John Kerry is going to the World Series

[WilliamPitt]

He was down three games to zero and dead to the world...and then stormed back and made history.

Believe.

[RummyTheDummy]

1. I'm leary of drawing these parallels.

Given the history of the Sox of blowing it at the last possible moment ala Buckner. But yeah, I feel something here.

[coloradodem2005]

2. For Kerry or the Red Sox?

Or both? What in regards do you feel something?

[RummyTheDummy]

4. Both

I think that was the original point of Will's post.

[demokatgurrl]

16. Nevertheless- GO SOX, GO PATRIOTS, GO KERRY!!!! n/t

[VolcanoJen]

3. Kerry - Game 7 - Dayton, Ohio - October 19

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1117750

Just look at the photos.

[secular_warrior]

5. I don't know about Boston's chances in the World Series

I think the National League team is going to win. Nothing to do with curses. Houston and St. Louis play a crisper, more fundamentally sound type of baseball that usually wins out in these short series, where perfection and pitching count most. I hope Boston wins --they've been waiting a long time -- but I don't see it. This Red Sox team (and the American league in general) isn't nearly as good as it was in past years, IMO. We'll see what happens.

[WilliamPitt]

6. Short series?

7 games. Am I missing your reference? It hasn't been a 9 game world series since the Black Sox.

[secular_warrior]

8. Oh, sorry about that. Short relative to the regular season.

It's a baseball adage:

"The team with stronger pitching and defense usually has the advantage in a short series (which playoff series are, usually being only five or seven games long), while the more well rounded, deeper team usually fares better over the course of a long season."

For example, the Yankees had a better regular season record than the Red Sox, yet still lost to them in the ALCS, mainly because of pitching. The Yankees were not a better team than the Red Sox over the course of a short series.

[WilliamPitt]

9. Thanks

[59millionmorons]

18. Boston has better pitching than STL

Morris and Williams is no match for Pedro and Schilling. Not even close. Pedro and Schilling will pitch four of the seven games if it goes that far. Houston can only equal Pedro and Schilling with Clemons and Oswalt.

[George W. Dunce]

10. I am not sure

Why you would say the Red Sox is not nearly as good as years past, nothing could be further from the truth. They have never had this combination of pitching, defense, two 40 HR hitters and speed. They can play National league ball just like they did in both extra inning games. Huston does not have the pitching and we would love to see Roger come back to the Fens. St Louis is a well rounded team with a great manager and I think they would be the tougher team. But I really believe this is the year they over come history and win it all.Red Sox in 5.

PS: The Red Sox were not the underdogs, they were the favorite to win the ALCS.

[secular_warrior]

13. I don't know - I just think I've seen better pitching out of the Red Sox

I just think there were maybe one or two years past when the overall starting rotation was more consistent, deeper and healthier; Pedro hasn't looked that good lately and Shilling may be hurt. The bullpen was definitely better in past years. Defense is average - nothing spectacular. Maybe they had a little less of an offense but the offense was always very good. Who knows, maybe this Red Sox team is better than I think. If I had to make a prediction, I'd say St. Louis over the Astros tonight, and St. Louis over the Red Sox in 6.

[George W. Dunce]

22. When they put

Reese, Mientkiewicz and Cabrera on the field they have three gold gloves around the horn, another in Dammon and Nixon had made great catches all season long, Tek is the best catcher in the game. The only hole in the field is Manny and even he has made strides. Shill is hurt and will pitch in the series Pedro is not the same as he was but is still better then Lowe. So a starting four of Wakefield, Shilling, Pedro and Lowe is much better then any rotation Boston has had in a very long time.The bullpen has never been better look at the innings pitch and compare it to the bullpen ERA and you will see my point.

As far as less offense goes, that again is not true, they have two guys who hit 40 HRs, that has not happened here since the 70's. They get hits from every spot in the lineup and for the first time ever they have SPEED! No Boston team has ever has speed. there is not one easy out in the lineup. Sox in five.

[Awsi Dooger]

7. Kerry was never anything close to the underdog the Red Sox were

A home team down 1 run in the bottom of the 9th has approximately a 17% chance to win. But that's regular season and generic. You can reasonably cut it by 30% given the opposing pitcher as Rivera, and in the postseason. So that's only a 12% chance right there.

Even after that escape, three more victories needed, two on the road. I don't have the betting odds on those games, due to my general disinterest in baseball. However, let's say even money for all three games. That's quickly in the 66/1 range, against Boston winning the pennant when they were down 4-3 in the 9th of game 4. Conservative, I might add.

Kerry has never been been more than a 5/2 man-to-man underdog vs. Bush, in the week before debate 1. In the primaries and earlier, I never saw Kerry higher than 4/1 to be the nominee, despite the Dean hoopla. Those are actual bettable odds at respected offshore or English sportsbooks, not nonsense odds like Ron Faucheux or Danny Sheridan.

At that time, Bush was about a 5/7 favorite over any Democrat. So Kerry's highest theoretical combined odds against becoming president would have been in the 11/1 range.

[Domitan]

11. I want Boston vs Houston!

Mass. Kerry's Sox vs Texas Bush's Astros. Somehow, a very fitting theme.

[timezoned]

14. Yeah but that's what I'm leery of, myself

Texas versus MA, and if the wrong baseball team happened to win, which after all has nothing to do with the presidential race in the slightest in the reality-based world--

Just remember they're far more superstitious than we are. A win would make them fanatic. A lose of course would be brilliant. But I'd prefer it not being an issue, because it's tea-leaves. And we're rational, right? Right? Right?

[59millionmorons]

19. Bush has no ties to Houston

Except for Enron. Houstons stadium used to be called Enron stadium. Bush has ties with the Texas Rangers.

[Domitan]

23. Ahh, picky picky!

How can you get better than the state of Mass. vs the state of Texas for the World Series???

BTW, if it helps, Poppy Bush is heavily connected to Houston ;)

[Cocoa]

24. Enron Field was built by Halliburton!

:bounce:

[frank frankly]

29. are you serious???

really???

[Cocoa]

30. I shit you not

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1759618.stm

Halliburton built the 'Enron Field' stadium in Houston when Mr Cheney was chief executive.

[zulchzulu]

12. Imagine Bush going to the World Series

How the heck is he going to get 40,000 people to sign a loyalty oath or get tossed out for wearing a t-shirt that says something like "Americans Deserve Freedom".

The Secret Service would have to be the camera staff. The announcers would be held at gunpoint to make sure they don't mention anything BAD about the pResident.

[Catfight]

15. 2004, the year the curse was lifted and America began a new direction

toward honesty, integrity and righteous governing! HELP is on the way with Kerry/Edwards all the way! I believe Will Pitt...I believe!

[DinahMoeHum]

17. Amen to that - from a Yankees fan.

:kick:

[rocktivity]

20. Jesus was down for three days and stormed back to make history, too

;)
rocknation

[drdigi420]

21. baseball is boring, go falcons!

[oldschoolguy]

26. I'm afraid that Mike Vick is

going to suffer in that offense that he has to run. He just looks too constrained. They need to let him freelance a little more. But, on the plus side, you have one heck of a defense (especially the front seven) this year.

(I have been studying election news on and off all day--its nice to take a few minutes sports break!)

[kwolf68]

25. I was thinking this last night

The similarities between the Red Sox and Kerry. Lets hope the umps do their part and not ffff it up.

[rockydem]

27. baseball sucks

there is no real analogy with politics....

[AP]

28. It's going to be a "World (Series) Test" for him. I think he'll pass it.

So Cheney & Bush can go Cheney themselves.