>>>Kudos to Halladay for gritting out a win in game 5, even though he was again slightly outpitched by Lincecum. That was only ever my point -- that they are both terrific pitchers.
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>Ideas to improve MLB #206 : Pitchers duels should be just that. 60 paces. Fastballs. No helmets, no gloves.

We all have our blind spots ;-)

The game of baseball has been painted in idyllic tones way too many times before now so I will not go to that well again. Reluctantly ;-)

(The ball caroms off the wall. The right fielder picks it up perfectly as the first runner crosses the plate and the guy on second legs it for home. It is a perfect throw and the cutoff man, the second baseman, is in perfect position. This is the tying run so he lets the throw go through to home plate. It's still got Chinese mustard on it, a throw only the strongest armed major leaguers can pull off. [Jayson Werth of the Phillies demonstrated a beauty on Thursday.] The third base coach windmills his arm at the baserunner, who is already by. The runner, the catcher, and the ball converge. The umpire signals -- and the runner is .....)