World Series Game Two Game Blog

Thats all she wrote, it only took a couple runs, but the Red Sox are going to head into Colorado on Saturday with a commanding 2-0 lead. We'll see if the Rockies can get things going at home. The games Saturday at 8, and we'll be there with a live game blog.

9th Inning
- Well the 9th is here, and despite limiting the Red Sox to only two runs, the Colorado Rockies are still 3 outs away from being down in this series 2-0.

- Helton strikes out swinging, and things are looking bleak with Papelbon pitching so well on the mound.

Adkins flies to center. One out away.

8th Inning
- Well Jonathon Papelbon is heading in, but that's about it. Nothing happening.

I hate how in commercials and movies and whatnot, when someone get's peanuts, the guy just throws them at them. What games are they going to where you don't have to pay like $4 for peanuts?

- I must admit, I'm tough on signs and whatnot, but that dancing Papelbon was actually entirely awesome. That took some creativity, not just to come up with it, but how do you even make that?

- Oh snap! PICK-OFF! Holliday has had a great game (4 for 4), but thats just embarrassing. What's he doing out there?

- Wow. Crazy stuff happening. Lugo just ran into his own fair bunt, and is ruled out. Holliday is feeling alot better about himself now.

- Man, that preppy white guy that plays tennis and pays with cash is ruining everything for those Saints fans.

- Papelbon wraps towels around his money-maker. Insert your own crude joke here.

7th Inning
- Well it's a one-run game, this is where the men are separated from the boys. But Jordan Tracy separates the men from the werewolves.

- Oh man, Boyz 2 Men. Seriously, I didn't know they were coming up when I pulled the whole werewolf joke.

6th Inning
- Good Morning, that ump just got jacked in the mask by that pitch. I wonder how he feels about Schillings loss of velocity.

- Okay, the first time they played the Taco Bell conversation is the dugout, I laughed. Some didn't, be I did. But again with it? And than an interview with the Taco Bell CEO in the stands?

- Looks like Schilling is done. One out and two on-base. Depending on how long this series is, that might be it for Schilling. He says he wants to pitch in '08, but it may not be for the Sox.

Hideki Okajima comes in relief.

- This has nothing to do with the game, but they just mentioned the NFL game in London a second ago. And if you haven't seen this huge Jason Taylor robot, then you are missing out. Scary stuff.

- I will never get chili on my Nacho Bellgrande. Just out of spite.

- Youkilis and Hedge really had a battle going on out there. 10 pitch walk. I thought he had been pitching well, but it looks like Colorado is bringing someone else in.

- Fuentes gets the Rocks out of another jam. Somehow they are still completely in this game. They'll only allowed 4 hits, but as a team they have allowed 7 bases on balls and 1 hit by pitch.

5th Inning
- That was quite a stretch by Helton at first. Fielders are certainly giving Jimenez a chance. The game is still close, and we are getting to the point were both teams might start thinking about the bullpen

- Sox finally took advantage of Jimenez and are now up 2-1. And it looks like the Rockies have seen enough, they are going to the bullpen. They have been barely surviving this game, and with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, if they can get out of this only down one, they'll be lucky.

-Jeremy Affeldt's coming into the game. I actually saw this guy pitch when he was in single A years ago. Which, yes I know, is incredibly interesting.

- Hello, goodbye. Affeldt is out after a walk that loads the bases.

- Herges gets the Rockies out of a jam, and I'm left wondering how the Rockies are still in this game.

Hold on. Was that pass interference on the eBay commercial?

4th Inning
- Colorado didn't take advantage of Holliday leading off the 4th with a single. Now we'll see how Jimenez does here in the fourth, he must feel like he just got off the mound. He needs to settle down and find his control , I've got a bad feeling.

- Wait ... did I hear that right? Later in the game they are going to show a preview for this season of 24 from a huge blimp above the stadium. Man, I love America.

-Sac fly by Varitek scored Lowell from 3rd. Tie game. Sox only have one hit tonight, but Jimenez has put 5 on first himself.

- TACO!!! TACO!!! Thank Jacoby Ellsbury for your free taco on Oct 30th.

- Boston tied it up, but it could have been much worse out there. Here comes the fifth, I'm still waiting for someone to really open this game up.

3rd Inning
- Geesh, they are really bumming everyone out there in the booth this inning. Talking about a young intern who was tragically killed this past weekend right after commenting on the wildfires that are ravishing southern California. It's probably a marketing ploy. Who wants to bet there's a Zoloft commercial next break.

- Both pitchers are looking great out there. Doesn't look like we'll be seeing 14 runs tonight.

- They really are a downer in the booth tonight. Now they mention this.

- NO! We almost got the taco there, save for a foul and then a walk. Jimenez control might start to become a factor.

- Ortiz almost made Jimenez pay for two walks, with a home run ball that veered just foul. Somehow he got through that, and somehow I got through the 3rd without them bringing up my childhood goldfish's death.

2nd Inning
- Jimenez is throwing hard, and it looks like that top-notch Rockies defense is back again.

- Oh that has got to hurt. JD Drew is feeling that one. It hurts just watching it.

- This just in: Jason Varitek listens to the Dave Matthews band. What a tool. He probably calls him "Dave" too. Rule to live by, if you haven't had a face-to-face conversation with someone, don't call them by their first name.

1st Inning
- Well I'm not sure if that ball actually hit Taveras, but when the lead-off runner gets on first, he scores about 30% of the time. And ... ah, scoring is important.

- OH MAN!!! I almost got my taco!

- Colorado up 1-0. See I told you 30%.

[Why not switch it up and put updates on top. That might be easier then scrolling all the way to the end of the post, especially as the game goes on]

- Boston go down in order. I think thats the first time of the series. (Check that, they did in the 8th last night)

PREVIEW
- Game Two doesn't start for a few hours, but I figured I'd get the preview up early, that way everyone can get in any pregame predictions or commentary they'd like to make.

Curt Schilling will take the mound tonight for the Red Sox. He's 2-0 postseason with a 3.38 ERA. He had a no-decision in Game Two of the ALCS against the Indians, where he allowed 9 hits and 5 earned runs through 4.2 innings. He has some World Series commentary over at his blog, 38 Pitches.

23 year old Ubaldo Jimenez will see if he's up the task of facing the Boston bats tonight. He's started 2 games this postseason, with 2 no-decisions and a 1.59 ERA.

I'm looking for the Rockies to bounce back tonight (although really, how much worse could they do?). I don't know if that's gonna spell a win for them, but I'm rooting for them to at least make a series out of it. This may be more wishful thinking than anything else, but I'm saying the Rockies win tonight, 7-4.

What do you guys think. Leave some predictions in the comments.

- The Tivo is gonna be hard at work tonight. Of course I'll be watching Game two, along with tonight's Pittsburgh Penguins game (thank God for split screen). And on top of that tonight is 30 Rock, The Office, and the Scrubs premiere. Perhaps I watch too much television.

- Am I the only person who gets upset when they show a little kid in attendance of a playoff game? Don't get me wrong, I think it's important to market the game to future generations, but when they are so young that they can't appreciate it, should they really be filling a seat?

World Series Game One Game Blog

- Coverage on Fox just started, with an incredibly bad overly sentimental opening. I think at one point they mentioned Odysseus. Really? But the first pitch won't be thrown until 8:35, so unless you're willing to sit through 35 minutes of color analysts telling you how much you don't know about the Colorado Rockies, or how devoted the "Red Sox Nation" is, then I suggest you find something else for a while. The episode of M*A*S*H where Klinger finds out his ex-wife is getting remarried so he reenlists is playing on TV Land.

- Alright, now we are about ten minutes until the opening pitch. And so it's probably time for predictions and whatnot. What do I think? It's probably going to be tough for the Rockies with the layoff and the Sox's having home field advantage. However, going along with my belief that the Rockies will never lose another game again, I'm picking them for the sweep. It might be unlikely, but it would probably go down as one of the greatest stories in baseball ever.

Oh yeah, plus I can't stand the Red Sox, who, if you haven't been paying attention, are the new Yankees.

First Inning
- Finally the first pitch. Here we go. And how about that World Series logo on the side of the hats. Are they big enough?

- Well Becket struck out the top of the first. You know what, this guys might be kinda good.

- Pedroia just got over the green for a lead off home run. Things aren't starting well for Colorado. Youkilis scored after doubling. Manny Ramirez scored on a JD Drew double. Jeff Francis is struggling out there right now. He needs to find the third out and get to the dugout.

- Francis got out alive. I don't understand that guy from the iPhone commercial. He couldn't remember the other peoples name, but he remembered their wedding website address. Wouldn't their name be somewhere in that address?

2nd Inning
- After another K, someone finally put the ball into play against Beckett. Thanks to a couple hits off the wall the Rockies are on the board.

Is it just me, or did someone pay probably hundreds of dollars for a seat right behind home plate in the World Series and the camera is completely blocking his view. I keep seeing him ducking left and right like he sat behind the tall guy at the movie theater.

- Another run, Youkiliz scoring from first. It's really coming down out there. Makes me glad to be sitting in the comfort of my own sofa.

3rd Inning
- Still no stolen base. I'm looking to score a free taco.

- Nothing much happening. The rain has picked up. I'd be surprised if we don't have a break in the action.

4th Inning
-Beckett's on quite the pace. He just picked up K #7. The World Series record is Bob Gibson with 17 in 1968.

- Allegedly the rain is supposed to died down, but weather.com's radar seems to disagree. Jeff Francis isn't looking great out there. Manny was not being Manny out there, he actually ran out a hit.

- The Red Sox nation may have just cost their team some runs interfering with the shot down the 3rd base line. What do you guys think?

- Well the Sox put another 2 on the board. 6-1, Boston. Looks like Francis might be done.

5th Inning
- This just in, taking Abilify increases your risks of death. I mean, I've heard increased chances of heart failure or stroke. But just death? You are more likely to be hit by a car or choke on a hot dog if you are taking Abilify? Commercials are so weird sometimes.

- Well the Rockies stranded some runners. And as an update, still no stolen base, thus no taco. This is important, because I am very poor and could really use a free meal on the 30th (between 2pm and 5pm).

- Morales takes the mound for the Rockies. That was a gutsy play going to second for the lead runner on the grounder. Just like I used to do it. Well except I was either in deep outfield or the bench. But sometimes they let me coach 3rd base. Either way, that's how I would have done it.

- BALK! For some reason I love Balks. According to the MLB rulebook, the stipulations for a balk are like doing taxes (Rule 8.05). Basically at any time, on any play, somewhere a balk could be called.

- "Manny is the next American Idol". Lord, I hate stupid signs. Obviously this guy is pandering so that Fox will put him on. And Fox is definitely going to put him on, because they just love whoring out their shows.

- 9-1. Um... it's getting ugly out there guys.

- I hope you aren't using a scorecard folks, because the Red Sox are just about to hit around. I'm not sure if anyone still uses scorecards, but I know I hate it when I'm doing one and a team hits around.

- Yeah, we are still in the 5th guys. And the Sox just made it double digits. Oh you New England teams, always running up the score.

- 14 Red Sox batters have come to the plate thus far this inning, which I think started about an hour or so ago (or maybe it just feels that way). As for what it will take for the Rockies to get over this, hell, first they need to get through it. Throw strikes, make them beat you. This is no time to get cute.

- Hey, some school house rock. I can dig that.

6th Inning
- Well we finally got out of the 5th, and right away we are back to the bottom of the inning. At this point I think the Rockies are using the rope-a-dope technique, just let the Sox hitters tire them-self out.

- Thats what we were missing, Dane Cooke. Which brings up the thought that perhaps if Frank TV ads were playing every commercial break, the Colorado bats would be hitting.

- Hah. Seems like the Boston dugout is as concerned about this whole Taco situation as I am. "You could just go to every Taco Bell in the world and say 'I haven't gotten my free taco yet. Where's my taco?'."

- Since nothing much is really happening, let me return to Frank TV. See, impersonations are not actually funny by themselves. You can do a good impersonation, and if you are not doing something else that is comical, then it's really just not funny. Impersonations are just a comedic tool.

However, hits to the crotch (when happening to someone else, that is) are actually completely hilarious all by themself.

7th Inning
- Another runner stranded on third by Rockies. And we've reached the 7th inning stretch. I know for me it means heating up a cup of coffee. I'm almost out of it by now, I ran 5 miles in the rain earlier this evening training for the whole Philadelphia Marathon thing.

- Speaking of the marathon deal, go vote on that poll in the left column.

8th Inning
- Mike Timlin in for the Red Sox. Still no taco. Sleepy

9th Inning
- The sooner this game is over, the better for the Rockies. They've had a rough awakening after a layoff, but tomorrow is another game. Beckett is an amazing pitcher.

I've gotta think that the Rockies would be happy leaving Boston splitting the first two games heading to Colorado for game 3, 4, and 5.

- Well that does it for me, but we'll be back tomorrow night. Until then Colorado fans, don't fret and whatever you do, don't stop believing.

Game Blogging the World Series

Yes, that is right, Every Facet of the Game will be blogging the World Series live from in front of the television. Game blogging kind of sounds dorky, but over at CBS Sportsline they call it glogging, which is about 17 and a third times worse. I wanted to call it Live Blogging, but I think that means that I've actually got to be at the stadium and not, as I said, parked in front of the tv with my laptop and a bowl of ramen noodles.

But really, what does this all mean? Well starting tonight at about 8pm when the Red Sox and Rockies kick off the 2007 World Series, I'll be here frequently updating with snarky comments about the announcers, random observations about the fans behind home plate, deep scrutiny of the commercials, and maybe even some game commentary. Surely a good time that should be missed by none.

Are MLB Playoff Series Too Short?

Baseball is a game of attrition. The marathon season is a 162 game grind, and still the pennant race is a toughly fought battle down to the very last game. It's a fickle game that can see the best of teams go through a dire stretch, and the worst of teams, like say my Pittsburgh Pirates, steal a regular season series from serious contenders. So when it comes time for the post season, are 5-game series, or even 7-game series, too short?

The NFL season is 16 games long, with the playoffs a one game elimination. So the ratio for a playoff series is 16:1. Therefore a playoff match-up is 6% of the season. In hockey, it's an 82 game season to a 7-game series. 82:7, or about 8%. But the MLB post season 5-game series is a mere 5:162, or 3%. Which is the equivalent of having an NFL playoff game decided by only one half. Can such a short series really guarantee the best teams advancing, and eventually winning the World Series?

The World Series hasn't always been a 7-game series. For a short while they toyed with a 9 game series, but that was over 80 years ago. However, with twice as many teams advancing to the playoffs thanks to the 6 division alignment and the wild card, is it time for Major League Baseball to adopt longer playoff series?