Take Me Out...Yes...It's BASEBALL!

[sensei8]

As game 5 of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium nears even closer and closer, something came to my mind when I read that Gerrit Cole is the starting pitcher for the Yankees. 

Cole had an outstanding game 1 by going six innings and giving up just one run on four hits. He threw 88 pitches and had 4 strikeouts in a big outing for the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers scored a run in the 8th inning to tie it, and then Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam to get the 6-3 win for the Dodgers.

Cole, of course, has the potential of putting on a pitching clinic. Cole has the burden of making sure that there'll be a game 5 back in LA. Not going to be an easy task for not only Cole, but for the Yankee players and coaches as well. Cole seems to strive in the win-or-go-home games; Cole understands pressure. Win-or-stay-home are what the Yankees understand to and in this regard, that's why Cole will be on the mound tonight.

But, there's always a 'but', Cole's 4 other must-win games. the Yankees lost. The Dodgers seems to grind the batters to no end, and Cole has thrown fewer than 90 pitches, and Cole's hitting the mound with only 4 days of rest. Flaherty will be on the mound for the Dodgers tonight. Cole can only do what he can do. The other Yankee players have to do their job and then some. 

Flaherty, 1-2, 6.10 ERA 

Cole, 1-0, 2.82 ERA

GO YANKEES!!

[KarateKen]

The LA Dodgers have won the World Series. They win game five by a score of 7-6 and take the series 4-1.  This is the Dodgers first World Series win since 2020.  

 

Sorry. @sensei8 the NYY had a good run.

[sensei8]

Spoiler

 

Congratulations to the Dodgers for winning the 2024 World Series!!

Edited October 31 by sensei8

[bushido_man96]

"Gentlemen's Sweep."  Congrats to the Dodgers.

[sensei8]

As least I saw the Yankees return to the WS after a 15-year drought before I shed my mortal coil. I was beginning to think that the Yankees weren't ever going to return to the WS. I was great to see the Dodgers VS Yankees once again battling it out during a WS; brought back a lot of fond memories when they faced each other in the 1981 WS...when I was a big Dodgers fan.

I could say a lot about how the Yankees did not perform during the 2024 WS, but I promised myself that I'd NOT do that. Why? It would serve no purpose whatsoever!! The Dodgers were the best team, by far. The Dodgers earned this WS and my respect.

[Patrick]

The Dodgers won because they managed their roster like I wanted the Yankees to manage ours the whole year: Ruthlessly. They cut players who were underperforming, they did not endlessly throw ABs and innings at players who played poorly. It feels like Boone mostly clings to players who have the most years of experience, instead of adjusting based on what is currently happening. If they were on the Dodgers, I feel like:

• Wells would have received more ABs, instead of ceding playing time to Trevino and Narvaez when Wells was hot (to a lesser extent, Boone treated Ben Rice's hot streak similarly)
• Verdugo would not have played 149(!) games with a .647 OPS
• LaMathieu would not have played 67 games with a .527 OPS
• Holmes would have been out of the closer role faster

The Dodgers cut James Paxton when he was 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA. It's hard to imagine the Yankees doing that. But these changes would have given us a chance to pick up the few games needed to have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and may have pushed us over the edge in the World Series. We'll never know.  All talent aside, the Dodgers were more aggressive on roster management, and it showed.

[sensei8]

The one thing that stuck in my mind is why Boone pitched to Freeman. I would've walked him each and every time after he hit the grand slam. Why does Boone not pull pitchers off the mound when the pitcher count is high or struggling?? It's the WS and not a game of friends...it's business, not personal. There are other things that got caught in by crow, but, why?!? Congrats to the Dodgers.

[KarateKen]

Time to bring back Joe Girardi????????????????????

[Patrick]

You know, as much as I think Boone struggles to use some of the players optimally, I think a lot of the roster management stuff falls on Cashman. Not trading for more bullpen help at the deadline is a real sticking point.

[KarateKen]

MLB considering a major rule change for the upcoming season, called "The Golden Bat Rule" which would basically allow a team to pinch hit any player at any time in the game (unless this player had already been taken out of the game).  So if you are down two runs in the ninth and you have a runner on first, you could put your cleanup hitter at the plate to try and tie the game even if the 8th spot was due in the lineup.  Each team would be allowed to use this once per game.  Not sure how it would all work or if it even happens, but the commissioner has discussed it as a possibility.