Effectively Wild Episode 1289: Postseason Finale
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan recap the last three games of the World Series, including a wild and interminable Game 3, Game 4’s divisive managerial decisions, Game 5’s matchup of diverging starter narratives, how this World Series and postseason stacked up historically, the futures of the Red Sox and Dodgers, how great the Red Sox were, the weird ways they won, playoff unpredictability, the transition to the offseason, and more.
Audio intro: Frank Sinatra, "It’s Over, it’s Over, it’s Over"
Audio outro: Doug Martsch, "Stay"
Link to Ben’s article about second-guessing
Link to Jeff’s post about the Red Sox in historical context
Link to Ben’s Price post
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There is nothing better than a brand NEW episode of Effectively Wild to listen to on my way home from work! Huge fan, keep up the great work guys! Go Braves!
It’s funny that Jeff feels bad that he and Ben couldn’t do a podcast after each game of the World Effing Series. It’s the World Effing Series! You can do whatever you want!
Re: lifting lefty Alexander with Christian Vazquez up:
1) Vazquez isn’t a great hitter but he did (recency bias!) have the three hardest hit balls of the game for the Red Sox off lefty starter Rich Hill.
2) If Roberts leaves the guy in who just walked his first batter on 4 pitches and then the same pitcher walks the next guy or gives up a big hit, Roberts will be grilled for leaving the obviously unprepared pitcher in. As a manager, all you can do is put the players in that you think give you the best chance of winning; it’s the players who make you look like a genius or a fool.
2.1) Roberts basically has to pick his poison: leave the shaky lefty in to face Vazquez and risk him missing location (recency bias!) right over the plate or bring in a fresh righty to face JBJ, who is better than Vazquez but is not exactly Bryce Harper and can be pitched to (high K rate, esp.).
3) Up 4-0 in the 7th inning of a playoff game, the last thing you want to do is give the other team free baserunners. Alexander had already given them one (recency bias!); I can forgive Roberts for giving him the quick hook.