Proof that ESPN is phasing out the playoffs now...

[MRaup]

The Link

THIS is front page-linkable news?

[Gizzmonic]

I turned on Dan Patrick while I was driving to lunch today...here was what they were discussing. "If you're Steinbrenner, do you fire Joe Torre?  How about Cashman?"

I quickly zapped back to my CD player.

[Limey]

Quote:
I turned on Dan Patrick while I was driving to lunch today...here was what they were discussing. "If you're Steinbrenner, do you fire Joe Torre?  How about Cashman?"

On Monday morning I thought I'd give local sports radio another go after at least a year of ingnoring it.  610 had Blowhard McLane on talking football and "The Animal" was talking golf.

Back to the iPod.

[pravata]

Quote:

Quote:
I turned on Dan Patrick while I was driving to lunch today...here was what they were discussing. "If you're Steinbrenner, do you fire Joe Torre?  How about Cashman?"

On Monday morning I thought I'd give local sports radio another go after at least a year of ingnoring it.  610 had Blowhard McLane on talking football and "The Animal" was talking golf.

Back to the iPod.

I've been checking in on 610 for about 2 weeks, mostly in the morning 8ish to 9ish and evening 6 to 7.  Not once have I heard them talking (except in the news regurges) about the Astros.  At least they're not hypocrites.  They've hitched themselves to the Texans and they're sticking with em.

[Limey]

Quote:
I've been checking in on 610 for about 2 weeks, mostly in the morning 8ish to 9ish and evening 6 to 7.  Not once have I heard them talking (except in the news regurges) about the Astros.  At least they're not hypocrites.  They've hitched themselves to the Texans and they're sticking with em.

Correct re: 610, and perhaps The Animal was taking a break from baseball talk or responding to a caller.  But hearing McLane's voice (I was lucky to miss one of his Jabbaesque, slobbering, lip-wettings) brought back deep-seated memories that I didn't want brought back.

[Kevin]

After the industry wide conniption at the reality of an East-coast devoid World Series, damage control finally begins. ESPN.com has taken down the photo of Charlie Weis on their homepage and posted something that says...

"Gotta Feel It! These are not the next generation of League Championship Series. These are of the old-fashioned variety. Heartball, not moneyball. The AL and NL champions will be decided by many things, but none greater than faith in gut instinct." (ESPN.com homepage)

So the new angle is now mom, apple pie and Heartball. Looks like the online coverage has now been shuffled off to the interns. As Khan says, so much the better.

[HOB]

That just about made me puke.  I went to the ESPN coverage of the NLCS.  I read the series preview.... they had the cojones to say Isringhausen has outpitched Lidge.  Okay, he has more saves.  He has a better baa.  So FUCKING WHAT?!!!!  Who imploded against the other team?  I believe that would be Isringhausen.  Going head to head, Astros/Cardinals, Lidge has a 0.00 ERA over 8 2/3 innings with a BAA against of .087.  On the other hand, Isringhausen has a 4.15 ERA and a BAA of .219 against Houston.  Now, I realize that's all regular season stuff and means nothing now, but how do you assert that Isringhausen has outpitched Lidge.  These guys at ESPN are in need of an emergency cranialcolonectomy.

Whatever happens, happens.  I know who I'm rooting for... Go Stros....

[No? in Austin]

Quote:
I went to the ESPN coverage of the NLCS.  I read the series preview.... they had the cojones to say Isringhausen has outpitched Lidge.  Okay, he has more saves.  He has a better baa.  So FUCKING WHAT?!!!!  Who imploded against the other team?  I believe that would be Isringhausen.  Going head to head, Astros/Cardinals, Lidge has a 0.00 ERA over 8 2/3 innings with a BAA against of .087.  On the other hand, Isringhausen has a 4.15 ERA and a BAA of .219 against Houston.  Now, I realize that's all regular season stuff and means nothing now, but how do you assert that Isringhausen has outpitched Lidge.  These guys at ESPN are in need of an emergency cranialcolonectomy.

Two words: Phil Rodgers.

More: Cub fan/media type. What is worse is he uses a *combined* two years worth of closer stats to make his point.  Ahum... this is Lidge's *first* full year as a closer.  *OF COURSE* Izzy would have move saves... he's been a closer *longer*.

What a tool.

[Navin R Johnson]

I read the same thing about Izzy vs Lidge.   What a joke.

I guess Wheeler is a better closer than Izzy since he has less blown saves and a better WHIP!

[guitarcec]

i'm right with you guys on this one. when i saw this article, i went straight to espn's stats section and looked at their percentage of save opportunities converted, which i would take to be the real measure of a closer's worth. the fact that izzy has more saves than lidge is completely irrelevant to the discussion. OF COURSE HE DOES, the cards give many more save opportunities.

anyhow, over the 2004 and 2005 regular seasons, izzy is 86 saves for 97 opportunites, which is an 88.7% rate. lidge, however, is 71 saves for 79 opportunities, which is an 89.9% rate. i know this a BS stat, but to me it means lidge is more reliable, and has outperformed isringhausen.

speaking of performance, over the last two seasons lidge has just over 14 K/9IP as opposed to izzy's 8 K/9IP and an ERA of 2.06 compared to izzy's 2.55. i'm no stat genius, but i do have a kick ass shower head that's kinda like the ones at holiday inn express. i'd take lidge a hundred times over before i took izzy if they ever gave me a team, which, of course...they wouldn't.

[jasonact]

I don't care what the stats say (although Lidge's K/9 is impressive). Anyone who has seen Lidge pitch knows that he DOMINATES the opponent. Izzy is good, but he isn't even in the same zip code as that.

[cuban]

Quote:
After the industry wide conniption at the reality of an East-coast devoid World Series, damage control finally begins. ESPN.com has taken down the photo of Charlie Weis on their homepage and posted something that says...

"Gotta Feel It! These are not the next generation of League Championship Series. These are of the old-fashioned variety. Heartball, not moneyball. The AL and NL champions will be decided by many things, but none greater than faith in gut instinct." (ESPN.com homepage)

So the new angle is now mom, apple pie and Heartball. Looks like the online coverage has now been shuffled off to the interns. As Khan says, so much the better.

There's nothing more apple pie than Orange Fucking County...