Tag Archives: World Series

With A Jimmmitude: Dodgers, Kershaw, Snell

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Dodgers win the World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series for the first time since 1988. The last time the Dodgers won I was just over 1 month old. I am personally happy for them since they are team that has been so close so many times recently. Add in the fact they got screwed by facing the Houston Astros a few years ago and they really needed this one.

So happy for Clayton Kershaw

If there was one narrative that needed to die it was about Clayton Kershaw and his performance in the postseason. It was the old can’t pitch in the postseason or he doesn’t have a ring nonsense that was quite tiring. The Dodgers wining the World Series and Kershaw pitching well will go a long way for his legacy. At the end of the day, Clayton Kershaw deserved this.

Blake Snell was pulled too early

The Tampa Bay Rays had a chance to go to a Game 7. Instead a questionable pitching change was made and that didn’t happen. Blake Snell was flat out dominating and Kevin Cash decided to take him out of the game. While their plan was to not let Snell face the lineup for a third time, it is inexcusable for taking him out. The Dodgers couldn’t touch Snell and taking him out did Los Angeles a massive favor.

What this decision will trigger is a discussion about analytics and the intangible aspect of feel. While feel is not something that cannot be quantified with a number, there are plenty of managers who would have left Snell in the game. Why? Because of feel.

There are numbers that say that Snell is not quite the same pitcher at a certain point in the game. The important thing to keep in mind is that numbers are a record of what previously happened and not necessarily something that can predict the future. Sure, they can give you a pretty good idea, but it is far from a lock from actually happening. There are exceptions to the rule and last night was one of them. It’s about understanding the balance between statistics and feel, with last night being a complete failure in that regard.

With a Jimmmitude: TNF, Kemp, World Series

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Thursday Night Football was actually sort of entertaining

For a game that did not seem good to begin and was a two-score game late in the 4th quarter, Thursday Night Football managed to provide some entertainment. Carson Wentz was able to lead the Eagles to a victory over the New York Giants and that was impressive. For as much fun as that was, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones got a ton of attention for his 80-yard run.

Jones’ run was incredible and seemingly came out of nowhere. Unfortunately the turf monster got him and tripped him up before he could score a touchdown.

This run was the fastest by a quarterback since 2018.

Of course the internet had some fun with Jones’ run.

The music from The Price is Right game Cliffhangers was added in a reply.

Shawn Kemp

Former NBA Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp is opening a dispensary in Seattle and is going with the most straight forward name possible, Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis. The name is pretty much to the point and incredibly boring. Missing the opportunity to go with a name like Sonic Chronic is incredibly disappointing.

World Series Game 3 Tonight

The Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers will square off in Game 3 of the World Series Friday night, each team having 1 win each. Tampa was able to come out on top and get a much needed win Wednesday with the Dodgers used a bullpen approach, a strategy that is more synonymous with Tampa than Los Angeles. While it seems simplistic to and casual to say winning a World Series game is a “must win”, it’s about the pitching matchups. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell pitched the first two games setting up “Ground Chuck” himself Charlie Morton for Game 3. Not coming away with a win in one of the first two games could have sank the Rays before Morton even made an appearance.

Tampa is now in position to take a possible 2-1 lead in the series before the games really begin with their pitching staff as Tampa’s starters for Games 4 and 5 are TBD. Los Angeles is favored (as they should be), but Tampa showed in Game 2 that they are more than capable of defeating the almighty Dodgers.

With A Jimmmitude: Mike McCarthy and Dodgers

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Dallas hiring Mike McCarthy seems like a mistake

For some bizarre reason there was a campaign last season about how Mike McCarthy was changing and adapting to the modern NFL. People bought it and that was a huge mistake. McCarthy pretty much admitted he lied during the interview process during his introductory press conference. Six games in the Cowboys are a disaster with players anonymously making their shortcomings known. I knew this whole “New Mike McCarthy” was a sham from the start and I’m glad the Cleveland Browns dodged that bullet.

Dodgers take Game 1 of the World Series

Clayton Kershaw pitched well and helped the Dodgers take Game 1. Kershaw has had times where he has struggled in the postseason and that has become the first thing people talk about, even during the regular season. Seeing Kershaw being able to pitch at the level everyone knows he is capable of is encouraging. If anyone deserves to win a World Series it is Clayton Kershaw.

Tampa is definitely a good team and they will not simply roll over. The Rays are going to be able to put up one heck of a fight as they try to win their first World Series title in franchise history.

Blake Snell vs. Tony Gonsolin should be an exciting pitching matchup for Game 2.

With A Jimmmitude: World Series and NBA 2K21

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We finally have our World Series matchup

With the ALCS and NLCS over we have our long awaited World Series matchup, the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers. This is a David vs. Goliath World Series when comparing the payrolls of the two teams. I like how much that Tampa is able to get out of so little, but at the same time I think their success leads to other teams being financially conservative when they don’t have to. The Rays are the best at what they do and eventually they will win a World Series. Whether that is this year is the question, the Dodgers are an extremely talented team and seem primed to finally win their first championship since 1988. The Dodgers are the favorite as they should be, but I do not believe that the Rays will be a pushover. My pick is Dodgers in 6.

Adventures in NBA 2K21

I had a little fun while playing NBA 2K21 this past weekend, deciding to play a game featuring two of the best teams of all-time. I used the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and faced the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors. Early on the Warriors were giving me problems, their lineup was simply too quick and Steph Curry was draining three-pointers with ease. I made a few moves to improve my chances.

First off I took Luc Longley out of the game because he was too slow for Golden State’s fast paced offense. I subbed in Steve Kerr as the shooting guard and moved Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman one position down. I had Pippen as the only person to guard Curry and MJ locked down Klay Thompson. My thought was let Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Harrison Barnes beat me but not those two. Lucky for me Kerr caught fire and made six shots from deep en route to a team-high 25 points. The subs and defensive matchup changes I made were the reason I ended up winning the game. That and having MJ pass to a teammate when the game was on the line also helped (cough, cough, terrible LeBron James passing to Danny Green take cough, cough).

With A Jimmitude: Tuesday Thoughts 9/29/20

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First post of a new format. The With A Jimmmitude title will be used for a daily blog of thoughts and miscellaneous opinions about sports.

Monday Night Football shows difference between Chiefs and Ravens

Everyone knows that the Baltimore Ravens are a good team. Monday just showed the difference between a good team and a great team. It is performances like Lamar Jackons’s 15-28 for 97 yards which question his ability as a passer. While criticism is warranted, let’s not get carried away. Jackson has a lot of room to improve as a passer, but his performance Monday was not indicative of his true talent level.

As far as Patrick Mahomes goes, my birthday bud is that dude. Mahomes looks like he wants to win another MVP and if he can keep playing like this it is certainly in the cards. Mahomes completed 31 of 42 passes for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns in what looked like an easy win over Baltimore.

Congrats to the Tampa Bay Lightning

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning on winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Growing up in Michigan while the then Pistons owner also owned the Lightning. Because of this I always felt a bit of an overlap even though it is Red Wings country. Also, when the Lighting won the Stanley Cup in 2004, the Pistons defeated the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Dream about the MLB postseason and World Series

So the other night I had a dream about the MLB postseason, more specifically the World Series. I was in my house sitting on my couch with my dogs getting ready to watch Game 7 of the 2020 World Series. I looked up at the TV and saw the logos of the two teams playing in the World Series. It was the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs, a rematch of 2016.

There are reasons why I mentioned my house, my couch, and my dogs. It is show that I am not reliving a memory from four years ago. My dogs are only 1.5 years old, so that is self explanatory. Not only did I not own my current house, I didn’t live in house the last time Cleveland was in the World Series. Also, I didn’t even live in Ohio, I lived in Michigan. And as far as the couch goes, I have only had that couch while living in this house.

While it may not be all that likely that this happens, it would be pretty strange. Not only Cleveland and Chicago meeting again the World Series, but going seven games again. On one hand I would like to be someone who can predict the future and see this happen. On the other hand another Game 7 against the Cubs would cause Twitter to be a complete dumpster fire.

Indians are 10/1 to win the World Series

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The Cleveland Indians have 10/1 odds to win the 2019 World Series according to odds released by the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Even though most fans have a negative outlook when it comes to the upcoming Cleveland Indians season, oddsmakers do not feel the same way. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook released their World Series odds and the Indians come in at 10/1.

Cleveland comes in with the fifth-best chances in baseball and fourth-best among American League teams. The Astros, Yankees and Red Sox being favorites over the Tribe in the American League. The Dodgers are the only National League team ahead of Cleveland.

Apparently the ones setting the odds have not overreacted to Cleveland’s offseason moves. Moves that have seen the Indians trade away Edwin Encarnacion, Yandy Diaz and Yonder Alonso. Additionally free agency has not been kind as Andrew Miller, Cody Allen and Michael Brantley all have new places to call home. Players the fans wanted the Indians to retain no matter the cost.

The Indians will have to rely on a mix of old and new in 2019

The team will have to rely on some familiar faces and some not so familiar in 2019. Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana will be counted on heavily to carry the offense. The starting rotation will be carried by their excellent pitching staff. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber are arguably the best rotation in baseball.

The question marks in regards to the Indians are in the outfield and bullpen. The outfield is full of a bunch of players which classify as the flier variety while the bullpen is being patched back together. Of course this is due to the team wanting to reel in their payroll rather than spend heavily on aging players.

There is also the likely possibly that the team makes a trade midseason. This is appears to be an inevitably as the team as it is currently constructed is not a complete product. There is also the fact that the team will evaluate the production from their outfielders and make moves accordingly. Moves that appear to be an inevitability.

Las Vegas is not in the business of giving money away

What is important to consider is that Las Vegas is in the business of making money. These odds may be there just to entice people to place that bet and not necessarily an accurate reflection of the actual talent on the roster. Although it is a bit curious that Vegas is so high on a club that many analysts and fans alike are not. There is the factor of what does Vegas know that nobody else does. That is the mystery when it comes to odds. Sometimes Vegas clearly knows more than everyone else. Other times it is a clear error on their part. Time will tell if the Indians odds before Spring Training even starts are too high or not high enough.