New playoff format

[seanimal]

I don't care either way. The "strategy" as it stands right now translates to little more than "welp, I can breathe easy, the 7-9 hitters are up" or "durrrrr, me do double switch now and then be hailed as genius when me completely and randomly luck out."

 

lol did you just write that in the voice of jar jar binks?

[CubColtPacer]

I don't care either way. The "strategy" as it stands right now translates to little more than "welp, I can breathe easy, the 7-9 hitters are up" or "durrrrr, me do double switch now and then be hailed as genius when me completely and randomly luck out."

 

There's a whole lot more than that involved. Managing the workload of a pitching staff is completely different in the NL than in the AL. The way a roster is constructed is different. The decisions on how best to use a bench is harder.

 

I can understand preferring the AL style of play to the NL (although I don't), but they are dramatically different. The NL is all about scarcity. You only have so many bullpen pitchers and so many bench players available, and you have to pick and choose where you maximize your advantage now or where you are going to take a risk in order to gain an advantage later on. The AL is all about maximizing your opportunity at every turn-putting your best players on the field and just fighting it out.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I don't care either way. The "strategy" as it stands right now translates to little more than "welp, I can breathe easy, the 7-9 hitters are up" or "durrrrr, me do double switch now and then be hailed as genius when me completely and randomly luck out."

 

There's a whole lot more than that involved. Managing the workload of a pitching staff is completely different in the NL than in the AL. The way a roster is constructed is different. The decisions on how best to use a bench is harder.

 

I can understand preferring the AL style of play to the NL (although I don't), but they are dramatically different. The NL is all about scarcity. You only have so many bullpen pitchers and so many bench players available, and you have to pick and choose where you maximize your advantage now or where you are going to take a risk in order to gain an advantage later on. The AL is all about maximizing your opportunity at every turn-putting your best players on the field and just fighting it out.

 

The thing with me is that those strategies don't really matter that much. Do I let the .220 OBP pitcher or the .320 OBP bench bat hit? 9 times out of 10, it won't matter for that PA. And even if it does turn out to matter for that PA, it probably won't be decisive.

[treebird]

I don't care either way. The "strategy" as it stands right now translates to little more than "welp, I can breathe easy, the 7-9 hitters are up" or "durrrrr, me do double switch now and then be hailed as genius when me completely and randomly luck out."

 

There's a whole lot more than that involved. Managing the workload of a pitching staff is completely different in the NL than in the AL. The way a roster is constructed is different. The decisions on how best to use a bench is harder.

 

I can understand preferring the AL style of play to the NL (although I don't), but they are dramatically different. The NL is all about scarcity. You only have so many bullpen pitchers and so many bench players available, and you have to pick and choose where you maximize your advantage now or where you are going to take a risk in order to gain an advantage later on. The AL is all about maximizing your opportunity at every turn-putting your best players on the field and just fighting it out.

 

The thing with me is that those strategies don't really matter that much. Do I let the .220 OBP pitcher or the .320 OBP bench bat hit? 9 times out of 10, it won't matter for that PA. And even if it does turn out to matter for that PA, it probably won't be decisive.

 

that's true of every play in every game. ph lahair for pujols, it probably won't matter.

[Guest]

Just think through how much it would suck to be a bench player in the AL. Other than rest days or injuries, there's no reason for you to ever enter the game.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

that's true of every play in every game. ph lahair for pujols, it probably won't matter.

 

But that's a clearly suboptimal move.

 

In the "strategy" discussion, these moves are never quite so clear-cut. Some people say that's what makes them great, I say that is what makes them irrelevant.

[jersey cubs fan]

Just think through how much it would suck to be a bench player in the AL. Other than rest days or injuries, there's no reason for you to ever enter the game.

 

Yeah, but with teams like the Yankees that have nothing but 36 year olds, there's always injuries and rest days.

[Guest]

I really don't.

Why? I'm not sure where I stand yet.

 

The possiblility of 3rd place teams and/or teams with the 5th best record in their league having a chance to win the world series.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/2006.shtml

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/2007.shtml

 

The Cubs obviously didn't do anything in the playoffs, but they had the sixth best record in the NL that year.

[Guest]

pff whatever... they were like the best team in baseball after june 1st or something.

[Guest]

it was so awesome when we got into first with that win against the phillies

[Derwood]

If the extra one-game wildcard round had been used the past 10 seasons:

 

2011:

 

TB (91-71) vs. BOS (90-72)

STL (90-72) vs. ATL (89-73)

 

2010:

 

NYY (95-67) vs. BOS (89-73)

ATL (91-71) vs. SD (90-72)

 

2009:

 

BOS (95-67) vs. TEX (87-75)

COL (92-70) vs. SF (88-74)

 

2008:

 

BOS (95-67) vs. NYY (89-73)

MIL (90-72) vs. NYM (89-73)

 

2007:

 

NYY (94-68) vs. DET (88-74)

COL (89-73) vs. SD (89-73)

 

2006:

 

DET (95-67) vs. CHW (90-72)

LAD (88-74) vs. PHI (85-77)

 

2005:

 

BOS (95-67) vs. CLE (93-69)

HOU (89-73) vs. PHI (88-74)

 

2004:

 

BOS (98-64) vs. OAK (91-71)

HOU (92-70) vs. SF (90-72)

 

2003:

 

BOS (95-67) vs. SEA (93-68)

FLA (91-71) vs. HOU (87-75)

 

2002:

 

LAA (99-63) vs. BOS (93-69)

SF (95-66) vs. LAD (92-70)

 

 

The majority of those matchups would be really good (outside of some duds like the 2006 NL)

[ELCABALLO45]

I don't remember 2007 at all