Now is the Postseason of my Discontent

Before I get started let's take a look at Minute Maid Park's dimensions:
Distances from plate: Left field - 315 feet; Left-center - 362 feet; Center field - 435 feet; Deepest point - 436 feet; Right-center - 373 feet; Right field - 326 feet. In a word ridiculous. I have played in softball fields with 315 corners! Let's move on shall we.

I'm still simmering from the way the game went down yesterday, and here's why. In the postgame interview yesterday Tony said that MLB execs have verbally stated that teams have certain latitudes during post season play in order to insure the games are as emotional and competitive as possible. If this is true, throwing Edmonds out yesterday for arguing about a pitch that was most certainly a ball is completely uncalled for. Edmonds stated yesterday that he did not curse at the ump, Cuzzi, until after being tossed. After dodging the inside & up pitch and after Cuzzi called it a strike Edmonds lost his temper and said, "The ball's not a strike. You called a ball a strike. Do a better job than that." Granted, that's not what you want to say to an ump and I could understand tossing him on a July 14th game, but in the post season??? The ball was obviously a ball to everyone in the stadium, why couldn't Cuzzi at least meet Edmonds halfway and tell him to be quiet and get back in the box? Before Edmonds spoke up, Cuzzi told Jimmy "don't come back and start (expletive) arguing with me." How's that for calming the situation? Umps who's egos are bigger than the game should not be allowed to work in the majors. Why can there not be some give and take on both sides? Speaking of which did anyone notice Backe's antics after the leadoff walk to Eckstein to start the game? He walked halfway to homeplate and stared at Cuzzi. To me that's showing up an ump, what Edmonds did was simply plead his case. If the correct call is made then Edmonds is on 1st or worst case, gets another shot at Wheeler- a righthander. MLB did not allow Cuzzi to field questions from reporters after the game; funny, they allowed the ump from the controversial White Sox/Angels game #2 to plea his case... hmmmm?

Another reason I'm fuming is that Pujols should not have broke so soon if at all- that's just not a high percentage maneuver especially when considering the angle at which the ball was hit, all Ensberg had to do was lob it in there. I guarantee Oquendo did not send him. Really, that's Albert's only downfall- his leg do not match his aggressive baserunning. If the hit is up the line then I can understand bolting (i.e. see game #3). However, after seeing the replay that play was very, very close; Pujols' competitiveness is to be respected. (I realize I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth right- have mercy, I'm still pissed.)

Marquis is an ass. He speaks up every post season about being demoted to the bull pen. Shut up and be a team player. Oh, and here's an idea: maybe catch a bunt. Then if you can't do that at least try to redeem yourself and put one down yourself instead of popping up twice you chokin' b****!

One more thing: Isn't the tie supposed to go to the runner? I tivo'd the so called double play that Mabry hit into in the ninth about 50 times last night, and if you're telling me the right call was made you're crazy! Also, did anyone beside the first base ump not see Molina/Pujols gun out Backe? Whatever. I hope LaRussa's pre-game comments before game 3 isn't the root of all this. He basically said that he hoped that the home plate ump, Wally Bell, didn't give Clemens a "Maddux type strike zone" and take the bat out of the players' hands. While that comment is a justified one it's probably something you don't want to put out there for everyone to hear.

Even with all this negativity and even as we face the dreaded 3 to 1 series count I am still hopeful. We've got Carpenter on the mound tonight and you just know he's going to go the full nine; and you know everybody on that lineup is going to be fired up (they said Eckstien lost it when Edmonds got tossed yeaterday). We will win tonight's game and we will go back to St. Louis, and then we're in the same position we were in last year and I think we all remember how that turned out.

Albert Pujols was asked after the game how the team would relax and calm down before game 5 to which he replied with a smile,"How do we relax? We show you tomorrow." Grud also chimed in about being down 3 to 1 with a little first person perspective, "I was there in 2003 with the Cubs," said Cards second baseman Mark Grudzielanek. "We had Prior, Zambrano and guys like that going back to back to back. We lost three games and we were like, 'Oh, my God.' Before you could blink, it was over and they were going to the World Series. Things can happen, and with this team we can rattle off three in a heartbeat. But we just have to take one at a time." That's just a great sound bite!

Here's some fun facts regarding Carpenter and Game #5 tonight: Carpenter is unbeaten at Minute Maid in four starts with a sub-1.00 ERA, and this season three of his 21 victories came at Houston. In those three starts, he allowed three earned runs over 24 innings (1.13), striking out four Astros for every one he walked. Carpenter has held opponents to a .174 batting average in the playoffs, his first postseason. He has not lost at Minute Maid Park in four career starts, and he has 20 strikeouts to seven walks in those 32 innings. Houston's position players who started Game 4 have combined to hit .271 against Carpenter. Only twice this season did he have as few as six strikeouts over two starts, as he has had so far this postseason. Some more fortuidous info: Since adopting a best of seven series in the LCS in 1985, 10 National League teams have gone 3-1 in the series and all but two have gone on to the World Series: the 2003 Chicago Cubs and that's right, your 1996 Cardiac Cardinals. Wouldn't the 2005 Houston Astros fit right in that notorius club?!

Let's do to Houston what the Red Sox did to the Yankees last year. And as always...

GO BIRDS!!!!