Great post.
Agree the Astros WS title should have been vacated and that other, much more severe, punishments should have been handed out to the individual players and the team. Where is Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis when you need him?
Phils need to get back on track ASAP. Starting tonight would be nice. Can they win two at CBP, if necessary? Yes, but we'd really like a win tonight to calm our nerves which are pretty darn frayed right not.
If this series goes 7, it would be the first time in their entire 140 year history that the Phillies would have played a game 7. The 1980 Astros series did go to the max of five games. That was a great series as you mention. In game 5, the Astros tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the 6th then scored three in the 7th to lead 5-2 going into the 8th with Nolan Ryan on the mound. Phillies scored five in the 8th and the Astros got two in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up at 7. No scoring in the 9th. Phils got one in the top of the 10th and held the Astros in the bottom of the inning to get the win and the pennant.
There was bizarre play in the 4th game of that series. Phillies had runners on first and second with no outs. The batter hit a soft liner to the pitcher who either caught it or trapped it. He threw to first before the runner on first could get back. Then they threw to second before the runner on second got back. The home plate umpire didn't make a call because he'd been screened by the batter. After the play was over, he asked the first base umpire for a ruling. Logically, it was either a triple play (if the ball had been caught) or a put out at first on the batter (if trapped). The first base ump said the ball had been caught. In their infinite wisdom, the umps decided their initial failure to make a call had misled the baserunners so they called it a double play.
Both teams protested. Both protests were denied. Gotta love baseball.
Jimmy is a great guy. Love the back and forth on TBS with Pedro and him.