Red Sox fans started talking about comebacks from down 3-0 two nights ago. Seemed far fetched but then Houston won a game. And then tonight they won again to make it 3-2. Now we have a decent comparison between 2004 and 2020. But what strikes me is the difference in the style of baseball.
In 2004, the Red Sox used a stolen base to avoid extinction in Game 4. Both teams scored average of six runs per game, skewed by the Yankees’ 19-8 win in game 3. We had high-scoring games like 10-7 in Game 1 and 10-3 in Game 7. We had four tight games, too, 3-1, 6-4, 5-4 and 4-2. There was a nice balance between pitching and hitting. I don’t remember the kind of athletic fielding we see in 2020 but Orlando Cabrera made all the plays at SS for Boston.
In 2020, we see 100 mph pitching arms on parade every night. Solo homers play a key role in outcomes. Both teams are averaging around 3 runs per game. There has been one stolen base in 5 games.
Pitching velocity, strikeouts and athleticism are things we see way more of in 2020. But there is less action, fewer base hits. Pitching is way more important than it was in 2004.
What hasn’t changed is the ferocious competition. Baseball has changed a lot in 16 years but when the playoffs begin, the game remains a test of wills. Boston would not die in 2004. The Astros, hate them as we must, seem capable of doing something we have only seen once before in the history of MLB. They are feeding off the hatred.
On a personal note, as a Yankee fan, 2004 is a long time ago. The pain of losing is gone. I look back now and remember an amazing series between two great teams. And in a pandemic, it is fun to look back and remember how fucking close the Yankees came to a four-game sweep.
Let’s all pray for VORP, our resident Rays fan. Trying to think of a good acronym for his SOSH name. Victory Over Rays .... ? I am stumped.
In 2004, the Red Sox used a stolen base to avoid extinction in Game 4. Both teams scored average of six runs per game, skewed by the Yankees’ 19-8 win in game 3. We had high-scoring games like 10-7 in Game 1 and 10-3 in Game 7. We had four tight games, too, 3-1, 6-4, 5-4 and 4-2. There was a nice balance between pitching and hitting. I don’t remember the kind of athletic fielding we see in 2020 but Orlando Cabrera made all the plays at SS for Boston.
In 2020, we see 100 mph pitching arms on parade every night. Solo homers play a key role in outcomes. Both teams are averaging around 3 runs per game. There has been one stolen base in 5 games.
Pitching velocity, strikeouts and athleticism are things we see way more of in 2020. But there is less action, fewer base hits. Pitching is way more important than it was in 2004.
What hasn’t changed is the ferocious competition. Baseball has changed a lot in 16 years but when the playoffs begin, the game remains a test of wills. Boston would not die in 2004. The Astros, hate them as we must, seem capable of doing something we have only seen once before in the history of MLB. They are feeding off the hatred.
On a personal note, as a Yankee fan, 2004 is a long time ago. The pain of losing is gone. I look back now and remember an amazing series between two great teams. And in a pandemic, it is fun to look back and remember how fucking close the Yankees came to a four-game sweep.
Let’s all pray for VORP, our resident Rays fan. Trying to think of a good acronym for his SOSH name. Victory Over Rays .... ? I am stumped.