Game Seven was not what I expected but was a spectacular contest nonetheless and the Cubs prevailed in 10 innings, 8-7. It was as exciting and dramatic as you could have hoped for a championship decider. I can't imagine what it would have been like if that had been the Giants on either side. I suppose it's a good thing they have those defibrillator stations at ballparks these days. CLEAR!!
The Indians finally had their amazing run of great pitching come to and end. It took a great hitting team to wear them down. Congratulations to Chicago for winning the World Series. The best team doesn't always get to wear the crown, and the Cleveland squad was equally impressive. It was one of those games that could have gone either way and it's almost a shame to pick one club as winner.
I suppose my favorite stories tonight were the homers by 39-year old greybeard David Ross in his final game and by the 36-year old former Giants outfielder Rajai Davis.
2016 is over, and I'm sad about that. At least it ended on a thrilling note, especially for Cubs fans. I suppose the off-season stuff will be happening sooner than we think. I keep saying I'm going to take a break and stay away but I always get pulled back, though I was pretty quiet last November, only two posts. A little respite from our obsession is a good thing, eh?
--M.C.
6 comments:
This qualifies as an epic World Series, as close as it's possible to get, a one-run win in extra innings of game 7. The fact that it was Da Cubs after 108 years, the fact that they came back from 1-3. The Cubs have amazing young talent. Bryant is a monster, Baez must be on something, his reflexes are supernatural.
One way of looking at it is that Cleveland got a taste of its own medicine, that is they are on the receiving end of the humiliation of blowing a 3-1 series lead, so r/t Warriors fandom, Fuck Cleveland.
I kept thinking about Game Six, 2002. The ring was in the grasp and then--disaster. I couldn't sleep for months. I know the Indians fans are feelin' it.
But on the flip side, there was Game Five, 2010. I know the Cubs fans are over the moon. Winning the Series is the best thing ever.
So, the Giants lost to the Champs. Takes some of the sting out. Makes me realize that the Giants had an amazing team despite the fatal bullpen flaws. They played crappy ball in the second half until they had to and then they were great. Just missed beating the Champs. It's a consolation prize, I know, but it does indeed console me some.
The Giants have exercised Matt Moore's option, $7 mil for next year. He also has team options for 2018 and 2019. Very team-friendly. Matt Moore pitched beautifully down the stretch, he is a third ace. Even though Matt Duffy had a large and photogenic cat, I am very pleased with that trade.
I'm very happy about the Matt Moore trade too. And mentioning him reminds me that Cleveland played the Cubs evenly despite their being without two of their best starters, comparable in their 2016 records to Moore and Samardzija. The Giants played the Cubs pretty evenly in the last 4-game series of the year, at Wrigley, and then in the playoffs--lots of one-game margins of victory/defeat. But I don't know that they would have done as well if they had been missing Moore and Samardzija for a good spell, not only for those games but also for others in which their pitching staff got strained by dealing with a makeshift rotation. I'm not at all sure that the better team won.
Of course I meant "lots of one-run games" in my comment above.
I think the Giants showed they could hang with the champs. Cueto in Game Five could have been something, I think the Cubs were glad they dodged that bullet. I call the Cubs the best team because they were the best in the regular season and esp. the second half (.685). Best record over six months of baseball, highest run difference (3rd most runs scored, fewest allowed). Pretty impressive. But in the post-season the margins between the best and the second- and third- and fourth-best are much smaller obviously because the weaker teams have been culled. So you get more even matchups and 'upsets' are more likely. Cubs got some big breaks (like that rain delay!) but they also took advantage of their breaks and won the games they needed to win. All championship teams have some luck involved in their runs. Lots of randomness in a short series, having the most talent and the best matchups doesn't always work out, you can still lose everything in a bad weekend.
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