Win Number Three

What a game! I'm glad I recorded it. If the Sox somehow win the MLB championship this month, you can be sure that none of the games from the ALDS will be included in the DVD box set. That was a classic Fenway playoff game. It was brisk and scoreless for 4.5 innings, with great defensive plays and pitching by the Sox. Then it had almost accidental runs scored by the Sox in the bottom of the 5th, followed by more precise tying runs generated by the Angels in the top of the 8th.

Again, Hideki Okijima fooled no one. Terry Francona arguably left a reliever (Masterson) in the game too long to put the potential Angel go-ahead run on base (Willits). And the game had one of the most exciting and satisfying 9th innings I've seen in years. A small miracle saved the Sox in the top half of the inning, and some hard hitting to right field won the game as the clock struck 23:10.

And the surprise of the night? Terry Francona's bullpen management missteps were overshadowed by the enormously bad call in the 9th by Angels manager Mike Scioscia. I mean, what was that? A suicide squeeze play with one out and the game tied? With the infield in? With a guy on third and one out, the defense would expect a hit or a sacrifice fly. Was Scioscia trying to be coy by doing something that in retrospect was the riskiest way to bring the runner home?

Sure, a suicide squeeze is an option. But it requires the batter to make contact with the ball. The runner, Reggie Willits, did his part, taking-off the moment the ball left Manny Delcarmen's hand. But one of Scocia's better bunters, Erick Aybar, did not make contact. The Sox infield was in. They were ready. Jason Varitek immediately ran Reggie Willits down before he could retreat to 3rd base. Incredible!

For me, the amazing thing was that the pitiful TBS announcers were hoping for the suicide squeeze to happen, and the Sox appeared to expect it. The Sox still had to finish the game in the bottom of the 9th. But the middle of the Sox order shook Scott Shields. Jason Bay, Mark Kotsay, and Jed Lowrie all saw Shield's curveball and hit it hard to right. Bay and Lowrie scored hits, and that was the ballgame.

UPDATE: Anonymous, in the comments, adds:

In addition, the pitcher hadn't thrown a strike yet so you're bunting at a pitch out of the strike zone.. If you're going to squeeze, do a safety squeeze so the guy from third doesn't take off before the ball hits the ground.

That's what the Angels get for playing in the AL West...barely a step above AAA.

This was Little League 101 and Scocia blew it.


ALDS Game 4
Angels 2, Red Sox 3



































You Reap What You Sow, Kathleen Parker

Kathleen Parker is a wingnut, and frequently writes lunatic right-wing articles for Town Hall. She has spewed hatred, liberal-killing fantasies, and twisted logic for years. When she finally took an honest, objective look at Sarah Palin and concluded that she is not qualified for the chief executive branch, her readers gave her a taste of her own rage and blood lust. When a wingnut bites the hand that feeds her, we can see what goes around, comes around.

Obama Unleases 'Keating Five' Attack Video

Obama waited for Palin to open her mouth and accuse him of 'palling around with terrorists [plural!]' before unleashing his most vicious attack yet. At Noon Eastern time, the attack was publically released on YouTube. Here is Obama's 14-minute Keating Five documentary. Spread it around. Keep in mind McCain and Obama have a town hall debate tomorrow night. This video will help set the agenda against McCain. McCain scored major points unveiling Palin the day after Obama's historic acceptance speech in Denver. This is Obama scoring points in response. Well played.

Win Number Two


What the hell was that? It was supposed to be easy. Four runs in the 1st inning was supposed to set the tone. But Francona left Matsuzaka in the game to face Vlad Guerreo for a third (and costly) time. Okajima did what he could. Then Francona left Masterson in the game too long. Masterson started the bottom of the 8th inning. When he let the first batter get on base, Francona then turned to Papelbon to get the final 6 outs. With the game tied 5-5, that was the moment we Sox fans thought the game was lost.

But the players were not going to let Francona's unusual bad day of managing stop them. Varitek's calls, Papelbon's pitches, J.D. Drew's big swing in the top of the 9th, and Youkilis' catch in foul territory marked a dramatic swing of the game back to Boston's favor. Boston had the game, then lost it, and then fought to win it back. It was quite a ride.

ALDS Game 2
Red Sox 7, Angles 5

































Care to admit to any mistakes, Terry? Care to take any responsibility? I thought not.

Good Burnett, Bad Burnett


I have to pause to make a comment on someone we've been seeing a lot more on MSNBC and CNBC lately - Erin Burnett. And like a lot of pundits and loudmouths on TV, she dishes out both good points and totally unfair points.

Here, about two weeks ago, she and Jim Cramer were logical (if a little loud) and explained how banks and smaller financial institution got into trouble by selling too many mortgages (and reselling them) without due diligence or proper risk management. This is correct.

Then, last week on Morning Joe, she went into evil mode. Ms. Burnett argued that not only are the takers of bad mortgages to blame, but in-fact, we are ALL to blame for the credit crunch and economic crisis.

Paul Abrams responds: No, Erin Burnett, We Are Not "All Responsible" for this Mess

Moreover, unlike the marginal homeowner whose purchase decision was binary, either they bought a home or rented, the sellers [of mortgages] were all making money, it was a continuum, just a question of how much. Thus, they did not face the same type of decision as the marginal homeowner.

The sellers, of course, were lobbying and supported by the Republican Congress, the Bush Administration and John McCain. The marginal homeowners did not have a lobby.

Greed is very different from need, even if need turns out to be a bit of stretch.

So no, Erin, we are not all equally responsible.

Michigan Stays Blue / Palin's Huge Gamble


McCain pulls out of Michigan. He has canceled TV ads, and is closing his Michigan campaign offices. With Obama now surprising everyone with a double-digit lead in Pennsylvania polls, McCain has sounded the alarm to fall back and regroup.

Oh, and his campaign is beginning to run short on cash. Not good.

And in Palin news today, her handlers have revealed her strategy: aggressively go after Biden:

“This is going to finally put her back into a position where we see her like we saw her the first couple weeks,” a McCain official said. “She was herself. She was authentic, and people related to that. ... Tonight, she’ll get into a rhythm. You’re going to see her in a way that you haven’t seen her yet.”

Really? I thought she was just going to portray herself as a humble regular Jane Doe. But, if she wants to go down swinging at the wrong guy, she can go right ahead.

Win Number One


Here we go again. They pulled out a win last night. The Red Sox look strong enough to make it to the ALCS. But first they have to beat the halos two more times. I think they will. Going back to Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS, the Red Sox have now defeated the Angels in 10 consecutive playoff games, 1 shy of a new MLB postseason record.

On Friday night, the ball will be given to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is 9-0 on the road this season. His opponent will be all-star pitcher, Ervin Santana. The Red Sox are going to have to be aggressive to foul-off pitches and run the bases to wear him down. I may not be as confident in these Sox as last year, but this is still a Terry Francona team. And Francona's teams are experts in wearing-down opposing starting pitchers.

ALDS Game 1
Red Sox 4, Angels 1

















Andrew Halcro's Debate Advice For Joe Biden


Andrew Halcro: What It's Like To Debate Sarah Palin

On April 18, 2006, Palin and I sat together in a hotel coffee shop comparing campaign trail notes. As we talked about the debates, Palin made a comment that highlights the phenomenon that Biden is up against.

"Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.

While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.

...

So what does that mean for Biden? With shorter question-and-answer times and limited interaction between the two, he should simply ignore Palin in a respectful manner on the stage and answer the questions as though he were alone. Any attempt to flex his public-policy knowledge and show Palin is not ready for prime time will inevitably cast him in the role of the bully.

On the other side of the stage, if Palin is to be successful, she needs to do what she does best: fill the room with her presence and stick to the scripted sound bites.

I'm Loving Power Pros / Pawapuro / MLB Power Pros

Back in the early 1990s, I was a fan of Baseball Stars 2 for the insanely expensive NEO-GEO console. The only way I could play it was on a coin-operated NEO-GEO arcade machine. In 1999, I found it for free as a ROM file for the MAME arcade game emulator. And today, it is available for the PlayStation 2 as part of the SNK Arcade Classics anthology. Here is a video of action from the original Baseball Stars 2 ROM (1992):

As I graduated college in 1995, I wasn't aware that Japanese game developers were advancing the 'anime baseball' genre with the 'Power Pro Baseball' series. There have been 15 versions of the game in Japan, known formally as Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū (or Netto Power Pro Kun, or Pawapuro, or Power Pros).

Here's a video clip of Pawapuro 14 for the Nintendo Wii in Japan (2007):

And in North America, we now have MLB Power Pros 2007 and 2008 for the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo Wii. Here is some action from MLB Power Pros 2007 for the Nintendo Wii:

Power Pros is fun and addictive, and it is a great find for those who are sticking with the tried-and-true PlayStation 2. Here are some trade reviews.

Three Media Blackouts

Just wanted to point-out three recent events that have not been covered in the mainstream media - two big and one small.

1. You may have noticed that pictures, videos, and coverage from Galveston, TX have not been plentiful. Ike was a devistating hurricane - on-par with hurricane Andrew and close to Katrina in terms of the cost of damage. In terms of how many homes were destroyed, it was on-par with Katrina. But you probably didn't see much of the aftermath. That's because Galveston's mayor, Lyda Ann Thomas, kicked the press out and prohibited city employees from talking to the press.

2. Glenn Greenwald at Salon is one of the only journalists to point this out: For the first time since the end of the Civil War, a US Army brigade has been assigned for duty in the US mainland. Didn't hear about that? Read about it here.

3. And in Anchoridge, AK, back on September 17th, there was a good-sized anti-Palin rally. Hundreds showed-up. Pictures below.



IIf McCain Were A Democrat, This Election Would Be OVER


From the McCain campaign:

Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners.
Does this not make McCain look totally insane? Again, the question of judgment and temperament is front-and-center when observing the actions of candidate McCain. First, there was the selection of Sarah Palin without proper vetting and due diligence. And on Wednesday, we saw McCain panic and request that tonight's debate be postponed or even canceled just minutes after talking to Obama on the phone. Minutes! This is a dangerous, unstable man.

Why isn't this thing over? McCain's behavior this week is the biggest self-inflected wound I have ever seen a presidential nominee inflict on himself.

How could McCain tell David Letterman that he was canceling his media appearances to fly to DC to 'save the country', only to schedule new interviews with Katie Couric and others? He didn't suspend his campaign, either. In other words, he lied. Actually he lied, panicked, called for a time-out, lied some more, arrived in DC, postured, disrupted, accomplished nothing, and is now lying again, hoping everyone forgets he asked for a time-out.

Please, Obama. Deal the death blows tonight. I have faith in you.

Spencer Ackerman:

So, in summary: Humiliating failure. John McCain didn't screw the pooch. He was the pooch.
Wow.