I dunno, I like interplay. It's always kind of cool to be able to watch some teams you normally aren't really exposed to.
Yeah, it's fun, but mostly meaningless. I don't think it would be that bad of a trade off to have two balanced leagues. Either that or MLB expands or contracts by two teams to give each league an even number. Then I think we could keep inter-league play and not still be in it come September. But I don't think that is a very good idea either. I think 30 is a good number.
moving off topic, found this pretty interesting piece on the hardball times about the processing and handling fees teams charge when ordering online. Amazingly, only the Mets have a third fee.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
A) Move the Astros to the Al West: Great, make us even a worse division. Though I do agree it would be nice to have the same amount of teams in each division.
Maybe it is time to call an end to inter-league play. Maybe it has run it's course. I really wouldn't miss it much.
C) I wouldn't like a two division-less leagues, with each league's teams vying for five playoff spots. I know it used to be that way, but I wasn't alive then.
b--i agree. interleague play is stupid at this point. it makes the schedule even more unbalanced and unfair. the phillies shouldn't only have one trip to dodger stadium each year. that just doesn't sound right. i could care less about seeing the rangers and a's like we've got coming in this year. and somehow bud selig has determined that the phillies and blue jays are natural rivals. how could that possibly be? :? :?
c--yeah this idea does not sound good to me either. before they had divisions they just had the world series. they didn't have playoffs or championship series back then. you won the the league, you went to the world series. that's it. making it so tough to make the post season meant the regular season meant the most in baseball than the other sports. that was cool.....now? not. i'd like to see them go back to the way it was before 1994.
A) Move the Astros to the Al West: Great, make us even a worse division. Though I do agree it would be nice to have the same amount of teams in each division.
Maybe it is time to call an end to inter-league play. Maybe it has run it's course. I really wouldn't miss it much.
C) I wouldn't like a two division-less leagues, with each league's teams vying for five playoff spots. I know it used to be that way, but I wasn't alive then.
A - Need an even number of teams in each league, otherwise you'll always have interleague games occurring.
B - Couldn't agree more.
C - I LOVE the idea of eliminating divisions. It's the best way to allow mid- and small-market clubs to compete without introducing salary cap restrictions. 6 playoff teams in each league, top 2 get a bye, best-of-3 first round with all 3 games hosted by the superior record. If the Blue Jays and Rays were in the AL Central/West or NL Central/West this year, they would legitimately be contenders for the division.
Interleague is ridiculously unfair the way it's run right now. This year the Brewers play the Yanks, Sox, Rays, and Twins twice, while the Cards get the Royals twice, Jays, Orioles, and Rays. Are you effing kidding me? Doesn't matter though the crew's just gotta fuck good teams up like we've been doing.
Go back to two divisions in each league. Two division winners and two wild cards in each league make playoffs. that way the shitty central teams aren't guaranteed a playoff spot every year.
Also, a bye in baseball playoffs is an awful idea.
Go back to two divisions in each league. Two division winners and two wild cards in each league make playoffs. that way the shitty central teams aren't guaranteed a playoff spot every year.
Also, a bye in baseball playoffs is an awful idea.
yup. and move the brewers back to the al and get rid of interleague.
No DH is the only way I'd be pleased with a Brewers move back. It's not fair to send a decent, first-place, NL team to go try and play beer league softball without having their roster built for it. Especially with the Big Veg gone next year. It was kinda funny looking at him and Pujols on first base today and thinking that in that little space two men will split approximately 1/2 a billion dollars.
I agree with Keith Law...DH in both leagues and expand to two more cities. The sport is healthy and far better off with 16 teams in each league vs. 15.
"FF, I've heard the droning about the Sawx being the baby dolls. Yeah, I get it, you guys invented baseball and suffered forever. I get it." -JearlPam0925
I agree with Keith Law...DH in both leagues and expand to two more cities. The sport is healthy and far better off with 16 teams in each league vs. 15.
why does he say that--just because there's no way the players union will agree to get rid of it? the dh isn't good for the game at all. i wish they would just get rid of it all together.
unfathomable to me that one league has had such a distinct advantage over the other for over 4 decades now.
I agree with Keith Law...DH in both leagues and expand to two more cities. The sport is healthy and far better off with 16 teams in each league vs. 15.
why does he say that--just because there's no way the players union will agree to get rid of it? the dh isn't good for the game at all. i wish they would just get rid of it all together.
unfathomable to me that one league has had such a distinct advantage over the other for over 4 decades now.
His point (which I agree with) is that it makes for better baseball. Pitchers can't hit and they become a black hole at the bottom of the order. When managers have to manage around it as it gets into later innings, you're not focusing on what someone can do, but what they can't. It isn't "strategy," but instead a forced situation.
With a couple rare exceptions, pitchers will never be league-average hitters. The entirety of their development is to make them as effective and durable as their skills will allow.
As a fan, I far prefer the AL style of play for that reason. It also allows aging stars to extend their careers, which is also good for the game.
Oh...and I agree completely on your last point. It has put the NL at a severe disadvantage; would love to see them adopt the DH.
Can't get rid of the DH at this point. The AL teams are basically built for it; for instance, if there's no DH, David Ortiz has nowhere to go for the Red Sox, and he's one of their best hitters. There would be far too much outcry. I don't really find much wrong at all with the way the divisions and Wild Card spots are done now except for the fact that the AL West has four teams and the NL Central six. And good teams fluctuate with time; the White Sox won a title not very long ago, so who's to say the AL Central can't become a good division?
Can't get rid of the DH at this point. The AL teams are basically built for it; for instance, if there's no DH, David Ortiz has nowhere to go for the Red Sox, and he's one of their best hitters. There would be far too much outcry. I don't really find much wrong at all with the way the divisions and Wild Card spots are done now except for the fact that the AL West has four teams and the NL Central six. And good teams fluctuate with time; the White Sox won a title not very long ago, so who's to say the AL Central can't become a good division?
Totally agree with all points.
........as well as the White Sox winning it in 05, the Tigers got to the World Series in 06. And if memory serves me, Cleveland was in the ALCS in 07 with a 3-1 series lead over Boston until they tanked it.
I'm with you on that. I think the best way is to reduce the amount of divisional games to where they were before the 2001 season that way for example the White Sox or Tigers would make two trips in to face the Yankees and so on.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
I prefer the NL style of play, but I kinda like the fact that the two leagues are different with the DH. I think it's cool to see the contrast in styles come world series time.
that said I'd be fine with the NL adopting the DH. then I wouldn't have to watch ryan howard's seal hands in the field :thumbup:. or see charlie manuel try to strategize during games
I'm indifferent about interleague play. don't really care either way.
I'm pretty sure I could be a #4 starter on any AL team outside of the Sawx. The pitchers all ran away and we're left with AAA pitchers going against guys who can't field, but hit the shit outta the ball.
Brewers pitchers hit, pretty sure Phils do too. AL isn't even really baseball its beer league softball.
gallardo and greinke both rip. wolf is decent too.
phils pitchers don't really hit well. hamels and lee are decent. halladay and oswalt are among the worst in baseball. blanton is also terrible, even though he went yard in the world series
I do prefer the strategy of having the pitcher hit. plus, having the pitchers hit helps police the game. A guy like pedro martinez wouldn't have taken as many liberties he did in the AL if he had to hit throughout his entire career (actually I would love to see how many guys he hit during his time in montreal).
like I said, I think it's cool that the two leagues are different on the DH
Seriously what pitcher outside of the great Pedro Martinez has willingly gone from the NL to the AL and had prolonged success? Agents are on to it, and they are funnelling all the pitching talent to the NL, and all the hitting talent to the AL. I mean you get paid by the Yanks and Sox, but you're not getting another contract. It taxes your arm, and prolly costs 2-3 years of your career. Conversely you can pad your stats not facing the Phils/Giants/Brewers staffs as a hitter, because you spend time going against 2nd rate hurlers as a hitter. Plus if you can't field there's always a job for you if you're a great hitter so why would you stay in the NL? If Prince and Pujols are smart they will go to the Yanks/Sox/LAA's so they can play until 40.
Seriously what pitcher outside of the great Pedro Martinez has willingly gone from the NL to the AL and had prolonged success? Agents are on to it, and they are funnelling all the pitching talent to the NL, and all the hitting talent to the AL. I mean you get paid by the Yanks and Sox, but you're not getting another contract. It taxes your arm, and prolly costs 2-3 years of your career. Conversely you can pad your stats not facing the Phils/Giants/Brewers staffs as a hitter, because you spend time going against 2nd rate hurlers as a hitter. Plus if you can't field there's always a job for you if you're a great hitter so why would you stay in the NL? If Prince and Pujols are smart they will go to the Yanks/Sox/LAA's so they can play until 40.
top of my head...cliff lee, sabathia, haren, beckett, schilling. I see your point though, doesn't happen often
fielder and pujols are going to the highest bidder. Just read an interesting article about why the brewers should let prince walk. I'll try to find it for you
Brewers pitchers hit, pretty sure Phils do too. AL isn't even really baseball its beer league softball.
gallardo and greinke both rip. wolf is decent too.
phils pitchers don't really hit well. hamels and lee are decent. halladay and oswalt are among the worst in baseball. blanton is also terrible, even though he went yard in the world series
I do prefer the strategy of having the pitcher hit. plus, having the pitchers hit helps police the game. A guy like pedro martinez wouldn't have taken as many liberties he did in the AL if he had to hit throughout his entire career (actually I would love to see how many guys he hit during his time in montreal).
like I said, I think it's cool that the two leagues are different on the DH
Narv-dog hits too, Marcum is a bit of a puncher but still is in the high 100s low 200s I think. Pedro drilled people no matter where he played. Plus he threw a 2-seamer in those days that he couldn't control b/c it moved like a foot and a half. Just checked he had 11 twice, 9 and 8. For the Sox he had 14, 15, and 16.
Can't get rid of the DH at this point. The AL teams are basically built for it; for instance, if there's no DH, David Ortiz has nowhere to go for the Red Sox, and he's one of their best hitters. There would be far too much outcry. I don't really find much wrong at all with the way the divisions and Wild Card spots are done now except for the fact that the AL West has four teams and the NL Central six. And good teams fluctuate with time; the White Sox won a title not very long ago, so who's to say the AL Central can't become a good division?
The problem is for teams like the Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles, Nationals, and Marlins. It's a much more difficult task to compete year-in and year-out when you're up against payrolls like that. If you eliminate the divisions, there is a much clearer shot to the post-season for every team and winning is what brings people to the park.
Seriously what pitcher outside of the great Pedro Martinez has willingly gone from the NL to the AL and had prolonged success? Agents are on to it, and they are funnelling all the pitching talent to the NL, and all the hitting talent to the AL. I mean you get paid by the Yanks and Sox, but you're not getting another contract. It taxes your arm, and prolly costs 2-3 years of your career. Conversely you can pad your stats not facing the Phils/Giants/Brewers staffs as a hitter, because you spend time going against 2nd rate hurlers as a hitter. Plus if you can't field there's always a job for you if you're a great hitter so why would you stay in the NL? If Prince and Pujols are smart they will go to the Yanks/Sox/LAA's so they can play until 40.
top of my head...cliff lee, sabathia, haren, beckett, schilling. I see your point though, doesn't happen often
fielder and pujols are going to the highest bidder. Just read an interesting article about why the brewers should let prince walk. I'll try to find it for you
Those guys all had some great AL seasons, but for 6-7 years? And the Crew absolutely have to let Prince walk it would be stupid to keep him. They'll bring up Gamel or someone who hits 30 HRs and fields a bit better for a 10th the price, and will lose more in leadership over anything.
Can't get rid of the DH at this point. The AL teams are basically built for it; for instance, if there's no DH, David Ortiz has nowhere to go for the Red Sox, and he's one of their best hitters. There would be far too much outcry. I don't really find much wrong at all with the way the divisions and Wild Card spots are done now except for the fact that the AL West has four teams and the NL Central six. And good teams fluctuate with time; the White Sox won a title not very long ago, so who's to say the AL Central can't become a good division?
The problem is for teams like the Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles, Nationals, and Marlins. It's a much more difficult task to compete year-in and year-out when you're up against payrolls like that. If you eliminate the divisions, there is a much clearer shot to the post-season for every team and winning is what brings people to the park.
actually higher payroll doesn't equate to success in baseball
Can't get rid of the DH at this point. The AL teams are basically built for it; for instance, if there's no DH, David Ortiz has nowhere to go for the Red Sox, and he's one of their best hitters. There would be far too much outcry. I don't really find much wrong at all with the way the divisions and Wild Card spots are done now except for the fact that the AL West has four teams and the NL Central six. And good teams fluctuate with time; the White Sox won a title not very long ago, so who's to say the AL Central can't become a good division?
The problem is for teams like the Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles, Nationals, and Marlins. It's a much more difficult task to compete year-in and year-out when you're up against payrolls like that. If you eliminate the divisions, there is a much clearer shot to the post-season for every team and winning is what brings people to the park.
actually higher payroll doesn't equate to success in baseball
It equates to playoff appearances. If nothing in the current format changes, what you would wager on post-season games played for the Yankees and Red Sox over the next decade vs. the Rays, Blue Jays, and Orioles?
Comments
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/artic ... me-stupid/
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
b--i agree. interleague play is stupid at this point. it makes the schedule even more unbalanced and unfair. the phillies shouldn't only have one trip to dodger stadium each year. that just doesn't sound right. i could care less about seeing the rangers and a's like we've got coming in this year. and somehow bud selig has determined that the phillies and blue jays are natural rivals. how could that possibly be? :? :?
c--yeah this idea does not sound good to me either. before they had divisions they just had the world series. they didn't have playoffs or championship series back then. you won the the league, you went to the world series. that's it. making it so tough to make the post season meant the regular season meant the most in baseball than the other sports. that was cool.....now? not. i'd like to see them go back to the way it was before 1994.
A - Need an even number of teams in each league, otherwise you'll always have interleague games occurring.
B - Couldn't agree more.
C - I LOVE the idea of eliminating divisions. It's the best way to allow mid- and small-market clubs to compete without introducing salary cap restrictions. 6 playoff teams in each league, top 2 get a bye, best-of-3 first round with all 3 games hosted by the superior record. If the Blue Jays and Rays were in the AL Central/West or NL Central/West this year, they would legitimately be contenders for the division.
"I don't believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass." --- Pedro Martinez
Also, a bye in baseball playoffs is an awful idea.
yup. and move the brewers back to the al and get rid of interleague.
bang. done.
edit-- oh and get rid of the dh :thumbup:
Personally I love interleague play.
why does he say that--just because there's no way the players union will agree to get rid of it? the dh isn't good for the game at all. i wish they would just get rid of it all together.
unfathomable to me that one league has had such a distinct advantage over the other for over 4 decades now.
His point (which I agree with) is that it makes for better baseball. Pitchers can't hit and they become a black hole at the bottom of the order. When managers have to manage around it as it gets into later innings, you're not focusing on what someone can do, but what they can't. It isn't "strategy," but instead a forced situation.
With a couple rare exceptions, pitchers will never be league-average hitters. The entirety of their development is to make them as effective and durable as their skills will allow.
As a fan, I far prefer the AL style of play for that reason. It also allows aging stars to extend their careers, which is also good for the game.
Oh...and I agree completely on your last point. It has put the NL at a severe disadvantage; would love to see them adopt the DH.
Totally agree with all points.
........as well as the White Sox winning it in 05, the Tigers got to the World Series in 06. And if memory serves me, Cleveland was in the ALCS in 07 with a 3-1 series lead over Boston until they tanked it.
I'm with you on that. I think the best way is to reduce the amount of divisional games to where they were before the 2001 season that way for example the White Sox or Tigers would make two trips in to face the Yankees and so on.
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
that said I'd be fine with the NL adopting the DH. then I wouldn't have to watch ryan howard's seal hands in the field :thumbup:. or see charlie manuel try to strategize during games
I'm indifferent about interleague play. don't really care either way.
Lazy criticism at its finest.
gallardo and greinke both rip. wolf is decent too.
phils pitchers don't really hit well. hamels and lee are decent. halladay and oswalt are among the worst in baseball. blanton is also terrible, even though he went yard in the world series
I do prefer the strategy of having the pitcher hit. plus, having the pitchers hit helps police the game. A guy like pedro martinez wouldn't have taken as many liberties he did in the AL if he had to hit throughout his entire career (actually I would love to see how many guys he hit during his time in montreal).
like I said, I think it's cool that the two leagues are different on the DH
top of my head...cliff lee, sabathia, haren, beckett, schilling. I see your point though, doesn't happen often
fielder and pujols are going to the highest bidder. Just read an interesting article about why the brewers should let prince walk. I'll try to find it for you
The problem is for teams like the Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles, Nationals, and Marlins. It's a much more difficult task to compete year-in and year-out when you're up against payrolls like that. If you eliminate the divisions, there is a much clearer shot to the post-season for every team and winning is what brings people to the park.
actually higher payroll doesn't equate to success in baseball
Career lines (BA/OBP/SLG):
Gallardo: .212/.248/.394
Greinke: .184/.205/.395
Marcum: .111/.200/.167
Wolf: .187/.226/.264
Narveson: .259/.294/.272
Halladay: .110/.121/.110
Lee: .153/.180/.174
Hamels: .170/.194/.202
Oswalt: .156/.193/.172
Blanton: .120/.164/.120
Yeah dude, they mash. Are you kidding????
It equates to playoff appearances. If nothing in the current format changes, what you would wager on post-season games played for the Yankees and Red Sox over the next decade vs. the Rays, Blue Jays, and Orioles?