Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 6, 2015 "What the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs did atop the National League Central this season is unprecedented. Since the start of the divisional era in 1969, never before had the teams with the three best records in baseball all finished in the same division." It's a shame two of these teams won't be able to play in the NLCS. One of them will be eliminated after one game, and another will be eliminated in the NLDS. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted October 6, 2015 It's not fair that two of those three teams have to battle each other. I know you won't sympathize with the cardinals... But how in the world is it fair that the Cardinals who have the best record in baseball will have to match up against the 2nd or 3rd best record? Conversely... The Pirates or Cubs finish 2nd and 3rd in the entire league... Aren't even guaranteed an actual series, and then their reward for winning that play in game is to face off against maybe baseballs best team. CONGRATULATIONS. The fact that the Mets and Dodgers play each other is a complete sham. lol. Nothing against either of those teams.... just the way I see it. Pirates VS Blue Jays is my official WS prediction. Arrieta is on such a killer hot streak right now, I have to feel that it's going to end sooner rather than later. I bet the Buccos absolutely destroy him. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 6, 2015 Yea, for example if the Pirates are going to get to the WS, they will have to make it through the Cubs, Cardinals, and probably the Dodgers. Talk about running the gauntlet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigBen07 285 Posted October 7, 2015 Yankees are done! That was a solid pitching performance by the Astros tonight! Now Houston gets K.C. NL WC game tomorrow... no idea who to pick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 7, 2015 Gonna head to the bar soon to catch the game. LET'S GO BUCS!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025 Posted October 8, 2015 World Series prediction: versus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted October 8, 2015 So, can we kill the stupid one-game wild cards now? Both games were boring shutouts, and the team with the 2nd best record in baseball is eliminated because of one loss. MLB, . 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 8, 2015 At least give it a best 2 out of 3, yo. Damn. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025 Posted October 8, 2015 agreed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 8, 2015 A one game wildcard is a gimmick. All season the teams play 3 and 4 game sets. You need pitching depth to win consistently during the season, but the wildcard ignores 4/5 guys in your rotation. How is that in any way an accurate depiction of baseball or the talent level of your team? The wildcard basically says if we have the better pitcher we're gonna win 9/10 times. One pitcher isn't/shouldn't be your whole team though in the playoffs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted October 8, 2015 I actually think the one game wild card play in works really well for baseball by simultaneously making it easier for teams to make the playoffs without winning the division while giving more weight to division winners. Sarge is right when he says whichever wild card team has the best pitcher is probably going to win the play in game, but then they're only going to be able to use that pitcher once in their next series. In that way, the current set up makes playoff success harder on both wild cards, and I like giving that larger advantage to division winners. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted October 8, 2015 John Lackey VS Jon Lester in Game 1 has me all kinds of nervous. This isn't going to end well, is it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 8, 2015 I actually think the one game wild card play in works really well for baseball by simultaneously making it easier for teams to make the playoffs without winning the division while giving more weight to division winners. Sarge is right when he says whichever wild card team has the best pitcher is probably going to win the play in game, but then they're only going to be able to use that pitcher once in their next series. In that way, the current set up makes playoff success harder on both wild cards, and I like giving that larger advantage to division winners. So as a hockey guy would you be OK with round 1 of the NHL playoffs being 1 game do or die? Kinda the same thing when you think about it. Even with the addition of the 2nd wildcard, MLB is still the hardest sport to make the playoffs in. It's insulting to force your season to come down to a 1 game do or die situation when you play 3 and 4 game sets all season. It completely changes the game from what it actually is. Kinda like the shootout in NHL. Should the winner of a hockey game really come down to a glorified skills competition? Nope. Should someone advance in baseball playoffs by being able to win one game? Nope. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted October 8, 2015 Especially when in that one game, you get matched up against Jake Arrieta in the middle of one of the greatest stretches for any pitcher in the history of the game. Brutal. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted October 8, 2015 So as a hockey guy would you be OK with round 1 of the NHL playoffs being 1 game do or die? Kinda the same thing when you think about it. Even with the addition of the 2nd wildcard, MLB is still the hardest sport to make the playoffs in. It's insulting to force your season to come down to a 1 game do or die situation when you play 3 and 4 game sets all season. It completely changes the game from what it actually is. Kinda like the shootout in NHL. Should the winner of a hockey game really come down to a glorified skills competition? Nope. Should someone advance in baseball playoffs by being able to win one game? Nope. Baseball has always been more exclusive, and that makes sense with the longer season, you want teams to prove themselves in the long run of the full season. MLB also has more interdivision games (by percentage) than any other league at about 47% (76 of 162) compared to at most about 37% in the NHL (30 of 82 in the Eastern Conference, fewer in the Western Conference) about 38% in the NFL (6 of 16) and only 20% in the NBA (16 of 82) so it makes more sense for MLB to give that weight to winning the division. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 8, 2015 Baseball has always been more exclusive, and that makes sense with the longer season, you want teams to prove themselves in the long run of the full season. Yea prove yourself for 162 games to boil it all down to a 1 game playoff... still not seeing how it's fair. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted October 8, 2015 Yea prove yourself for 162 games to boil it all down to a 1 game playoff... still not seeing how it's fair. prove yourself in terms of winning the division, if you haven't demonstrated over 162 games that you're the best team in your division why do you deserve more of a shot than they give you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted October 8, 2015 I think we're actually arguing separate points. My point is that it is unrealistic to decide baseball playoffs by one game. You're talking about rewarding/punishing teams for winning or not winning their division. These are separate points. If you don't agree, that's fine. I just want to make it clear what I'm arguing. All throughout the season, we play 3 and 4 game sets. That is the ESSENCE of baseball. You get NOTHING by winning one game in the regular season, especially if the other team wins the next 2 or 3 in the series. But even if we use your punish/reward system, don't the Cards get the maximum reward anyway for winning their division and having the best record? It is simply not logical to take a game that is played in sets of 3 and 4 and end one team's season in one game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted October 8, 2015 Thanks for clarifying your point, I was definitely approaching it from a fairness standpoint. That said, I still disagree with valuing a series over individual games. I've always seen the regular season series structure to be more a matter of convenience and limiting travel than anything else. Teams want to win every game, not just win more games of each series. Teams talk about winning a series, but it's important because if they win a series it means they won more games than they lost, the series isn't the goal in and of itself. A team's record doesn't reflect how many series they've won and lost, it reflects how many games they've won and lost. Off hand, do you know how many series the Pirates won this year? Even using the internet can you look that up without pulling up their schedule and compiling it yourself? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATL_Predator+ 1,196 Posted October 8, 2015 A one game wildcard is a gimmick. All season the teams play 3 and 4 game sets. You need pitching depth to win consistently during the season, but the wildcard ignores 4/5 guys in your rotation. How is that in any way an accurate depiction of baseball or the talent level of your team? The wildcard basically says if we have the better pitcher we're gonna win 9/10 times. One pitcher isn't/shouldn't be your whole team though in the playoffs. Been saying this ever since the dogshit Cardinals ousted the Braves in the first ever game that happened for the new Bud Selig baseball attention gimmick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted October 14, 2015 The Blue Jays just got 2002 Kings screwed. Wow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigBen07 285 Posted October 15, 2015 The Blue Jays just got 2002 Kings screwed. Wow. NOPE! Jays come back with 4 in the bottom of the 7th and win 6-3! ALCS BOUND BABY!!! Now I have to wait to see where Toronto plays! And as for the "fans" that threw shit on the field: grow the fuck up. That's disgusting behavior, and there is no excuse for it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
