Movies For Halloween

So with Halloween 2017 just days away, I thought I'd go back and list some of my favourite horror movies.  I used to be a big fan of Halloween...when I was a kid.  I grew out of it quickly, though, and now I like to just stay in and watch a scary movie rather than get dressed up as a sexy-cop or a sexy-construction worker or a sexy-axe murderer.  I don't get down on adults that still enjoy the day, or night, but it's just not my bag anymore.  But what I've always enjoyed is a good, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, hide your face horror flick.  And, truthfully, they are few and far between.  There are your classics that continue to give feelings of dread, but there may be a few listed here that you've never given a try for one reason or another.  Hopefully you'll have time to watch one or two of them in the next few days...and let me know what I should see as well!  I'll list them alphabetically, because it's too hard to rank them...

Alien (1979)

Science Fiction has mixed well with Horror for a great many years.  There is always an inherent fear of the unknown, and space continues to be the great unknown.  As we follow the crew of the Nostromo space craft on a distant moon, we know something bad will happen to a crew member or two, but we have no idea how bad!  Once it becomes obvious that a strange being has hopped aboard, the tension and fear become palpable.  Because the scene with John Hurt has been talked about so often, it may have lost some of it's impact, but try imagining seeing that scene without ever hearing about it beforehand.  Horrific!  If you don't know what I'm talking about...watch it tonight.

IMDB rating - 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 9/10 (97%)

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

I first saw this movie when I was about 12 or so.  A friend of mine had it on VHS and we sat and watched it in his basement.  I had nightmares for weeks after!  The make-up and special effects may look dated by today's computer generated standards, but for it's time, there was nothing like it!  When we see David Naughton as David Kessler turn into a werewolf for the first time, it's scary, funny, painful and completely fascinating, thanks to the amazing make-up artist Rick Baker.  There are some very good, jump out of your seat moments in the movie.  There are also many very funny scenes, especially from David's rapidly decomposing buddy Jack, played by Griffin Dunne.  A really great film that doesn't always get it's due.

IMDB rating - 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.8/10 (89%)

Black Christmas (1974)

A Canadian made horror movie...yay!!  The same director who went on to make "A Christmas Story" first gave us a unique view of a killer.  It's a familiar story - sorority girls are stalked by a murderous maniac during the holidays.  The story isn't great, the acting isn't great.  But what makes this a good movie to watch during Halloween is the wonderful point-of-view filming technique used by director Bob Clark.  It was an entirely new view for us, and it creeped the viewer out!  It may look dated now, but it's still worth a watch, as very few movies are able to build tension the way "Black Christmas" does.

IMDB rating - 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 6.1/10 (65%)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

I know a lot of folks that didn't like this movie, and I kind of see why.  Through a lot of it, not much was going on.  The girl was ultra-annoying.  But when the three characters were in the woods, at night, I felt my heart pound.  And that final shot in the house???  C'mon!!  That shot stuck with me for weeks.  What this movie did for low-budget horror flicks was revolutionary.  It proved you could make a scary, cinema verite, hand-held film for next to nothing and make millions of dollars.  If you were there in 1999 to see this movie in the theatre, then you know about the phenomenon of "The Blair Witch".

IMDB rating - 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.7/10 (86%)

Carrie (1976)

There are few roles that are perfectly encapsulated by the actor or actress portraying them.  Sissy Spacek will forever be Carrie to me.  She was so creepy - her menacing eyes haunted me for years!  There are some goofy scenes to this movie, especially from the over-acting of Piper Laurie as Carrie's ultra-religious mother.  But director Brian DePalma crafts a tale of innocence and jealousy nearly perfectly to culminate into one of the better horror climaxes of the 1970's.  And that last dream scene?  I've never heard of anybody that didn't jump ten feet from that scene! Stay away from the re-make...it doesn't capture the same feeling of dread as the original does.

IMDB Rating - 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8.4/10 (93%)

The Changeling (1980)

Another great, Canadian made horror film.  When I worked in video stores, near Halloween, lots of people asked me for a scary movie.  I always suggested "The Changeling"...and then they'd go rent "Scream 5" or something.  This is a slow-paced film, but there are a lot of jumpy sequences.  The ball bouncing down the stairs.  The chair that rocked by itself.  The bathtub.  If you want to be scared for a night, and maybe many more after, watch this film in a very dark room.  I promise you, you will have trouble sleeping!  Oh, and don't get this confused with that Angelina Jolie film...you'll be very disappointed.

IMDB rating - 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.3/10 (76%)

Les Diaboliques (1955)

Director Henri-Georges Clouzot builds tension masterfully in this tale of a murder gone wrong.  Two women, brought together by the one of the women's husband, plan to murder him in order to end his tormenting of the two.  The Plan goes off without a hitch until they decide to dump his body in a never-used pool.  Oh, but the pool is drained soon after...and the body ain't there!!  Throughout the rest of the movie, we share in the complete paranoia of the two women as mysterious occurrences plague them.  A fantastic, creepy, black and white foreign thriller that should not be missed!  And never, I mean never, watch the American remake with Sharon Stone!!

IMDB rating - 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8.6/10 (95%)

The Evil Dead (1981)

Here's another horror film that was made for almost nothing but got by on fun, gore and ingenuity.  Sam Raimi directed this tale of a demonic book that unleashes great terror on some unsuspecting youngsters in a cabin in the woods.  There are some real good frightening scenes throughout the movie, but the greatest treat is the visual style.  Raimi and the crew had to come up with some very unique ways to have an ever-moving camera to portray the evil spirit on the move.  And the results were fantastic.  Bruce Campbell became a horror icon after this film was released and continues to play upon the character of Ash to this day.  "Evil Dead II" is just as good, but a little zanier.  For more chills, stick with the first one!

IMDB rating - 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8/10 (95%)

The Exorcist (1973)

I have seen "The Exorcist" a hundred times, literally, and I still get freaked out by it.  Everybody knows the story of the little girl who gets possessed, and there are some very frightening scenes with her levitating and barfing and swearing and so on.  But there are many subliminal shots of the devil, or at least the demon involved that make you jump back as well.  The extra "spider crawl" scene released over 20 years after the initial release of the film is totally hair-raising as well.  It is still, to me, the greatest horror film I've ever seen!

IMDB rating - 8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8/10 (86%)

Freaks (1932)

This movie will not be for everyone, and that is precisely why it should be viewed.  It is completely uncomfortable all the way through.  And even though it was made over 70 years ago, the real-life circus freaks used in the film will haunt your dreams for nights after.  It's a strange feeling you get watching the film - you feel empathy and sympathy for the titular characters, and then you fear them for the actions that they take.  Tod Browning, who also directed 1931's "Dracula" with Bela Lugosi, certainly knows who to build terror and his expertise is on full display here.  "One of us!!".

IMDB rating - 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8.5/10 (94%)

Halloween (1978)

John Carpenter's "Halloween" has long been regarded as a must-see film for the creepiest night of the year, and for good reason.  The invention of Michael Myers, a deranged psychopath that only wants to kill was pure genius.  But the great, tension-building music that goes along with Myers' return to his hometown makes it even better!  Jamie Lee Curtis made a name for herself as a "Scream Queen" after the release of "Halloween", and deservedly so.  She is able to capture the horror and insanity of the situation she is thrust into beautifully.  As with other horror franchises, the chills and terror of subsequent sequels is greatly lacking.  Watch the original...again and again and again!

IMDB rating - 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8.6/10 (93%)

Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986)

I'm not sure how difficult it is to find this movie anymore, but, at one time, it was banned in a number of countries.  Why?  Because of the realistic portrayal of Henry, played brilliantly by Michael Rooker.  The movie takes the look of a pseudo-documentary, and some of the killing scenes are so realistic, many thought they were actually watching a documentary!  This movie freaked folks out!  It was loosely based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, which added to it's horror.  If you can find it, watch it, if you can...it gets gruesome!!

IMDB rating - 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.6/10 (86%)

Jaws (1975)

Not only do I count "Jaws" as one of my favourite horror movies, I put it near the top of my list of favourite movies of all-time!  I saw this movie for the first time at a drive-in when I was about five years old...and I refused to swim in a pool until I was about eight!  Any movie that can have that sort of effect on someone must be classified as "horror".  But "Jaws" is a lot more than the cello strings warning us of impending doom.  It's perfectly crafted by Steven Spielberg with great acting all-round.  This was the first mega-Summer-blockbuster film and it continues to thrill first-time viewers to this day.

IMDB rating - 8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 9.2/10 (97%)

Let The Right One In (2008)

This is a really interesting film from Sweden.  It revolves around a bullied 12-year old boy who meets a mysterious young girl one night in the cold, blowing snow.  They become fast friends, even as he starts to suspect she may be something, uh, let's say, non-human.  Lina Leandersson is absolutely mesmerizing as the young girl-vampire.  Every scene she's in, she commands your attention.  There is a strange sweetness to the film, but it's dotted just enough with very frightening scenes that will make you jump.  The pool scene is one of the best shot scenes I can remember in any horror film.  Really worth the watch.  Remade for American audiences in 2010, called "Let Me In", which I didn't see.

IMDB rating - 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8.3/10 (98%)

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

In 1968, George A. Romero created something special, an entire genre of film making.  He, in essence, created the modern day Zombie Movie.  What's more, he did it on nearly a zero budget, and it became one of the most endeared horror films ever made.  The black and white film, the hand-held camera, the undead walk...all from the mind of the master.  It may look dated now (it is nearly 50 years old already!), but there are still many things to love about the film.  And, just for history sake, it's one of the very first films to have a black protagonist in a mostly "white" movie.  Absolutely groundbreaking and a must see!

IMDB rating - 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8.8/10 (96%)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

If you've never seen the original, it's worth it.  Although it has been watered down a bit by sequel after sequel after sequel, the original "Nightmare" has enough frightening scenes to keep you jumping on a dark night.  The iconic vision of Freddy Krueger, the man who was burned to death for, possibly, being a pedophile is still something to behold, especially since he hides in the shadows of your dreams.  We see the glove made of sharp knives first.  We see the eerie vision of him walking through a hallway with impossibly long arms, easily made to reach out and grab ya!  And we see Johnny Depp in one of his very first film roles.  Director/writer Wes Craven created a character that is still as creepy as ever!

IMDB rating - 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.7/10 (94%)

The Others (2001)

There are few movies that keep me guessing right up to the end.  "The Others" had me guessing even after I knew the twist!  I wouldn't call this movie a traditional horror film, but there are a few scenes that'll creep you out.  The brilliance of the movie is the unravelling of the story, which I can't really get into in case you've never seen it.  But I can guarantee the slow pace of the film is needed to build the tension of the climax.  Stick with it, you won't be disappointed.

IMDB rating - 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.2/10 (83%)

Poltergeist (1982)

"They're heeeeerreeee!".  That's it, that's all that is needed to know what movie we're talking about.  A wonderfully crafted film that makes us believe horrific things could happen to any average family.  Wonderful special effects for it's time, the movie will draw you in with it's cute kids and lovely neighbourhood.  But it will scare the pants off of you at times, too.  Remember the clown in the boy's bedroom??  I still do, 30 years later!!!  There were sequels, and a re-make, but this is easily the best of the bunch.

IMDB rating - 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.2/10 (88%)

Psycho (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock was already one of the most famous and beloved directors in the world by 1960.  But after "Psycho" was released, he became a true icon.  What "Jaws" did for my fear of swimming, "Psycho" did for my fear of showering.  But the film is so much more than just this one scene that has had entire texts written about it.  Anthony Perkins created a character that would send tingles up the spines of audiences for decades to come.  Norman Bates would become synonymous with creepy, odd killers.  He perfected the role!  And Hitchcock would use his camera to freak us out even more when Martin Balsam's Detective Arbogast buys it.  An essential horror film to watch this time of year!

IMDB rating - 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 9.2/10 (97%)

Repulsion (1965)

Before "Chinatown", Roman Polanski made a couple of interesting horror-genre films, including "Knife In The Water" and "The Fearless Vampire Killers".  But "Repulsion" was easily the creepiest...and best.  Catherine Deneuve plays Carol, a woman who is staying with her sister and her sister's husband for a time.  Everything is fairly normal, until Carol starts to fall into a deep depression.  And with that depression comes visions, some of violence, some of extreme terror.  Deneuve's performance allows the viewer to experience these visions with her, feeling every emotion she feels.  And Polanski's little camera tricks make the uneasy feeling even worse as the film goes on.  Not a scary movie, per-se, but really creepy.

IMDB rating - 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 8.9/10 (100%)

Saw (2004)

I'm usually not big on the whole gore-for-the-sake-of-gore films usually listed within the horror genre.  And some will feel that "Saw" would fall into the description.  But, for me, it was much more.  Sure, the story surrounding "the room" wasn't so great.  And, sure, some of the acting of those not in "the room" was suspect.  But everything that happened in "the room", I thought, was fantastic!  I was on the edge of my seat for every moment.  Is that guy actually gonna cut his foot off?!?!?  How the hell are they going to escape this madman's game?!?  I had a ball watching this movie for the first time, and I have a feeling, most people did or will as well.

IMDB rating - 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 5.5/10 (49%)

The Thing (1982)

Remember I told you about seeing "An American Werewolf In London" at a friend's house?  He showed me "The Thing" for the first time as well, and I was freaked out for a good long while afterwards.  The movie takes place in the cold, dark Antarctic where there is no escape from whatever this alien entity is.  But whatever it is, it's freaking terrifying!  It's a lot like "Alien" in that regard.  There are scenes that will scare the blood out of you (blood testing scene, anyone??), but what's so good about this movie is that it stays interesting throughout, even when the "Thing" has been revealed.  Easily one of my favourite horror films!

IMDB rating - 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 7.4/10 (83%)

When A Stranger Calls (1979)

I chose to add this movie based solely on the first half-hour or so.  The rest of the movie is pretty boring, but the first scenes are some of the best horror inducing scenes you'll ever see.  This is where the famous line "The call is coming from inside the house" came from, and what "Scream" used to open that film more than 20 years later.  Carol Kane is spot-on perfect as the babysitter.  Seriously, turn the movie off after the opening scenes, it's all you need to create a terror filled night on Halloween!

IMDB rating - 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes - 5.2/10 (33%)






Honorable Mentions

Blade (1998) - a fun take on the vampire genre, more action than scares
Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) - fantastic film, but again, more fun than scary
Candyman (1992) - a great character with a few chills
Dead Calm (1989) - fabulous tension builder that falters near the end
Dracula (1931) - the original is dated, but still creepy
Frankenstein (1931) - not as scary as it used to be, but still great
Friday The 13th (1980) - the original is still pretty jump-inducing
The Haunting (1963) - dated, but very frightening at times
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956 or 1978) - either one is lots of fun
Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) - the Japanese version has some really good scares
Nosferatu (1922) - the one that started it all, silent and thrilling
The Omen (1976) - that Damien kid...man!
Rosemary's Baby (1968) - too long, but some great scenes
Slither (2006) - a good take on the monster movie
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - pretty good scares on a nothing budget

Alright, that'll do.  Have a Happy Halloween, and if you have some suggestions for me, I'm always open for that kind of thing.

Starters...Relieving

So, I was watching the MLB Playoffs the other day, as I usually do, and witnessed one of the strangest half innings in baseball history.  During the 5th and deciding game of the National League Division Series featuring the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals, with the Nationals sporting a 4-3 lead going into the 5th inning, starting pitcher Max Scherzer was brought in to keep the the Chicago batters at bay and protect the lead.  Well, if you watched the game, you are well aware this plan did not come to fruition.  It started off well; Scherzer got two quick outs on only 6 pitches.  Then, something that has never happened in recorded baseball history - first, two singles and a double scored two runs which made the score 5-4 for the Cubs. Then all hell broke loose - an intentional walk, a swinging strikeout on a passed ball where the runner advanced, a throwing error by the catcher after the passed ball, catcher interference on the next batter, and a hit by pitch.  By the end of the craziness, the Cubs sported a 7-4 lead, scoring four runs where only the first two were earned.  It was nuts!  And it got me thinking; why do managers bring in starting pitchers as relievers in the playoffs.  They almost always come in on short rest and very rarely achieve what the manager wants them to achieve.  Starting pitchers are strange creatures.  They almost all have very specific routines between starts, usually 4 days of rest in today's five-man rotations.  Taking a starter out of this routine is almost always disastrous.  Sure, there have been some outstanding performances (Madison Bumgarner coming in in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series and pitching 5 scoreless innings on 2 days rest was ridiculous!!), but more often than not, a starter working on short rest is not the best idea.  I've gone back and researched some of these bad ideas to share with y'all, starting with......

Max Scherzer

Last week's relief performance by Scherzer wasn't his first in the playoff, it was actually his third.  And it's kind of understandable why managers keep throwing him in in close games.  He's the dictionary definition of a power pitcher.  He consistently tosses at 95-98 MPH with good movement on the ball.  He's a strikeout machine, averaging 10.2 strikeouts per 9 innings over his 10 year career. He is, in short, outstanding at what he does...but what he does is start games.  His record as a reliever in the playoffs looks OK when you consider he has a win and a hold in three appearances, his only loss coming last week.  But lets take a closer look at what he's done:

In 2011, during the American League Division Series, while playing for the Detroit Tigers, Scherzer started game 2, threw 6 scoreless innings and earned the win, tossing 104 pitches.  Only 3 days later, Scherzer was asked to come into Game 5, the deciding game, in the 6th inning.  The Tigers were beating the New York Yankees 3-1 at the time.  He had a fairly clean inning in the 6th, giving up only one hit to Jorge Posada.  Manager Jim Leyland had Scherzer go back out for the 7th where he gave up a single to Derek Jeter with one out.  He was lifted for Joaquin Benoit who gave up two singles right away to load the bases.  He then walked Mark Teixeira with two out, scoring Jeter.  That run was charged to Scherzer since Jeter was his responsibility.  Sure, Benoit caused the run, but if not for Scherzer, there would be no runner on to score.  The Tigers ended up holding the Yankees' charge back and won the game 3-2 to advance to the American League Championship Series, but Scherzer's ERA for that 1 and a third innings he pitched was 6.76.

He escaped danger there, but in 2013, the Tigers were at it again in the ALDS versus the Oakland A's.  Scherzer started Game 1, went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs and striking out 11 on 118 pitches.  He got the win that day.  In Game 4, 3 days later, he was asked to come into the game in the 7th inning of a 3-3 tie.  The first batter, Stephen Vogt, singled off of him.  After a Fielder's Choice, Vogt moved to second base.  The next batter, Coco Crisp, singled to center field, scoring Vogt.  The score was now 4-3 for the A's.  Scherzer was now in line to lose the game and the series, but his team picked him up in the bottom of the 7th, scoring two runs off of Sean Dolittle.  When Scherzer came back out for the 8th inning, he had the lead, 5-4, one that the Tigers would not relinquish for the rest of the game (the final was 8-6 Tigers).  But it wasn't easy; Scherzer proceeded to load the bases with none out in that 8th inning, but got out of it with the help of 2 strikeouts and a line drive.  He went from Detroit bum to Detroit hero in a matter of minutes, but his ERA for the game was still 4.50.

And then there was Game 5 of the NLDS of 2017 with the Washington Nationals.  Well, that 5th inning was already explained.  After tossing 98 pitchers in his start just 2 days prior, Scherzer broke down, his team broke down behind him, and the Washington Nationals were eliminated from the playoffs, Max taking the loss.  His ERA for that game, 18.00!

So, in three relief appearances in the playoffs, Max Scherzer's line looked like this:
4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K's with a 8.32 ERA
Yikes!

Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers spent his entire 13 career with the Montreal Expos, and, at the time, was my second favourite pitcher in the Majors.  (My favourite pitcher was, obviously, Dave Stieb.)  He was the best pitcher on a bad Canadian team, so I kind of had to like him, but he was very good.  He had an outstanding debut for the young team in 1973, going 10-5 with a fantastic 1.54 ERA.  This resulted in coming in second for the N.L. Rookie Of The Year Award for '73, losing to Gary Matthews of the San Francisco Giants.  He had bad years on bad teams, losing 22 games in '74 and 17 games in '76, but started getting better and better, winning at least 13 games every season from '77 to '80.  In 1981, the Expos finally started to put everything together.  Although the season was shortened and split in half because of a players' strike, the Expos were considered one of the best teams in baseball, and Rogers was one of their best pitchers.  The team made the playoffs in '81 and played the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.  After winning Game 1, Rogers pitched a masterful Game 5, throwing a complete game 6-hit shutout to beat the phenomenal Steve Carlton, and move the Expos into the Championship Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Rogers started Game 3 of that 1981 NLCS, once again pitching as good as anybody in the league.  He won the game 3-1, pitching a complete game on 136 pitches.  The next game was won by the Dodgers, tying the series at 2 and 2.  Game 5 would decide who would go to the World Series.  The Expos started Ray Burris, who pitched a fabulous 8 innings of one-run ball.  The Dodgers countered with a pitching sensation known as Fernando Valenzuela, who also went 8 innings of one-run ball.  So the score was tied 1-1 going to the top of the 9th inning.  Burris had thrown 104 pitches, so Expos' manager Dick Williams brought in the 3 and oh Steve Rogers to keep the Dodgers from scoring.  It took Rogers 6 pitches to record the first two outs of the inning; a pop fly from Steve Garvey and a flyball from Ron Cey.  Then, on a 3-1 count, the third batter of the inning, Rick Monday, hit a solo home run to put the Dodgers up 2-1.  The entire city of Montreal, 4000 miles away, fell completely silent.  Rogers, the hero of the playoffs to that point, working on just 2 days rest, ended up losing the game for their beloved Expos in the ninth inning.  The Expos probably should have gone to the World Series that year, and would have been the first Canadian team to do so, but a starter, coming in in relief ended that dream.

Kenny Rogers

Another Rogers....weird.  Anyway, Kenny Rogers was a better than average starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1995.  He won 70, losing 51, and had a 3.88 ERA, but didn't become a full-time starter until 1993.  He signed as a free agent with the Yankees for the 1996 season, was traded to the Oakland A's for the '98 season, and then traded again mid-season to the New York Mets in 1999.  While with the Mets that year, Rogers went 5-1 in 12 starts.  The Mets made the playoffs that year, and they were happy to have the 34 year old veteran in their rotation.  But things didn't go as planned for Rogers in the 1999 playoffs.  He lost his first two starts, once to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS, and then to the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the NLCS.  During that NLCS against the Braves, Rogers was asked to come into an extra innings game, Game 5, on 3 days rest.  He actually did quite well, pitching the 11th and 12th innings, allowing only 1 hit.  He held the Braves back long enough for the Mets to win it in the 15th.  The Mets were still down in the series, 3 games to 2, but they had renewed life going into Game 6 in Atlanta.  

The Mets started Al Leiter who immediately gave up 5 runs while only recording one out!!  The score stayed 5-0 for the Braves until the Mets started to mount a comeback in the 6th inning.  They scored a few, the Braves countered, the Mets came back again, and by the 9th inning, the game was tied 8-8.  In the top of the 10th inning, a walk, a single, an error and a sac fly versus the Braves' John Rocker put the Mets up 9-8.  But the Braves wouldn't die, scoring their own run in the bottom of the tenth to tie the game up at 9-9.  The Mets couldn't get anything going in the 11th, going 3 up 3 down. In the bottom of the inning, Mets' manager Bobby Valentine took a chance on Kenny Rogers.  The first batter he faced, Gerald Williams, doubled to left field.  Bret Boone then sacrificed Williams to third.  One out, man on third.  The very dangerous Chipper Jones was next.  He was intentionally walked to set up a potential double play to get out of the inning.  The only danger was Williams at third, since one run would end the game, so Valentine decided to intentionally walk the next batter as well, Brian Jordan.  This way a ground ball could potentially start a double play at any base.  Andruw Jones was the next batter to face Rogers.  With bases loaded, there was no place to put Jones.  Rogers seemed to not see it that way, though, and walk Jones to bring in the winning run, ending the game and the series for the New York Mets.  Rogers took the third loss of his '99 playoffs.  As bad as this performance was, Rogers would more than make up for it with the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 playoffs when he went 3-0 and didn't give up a run in 23 innings!!

David Wells

In 2003, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox were meeting each other for the American League title.  David Wells was making his second go-round with the Yankees, and he was having another pretty good year at the age of 40.  He finished the regular season at 15-7 in 30 starts and had only walked 22 batters all year.  When the playoffs came along, he manhandled the Minnesota Twins in Game 4 of the ALDS, pitching 8 innings of 1-run ball, helping the Yankees advance to the ALCS against the Red Sox.  Because he pitched the final game of the previous series, his first game start in the ALCS was Game 5, where he continued his brilliance.  He pitched 7 innings that game, again only allowing one run in a Yankee 4-2 win.  Now he was 2 and oh for the 2003 playoffs.  And then, Game 7 of that fantastic series came along.

The final and deciding game that would send the winner to the World Series started with two of the best pitchers ever, Pedro Martinez for Boston and Roger Clemens for New York.  Clemens, uncharacteristically gave up 4 runs, 3 of them earned, in the first three innings and was pulled to allow the Yankees' bullpen to keep them in the game.  By the end of the 7th inning, the game was close, but Boston was still holding on to a 4-2 lead.  After the first out in the top of the 8th inning, David Wells was called in to face left-handed hitter David Ortiz.  "Big Papi" was a .250 hitter against Wells to this point, but he had 2 homers in only 20 at bats.  Well, it took but one pitch for Ortiz to take Wells deep, giving the Sox a 5-2 lead in the 8th inning.  The game now looked out of reach, with Wells having only one day's rest, giving up that solo homer.  Luckily for him, and the Yankees' fans, New York came right back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 5-5 when Pedro gave up three quick runs while recording only one out.  The real story of the game, and the series, was the three innings that Mariano Rivera pitched after Wells.  Rivera pitched into the 11th inning, giving up 2 hits and striking out three, before Aaron Boone walked it off when he took Tim Wakefield's first pitch out of the park for the game, and series win.

Kevin Brown

The San Diego Padres came into the National League in 1969.  They had gone to the World Series in 1984 and made it to the NLDS in 1996, but everything started to look real good in 1998.  They had perennial .300 hitter Tony Gwynn, veterans Wally Joyner, Ken Caminiti and Steve Finley, a 50-home run hitter in Greg Vaughn, and one of the best starters in baseball, Kevin Brown.  Brown finished that year at 18-7 with a sterling 2.38 ERA and finished third in Cy Young voting in what would be his only year in San Diego.  The team made the playoffs on the strength of a 98-64 record and all looked promising.  In the NLDS against Houston, Brown won the first game when he pitched 8 scoreless innings and struck out a remarkable 16 batters!  Just 3 days later he pitched in Game 3, keeping his team in the game long enough to come up with the win.  He pitched 6.2 innings and gave up only 3 hits and one run.  When the next series began, the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, Brown continued to dominate, taking Game 2 with a complete game shutout allowing only 3 hits and striking out 11.  He was on fire!  Then, Game 5.

Andy Ashby started Game 5 for the Padres.  He performed very well, giving up only 2 runs over 6 strong innings.  By the time the 6th ended, the Padres had a 4-2 lead in the game.  In the series, the Padres were up 3-1, and they wanted to put away the Braves once and for all to go on to the World Series.  After Mark Langston gave up a lead off single to Ozzie Guillen in the top of the 7th, Padres' manager, Bruce Bochy took a gamble and called for his ace.  Kevin Brown would work on 3 days rest.  Brown retired the next three batters and all looked very good.  When Brown came out for the top of the 8th inning, things started to not look as promising.  After a nine-pitch at bat, Ryan Klesko walked.  Javy Lopez then took the first pitch he saw and drove it through the left of the infield, runners on first and second with none out.  Brown induced the next batter to foul out, but the fourth batter of the inning, Michael Tucker, would end up taking a full count pitch out of the park!  Brown just gave up a three run homer and his team was suddenly losing 5-4.  He was pulled after that home run, and the Braves went on to score a couple of more in the inning, never relinquishing the lead from then on.  Kevin Brown, working on three days rest and facing only 7 batter took the loss.  Luckily, the Padres were able to win the next game, and the series, only to lose to the Yankees in the World Series.

Chris Sale

One more break down in the 2017 season happened in the ALDS versus the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros.  Chris Sale has been one of the best starters in baseball for the last few years.  He's a tall, lanky lefty that can get the ball up to 100 MPH at times.  He is scary good.  In fact, during the 2017 regular season, he became the first pitcher in the American League to strikeout more than 300 batters since Pedro Martinez in 1999.  He ended the 2017 season with a 17-8 record and a 2.90 ERA, but his last three starts were not great; he was 1-1 with an atrocious 4.34 ERA.  Unfortunately for the Red Sox, he carried that bad performance into the playoffs.

Sale started the first game of the ALDS and was lifted after only 5 complete innings, giving up 7 runs.  Now, the Houston Astros of 2017 are a powerhouse squad, but taking one of the best pitchers in baseball for 7 runs was quite a shocker.  Just three days later, in Game 4 of the same series, Red Sox' manager John Farrell decided to put Sale into the game in the 4th inning after starter Rick Porcello gave up a couple of runs.  Sale performed fairly well on 3 days rest, getting through his first three innings with barely a base runner.  But leaving Sale in for the top of the 8th inning would prove costly.  The Sox had the lead, 3-2, but the first Houston batter of the inning, Alex Bregman, took Sale downtown on a 2-1 pitch.  Tie game.  Sale stayed in and ended up giving up a single to Evan Gattis.  Cameron Maybin came in to run for Gattis, Craig Kimbrel came in to toss for the Sox and, after a walk and a single, Maybin scored to give the Astros the lead that they wouldn't give up.  Because Maybin/Gattis was Sale's responsibility, he took the loss, his second in 4 games.  The best pitcher in the American League proved to be human after all!

Well, there are just a few examples of why I'm against starters coming into a game in relief on short rest.  Perhaps managers will one day learn, but I highly doubt it.  There is still some great baseball to witness this year, I wouldn't be surprised if Clayton Kershaw comes into a close game in the 8th inning at some point (and he has a couple of times in the past, once good, once not so much).  It will be interesting, if nothing else...