Rummy 500

Before I launch into my discussion about game 6 of the World Series, I’d like to bring up a few points:

Dan, as seen below, will argue my points just to argue. This has been a precedent set for just over 21 years, and I’m fairly certain will continue. So if you are scratching your head wondering why he would say something stupid just to contradict me, you can now rest easy and sleep at night knowing he does it simply because it’s entrenched in his DNA.

Side Note: I said that just to piss him off and to see how he responds.

On the evening of November 3rd, I was in fact playing a game of Rummy 500. Pitted against my girlfriend, and at the time most hated enemy, we played close to 10 rounds to reach the goal score of 500. In the 9th round the scores were as follows:

Sarah: 475
Ed: 395

Now as the round progressed, Sarah in her infinite evilness, continued to lay down set after set, straight after straight, until she finished the round with a total of 220 points, in one round…epic. But here is where I get a little vindication out of the whole thing. As she put down nearly every set of trips in the deck, I whittled out 105 points exactly. So here were the final scores:

Sarah: 695
Ed: 500

My final question: is this not a tie? Before you get all confused because you’re stupid let me explain with an analogy. If the goal for both Sarah and I is to run 10 miles. And we both run 10 miles in the same time, but after we get to the finish line she runs 5 more miles, does that make her better or simply an overachiever? That’s rhetorical because the extra points AFTER 500 are moot, we both reached 500 in the same round…TIE. And if you think different, too bad, because I refuse to lose out right to my girlfriend because of my fragile male ego.

Game 6:

With hot chocolate in hand (because I can’t stand the taste of coffee) I spent a few minutes this morning surfing ESPN reading an article that started to look at the fundamental similarities and differences between the 2009 World Series and the 2004 ALCS. If you aren’t familiar with the 2004 ALCS a.) you live under and rock and b.) it was when the Yankees up 3 games to none on the Red Sox went on to LOSE the ALCS with 4 straight loses including the pivotal game 6 and clincher 7 in the Bronx.

It should be noted they won 10-3 in the 7th game. Tasty.


As I finished the article I couldn’t help but begin reading some of the moronic responses of both Yankee and Phillies’ fans alike. In defense of my hometown, let the record show your Honor that it was mostly idiots from New York. So as I was perusing some of these well thought out arguments I stumbled upon the likes of this:

User: YankeesLover3581

Writes: Yankees are seweet they will ttoally win game 6 because they are aswesome!! **** the Phillies! WHooooo!!

While that statement of “fact” does show that YankeesLover3581 is in fact an inbreed fool, it mostly just engenders an anger inside me that can be compared to nothing but the apocalypse. The kind of anger where you want to reach through the screen and strangle the idiot on the other end. With this in mind, and without further delay, let me respond to the 4 most prevalent arguments.

Note: Regardless of where I was born or my sporting affiliation (deeply Philadelphia on both counts) I will address both sides of the coin on this one.

Prevalent Argument #1:

They barely lost Game 5 anyway!

It is true that in Game 5 of the WS the Phillies allowed the tying run to get to the plate. Let’s also keep in mind boys and girls that has been the case for both teams. Using the “we barely lost” logic, the Phillies barely lost games 2, 3, and 4. Allow me to explain: in game 2 the Phillies lost 3-1. Yet in the 9th inning the tying run was batting just as in game 5, and it would be wise to note that the game was tied 1-1 as late as the 6th inning. In game 3, the Phillies lost a 3-0 lead, and were down as little as 6-4 at one point in the 7th. And finally looking closely at game 4, if Lidge could simply control his nerves and his pitches with one “swing (and miss) of the bat” Phillies go into the bottom of the 9th TIED with Yankees instead of a 7-4 loss.

If you read that and sneered because it all seems like hearsay, the general reason is because: it is hearsay. You could dissect nearly EVERY baseball game of both the regular and post seasons like this: If he hit this ball, or if he struck him out, or if he would have made that catch. Hell, if left fielder Raul Ibanez could have made a catch the tying run wouldn’t even have made it to the plate. These ridiculous “what if” scenarios are a way of comforting a broken confidence. Yankee’s fans are feeling just a little uncomfortable with how the Phillies hit one of only 3 starting pitchers they are using this post season, and instead of saying “Yeah they really put a hurting on us in Game 5, we knew they wouldn’t go down without a fight” they resort to comments that lack any mass: “we barely lost”. Please.

Prevalent Argument #2:

They are just buying a title!

I’ll keep this response short: that statement is stupid. The Yankee’s administration spent over $200,000,000.00 to assemble the ostentatiously talented team that currently plays in the Bronx. Absurd.

The number one NL team, and number 2 on the money list? The Mets. Yikes! If money was the answer then the Mets should have breezed through the regular season and be hammering it out with the Yanks right now. Number 3 on the money list: the Cubs. Double Yikes! Both those teams struggled all year, with the Cubs finishing 7.5 games behind. The Mets arguably played ball worse than all but two teams (the Nationals, and the Pirates). The money argument is worn out and baseless. There is something to be said for the ability to attract strong talent with money, and the Yankees’ certainly have but I think there is more to be said about a winning culture, certain teams have it: Yankees, Steelers, Lakers, Red Wings, etc. Regardless of money spent year to year, each of these teams is always competitive at the highest level, each of them gets more out of their players because it’s a “no quit” environment that the program and the fans demand. No matter the amount of cash spent, the Yankees’ will almost always be competitive. Deal with it.

Prevalent Argument #3:

Its like the ALCS 2004, Phillies are going to win!!

Just shut up…please shut…up!

Prevalent Argument #4:

Andy Pettitte is too good and Pedro Martinez is too old!

The easiest way is to put this in perspective is a quick look at brief resumes of each pitcher:

Andy Pettitte:

Age: 37

Career Stats:
Win - Loss: 228-133
ERA: 3.90
Strikeouts: 2142

Post Season Stats:
Games/Games Started: 39/39
Innings Pitched: 243.1
Win - Loss: 17-9*
ERA: 3.88

*Most postseason wins in MLB history.


Pedro Martinez:

Age: 38

Career Stats:
Win - Loss: 219-100
ERA: 2.93
Strikeouts: 3154*

Post Season Stats:
Games/Games Started: 15/13
Innings Pitched: 92
Win - Loss: 6-3
ERA: 3.22

*13th all time.

Looking at these two pitchers side by side it is hard to say one is monumentally better than the other. It would even be hard to say that Pettitte has pitched better the last 5 years (in his “old” age) than Martinez. Both pitched nearly identical with Martinez having on average 2 more strikeouts per game, less walks per game, and only .17 more homeruns per game. To say outright that this game is already decided by starting pitchers is not even loosely based on fact. Martinez and Pettitte are both Hall of Fame pitchers in their own way, regardless of what happens tonight both have the chance to pitch an incredible game. Both teams should be nervous.

And as a Phillies fan I can’t help but point this out:

Pettitte’s 2009 post season ERA is 6.00.

This season when the Phillies put up 6 runs they have a winning percentage of .846.

Should be interesting.

Bottom line: These last two games are going to be pee in your pants exciting as some of the most talented players to step on a diamond continue to make it an awesome World Series to watch.

One a last thing, what would anyone think of switching Werth with Howard in the line up against Pettitte? Might even piss Howard off enough to hit.