White towels not being waved during Holliday's error?

A good amount of postgame chatter revolved around the comment by Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright that Dodger fans shouldn't be allowed to wave white rally towels when the opposing team is in the field because they make it hard to pick up the ball in flight. The idea was that this adversely affected Matt Holliday's ability to catch James Loney's sinking liner in the ninth inning.

I don't believe Dodger fans were waving the towels when Loney's ball was in the air. Spirits were flagging with the home team down to its final strike.  If you look at the replay, it does not appear that the towels were in motion until after the error – not during.

"When Wainwright made that comment, he was just trying to take some of the heat off of Holliday," Dodger Thoughts commenter DL just wrote, and I don't disagree.  Holliday himself said he lost the ball in the stadium lights.  But I saw MLB Network analysts riffing on Wainwright's words, and it might be only a matter of time until Dodger fans get the blame for Holliday's error, which seems wrong. 

Holliday hit a huge home run today. He doesn't deserve goat horns, but the rally towels aren't the villains, either.

Comments

[Jon Weisman]

Mike Smith of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called Rasmus' baserunning blunder "a Thurston-esque move." :(

http://bit.ly/1q32Y

[DL]

it might be only a matter of time for Dodger fans to get the blame for Holliday's error, which seems wrong.

That would indeed be wrong. Dodger fans should get the credit for Holliday's error.

The perspective makes all the difference, no?

[DodgersGal]

I just watched the 9th inning highlights again and noticed the exact same thing. I'm glad you posted this Jon. Fans waving rally towels did not cause Holliday to muff that catch.

[Jon Weisman]

"Dodger fans should get the credit for Holliday's error. "

Well, no, I don't think so.

[David Caruso]

Jon, you could say Holliday catching the 3rd out was just not in the "cards."

-YEEAAAHH!

[ibleedbloo]

My biggest issue with the towels is it makes the stadium quieter. People who wave towels cannot clap an the same time; I like a ruckus during rallies. The louder the better I always say.

[bhsportsguy]

My participation on DT has been limited the past few days since I was at the games but I'll add some thoughts.

It is true that Hollywood Joe and I have had this discussion about the towels, I don't know what if any effect they have on the outfielders ability to read fly balls hit right at them. Looking at the replay, it appears that Holliday misread that ball since he did not get a glove on it. Credit to Loney for hustling and making it to second without a throw.

I don't know how many times I thought the Beard was about to strike out. What an at bat, very similar to Raffy's at bat last night when he hit the sacrifice fly.

Looked like Franklin tried to throw a little off-speed bender to Belliard but it hung just enough for Ronnie to hit a clean base hit.

Now, I have seen lots of games this year and generally, at this point, the Dodgers make that 3rd out and we go for some free baseball. But Franklin got behind Martin, I thought Franklin was unnerved.

I liked Loretta getting that foul ball on the first swing, I thought by that point Franklin wasn't going to try hit any corners. When Loretta hit the little flair, it seemed time stood still as thousands kept thinking get down, get down.

I am happy the Dodgers won and more than pleased that both Phenomental Smith and Marty got this win today.

Take a night off DTers, go see a movie, eat a nice restaurant, or read a book. You'll need all your energy come Saturday afternoon.

[FirstMohican]

Don't get me wrong, I am very happy the Dodgers won. I just do not have the money to eat an entire restaurant.

[DL]

"Dodger fans should get the credit for Holliday's error. "

Well, no, I don't think so.

Right, I don't think so either. I was just pointing out the semantics of the blame/credit thing.

[dsm9412]

I don't know, I hated the thunder sticks when they brought those to Dodger Stadium.

[FirstMohican]

Per dodgers.com, for either game 5 of the NLDS or game 1 of the NLCS, the team has placed an order for 50,000 of these: http://tinyurl.com/nufj8b.

[Tommy Naccarato]

EVen if they were waving the towels (which they weren't. You can see it for a fact in the replay) Wainright even bringing this up is not only sour grapes, but poor sportsmanship.

The ball hit him in the huevos. You can see the look on his face when it did. At the very least it stunned him.

[Dexter Fishmore]

Wainwright's complaint about the towels is absurd. The home fans, he says, were making the visiting team's job a bit harder? I'm pretty sure that's the entire concept of home-field advantage, or at least a significant part of it. A baseball stadium isn't Augusta National.

[dsm9412]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but MLB.com has kindly synced Vin's call of the comeback with TBS's broadcast:

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?topic_id=7222260&content_id=7028745

[Tommy Naccarato]

Dexter,
Exactly.....

Whats their excuse about walking Blake and Martin?

[Icaros]

Per dodgers.com, for either game 5 of the NLDS or game 1 of the NLCS, the team has placed an order for 50,000 of these: http://tinyurl.com/nufj8b.

Posted by: FirstMohican | October 08, 2009 at 10:39 PM

So the Dodgers are going to be like Daniel-san in Karate Kid 2?

[Bob Hendley]

True to his Pee Wee given name, WGJ set the tone. And how about Vin, right after the error he tells us that Franklin's house burnt down when he was a kid.

[ibleedbloo]

I should be a bit more specific about my support for "crowd noise" at the game. I hate noise makers/thunder sticks/etc. The great thing about clapping hands is you can only do it so long before you have to take a break. There are appropriate times to stand on your feet and hoot and holler and there are also times when its nice to be a bit more mellow.

[dsm9412]

Now I feel stupid for not seeing the post.

[OxnardDodgerFan]

Please see this URL, so you can buy your own white 2006 St. Louis Cardinals rally towel. Yes, Adam Wainwright was on that 2006 team. When I heard him say that, the first thought that hit my brain was 50,000 Cardinals fans waving those white towels in St. Louis in 2006!!!

I used to have respect for Wainwright. Now, I will always think of that hypocritical comment every time I hear his name, whether I like it or not.

Here's the URL for your very own St. Louis Cardinals towel:
http://www.thepost-dispatchstore.com/St_Louis_Cardinals_World_Series_Rally_Towel_p/14072.htm

[MFC521]

I think what gets to me is Wainwright's inability to acknowledge that the same rally towels were being waved when Dodgers were in the outfield. If Matt Kemp had "lost a ball amid thousands of towels", would the Cards think that was an excuse then? Plus his suggestion for Dodger Blue towels sounded sarcastic and snide. You're right, Tommy--poor sportsmanship indeed.

[Bob Hendley]

Wainwright was just trying to stick up for his teammate, which is nice. In any event, the error doesn't account for the subsequent walk, single, pass ball, walk and single.

[Branch Rickey]

Sorry if it's been talked about (lots of comments for some reason tonight) but I saw Tony La Russa walk across the field and into the Dodger clubhouse about 10 minutes after the game ended. Anyone know why? Seems really odd.

[Alex41592]

How could Adam Wainwright forget the last home playoff game in St. Louis?

He closed it to win the 2006 World Series.

And oh yeah. The fans have rally towels in their hands!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E76xQBc7YwE&feature=related

[KG16]

No rally towels/homer hankies? Really? I'm guessing the folks in the Metrodome won't like that idea too much.

It was just a screwy play, happens occasionally in baseball, just happened at a bad time for the Cardinals and a good time for the Dodgers.

[bhsportsguy]

Well, he's the only one here who's played in the outfield today.

Ninth inning, we thought we had a chance. We got to their bullpen and got it done. I gotta say, the ball off Loney's bat, I thought it was over. But you never know, with all the towels waving. It was tough to see off the bat out there. And when it was over, on the field it was awesome, man.

http://mattkemp.mlblogs.com/

[Tommy Naccarato]

Looking at it, the towels are Dodger Blue with a white rim around them. At least some of them are.

"Ethier" way, it doesn't matter.

Scoreboard.

Thanks also for showing us that You Tube of Wainright. I don't think anyone should make excuses for Holliday's ERROR, especially Wainright. I don't know if you caught it, but Holliday was grumbling after the error, raised his arm and said something snide (more then likely about the towels) which means its a star player with a poor excuse for his ERROR.

GAME OVER, Dodgers win!

[Artful Dodger]

Phenomenal,
Thanks for taking the time to explain the "best fans in baseball" thing. That was very informative, I get it now!

[Dexter Fishmore]

I just caught up with Adam Wainwright on the phone. He stands by his complaint about the towels, and adds that Dodger fans were too loud and wore too much attire bearing the team logo. He also objected to California being in a different time zone from St. Louis and has petitioned MLB to have the state moved closer.

Finally, he mentioned that Matt Holliday was distracted because his hotel room didn't have his preferred movie - the hit summer blockbuster 'Wolverine' - available on pay per view last night.

No word yet on whether the Commissioner's office will vacate the results of today's game on the foregoing grounds.

[underdog]

I love watching the 9th now with Vin's voice synced with the TBS video, as posted above. Makes it so much better. And rewatching that highlight again I think Jon (and others) are right, on that play I didn't see towels being waved madly until after the muffed catch. And towels are being waved at every playoff stadium now so fielders better be used to it by now. But I do think Wainwright was also sticking up for his teammate as DL said and wouldn't make too much of it.

And given how much the Cardinals have owned the Dodgers in the post-season over my lifetime and how may torturous losses are included in that run and so on, I feel almost zero sympathy for that franchise.

Great game for the Angels tonight, too -- another team that previously had been owned by their playoff opponent. Lackey looked outstanding. That should still be a tough series and I generally don't root for the Angels but I am in this one.

[Bob Hendley]

I think LaRuusa went over the clubhouse to see if he had actually missed something and that the waving of the white towels was the Dodgers trying to surrender with two out in the bottom of the ninth.

[underdog]

Heh, Dexter. Is his number still: 800-AW-KVETCH?

[Branch Rickey]

If you're into fun, here's some.
iPhone videos of Slash playing the National Anthem and God Bless America.
Oh yeah... and Loretta getting the winning hit.
http://tinyurl.com/ycfhscr

[OxnardDodgerFan]

I understand and agree that Wainwright was sticking up for his teammate. Nevertheless, I'd like to send him a white towel with the words "Epic fail" or "Pwned" on it, maybe with today's date.

[Alex41592]

T.J Simers uses his column to respond to Steve Lopez:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers9-2009oct09,0,4966800.column

[Bob Hendley]

Wainwright has done what he set out to do, take the heat on himself and off of Holliday. He looks like a jerk, but so what?

[timO]

If anybody here has both an iPhone with the MLB at-bat application and cable with DVR, it's really easy to sync Vin up with the game (the audio feed on the app is about 15 or more seconds behind the live radio call). You just have to mess with the timing on the DVR, but it's definitely worth it.

[Branch Rickey]

White Towel Manufacturer: 1
St. Louis Cardinals: 0

[Icaros]

I'm having a hard time watching the Angels-Red Sox series because it just isn't in me to root for either team, unless they're playing the Giants.

[ibleedbloo]

Sorry if it's been talked about (lots of comments for some reason tonight) but I saw Tony La Russa walk across the field and into the Dodger clubhouse about 10 minutes after the game ended. Anyone know why? Seems really odd.

Posted by: Branch Rickey | October 08, 2009 at 10:57 PM

I saw him walk towards the clubhouse also. I assumed, but don't know for sure, that is where they were doing post game interviews for TV...I could be wrong.

[Linkmeister]

I'm feeling really annoyed about this, so I'm cross-posting it from my blog. It was written yesterday but it held true today as well:

Lessee, you're a radio station calling yourself SportsRadio1420, and it's the first day of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

So what are you broadcasting? Football talk shows, of course.

Not one of the three games today is carried on the "All Sports All the Time" radio station in this state; this despite its affiliation with ESPN.

Unbelievable.

That's right. If I leave the house while a game is on, too bad for me; I can't hear anything until I get back home and turn TBS back on.

I don't know what ESPN Radio charges its affiliates for broadcast rights, but whatever it is it seems like a small price compared to the lousy PR this is causing.

[peter d.]

The Nutcracker

[Icaros]

This may be the first time I've ever publicly praised the man, but this was a funny couplet in that Simers column:

"Maybe it's just Lopez's thing to be negative.

I don't know. I've just never understood that."

[Tommy Naccarato]

There is no way Wainright is doing that JUST to stick up for a team mate. Go back look at the interview, he is pissed-off.....As he should be. He just lost!

[Branch Rickey]

Good call ibleedbloo. I'm sure you are correct.

[Jack Dawkins]

In Eric Neel's recap on the ESPN website he quotes Holliday as saying he lost the ball in the lights. He says he had no idea where it was and stuck out his glove hoping it would hit it. So sounds like the white towel defense is not being taken by Holliday.

[Craig88USC]

TJ Simers is awesome.

And I'm not just sayin' that because he loves my two favorite teams.

Ok, I am. : )

[Icaros]

Simers used to call the Dodgers The Choking Dogs.

[356man]

It's the end of the world as we know it when people start saying good things about T. J. Simers... What's next, singing Joe Morgan's praises?

[dsm9412]

Simers being correct this once does not make up for him making of fun of undeserving people for years.

[underdog]

I don't know if I'd call TJ Simers awesome, but I did like that column. It was the proper smackdown of his colleague and I'm glad he did it. Even if it also takes some thinly veiled little shots at Manny as well. But definitely one of the few times I remember supporting a Simers point of view (mostly).

Now The Office, that was awesome tonight. I'm taking a mental picture of the episode.

[Craig88USC]

He was joking, playing with the fans, Icaros. He does it to the Trojans too ... and the Angels. He writes for the not-so-serious-types. Besides we were kinda choking, my friend. :)

example-
At the very end of TJ's latest Times Dodgers piece, he writes -

"STEVE GARVEY said he had a chat with Ramirez recently, urging him to hit the ball to right-center. Garvey said Manny appeared very interested.

Knowing Manny, he probably waited until Garvey left the room before asking, "Who was that guy?""

[Dexter Fishmore]

Told that Matt Holliday lost the ball in the lights, Adam Wainwright argued that Dodger Stadium's use of electricity provided the home team with an unfair advantage. He further demanded that all further games in the series be played in a massive sensory-deprivation tank outside the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

[g_pin]

why are all the sports writers still talking about the cardinals?!?! i thought after this win, all they would talk about is how the dodgers are a good team, but instead i read things like "The Cardinals are not going anywhere." (Neel, ESPN). How many teams have come back 0-2 in the history of the NLDS? None! I know sports writers want to create an element of resilience and surprise, but come on! The Dodgers are a good team! For once, let them catch a break!

Oh wait, they did tonight!

[g_pin]

and by the way, I think wainwrights comments are balderdash! I smell a bit of sore loser...

[g_pin]

and by the way, I think wainwrights comments are balderdash! I smell a bit of sore loser...

[Icaros]

I just don't buy the idea that TJ Simers "loves" the Dodgers.

[Craig88USC]

The Tuesday morning weekly Coach Carroll with TJ Simers press conferences that I've often watched are hilarious.

If you like that kind of thing. Pete does. : )

[Craig88USC]

He does. Just ask him. He won't bite. ; )

[Robert562]

Posted this earlier - just going post it again!

*** CALL TO DODGER FANS ***

Do not get upset at the media after this. We all know what they are going say. We all know it. But you know what...the dodgers deserved this win. GREAT AB ADTFER GREAT AB after the error. So we got ONE break - ALL GAME - ALL 2 GAMES this series - WE CAUGHT 1 BREAK against the Ccards ALL YEAR -

and you know what GREAT TEAMS do with 1 break???

They go up 2-0!!!!

WE...my friends....are witnessing a GREAT GREAT GREAT team at work right now. And it is BEAUTIFUL AND ENJOYABLE TO WATCH. ENJOY THIS DODGER FANS! NO NEED TO GET MAD AT THE MEDIA! NOT WORTH IT! WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN LA GUYS...

A GREAT TEAM!

[aPaulO]

I'll cut Wainwright some slack. Dude just lost a tight game and said something he probably now wishes he didn't say. If he's still talking that smack tomorrow...well then he is a sore loser.

[Soupking]

HEY!

Holliday dropped the ball.

DEAL!

Shut-up and get some sleep.

[Benjamin Miracord]

I'm not sure if my memory serves me correctly, but didn't Phenomenal Smith predict a few days ago that Mark Loretta would make a big contribution in the playoffs?

[Benjamin Miracord]

"Told that Matt Holliday lost the ball in the lights, Adam Wainwright argued that Dodger Stadium's use of electricity provided the home team with an unfair advantage. He further demanded that all further games in the series be played in a massive sensory-deprivation tank outside the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum."

Posted by: Dexter Fishmore | October 09, 2009 at 12:01 AM

- - - - -

Good job. That's some funny stuff. :-)

[K T]

WOW...just finished watching the game...what a finish...Destiny Baby...2 down / 9 more to go...Belli and Sweet Loretta...what a combo...especially since Belli showed very poor plate appearances...WOW

It was hollidays indecision on how to set up his glove for the catch that doomed him...he changed it from web down to web up at the last minute and it cost him to miss the ball completely...On the replay you could see it in his eyes that he was tracking the ball all the way (slo-mo HD 65" screen will do this for you) and as Jon pointed out the crowd was down in the dumps and the towels were still

[Eric Enders]

Plaschke is back on the Dodgers bandwagon now. In case you're keeping track.

[Dodger Tony]

These have been two of the most remarkable days I can remember as a Dodger fan. Whatever happens from here on in, nothing can take away from the extraordinary accomplishment of "defeating" Carpenter and Wainwright on back to back days, with perhaps the exception of losing the next three in a row.

However, after scouring the post-game analysis on ESPN, WTBS, and MLB, the bias against the Dodgers is unconscionable. With the exception of Eric Young on BBT, this was a funereal dirge for the Redbirds and Matt Holiday. EY, a former Dodger, was the only analyst who actually gave the Dodgers credit for what they were able to do, and even that was muted.

I have not read the myriad comments written over the last 24 hours on DT, so this may in fact redundant. But after a lengthy contemplation session, I suspect it may just be sheer embarassment on the part of the commentators. Could it be that those who were paid to provide these so called experts with in depth reporting on these two teams missed the boat so badly as to be considered for dismissal? We know, from this blog and others, that the NL West is without basis described as the NL Worst. Is this simply a matter of disinterest and laziness on the part of these Ted Turner proxys?

Whatever the case may be, where can one go to find sensible and rational coverage of the Dodgers in this post-season on TV? Even the Angels are offered better and more reliable balance than the best team in the NL. It is unprofessional and may not change, even if we actually win our next 9 games.

Irregardless, I am intensely proud of this ballclub and have been made a believer until the bitter end, whenever that may be.

Si Se Puede!!!!!

[K T]

Just finished cruising a couple of the Cards Blogs and no one is blaming the dropped ball on the towels and few are blaming it on the "Lost in the Lights" excuse...they are mostly are saying he (holiday) just missed the play and they were either on their reliever and manager for not getting the job done or Holiday for messing up and calling for not resigning him next year.

[Willie]

It was a great game. Besides the error, for me it was Blake's at bat that turned the game around.

[bumsrap]

While I never want to win or lose a game through a mistake, it happens and the Dodgers have certainly had their share of times being on the wrong side of a mistake.

How many performers, stage or otherwise, have been able to give such joy to the ticket buyers?

[Ted]

The Cards made just two big mistakes in the game, but they were very costly. Mistakes are only costly if the other team capitalizes!

[gus2327]

This calls for a song.

HOLLIDAY Celebrate
HOLLIDAY Celebrate

If we took a HOLLIDAY
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be, it would be so nice

Everybody spread the word
We're gonna have a celebration
All across the world
In every nation
It's time for the good times
Forget about the bad times, oh yeah
One day to come together
To release the pressure
We need a HOLLIDAY

HOLLIDAY Celebrate
HOLLIDAY Celebrate

[356man]

Matt Holliday wins the 2009 Bill Buckner Lead Glove Award. Congratulations, Matt!!

[Hollywood Joe]

I believe that Holiday was responsible for dropping the ball - singularly responsible

I also believe that as Matt Kemp says in his blog (great find BH), the white towels partially contributed to OFs having difficulty seeing the ball off the bat all series

I saw the effect on the Dodgers. The two balls hit in front of Kemp on Wednesday, the two balls to Manny yesterday, in all cases the Dodger outfielders looked like they got a late jump. 3 of those catchable balls fell for hits and the others was caught just off the shoestrings by Manny who was moving his glove at the last second. None of these plays looked as they were being made by major league outfielders. All of these balls had more fans behind them than sky.

Does this make the Dodgers less winners? Absolutely not. Could white towels, even if not being waved wildly in mass - but still being waved by enough fans, make tracking the ball difficult in the gloaming? You betcha

In the end all that matters is that we go on to St. Lou with 2 in the bag and the Cardinals key "strength" spent!

[Jack]

If anything for Cardinal fans, it will make it easier for them to accept Holliday playing for another team next year.

Its too bad, but you have to believe if the Cardinals dont come back & win the series...Holliday is going to be remembered as the goat for a long long long time.

Teams have bounced back before from a loss like this. I remember Lidge getting 2 men out, then giving up a 3-run HR to Pujuols in the NLCS...Astros lost, but then went back to St. Louis and won. Alot different having to win 3 games in a row vs 1 though.

[JRod]

By the same logic, the Metrodome should have been forced to change the color of the roof 20 some years ago.

[Geno Apicella]

Blaming the Dodger fans for waving the towels is a cop out. An all-star outfielder flat out dropped the ball. However, where is the blame to Ryan Franklin??? He walked Blake - gave up a single to Belliard - wild pitched the runners to second and third - walked Martin - gave up a single to Mark Lorretta. Ryan Franklin should shoulder more of the blame than the white towels.

[Maddz]

I was at yesterday's game. And oh my goodness, it was stressful! Today, my legs are killing me. If you ever want a high-impact workout, go to a really insanely close playoff game. Sit down, jump up, fight fight fight!

Anyway, regarding the Holliday error: The stadium held its collective breath and was slightly shocked when it hit him. Then, obviously, it exploded. We actually got really loud in the 8th, despite swinging the towels. "Let's go Dodgers!" was reverberating around the stadium...suffice it to say, it was very, very loud.

It took us an hour to get out of the parking lot, but that's what happens. :)

The towels, by the way, were white on one side and had a large "This is my town" blue graphic on the other.

It was funny because, regarding the conversation early yesterday about the decorum and behavior of fans and whether or not it is adversely affected by alcohol etc. etc., I was sitting with a lot of bros. A lot of kind of obnoxious, wouldn't-stop-talking-throughout-the-game bros. But, thanks to the magic of that 9th inning, we all became best friends. Amazing how transformative something like that is.

Was anyone else nervous when they realized that the bottom of the pile was Loretta, who isn't exactly a spring chicken?

[Hollywood Joe]

I am not assigning a morality to this event - Dodger fans waving towels is neither evil or good, its just fans waving towels. Dodger fans waving towels didn't win the game.

I am happy Holliday dropped the ball for whatever the cause.

I am more interested in understanding what I saw than making deadend comments like "Wainwright is being a whiner" (which may be the case, but trying to understand the event is still more interesting, and once it is established that he is in fact whinning where does the conversation go?).

and I do hold the possibility that maybe there is nothing to understand here. Maybe is was just a professional player who got caught in a spot where his glove was handcuffed - do I catch it in the basket or right side up? -moving in fast, lights on in the gloaming, and he muffed it. I do hold the possibility that dropping the ball was just dropping the ball.

as for the rest, there was still 4 more batters that reached with 2 outs after the dropped ball - so the goat horns certainly fit on Franklin's head too as Geno points out in his post

4 guys get on, with 2 outs in the 9th, from trailing to win. That is a win, always a win, and don't let them tell you anything different.

[Craig88USC]

More Heroes IP H R ER BB

R Belisario . 0.1 0 0 0 0
J Broxton ... 1.0 0 0 0 0
G Sherrill ... 1.0 1 0 0 0
(W, 1-0)

[bhsportsguy]

One of the great pleasures of this post-season is listening to Vin doing what he does best, sitting solo in the radio broadcast booth, weaving stories and play-by-play in his wonderful way.

Do yourself favor and when you click that link for the video, minimize the screen and just listen to Vin.

[Eric Stephen]

I was kindly and humbly reminding a Cardinal-fan friend of mine about the status of this series, and he insisted that the Cardinals would never re-sign Holliday now, and that his misplay "cost him millions."

Somehow I doubt that.

[Maddz]

BH, we were able to see him (he was very very very far away) in the press box...and it was kind of exciting. :)

[Beezer33]

Win homefield advantage and you don't have to deal with it.

[VP]

Matt Holliday simply dropped the ball, he didn't lose it in the towels, didn't lose it in the lights, didn't lose it in the sun, he just dropped the ball. They need to stop making excuses, it happens to everyone, everyone makes errors.

[VP]

Matt Holliday simply dropped the ball, he didn't lose it in the towels, didn't lose it in the lights, didn't lose it in the sun, he just dropped the ball. They need to stop making excuses, it happens to everyone, everyone makes errors.

[Joe Murphy]

Towels didn't cause Holliday to butcher the play. But when the 2 morons from mikeandmike in morning not only still say Cardinals are the better team but also whine that the towels caused the bonehead play without mentioning the Home Hankie (around at least 15 years) and the sea of white whatever waving in the Phils bandbox the last two days is something that response about childish whining be made with impunity--especially about the sources.

[Daniel Larusso]

How did Franklin's eyes look?

We deserved that break. How many liners have been hit right at Ludwick in just 2 games? 4? 5?

[cargill06]

Looking at the odds tomorrow it looks like they have us pegged at 40% chance to sweep tomorrow. Now the rest is just rough estimates but I'm going to say Billingsley vs Carpenter will probably give us 45% and Kershaw vs Wainwright would gives us 47%. That would put as at about 83% to win the series, Kobe does miss free throws.

[Penarol1916]

Why is it so hard for anyone but Dodger fans to admit that these are two pretty evenly matched teams? Every Cardinals fans I know has said that it is just the Cardinals making mistakes and giving games away to what they consider to be a very bad Dodgers team. They also believe that the Cardinals will have no problem winning the next three games. It looks like the same thing is going on in all the Cardinals blogs. My god, people are even saying the Smoltz/Lohse vs. Billingsley is a matchup advantage for the Cardinals. What happened to the argument that the Dodgers had more depth, but the Cardinals were better at the top?

[angel e]

HE DROP THE BALL, AND THAT WAS IT... STOP MAKING EXCUSES CARDINALS, YOUR DOWN 2 0 AND THATS IT

[Dr. Walter Bishop]

Really, the answer is quite simple. If you consider the unique juxstaposition of Matt Holliday's wrror, Loretta's subsequent hit, a missle strike on the moon, and Agent Dunham's trans-dimensional trip, the clear explanation is...oh look, ice cream in little baseball helmets!

[underdog]

Feel free to drop Mike and Mike a line at their twitter:

http://twitter.com/GreenyANDGolic

[Craig88USC]

Saturday wishes and thoughts -

1. Dodgers receive a good to strong six innings from Vicente Padilla which leads us to cheer on the Kuo(7th)-Reaper(8th)-Ox(9th) final victory march through the St. Louis lineup. TEAM then sits back and rests up for the Rockies/Phillies survivor. And makin' it an all NL WEST NLCS is the easier and less traveled road for us, imho.

2. Gators (with Tebow playing!) win convincingly thereby causing the LSU Tigers to tumbling down below us in the rankings. (I've considered the pollsters bias, and it might be best for Florida to stay undefeated at #1 and for USC to get that coveted #2 spot. Best case scenario is Florida remaining undefeated all the way through and Texas and possibly Virgina Tech losing.)

: ) : )

[Gen3blue]

I am getting a different feeling from last years playoff, when it seemed that with Manny, the Dodgers might do anything in the playoffs. This year, the Dodgers may do anything in the playoffs, with or without Manny getting hot. This is largely because of the developing young talent on the team, and a credit to the organization and particularly the work of Logan White. Though there hasn't been a lot of offense from either team Kemp and Ethier have come through.
This may contribute to the media's inability to "get it"which is pretty obvious out there. Its bad enough that the Cards starting duo didn't dominate the Dodgers, and now the Dodgers aren't living or dying by Manny's bat. If people won't follow the script the experts and writers don't feel in control.

[el serracho]

after a day of west coast domination and mid-west/east coast defeat.. what does ESPN have on their MLB home page?

yankees.

natch.

[el serracho]

after a day of west coast domination and mid-west/east coast defeat.. what does ESPN have on their MLB home page?

yankees.

natch.

[Jack]

Eric - to the extent that the dropped ball may have cost the Cardinals the series and thus an extended run in post-season, I think it makes it easier for the Cardinals to not re-sign him.

Now, will it actually cost Holliday money ?---> probably not because he'll be signed by another team that wont even think of the dropped fly ball.

[Sam PHL]

Were towels responsible for the Belliard and Loretta hits or the Blake and Martin walks?

The Dodgers couldn't have won the game without the error, but they sure could have lost it even with the error. Good teams take advantage of the other team's mistakes. The Dodgers made mistakes in Game 1 (Kemp's/Belliard's misplays in the 1st and 9th) that the Cards didn't really capitalize on.

[Jon Weisman]

I think it's time to stop saying "stop making excuses." It's not as if Wainwright and Holliday have been issuing hourly statements. They each made a comment, which has been discussed at length, but as far as I know, they haven't said anything else.