MLB Bullets starts spreading the news

Seriously? Do any of you think I did any of this during last night’s game? So now I’m writing Bullets after the game with the full knowledge that none of you are going to read this after last night’s game.

• In the other Division Series that ended since Wednesday, the Yankees advanced over the defending American League Champion Cleveland Indians. Jay Jaffe writes that the Yankees (and Dodgers) are a prime example of the postseason being dominated by bullpens and strikeouts.
• Grant Brisbee marvels at how the Yankees were able to transform themselves into a powerhouse without going through a rebuilding phase.
• Craig Calcaterra writes that Yankees manager Joe Girardi was redeemed by the win over the Indians.
• And they won despite Aaron Judge striking out a record number of times. In fact, Judge struck out more in a five-game series than Tony Gwynn struck out in the entire 1995 season.
• Legendary writer Roger Angell shares his thoughts on the Yankees win.
• But for once, the bigger story wasn’t the Yankees, but the collapse of the Indians in yet another disappointing season for Cleveland. Charlotte Wilder reminds us all how cruel the baseball season can be, especially if you’re a Cleveland fan.
• Neil Paine breaks down why the Indians lost and says it’s a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in baseball’s playoffs.
• Michael Baumann can’t understand how the Indians lost after being up 2 games to 0.
• David Waldstein looks at Cleveland’s loss and says that they’re dealing with the weight of the “curse” now since the Cubs World Series title last year.
• Bill Baer writes that the Indians stars just didn’t show up in the ALDS.
• Travis Sawchik argues that something was wrong with the Indians stars and presents evidence that they were overworked this season. Maybe they should have taken six games off and only won 96 games.
• Jerry Crasnick talks with the Indians players to get how they’re feeling in defeat.
• Kate Morrison has a preview of the AL Championship Series.
• David Schoenfield also does an ALCS preview.
• And Andrew Simon tells us what StatCast can tell us about the ALCS.
• Mike Lupica notes that the Astros are trying to do something no one has ever done before: beat both the Yankees and Red Sox in the same postseason.
• Michael Baumann continues to marvel at how great a player Jose Altuve is.
• Carlos Beltran is looking for the one thing that has eluded him in this career: a World Series title.
• The Dodgers are confident this year’s NLCS rematch will turn out differently than last years.
• Anna McDonald has an oral history of the Nationals heartbreaking loss in the 2012 NLDS. Maybe in five years she can do the oral history of last night.
• The Red Sox fired manager John Farrell, and team president Dave Dombrowski won’t say why. Not that there weren’t reasons, but that Dombrowski won’t say what they were.
• Alex Speier talks with people inside the organization to try to get some clarity as to why Farrell was fired.
• Jon Heyman speculates on what the reasons might have been.
• David Laurila says that speculating is all we can do and he also speculates on who might replace Farrell.
• Jonah Keri says that all the confusion over Farrell’s dismissal goes back to the fact that we don’t know why managers get hired and fired or even how to evaluate them fairly. So teams end up making flawed, irrational decisions.
• Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is reportedly a candidate for the Red Sox job.
• Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway is one of the candidates for the Phillies managerial job.
• Jon Heyman reports what we’ve already suspected: The front office chaos in the Braves organization saved manager Brian Snitker’s job.
• Heyman also reports that former Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is not happy that new owner Derek Jeter took all of Loria’s advice on whom to keep on and whom to fire and did the exact opposite. Ah, the Constanza Gambit. Essentially, if Loria told Jeter someone should be fired, Jeter is keeping them and vice-versa.
• The 2018 qualifying offer will be $17.4 million.
• Rockies closer Greg Holland will decline his option for 2018 and become a free agent.
• Delmon Young will play in the Australian Baseball League this winter (summer?) with hopes to resurrect his career.
• And finally, here’s the Cubs celebrating and “Flying the W.” And not the Walgreen’s “W” either.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. We’re coming for you, Clayton Kershaw.