The Playoffs For A Real Sport Start Today...

[Lord Jim]

A sport that people actually care about...

I'm speaking of course, of major league baseball...

(Actually they started yesterday, with the A's blowing a 7-3 eighth inning lead to ultimately lose to the Royals in extra innings..)

Tonight the SF Giants square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 5 PM Pacific time in Pittsburgh for the one game wild card elimination contest. I will of course be rooting for the Giants in this one, however should they win they will then be facing the Washington Nationals in the first playoff round, so I will be switching my allegiance to my true hometown team...

I won't be devastated if the Giants should beat out the Nats (of course first they have to get past the Pirates) but the Nationals are my pick to win it all this year...

Admittedly, overall the National League looks like the much weaker league this year, out of 15 teams only six finished with records above .500. (Which stinks out loud) But the Nats kicked ass, running away with the NL East by 17 games.

They also had a storybook last regular season game, having the first no hitter in the team's history saved by a truly spectacular catch:





After a finish like that, they've got to be heading into the playoffs sky high...If that's the way they're playing now in a game that means nothing, imagine what kind of performance they'll have with everything on the line...

They seem to be peaking just at the right time, and when you get to the playoff stage where you have a fairly equal level of skill between the teams, that factor really becomes the most important one. (It's why the Giants were able to beat the heavily favored Tigers a couple of years ago.)

Of course lots of things can happen, including a truly nightmarish scenario:

The first ever All Surfer Dude World Series...

Now that the Angels have moved to LA (they finished with the best record in The Majors) and with them and the hated Dodgers both winning their respective divisions, this apocalyptic possibility could actually take place...

But the Yankees aren't in it so at least there's some justice in the world...In fact I think it's nice somebody other than the Yankees or the Red Sox has won the AL East for a change...(Though there's no way I'd ever root for Baltimore...Unless of course they should wind up playing the Dodgers...)

Let the games begin!

[BoSoxGal]

I'm rooting for the Royals, as it seems they're quite the underdog. I like underdogs (and thugs, of course)!

[Guinevere]

I'm hoping for a BW Parkway series - Baltimore/Washington.


Let's Go O's!

[BoSoxGal]

Wow, more evidence that in following baseball, I really only follow the BoSox - I didn't even realize that Washington had a baseball team again!

[Lord Jim]

I'm hoping for a BW Parkway series - Baltimore/Washington.

That would work for me...

(But only with one outcome of course... )

Of course if the networks had their way, the Yankees and the Dodgers would play in the World Series every year...(since they're the biggest media markets...)

Of the teams still currently in it, the worst scenario for whatever network is carrying the WS this year would probably be a KC-Pittsburgh match up...

Even an all LA series would have a larger metro area...

[Gob]

A sport that people actually care about...

This one Jim? Or this one? Can't be this one? This one? THIS ONE!!

[wesw]

go birds...

[Lord Jim]

A sport that people actually care about...

This one Jim? Or this one? Can't be this one? This one? THIS ONE!!

Well, unfortunately you went 0 for 5 there, but you still get some lovely parting gifts and the home version of our game...

[Big RR]

[quote]But only with one outcome of course... [quote]

You like the Expos that much?

[Lord Jim]

Giants romping; up 7 zip in the bottom of the 7th...

[Gob]

Beg pardon?

[Lord Jim]

Final score 8-0...

A little history was also made tonight; Brandon Crawford's 4th inning grand slam was the first grand slam by a shortstop in post season MLB history...

While it's true that shortstops rarely hit for power, that's still a lot of games over a lot of years for it to never have happened before...

[Gob]

A little history was also made tonight; Brandon Crawford's 4th inning grand slam was the first grand slam by a shortstop in post season MLB history...

Wut?

[Lord Jim]

A grand slam is a bases-loaded home run; shortstop is the fielder position between the second and third basemen...

Does that clear it up for you?

Here's a link where you can get some obviously much needed education:

http://baseball.about.com/od/thebasics/ ... crules.htm

If you start studying up now, you might have it down in time to enjoy the World Series...

[Gob]

A grand slam is a bases-loaded home run; shortstop is the fielder position between the second and third basemen...

Does that clear it up for you?

You fuckin kiddin?

[rubato]

Adding an additional wild card team is a corruption of real baseball. It is becoming more like the 'stupid sports'; like B-ball and Hockey where half the teams get into the playoffs which then take months to complete. Why bother to have the regular season if the outcomes don't matter?


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

One doesn't often see those three words in the same sentence - enjoy and World Series

[Lord Jim]

One doesn't often see those three words in the same sentence - enjoy and World Series

Especially if one lives in Cleveland...

Adding an additional wild card team is a corruption of real baseball. It is becoming more like the 'stupid sports'; like B-ball and Hockey where half the teams get into the playoffs which then take months to complete.

I agree that those playoff systems are ridiculous, and I think baseball could do without the additional wild card team. But since they only play one game and then you have four teams matching for the five game divisional playoffs, I don't think it rises anywhere near the level of "We have 32 teams and 20 make the playoffs" type thing you see in basketball and hockey.

And even with the additional game between the two wild card teams, the entire process will be over in about a month* which is a lot shorter than the other two. (The Stanley Cup Play offs started in April and the champion wasn't determined till June... Playing hockey in June is just plain wrong...)



*Which means you get treated to a whole month of ongoing posts about it Strop

[wesw]

I liked it much better when it was east against west, then the series..., short and sweet.

go O s

[Big RR]

As is playing preseason hockey games in September. Or baseball in northern areas in the late winter/early spring or late October. Except for football most of the sports seasons are far too long IMHO.