Better chance?

[Soul]

Yeah, and I just want to point out that we're coming up on the stretch where the Brewers and Cubs play actual major league teams (Twins & White Sox, respectively), while the Cards & Stros get to take their annual tour of the minors (Royals & Rangers).

 

Gotta love how that works out. So the Crew will have a tougher schedule than a few other Central teams. So will we. That could change things a bit.

 

Well, not exactly

 

Interleague schedules:

 

Cubs: 3 vs CHW, 3 at CHW, 3 vs SEA, 3 at TEX

Brewers: 3 vs MIN, 3 at MIN, 3 at TEX, 3 at DET, 3 vs KC

Cardinals: 3 at DET, 3 vs LAA, 3 at KC, 3 vs KC, 3 at OAK

Astros: 3 vs TEX, 3 at TEX, 3 at CHW, 3 vs OAK, 3 vs SEA, 3 at LAA

 

Cubs: 9 vs mediocre (CHW, SEA), 3 vs bad (TEX)

Brewers: 3 vs very good (DET), 6 vs mediocre (MIN), 6 vs bad (TEX, KC)

Cardinals: 3 vs very good (DET), 6 vs good (LAA, OAK), 6 vs bad (KC)

Astros: 6 vs good (LAA, OAK), 6 vs mediocre (CHW, SEA), 6 vs bad (TEX)

 

Based on this, the Cardinals actually have the toughest interleague schedule with 9 games against good teams. Their schedule just appears easier because they have 6 against the worst AL team. The Cubs probably have the easiest schedule out of all the teams with no true good teams on their schedule.

 

Note: Even though both are 2 games over .500, I classified the A's as good but the White Sox as mediocre because of each teams RS/RA differential.

 

I don't mind classifying Oakland as good, but I still think the White Sox will finish at least a bit above .500 so I don't classify them as mediocre.

 

The Cubs still have only 3 games against a truly bad AL team, compared with 6 for everyone else in the division. I understand the fascination with these natural rivalries, but I don't agree that KC should be St. Louis' natural rival. There's nothing there; KC hasn't been up to it since the '80s. They should be playing someone else, or rotating until they find an actual worthy rivalry.

[jersey cubs fan]

Yeah, and I just want to point out that we're coming up on the stretch where the Brewers and Cubs play actual major league teams (Twins & White Sox, respectively), while the Cards & Stros get to take their annual tour of the minors (Royals & Rangers).

 

Gotta love how that works out. So the Crew will have a tougher schedule than a few other Central teams. So will we. That could change things a bit.

 

Well, not exactly

 

Interleague schedules:

 

Cubs: 3 vs CHW, 3 at CHW, 3 vs SEA, 3 at TEX

Brewers: 3 vs MIN, 3 at MIN, 3 at TEX, 3 at DET, 3 vs KC

Cardinals: 3 at DET, 3 vs LAA, 3 at KC, 3 vs KC, 3 at OAK

Astros: 3 vs TEX, 3 at TEX, 3 at CHW, 3 vs OAK, 3 vs SEA, 3 at LAA

 

Cubs: 9 vs mediocre (CHW, SEA), 3 vs bad (TEX)

Brewers: 3 vs very good (DET), 6 vs mediocre (MIN), 6 vs bad (TEX, KC)

Cardinals: 3 vs very good (DET), 6 vs good (LAA, OAK), 6 vs bad (KC)

Astros: 6 vs good (LAA, OAK), 6 vs mediocre (CHW, SEA), 6 vs bad (TEX)

 

Based on this, the Cardinals actually have the toughest interleague schedule with 9 games against good teams. Their schedule just appears easier because they have 6 against the worst AL team. The Cubs probably have the easiest schedule out of all the teams with no true good teams on their schedule.

 

Note: Even though both are 2 games over .500, I classified the A's as good but the White Sox as mediocre because of each teams RS/RA differential.

 

Am I the only one who didn't realize the Cubs played only 12 interleague games, while the others play 15, and Houston plays 18?

[Soul]

I didn't until you just said it. What's up with that? We should play 3 more against the Royals dammit! 8-)

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Am I the only one who didn't realize the Cubs played only 12 interleague games, while the others play 15, and Houston plays 18?

 

nope

[jersey cubs fan]

The Cubs still have only 3 games against a truly bad AL team, compared with 6 for everyone else in the division. I understand the fascination with these natural rivalries, but I don't agree that KC should be St. Louis' natural rival. There's nothing there; KC hasn't been up to it since the '80s. They should be playing someone else, or rotating until they find an actual worthy rivalry.

 

If STL plays any natural rival, KC is the obvious natural rival.

[cubsfan5150]

The Cubs still have only 3 games against a truly bad AL team, compared with 6 for everyone else in the division. I understand the fascination with these natural rivalries, but I don't agree that KC should be St. Louis' natural rival. There's nothing there; KC hasn't been up to it since the '80s. They should be playing someone else, or rotating until they find an actual worthy rivalry.

 

If STL plays any natural rival, KC is the obvious natural rival.

 

 

I'm not from Chi-town so I could care less about this natural rival crap. It was cool the first couple of years, but I think that they should dump it now. I might be totally wrong, being that the folks up in the Chicago and New York etc. might love it, but I don't think that it's exactly fair.

[soccer10k]

Am I the only one who didn't realize the Cubs played only 12 interleague games, while the others play 15, and Houston plays 18?

 

I knew the Cubs, well, the NL Central, would play less interleague games than the other divisions because there are more teams in that division but I figured the Cubs would play as many (certainly not 6 fewer) as the rest of the NL Central. I couldn't believe that the Cubs only had 12 and the Astros had 18 that I went over each teams's schedule at least 5 times to make sure I didn't miss any games or include too many.

[soccer10k]

I don't mind classifying Oakland as good, but I still think the White Sox will finish at least a bit above .500 so I don't classify them as mediocre.

 

The Cubs still have only 3 games against a truly bad AL team, compared with 6 for everyone else in the division.

 

Fair enough. I would still say that the Cardinals have a tougher interleague schedule than the Cubs do even if you classify the White Sox as good (and, that could go either way). But then the Cubs' schedule is probably the same as the Astros and Brewers if not a bit tougher.

[Soul]

The Cubs still have only 3 games against a truly bad AL team, compared with 6 for everyone else in the division. I understand the fascination with these natural rivalries, but I don't agree that KC should be St. Louis' natural rival. There's nothing there; KC hasn't been up to it since the '80s. They should be playing someone else, or rotating until they find an actual worthy rivalry.

 

If STL plays any natural rival, KC is the obvious natural rival.

 

You think? Maybe I'm just way off base on this, but I've never heard nor seen any of the people who are KC fans give one crap about that "rivalry." Cards fans certainly don't get their blood boiling one bit over it. It's a nice little AAA diversion every year for them, but I can't see any Cards fans going "those damn Royals!"

 

I don't think it exists. It's made up by league. The cities are on opposite ends of the state, and are extremely different.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Cubs still have only 3 games against a truly bad AL team, compared with 6 for everyone else in the division. I understand the fascination with these natural rivalries, but I don't agree that KC should be St. Louis' natural rival. There's nothing there; KC hasn't been up to it since the '80s. They should be playing someone else, or rotating until they find an actual worthy rivalry.

 

If STL plays any natural rival, KC is the obvious natural rival.

 

You think? Maybe I'm just way off base on this, but I've never heard nor seen any of the people who are KC fans give one crap about that "rivalry." Cards fans certainly don't get their blood boiling one bit over it. It's a nice little AAA diversion every year for them, but I can't see any Cards fans going "those damn Royals!"

 

I don't think it exists. It's made up by league. The cities are on opposite ends of the state, and are extremely different.

 

If East St. Louis had a team, you'd have a point. But they don't. There's no other option. Tampa and Miami are even further apart, but they are the Florida teams and the obvious "natural rival" if you are going to have one. You have the Braves and Boston not even in the same geographical area of the United State as "natural" rivals playing twice a year. Hell, this year AZ and Baltimore are playing twice.

 

If you want to say there should be no standings 6 games series for teams every year because it's unfair, fine. But if there is going to be such a thing as "natural" rivals, ST/KC is as good as most. It's not Chicago, NY or one of the close by California rivalries, but it's a reasonable matchup.