Sunday, October 21, 2007

MLB PLAYOFFS: DICE-K IN THE DECIDER

Red Sox force Game 7: The exquisite torment of Boston fans will be on full display tonight.

J.D. Drew's grand slam home run that broke open the game last night -- a 12-2 laughter -- had no sooner landed in the centre-field bleachers than minds started turning to the prospect of Daisuke Matsuzaka starting a do-or-die game. Counting the playoffs, Dice-K has a 7.17 earned-run average since Sept. 1, so that means he must be due to have a good game, right?

The last time Cleveland's Game 7 starter Jake Westbrook (who won Game 3) faced the same team twice in a row, he pitched a complete-game six-hit shutout the second time around. When you think about it, it probably means nothing and besides, it was against the 2006 Royals who lost 99 games. If Westbrook wins, though, feel free to point it out.

Now, where would the Indians' pending collapse rank in the pantheon of teams blowing a 3-1 series lead in a league championship series? The 1986 California Angels and the Dave Henderson-Donnie Moore game always sticks out as the biggest gag job ever in a NLCS. Ego, personal bias and still-extant childhold frailities won't allow admitting the 1985 Jays might have been even worse.

(Quote The Boys of Summer: "You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat.")

1 comment:

Unknown said...

N, you're a downer on a beautiful Sunday AM, the Jays in 85, Jim Sundberg, Dave Stieb, ugh.

As for Donnie Moore I'm sure your familiar with that sad tale. He never recovered professionally or personally and it is widely thought that it contributed ( by no means was it the only factor ) to his suicide in 89.