Wild Thought: Replay Of 1973 ALCS In 2011?
Posted by Steve L. on March 22nd, 2011 · Comments (13)
I keep having this wild dream where the Boston Red Sox win the A.L. East this season, the Chicago White Sox win the A.L. Central, and the Oakland Athletics win the A.L. West.
Now, that’s not too far out there. But, in this dream, the Baltimore Orioles just edge out the Yankees and the Rays in the East and take the 2011 A.L. Wildcard berth.
And, then, in the ALDS, the A’s beat the Bosox and the O’s beat the Chisox – setting up a 2011 ALCS between Baltimore and Oakland.
Nah, it can’t happen…can it?
Not.A.Chance.
I think you’re absolutely right, Steve. You were dreaming.
Blows my mind that you think the Orioles have a chance but are ready to bury the Yanks.
In March of 2006, how many people thought the Tigers, coming off their 2005, would be the wildcard winner in the AL at the end of 2006?
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Even with that logic, it doesn’t factor in that the Orioles are in the same division as the Yankees and Rays.
For the 2006 Tigers, they qualified for the playoffs in a season when (1) Boston uncharacteristically finished in third place and (2) Tampa was still two full seasons away from finally finishing above .500.
Even if you think the Yankees are horrible — and, really, to think so is to be pessimistic to the point of absurdity — the Orioles are still not better than Tampa, Detroit or Minnesota.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
you know how you accuse us of deflecting when we talk about A-Rod? That’s some deflection right there.
I don’t think the Yankees are horrible. Remember, I said that were one of the seven best teams in baseball, or something like that, recently.
But, I do think they’re more like a 90-win team than a 95-win or 100-win team, the way they shake out, now.
So, if they are a 90-win team – which ain’t horrible – and the O’s do something crazy like win 92 games, it’s possible that Boston could win the East and that Baltimore could sneak past the Yankees (and Rays) for the WC.
Likely? No. Probably not. But, always possible.
Corey Italiano wrote:
Not really. The 05 Tigers where a shitty team. The went out and got a MGR that turns things around – like Leyland did for them in 06. Same deal in O-town. Shitty team in 2010 and now they have Buck Showalter who built great teams in NY, Arizona and Texas (that Torre, Brenly, and Washington cashed in on).
I don’t think the O’s are good enough. Yet.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
More important, they got healthy. They were expected to contend in 2005, but didn’t due to injury and ineffectiveness.
Of course as strong a team they were in 2006, they still had a terrible couple of months towards the end, eventually giving up the AL Central title to the Twins
@ Steve Lombardi:
Ya…except the main difference between the ’05 and ’06 Tigers is pitching. I don’t see the influx of arms that the Tigers had with the O’s.
The O’s have Matusz, and they have Tillman (if he can put it together). That’s it.
And we all know how you feel about relying on young pitching. So, really, I don’t see how you could like the O’s upset chances, but bury the Yankees consistently. A new manager does not make THAT big of a difference.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
The O’s aren’t winning 92 games in 2011. They’re not winning 90 games in 2011. They’re not winning 85 games in 2011. Steve, seriously, Corey’s right: you always see the worst-case scenario for the Yankees and the best case scenario for the competition and never find the right balance in between.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
A manager, no matter how “good”, can’t win without good players. Jim Leyland didn’t turn around the Tigers in 2006. The ’06 Tigers were turned around because:
Justin Verlander came up from the minors and pitched great and wound up winning the Rookie of the Year award;
Carlos Guillen had the second best season of his career;
Magglio Ordonez played his first full season in three years;
Kenny Rogers gave the team 204 quality innings;
Todd Jones was signed as closer to provide stability to a previously-poor bullpen; and
Joel Zumaya came up from the minors to become the 2006 version of Mariano ’96: a dominant, lights-out setup man that could strike out the side on nine pitches.
I like Leyland as a person and as a manager but let’s not give him credit for things that he had nothing to do with. Four new players, a near-career year and a return to health are all beyond the province of a manager’s decisions or control.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Buck built the great team in NY? You’ve spent the last half-decade telling us that Cashman has done nothing and that it was all Gene Michael and Bob Watson. Now you’re telling us it was Buck Showalter all along? Somewhere out there, Stick Michael feels horribly betrayed by your sudden change of heart.
Maybe the O’s and A’s will play in the ALCS in 2012?