FB: Liberty League

[redswarm81]

who were the best teams this year?

At 100-62, the LA Angels finished with a record 4 games better than the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who compiled the second best record in the American League.

At 97-64, the Chicago Cubs' record was 5.5 games better than the Phillies' record.

Unfortunately, with so many divisions, and especially with interleague play, the comparisons aren't as straightforward in the Bud Selig system as they were during MLBaseball's Golden Era.

There's also the complication caused by the presence of the wildcard teams, where a team might actually harm its post-season chances by playing hard at the end of the season.  The wildcard system prevents quality pennant races.  Instead, we get "wild card races" between a bunch of second rate teams.

Ultimately, I just don't understand why a team is required to play 162 games, just so that after it wins more games than any other team in its league, it must play again two other teams in that league, who each won less games.

Couldn't you make this argument for any sport (especially NHL & NBA)?  Also, no way you can compare the schedules of the Angels and Rays.

Yes, you can make the same argument for any other sport with expanded playoffs.  That's sort of the point.  Expanded playoffs dilute the quality of play in the post-season.  (In baseball, expanded playoffs ~guarantee bad weather, which deteriorates the quality of play among even the best teams.)

It's a shame that MLBaseball has evolved from a sport where the two best teams met in the World Series, to a spectacle where a team can win 100 of 62 games, finish 5.5 games ahead of the next best record, and yet they still can't say "we are the best team in the league."

Here's an idea:  Add two more teams.  Create 4 separate leagues, with 8 teams each.  No interleague play of any kind.  At the end of a 140 game season, have two best of 7 game playoff series to choose the World Series teams.  Start the season in mid-April, World Series wraps up by the end of September, when attention is properly turning to D-III football.

[redswarm81]

who were the best teams this year?

At 100-62, the LA Angels finished with a record 4 games better than the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who compiled the second best record in the American League.

At 97-64, the Chicago Cubs' record was 5.5 games better than the Phillies' record.

Unfortunately, with so many divisions, and especially with interleague play, the comparisons aren't as straightforward in the Bud Selig system as they were during MLBaseball's Golden Era.

There's also the complication caused by the presence of the wildcard teams, where a team might actually harm its post-season chances by playing hard at the end of the season.  The wildcard system prevents quality pennant races.  Instead, we get "wild card races" between a bunch of second rate teams.

Ultimately, I just don't understand why a team is required to play 162 games, just so that after it wins more games than any other team in its league, it must play again two other teams in that league, who each won less games.

TB was 6-3 against Anaheim.

TB was 3-0 against CHC.

Why even have a World Series?  Anaheim won more games than anyone else, give them the trophy.

This is a good example of why I've always opposed interleague play (except for the World Series).  Did Anaheim play the Cubs during the regular season?  No.  Thus, it becomes difficult to compare regular season records.  It's tough enough just comparing across divisions, even when the games are restricted to one league.

[redswarm81]

who were the best teams this year?

At 100-62, the LA Angels finished with a record 4 games better than the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who compiled the second best record in the American League.

At 97-64, the Chicago Cubs' record was 5.5 games better than the Phillies' record.

Unfortunately, with so many divisions, and especially with interleague play, the comparisons aren't as straightforward in the Bud Selig system as they were during MLBaseball's Golden Era.

There's also the complication caused by the presence of the wildcard teams, where a team might actually harm its post-season chances by playing hard at the end of the season. The wildcard system prevents quality pennant races.  Instead, we get "wild card races" between a bunch of second rate teams.

Ultimately, I just don't understand why a team is required to play 162 games, just so that after it wins more games than any other team in its league, it must play again two other teams in that league, who each won less games.

Is this post real?  You're telling me a 95 win Red Sox team didn't deserve to be in the playoffs?  A garbage White Sox team and an Anaheim team who won their division by 21 games because it sucks so bad deserved it more because they won their division?

If you think that a team with its league's third best regular season record deserves to be in the playoffs, then of course the Red Sox deserved to be in the playoffs.  But once again, I don't understand why we need a 162 game regular season to determine which 4 of 14 teams deserve to be in the post-season.

[Garnet]

The discussion on MLB is a waste of time.

There is one reason and only one reason MLB does what it does.


Money !

[JQV]

who were the best teams this year?

At 100-62, the LA Angels finished with a record 4 games better than the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who compiled the second best record in the American League.

At 97-64, the Chicago Cubs' record was 5.5 games better than the Phillies' record.

Unfortunately, with so many divisions, and especially with interleague play, the comparisons aren't as straightforward in the Bud Selig system as they were during MLBaseball's Golden Era.

There's also the complication caused by the presence of the wildcard teams, where a team might actually harm its post-season chances by playing hard at the end of the season. The wildcard system prevents quality pennant races.  Instead, we get "wild card races" between a bunch of second rate teams.

Ultimately, I just don't understand why a team is required to play 162 games, just so that after it wins more games than any other team in its league, it must play again two other teams in that league, who each won less games.

Is this post real?  You're telling me a 95 win Red Sox team didn't deserve to be in the playoffs?  A garbage White Sox team and an Anaheim team who won their division by 21 games because it sucks so bad deserved it more because they won their division?

If you think that a team with its league's third best regular season record deserves to be in the playoffs, then of course the Red Sox deserved to be in the playoffs.  But once again, I don't understand why we need a 162 game regular season to determine which 4 of 14 teams deserve to be in the post-season.

This point would be more relevant if the teams played the same schedule.  Your beef is with this absurd unbalanced schedule.

[redswarm81]

The discussion on MLB is a waste of time.

There is one reason and only one reason MLB does what it does.

Money !

You're so cynical.  But even through your lucre-colored lenses, surely you can see that MLBaseball--a professional sports organization--can offer a high quality sport and still make lots of professional.

This year, Bud Selig is proving that his system minimizes both quality of sport and quantity of money.

[redswarm81]

who were the best teams this year?

At 100-62, the LA Angels finished with a record 4 games better than the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who compiled the second best record in the American League.

At 97-64, the Chicago Cubs' record was 5.5 games better than the Phillies' record.

Unfortunately, with so many divisions, and especially with interleague play, the comparisons aren't as straightforward in the Bud Selig system as they were during MLBaseball's Golden Era.

There's also the complication caused by the presence of the wildcard teams, where a team might actually harm its post-season chances by playing hard at the end of the season. The wildcard system prevents quality pennant races.  Instead, we get "wild card races" between a bunch of second rate teams.

Ultimately, I just don't understand why a team is required to play 162 games, just so that after it wins more games than any other team in its league, it must play again two other teams in that league, who each won less games.

Is this post real?  You're telling me a 95 win Red Sox team didn't deserve to be in the playoffs?  A garbage White Sox team and an Anaheim team who won their division by 21 games because it sucks so bad deserved it more because they won their division?

If you think that a team with its league's third best regular season record deserves to be in the playoffs, then of course the Red Sox deserved to be in the playoffs.  But once again, I don't understand why we need a 162 game regular season to determine which 4 of 14 teams deserve to be in the post-season.

This point would be more relevant if the teams played the same schedule.  Your beef is with this absurd unbalanced schedule.

The unbalanced schedule doesn't prevent quality pennant races between top teams, the last of which occurred in 1993.

Even if it were a completely balanced schedule, I don't see why we'd need a 162 game season to select the top 4 of 14 teams.

That's the beauty of Bud Selig's brand of twisted evil--he has created a system that is bad from just about every standpoint.  Quality of play, quality of competition, quantity of money, . . .

[lewdogg11]

The discussion on MLB is a waste of time.

There is one reason and only one reason MLB does what it does.

Money !

You're so cynical.  But even through your lucre-colored lenses, surely you can see that MLBaseball--a professional sports organization--can offer a high quality sport and still make lots of professional.

This year, Bud Selig is proving that his system minimizes both quality of sport and quantity of money.

This isn't the NHL where 16 of 30 teams make the playoffs, which last for like 4 months.  4 teams from each league make the playoffs!  That's not too many...and it lasts less than a month!  My only complaint are the late starts.  They start at 7pm all year, then it changes for the playoffs.  Let's face it, this weather in October is not normal.  First EVER game to not be finished in post-season history.  Oh-friggin well.  

The NFL should end their season now and have the Giants and Titans play for the Super Bowl this Sunday.  The season is just way too long for me and it's obvious they are by far the best teams...Screw the other 10 that usually get a shot at the playoffs.  

And I think we know who the best in d3 is!!!!  Let's just end the season, avoid the snow, and just crown Mt. Union.

[lewdogg11]

The scientists say 256 games per year will show the best team in MLB...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070730111649.htm

[labart96]

This isn't the NHL where 16 of 30 teams make the playoffs, which last for like 4 months.  

TGP thought that was the NBA......

zing

[lewdogg11]

This isn't the NHL where 16 of 30 teams make the playoffs, which last for like 4 months.  

TGP thought that was the NBA......

zing

??  Both are the same eh?

[redswarm81]

MLBaseball--a professional sports organization--can offer a high quality sport and still make lots of professional.

This year, Bud Selig is proving that his system minimizes both quality of sport and quantity of money.

This isn't the NHL where 16 of 30 teams make the playoffs, which last for like 4 months.  4 teams from each league make the playoffs!

Are you sure you're comparing apples to apples?  It's not 16 v. 4, it's 16 NHL playoff teams v. 8 MLB playoff teams.  But the season's half as long in the NHL as in MLB.

In the NHL, 8 teams from each conference make the playoffs, after an 82 game regular season, with 10 interconference games per team.

In MLB, 4 teams from each league make the playoffs, after a 162 game regular season, with teams playing a varying number of interleague games.
So the access ratio isn't 1:1.875 as in the NHL, it's 1:3.75  (down from 1:8 prior to 1962).  But that's not the only consideration.  With a full 6 month-long regular season and a month-long post-season, the weather becomes a big factor.  In MLBaseball, weather affects the quality of play--that's not the case in the NHL, no matter how long the playoffs last.  Even if the best two teams are playing in the World Series, the pitchers' hands are so cold that they can't grip the ball well enough to control their pitches to their best ability, and the batters' hands sting for several innings after a bad foul ball.

Some of this could be alleviated if the teams could play in the sunshine.

My only complaint are the late starts.  They start at 7pm all year, then it changes for the playoffs.  Let's face it, this weather in October is not normal.  First EVER game to not be finished in post-season history.  Oh-friggin well.

That's your only complaint?  Well, that just proves once again what everyone already knows--you're a lot easier to get along with than I am. 

In 2006, Tigers centerfielder Curtis Granderson slipped on the sleet-slicked outfield grass, and missed what would have probably been a routine fly ball out, affecting the outcome of the World Series.  This weather in late October is normal, and that's a big part of the problem.

[Jonny Utah]

LD,

As gas has gone down to about $2.40 in some places in Boston, the price of one Super Chicken Burrito and a medium diet coke has gone up to $6.24 at Annas Taqueria.

I think I buy more gallons of gas a month than eat burritos, but I'm not sure.  In the end, the rising prices of Corn meal (for the tortillas), rice, chicken, hot sauce, and refried beans, is hurting JU's wallet the most in this economic downturn.

[lewdogg11]

LD,

As gas has gone down to about $2.40 in some places in Boston, the price of one Super Chicken Burrito and a medium diet coke has gone up to $6.24 at Annas Taqueria.

I think I buy more gallons of gas a month than eat burritos, but I'm not sure.  In the end, the rising prices of Corn meal (for the tortillas), rice, chicken, hot sauce, and refried beans, is hurting JU's wallet the most in this economic downturn.

Dude, come down to NC and you get a fraud burrito from Moe's for twice the price.  The people who work there even speak English.  It's garbage.  I'd pay $6.24 for Anna's anyday. 

[JT]

The discussion on MLB is a waste of time.

There is one reason and only one reason MLB does what it does.

Money !

Does that make the NFL and the NCAA charitable organizations?