People like to talk about how basketball and football are the ultimate team sport. They say this because all the players are in motion at the same time, and they can help each other to overcome another team's advantage. That is one way to judge a team sport, baseball is not that. Baseball is the game where every person has to do their job, or it costs everyone. As baseball men love to say, "the ball will find you" if you are the weak link.
It's because of this that the teams that do the little things and have fewer weaknesses tend to have success in the playoffs. It is important to note that having a strength is not the same as not having a weakness. For example, the Tigers have a very powerful lineup, but they have several holes on their defense. The Giants have a less powerful lineup, but they don't have any glaring holes on defense. They also don't have any glaring holes in their lineup, with the possible exception of Gregor Blanco. After the way he played the field in Game 1, everyone knows what he is doing on the field.
To put it simply, the team that is better on it's worst day, is going to win. If you are good on defense, you aren't going to give any extra outs. If you are fast, you are going be able to manufacture runs. If you have a stable of arms, you are going to be able to keep yourself in games that your starting pitcher has a bad game.
The Tigers are a team that has a sky-high ceiling, and they have a better than average shot of winning this series. That said, last night we saw them at their worst. They didn't hit, and they didn't pitch. To their credit, they did field the ball fairly well. The question now is, are they mentally tough enough to be champions? The player who they usually look to for a pick up is Verlander, who just got done getting drilled. They need their next man up to give them a solid start, and they need Miggy or Prince to go off. They are a team that needs momentum, rather than a team of scrappers. The Giants are already playing with house money, and the thing that should worry the Tigers is the fact that Buster Posey is not hitting yet.
If he hits....well if he hits and Cain pitches like he can, this thing is over.
But's that too many if's to count on.
Welcome to the Fall Classic boys and girls.
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