Fall Classic Rewind

ALDS Recap - Games One and TwoThe American League Division Series games have started, and boy, have there been some fireworks so far. The Toronto Blue Jays have jumped all over their division rival New York Yankees, with Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Alejandro Kirk, and Dalton Varsho leading the way. The Yankees will have their work cut out for them if they hope to survive this series.In Seattle, the series is knotted up at a game a piece. Both games were tense and exhilarating. As the series heads to Detroit, we shall see if the stars - Julio Rodrigues, Cal Raleigh, Tarik Skubal, and Kerry Carpenter - can continue to shineAudio clips from MLB.tvNew York Yankees (94-68) @ Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)GM 1 - Kevin Gausman (10-11 3.59 ERA 193 IP) vs. Luis Gil (4-1 3.32 ERA 57 IP)GM 2 - Trey Yesavage (1-0 3.21 ERA 14 IP) vs. Max Fried (19-5 2.86 ERA 195 IP)Toronto Radio SN590 - Ben Shulman and Chris LerouxNew York Radio WFAN - Dave Sims and Suzyn WaldmanDetroit Tigers (87-75) @ Seattle Mariners (90-72)GM 1 - George Kirby (10-8 4.21 ERA 126 IP) vs. Toy M<elton (3-2 2.76 ERA 45 IP)GM 2 - Luis Castillo (11-8 3.54 ERA 180 IP) vs. Tarik Skubal (13-6 2.21 ERA 195 IP)Seattle Radio KIRO - Rick Rizzs, Aaron GoldsmithDetroit Radio 97.1 the Ticket - Dan Dickerson, Andy DirksAs always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more.Catch you next time, P.C.O.

National League Wild Card RecapHighlights from the NL side of the Wild Card Round. The Dodgers dominate, as expected, and the Cubs survive a thrilling three game set against the Friars.San Diego Padres (90-72) @ Chicago Cubs (92-70)GM 1: Matthew Boyd (14-8 3.21 ERA 179 IP) vs. Nick Pivetta (13-5 2.87 ERA 181 IP)GM 2: Andrew Kittredge (3-5 3.40 ERA 53 IP) vs. Dylan Cease (8-12 4.55 ERA 168 IP)GM 3: Jameson Taillon (11-7 3.68 ERA 129 IP) vs. Yu Darvish (5-5 5.38 ERA 72 IP)Chicago Radio WSCR - Pat Hughes, Ron CoomerSan Diego Radio KWFN - Jesse Agler and Tony Gwynn, Jr.Cincinatti Reds (83-79) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69)GM 1: Blake Snell (5-4 2.35 ERA 61 IP) vs. Hunter Greene (7-4 2.76 ERA 107 IP)GM 2: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8 2.49 ERA 173 IP) vs. Zach Littell (10-8 3.81 ERA 186 IP)Los Angeles Radio AM570 - Stephen Nelson and Rick MondayCincinatti Radio WLW - Tommy Thrall and Jeff BrantleyAudio clips from MLB.tvAs always, thank you to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more.Catch you next time,P.C.O.

American League Wild Card RecapIn the first five years of the Wild Card round(2020, 2022 - Present), we had just 4 of the 20 series go to a third game. This year, we were blessed with three! In today’s episode we’ll go over the highlights from the American League side, then look ahead to the AL Division Series games that start this weekend. This round had dominant outings from the game’s best pitchers, and clutch performances by rising stars. October baseball has it all!Audio clips from MLB.tvDetroit Tigers (87-75) @ Cleveland Guardians (88-74)GM 1: Gavin Williams (12-5 3.06 ERA 167 IP) vs. Tarik Skubal (13-6 2.21 ERA 195 IP)GM 2: Tanner Bibee (12-11 4.24 ERA 182 IP) vs. Casey Mize (14-6 3.87 ERA 149 IP)GM 3: Slade Cecconi (7-7 4.30 ERA 132 IP) vs. Jack Flaherty (8-15 4.64 ERA 161 IP)Cleveland Radio WTAM - Tom Hamilton and Jim RosenhausDetroit Radio 97.1 - Dan Dickerson and Bobby ScalesBoston Red Sox (89-73) @ New York Yankees (94-68)GM 1: Max Fried (19-5 2.86 ERA 195 IP) vs. Garrett Crochet (18-5 2.59 ERA 205 IP)GM 2: Carlos Rodón (18-9 3.09 ERA 195 IP) vs. Brayan Bello (11-9 3.35 ERA 166 IP)GM 3: Cam Schlittler (4-3 2.96 ERA 73 IP) vs. Connelly Early (1-2 2.33 ERA 19 IP)New York Radio WFAN - Dave Sims, and Suzyn WaldmanBoston Radio WEEI - Will Flemming, Will Middlebrooks, Lenny Dinardo, and Lou MerloniAs always, thank you to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more.P.C.O.

2025 Regular Season Recap and Wild Card PreviewAnother MLB regular season is in the books, and we are on the verge of playoff baseball once again. Listen in as we discuss the incredible September comebacks of the Reds and Guardians, as well as the dreadful collapses of the Mets and Astros (and nearly the Tigers). I’ll provide my thoughts on the MVP races, and finish with a tribute to the endings of some great careers.Audio clips from MLB.tvCleveland Radio WTAM - Tom HamiltonBoston Radio WEEI - Will FlemmingToronto TV Sportsnet - Dan Shulman and Buck MartinezSeattle Radio KIRO - Rick RizzsReds Radio WLW - Tommy Thrall and Jeff BrantleyMets Radio WHSQ - Howie RoseLos Angeles Radio AM570 - Charley Steiner and Rick MondayNationals TV MASN - Bob Carpenter and Kevin FrandsenAs always, thank you to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more.Catch you next time,P.C.O.Be on the lookout for a Wild Card series recap and a Division Series preview later this week!

2025 BBWAA HOF Ballot Happy New Year! It’s once again time to talk about the Hall of Fame, this time the writers’ ballot. There are plenty of worthy candidates returning to the ballot, and two standout first year candidates to watch. Japanese icon Ichiro Suzuki is a lock for induction this year. Although he didn’t debut until he was 27, the spry savant amassed over 3,000 hits, 1,400 runs, 10 All-Stars and Gold Gloves, not to mention two batting titles, a Rookie of the Year, and a MVP. He also holds the single season hit record, with 262 in the 2004 season. Although not the first Japanese player in MLB, his smashing success paved the way for other Japanese stars such as Hideki Matsui, Yu Darvish, and Shohei Ohtani. The only question about Ichiro is whether or not he’ll be unanimous. Don’t sleep on ace lefty C.C. Sabathia’s chances on his debut ballot. As one of just three left handed pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts (Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson the other two), Sabathia was the definition of a workhorse. Add in 250 wins, a Cy Young, a World Series, and an ALCS MVP, and you’ve got a Hall of Famer, especially in this era. Among the other first-year candidates, there are a few who could survive the 5% threshold to remain on ballot for another year. Félix Hernández was one of the most dominant starters in baseball from 2007 - 2015, but that might not be enough for the writers. Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler were both excellent second basemen that frankly lack the longevity needed for enshrinement, but are certainly worthy cases to discuss, particularly on the same ballot as sabermetric darling Chase Utley. Russell Martin and Brian McCann come up short in the traditional counting stats that writers demand from catchers, but their advanced framing metrics put them in similar ranks as Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, and Yadier Molina. Of the returning candidates, Billy Wagner came up just short last year (73.8%), and he will need a push to get over in his final year on the ballot. In his second to last year, Andruw Jones appears to be stalling around 60% of the vote, not far off from induction, but not close enough to be confident he’ll make it this year or the next. Carlos Beltrán and Chase Utley appear to be on track for induction in a few years time, though they’ll need to continue their growth. AROD, ManRam, and Andy Pettitte would be in the Hall if not for PEDs, and they’re not getting in anytime soon. How many will join Dick Allen and Dave Parker for a July celebration? Find out January 21st when the results are announced. Audio clips from Youtube #3,000 for Ichiro - Fox Sports Florida Sun - Rich Waltz Laser Throw from Ichiro - Fox Sports Northwest - Rick Rizzs Single season hit record for Ichiro - Root Sports Northwest - Dave Niehaus CC gets 3K K’s - YES Network  King Felix Perfecto - RSNW - Dave Sims Dustin Pedroia Leadoff WS HR - FOX - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver As always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C..O.

With Winter Meetings just around the corner, and the Hot Stove heating up, it’s time to talk about the Baseball Hall of Fame, specifically the eight players on the Classic Era Ballot. This year, six former major league all-stars and two Negro League legends are up for enshrinement. Each of the position player candidates has won an MVP, and the two major league pitchers combined for over 500 career wins at the big league level, not to mention stellar postseason performances. These are players who remained on the writers ballot for many years, if not the full fifteen in some cases, and they’ve been under consideration in prior ‘Veteran’s Committee’ selections. They are all worthy candidates, but the committee members can only vote for three players. As is often the case on these committees, only one or two of these great players may get inducted this year, and the others will have to wait years to get another shot. Here are this year’s selections for the Classic Era Ballot: Dick Allen - 1B/3B for PHI & CHW, 1972 AL MVP, 1964 NL ROY, 7X AS Ken Boyer - 3B for STL, 1964 NL MVP & WS, 11X AS, 5X GG John Donaldson - LHP/1B in ’10’s & ’20’s, 400+ W & 5,000 K Steve Garvey - 1B for LAD & SDP, 1974 NL MVP, 10X AS, 4X GG Vic Harris - Player-Manger for the Homestead Grays, greatest Negro League team Tommy John - LHP for CHW, LAD, NYY, 288 W, 4710 IP, redefined injury recovery Dave Parker - RF for PIT, CIN, 1978 NL MVP, 7X AS, 3X GG Luis Tiant - RHP for CLE, BOS, 229 W, most by any Cuban born player Results of the committee will be announced on Dec 8th. In my opinion, all of these candidates are deserving, and I would have no complaints about any of them being selected. I personally would vote for Dick Allen (who missed by just one vote last time), Luis Tiant (who we sadly lost this year), and Ken Boyer (who was brilliant at an underrepresented position). Who would you pick, and who do you expect to make it in? As always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 World Series Game Five - Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Yankees We head into game five with the Dodgers just one win away from their eight World Series title, and what a ride it has been. Freddie Freeman has been the catalyst for the offense, homering in each game so far (and a record six straight World Series dating back to ’21) and driving in 10 runs, just two away from tying the record set by NYY 2B Bobby Richardson in 1960. Shohei Ohtani appears to be significantly hampered by his shoulder injury, but the offense keeps rolling thanks to contributions from Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, and both of the Hernández brothers*. The LA starters have strung together solid outings, while the bullpen has carried things the rest of the way. When it has mattered, manager Dave Roberts has pushed all the right buttons, which was not something you could say about him in previous playoffs. They weren’t able to get the sweep in game four, but they aim to finish the job here in the Bronx tonight. They know they’ll be flying home to LA, and they hope it’s with the World Series trophy in hand. The Yankees avoided elimination in game four, thanks in large part to a go-ahead grand slam from young shortstop Anthony Volpe, but if they’re going to extend the series any longer, Aaron Judge must step up. He has been downright awful in these playoffs, but it has not really hurt the Yanks until the World Series. With everything on the line, we’ll see if he can find some redemption. It will be ace Gerrit Cole on the mound for Bronx Bombers. The $300 million dollar man was excellent in game one, but the bullpen coughed up the lead and the game. Expect manager Aaron Boone to ride his horse as long as he can. On the other side, the Yankees will get a second crack at LA righty Jack Flaherty, who cruised through game one until he got beat by the long ball. Flaherty has been known to struggle the more times he sees an opponent. Will that trend hold? These Yankees are talented, and these games have actually been close. In fact, the differential in this series is just a single run. Part of the reason the Yanks are trailing right now? Fundamentals. There have been misplays, base-running gaffes, mental errors, and even lack of hustle on display for New York. And up against a team as talented as these Dodgers, it’s at the margins where a series can be decided. The Yankees cannot afford any more lapses, or else they’ll see their best season in 15 years come to an abrupt end. Audio clips from MLB.tv LAD Radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday NYY Radio WFAN - John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman FOX postgame - Kevin Burkhardt As always shout out to Baseball Reference for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Yankees  Games Three and Four @ Yankee Stadium  The Dodgers head into the Bronx leading the series two games to none, taking care of business in their home ballpark against the Yankees. It took an incredible walk-off grand slam, courtesy of Freddie Freeman, and then a dominant performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto to get Los Angeles in to this position, but they’ll certainly take it. Freeman has been the star so far, with another homer in game two. Tommy Edman and Teóscar Hernández added home runs in game two as well, but the rest of the offense has not been humming like it was in the NLCS. To add to that worry, Shohei Ohtani dislocated his shoulder attempting a steal, and while he’ll be in the lineup, it’s unclear how that injury may affect him. On the mound for Dave Roberts in game three will be Walker Buehler, who has been lights out in his previous World Series starts. The Dodgers will certainly need some length from the. Kentucky-born righty, as game four is slated to be a bullpen game. Yankees manager Aaron Boone is under fire after the questionable game one decision to bring in Nestor Cortes, who surrendered the walk-off grand slam. It has been characterized as indefensible by many (rightly so in my opinion); however, there were other letdowns and misplays that put the Yankees in that position. You can nitpick and criticize bullpen management all you want, but if your offense isn’t putting up enough runs, especially against these Dodgers? You won’t stand a chance. Perhaps the most concerning for the Yankees faithful is the continued slump of Aaron Judge. He has been a dead spot in the order, and quite simply he needs to turn it around, or he may face the wrath of a fanbase that adores him. You can expect the Bronx Zoo to cheer for him loudly when he first steps to the plate, but if the strikeouts and weakly hit balls show up with him, do not be shocked by a chorus of boos for the MVP. On the pitching side, Aaron Boone will turn to Clarke Schmidt in game three, and then Luis Gil in game four. Given the stakes, the leash on the two young righties will be quite short. Expect heavy usage from the likes of Tim Hill, Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes, and Luke Weaver. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a World Series, and no team has even forced a game five since the 1970 Cincinnati Reds. If the Yanks go down in game three, it may just be the death knell on their season. Audio clips from MLB.tv LAD Radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday NYY Radio WFAN - John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman FOX broadcast - Joe Davis and John Smoltz As always shout out to Baseball Reference for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 World Series - New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Dodgers Games One and Two @ Dodger Stadium Here we go. For the first time since 1981, the Yankees and Dodgers will face off in the Fall Classic. It will be the twelfth matchup between these storied franchises, and the Yankees have certainly had the advantage in the past. The Bronx Bombers have taken eight of the previous eleven series, though the Dodgers have split the last six. On baseball’s biggest stage, we have the game’s biggest stars ready to shine. The Dodgers have already walloped a New York team this postseason, dispatching the Mets in six games behind an historic offensive performance. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts were outstanding, but it was midseason pickup Tommy Edman who took home NLCS MVP. With star first baseman Freddie Freeman hobbled with an ankle injury, Edman stepped into the cleanup spot and boy, did he clean up against Mets pitching. With a few days off heading into the series, Freeman is expected to return to the lineup, though how he’ll be feeling is unknown. The Dodgers have been able to piece together effective innings with solid enough starting and nearly untouchable bullpen arms. LA kid Jack Flaherty (13-7 3.17 ERA 162 IP) will get the ball in game one. It has been a Jekyll and Hyde postseason for the righty, so who’s gonna show up? For game two, it will be Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-2 3.00 ERA 90 IP). The Japanese ace had an awful postseason debut, but has been pretty good since, albeit in limited innings. Things have gotten a little shorter in Dave Robert’s bullpen, as Evan Philips went down with an arm injury; however, he gets reliable lefty Alex Vesia back after he missed the NLCS. We’ll see how Roberts navigates the late innings without one of his key arms. On the surface, the Yankees have been rolling this postseason, dropping just two games heading into the Fall Classic. Digging a little deeper, it has not been as dominant as their record has demonstrated. Every game against Kansas City was close, and it took incredible heroics from Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto to escape from Cleveland in just five games. The bullpen was dominant early, but it has struggled lately. And of greatest concern, Aaron Judge has looked completely lost at the plate, apart from a pair of home runs. The Yankees will need him to refine his MVP form to have a shot in this series. Ace Gerrit Cole (8-5 3.41 ERA 95 IP) will get the start in game one. The reigning AL Cy Young has had to labor through his playoff starts, but he’s found a way to be effective. In game two, lefty Carlos Rodón (16-9 3.96 ERA 175 IP) will get the ball once again. He’s had one brilliant start and two mediocre outings so far. Manager Aaron Boone will definitely be hoping for the former, as his options in the bullpen are certainly thinner than his LA counterpart’s. In the past, these two teams have delivered on tension and drama, and this series should be no different. Audio clips from MLB.tv LAD Radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday NYY Radio WFAN - John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman FOX broadcast - Joe Davis and John Smoltz As always shout out to Baseball Reference for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 National League Championship Series Games Three, Four, and Five @ Citi Field - Queens, New York, NY  Game Six @ Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, CA Heading to New York, the series is tied at a game apiece. The Dodgers pummeled the Met in game one, but the Mets responded with a 7-3 win behind a leadoff Francisco Lindor homer and a Mark Vientos grand slam. The fans at Citi Field is raring to cheer on their beloved Mets, but the Dodgers big bats will look to silence the raucous crowd early. Shohei Ohtani has yet to have a hit with the bases empty, but he’s doing plenty of damage with runners on base. Dating back to the regular season, he is 16 for his last 19 with runners in scoring position… that’s just absurd. Mookie Betts and Max Muncy continue to swing hot bats, and with Freddie Freeman hobbled with an ankle injury, it will be Tommy Edman of all people stepping into the cleanup spot. This is a deep lineup that grinds out at bat after at bat, exhausting their opposing pitchers and forcing mistakes. The pitching plan is always a bit nebulous for manager Dave Roberts, who lacks reliable starting pitching, but has numerous quality options out of the pen. Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Anthony Banda, and others have strung together zeroes across multiple games, though they will need at least something from their starters. Buehler will get the ball in game three, Yamamoto in game four, Flaherty in game five, and likely a bullpen game if it gets to six back in LA. It will take a team effort to bring the Dodgers back to the World Series, and these guys will live up to that task. The Mets are feeling good heading into game three, as they should on this magical run they’ve been on. Carlos Mendoza will send Luis Severino to the mound for game three, then José Quintana for game four, and likely David Peterson for game five. If they can extend the series, they will be quite confident with their ace Sean Manaea on the hill, with either a shot to clinch the series or force a decisive game seven. But if the Mets aim to win this thing, the bats are gonna need to step up. Apart from the six run outburst early in game two, the Mets have been befuddled by the Dodger bullpen (just like San Diego). With a trip to the World Series on the line, we shall see whether the Mets will continue to conjure up playoff magic, or if the Dodgers can find a way to break it. Audio clips from MLB.tv LAD radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday NYM radio WCBS - Howie Rose and Keith Raad As always, shout out to Baseball Reference for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 American League Championship Series Games Four and Five @ Progressive Field - Cleveland, OH The Guardians avoided going down three games to none thanks to the heroics of Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry, who respectively hit game-tying and walk-off home runs off of the Yankees relief aces. There’s a ton of excitement in the Land, but there are some ominous signs for Steven Vogt’s ball club. The starting pitching has not given length nor has it been very effective so far, and Cleveland will call upon the unproven Gavin Williams (3-10 4.86 ERA 76 IP) in game four and bring back Tanner Bibee (12-8 3.47 173 IP) on short rest for game five. More worrisome is the fact that the Yankees have been able to do damage against Emmanuel Clase, who is regarded as the best closer in the game. And with stalwarts Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis having been used heavily to boot, the strategy of reliever carousel might not be so sound. If the Guardians are going to pull this off, they will have to bring the bats as they did in game three. That means much better production from José Ramírez and Josh Naylor, as well as frankly any production from the catching tandem of Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges. We know the Guardians will not go down without a fight, but do they have enough to contend with the Yankees onslaught. Game three was a whirlwind finish for Aaron Boone’s squad, coming back in the eighth with back-to-back homers, but then unable to get the final out despite just being a strike away from a likely insurmountable 3-0 lead. Still, the Yankees are in good position in this series, and they will look to press their advantage as they seek their 41st AL pennant. They send rookie Luis Gil (15-7 3.50 ERA 150 IP) to the mound in game four, who was incredible to start the year, but seemed to hit a wall in the second half. Then for game five, Carlos Rodón (16-9 3.96 ERA 175 IP) will get the ball again, looking to replicate his outstanding game one start. The bullpen has shown its first cracks the postseason, with Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver coughing up the lead in game three. This is no worry with the offense, however, as Giancarlo Stanton continues to just hit home runs nearly every game, Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto get on base in about half of their at bats, and Aaron Judge has finally shown some life. They are a dangerous lineup, and if the Guardians continue to gift them opportunities with runners in scoring position, the Yankees will make you pay. Tune in to a competitive finish to this exciting ALCS. Audio clips from MLB.tv TBS Broadcast - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and Jeff Francoeur CLE Radio WTAM - Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus NYY Radio WFAN - John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman As always, shout to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, boxscores, background research, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 American League Championship Series Game Three - New York Yankees @ Cleveland Guardians The Guardians return to Cleveland with their backs against the wall, having lost the first two game of the ALCS to the Yankees in the Bronx. Steven Vogt’s team finds themselves in a 2-0 series hole due to a mix of sloppy defense, shaky pitching, and shoddy hitting. There’s a lot that this club will have to shape up in short order if they want to avoid being down three games to none. These guys were pushed to the brink against Detroit in the previous series, and they responded with aplomb. If they’re to have any chance against the Yankees, they’re gonna need to do the same tonight. The Yankees are just two wins away from returning to the World Series for the first time in 15 seasons. They haven’t been perfect so far, but there has been little to complain about. The pitching has been outstanding, particularly Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver at the back end. They’ve gotten contributions up and down the lineup, with Torres and Soto setting the table and Stanton cleaning up. Aaron Judge may finally be breaking out of his postseason slump, homering in game two. But there is still work to do, and manager Aaron Boone is well aware of how quickly fortunes can change in the playoffs. Game three will feature a matchup between Cleveland lefty Matthew Boyd and New York righty Clarke Schmidt. Boyd has been effective so far, but his outings have been short by design. With no Cleveland starter having completed five innings to this point and with a bullpen that’s been taxed, how many outs can the Guardians get from the lefty. The 28 year old righty for the Yankees was good, but unspectacular in his first postseason start. Boone will likely have a quick hook to set up his powerful back-end arms, but their heavy usage could be cause for concern. Tune in to one of the best playoff games of the past deade. Audio clips from MLB.tv CLE radio WTAM - Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus CLE radio ESP - Rafa Hernández-Brito and Carlos Baerga NYY radio WFAN- John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman TBS broadcast - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and Jeff Francoeur Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 American League Championship Series Cleveland Guardians @ New York Yankees - Games One and Two @ Yankee Stadium Could this finally be the year that the World Series returns to the Bronx? By nearly every measure, the last fifteen years of Yankee baseball has been a success. A winning record every year, multiple deep playoff runs, an MVP, a Cy Young, a Rookie of the Year, the list could go on. But they are missing the only accolade that matters to those who don the pinstripes, a World Series title. Never mind that they already own 27 Commissioner’s trophies, and 13 additional AL pennants. The standard is a World Series, anything less a complete and utter failure. So there will be no excuses for manager Aaron Boone, in his seventh season, which he hopes will be his first advancing past the ALCS. No excuses for Aaron Judge, who will almost certainly win his second MVP, but has scuffled in the playoffs to date. No excuses for Gerrit Cole, the $300 million dollar ace and reigning Cy Young who has battled injuries this year. No excuses for Juan Soto, the hitting savant on the brink of free agency. There won’t be any excuses for these Yanks, especially with their path to the World Series clear of their recent foes, the Houston Astros. So, can they take AL pennant number 41 and vie for World Series number 28? Standing in the Yankees way are the scrappy Cleveland Guardians. Behind the heroics of David Fry in game four and Lane Thomas in game five, Cleveland was able to eke past the Detroit Tigers despite not having a single starting pitcher complete five innings in the series. Stringing together 27 outs and keeping the powerful Yankees bats silent will be a tall task for manager Steven Vogt, but he has lots of confidence in his big four (Smith, Gaddis, Herrin, and Clase). Beyond them, however, it can get dicey. As is often the case, championship series baseball will test your mettle, an interesting challenge for such a young and relatively inexperienced ball club (and manager). The Yankees have been battle-tested, though this core has yet to advance past this round. Will the Guardians be able to block them again? Game one will be a duel between veteran starters lefty Carlos Rodon for New York and righty Alex Cobb for Cleveland. Rodon had a great beginning to his start against Kansas City, but he quickly ran out of gas in the fourth inning. He’ll look to manage his adrenaline and energy more effectively in this one. Cobb is a wily craftsman, but he’s had his struggles against the middle of the Yankees order, particularly vs. Juan Soto. Game two will be a matchup between number one starters Gerrit Cole and Tanner Bibee. Both right handers have had mixed results from the two previous playoff starts, but the edge certainly leans toward the more experience Cole. After these two games, we will head to Cleveland for games three, four, and five* (if necessary). Audio clips from MLB.tv NYY Radio WFAN - John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman CLE Radio WTAM - Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus TBS broadcast - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and Jeff Francoeur As always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more.

2024 National League Championship Series New York Mets @ Los Angeles Dodgers - Games One and Two Once again we have a battle between Los Angeles and New York in the playoffs, but instead of Dodgers and Yankees (which we may yet see in the World Series) it will be the Dodgers taking on the Mets. Carlos Mendoza’s squad took down their division rival Phillies in just four games, behind strong starting pitching from Severino, Manaea, and Quintana, as well as clutch hitting from Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso, and superstar Francisco Lindor. These Mets don’t mind being the underdog, but they will have yet another tall task ahead of them in the NLCS. The Dodgers also took down their division rival in the San Diego Padres, though Dave Roberts’s team was pushed to the brink in five games. They rode unbelievable pitching to ultimately advance, holding the Padres scoreless for the final 24 innings in the series. If they somehow shut out the Mets in game one, they would tie the all-time postseason scoreless streak (which was inflicted upon the Dodgers by the Orioles in the 1966 World Series). Shohei Ohtani’s first postseason has been successful so far, mainly because he has come through nearly every time with runners on base (he’s been hitless with the bases empty.) Mookie Betts has finally returned to form in the playoffs, while the Hernández brothers*(not actually brothers) provided the punch in the clinching game.  Game one will feature hometown kid Jack Flaherty, who looks to be much better than in his Dodger postseason debut. Opposing him will be Kodai Senga, making just his third start this season. It is unclear how long the Mets will let him pitch, but the Dodgers offense might have more of a say in that decision than anything. In game two, the Dodgers will go with a bullpen game, which worked to perfection against San Diego. The Mets will counter with their big lefty, Sean Manaea, who was brilliant against Philadelphia. Past matchups between these teams in the playoffs have been electric, with a classic seven gamer in 1988 and some fireworks in the 2015 NLDS. We should be in store for plenty of drama. Audio clips from MLB.tv LAD radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday NYM radio WCBS 880 AM - Howie Rose and Keith Raad As always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.

2024 Divisional Round - Game Five NLDS - Padres @ Dodgers The Dodgers staved off elimination and embarrassment at the hand of their Southern California rivals in game four. It took standout performances from nearly the whole roster. Eight Dodger bullpen arms combined for the shutout, Mookie Betts and Will Smith homered, and now we have a winner-take-all game five on a Friday night in Chavez Ravine. It will be a duel between countrymen; Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Yu Darvish with a trip to the NLCS on the line. Yamamoto was lit up in game one and has struggled against the Padres all season, so expect a quick hook from Dave Roberts if trouble brews. Darvish has been sensational against Los Angeles in his career, but he carries an 0-5 record in elimination games heading into this game five. The Padres bats were electric to begin this postseason, but they have silent since Fernando Tatis Jr.’s blast in the second inning of game three. Teoscar Hernández has come up clutch for the Dodgers with star first baseman Freddie Freeman hobbled. Don’t be surprised if postseason stalwart Kiké Hernández plays a major role, as he often does in closeout games. This series has provided plenty of fireworks so far, what does this decisive game five have in store? Audio clips from MLB.tv LAD Radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday SDP Radio KWFN - Steve Agler and Tony Gwynn Jr. ALDS - Tigers @ Guardians Cleveland won a wild game four thanks to the heroics of David Fry, who not only had a go-ahead, pinch hit two run homer, but also provided the necessary insurance run on a safety squeeze. Talk about versatility! José Ramírez seems to have bounced back from a rough stretch, while Steven Kwan and Lane Thomas have been racking up hits in this series. The Tigers have seen contributions up and down the roster, particularly from Parker Meadows and Jake Rogers. Their ‘Pitching Chaos’, as manger AJ Hinch coined, has gotten them to a win-or-go-home with their best pitcher, and perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball, Tarik Skubal. The fireballing lefty hasn’t given up a run in nearly a month, and he only looks to be getting better in the playoffs. First year manager Steven Vogt will likely summon some ‘pitching chaos’ of his own in this one, as starter Matthew Boyd, a former Tiger, may only go one time through the order. Then it will be time to go to his ‘Four Horsemen’ - Smith, Herrin, Gaddis, and the final boss, Clase. If any one of them falter, who knows to whom Vogt will give the ball. An exhilarating finish to an incredible divisional round awaits on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Cleveland. Audio clips from MLB.tv CLE radio WTAM - Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus DET radio 97.1 - Dan Dickerson, Bobby Scales, and Andy Dirks TBS television - Brian Anderson and Jeff Francoeur As always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more. Catch you next time, P.C.O.