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Do the Yankees deserve to be in the play-offs? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter DropKick
- Start date
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Do yourself a favor and just let this thread slowly drift to page 10. Not your finest moment.
DropKick
Footballguy
Not about me. Just playing devil's advocate. This concept was floated around in the spring and touted as a way to generate interest in baseball; that somehow the wild card wasn't deserving enough; and that the season should be decided on a single game.I'm completely against it now as I was then. I'm just raising the issue now when it is most relevant and with the season fresh in the rear view mirror to illustrate how bad of an idea it was... and to see if those supporting it still felt the same way when their team was the one with a season on the line. I'm just looking for consistency. Sorry you don't think it is a good question.
Darth Cheney
Footballguy
Wild Card....Boston's best friend.
DropKick
Footballguy
My team lost today, although I'm pulling for the Rangers in the AL. I predicted they would win the AL pennant before the season began.Boston just happened to have the next best record. You've missed the point.
Michael Brown
Footballguy
I think you missed the point too though. If there were two wild cards and the two of them had to play a play-in game the day after the regular season, you wouldn't have seen the likes of Chad Gaudin and Dustin Moseley in big spots down the stretch. The games the Yanks and Rays played against one another would have been dog fights instead of kinda cool mid-week matchups. So you are looking at it in hindsight and trying to get Yankee fans caught in an inconsistency. When in reality, an additional wild card team this year would have created a lot more drama in the division race in addition to an additional race to actually get the wild card. You can't just assume Boston would have gotten in as the 2nd team solely on the basis of them finishing with the next-best record. The White Sox may have put up more of a fight with something to play for too. You just don't know.I still like the two wild card idea, and if the Yanks and Sox had to play a game on Monday to decide the first round matchup with the Twins tonight, I say bring it on.
the moops
Footballguy
Indeed.I'm sure you wont be complaining if the Yankees win the WS this year though.
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
You give and you get.
You would have had great theatre in the AL with a second wildcard. But you would have killed a great NL race.
You would have had great theatre in the AL with a second wildcard. But you would have killed a great NL race.
Darth Cheney
Footballguy
I understand what you are saying. I forget which national writer first brought it up. I'm just making a funny.
Darth Cheney
Footballguy
Why not just four divisions in each League....no wild card.
DropKick
Footballguy
More or less drama? Tough to say. If teams had the assurance of that "one game second chance", I could imagine scenarios with the same drop in intensity at the end of the season.The season winds down the way it winds down. If teams find themselves in a situation to rest their players to set up their rotation for the post season, that is something they've earned, which is my point. Both Tampa and NY had fine seasons and each is, arguably, better than the actual other division winners. One of them had to be the wild card. The fact that it turns out to be NY just makes the situation more ironic.I don't care if the next best team is in Boston, Chicago or California. I don't think any of those teams "deserve" to be in the post season. And, the actual season should matter enough not to let it come down to a single game.I'll acknowledge the sportsmanship in a "bring it on" attitude. But, I don't think it is the best thing for the game. One game? Easy avenue for a lesser team to advance. And, at the least, each team would burn their Ace, putting them at a marked disadvantage in the first round.
Michael Brown
Footballguy
Which they should be, since they didn't earn a division title over the long haul. There's currently no disadvantage to being the WC. Also including a 2nd wild card would guarantee more teams would be "in it" going into September, which would be good for the sport in general.
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
Homefield?Facing the higher seed?
Double wildcards are dopey, I'd rather make the wildcard play the first round on the road, baseball is better the limited number of teams.
Michael Brown
Footballguy
So how is this any difference than what the Rangers are facing? Due to the rule about not being able to play your own division in Round 1, even if Tampa had won 110 games, the Rangers would be on the road facing them in Round 1.And we're really seeing how much HFA is affecting these two series thus far....I'm not adamant about it, but you've got people crying about competitive balance still all the time. You add an additional wild card team, it gives who knows how many more teams a shot at important games in September. That helps the gate, helps the perception of competitive balance with so many teams playing meaningful September games, and sets up incredible drama on wild card day. But obviously, no setup is going to please everyone. I just happen to think this would be one of the better ones.And to the poster who said it would have eliminated an NL playoff race, it only would have put teams in -- the Giants and Padres series still would've been extremely dramatic to actually win the division and avoid burning their ace on Monday against the Braves.
DropKick
Footballguy
I don't mind the wild card. You have to be the best of 11 teams (AL) or 13 teams (NL). I think its an accomplishment. NY won 95 games... Atlanta won 91. With mostly 5 and 6 team divisions, a very good team can be second best. Nice symmetry in 4 team divisions but - we've seen it in the NFL - there can be a mediocre team that advances at the expense of a better team in a strong division.Some teasing but not trying to give anyone a hard time here. Just using the opportunity to point out that people can view a situation very differently depending upon their perspective.
DropKick
Footballguy
No different than football... someone has to go on the road. If Tampa hosted NY... Twins would host Rangers...Agree that home field is minimal in MLB. But can't buy the "more the better" philosophy. I don't think their was a legit contender in the AL this season. NL came down to the final day but even that would been been LESS interesting if the safety of a one game play-off were present.
Not a fan of NBA play-offs; NHL play-offs or a 256 team NCAA Tourney.
DropKick
Footballguy
Agree completely about the NL race. I hope you understand that I was being facetious with the "great theatre" comment. The one game "play-in" was touted as a way to market and promote interest in MLB. I think it's thrilling and special when the regular season boils down to a real one tie-breaker but potentially unfair and potentially boring when it is baked in.
