Baseball Playoffs
Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 06, 2004; Noon ET
The Astros, Red Sox, Braves are hot for this post season playoffs. The Yankees head into the playoffs without a lefty Torre and seem vulnerable. The Cardinals already beat the Dodgers on Game 1. How do the other teams look?
The Post's Dave Sheinin will be online Wednesday, Oct. 6, at Noon ET to take your questions about the baseball playoffs.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Dave Sheinin: Hello, baseball fans... And greetings from Atlanta's Turner Field, where Game 1 of the Braves/Astros Division Series is about four hours away. Thanks for stopping by this chat. I see there are lots of questions already, so let's get to them.
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Rockville, Md.:
Is there any doubt that Sanatana should win the Cy Young? This run of dominance he is on is something I haven't seen in a while.
Dave Sheinin: There's no doubt in my mind, I'll tell you that much. It was a bad year for Curt Schilling to win 21 games and otherwise dominate the league -- because he was very clearly the second-best pitcher in the league this season. Santana put up numbers, in the second half anyway, that we haven't seen at least since Pedro Martinez's prime.
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Alexandria, Va.:
I'm hoping you'll take a few questions on DC baseball as well... any idea of the time frame for deciding on the name, and releasing the schedule and ticket information? Seems to me that should all happen before the end of the year, regardless of the ownership situation.
Dave Sheinin: This wouldn't be a true Washington Post baseball chat without some DC baseball questions... Anyway, getting this team ready to play next season is a logistical nightmare, in terms of all the off-field business. Ideally, baseball wants the new owners to pick the team's name, but at a certain point (I would guess it would be by the beginning of December), a name must be in place for marketing purposes. Therefore, the league might have to name the team.
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Washington, D.C.:
Dave,
Are we going to see the opening round going to a best of 7 format as discussed recently? Will this only happen if the schedule is reduced a week so we won't watch the Yankees lose again in November? If the schedule is reduced, why don't we have the teams play 7 doubleheaders instead of 154 games? I don't want to see the # of baseball games reduced. Maybe someone will have a chance to break Bobby Bonds HR record! Dave Sheinin: Great question. Most people in baseball would like to see the first round of the playoffs expanded to seven games. However, this could only be done by shortening the regular season by a week. Nobody seems to want to return to a 154-game schedule, and while your suggestion about doubleheaders is a good one, baseball owners will never agree to seven scheduled doubleheaders during the season because that reduces their gate (or their revenues from individual games) by seven games, since doubleheaders are sold as a single ticket. In other words, I think we may be stuck with five-game first-round series for awhile.
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Lusby, Md.:
All the talk now is how the Yankees are in big trouble. To the contrary, I look at it as that everything went right for MN last night and yet they only won 2-0. How do you see game 2 and the series.
Dave Sheinin: You are absolutely right. The Yankees were one blooper, bleeder or bobble of tying or even winning that game. In focusing on the problems in the Yankees' rotation, sometimes we lose sight of the resourcefulness and experience of core Yankees players like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams. They are certainly not finished yet.
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AL Fan in Washington, D.C.:
Dave: I went up to the double header in Baltimore and got nostalgic. Camden Yards on a weekend in nice weather can't be beat. I went to 11 O's games this year against 8 teams. I hope the Post will still keep a reporter on the O's beat and we get addition rather than substitution. True baseball fans can follow more than one team.
As for next year O's, 2 free agent starting pitchers and a RH DH/1B/corner OF? Are Dubose, Ainsworth, Crouthers, Maine, and Loewen inthe picture? Contract status of Gibbons and Hairston?
Dave Sheinin: I'm glad you asked this. I agree that there is still no better place to watch a baseball game than Camden Yards on a gorgeous late-summer day. Last I heard, we at The Washington Post are planning to continue covering the Orioles -- as well we should. You can't wipe out all those years of loyalty in one stroke as soon as Washington gets a team. And I agree with you that it will be a boon for local baseball fans -- every team in the majors will be through the area at least once a year.
And as for next year's Orioles, I see them getting at least one front-line starting pitcher and one slugger. All the pitchers you named will be in the picture for next season except Loewen. Gibbons and Hairston are both arbitration-eligible, and Gibbons is likely to be non-tendered (or not offered a contract).
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Damascus, Md.:
Do you think that the Washington's will be competitive next year?
Dave Sheinin: It's hard to answer this question without knowing who is going to own the team, who is going to run the team (as GM) and, especially, what the payroll will be. I was told that, given the expected increase in revenues in DC, the team payroll could reasonably be bumped from $37 million this year to in the $50 million range next year. If that's the case, the team could get the starting pitcher and a couple of big bats it needs to be competitive. Otherwise, they will remain a developing team.
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Philadelphia, Pa.:
Dave... what do you think are the chances of Tejada winning the MVP award given that he played for a second division club? Slim and none?
Dave Sheinin: Unfortunately, Tejada is not even like to wind up in the top 3 of voting. In my mind, he was the best player in the league this season; however, most voters take the word "valuable" in the award's name to mean the player who had the biggest impact on a contending team -- which the Orioles were not. When Alex Rodriguez won the MVP for a losing team (Texas), it was largely because there was no one else who made a very compelling case. However, this year, Tejada's candidacy is hurt by the monster years that Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz had.
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Washington, D.C.:
Hey Dave,
Your reports practically drip with venom toward the Yankees. Even when praising them you always throw in a subtle (and often non-subtle) dig. Why do you and so many other sportswriters feel this way? Did the team cause some permanent harm to your family?
Dave Sheinin: It's mostly just to get you Yankees fans all riled up.
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Alexandria, Va.:
How come they don't stagger the times and networks more in the first round? I don't think any weekday games should start at 1:00. ESPN could show two games at 4:00, one on ESPN2. They let Fox do that in the LCS round, where next Wednesday they will have ALCS game 2 and NLCS game 1 on at the same time, with one game shown on FX.
Dave Sheinin: I'm not sure the specific answer to this question. But I will tell you that in general, all decisions such as this are based on one thing: Money. Whatever brings in the most green stuff, that's what baseball will do.
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Oak Hill, Va.:
Hi Dave, I enjoyed your piece on Roger Clemens and the Astros today. With his continued success this year, the Astros making the playoffs, and a comfortable family/work situation in Houston, what is the likelihood of Clemens returning to pitch next year at 43? Will it depend on the Astros' performance in this year's playoffs?
Dave Sheinin: Thanks. You know what? I was going to get into the chances of Clemens returning in 2005 in my story, but I ran out of room! I do think he will come back and pitch in 2005, but I don't think he's going to do it for $5 million again (I know this is a lot of money for most people, but measured against Clemens's peers, it was a cut-rate salary). The cost has almost certainly gone up. There is also the potential of a bidding war between Astros owner Drayton McLane and Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks for Clemens's services. Should be a fun story to follow.
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Vienna, Va.:
Don't understand much about baseball, but when is opening day for the D.C. team? Also, now that it is official what are the steps taken now? What happens to Montreal now that they are without a team?
Dave Sheinin: Looks like Opening Day for the Washington team will be on the road (I think it's on April 4 at Philadelphia), with the home opener scheduled for 10 days later. As for Montreal, baseball officials assured fans there it was still possible the city could get another team down the road, perhaps 15 years from now. However, I think it is unlikely, given the terrible lack of support the Expos got there in recent years.
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College Park, Md.:
Yankee Fan:
I thought, aside from the outcome, that last night’s Yankees/Twins game was great. I did miss the middle of the game because of the debate, but what I did see was some well-played, high-tension baseball. I think it was two years ago that the far-superior Angels embarrassed the Yankees. That year the Yankees looked horrible, but last night’s loss I can take. I admire Santana’s pitching and the Twin’s defense (especially Hunter). I remember watching, from the bleachers of Fenway Park, Hunter play as a rookie against the Sox. The Sox fans were spewing invective after racial epitaph at him. If the Twins and Sox win their respective series, I hope Hunter gets the last laugh. I’d also like to start a Free Manny campaign. We need to get him away from those classless losers before his mind and ability are corrupted.
Three questions. Will the Yankees go after a new first baseman in the off season? And what are the chances that Randy Johnson will be in pinstripes next season (and why doesn’t he get along with Kurt -not that I’m surprised])?
Dave Sheinin: Good points about the Yankees and Torii Hunter. He's one of my favorite people in the game right now. As for the Yankees in the offseason, they still have way too much money invested in Jason Giambi to pay premium money for a big-time first baseman like Richie Sexson or Carlos Delgado. I think it is more likely they go after center fielder Carlos Beltran. I doubt Randy Johnson will be in pinstripes next season. The Yankees still don't have anything in their farm system the Diamondbacks want.
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Laurel, Md.:
The day after the Expo's announcement was made, you wrote a column describing the difficult decision area residents have about which team to support:
Decision 2005 (Post, Oct. 1)
Doesn't this article bring into question the years your paper spent dismissing the idea that a team in Washington would hurt the O's?
Dave Sheinin: It's true that some of our columnists have argued that a team in Washington would hurt the Orioles. But I am not a columnist. So it is not my job to put forth opinion such as that.
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Alexandria, Va.:
What's the deal with oversensitive Yankees fans whining when you don't pick them to win every game? You'd just finished telling a poster that even though they lost last night, it's foolish to count them out because of all the playmakers they have. Why do people assume that everytime a sportswriter is critical of their team, he must hate that team?
Dave Sheinin: Buddy, I wish I knew.
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Aspen Hill, Md.:
Dave, do you think the O's will trade Hairston? Roberts, in my mind, has cemented his place at second base.
Dave Sheinin: I think there is a strong likelihood the Orioles will trade Hairston. However, his ability to learn center field on the fly the way he did this season has increased his value to the Orioles. It's possible they could keep him around in the old Melvin Mora role -- a little center field, a little second base, etc.
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New York, N.Y.:
Why doesn't Roger Clemens come back to the Yankees? New York loves him, and he would have a great chance at another World Series ring.
Dave Sheinin: He clearly wanted to return home to Texas. I don't think he is interested in returning to the Bronx.
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Falls Church, Va.:
Do you have any insight into the annual musical chairs involving managers?
Dave Sheinin: Happens every year, doesn't it? I keep waiting to see if anyone is going to give Mike Hargrove a look. At this point, it seems like Jim Fregosi is getting more buzz among old-school managers than Hargrove. I also wish Orioles bench coach Sam Perlozzo would get a shot this go-round.
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Johan Santana/Mike Hampton:
Were these two guys seperated at birth?
They have the same wind-up, the same mannerisms, the same body type and even look alike.
Am I the only one who notices this?
And look what Hampton did in the playoffs many seasons ago!!!
Dave Sheinin: You know what? That's an incredible point. I never thought about it before, but they look eerily similar, right down to their faces. Not sure what to make of that.
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Alexandria, Va.:
For the new Washington baseball team, will
"comp" tickets for politico's be a problem? A lot of
freebies is bad for business. On the other hand,
it's not that far a walk from the House parking lots
and I would suspect that many Hill staffers would
walk to the ballpark since they got free parking.
Dave Sheinin: C'mon! Politicians wouldn't take anything for free!
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Dave Sheinin: OK, everyone, thanks for all the excellent questions. Enjoy October.
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