Yet Another OOTP6 Dynasty, Year 2: One Flew Over the Pale Hose - Page 50

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 04:51 PM

Marcus Giles takes the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth because only a fool wouldn't, it goes about forty-five feet and bounces on to the backstop. Garland's next pitch is a curveball that doesn't have too much of a break on it and it's lined hard to left, all I can think is that if it falls and the other Giles hits a home run the game will be tied just like that, but Scott Podsednik makes a running catch and all seems well.

Seems. The next Giles in the lineup doesn't hit a home run, anyway, he pops it up on the infield and there's two down. But if I wasn't paying such close attention I wouldn't have realized that just like he's done all postseason, the Yankees right fielder basically got himself out, Garland's fastball was only hitting 85.

Jeremy Giambi takes two horrible pitches for balls and then murders a fastball for a single. There's only a man on and two outs and a two run lead but Garland's in serious trouble, and he's not the one working on three days rest after 114 pitches, it's his arm or something, and even if I was naive enough to ignore it he's motioning to the dugout, he knows something is wrong and why go with nothing in the ALCS game 7 if you can't even 90 on the radar gun? Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no. It's not Buehrle time, not yet, not now, he's not ready and I'm sure as hell not.
Pale Hose 3, Yankees 1
Man on first, two outs, bottom 4th

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 04:53 PM

It's Nannini time, Mike Nannini was our fifth starter during the season and he's good for throwing strikes at least, but Trey Lunsford clobbers a double on his first pitch and I'm wondering if maybe this guy's arm or banana aren't hurt, too. The lead's down to a run and I almost expect the pitcher Schmidt to tie the game with a hit. He doesn't, he strikes out, but this one's gone from unbelievable to just unbelievable.
Pale Hose 3, Yankees 2, heading to 5th

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 04:59 PM

Pitcher's slot is of course due up to start the fifth, and I'd pinch hit but don't want to die with having to mix and match for too long. Nannini really seems like the best option right now, so he grounds out. Ramon Vazquez lines a single on the very first pitch he sees, so maybe now it's time to do something crazy like bunt. Sure...what the hell, right? Let's bunt, Ordonez will bring a run home then.

No, no, that's insanity. But Podsednik hits a sharp grounder to short, a tailor made double play ball, and we've got nothing but the solace that if the Yankees make 15 outs before they score another run, it's World Series time. If...if...
Pale Hose 3, Yankees 2 heading to bottom of the fifth

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:01 PM

Top of the order for the home team, Jeter (.432 postseason), Winn (.300 regular season, Rodriguez (really good). Setup man Otsuka and fireballing middle reliever Calero are up in the pen. I don't really feel as excited typing this as I did typing PALE HOSE ARE WINNING but
OH BOY HERE WE GO FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:04 PM

Nannini gets ahead of Jeter and he pops out to left-center. Winn makes his thousandth out in a row, grounding to short. One out away from the greatest inning ever pitched...

And Rodriguez hits a long, long home run to right center on a 1-0 fastball. YOU JUST KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN LIKE THAT! The way he crushed the ball his first two at-bats, fourth time up it's probably smartest to just take the bat out of his hands.

"Godzilla" Matsui makes the third out, and now whoever wins the last four innings wins the American League.
Pale Hose 3, Yankees 3 heading to 6th

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:13 PM

Heart of the order in the sixth. Ordonez grounds to second, Munson pops up to center, Wells grounds weakly to first and gets tagged out for out number three. Why everyone is hacking like that at an undoubtedly fatigued Schmidt I don't know. It's too bad no one could have bunted or moved a runner up.

That sinking despairing feeling is back. Bottom of the sixth, Giles, Giles and Giambi coming up, it's open question who should pitch. Nannini gets a hypothetical one batter leash and second baseman Giles doubles off the wall. Setup man Aki Otsuka comes in, strikes out right fielder Giles but loses first baseman Giambi to a walk.

And the catcher Lunsford, who entered the game hitting .125, .250-some career in the minors, he becomes the potential hero with a single to left. The pitcher Schmidt bunts, Otsuka improbably retires Jeter on a fly ball to center to keep it a one run game, and we're not out of it just yet. OOTP tells me that the Japanese set-up man is hurt and I wonder for a second just what the hell is going on. Then I remember, this is game 7 of the ALCS and that's what's going on. 2 3 and 4 hitters up for the Yankees next inning, so it's definitely Buehrle time. If we tie it before then I will say a thousand Hail Marys.
Pale Hose 3, Yankees 4, 7th inning

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:15 PM

Frank Catalanotto lines one to left field to lead off the seventh, it goes to the wall and he ends up on second base. Now I know why that sinking feeling was gone even as that lead evaporated last inning. Adam Kennedy executes a perfect sacrifice and there's a man at third, one out for Yorvit Torrealba. Boy oh boy.

ifspuds · 07-02-2008, 05:18 PM

Come on YORVIT!

(side note: I'm really worried about Buehrle coming on with short rest, but who am I to question?)

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:27 PM

Torrealba sees a slider on the first pitch and just lets ball meet bat and before the looper's past the pitcher's mound, you know it's going to land in the outfield and the game's tied.

Raul Gonzalez bats next in the pitcher's slot and comes through with a base hit to left. Ramon Vazquez lines one into left field, the fat catcher comes home from second and
THE PALE HOSE ARE WINNING
Scott Podsednik singles and I keep blinking my eyes cause I can't believe it, but the lead's two runs. This is Pedro Martinez code right here, but I guess I'd rather die with a two-time 20-game winner too. #3 hitter Magglio Ordonez steps in, gets behind in the count, but then takes a couple bad pitches to even the count up.

Schmidt's two-two offering is a changeup that's up, off the plate towards the left-handed batter's box, but a changeup up in the zone is a feast for a hitter. Ordonez pounces and clobbers one high and deep to right field and there is no doubt how far this one's going, but there's 57,000 people trying to huff and puff and blow it to the right of the foul pole. All that huffing and puffing doesn't work...

...but the ball curves off foul anyway. That would have made the score 9-4.

Two pitches later Ordonez strikes out. Next batter Eric Munson strikes out. Nine more outs and it won't matter, it'll be Series time.

Right now it's Buehrle time.
Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4, heading to bottom 7

gordyhulten · 07-02-2008, 05:28 PM

Ack!

I can't take the suspense...

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Come on YORVIT!

(side note: I'm really worried about Buehrle coming on with short rest, but who am I to question?)

Me too, but up two runs, down a run, there's no one I'd rather have on the mound.

Randy Winn clubs his first pitch for a single to right center, Alex Rodriguez who has obliterated the ball all three trips to the plate steps in representing the tying run, and I wonder what the hell I was ever thinking bringing in Buehrle...

Rodriguez flies out to center.
Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4
Man on first, one out, bottom 7th

gordyhulten · 07-02-2008, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cknox0723

Rodriguez flies out to center.

<--- exhales

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:36 PM

Inning's not over yet, though. Hideki Matsui doesn't seem like much of a threat since Buehrle eats lefties for all three meals and since he's not hit all postseason, but he is the #5 hitter on this conglomerate of a team.

Strike one.

Strike two.

Then a lame little 3/4th swing, which is WEAK...but it makes contact with a pitch up out of the zone, the ball goes looping out shallow right field and if it falls, there's trouble, if it falls, suddenly that two run lead doesn't seem too safe, if it falls, suddenly a home run would give those clowns the lead, if it falls...

Magglio Ordonez comes swooping in to make a sliding catch, one of those plays you could just watch over and over and over again. Marcus Giles grounds out to short to end the inning and Mark Buehrle's building up quite a legacy.
Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4 heading to 8th

ifspuds · 07-02-2008, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gordyhulten

Ack!

I can't take the suspense...

Yeah, he's killing me too.

Rahhja · 07-02-2008, 05:40 PM

omg OMG OMG!

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:41 PM

I've been too busy not breathing to pay attention to the fact that it was Schmidt who struck out two of our best hitters to get out of that last inning, Schmidt who's thrown 107 pitches even though he's on short rest but it's hard to ignore the guy who's staring at us from the mound to start the eighth...you guessed it, Jason Schmidt. He gets Wells on a grounder, he gets Catalanotto on a strikeout, he gets Kennedy on a line out to first and I can't help but stop for a second and admire the greatest 11 hit, 6 run outing I've ever witnessed. 118 pitches on short rest.

I think it's even greater because we're winning. Giles, Giambi, Lunsford in the bottom half. Six outs away. I don't know who to pitch, Roa's blown a tie game and a save opportunity in the series already. I'm already nervous about the ninth but we need these three outs just as badly. I figure Buehrle is our best chance for these three outs so out to the mound he goes.
Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4 heading to bottom 8

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:45 PM

The left-handed hitting RF Giles has nothing left in the tank at age 36, at least if his .230 average and homerless stretch since August is any indication. Buehrle carves him up. Strike one, strike two, strike three swinging on a slider. Then his name goes red, which in OOTP world means he's done. Right-handed closer Roa and right-handed fireballer Calero are up but it's Buehrle's game until he shows otherwise, colors be damned.

Bet he comes out in a batter or two though! If their 1B Giambi didn't bat left I'd probably pull him. But, what the hell, right?
Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4
None on, one out, bottom 8

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:51 PM

Buehrle misses high with a fastball, misses low and away with a slider, and Giambi bloops a 2-0 slider into right center for a single, but not exactly the kind of hit that would make you want to pull a guy. Due to bat is eighth place hitting catcher Trey Lunsford, who could have been the hero if only, and his two for three line is suddenly making me think, Luis Sojo. And all I can think about Joe Roa is, Byung-Hyun Kim. Now I don't know who to pull, who to bring in, and I want Buehrle to be the hero so bad that I'm afraid to make a decision right this second. Gonna go think for a second.

Five outs away from the World Series. What a game. Would it ever suck if the computer crashed right about now.
Pale Hose 6 Yankees 4
Man at first, one out, bottom 8

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 05:58 PM

Buehrle or bust, at least for one more batter.

cknox0723 · 07-02-2008, 06:02 PM

With his fastball hitting 85 on the radar gun, Buehrle gets ahead on Lunsford 0-1 and then 1-2, but the little catcher that could fouls off one pitch, then another, takes one outside and then fouls off two more. Somehow this career .240 something hitter lines a slider back up the middle and with a pinch hitter named Brian Myrow coming up, now it's finally Joe Roa's chance. If his splitter is on after warming up for most of an inning, this one could be in the books with one pitch. If not, top of the order's coming up, and if we...I don't even wanna think about that.
Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4
Men at first and second, one out, bottom 8

07-02-2008, 05:18 PM	#988
ifspuds Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 2,117	Come on YORVIT! (side note: I'm really worried about Buehrle coming on with short rest, but who am I to question?) __________________ Jeff Watson Former dynasty writer and online league player, now mostly retired

07-02-2008, 05:28 PM	#990
gordyhulten All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 1,175	Ack! I can't take the suspense... __________________ Gordy Hulten Owner / General Manager Red Willow Roadrunners -- Kennel Series Champions: 1951, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1983 Dog Days Baseball - "The World's Best Online OOTP League" Creator inactive: Republican League - OOTP 2009 Dynasty inactive: Republican League Dynasty - Version 2.0 inactive: Republican League Dynasty Last edited by gordyhulten; 07-02-2008 at 05:29 PM.

07-02-2008, 04:51 PM	#981
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Marcus Giles takes the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth because only a fool wouldn't, it goes about forty-five feet and bounces on to the backstop. Garland's next pitch is a curveball that doesn't have too much of a break on it and it's lined hard to left, all I can think is that if it falls and the other Giles hits a home run the game will be tied just like that, but Scott Podsednik makes a running catch and all seems well. Seems. The next Giles in the lineup doesn't hit a home run, anyway, he pops it up on the infield and there's two down. But if I wasn't paying such close attention I wouldn't have realized that just like he's done all postseason, the Yankees right fielder basically got himself out, Garland's fastball was only hitting 85. Jeremy Giambi takes two horrible pitches for balls and then murders a fastball for a single. There's only a man on and two outs and a two run lead but Garland's in serious trouble, and he's not the one working on three days rest after 114 pitches, it's his arm or something, and even if I was naive enough to ignore it he's motioning to the dugout, he knows something is wrong and why go with nothing in the ALCS game 7 if you can't even 90 on the radar gun? Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no. It's not Buehrle time, not yet, not now, he's not ready and I'm sure as hell not. Pale Hose 3, Yankees 1 Man on first, two outs, bottom 4th

07-02-2008, 04:53 PM	#982
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	It's Nannini time, Mike Nannini was our fifth starter during the season and he's good for throwing strikes at least, but Trey Lunsford clobbers a double on his first pitch and I'm wondering if maybe this guy's arm or banana aren't hurt, too. The lead's down to a run and I almost expect the pitcher Schmidt to tie the game with a hit. He doesn't, he strikes out, but this one's gone from unbelievable to just unbelievable. Pale Hose 3, Yankees 2, heading to 5th

07-02-2008, 04:59 PM	#983
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Pitcher's slot is of course due up to start the fifth, and I'd pinch hit but don't want to die with having to mix and match for too long. Nannini really seems like the best option right now, so he grounds out. Ramon Vazquez lines a single on the very first pitch he sees, so maybe now it's time to do something crazy like bunt. Sure...what the hell, right? Let's bunt, Ordonez will bring a run home then. No, no, that's insanity. But Podsednik hits a sharp grounder to short, a tailor made double play ball, and we've got nothing but the solace that if the Yankees make 15 outs before they score another run, it's World Series time. If...if... Pale Hose 3, Yankees 2 heading to bottom of the fifth

07-02-2008, 05:01 PM	#984
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Top of the order for the home team, Jeter (.432 postseason), Winn (.300 regular season, Rodriguez (really good). Setup man Otsuka and fireballing middle reliever Calero are up in the pen. I don't really feel as excited typing this as I did typing PALE HOSE ARE WINNING but OH BOY HERE WE GO FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT

07-02-2008, 05:04 PM	#985
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Nannini gets ahead of Jeter and he pops out to left-center. Winn makes his thousandth out in a row, grounding to short. One out away from the greatest inning ever pitched... And Rodriguez hits a long, long home run to right center on a 1-0 fastball. YOU JUST KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN LIKE THAT! The way he crushed the ball his first two at-bats, fourth time up it's probably smartest to just take the bat out of his hands. "Godzilla" Matsui makes the third out, and now whoever wins the last four innings wins the American League. Pale Hose 3, Yankees 3 heading to 6th

07-02-2008, 05:13 PM	#986
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Heart of the order in the sixth. Ordonez grounds to second, Munson pops up to center, Wells grounds weakly to first and gets tagged out for out number three. Why everyone is hacking like that at an undoubtedly fatigued Schmidt I don't know. It's too bad no one could have bunted or moved a runner up. That sinking despairing feeling is back. Bottom of the sixth, Giles, Giles and Giambi coming up, it's open question who should pitch. Nannini gets a hypothetical one batter leash and second baseman Giles doubles off the wall. Setup man Aki Otsuka comes in, strikes out right fielder Giles but loses first baseman Giambi to a walk. And the catcher Lunsford, who entered the game hitting .125, .250-some career in the minors, he becomes the potential hero with a single to left. The pitcher Schmidt bunts, Otsuka improbably retires Jeter on a fly ball to center to keep it a one run game, and we're not out of it just yet. OOTP tells me that the Japanese set-up man is hurt and I wonder for a second just what the hell is going on. Then I remember, this is game 7 of the ALCS and that's what's going on. 2 3 and 4 hitters up for the Yankees next inning, so it's definitely Buehrle time. If we tie it before then I will say a thousand Hail Marys. Pale Hose 3, Yankees 4, 7th inning

07-02-2008, 05:15 PM	#987
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Frank Catalanotto lines one to left field to lead off the seventh, it goes to the wall and he ends up on second base. Now I know why that sinking feeling was gone even as that lead evaporated last inning. Adam Kennedy executes a perfect sacrifice and there's a man at third, one out for Yorvit Torrealba. Boy oh boy.

07-02-2008, 05:27 PM	#989
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Torrealba sees a slider on the first pitch and just lets ball meet bat and before the looper's past the pitcher's mound, you know it's going to land in the outfield and the game's tied. Raul Gonzalez bats next in the pitcher's slot and comes through with a base hit to left. Ramon Vazquez lines one into left field, the fat catcher comes home from second and THE PALE HOSE ARE WINNING Scott Podsednik singles and I keep blinking my eyes cause I can't believe it, but the lead's two runs. This is Pedro Martinez code right here, but I guess I'd rather die with a two-time 20-game winner too. #3 hitter Magglio Ordonez steps in, gets behind in the count, but then takes a couple bad pitches to even the count up. Schmidt's two-two offering is a changeup that's up, off the plate towards the left-handed batter's box, but a changeup up in the zone is a feast for a hitter. Ordonez pounces and clobbers one high and deep to right field and there is no doubt how far this one's going, but there's 57,000 people trying to huff and puff and blow it to the right of the foul pole. All that huffing and puffing doesn't work... ...but the ball curves off foul anyway. That would have made the score 9-4. Two pitches later Ordonez strikes out. Next batter Eric Munson strikes out. Nine more outs and it won't matter, it'll be Series time. Right now it's Buehrle time. Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4, heading to bottom 7

07-02-2008, 05:36 PM	#993
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Inning's not over yet, though. Hideki Matsui doesn't seem like much of a threat since Buehrle eats lefties for all three meals and since he's not hit all postseason, but he is the #5 hitter on this conglomerate of a team. Strike one. Strike two. Then a lame little 3/4th swing, which is WEAK...but it makes contact with a pitch up out of the zone, the ball goes looping out shallow right field and if it falls, there's trouble, if it falls, suddenly that two run lead doesn't seem too safe, if it falls, suddenly a home run would give those clowns the lead, if it falls... Magglio Ordonez comes swooping in to make a sliding catch, one of those plays you could just watch over and over and over again. Marcus Giles grounds out to short to end the inning and Mark Buehrle's building up quite a legacy. Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4 heading to 8th

07-02-2008, 05:40 PM	#995
Rahhja Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Winthrop, MA Posts: 54	omg OMG OMG!

07-02-2008, 05:41 PM	#996
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	I've been too busy not breathing to pay attention to the fact that it was Schmidt who struck out two of our best hitters to get out of that last inning, Schmidt who's thrown 107 pitches even though he's on short rest but it's hard to ignore the guy who's staring at us from the mound to start the eighth...you guessed it, Jason Schmidt. He gets Wells on a grounder, he gets Catalanotto on a strikeout, he gets Kennedy on a line out to first and I can't help but stop for a second and admire the greatest 11 hit, 6 run outing I've ever witnessed. 118 pitches on short rest. I think it's even greater because we're winning. Giles, Giambi, Lunsford in the bottom half. Six outs away. I don't know who to pitch, Roa's blown a tie game and a save opportunity in the series already. I'm already nervous about the ninth but we need these three outs just as badly. I figure Buehrle is our best chance for these three outs so out to the mound he goes. Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4 heading to bottom 8

07-02-2008, 05:45 PM	#997
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	The left-handed hitting RF Giles has nothing left in the tank at age 36, at least if his .230 average and homerless stretch since August is any indication. Buehrle carves him up. Strike one, strike two, strike three swinging on a slider. Then his name goes red, which in OOTP world means he's done. Right-handed closer Roa and right-handed fireballer Calero are up but it's Buehrle's game until he shows otherwise, colors be damned. Bet he comes out in a batter or two though! If their 1B Giambi didn't bat left I'd probably pull him. But, what the hell, right? Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4 None on, one out, bottom 8

07-02-2008, 05:51 PM	#998
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Buehrle misses high with a fastball, misses low and away with a slider, and Giambi bloops a 2-0 slider into right center for a single, but not exactly the kind of hit that would make you want to pull a guy. Due to bat is eighth place hitting catcher Trey Lunsford, who could have been the hero if only, and his two for three line is suddenly making me think, Luis Sojo. And all I can think about Joe Roa is, Byung-Hyun Kim. Now I don't know who to pull, who to bring in, and I want Buehrle to be the hero so bad that I'm afraid to make a decision right this second. Gonna go think for a second. Five outs away from the World Series. What a game. Would it ever suck if the computer crashed right about now. Pale Hose 6 Yankees 4 Man at first, one out, bottom 8

07-02-2008, 05:58 PM	#999
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	Buehrle or bust, at least for one more batter.

07-02-2008, 06:02 PM	#1000
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	With his fastball hitting 85 on the radar gun, Buehrle gets ahead on Lunsford 0-1 and then 1-2, but the little catcher that could fouls off one pitch, then another, takes one outside and then fouls off two more. Somehow this career .240 something hitter lines a slider back up the middle and with a pinch hitter named Brian Myrow coming up, now it's finally Joe Roa's chance. If his splitter is on after warming up for most of an inning, this one could be in the books with one pitch. If not, top of the order's coming up, and if we...I don't even wanna think about that. Pale Hose 6, Yankees 4 Men at first and second, one out, bottom 8