tomorrow for Houston (which technically would be today)? Was it that this classic was shunted to ESPN and the announcers (our own dependable Dave O'Brien and the uselessly yakative Rick Sutcliffe) didn't sell the drama as an Al Michaels (in ALCS Game 5 1986: "If you're just tuning in...too bad!") might have? Was it the continual reminders that SportsCenter and NFL Tonight would be as soon as this silly baseball game ends? Was it that this completely became the Astros' show from the eighth inning on and that it never legitimately seemed that the Braves would prevail? It was great. It was memorable. But I wasn't feeling, despite what Phil Garner understandably claimed, Greatest Game Ever Played absorption. Anybody else?

ScarletKnight41 Oct 10 2005 08:55 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 10 2005 11:32 PM

1986 was different because our team was involved. 1986 was different because we couldn't afford to have a Game 7 against that cheater Mike Scott (who definitely scuffed those balls!). 1986 was different because the Mets were supposed to be a team of destiny, and yet the postseason was not the cakewalk that was expected after that stellar regular season. And yes, 1986 was different because we weren't rooting against both teams involved in the epic game. In this household, we were rooting for bodies on the field so that the winner by attrition would be weakened for its fight against St. Louis (my older son, the one you didn't meet, is a Cardinals fan back to their Mark McGwire days).

mlbaseballtalk Oct 10 2005 09:52 PM

I think its a regional thing. When talking national stuff like 1980 Phillies v Houston goes head to head against 86 So I think that is why people here in this area probably have an indifference feel towards it, or simply "Hell of a game, but it doesn't measure up to..." Great point to that, anyone remeber that 1980 NL West Play Off Game? Or what about that legendary performance (no sarcasim here) that Randy Johnson performed in the 1995 AL West Play Off game? No? Not quite? But you remember that Bucky Dent game, Bobby Thomson's 1951 gets ranked as the # 1 memorable moment/homer in the history of the game both probably due to the oversaturation of Dodgers, Yankees and Redsox genuflecting with the major national media Also look at how the 86 WS is treated. Ask a Met fan for the greatest series of all time, 86 will rank up there, but ask a baseball historian, probably barely cracks the top ten (due to real sloppy baseball and managing, the fact that the legendary pitching clash of Clemens v Gooden fizzled, the fact that "lesser known" bit players like Barrett, Hurst, Darling, Wilson and Knight were the stars of the series while future HOF canidates like Boggs, Clemens, Carter, Strawberry, ect were not having good series, ect) Another point I think is that the Astros' ultimate fate has yet to be determined. I mean Ventura's Grand Slam Single doesn't rank as a great moment anymore because the Mets failed to win that series. Almost like fans are tempid when considering its rank in history because it may or may not propell the Astros to a championship Steve

Johnny Dickshot Oct 10 2005 10:29 PM

Definitely not the greatest game ever played, but a fine game anyway. I was kind of disappointed when this one ended because I thought it could get a lot greater had they made it to 20 innings.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 10 2005 10:33 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Definitely not the greatest game ever played, but a fine game anyway. I was kind of disappointed when this one ended because I thought it could get a lot greater had they made it to 20 innings. MK was also hoping for 20 innings. Which reminds me of when we were in DC on July 4th, and I'd hear MK say something on one side of me while you were saying almost exactly the same thing on the other side. Weird.

G-Fafif Oct 10 2005 11:15 PM

mlbaseballtalk wrote: Also look at how the 86 WS is treated. Ask a Met fan for the greatest series of all time, 86 will rank up there, but ask a baseball historian, probably barely cracks the top ten ESPN, going into the 2002 Series, ranked 1986 as No. 8 all-time. The top three happened to be my top three that I've seen: 1991, 1975, 2001. We also had the two highest-ranked five-game series, '69 and '00, and '73 ranked in the Top 25 as well. If you're thinking New York bias, there were plenty of MFY series that were written off as awfully dull. The Mets are carriers of drama. The 1980 Phillie-Astro NLCS tilt was an all-around classic, probably the best of the five-game era.

metirish Oct 10 2005 11:20 PM

A Houston baseball writer today on PTI on ESPN was asked by Michael Wilbon where he rates this game, he said the 86 game was far better in his opinion, he covered that game and felt that whole series had a different feeling than this one, he didn't get a chance to explain more.

G-Fafif Oct 10 2005 11:26 PM

mlbaseballtalk wrote: Ventura's Grand Slam Single doesn't rank as a great moment anymore because the Mets failed to win that series. Perhaps. An MLB poll of fans (a more limited online audience back then) voted it the greatest moment of the 1999 season and post-season. It will never fall from our lists, but across the board, I think a lot of LDS and LCS moments get lost in the shuffle. There's just so much October baseball that a lot of it, unfortunately, trickles down the memory hole. A while back, I was researching something about the Mets and 1999 when I came across a Newsday list titled something like Great Baseball Moments of 1999. There was NO mention of the Grand Slam Single. It didn't clinch anything, so whoever was compiling the list (a callow intern new to sports, I'd like to think) didn't think to mention it nor anything pertaining to the Mets' first post-season appearance in eleven years. You're gonna tell me that a New York/Long Island paper really thought Tony Gwynn's 3000th hit or Robin Yount's induction into Cooperstown was a bigger deal to its readers? Leave the Mets out of it. In 1997, the Orioles and Indians played a classic Game 6 in the ALCS. Mussina vs. Nagy. It went eleven. Mussina struck out eleven in eight. Tony Fernandez hit a solo homer off Armando Benitez in the top of the eleventh and Jose Mesa made it stand up to clinch the pennant. One of the most pressure-packed games I can remember. And do you hear a word about it today, less than a decade later?

Edgy DC Oct 10 2005 11:31 PM

Philly-Houston 1980 was fantastic. Best series possible on all artificial turf. Hero of heroes was an ex-Met, of course. So I guess my bias leaks through anyhow.

SwitchHitter Oct 11 2005 12:18 AM

metirish wrote: A Houston baseball writer today on PTI on ESPN was asked by Michael Wilbon where he rates this game, he said the 86 game was far better in his opinion, he covered that game and felt that whole series had a different feeling than this one, he didn't get a chance to explain more. I didn't see PTI so I can't say for sure, but if that was Richard Justice (who I hear has been on PTI in the past, several times) he doesn't really mean it.He says what he thinks people want to hear, and if that means he contradicts himself, well....I'm not sure how he excuses it to himself.

Frayed Knot Oct 11 2005 12:24 AM

Yes, it was Justice. The other thing about '86 vs Sunday's game (besides the fact that you had less emotional investment) is that this one was a round earlier in the process. A win to get into the LCS is lesser than one to WIN the LCS. Other than that, what yesterday lacked was the back & forth in extra innings stuff. Teh catch-up was obviously great and dramatic but after that, not only were there no runs scored until the Burke blast (not that scoreless innings are uneventful) but there just weren't all that many chances. A lotta 1-2-3's and near 1-2-3's for both sides. Great pitching but it came at the expense of a little bit o' drama.

metirish Oct 11 2005 12:25 AM

Yup that was the very man.

Zvon Oct 11 2005 05:06 PM

I gotta say this was one hell of a game. I cant say I was rooting, but I wanted the Asstros to move on and the Braves to go home. Considering the Mets werent in it and the emotional involvement was pretty much self manufactured , I totally enjoyed this classic. Yes, it was a classic baseball game. Put it in perspective.... The Asstros were 15-30 in May, went 73-43 the rest of the way and clinched the NL wild card on the last day of the season. They were the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to make the playoffs after being 15 games under .500 in the same season. Just like the season, Houston was shot down early, battled back, and won it dramatically. And against the Braves! As far as its place in post season history...... Top 10? Nah,......1st round. Top 25? Sure. In my lifetime anyway. Everythings relative. Imagine if you were an Asstros fan watching that game. Your team starts to look out of it......you prepare yourself for the end. Berk delivers a late inning granny and recharges the crowd. Ausmus hits highly improbable and borderline homer with 2 outs in the 9th to tie. To the naked eye, it looked to be extra bases but the ump twirls his fingers and makes a great HR call. Ive seen those kinda calls get blown all the time! The Asstros used all 25 players on their roster except Pettitte and Oswalt. Clemens comes in to pinch hit! The lack of extra innings fireworks did not make it any less dramatic, for me. I knew that a healthy poke was probobly gonna win it. All that great Houston relief pitching was a thrill to watch and a BIG part of the story. Especially playing in that cute lil shoebox of a stadium. I think it ended perfectly.....classically. Burke, who ran for Berkman and who was not considered a HR threat, goes yard. If it went many more innings Jason Lane would have been pitching and Clemens would have been playin the outfield(and that, I did not care to see....). And it sent the Braves home....... It was a great baseball game, and thats what I hope to see in the post season. And it was inevitable that when the 16th inning rolled around they would talk about the Mets. They even showed afew clips. :) :) Yep, that was a classic game in my book.

G-Fafif Oct 11 2005 07:47 PM

Zvon wrote: The Asstros were 15-30 in May Every time I see that record, I think back to the end of May 1977. That was the record that got Joe Frazier fired. Those Mets were 15-30. They were buried. Not even Joe Torre winning his first seven of eight could save them. Nor could that impending swift acquisition of a middle infielder, a starting pitcher and two top outfield prospects for some guy. That a team could be 15-30 and in the League Championship Series in the same year has to be one of the most remarkable feats of our time.