Repeat Champions

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They had a fan-base? Teams in the northern US fare well, but in the south, attendance is so low it's ridiculous. There is more and more talk of bringing struggling teams (like those in Nashville, Phoenix, for example) in Québec city and Winnipeg...

But going back on topic, the only sport I know, like any other good canadian, is hockey. So I can only say that with the season start Pittsburgh is having, they're still likely to win the cup, although like every other sport, upstart teams have a way of winning big...

@ Aldeth : Well, *I* can name a soccer team in my region. The Montréal Impact! HA!

 

I'm shocked that nobody has mentioned the Calgary Stampeders

 

Both Quebec and Winnipeg were hockey towns, and should never had lost their teams. And I also will put Harford on the list as a city that shouldn't have lost their team (and yes, I'm aware that Harford is not in Canada). It would be the equivalent of an NFL team like Buffalo that has a strong fan base, but plays in a small market losing its team.

I'm stuggling at the moment to remember where those teams relocated to. IIRC, Denver got the Nordique franchise, and I'm pretty sure that the Jets moved to Phoenix to become the Coyotes - although I could be wrong there, but I don't THINK the Phoenix team was an expansion team. If Phoenix is one of the stuggling teams it should be doubling infuriating to Canadians, as Phoenix is one of the locations of the "stolen" franchises. Of course, I'm not at all familiar with the entire history. Were those teams relocated becuase they were stuggling in their previous locations?

Back on topic, it looks grim for a repeat champ in Philly. I am surprised that the Phillies did not go back to Lee in Game 4. I understand the sentiment that Lee has never pitched on short rest before, and ideally the World Series is not the time when you want to find out if your pitcher can perform on short rest. However, I don't buy that line of reasoning. You never make a pitcher go on short rest unless it's the post season or the very end of the regular season and you're making a playoff push. So ALL pitchers find out how effective they are on short rest in very important games. If the game was not particularly important, you wouldn't play a guy on short rest.

I felt from the onset of this series that the Yankees had the better team. However, I thought the Phillies best chance was to put Lee out there in Game 1, 4, and, if necessary, 7. Lee has been damn near un-touchable in the post season, and it wouldn't be a stretch to think that the Phillies could win all three of those games. That would mean the Phillies would only need one other win from one of their other pitchers. Lee pitches tonight, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Phillies send the series back to New York. I just don't see them winning three games in a row.

 

Both Quebec and Winnipeg were hockey towns, and should never had lost their teams. And I also will put Harford on the list as a city that shouldn't have lost their team (and yes, I'm aware that Harford is not in Canada). It would be the equivalent of an NFL team like Buffalo that has a strong fan base, but plays in a small market losing its team.

I'm stuggling at the moment to remember where those teams relocated to. IIRC, Denver got the Nordique franchise, and I'm pretty sure that the Jets moved to Phoenix to become the Coyotes - although I could be wrong there, but I don't THINK the Phoenix team was an expansion team. If Phoenix is one of the stuggling teams it should be doubling infuriating to Canadians, as Phoenix is one of the locations of the "stolen" franchises. Of course, I'm not at all familiar with the entire history. Were those teams relocated becuase they were stuggling in their previous locations?

Back on topic, it looks grim for a repeat champ in Philly. I am surprised that the Phillies did not go back to Lee in Game 4. I understand the sentiment that Lee has never pitched on short rest before, and ideally the World Series is not the time when you want to find out if your pitcher can perform on short rest. However, I don't buy that line of reasoning. You never make a pitcher go on short rest unless it's the post season or the very end of the regular season and you're making a playoff push. So ALL pitchers find out how effective they are on short rest in very important games. If the game was not particularly important, you wouldn't play a guy on short rest.

I felt from the onset of this series that the Yankees had the better team. However, I thought the Phillies best chance was to put Lee out there in Game 1, 4, and, if necessary, 7. Lee has been damn near un-touchable in the post season, and it wouldn't be a stretch to think that the Phillies could win all three of those games. That would mean the Phillies would only need one other win from one of their other pitchers. Lee pitches tonight, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Phillies send the series back to New York. I just don't see them winning three games in a row.

 

Well, since I live in Winnipeg, I can confirm that the Jets did indeed move to Phoenix. And while it really was depressing to lose the Jets (and talk still comes up occasionally about getting a team again), to be honest, I don't think Winnipeg can support a team (and I'm not the only one here who thinks so). We lost the Jets for financial reasons, and that was before players' salaries went through the roof. Winnipeg is basically a wholesale city - people here don't pay retail for anything, and the thought of spending $100 for a ticket to a hockey game is just incomprehensible for most people. Yes, there are some who would pay that, but not enough to support a team. The problem is compounded by the fact that Winnipeg is a "fair weather" town - there is a small core of people who will go regardless of how the team is doing, but when they're losing, the stands are mostly empty.

 

And so it ends. The Phillies will not repreat. The Yankees were simply the better team. In hindsight, even though I was critical of the decision to not start Lee in games 1, 4, and 7 it didn't really matter in the end. The Phillies only won the two games he pitched, so assuming he would have given a similar performance if he had pitched in Game 4 as opposed to Game 5, the series would never have made it to a 7th game anyway.

 

Who knows, but your right, The Yanks were definitely the better team. The Phils needed more from Hamels, who has folded this year. LHP is the only way to beat the Yankee lineup consistently and the Phils had it, but didn't utilize it. Lee definitely should of went game 4. Blanton wasn't bad, but would of better served the team as mid-relief. It's the World Series, it's all or nothing. Giardi made the right call with using only 3 starters. The Phils should of went with Lee, Happ, Hamels, repeat. Blanton and Pedro would of been great mid-relievers and change of paces if Happ would of got in trouble. Arizona utliized RJ for all he had, more managers should take notes from that. Too bad Moyer went down at the end of the year, he also would of been a great change of pace to throw in the mix. Though I'm glad Manuel didn't consider Myers as an option, he is a big headcase who is already losing his stuff. Kudo's to the Yanks.

 

Damn Yankees!

As a Red Sox/Rays fan, this is all I'm going to hear about for the next thousand years.

27! 27! 27!

 

Hey, at least one of the Phillies made the record books...

 

Utley did have some impressive numbers.

Or were you talking about Ryan Howard's record setting number of strikeouts?

 

I thought he was referring to Utley's consecutive games reaching base streak.

 

Oh? Regular season? How long was it? I thought he was referring to the 5 HR in the World Series, which has only been done one other time, by... Clemente?

 

As assumed that he was talking about Howard's strikeout record, since he actually broke that one. The 5 HR in the World Series technically only tied the record.

It was by Reggie Jackson, and while I'm not sure of the year, if I had to guess it was either in 1976 or 1977.

 

Utley also broke the record for reaching base in 27 consecutive post-season games. It might of went beyond 27, but I beleive it was game 2 that broke the record. And yes, it was Mr. October, hence the nickname. I'm trying to forget Howard's WS performance.

 

I think it did go beyond that (although I have no idea when he broke the record) because the only game in the WS where he did not reach base was game 6, IIRC.