DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum MLB Playoffs 2012

Despite the Indians flaming out a few months back *, I'm excited to watch this years playoffs. We have some new blood that haven't seen postseason action for a long time (Oakland, Baltimore, & Natinals) and we also get to watch the new playoff format for the first time.

Bob Costas suggested this format, or a similar version, years ago in a book. I thought it was perfect in theory then and it's looking perfect in application now. It's awesome to see Baltimore and NY fighting to win the AL East so they can avoid the 1-game wildcard game. It SHOULD matter if you win the division or get the wildcard. In previous years, teams were already setting up their playoff rotation and resting players when there was still doubt on the division title. And there were also rumors of teams jaking the last few games to get the wildcard to avoid a certain team in the first round. In this format, you WANT the division at all costs.

I also like how the best team in each league will have to play the wildcard in the first round. Sure, the wildcard might be a better team than another division winner (I'm looking at you Detroit)....but the wildcard just used their Ace or ruined their rotation on that 1-game wildcard game.

I am a bit irked with how Detroit is in and the Angels are out. Anahiem has a better record than Detroit....and they play in a tougher division. So the case could be made that the Angels should be in the playoffs way before the Tigers. I think there should be a rule to manage this in the future, but I don't know how to write it up. Plus, why have divisions if you can kick one of them out based on their record.

And look at today...there is still a lot to be determined:

-AL East Division winner
-AL #1 overall seed
-AL West Division winner
-NL #1 overall seed

As for the teams I'm rooting for, I'm pulling for Oakland and Baltimore because they can crash the big payroll party. Plus, I'm sick of Texas. I don't mind the Yanks since they struggled with a crazy amount of injures...but whateva.

I can't help but watch in awe of the Cards. They lost their manager, best position player and their best pitcher....and here they are in the playoffs again. Amazing. I don't really like the Reds, Giants or Braves. I'm indifferent on the Nats.

*I'm not disappointed in the Indians year. They were supposed to miss the playoffs based on talent and payroll....but they gave us 3+ months of good baseball. It wasn't a morale victory....just entertaining. Heck, look at Miami....they have just as bad of a record and had a huge payroll, lots of talent, a high profile manager, a fancy new ballpark and the expectations to be playing in the postseason. I would consider the Indians winners in comparison.

Baltimore stole the Browns from a Cleveland owner and re-branded them with a bird. No way I can root for them in any way.




(and yes, I'm talking Orioles. they took the St.Louis Browns from Bill Veeck and re-branded them the Orioles. just way too many parallels to what happened to us. The O's and their fans can go rot next to Art.)

Again, it wasn't Baltimore that stole the Browns....art stole them from Cleveland. Did you expect the city and fans to say no? Plus, they had the Colts ripped from them, so they wanted a team back. So in some ways, they earned the Ravens, it's just too bad we were the town that got hurt in the deal (but we didn't get our team back right away, so it "all worked out in the end").

And it's odd, even if I felt ill towards Ravens fans, I can spearate that from the O's. Same town but different sport, players, team and fans. For example, I don't root against the Nuggets because the Broncos beat us in the AFCCG all those times. Meh.

On another note, I'm kinda rooting for Miggy to get the Triple Crown even though I can't stand the Tigers (and how they cost me a bet with my nephew). It's nice to see history in the making. Come on, it hasn't happend for 45 years. That's incredible.

The new format is inadequate.

Nothing in baseball should be decided by a one game playoff. Also, the winner of the one game playoff in the American League gets the first two home games in the Division Series.

They literally cobbled together this format out of nowhere and forced it on this season.

I would love to see Major League Baseball scrap the divisions altogether and just go with the four best records from each league.

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As for the teams I'm rooting for, I'm pulling for Oakland and Baltimore because they can crash the big payroll party.

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I struggle with this every year... because like you I want to see the big market/big payroll teams go down... but I realize that the more that happens, the less likely anything is to change...

I think the model has worked to some extent as well. certainly different than the NFL and NHL, but it has worked.

I am also worried that the model is about to be broken by the recent rash of local TV deals that is going to completely throw off the payroll disparity even further.

Anaheim makes $150mil/year on their local TV deal.
LAD is rumored to be getting more than $200mil and possibly as much as $250mil/year in their current negotiations.

Cleveland gets $30mil/year


So, their payroll is already covered by the TV deal. Ours is only 1/2 covered. And ours is 1/4 to start with. It could get bad where only teams that are bad for a long time and accrue multiple high level young talent can compete with the big boys (like TB did - KC tried to do, etc.)

And both of those teams you just mentioned are playing their last games of the year today (no playoffs for them). I know the LAD deal has yet to explode but we shall see if they spend wisely.

I think teams can get a better ROI with younger talent that's trying to ge that max deal. Once that happens, they tend to slow their production, play for themselves, feel the pressure of being "the man" and also get injured more (because they're older).

And I like CBS.Sportsline's breaking news headline...

http://www.cbssports.com/

"BREAKING NEWSThe Red Sox will fire Bobby Valentine shortly after the season, Jon Heyman reports"

Really, that's breaking news? I think everyone on the planet knew he was getting canned 2 months ago. It would be more "breaking news" if they annouced he was returning in 2013.

Ha ha, A's fans are awesome.

I'm definitely rooting for them to come out of the American League.

Obvious questions about their young pitching staff being able to handle the pressure so nobody will expect them to win it. I'm an underdog guy.

J/C

Boston's stupid for letting go of Bobby V.

You think so? I think they were stupid to hire the guy in the first place. The guy seems like a nut job to me and he's just not a good manager, IMO.

Yeah this was inevitable, he lost the clubhouse and even said his assistant coaches were undermining him.

Plus I agree that he's a lunatic and a horrible manager, hopefully he doesn't go back to announcing.

It seemed he tried to change a backwards locker room culture and none of the players bought into his message. A bunch of the players gave off of a "I'm too good for you to manage me" type of deal.

It's a shame that Paul Brown styled coaching/managing methods don't go over well in today's day and age.

I think that style can still work nowadays....but you can't expect a team full of superstars to respect a no nonsense, tough guy manager that's best known for wearing a fake mustache, shades and a hat to sneak back into the dugout 15 years ago. Heck, and the guy never won anything too. He has no resume, no clout, no menacing presence, nothing. The guy was a goof.

Furthermore, BobbyV's first move was to question Youk in the media. That tore the clubhouse in half (not to mention he took a swipe at Jeter too - not that the Boston fans were mad, but he looked like an idiot calling out a future HOFamer in an obvious "I'm the leader of SoxNation so I must talk smack to Yankee players to get my fans to think I'm one of them"). And then throughout the year, it just got worse and worse and worse.

BobbyV couldn't get out of his own way.

I think it was a crazy stupid hire in the first place. The Sox should have blown up the team in the offseason and brought in a young manager to start from scratch. But they put the wrong type of bandaid over a compound fracture. Nobody could fix that mess....but I'd bet most any other manager would have done a better job. It was just a mess from top to bottom (not all his fault).

But who really feels bad for him? He got paid a few million for this year and get more millions next year.

Oh well. It couldn't happen to a nicer team.

ok, this is a playoff thread. direct all talk of the Red Sox to the sad-sack thread with our beloved Indians (who thankfully managed to not screw up an win the last game - we would have jumped below Boston in next years draft had we won - thank you Mr. Huff for your one positive contribution)

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Reds fans. I have a query. You open with 2 games in SF. Then come home for 3 games (if necessary).

Do you feel your odds are better beating Matt Cain in one of his 2 potential starts (game1 & game5) or do you have better odds of just winning the other 3 games? (note: he has allowed 0ER in 21.3 postseason IP)

Cueto vs. Cain is the best opening pitching matchup IMO. Those 2 games are must watch for any baseball fan.

Any picks for today's games?

4:07 pm - TBS
St. Louis (Lohse)
Atlanta (Medlen)

7:37 pm - TBS
Baltimore (Saunders)
Texas (Darvish)

I think St Louis and Texas will win. And Texas will win big.

I'll take Atlanta and Texas.

Rooting for Atlanta and Baltimore.

you are picking against Medlen w/ Atlanta's bullpen behind him?

good luck with that

as for as the O`s and Rangers. i don't know what to think about Texas at this point.

they have as much talent as any other team in baseball, but they are 43-41 over the 2nd half

I'm not even thinking about game 5 because if they don't win 1 in San Francisco then game 5 probably isn't happening in my mind.

I can't believe they have Zito scheduled to go in game 4. Best case scenario for the Reds to advance is get one out there and finish it off in game 4.

Atlanta fans are throwing bottles, at least we're not the only fans to do it anymore.

Ok, now that we have the first round set, here are my predictions:

A's v Tigers
Reds v Giants
Natinals v Cards
Yanks v O's

Tigers
Reds
Cards
O's

Again, I'm not picking against the Cards until they lose. :-)

I'll say:

Tigers (they can hit the ball so well, plus Verlander)
Yankees (if they win one of the first two, it's over)
Reds (I hate to say it)
Cards (the experience does it)

That will make for a very old-fashioned final 4. The baseball traditionalists rejoice.


I'll say the Yankees and Cardinals play in the Series. And again the baseball traditionalists rejoice.


And I'll roll with the Yankees in 7.

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(note: he has allowed 0ER in 21.3 postseason IP)

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BP puts an end to it after 2 and a 1/3.

Heck yeah, especially now that Latos might pitch that game.

Matt Cain stat of the day ---can't help it he he

This was his 6th loss of the year...3 to the Reds.

Cain and Medlen are both 0-1 in the postseason so far. Cain despite his counterpart leaving during the 1st inning.

And that is yet another reason why postseason baseball is so unpredictable (and fun).

You're just trying to jinx me.

Sorry Reds fans...ouch. Tomorrow is a new day.

There are two games left today and I'll be paying attention to the Yanks/O's game more than the A's/Tigers. I admit, it's for a rather morbid curiosity too....I want to see how bad a-rod is at the plate. He's been crazy bad......and when you consider he's getting paid $30 million, that's WICKED crazy bad.

We'll see.