2011 ALCS Game 6 Live Blog

Game 6:  Tigers vs. Rangers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

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2011 ALCS Game 5/NLCS Game 4 Live Blog

Game 5: Rangers vs. Tigers 4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 4: Brewers vs. Cardinals 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 ALCS Game 4/NLCS Game 3 Live Blog

Game 4: Rangers vs. Tigers 4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 3: Brewers vs. Cardinals 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 ALCS Game 3 Live Blog

Game 3: Rangers vs. Tigers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 LCS Game 2 Live Blog

Game 2: Tigers vs. Rangers 4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 2: Cardinals vs. Brewers 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

NFL Week 5/NLCS Game 1/ALCS Game 2 Live Blog

Game 1: Cardinals vs. Brewers 4:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 2: Tigers vs. Rangers 7:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 ALCS Game 1 Live Blog

Game 1:  Tigers vs. Rangers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

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2011 League Championship Series Schedule

This hurts a lot.

National League Championship Series

Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game 1:  October 9:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  4:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 2:  October 10:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 3:  October 12:  Brewers vs. Cardinals  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 4:  October 13:  Brewers vs. Cardinals  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 5:  October 14:  Brewers vs. Cardinals  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 6:  October 16:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  4:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 7:  October 17:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

American League Championship Series

Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers

Game 1:  October 8:  Tigers vs. Rangers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 2:  October 9:  Tigers vs. Rangers  7:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 3:  October 11:  Rangers vs. Tigers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 4:  October 12:  Rangers vs. Tigers  4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 5:  October 13:  Rangers vs. Tigers  4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 6:  October 15:  Tigers vs. Rangers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 7:  October 16:  Tigers vs. Rangers  8:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 ALDS Game 5 Live Blog

Game 5.  2011 ALDS.  Tigers vs. Yankees.  Doug Fister vs. Ivan Nova.  Just how everyone pictured it would go in April.

Game 5: Tigers vs. Yankees 8:07 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

2011 NLDS Game 3/ALDS Game 4 Live Blog

Playoff baseball all day and all night.  This will be a fun night.  It will be an even funner night if the Phillies win.

Game 4: Rangers vs. Rays 2:00 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 3: Phillies vs. Cardinals 5:07 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 4: Yankees vs. Tigers 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Game 3: Brewers vs. Diamondbacks 9:37 (TNT - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

2011 ALDS Game 3 Live Blog

It's taken awhile, but we are finally going to see the full Sabathia-Verlander showdown.  Wait, there are showers in the forecast in Detroit tonight?  Son of a.....

Game 3: Rangers vs. Rays 5:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 3: Yankees vs. Tigers 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

NFL Week 4/ALDS Game 2/NLDS Game 2 Live Blog

Football and playoff baseball, woohoo! Wait, what?  Ron Pitts and Dick Stockton are each announcing a Philly game, respectively?  NOOOOO!!!!!!!

Game 2:  Tigers vs. Yankees 3:07 (TNT - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Game 2: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers 5:07 (TBS - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

Game 2: Cardinals vs. Phillies 8:37 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 NLDS Game 1/ALDS Game 1/ALDS Game 2 Live Blog

Who is ready for 9 hours of Tinie Tempeh's Written In The Stars and advertisements for re-runs of , er, I mean, the second day of the MLB Playoffs!  

Game 1: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers 2:07 (TBS - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

Game 1: Cardinals vs. Phillies 5:07 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 2: Rays vs. Rangers 7:07 (TNT - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 1: Tigers vs. Yankees 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

2011 ALDS Game 1 Live Blog

The playoffs are finally here!  The 2011 ALDS kicks off tonight with Game 1 of both series.  And yes, in the mind of Bud Selig, it makes perfect sense to play the game in Arlington, Texas three-and-a-half hours before the game in New York.

Game 1:  Rays vs. Rangers 5:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 1: Tigers vs. Yankees 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Should Bud Selig Have Overturned Armando Galarraga's Perfect Game?

By now everyone knows what happened last night. Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers was one out away from a perfect game when Jason Donald hit a groundball fielded by the 1st baseman. Armando went to cover the bag, stepped onto the bag, caught the ball, and held onto it all before former Philadelphia Phillies prospect Jason Donald stepped on the base. He should have been out. Umpire Jim Joyce ruled he was safe and the historic perfect game turned into a rather un-historic (though still very impressive) complete game one-hitter. There is no need to bring up the video and the picture. I'm sure you have seen it 1,000 times by now. There is no denying he should have been out and it should have been the 21st Perfecto in MLB history and a record breaking 3rd of the year.

The call was a mistake, umpire Jim Joyce has admitted to the mistake and apologized profusely. After the outrage last night, the Tigers have apologized for their intense reactions and earlier today Galarraga gave the line-up cards to Jim Joyce and shook his hand in a show of sportsmanship and forgiveness. Galarraga could be angry and hold a grudge. Jim Joyce could be unremorseful about it. Galarraga is accepting of the mistake, and Joyce has gone above and beyond in his attempts to make right with Galarraga and the Tigers organization. Both men should be commended for their efforts.

Originally this was going to be a "should MLB overturn the call post?", but MLB's statement has beaten me to the punch.

"First, on behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate Armando Galarraga on a remarkable pitching performance. All of us who love the game appreciate the historic nature of his effort last night.

"The dignity and class of the entire Detroit Tigers organization under such circumstances were truly admirable and embodied good sportsmanship of the highest order. Armando and Detroit manager Jim Leyland are to be commended for their handling of a very difficult situation. I also applaud the courage of umpire Jim Joyce to address this unfortunate situation honestly and directly. Jim's candor illustrates why he has earned the respect of on-field personnel throughout his accomplished career in the Major Leagues since 1989.

"As Jim Joyce said in his postgame comments, there is no dispute that last night's game should have ended differently. While the human element has always been an integral part of baseball, it is vital that mistakes on the field be addressed. Given last night's call and other recent events, I will examine our umpiring system, the expanded use of instant replay and all other related features. Before I announce any decisions, I will consult with all appropriate parties, including our two unions and the Special Committee for On-Field Matters, which consists of field managers, general managers, club owners and presidents."
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It is highly unlikely that the call will be overturned.

I am always a proponent that the call must be right. But this is an exception. There are several things that Bud Selig and MLB can do, most of which were stated in MLB's statement below, but the absolute one thing that MLB should not do is overturn the call.

Donald was out, we all know that, but if this call would have been overturned, Pandora's Box would have opened up. So many blown calls at the end of the game would then be called into question. There is no doubt Joyce blew the call, but what happens if you go back and change this? What happens to every other blown call? All of a sudden there will be a firestorm every week with a new blown call where the result of the game should be overturned. Not only that, but MLB would have set the precedent where they can overturn the game.

Then that would eventually extend to the playoffs. Would World Series games be overturned on a blown call? So many blown calls surely affected the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series? Should they be co-champions because of it? Just because a call is obviously wrong, it does not mean it should be reversed the next day.

There are ways to remedy this. But overturning the call is not one of them. Expand instant replay is a very good idea and a very good start. Develop a system of manager's challenges, that way stubborn umpires can't just ignore the complaining team/manager. It sucks for Galarraga, but overturning the call is not the proper way to remedy things. And what's going to happen anyway if they did overturn it? Galarraga can never have that moment back on 1st base where he can embrace Cabrera after perfection? It will be all too bittersweet and feel wrong. To change a game that drastically sets a bad precedent for now and for the future.

Congrats, Twins!

Wow! What a baseball game. That was incredible. And while Chip Caray is a complete idiot (see "line drive....base hit" on a ball that ended up being caught and a double play on the throw out at home), that was one enjoyable game to watch. Here is your game-winning, division-winning moment, Twins fans!



Another beer please for RJBO!

Congrats Twins! Your reward after that hard fought victory is a trip to New York City where 21 hours after you popped some bubbly in the Metrodome, you've got Game 1 of the ALDS against the Yankees! Good times for the Twins, gooooooood times.

Update: Here's the video the aforementioned botched call by Caray.



I think he was trying to set up his winning call before the play even happened, but still funny. I think that he also caused a heart attack everywhere in Minnesota and Detroit, for differing reasons, of course. And that's without the excitement that was the end of that play!

AL Central Tie-Breaker Open Thread

We have a tie-breaker for the 3rd straight year and an AL Central tie-breaker for the 2nd straight year. I don't know how many people outside of the local markets are interested in this game, but I certainly am. Here's your information on the game, not that you didn't already know it, but it really is a FARN! open thread staple.

Detroit Tigers @ Minnesota Twins 5:00 (Porcello, 14-9 vs. Baker, 15-9) (TBS - Chip Caray and Ron Darling, SR: Craig Sager)

Enjoy the game and leave comments!