chewybrian
09-29-12, 02:07 AM
275415
Do you like the new format?
Is your team in?
Predictions?
Do you like the new format?
Is your team in?
Predictions?
Foo - MLB Playoffs
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chewybrian
09-29-12, 02:32 AM
The new format seems very unfair to a team like Atlanta, or the loser of the Yankees/Orioles race (Unless the Yankees lose in a one-game playoff; then it's awesome!). The season could be shortened in exchange for making the wildcard round a short series, although the layoff for the other teams would be troubling.
As a Reds fan, job one is winning the first playoff game for the Reds (or Bengals) since 1990. After that, it's all gravy. I hope we go to a shorter rotation to fit Bailey into long relief. Votto's back, and they're ready. But, with the long contracts for Votto and Phillips and Chapman, and the way the other pitching has improved this year...
(See: Homer's no-no)275416
Cincinnati______________IP____H___R___ER___BB___SO___HR___ERA
Bailey, H. (W 13-10)_____9.0___0___0____0____1____10____0___3.75
...we are ready to contend for a while. I'm hoping for Reds/Orioles (ratings death; sorry, FOX).
As a Reds fan, job one is winning the first playoff game for the Reds (or Bengals) since 1990. After that, it's all gravy. I hope we go to a shorter rotation to fit Bailey into long relief. Votto's back, and they're ready. But, with the long contracts for Votto and Phillips and Chapman, and the way the other pitching has improved this year...
(See: Homer's no-no)275416
Cincinnati______________IP____H___R___ER___BB___SO___HR___ERA
Bailey, H. (W 13-10)_____9.0___0___0____0____1____10____0___3.75
...we are ready to contend for a while. I'm hoping for Reds/Orioles (ratings death; sorry, FOX).
pedalslow
09-29-12, 04:10 AM
I don't think my team is in at all they where not in all year, Redsox I got it tuff hear my wife is from NJ. Next year I hope
steve0257
09-29-12, 09:34 AM
No, I don't like the new playoff format. But then, I alsol dislike the current divisional structure, the unbalanced schedule, and the designated hitter.
ooga-booga
09-30-12, 03:18 AM
i originally didn't like the wild card but it has proven to be worthwhile and unpredictable.
i can't help but think about all the great teams that just missed the pennant in the days before it-some great teams. but there is usually only one team that is a
'just missed and wouldn't it be great if they had been in that miserable division instead?' in each league-not two.
the 2nd wild card just seems to create too many playoff scheduling problems. even if my dodgers somehow luck into a miracle this year, they don't deserve it
after playing less than .500 after their torrid start. injuries blah blah blah...everyone's got 'em.
heaven forbid if there is a tie and a one game playoff or bad weather cuz it will mess things up something fierce.
...please kill the dh. please kill the dh. please kill the dh.
i can't help but think about all the great teams that just missed the pennant in the days before it-some great teams. but there is usually only one team that is a
'just missed and wouldn't it be great if they had been in that miserable division instead?' in each league-not two.
the 2nd wild card just seems to create too many playoff scheduling problems. even if my dodgers somehow luck into a miracle this year, they don't deserve it
after playing less than .500 after their torrid start. injuries blah blah blah...everyone's got 'em.
heaven forbid if there is a tie and a one game playoff or bad weather cuz it will mess things up something fierce.
...please kill the dh. please kill the dh. please kill the dh.
pedalslow
10-01-12, 03:21 AM
My Grandfather, played ball not big time but still he was around the game,He said if you pitched you pitched the whole game,way back in the day there was no bull pin as we know it, wow
chewybrian
10-02-12, 01:03 AM
Yesterday's games killed a lot of the mystery. There are still fights or home field, and a slim chance for the Dodgers.
Otherwise, the real interest left is the race between the Yankes and Orioles for the division, which still may end in a one game playoff, plus the fight between Texas and Oakland, which will be decided in their two games remaining against each other. If Oakland wins tonight, then it all comes down to the last game. It's interesting that the Yankees already threw Sabathia out there yesterday. They may not use him on short rest if it comes down to one game.
It looks like Cabrera may get the triple crown, which is very impressive, even if it does not include steroid era numbers.
Otherwise, the real interest left is the race between the Yankes and Orioles for the division, which still may end in a one game playoff, plus the fight between Texas and Oakland, which will be decided in their two games remaining against each other. If Oakland wins tonight, then it all comes down to the last game. It's interesting that the Yankees already threw Sabathia out there yesterday. They may not use him on short rest if it comes down to one game.
It looks like Cabrera may get the triple crown, which is very impressive, even if it does not include steroid era numbers.
Astrozombie
10-02-12, 02:04 AM
Ooooooh yahhhhh baby! I think there should only be 4 or 8 playoff teams period, but the newer format making it harder on a WC team is fine with me. Despite getting new ownership a bunch of us are pretty down upon hearing our worthless GM is getting an extension. We just hope Guggenheim has enough money to make up for mistakes now.
The A's are also right there with the Rangers. Can't believe the White Sox choked!
And i hate to say it but..........chances are better the DH will just come to the NL instead of getting rid of it altogether. We should pray that things just stay the same! You know how things go, they will try to boost offense and revenue by bringing it to the NL. (Pleasing the union by letting more old farts stick around and saying they are protecting pitchers by not letting them hit)
The A's are also right there with the Rangers. Can't believe the White Sox choked!
And i hate to say it but..........chances are better the DH will just come to the NL instead of getting rid of it altogether. We should pray that things just stay the same! You know how things go, they will try to boost offense and revenue by bringing it to the NL. (Pleasing the union by letting more old farts stick around and saying they are protecting pitchers by not letting them hit)
skijor
10-02-12, 07:49 AM
Ooooooh yahhhhh baby! I think there should only be 4 or 8 playoff teams period, but the newer format making it harder on a WC team is fine with me. Despite getting new ownership a bunch of us are pretty down upon hearing our worthless GM is getting an extension. We just hope Guggenheim has enough money to make up for mistakes now.
The A's are also right there with the Rangers. Can't believe the White Sox choked!
And i hate to say it but..........chances are better the DH will just come to the NL instead of getting rid of it altogether. We should pray that things just stay the same! You know how things go, they will try to boost offense and revenue by bringing it to the NL. (Pleasing the union by letting more old farts stick around and saying they are protecting pitchers by not letting them hit)
That would blow. And I say that as a former Brewers fan. That is, I've seen what the DH adds and takes away from the game since they switched from AL to NL not too long ago. Having the pitcher bat adds a significant strategic element to the game. It's great that a NL pitcher can effectively win the game nearly singlehandedly if he has a good bat.
The A's are also right there with the Rangers. Can't believe the White Sox choked!
And i hate to say it but..........chances are better the DH will just come to the NL instead of getting rid of it altogether. We should pray that things just stay the same! You know how things go, they will try to boost offense and revenue by bringing it to the NL. (Pleasing the union by letting more old farts stick around and saying they are protecting pitchers by not letting them hit)
That would blow. And I say that as a former Brewers fan. That is, I've seen what the DH adds and takes away from the game since they switched from AL to NL not too long ago. Having the pitcher bat adds a significant strategic element to the game. It's great that a NL pitcher can effectively win the game nearly singlehandedly if he has a good bat.
chewybrian
10-03-12, 01:09 AM
That would blow. And I say that as a former Brewers fan. That is, I've seen what the DH adds and takes away from the game since they switched from AL to NL not too long ago. Having the pitcher bat adds a significant strategic element to the game. It's great that a NL pitcher can effectively win the game nearly singlehandedly if he has a good bat.
Yes, please don't expand the DH. The strategy of pulling your pitcher, pinch hit, sacrifice, double switch... is an important element of real baseball.
In a sense, the playoffs begin today with A's vs. Rangers for the division. Hopefully, the Sox will show up and give the O's a chance to catch the Yankees, too.
Yes, please don't expand the DH. The strategy of pulling your pitcher, pinch hit, sacrifice, double switch... is an important element of real baseball.
In a sense, the playoffs begin today with A's vs. Rangers for the division. Hopefully, the Sox will show up and give the O's a chance to catch the Yankees, too.
gaucho777
10-03-12, 10:41 PM
GO A'S! Really fun year to follow the A's, and great finish to the season.
Predictions:
NL Wild Card: Braves def. Cardinals
NLDS: Reds def. Giants. Nationals def Braves
NLCS: Nationals def. Reds
AL Wild Card: Rangers def. Orioles
ALDS: A's def. Tigers, Yankees def. Rangers
ALCL: A's def. Yankees (starting pitching is Yankees weekness)
WS: A's! (okay, I'm biased, but they do have the best record in baseball over the past few months and are playing as well as any team)
I was just thinking about that magical last day of the season last year when the Red Sox were kicked out of the playoffs in an instant after the Rays beat the Yankees and the Orioles shocked the Red Sox by scoring the winning runs in the bottom of the 9th off Papelbon. The Orioles celebrated that win with a pile-up in the middle of the infield as if they had just won the World Series. The way the Orioles ended last year by sweeping the Red Sox out of the playoffs may have given them the confidence to compete in the AL East this year. And of course the Red Sox haven't been the same all year.
Do you like the new format?
I have mixed feelings about the new system. 162 regular season games should be enough to narrow down the post-season field without having an extra wild card team. At the same time, I can appreciate that it keeps more teams in the race longer in the season (and thus more fans interested). What I don't like is the new home-away format with the 1-seed having to play 2 away games to start the series.
However, what is REALLY GOOD NEWS is that MLB made a new TV deal in place today with FOX. Starting in 2014, FOX will no longer have the exclusive Saturday daytime broadcast. This is the reason almost all Saturday games are played at night. Welcome back Saturday afternoon baseball! :)
The new format seems very unfair to a team like Atlanta, or the loser of the Yankees/Orioles race (Unless the Yankees lose in a one-game playoff; then it's awesome!).
But the Braves would have made the playoffs last year under the new system rather than collapse monumentally.
Yes, please don't expand the DH. The strategy of pulling your pitcher, pinch hit, sacrifice, double switch... is an important element of real baseball.
That argument might might carry more weight if pitchers could actually hit. It used to be that pitchers had a fair chance of getting a hit. Nowadays, it's pretty pathethic what constitutes a pitcher AB (with some exceptions, Micah Owens, Carlos Zambrano, Dontrelle Willis, etc.) As a result, the "strategy" becomes almost automatic. Runners on, close game, 6th inning or later, 8-spot coming up, we all know what's coming: walk the 8th-spot batter, and the pitcher gets pinch hit for. One could argue that AL managers are more often faced to make the difficult decision of when to replace a pitcher, whereas that decision is often made for the NL during their AB due to situational reasons. Do you remember watching Randy Johnson swing a bat? During Barry Zito's first few years with the A's, the coaches specifically told him not to swing during interleague play. After nonchalantly standing in the box with his bat on his shoulders, he eventually adopted a stance which gave an appearance that he might actually swing. The DH has been around for almost 40 years. American League baseball is real baseball, too.
(I'm a bike geek, but I'm more of a baseball geek.)
Predictions:
NL Wild Card: Braves def. Cardinals
NLDS: Reds def. Giants. Nationals def Braves
NLCS: Nationals def. Reds
AL Wild Card: Rangers def. Orioles
ALDS: A's def. Tigers, Yankees def. Rangers
ALCL: A's def. Yankees (starting pitching is Yankees weekness)
WS: A's! (okay, I'm biased, but they do have the best record in baseball over the past few months and are playing as well as any team)
I was just thinking about that magical last day of the season last year when the Red Sox were kicked out of the playoffs in an instant after the Rays beat the Yankees and the Orioles shocked the Red Sox by scoring the winning runs in the bottom of the 9th off Papelbon. The Orioles celebrated that win with a pile-up in the middle of the infield as if they had just won the World Series. The way the Orioles ended last year by sweeping the Red Sox out of the playoffs may have given them the confidence to compete in the AL East this year. And of course the Red Sox haven't been the same all year.
Do you like the new format?
I have mixed feelings about the new system. 162 regular season games should be enough to narrow down the post-season field without having an extra wild card team. At the same time, I can appreciate that it keeps more teams in the race longer in the season (and thus more fans interested). What I don't like is the new home-away format with the 1-seed having to play 2 away games to start the series.
However, what is REALLY GOOD NEWS is that MLB made a new TV deal in place today with FOX. Starting in 2014, FOX will no longer have the exclusive Saturday daytime broadcast. This is the reason almost all Saturday games are played at night. Welcome back Saturday afternoon baseball! :)
The new format seems very unfair to a team like Atlanta, or the loser of the Yankees/Orioles race (Unless the Yankees lose in a one-game playoff; then it's awesome!).
But the Braves would have made the playoffs last year under the new system rather than collapse monumentally.
Yes, please don't expand the DH. The strategy of pulling your pitcher, pinch hit, sacrifice, double switch... is an important element of real baseball.
That argument might might carry more weight if pitchers could actually hit. It used to be that pitchers had a fair chance of getting a hit. Nowadays, it's pretty pathethic what constitutes a pitcher AB (with some exceptions, Micah Owens, Carlos Zambrano, Dontrelle Willis, etc.) As a result, the "strategy" becomes almost automatic. Runners on, close game, 6th inning or later, 8-spot coming up, we all know what's coming: walk the 8th-spot batter, and the pitcher gets pinch hit for. One could argue that AL managers are more often faced to make the difficult decision of when to replace a pitcher, whereas that decision is often made for the NL during their AB due to situational reasons. Do you remember watching Randy Johnson swing a bat? During Barry Zito's first few years with the A's, the coaches specifically told him not to swing during interleague play. After nonchalantly standing in the box with his bat on his shoulders, he eventually adopted a stance which gave an appearance that he might actually swing. The DH has been around for almost 40 years. American League baseball is real baseball, too.
(I'm a bike geek, but I'm more of a baseball geek.)
chewybrian
10-04-12, 12:56 AM
...That argument might might carry more weight if pitchers could actually hit. It used to be that pitchers had a fair chance of getting a hit. Nowadays, it's pretty pathethic what constitutes a pitcher AB (with some exceptions, Micah Owens, Carlos Zambrano, Dontrelle Willis, etc.) As a result, the "strategy" becomes almost automatic. Runners on, close game, 6th inning or later, 8-spot coming up, we all know what's coming: walk the 8th-spot batter, and the pitcher gets pinch hit for...
Remember Whitey Herzog? His line-up cards looked like the side of a Chicago L-train by the end of the game. If the pitchers could hit, then why would he go through all the subs? It's the fact they could not hit that made it interesting. Most of them can get down a sacrifice, anyway, so it seems like it adds more twists if they can't hit. At least it's more interesting than some old fat guy hitting for the pitcher, with a pinch runner from time to time.
Remember Whitey Herzog? His line-up cards looked like the side of a Chicago L-train by the end of the game. If the pitchers could hit, then why would he go through all the subs? It's the fact they could not hit that made it interesting. Most of them can get down a sacrifice, anyway, so it seems like it adds more twists if they can't hit. At least it's more interesting than some old fat guy hitting for the pitcher, with a pinch runner from time to time.
chewybrian
10-04-12, 01:05 AM
...But the Braves would have made the playoffs last year under the new system rather than collapse monumentally....
I meant unfair to them in their situation this year. Under the old rules, they go to the divisional round. This year, they have an extra 'round', and it's only a one-game shot. They could easily get bumped out by one hit, one out. It's troubling for the teams, especially if the second best team in the league happened to be in the same division as the best, which was the rationale for creating the old wildcard in the first place. But for the fans, it's great, and it's probably the best system you could make. If you extend the wildcard round, then the top teams have a long layoff waiting for the round to finish.
I meant unfair to them in their situation this year. Under the old rules, they go to the divisional round. This year, they have an extra 'round', and it's only a one-game shot. They could easily get bumped out by one hit, one out. It's troubling for the teams, especially if the second best team in the league happened to be in the same division as the best, which was the rationale for creating the old wildcard in the first place. But for the fans, it's great, and it's probably the best system you could make. If you extend the wildcard round, then the top teams have a long layoff waiting for the round to finish.
HardyWeinberg
10-04-12, 10:02 AM
Interesting that the wild card teams face such a stark challenge on day 1. Not sure if it devalues the memory of past game 163s. Actually, as a Red Sox fan, erasing all past Game 163s does not seem like such a bad idea.
Weird that each league's top team has to start on the road against the winner of the game 163s. Maybe it's a tacit admission that the top team in each league probably fed off cellar dwellers in an unbalanced schedule.
Weird that each league's top team has to start on the road against the winner of the game 163s. Maybe it's a tacit admission that the top team in each league probably fed off cellar dwellers in an unbalanced schedule.
jsharr
10-04-12, 10:07 AM
You can stick a fork in the Rangers. What a collapse.
HardyWeinberg
10-06-12, 10:18 AM
What's with calling the infield fly rule on a play in the outfield? Is that one of those things that has evolved in MLB like allowing traveling in the NBA?
chewybrian
10-07-12, 02:39 AM
What's with calling the infield fly rule on a play in the outfield? Is that one of those things that has evolved in MLB like allowing traveling in the NBA?
There's nothing in the rule that says the ball has to be in the infield. It's just a judgment call that the ball could have been caught with an 'ordinary' effort, and it's close enough that the fielder(s) could pick up the ball and gun down the base runners. It is meant to protect the team at bat from a fake "oops, I dropped it", so the team in the field doesn't get a free shot to double up the runners.
In this case, the letter of the rule was followed correctly. Yet, the result seems contrary to the intent of the rule. Instead of protecting the Braves from an intentional drop, it seems to have saved the Cards from a true error that would have loaded the bases.
p.s. Reds win! That's one...
There's nothing in the rule that says the ball has to be in the infield. It's just a judgment call that the ball could have been caught with an 'ordinary' effort, and it's close enough that the fielder(s) could pick up the ball and gun down the base runners. It is meant to protect the team at bat from a fake "oops, I dropped it", so the team in the field doesn't get a free shot to double up the runners.
In this case, the letter of the rule was followed correctly. Yet, the result seems contrary to the intent of the rule. Instead of protecting the Braves from an intentional drop, it seems to have saved the Cards from a true error that would have loaded the bases.
p.s. Reds win! That's one...
xjken99
10-11-12, 03:28 PM
Two years ago they choked, got no hit and swept in three by Philly. This time they had to win one game at home. NOPE! another big time Reds CHOKE. Trying to be a fan in this town sucks.