Comments on: Cardinals-Dodgers NLDS Preview, Pitching Matchups, and TV Schedule

By: AJK

AJK — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:22:30 +0000

Seems LA is out of its funk and STL is still stuck in it from the last fortnight. LA wins today, it's over. Very disappointinge effort last night from the RedBirds. How does a Cy Young favorite "not have it" in the biggest game of the season? What a cliche! And Pujols, as great as he is, has not homered in a month is 1 for his last 12: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.n... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/commishs-hot-sto...

By: AJ Kaufman

AJ Kaufman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:11:01 +0000

A good news story about the beginning of this series can be found in today's Post-Dispatch: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.n...

By: AJ Kaufman

AJ Kaufman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:19:59 +0000

Thanks, HW. Having lived in LA for nine years, I agree with most of your assessment of the fans. They can be very loud at times, though my comment was mostly that I truly don't know how much home field matters at all in the baseball playoffs, which contributes to why picking winners is so difficult. The Metrodome may have made a difference last night, but that's about the only stadium with that kind of noise — and 56,000 seating capacity, odd roof, etc.

Manny is the key, no doubt. We know what to expect out of most of the others, and normally the same with Manny, but he's an enigma — to put it mildly — this season.

What is the derivation of Doyers? (I know, but others may wonder…)

By: HawaiiWill

HawaiiWill — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:52:53 +0000

As a Dodger fan, this brings me nightmares of Tom Niedenfuer v. Jack Clark and Ozzie Smith, as well as Odalis Perez v. Albert Pujols. These are not exactly encouraging. The big 2 of the Cards is formidable but I think Wolf will keep the Doyers in the game while Kershaw might actually dominate. It's interesting that Torre is going with two southpaws to battle a right handed power lineup. These two guys might be better suited to take on the left handed power lineup of the Phils. Still, while I agree with most of what you say, I do say that home field advantage is a big deal. There is a myth that Doyer fans are passive. Yes they are late arriving but they make noise with the best of them. Perhaps a lot of that is with the Latin fan backing that the Doyers enjoy, which creates a "futbol" like atmosphere at times. I think the key is Manny. Will he struggle with an 86 mph fastball like he did versus Colorado in whiffing 4 times or will he be a formidable presence in the lineup, like he was in the NLDS and NLCS last year? Those days of Manny being a terror are long gone. I think just SOME contribution from Manny is all we can expect. Should be a fun series. Viva Los Doyers!