Baseball (Besbol)

oobi

Originally posted by ai#eru at 13-10-2007 02:43 AM
I'm proud to be bandwagon Rockies fan

make sure you stay on it. they are going to be really good team for the next few years, at least until the core of the team hits free agency (unless rockies sign them up before then). they just need to add 1-2 starters for their rotation, upgrade their bullpen, and add more speed to the top of the line-up, and barring any serious injury, they'll be a force.

aishiteru

I really admire what rockies are doing this year, regardless of me being a bandwagon fan and whoever wins the series, and I also have the same amount of respect to Arizona. They both are made up of young players, many of them have little or no playoff experience and many are local talent, and they do not rely heavily on big spending on imported players or stars, just focus on doing what they have to do, work hard, win games and qualify to playoff. Look at where they are now. NL final.

Even if rockies make it to the world series, I doubt they're gonna win it. BoSox way to strong now. Evidence from first game vs Indians. But as old saying goes, everything can happen.

oobi

Originally posted by ai#eru at 14-10-2007 01:13 AM
...They both are made up of young players, many of them have little or no playoff experience and many are local talent ...

i believe, what you're trying to say is not both teams made up of lots of local talent, but rather their own farm systems. local means they are orignally from either denver or phoenix area.

aishiteru

wokey i made a mistake there, you're true, what i mean is they scout talented young players from college and train them, just like you said.

can you explain me what RBI and ERA is. kinda hard to comprehend

oobi

Originally posted by ai#eru at 14-10-2007 03:01 AM
can you explain me what RBI and ERA is. kinda hard to comprehend ...

rbi = run batted-in

- let say a hitter is coming to the plate and there are two people on bases. if he hits the ball (either into play or not) and able to get one player home, he gets one rbi. if he's able to drive both of the home, he gets two rbi. if he hits a home run, he gets three rbi (including his). basically rbi is how many people can you drive home when you hit the ball. if you're walked, and as a result a player at third base scores, you don't get credit for the rbi because you don't drive the run in.

era = earn run average

- era is an average of how many runs a pitcher gives up over the innings that he pitches. so, if a pitcher pitches 5 innings and gives up 3 runs, his era is basically by multiplying those three runs by 9 (total innings) and dividing them over the five innings that he pitches. a pitcher pitches a complete inning when he gets three outs. if he gets 2 outs, then he pitches 2/3 inning. also, era is affected by the number of errors being committed. if a run scored because of an error, that run won't count against his era. the same goes if he walked a batter and a run score because of that, it won't count. if he left an inning and left two runners on bases, if a reliever could not stop those two runners from scoring, those two runs will be counted against the first pitcher era.

aishiteru

boston

go tribes!!! :pompom:

oobi

- purple reign  - Holliday's Blast Pumps Rockies to World Series after Sweeping D-backs By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer October 16, 2007 Link to original article Rockies Sweep! Fans wave their broms and towels after Colorado Rockies' Matt Holliday hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the National League Championship baseball series in Denver, Monday, Oct. 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) DENVER (AP) -- Riding a Rocky Mountain High like none other, Colorado is heading to its first World Series. With their 21st win in 22 games, the relentless Rockies beat the rattled Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 in Game 4 Monday night to sweep the NL championship series at a chilly Coors Field. Series MVP Matt Holliday's three-run, 452-foot shot into the pine-filled rock pile in center field capped a six-run outburst in the fourth inning, and the wild-card Rockies -- a team that debuted in 1993 -- were on their way. The Rockies have a record eight days' rest to find out before opening the World Series at either Cleveland or Boston on Oct. 24. The Indians lead the ALCS 2-1. "It was fun, this has been a great ride. We're not done yet," Rockies first baseman Todd Helton said. "We're going to keep it going." With their delirious fans waving brooms and towels, the Rockies joined the 1976 Big Red Machine as the only teams to start a postseason with seven straight wins. Colorado has won 10 in row overall and lost only once since Sept. 16. "It's unbelievable. I never dreamed I'd have this opportunity," Holliday said. "With this group of guys I'm so excited to be a part of it. This MVP award goes 24 other directions." Just one strike from postseason elimination on the final weekend of the season, the Rockies have become a charmed team that seemingly cannot lose. This marked the sixth straight year that a wild-card club reached the World Series. Colorado Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins waits for the throw as Arizona Diamondbacks' Justin Upton slides safely into third with a triple during the eighth inning in Game 4 of the National League Championship baseball series in Denver, Monday, Oct. 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) Colorado had never won more than 83 games before going 90-73 this season and sneaking into the playoffs with a 9-8, 13-inning win over San Diego in the wild-card tiebreaker. After sweeping Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs, the Rockies put a purple pummeling on a D-backs club that led the league with 90 victories. "Once the sting of this subsides, we'll be able to reflect that we did have a great year," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. Ahead 6-1, the Rockies withstood Chris Snyder's three-run homer in the eighth. Chris Young doubled with one out in the ninth off closer Manny Corpas, but Stephen Drew popped out on a 3-0 pitch. Eric Byrnes followed with a checked-swing grounder that shortstop Troy Tulowitzki charged. His throw beat Byrnes' headfirst dive, and Helton threw his arms in the air. "I can't believe it, what a crazy game," Helton said. "Emotionally, you can't say enough about this ballclub." The Rockies are the first team since the 1935 Chicago Cubs to win at least 21 of 22 after Sept. 1, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Before this season, the Rockies had just one postseason victory, back in 1995, when they were eliminated by Atlanta in the first round. Now, they're riding into the World Series with astonishing momentum -- and to think, with two weeks left in the season, they stood in fourth place in the wild-card race and knew they had to win just about all their games to have a shot at extending their season. Reliever Matt Herges, who resurrected his career in Colorado this summer, pitched two hitless innings for the win, and the Rockies' stellar bullpen closed it out -- but not before Brian Fuentes surrendered Snyder's homer. With the Rockies trailing 1-0 with two outs in the fourth and runners at second and third, manager Clint Hurdle made a bold move: He pulled his starting pitcher, rookie Franklin Morales, for a pinch-hitter. Hurdle didn't have to worry about burning his bullpen because Game 5 wouldn't have been until Wednesday night. So he sent up rookie Seth Smith, who had only eight career at-bats when he was placed on the playoff roster. Smith fell behind 0-2 in the count against rookie Micah Owings, then blooped a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line. Like everything else this October for the Rockies, it fell in the perfect place and ended Owings' streak of 19 scoreless innings. The two-run double put Colorado ahead 2-1 and the Rockies caught another break when Arizona first baseman Conor Jackson couldn't catch Willy Taveras' easy grounder. The error set up Kaz Matsui's run-scoring single -- the eighth RBI of the postseason for a player once cast off by the New York Mets. Holliday sent the sellout crowd of 50,213 into a frenzy when he drove Owings' fastball over the center-field wall to make it 6-1. Colorado Rockies' Matt Holliday is congratulated after hitting a three-run home run in the fourth inning off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings to score Willy Taveras(3) and Kazuo Matsui (7) in Game 4 of the National League Championship baseball series in Denver, Monday, Oct. 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey) Morales allowed one earned run on five hits in four innings. Though he didn't get the win, the Rockies improved to 8-2 in his 10 major league starts. Owings, the first pitcher since Whitey Ford in 1953 to collect two four-hit games in the same season, lived up to his .333 batting average by legging out a single in the first and coming around to score on Jackson's two-out single in the third. Arizona manager Bob Melvin said he felt like an AL manager with the DH whenever he got to fill out a lineup card with Owings in it. Owings had a chance to pad the D-backs' lead in the fourth but struck out to strand a runner at second. In the bottom half, he dived to field Yorvit Torrealba's dribbler and throw him out at first. Afterward, the trainer came out to take a look at Owings' left shin, but the right-hander stayed in -- only to soon fall apart. With the Rockies celebrating their first pennant, four franchises remain that have never reached the World Series: the Mariners, Devil Rays, Senators/Rangers and Expos/Nationals. The Rockies went 2-1 against Boston this season, outscoring the Red Sox 20-5 in a June series at Fenway Park. Colorado last played Cleveland in 2005, getting swept in a three-game set at Jacobs Field. One night after a cold rain forced the grounds crew to dump three tons of dry dirt on the field, the grounds crew had a relatively routine workload under clear skies. It was a crisp 55 degrees at gametime. The D-backs clinched their playoff spot on Sept. 28 at Denver and Melvin put out a diluted lineup the next two games while resting his regulars for the postseason. Melvin said he has no regrets about not trying to knock out the Rockies that weekend because his sole purpose was to get his team rested and ready for the Cubs, whom Arizona swept. Arizona ace Brandon Webb, whom the Rockies beat in Game 1, said he wanted to pitch that final weekend because he knew the Rockies were so hot. "I knew that all we had to do was win one more and these guys would be out of it," Webb said. Instead, on a cool night in October, it was the rampaging Rockies who knocked out the D-backs and gave baseball its first World Series at altitude. Updated on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2007 2:12 am, EDT

aishiteru

boston on the verge of elimination

dice-k cannot help eh?

go tribes

oobi

joe torre won't be in yankee dugout next season. the skipper had managed his last game during the playoff lost to the indians. in my opinion, the yankee should have handled this better. you don't treat your manager that brought 4 world series hardware to the bronx like that.

before torre came to the yankee, the yankee was not a very good team. they had a hard time to even just kiss the playoff door.  some people said that with over $250 mil lineup, even a bat boy could manage the team. easier said than done. the yank had one of the best line-ups, 1-9, in MLB. their bullpen is better than most teams in MLB. but, their rotation, i won't even put them in top 15. they were lucky to be in the playoff because of their hitters. except for chien-ming wang, the starters are old and pass their prime already; and yes, that include roger "the rocket" clemens (the most expensive tutor in MLB history).

don't blame torre for the mistake they made by bringing those over the hill pitchers to the team. torre did the best he could with his health condition and the rotation they bought for him. and, all except once, his team lost to an eventual world champion or at least its participant (in the playoff). they should fire brian cashman instead of letting torre go. they should find a better talent evaluator than cashman (cashman looks good because yankee has the money - won't work if he worked for the devil rays or the marlins; not even for the rockies or the d'backs).

mr. torre, thanks for a great memories! go giants!



[ Last edited by  oobi at 21-10-2007 02:07 PM ]

oobi

- boston on to series  - Red Sox Rip Indians 11-2, Win AL Pennant By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer October 22, 2007 Link to original article BoSox Back! Boston Red Sox's Manny Ramirez, left, and Julian Tavarez congratulate Dustin Pedroia (15) after his two-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the American League Championship baseball series against the Cleveland Indians Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007, at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) BOSTON (AP) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dustin Pedroia and these Boston Red Sox are taking a sweet streak into the World Series, too. Boston charged to its third straight win, completing yet another October comeback by overpowering the Cleveland Indians 11-2 Sunday night in Game 7 of the AL championship series behind a new pair of rookie Sox. Matsuzaka pitched five solid innings, Pedroia drove in five runs and the Red Sox -- helped by a key blunder by an Indians base coach -- finished off their rally from a 3-1 deficit. Having ended their 86-year title drought in 2004 after digging out of a 3-0 hole against the Yankees in the ALCS, the Red Sox now have a date with Colorado in the World Series. The Rockies, who have won 10 in a row and 21 of 22, will come back from a record eight days off for Game 1 at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. "We started to click at the right time. When your team's back is against the wall, it shows the type of ballclub we have. We're down 3-1 and we believed," Pedroia said. Colorado outscored Boston 20-5 in winning two of three during an interleague series at Fenway in June. The Red Sox did even better in winning the last three games against Indians, outscoring them 30-5 in that span. While Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and ALCS MVP Josh Beckett helped the Red Sox win their 12th pennant, the Indians only added more misery to a city that hasn't celebrated a World Series championship since 1948. The Indians were a double-play grounder from winning the crown at Florida in 1997. They appeared to take control of this series with three consecutive victories, but aces C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona failed to close it out. Boston Red Sox's Hideki Okajima pitches to Cleveland Indians' Kenny Lofton in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the American League Championship baseball series Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007, at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) Jake Westbrook pitched valiantly in Game 7, and still the Indians came up short. They had a chance to tie it at 3 in the seventh inning, but third-base coach Joel Skinner mistakenly held up speedy Kenny Lofton as he rounded the bag. With runners at the corners, Casey Blake grounded into an inning-ending double play. Then, the Red Sox blew it open. Pedroia, who homered earlier, hit a three-run double and Kevin Youkilis launched a bottle rocket, a two-run drive off the giant Coke bottle above the Green Monster. Jonathan Papelbon pitched two innings for a save and Boston finished it off in style. Center fielder Coco Crisp racing back into the center-field triangle to catch Blake's drive for the final out before crashing into the wall. Boston kept the bases busy early against Westbrook, but three double plays in the first four innings kept the Indians in the game while their starter settled down. The Red Sox scored once in each of the first three innings, and Matsuzaka retired the first eight batters he faced. Cleveland cut the deficit to 3-2 through five, then had a chance to tie it in the seventh when Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo dropped Lofton's seemingly harmless popup in shallow left. Lugo drifted back, tracking the ball with his glove in the air and holding off incoming left fielder Ramirez with his right hand. But the shortstop let the ball bounce off his glove, and Lofton was safe on second. Franklin Gutierrez hit a sharp grounder over third base that bounced off the photographer's box in front of the grandstand and into shallow left. But Skinner held up both hands for the speedy Lofton, and the 40-year-old outfielder skidded to a stop. Umpire Brian Gorman, right, calls Cleveland Indians' Kenny Lofton out trying to stretch a hit to a double after being tagged by Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) in the fifth inning in Game 7 of the American League Championship baseball series Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007, at Fenway Park in Boston. Boston Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo is at left. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson) Lofton looked back for the ball and, seeing it in no man's land in shallow left, snapped his head back to stare at Skinner. A star in big games throughout his career in Japan, Matsuzaka followed two sub-par playoff outings with his first American postseason victory. He allowed two runs on six hits in five innings, striking out three and walking none. Fellow Japanese rookie Hideki Okajima pitched two innings of shutout ball. Papelbon closed, sending the sold-out Fenway into a frenzy. Westbrook settled down after spotting Boston a 3-0 lead, retiring seven consecutive batters before Jacoby Ellsbury -- another rookie -- bounced a chopper through third baseman Blake for an error. After Lugo's sacrifice bunt, Pedroia was up. The diminutive second baseman, with eight major league homers to his credit, hit an 0-1 pitch into the first row of the Monster Seats to make it 5-2. He also doubled to clear the bases after Boston loaded them in the eighth against Rafael Betancourt. Youkilis, who was a rookie when Boston won it all in '04, followed with a two-run homer to make it 11-2. Cleveland's Game 4 starter, Paul Byrd, was forced to defend himself before the finale when the San Francisco Chronicle reported that he bought nearly $25,000 worth of human growth hormone and syringes from 2002-05. Byrd said he took HGH under a doctor's prescription. "I do not want the fans of Cleveland or honest, caring people to think that I cheated," Byrd told a throng of reporters before the game. "Because I didn't." Notes Boston is 5-5 all-time in decisive Game 7s. ... The Red Sox were already the only team to have rallied twice from a 3-1 deficit to win the LCS, in 1986 and '04. It was the first winner-take-all in the baseball postseason since the 2006 NLCS. ... Boston Game 4 starter Tim Wakefield was unavailable to come out of the bullpen. Updated on Monday, Oct 22, 2007 12:20 am, EDT

oobi

world series will start on wednesday, oct. 24. i want the rockies to win it. they are the hottest team right now. however, with 9 days layoff, it may affect them. if rockies can steal a game at fenway park, they could make this a series, or may even win it.

boston is an elite team, with an awesome line-up. their rotation is one of the best in MLB this season. however, pitching at coors field is not an easy task. with its high elevation and thin air, if you don't have great control, the baseball could break into the wrong angle. curt schilling is the only red sox pitcher who has experience pitching at coors field (during his days with the d'backs). josh beckett may have some too, while playing for the marlins.

at fenway park, we may see the battle of the pitchers. at coors field, battle of the hitters. enjoy the series and good luck to both clubs!



[ Last edited by  oobi at 23-10-2007 10:28 AM ]

oobi

2007 Major League Baseball Playoff World Series National League Champion      vs     American League Champion Colorado Rockies      vs      Boston Red Sox      1. Colorado      1-13      Boston      2. Colorado      1-2        Boston      3. Colorado      5-10      Boston        4. Colorado      3-4        Boston            Red Sox win series 4-0          Updated on Sunday, Oct 28, 2007 9:10 pm, PDT

[ Last edited by  oobi at 29-10-2007 12:14 PM ]

spitfire007

attee, wehh!!!

rockies got rocked by sox.....

sempat tengok bottom of 5th inning tghari tadi masa sox ripped the game wide open. sox dpt sampai 3-4 runs from walk with bases loaded... ramai org dh taksub seolah2 rockies unbeatable after their incredible 21-1 streak

oobi

Originally posted by spitfire007 at 25-10-2007 10:08 PM
attee, wehh!!!

rockies got rocked by sox.....

sempat tengok bottom of 5th inning tghari tadi masa sox ripped the game wide open. sox dpt sampai 3-4 runs from walk with bases loaded... ramai ...

actually, they don't think the rockies are unbeatable. they know red sox have the best lineup, 1-9, and colorado will be rusty because of their 8 days rest (it's not easy to turn your performance on and off like that - not many people can do it, gilbert arena sure can do it and he's done it). but, lots of people want to see colorado win the world series because they like the team (the up and coming team, and happen to be really hot for the past 4-5 weeks), and at the same time people started to dislike the red sox because of their fans - becoming like the yankees.

rockies need to win the second game tonight to get their confidence back and start switching the momentum to their side - red sox is hot right now, after thrashing the indians in game 6 and 7.

oobi

red sox won again, 2-1, in pitching battle tonight. they are up 2-0 on the rockies. the series moves to denver with the first game on saturday. by leading 2-0, i think red sox will win another title. they will steal at least one game at coors field. if they don't close the series out by game 5 (when beckett pitches), the series will definitely ends by the end of game 6 (when schilling pitches again at fenway).

aishiteru

i told you we could not run up against them..

oobi

- a-rod now a free agent - Rodriguez Opts Out of Contract with New York Yankees By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer October 28, 2007 Link to original article DENVER (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his tumultuous career with New York. Rodriguez's decision, announced by agent Scott Boras during Game 4 of the World Series, makes the third baseman eligible to become a free agent. Boras said he attempted to notify Yankees general manager Brian Cashman of the decision but couldn't reach him, so he left a voice mail. "He was traveling and I was traveling," Boras said. Rodriguez loses the final $72 million in guaranteed salary in the record contract, which he signed with Texas before the 2001 season. The Yankees lose $21.3 million in remaining payments from the Rangers, a subsidy agreed to at the time of his 2004 trade. New York has said it would not attempt to re-sign A-Rod if he opted out. Boras said during a telephone interview that Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte would return to the Yankees. Boras said it became clear that the others wouldn't make a decision by Rodriguez's deadline to opt out -- 10 days after the World Series. "Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing." Cashman did not respond to messages seeking comment. A-Rod, likely to win his third AL MVP award next month, made his decision before the Yankees announced a replacement for departed manager Joe Torre. Broadcaster Joe Girardi and bench coach Don Mattingly were the top contenders, and the team also interviewed first-base coach Tony Pena. A Yankees official and an agent who deals regularly with the team said it appears Cashman was leaning toward recommending Girardi. The pair spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been announced. Texas turns out to be the biggest winner, saving the remaining money it would have had to pay New York as part of the 2004 trade. Boras said the Rangers remain responsible for $3 million in annual deferred money A-Rod is owed in the next three years under the contract. "We're going to wait until we hear officially, but obviously it would be welcome news on our end," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Rodriguez hit .314 this year and led the majors with 54 homers and 156 RBI. He was announced as a winner of a Hank Aaron award for offensive achievement before Game 4 but wasn't on hand to receive it. Boras said Rodriguez had a family commitment. New York was preparing to offer Rodriguez a four- or five-year extension worth between $25 million and $30 million annually and had hoped to meet with A-Rod to present the offer. "We didn't want to enter in a discussion of the economic parameters until we knew the status of players because that was central to Alex's decision," Boras said. Rodriguez's decision was first reported by SI.com. Another Boras client, J.D. Drew, opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers following the 2006 season and signed a more lucrative deal with the Boston Red Sox. Boras and the Red Sox denied they spoke before Drew became a free agent. The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and even the New York Mets could be possible destinations for Rodriguez. Teams have declined to comment, citing tampering rules that prevent them from discussing players who aren't free agents. While the Yankees said they would be done with Rodriguez if he opted out, Boras said he remains willing to talk with them. "The lines of communication for us are open," he said. "Our position is that we have told New York all along that we will continue discussions with them. Alex enjoyed playing in New York. He played well there. He was comfortable there." But now it appears he will leave, with the Yankees joining the Seattle Mariners and Texas as former teams for a player who outperformed all others during the regular season but flopped regularly in the postseason. A-Rod went 4-for-15 (.267) with one RBI against in the Yankees' first-round playoff loss to Cleveland and is in an 8-for-59 (.136) postseason funk dating to 2004. Even worse has been his postseason hitting in the clutch. He is hitless in his past 18 playoff at-bats with runners in scoring position. New York, entering its first season with a new manager since Torre took over in 1996, will have to find offense to replace Rodriguez's RBI, a prospect that should be daunting for the new manager, whoever it is. AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Dallas contributed to this report. Updated on Sunday, Oct 28, 2007 11:55 pm, EDT

oobi

- top of the mountain - Red Sox Breeze to Second World Series Title in 4 Years, Beating Rockies 4-3 By BEN WALKER AP Baseball Writer October 29, 2007 Link to original article How Sweep It Is! The Red Sox swept the World Series for the second time in four years, holding off the Rockies 4-3 in Game 4 at Colorado. AP DENVER (AP) -- Gone are those pleading, pathetic days when the Red Sox were practically begging to win a World Series. There's a new monster in baseball, and it's in Boston. Overwhelming in every way, the Red Sox swept to their second title in four years Sunday night. Jon Lester, Mike Lowell & Co. left little room for drama with a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies in Game 4. Then again, no NL team could have blocked Boston this October. This was hardly a repeat from 2004, when the Red Sox ended their 86-year championship drought by beating St. Louis. Boston is a major league bully these days, playing in rarefied air before crowds who demand to win. At this rate, New England fans might get spoiled. Manager Terry Francona's team has become a perfect counterpart to coach Bill Belichick's bruisers on the Patriots. Police in riot gear stand ready outside Fenway Park in Boston as the Boston Red Sox Play the Colorado Rockies in game 4 of the baseball World Series in Colorado, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007. (AP Photo.Michael Dwyer) AP After rallying from a 3-1 deficit against Cleveland in the AL championship series, the Red Sox won seven straight games and won their seventh World Series crown. The Rockies, who won a remarkable 21 of 22 games to get this far, were a mere afterthought by the end. Brad Hawpe homered in the seventh inning and Garrett Atkins hit a two-run shot in the eighth that came too late. Lester, undergoing chemotherapy at this time last year for cancer, pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning and Jonathan Papelbon closed with his third save of the Series. Lowell led a team that hit .333 in the Series with a home run, double and headfirst slide to score a run. Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury got it started with a leadoff double and, even without big contributions from sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, was too good. Coors Field was filled with Red Sox fans, many of them brazenly waving brooms they might have brought from the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park. The celebrations started early, with converted DH Ortiz raising his hand after a nice scoop at first base, and Lester pumping his fist after a key strikeout. Of the seven postseason series this year, five ended in sweeps. The Rockies' last chance to avoid it came in the ninth, when Jamey Carroll flied out to the wall for the second out in the ninth. Colorado Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook (R) is taken out of the game by manager Clint Hurdle in a break in play against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning in Game 4 of Major League Baseball's World Series in Denver, October 28, 2007. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES) By the ninth inning, only one mystery really remained: What would happen to the ball from the final out? Remember, it took all sorts of gyrations after Boston's most recent title before Doug Mientkiewicz donated his souvenir to the Hall of Fame. This time, Jason Varitek caught the final pitch as Papelbon threw his glove high in the air after striking out pinch-hitter Seth Smith and the Red Sox ran out and celebrated between the mound and first. Rockies fans spent part of the night trying to outshout hundreds of Red Sox rooters -- Boston folks apparently figured how to cut through Colorado's online ticket mixup. The crowd in purple hollered louder, but that's the only matchup Colorado won this week. In every other phase, Boston was better. Ace Josh Beckett dominated in Game 1, relievers Papelbon and Hideki Okajima closed out Game 2 and rookies Dustin Pedroia, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ellsbury starred in Game 3. When the Red Sox won in 2004, it represented a catharsis for fans all over New England. Many had wondered whether they'd live to see a championship -- in fact, as fall turned to winter, tombstones showed up from Bangor to Brattleboro with references to the title. Then, even bit players like Dave Roberts became household names to anyone wearing the fancy Boston "B." Backups such as Pokey Reese joined Paul Revere and Plymouth Rock in local lore. Now, expectations are a lot different. Instead of "Wait till next year," it's "Next year, too!" While Curt Schilling and Lowell can become free agents, the Red Sox enjoy a bright future. They didn't have room on the postseason roster for Clay Buchholz, the rookie who pitched a no-hitter last month. Right from the get-go, it was Boston's night. Ellsbury, who began the year merely hoping for a promotion to Triple-A, sliced the second pitch 3 feet inside the left-field line for a double. He alertly advanced on a grounder and scored when Ortiz barely bounced a single through the drawn-in infield. As if the Red Sox needed any more early omens, Ortiz flashed a fancy glove in the second. A lumbering DH by trade, he neatly scooped up shortstop Julio Lugo's one-hop throw. Lowell hit a leadoff double in the fifth and made a headfirst dive to score on Varitek's single off Aaron Cook. That made it 2-0 and, for the time being, left every Red Sox regular in the lineup hitting over .300 in the Series except Ramirez. Lester started off in rare form, catching Kaz Matsui's popup leading off the first. When Ramirez misplayed Matsui's fly ball to left field into a double in the third, Lester also took care of the trouble himself. The lefty struck out Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday, punctuating the last pitch with a fist pump. Down to their last chance, Colorado's hitters seemed to press and take huge hacks. Lester used that eagerness in his favor, often fooling them with sliders. Cook, too, was trying to add a chapter to his success story. His career was cut short a few years ago because of blood clots in his lungs. He started on opening day this season, but hadn't pitched in a major league game since Aug. 10 because of a strained side muscle. Cook did what most of the Colorado batters couldn't do. He got a hit, pushing a bunt past Lester and later sharing a laugh with Ortiz at first. Halfway through the game, it was clearly a pitchers' duel. Hardly anyone would have predicted that in the pre-humidor days, when Coors hosted the highest-scoring All-Star game and earned its reputation as a hitters' haven. Notes The Red Sox finished with 18 doubles, one off the Series record by the 1946 Cardinals and 1910 Philadelphia Athletics. ... The sweep meant no split decision for Denver sports fans. They can give their full attention to the Broncos, home Monday night against Brett Favre and Green Bay. Updated on Monday, Oct 29, 2007 12:11 am, EDT

puakaganas

Red Sox win World Series

DENVER: The Boston Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Sunday to win the World Series and record their second four-game sweep of the Fall Classic in four years.

Boston, who had gone 86 years without winning a World Series before sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004, repeated the feat by outscoring the Rockies a cumulative 29-10.

Starter Jon Lester took the win, Jonathan Papelbon notched the save and World Series MVP Mike Lowell paced a nine-hit attack with a double and home run in the final chapter of this year's best-of-seven Major League Baseball championship.

Papelbon struck out Seth Smith for the final out, touching off wild celebrations at the mound that started with catcher Jason Varitek leaping into the reliever's arms.

  

We did it: Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon celebrates getting the last out as the Red Sox defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-3 in game four of Major League Baseball抯 World Series in Denver on Sunday. Boston won the Series 4-0.

揟his team has got a lot of heart,

aishiteru

Frust ah, igt kan world series kali ni kalo kalah pun kalah melawan jugak. Ni sampai kena sweep.

Owh well who cares?!!

We still have next year