MLB Random Thoughts - [9/10 - 9/16]

[Rudi]

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

 

[Rudi]

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

 

[MVPete]

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

Read more: http://www.virtualsportsnetwork.com...Random-Thoughts-9-10-9-16/page2#ixzz26KYzlrUO

 

[Woy]

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

Read more: http://www.virtualsportsnetwork.com/...#ixzz26KYzlrUO

 

[FedEx227]

It's great for that, it's bad for any team that actually wins their division and has a great year all year. There's little to no advantage to them.

But whatever, fuck this shitty White Sox team and the beginning of Robin Ventura's slide as a manager. Absolutely horseshit bullpen management, terrible lineup management and has been on a rant that he likes the team better when they don't hit home runs. (Despite the fact, of course, that we're in first places largely because we're one of the more HR-dependent teams in the MLB).

 

[NAHSTE]

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

Read more: http://www.virtualsportsnetwork.com...Random-Thoughts-9-10-9-16/page2#ixzz26KYzlrUO

Say what you want about the second wild card addition [cue NAHSTE snark comments], but there are 6 teams within 4 games of the 2nd spot in the NL. Sure is going to make for an exciting last few weeks.

Read more: http://www.virtualsportsnetwork.com/...#ixzz26KYzlrUO

All 6 of those teams are 5 games worse than the first wild card, and closer to .500 than to WC1. But if rewarding mediocrity was the intention, the new format is working wonders.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

d-One year sample, every year will produce different results
-Only one of the six will get in, and that team will likely win around 85 games
-This system gives a real incentive to division winners after the past 16 years of a system where winning the division didn't mean shit
-This system eliminates those years where there is very little meaningful baseball the final 3 weeks
-The wild card double header will be a great day of baseball with a Game 7 feel
-Its September 13 and fans of more than half the teams are watching games that matter
-MLB still has the lowest percentage of teams make the postseason
-Anything is better than the previous system of the wild card being on equal footing as the division winners
-The system gauruntees the three best records in each league make the postseason, destroying the weak "boo hoo, my division is so hard!" nonsense.
-It isnt perfect, but it beats the shit out of the previous system on every level. Excitement, giving real incentive to the best teams, less teams playing out the string in front of 10k fans. Im all for tradition and nowild cards at all, but that ship has sailed so there is no point losing sleep. Sports are in constant evolution and as a fan you just have to adapt. This system still beats the shit out of the other sports, and is far better than the previous one. Tradition died decades ago.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I mean, look at the NL. If this were last season, everything would be wrapped up a week ago. An entire month of games that mean nothing.

Not to mention an Atlanta team completely satisfied with a WC because it puts them on equal footing as the best team in baseball in their own division that they couldn't beat out.

And the AL finish is going to be nothing short of epic with everything at stake.

I think people picked a bad year to pick on the new system. It's working out great this season.

 

[moneyman255]

The only thing I hate about it is that one game to get in. It should be like a best of 3.

WC 1 could win 95 games and WC 2 could win 85 games and if WC 2 gets lucky for one game, the WC 1 season is over even though they had a much better season.

 

[FedEx227]

I suspect a lot of people will be less happy about the format when their 90+ win WC team loses to a lesser team in a 1-game series. That's probably my biggest gripe, I don't like the playoff formatting at all.

 

[NAHSTE]

The only thing I hate about it is that one game to get in. It should be like a best of 3.

WC 1 could win 95 games and WC 2 could win 85 games and if WC 2 gets lucky for one game, the WC 1 season is over even though they had a much better season.

I suspect a lot of people will be less happy about the format when their 90+ win WC team loses to a lesser team in a 1-game series. That's probably my biggest gripe, I don't like the playoff formatting at all.

:yep:

Also, funny how w2b mentions last season, which provided one of the most exciting baseball nights in recent memory with the races going down to the final game. If we had this current format, there are no "collapses" for the Red Sox and Braves, because they'd both still be in after losing game 162. The Rays wouldn't need to come from 7 runs down vs the Yankees, because they'd still be in win or lose. The CRADS wouldn't be watching the Braves-Phils game in the clubhouse with beers on ice, because they'd have already been in.

Tell me again how watering down the playoff field makes games more meaningful? There might be a higher amount of games that "matter" ... but we've reduced the degree to which they matter.

 

[FedEx227]

I HATE HOW THE STUPID THUG NBA LETS EVERYBODY IN THE PLAYOFFS!

I HATE HOW MLB DOESN'T LET A LOT OF TEAMS IN THE PLAYOFFS!

 

[Villain]

I like the way the new Wild Card system is in. It gives a clear advantage to division winners and that I think that is huge. It's like forcing the last competitor in a race to have to run to get to the track. No time to reset the rotation or anything.

 

[NAHSTE]

I like the way the new Wild Card system is in. It gives a clear advantage to division winners and that I think that is huge. It's like forcing the last competitor in a race to have to run to get to the track. No time to reset the rotation or anything.

Some of which will have a worse record than the first Wild Card team, so why do they deserve a clear advantage again? Punishing teams based on geography makes total sense.

 

[Villain]

Some of which will have a worse record than the first Wild Card team, so why do they deserve a clear advantage again?

They won their division.

 

[NAHSTE]

Because you didn't win your own division.

Guess they should pick a shittier division to play in.

 

[Villain]

Guess they should pick a shittier division to play in.

Guess so.

 

[Goober]

Nahste is mixing up the unbalanced MLB schedule, and the addition of an extra wildcard. Separate things.

 

[Slateman]

Some of which will have a worse record than the first Wild Card team, so why do they deserve a clear advantage again? Punishing teams based on geography makes total sense.

Then why have divisions? Just have everyone play everyone else an equal number of times and the top 4 records can compete against each other.

 

[NAHSTE]

Then why have divisions? Just have everyone play everyone else an equal number of times and the top 4 records can compete against each other.

:yep:

Been advocating that system for years.