Blog

The leaves are falling, the wind is blowing and the night darkness seems to come earlier and earlier everyday. You know what that means: it's fall and also time for MLB's World Series, also known as the Fall Classic. The best-of-seven series is always a special part of the American sports calendar and has produced some of the most seminal and memorable moments in sports. After a 162 game regular season and two playoff rounds, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros have emerged triumphant as the representatives of their respective leagues. For the Dodgers, "The Best Team Money Can Buy," this World Series appearance was a long time coming. The well-heeled team has cultivated a (perhaps unfair) reputation as a bunch of overpaid chokers as they flamed out to arguably less talented teams. This year, however, the boys in blue have powered past any doubts, dismissing the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS and then making the defending champion Chicago Cubs old news in the NLCS. It's been a long wait for loyal Dodgers fans, who have been waiting since 1988 to see their team in the World Series. That's right - one of the proudest, richest franchises in baseball hasn't been to the game's biggest stage in over a quarter century.  That was the year of the "I don't believe what I JUST saw!" Kirk Gibson home run to boot. The Astros have been to the World Series more recently (2005) but that was a completely different organization with a different identity - they were still in the National League. Houston has had an interesting trajectory the last few years. The organization intentionally put bad teams on the field in an effort to stockpile high draft picks. Then armed with young stars, Houston went from bad to good very quickly. Amazingly, the rebuild is right on schedule; Sports Illustrated even ran a cover story in 2014 predicting that the Astros would win the World Series this year. And after thumping the Boston Red Sox and narrowly surviving in seven games against the Yankees, they look ready to fulfill the prophecy. MLB's postseason format has often resulted in wild card teams and regular season underachievers reaching the World Series. But we have two juggernauts clashing this year. Indeed it is the first World Series to feature two 100-win teams since 1970. It should be quite a show. Hitting In the postseason, the Dodgers have largely been driven by the hot bats of Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig. Turner is a former Mets castoff while Puig has gone from future star to malcontent washout to solid contributor in the span of a few years. Turner and Puig have perhaps taken some of the pressure of young Dodgers' stars like Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor. The Astros are powered by likely MVP and fan favorite, Jose Altuve. The 5'6" Altuve's diminutive stature, in comparison to other major leaguers, has always been the source of entertainment, but recently it's his dominant play that's drawing more attention. He's backed up by budding Puerto Rican superstar Carlos Correa. George Springer, Alex Bregman, Evan Gattis and Josh Reddick round out things for Houston. Edge: Push Pitching Two of the best pitchers of recent generations are the headliners. Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) keeps cementing his claim as maybe the greatest, most dominant pitcher of all time. Justin Verlander (Astros) has shown remarkable resilience, returning to form after it looked like he was past his best at the tail end of his stint with the Detroit Tigers. His clutch game seven performance against the Yankees, in the ALCS, was key to the Astros hopes. These two superstars won't matchup until a possible game 5 or later if at all; same goes for second line stars Yu Darvish (Dodgers) and Dallas Keuchel (Astros). But which pitcher starts isn't as important these days; it's all about bullpen management now. Here, the Dodgers have a clear edge: Kenley Jansen might be the best closer in basebal,l and the other bullpen stalwarts (Tony Watson, Brandon Morrow, Tony Cingrani, Josh Fields) are pretty good as well. Houston has no such answer and their starters have generally thrown more pitches, and pitched more innings, than other postseason teams' starters. Big Edge: Dodgers The Pumphead Pick: Dodgers in Seven Pump Products application engineers are standing by to help you find the right pump, as well as to provide price quotes, stocking availability and shipping information. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800 to speak to an expert today.

Happy October sports fans! It’s time for some baseball, the grand old game and the true gentleman’s pastime!  Specifically, it’s time for the MLB playoffs in the run up to the World Series later this month. The AL Wild Card Game is tonight, while the NL Wild Card game is tomorrow (Wednesday). If you’ve seen those incessant commercials, you know that “OCTOBER. MEANS. BASEBALL.” The baseball regular season is long (162 games!) and grueling but waiting for the playoffs is the hardest part. But now, the playoffs are here and that means every pitch, every hit and every out means so much more. 10 teams enter and only one team will emerge victorious. A quick reminder on the format of these games, which are the same in both leagues.  A one game wild card playoff will determine which team advances to the LDS to play the league’s top seed, while the other two division winners face off. The winners of the LDS advance to the LCS and the winners of the LCS advance to the World Series. Each LDS is a best of five, while both the LCS and World Series are best of seven. See here for the full TV schedule and how to watch: https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-postseason-schedule-heres-watch-192246831.html Let’s dive into the previews. AL Wild Card Game: Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees Since 2002, the Twins have played 123 games against the Yankees… and have won 33 of them. In case you’re not good at math, I can tell you that is not a very good record. Still, anything can happen in a one-game situation so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the Twins win. Minnesota is one of the best stories of this MLB season, having performed one of the largest turnarounds in sports history after going 59-103 in 2016. The Twins are the first team to ever reach the postseason after losing at least 100 games the previous year. As for the Yankees The team won 91 games in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Aaron Judge has become a Paul Bunyon-esque figure and the brightest young star in the game. Judge who is quite good at smashing the ball, having hit 52 home runs (or “dongers”) over the course of the season, also recorded a staggering 127 walks. Everyone knows the famous New York saying “eyy, I’m walkin’ here!”, and that was Judge this season. ALDS Cleveland Indians vs. Wild Card Winners Cleveland has set the modern baseball record of consecutive games won during this season with 22. The Indians also have perhaps the best pitching staff in recent memory. They are heavy favorites to win the AL. Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox The Astros might just be the most overlooked 101-winning team in MLB history. Houston’s hot start at the beginning of the season was overshadowed by the Dodgers’ even hotter start. The Astros leveled off and continued to play good baseball throughout the season but by then all the attention was on Cleveland’s winning streak. With MVP favorite Jose Altuve leading the way, the Astros have chance to retake control of the narrative. The Red Sox are mostly known for having the most obnoxious fan-base in baseball. Everyone else is hoping for Boston to lose quickly and make way for better, more interesting teams. NL Wild Card Game: Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks Pity the poor Rockies and Diamondbacks. Both franchises are relatively new, and despite numerous on-field successes, have struggled to capture the imagination of the greater baseball public. In 2017, both teams were two of the best in the NL - but played in the West and were left in the dust by the Dodgers juggernaut. Now they play each other in a one game, do or die scenario where the winner gets the privilege of playing the sacrificial lamb to, who else, the Dodgers. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Wild Card Winners The best team that money can buy, had one of the wildest MLB seasons in recent memory. The team roared out of the gate and just would not stop winning. By mid-July they were 66-29 and already drawing comparisons to some of the most dominant teams in history, such as the ‘84 Tigers, ‘84 Mets and ‘98 Yankees. At one point, they had won a ridiculous 44 out of 51 games. Then in late August, it happened. The Dodgers lost one game, the another and then another after that. Over a two-and-a-half week stretch, the Dodgers lost 16 of the 17 games, which included 11 in a row at one point. It looked like they were in danger of free fallin’ out into nothing. It was one of the worst stretches in franchise history and the Dodgers suddenly looked like one of the worst teams in the majors. It was baffling and although the team eventually straighten out the ship and finished a more than respectable 104-58.  This losing streak cast a pall over what was once an unreservedly joyous season and it has to linger in the back of the mind for weary Dodgers fans. Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals Hey remember these guys 2016 sure was fun! After the historic and long awaited World Series triumph, the Cubs seemed to be suffering from a bit of a hangover. And who could blame them They won the franchise’s first championship in over a 100 years, so of course a little “basking in the afterglow” would happen. Still, the team deserves credit for holding off the Brewers and reestablishing themselves as the class of the NL Central. Now they can pursue another championship without all the historical baggage. And the Nats As always, injuries seem to be holding them back from reaching their true potential. After missing much of the season, Bryce Harper is reportedly back for the playoffs and Max Scherzer’s hamstring injury apparently isn’t a big deal… but man, is there a bigger bummer of a team or what Washington has had “name” talent for so many years but the organization has never been able to put it all together in the same year to make a defining run. It’s hard not to feel like the window has closed. Anyway, we will have to wait and see who takes the title.  Go Yankees! Pump Products application engineers are standing by to help you find the right pump, as well as to provide price quotes, stocking availability and shipping information. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800 to speak to an expert today.

The crack of the bat… the roar of the crowd… it’s Opening Day! Of all the major professional sports, only baseball has built up such a mythology around the first day of the regular season.  Which is why it’s unfortunate that they’ve diluted the experience by having three games on Sunday. But hey I’m an old Inspector, I digress. The point is, Opening Day carries with it a strong association with spring and renewal and the coming of good weather. It builds anticipation for summer, which is right around the corner. And who doesn’t like summer baseball Sit outside in the sun for three hours with friends or family, a beer and hot dog in each hand… what could be better Nothing, in my humble opinion. The most anticipated game arguably happened yesterday, as the reigning World Series champion Cubs (how strange is that sentence) fell to the rival Cardinals, 4-3. Still, there’s plenty of intrigue around the majors as the season gets underway. Here's the games that intrigue the Inspector today. (All times EST, check local listings) Braves @ Mets, 1 PM: There is plenty of enthusiasm in Queens as Mets fans believe this could be the year after several close calls the past few seasons. Of course, that depends on the loaded pitching staff staying healthy. Flame-throwing Noah Syndergaard will get the start for the Mets. His fastball has to be seen to be believed. Pirates @ Red Sox, 2:05 PM: Once again, fanatics of Red Sox Nation have extremely high expectations for their talented squad. The Sox were up there with the Cubs for offensive prowess last season, and with young guns like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. coming into their own, they should be even better this year. Meanwhile, the Pirates hope that superstar Andrew McCutchen’s dismal season last year was a fluke. Padres @ Dodgers, 4 PM: Here’s a fun fact: according The Los Angeles Times, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will make $33 million this season, which is more than the entire $28 million payroll of the Padres. Kershaw may well be worth the cost though; he is currently the most dominant pitcher in the majors. If he can lead a talented, if sometimes dysfunctional, Dodgers squad to its first World Series championship in almost 30 years, no one will complain about his price tag. Indians @ Rangers, 7 PM: Can the Indians recover after last year’s heartbreaking loss to the Cubs In case you forgot, the Indians blew a 3-1 series lead. Still, they have one of the best top-to-bottom rotations in the game, headlined by ace Corey Kluber (who will get the Opening Day start) and featuring quality names like Danny Salazar, Carlos Corrasco, Josh Tomlin and veteran Trevor Bauer. And don’t forget Andrew Miller in the bullpen, who may just be redefining the way teams use relievers. If the pitchers perform, maybe the Tribe can put the “3-1” jokes to rest for good. Angels @ A's, 10 PM: It's likely that neither of these teams will be very good this season. So why are we highlighting this game Two words: Mike Trout. Trout is by far the best player in baseball and at only 25, is on course to be one of the best ever. In a way Trout is much like Pump Products in that he is (1) a proud child of New Jersey and (2) the best in his field (being a baseball player vs. selling pumps). He's the modern day Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle and you should take every opportunity you can to watch and appreciate him. Don't Drop the Ball on this Deal! In honor of Opening Day and the start of the baseball season, we're giving all of our loyal blog readers a discount! Enter the code "baseball5" upon checkout to receive $5 off of any order with a minimum price of $25. This is a short-term deal (valid through 04/03/2017) so be sure to take advantage now. Pump Products application engineers are standing by to provide technical assistance, price quotes or to answer any questions you may have regarding pumps. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800.