It was quite an interesting fall in baseball. The Astros won their first World Series. They became the first team who switched between the National and American Leagues to become a world champion. They are also the first Texas world champion. They beat the Yankees to get there. And, if you want to get technical, the new world champion is my employer.
No, I am not the Matthew Silverman who is a major league executive. (That Matthew Silverman runs the Rays, though his role is changing a little.) But I have worked for Houston’s Class A affiliate, the Tri-City Valley Cats in Troy, for the past three seasons. None of the guys I have seen in Troy played a role with Houston this fall, but three of them were key pieces sent to the Tigers in the Justin Verlander deal. My role is summer help on weekends. I don’t think I am up for a World Series share.
At times the World Series seemed like a match of “who-can-make-the-most-senseless-pitching-change.” Houston manager A.J. Hinch got a bit lucky in both Games 7s, getting brilliant, almost never-seen, four-inning relief appearances to finish wins. Ironically, in Game 7 against the Yankees, it was Charlie Morton starting and Lance McCullers tossing the last four innings for the save; and against the Dodgers it was McCullers starting Game 7 (and drilling four batters while not allowing a run) with Morton throwing the last four innings of relief to get the win. Another win against L.A. was finished off with a brilliant 3-2/3 innings by Brad Peacock, who, like McCullers and Morton, is a starter pitching in relief. Hinch thought outside the box. His closer, Ken Giles, had a 27.00 ERA in two games. Giles lost Game 4 and did not even pitch in the 13-12 Game 5 that was less artful—and more high-scoring—than a Wiffle ball game with a taped bat. This Series was reminiscent of the Giants winning in 2014 without using their closer to close.
Dave Roberts managed to become the second skipper in history to use a reliever in all seven World Series games. In 1973—against the Mets—Darold Knowles pitched all seven games (there’s more about it here), and came in to get the last out against Wayne Garrett, who represented the tying run. Dodger Brandon Morrow was brought in for the second inning of a 5-0 game with no one on base to match the record this year. They call this bullpenning, I hear. Remove your starters at the first sign of trouble and ride your top relievers until they are too worn out to be effective—see Morrow’s four batters faced, four baserunners, two home runs allowed in Game 5. Though I am not a Dave Roberts fan, yanking Yu Darvish in the second inning was a good move—both times he did it. When it comes to a “we really need a good start from you” opportunity, Tom Glavine was probably watching Darvish walk off the mound, sitting on the couch saying, “Well, now that’s devastating.”
It really was a solid World Series. Anyone who didn’t watch it because their team wasn’t in it should really re-think whether baseball is for them. Good work, boss. And any World Series not involving the Yankees is worth my time.
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Oh, and the Mets hired a new manager. Not since the team hired Joe Frazier when I was 11, have they hired a manager I was completely unfamiliar with. Somehow, while watching most of the Tribe’s oh-so-close run last year, I never noticed this pitching coach. All I can say is I hope he lasts longer than George Frazier. The ’76 Mets were entertaining and had a winning record—though they were 12 miles out of first place—but the next year the team got off to a horrible start that did not finish until he and three other managers (and countless fans) had been consumed and we were in the middle of the 1980s.
I actually had to look up the new manager’s name twice just while writing this. I almost just forgot the name a third time, so I am going to write it down now: Mickey Callaway. At least Joe Frazier was memorable since he had the same name as a prize fighter. No relation. When he was named manager I was a kid and I did initially think the Mets had named Smoking Joe Frazier as manager. That might have made more sense than hiring the no-name minor league manager to run the team.
What made absolutely no sense was both the Yankees, Red Sox, and Nationals firing their managers after very successful 2017 seasons that saw all of them make the playoffs. As much as I wonder about the new Mets manager’s name, I will promise you this, should he win the next world championship for the Mets, I will forever remember him with a framed picture in my house. I don’t care what his name is.
I don’t like Joe Girardi, but he did a very good job with a team no one expected to be ready, he beat the team that I thought would win the World Series (after the Yankees spotted the Indians a two games to none lead), and he almost did the same to the team that wound up winning the World Series. Red Sox fans tell me John Farrell had worn out his welcome in Boston. Whatever. Like Girardi, Farrell did win a world championship at this stop. But the Nats firing the manager now? The manager they should have fired was Matt Williams the day after their Labor Day debacle in September of 2015. Any other manager might still have taken the Nats to the division title instead of the Mets. That Matt was that bad. But I appreciate them keeping him on for our account in ’15. Much obliged.
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Also much obliged to Vince Guerrieri for including me in a piece on Joan Payson this week on OZY.com. And thanks to MLB Official Historian (and my former boss) John Thorn for recommending Vince contact me.