Kirby vs Baltimore red birds G.T. 8/12/25

[Captain 97]

why, Jamie Moyer is your ace? That's always been the knock, the 2001 team wasn't built for the playoffs.

Garcia was the "ace". 3.08 ERA same as woo. He had a higher WHIP but allowed far fewer home runs (1 per 15 innings as opposed to Woo's 1 per 7).

Moyer started game one of he championship series didn't he

Garcia Was the Ace. He won the ERA title and finished 3rd in Cy Young voting. He started the first game of the ALDS.

[Donn Beach]

okay, Sele started game one of the ALCS. I lost track of the latter part of that season, I had left

[Sibelius Hindemith]

If they needed to go 4 deep with starting pitchers in the playoff series i would agree that this year's team might have the edge. 3 deep i would go with 2001.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

We aren't talking about the season, talking about the playoffs. Would you start Moyer over Gilbert or Woo in the first game of a WS?

Over Gilbert Yes. Woo is a toss up. 2001 Garcia was better than anything on the 2025 Staff.

2001 ERA+
Garcia 135
Moyer 120
Sele 115

2025 ERA+
Woo 122
Castillo 118
Gilbert 112

I assume league ERA was considerably higher back in 2001 being in the heart of the steroid era.

[DavidGee24]

If they needed to go 4 deep with starting pitchers in the playoff series i would agree that this year's team might have the edge. 3 deep i would go with 2001.

I was going to ask who would be the third one, as there's no way in retrospect that one would want to go with Aaron Sele, Paul Abbott or John Halama, but Joel Pineiro had emerged with an outstanding rookie year.

[Captain 97]

We aren't talking about the season, talking about the playoffs. Would you start Moyer over Gilbert or Woo in the first game of a WS?

Over Gilbert Yes. Woo is a toss up. 2001 Garcia was better than anything on the 2025 Staff.

2001 ERA+
Garcia 135
Moyer 120
Sele 115

2025 ERA+
Woo 122
Castillo 118
Gilbert 112

I assume league ERA was considerably higher back in 2001 being in the heart of the steroid era.

Yes Garcia led the league with a 3.05. There are 7 qualified pitchers in the AL right now with an ERA under 3.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

If they needed to go 4 deep with starting pitchers in the playoff series i would agree that this year's team might have the edge. 3 deep i would go with 2001.

I was going to ask who would be the third one, as there's no way in retrospect that one would want to go with Aaron Sele, Paul Abbott or John Halama, but Joel Pineiro had emerged with an outstanding rookie year.

I would think Pineiro if he was healthy. They may have felt he was more valuable in the bullpen as insurance in case one of the other starters faltered though. Otherwise you would have to go with Sele. Halama started one vs the Yankees but i can't remember why.

[Captain 97]

It wasn't Halama it was Abbott that started game 4. Game 1 was on the 17th and game 4 was on the 21st so Sele would have been pitching on 3 days rest if they went with him. Abbott pitched 5 shutout innings though. That game was a heart breaker. They had a 1-0 lead in the 8th and the elite bullpen couldn't hold it.

[seth8734]

Final out of the game. Man I was on my seat. Ready to explode if Munoz did. Another game tonight. 3-0 when I am there let's make it 4

My bad does not allow video. Alright let's regain 1st tonight

[Michael K.]

Garcia was great, in the regular season. Didn't he lose game one to the Indians? That was always a thorn in my side. It messed up the rotation, and is why Sele started Game 1 against the Yankees. IIRC, we went give games in the first series. Set us up for failure. Because we couldn't dominate on the bump. The Yankees had Clemens, Mussina and Pettitte. I take those three in the playoffs over anyone we had. Sorry, Freddy was good, just not great, and certainly wasn't great in the playoffs.

Moyer was 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA. Outstanding
Freddy was 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA. Not terrible, but not good enough.
Sele was 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA. Not Good.
Abbott was 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA. Ick.
Halama was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA. Bad.

Clemens was 1-1 with a 2.36 ERA. Pretty darn good
Mussina was 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. Pretty darn good
Orlando Hernandez was 1-1 with a 3.71. Not bad at all.
Pettitte was 2-3 with a 4.55. That surprises me.

As much hand wringing as there is over the pitching? The Yankees were a bit better, but not a ton that year in the playoffs. The Yankees hit 16 HRs and 21 doubles in 17 playoff games with an OPS of .647. The Mariners hit 9 HRs and 12 doubles in 10 playoff games with an OPS of .666.

Maybe it was Yankee stadium and the mystique that did us in more than a team not built for the playoffs?