WORLD SERIES 2012

So we're down to the final 2 As the SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS face the DETROIT TIGERS for the right to be crowned champions 2012. Which begins tonight/tomorrow morning.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Finnished the season top of the NL west division, before beating Cincinnati Reds 3-2, then St Louis Cardinals 4-3, in both these series they were 2 games down and 1 game from elimination before mounting outstanding comebacks. They last won the world series in 2010.
DETROIT TIGERS
Have been outstanding since the beginning of Augest, coming from behind to top the AL central division, before beating the Oakland As 3-2, then dismantling the New York Yankees 4-0. They last won in 1984.

In the best of 7 series, Games 1&2 will be in San Francisco, 3/4/5 in Detroit, and 6/7 if required back in San Francisco, all games start at 8pm est, which if my memory brain is right means 4am in San Fran, 2am Detroit.
Last season's world series had everything, including that classic game 6, this one I expect to be equally as good if not better, Detroit have the pitching and batters, San Francisco are a team of battlers who just never seem to know when there beaten. So let the battle commence.

I just hope it goes 7. And we get Cain Verlander..which could only happen in a Game 7, I think.

Wonder if they'll send Timmy back to the pen?

I was wrong, tonight's games coverage on 5 live sports extra starts at 1am.

Dave
Think it will go 6, not sure about 7, Cain is starting game 4, so if it does go 7 maybe as Verlande is starting tonight.
Think Tim will be in the pen, also think if not next season, then defiantly the season after he will become a closer.

And the first home run of the world series goes to Pablo Sanderbar of the Giants, as they go 1-0 up at the bottom of the first.

Don't you hate auto Correct,

That should have read Sandoval, who has now made it the fifth time in world series history to score 3 home runs in a game.

GAME 1 - AT&T PARK SAN FRANCISCO

Detroit Tigers 3
San Francisco Giants 8

Win-Zitto Lose-Verlande

Other than a shaky 9th innings, a majestic performance by the Giants, Capped by Sandoval's 3 home runs, & Zitto's RBI. Detroit's bats couldn't really get anything going despite getting 8 hits,Verlande wasn't as dominant as usual, and I'd be really surprised if we see Valverdi again.
Also a major heads up to MLB, the stand up to cancer moment in the 6th was a truly touching moment,

hits

Advantage G-Men. Wonder if we'll see Timmy in the bullpen next season?

GAME 2-AT&T PARK SAN FRANCISCO

Detroit Tigers 0
San Francisco Giants 2

Win-Bumgarner Lose-Fister Save-Romo

San Francisco lead the series 2-0.

A tight game (it took till the bottom of the 7th inning for the first run), with both starting pitchers doing well, once again Detroit's ballpen were lacking, while the Giants where dominant. The first run was strange, with a fielders mistake allowing a bunt to get the bases loaded. Then the Tigers playing it defensively to allow 1 run even though they got a double play. In a tight ball game it seemed a strange decision.
So now to Detroit for the next 3 games, the Tigers really need to win the next game on Saturday, to stop the Giants momentum.

Not sure it's completely fair to blame the bullpen (or indeed any pitching) when your team doesn't score. But like the Yankees in the ALCS really.

As suggested last night, the Detroits just haven't got the sleep out of their eyes after six days off. And just a little more restraint at the trough would have got Prince Fielder home for the first run - fat slob, gives baseball a bad name.

Extraordinary seeing Doug Fister staying in the game after getting hit on the side of the head.

If Detroit don't wake up soon this series will be over on Sunday.

I don't mean to lay the blame at the ballpen, I just think that Detroit as a team. didn't look good last night apart from Lister, who was very good especially as you say after getting hit on the head. But I think that Detroit's ballpen is more easily getting got at then the Giant's, who at this moment everything seems to be going for.

Agree about Fielder, really can't see why he didn't stop at third, given that it was always going to be tight getting home, it was almost like right we've got a hit got to try and score rather than building the pressure to score.

If you think about it the Giants have now won 5 in a row, and they doing it by just playing good baseball, and doing everthing well, Like I said Detroit have to win the next game, as all the momentum is with the Giants, who it would be interesting to see what happens if things start going wrong.

If the Giants hold out, it makes them a dynasty, does it not? Or would they have to win it all a third time?

Bochy is a great manager, next year's NL West will be a blast!

Gene Lamont is getting a lot of grief for waving Fielder home. But I'd say any normally fit man of his age would have made it, Fielder probably would have too if he'd run like the clappers from the word go.
Regardless, the Tigers had to try to make something happen.

Agree with Tiger though that this is all about momentum and that playing good basic baseball, even last night's small-ball, has earned San Francisco their success, not to mention a couple of huge slices of luck.

How about we get rid of the DH and get the AL playing a real sport instead of glorified rounders?

Make the pitchers bat, and no free pass for sluggers who can't play defense.

(And yes, I know Prince is a 1B and last night was in a NL park!)

No disagreement there, Dave.

Anything to get rid of Ortiz.

As much as it would be nice for Jeter to break the hits record (slim I know) and that'd he have to DH for a few years........still think the DH is a silly rule. (And why I picked a NL team to follow!)

Jeter won't hang around as a DH; tough enough to give him a break at DH, no way it would become a permanent deal. Seriously doubt he has any ambition to break the hits record, he'll do very well to reach 4,000 and that's four years away.

Jeter a great credit to the game and to the Yankees though - we lost a lot when he buggered his ankle.

Yeah, that was the turning point; Jeter wouldn't have just folded.

And yes, you're right, he's an average hitter (as in the on base type), a slugger he is not. First ballot Hall of Famer, and will retire rather than go to another club!

I know what you mean but Jeter's much more than the singles hitter you imply; 2nd in NYY history in doubles and 15 HR's per full season for 18 years.

Anyway, first things first; let's get him healthy and ready for opening day. CC too.

Yea.........you've worded it better than I could have!

And as you said a while back, 3000 hits club is better than the 500/600 HR club...that's lost some shine!

Not sure if it does makes them a dynasty, but they are certainly a start, 2 in 2 years is excellent but need to carry on to be a dynasty in my opinion.

Agree that the AL should get rid of the DH, to me it adds to the excitement, strategy and intrest in baseball.

Also agree About Jeter, one of the all time great and certainly one of the greatest in the last 20 year's if not the greatest. Not just for his onfield performances but the way he carried him onfield as well.

GAME 3 -COMERCIA PARK DETROIT

San Francisco Giants 2
Detroit Tigers 0.

Win-Vogelsong Lose-Sanchez Save-Romo

San Francisco Giants lead series 3-0.

Despite Sanchez having a poor game, with some wild pitching. Can someone please tell the Detroit batters to turn up soon, as yet again they really don't even look like they going to score, especially after twice grounding into double twice when in scoring position.
Vogelsong also had slight trouble with pitching, but The Giants once again play sufficient good baseball, it's hard to see them throwing away a 3-0 lead with the momentum they have, and the fact Detroirt baters really haven't turned up and pitches have been average at best.

Looks like the Tigers stayed at home and the Yankees took their places . . . .

Well done the Giants, especially fantastic pitching.

Not sure most teams wouldn't like to have their #4 starter pitching seven innings in the World Series with only two runs scored - a "quality start" in anyone's language. One WP and one BB, no passed balls and 8 strike-outs.

Very efficient though from the Giants, well pitched, well managed, timely hitting and a teaspoon full of luck. Recipe for success.

Kiwi,
Agree about Vogelsong pitching, which certainly came together after a badish 1st innings. Not sure how much the weather was to do with that.
Don't agree that he's there 4th pitcher, if anything I think the Giants have done it the other way round, starting with the worst and finishing with the best from the season, I.e game 1 was Zitto who had a poorish season, tonight is Cain who has been there star pitcher this season.
Agree San Francisco have played simple good baseball, backed up with good pitching & management, being clinical in getting runs, and some luck when it's required, but I also think that they've been helped by how poor the Tigers have been.

tiger,
May be at cross purposes here; I was referring to Sanchez, who surely comes after Verlander, Sherzer and Fister.

Regardless, Giants deservedly dominating.

Sorry my mistake,
Agree thought Sanchez after a poor first couple of innings was very good and pitched well, and I think alot of the 1st innings was nerves. Trouble is more Detroit's batters than there pitching (though still think there Bullpen's fairly weak).

GAME 4-COMERCIA PARK DETROIT
San Francisco Giants 4
Detroit Tigers 3
after 10 innings.

SAN FRANCISCO WIN SERIES 4-0, TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES AND BECOME BASBALL'S CAMPION TEAM FOR 2012.

So San Francisco win by doing what they've done all series, good starting pitching backed up excellently by the ballpen, manufacturing runs when need, plus I big hit for Possey's home run in the 6th, solid fielding.
Detroit's batters finally turned up, with Cabrera & Young hitting home runs but to be honest it was to late( Cabrera's 2 run home run in the 3rd being there 1st runs since the 9th innings in game 1, 20 innings ago), and even then it was only for those 2 home runs, batting has let them down badly. Again there pitching starter pitched well, but the ballpen just couldn't match him.
San Francisco are deserved winners, and as Dave said could they become the dynasty team of this decade, congratulations to them.

Very similar to the ALCS with the Detroits turning into the Yankees.

Both bullpens pitched well, just that the Giants turned their opportunity into a run.

Pitching and defence kept both teams in it, but only San Francisco brought their bats to the World Series - the six day lay-off a big negative for Detroit I would suggest.

Dynasty? Only as long as they can keep their young starters healthy; not enough hitting to compensate otherwise. A "dynasty" suggests a group of players staying together, as in the Yankees core four plus Bernie, or the Big Red Machine. The Giants hitting line-up is almost a complete make-over from 2010, except for Posey and Sandoval.

Kiwi

Did you think that it was a good world series?

Personally I thought it was okay, but other than game 2 & last night's game was nothing special.

Agree what you say about the batting, San Francisco's turned up, Detroit's didn't. As I've said, also think Detroit's ballpen while doing well apart from game 1, was weaker than the Giants. But those were the only differences between the 2 sides.
I think if they win another world series in the next 3 year's than they can start to be looked at as a dynasty, seeing as 8 players have played in both. But tend to think people will look toward's it being a club dynasty, rather than a team.

I thought it was a pretty poor Series, because only San Francisco came to play. They were terrific.
But then I only saw two of the games through the final pitch because they start too late and I have to be up and about at 5.00 a.m. Crashed last night with Tigers leading 2-1 for instance.

I think Ryan Theriot is a dynasty! St.Louis last year, SFO this. Perhaps the Yankees will sign him - we need a lucky charm.

Yes you do, especially as the Orioles I hope will continue to shine, and I can't see the Red Soxs being as bad again as this season, plus the Rays are always there or there abouts. I think you need all the help you can get

I actually think next season could be better, both east divisions look close again, will the Dodgers rise from mediocrity? Will the Phillies come good again, will the Mets?

For the first time in a while I was not overly bothered about the world series by game 3, just really looking forward to next(and believe me, as an Orioles follower I very rarely say that).