Baseball 2023

[Qs Laptop]

As far as why, when a team is perking along, kicking everyone's butt, and then is forced to take an extended break (longer than the All Star break), it ruins the momentum they've built up.

Which team was perking along kicking everybody's butt at the end of the season?

Houston was and they got a bye, then beat the Twins after resting for a week. Didn't they lose momentum by resting?

Arizona wasn't. They got swept by the Astros. Then they swept the Brewers and the Dodgers in the playoffs.

Atlanta lost 2 out of their last 3 games to the lowly Nationals.The Dodgers split their last 4 games. That's not kicking everyone's butt.

Momentum, like clubhouse chemistry, is a real thing, but hard to define. It does exist. However, it is definitely most palpable in-game, that is during the playing of a single game. We've all seen a sequence of events or even a single play shift the tenor of a game in favour of one team.

Can this momentum carry over to the next game in the series? Yeah, maybe. Or was it good scouting, good preparation, having your best pitchers available?

I do not believe the "momentum effect" carries over from one series to another involving a different team. I would argue that if the team with the better record that had a couple of days off loses a series they were not properly prepared to play their opponent.

Baseball is a game that depends on pitching effectiveness. The superior team that gets a break in playing time gets to set up their rotation and bullpen to their advantage.

Furthermore, a look at past history probably doesn't support your theory. Plenty of teams that had a bye in the first round of the playoffs have done fine in subsequent rounds. The Astros are a recent example.

Then there is the problem of the "type" of momentum. Doesn't a team sweeping their opponent have momentum? Meanwhile, in the other bracket the series victor required 7 games to advance. When they face-off in the next round of the playoffs, which team has momentum?

 

[Qs Laptop]

Speaking of momentum, the 2007 Colorado Rockies come to mind.

They won 13 of their final 14 regular season games to force a one-game play-in with San Diego for the right to advance to a NLDS as a wild-card team. In the play-in game they beat San Diego 9-8 in 13 innings, coming from behind and scoring 3 runs off future Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman.

They swept Philadelphia 3-0 in NLDS to advance to the NLCS.

They swept Arizona 4-0 in the NLCS, making it 21 victories in 22 games.

But then they got swept by Boston 4-0 in the World Series.

Did they run out of momentum?

 

[Texas Proud]

Just like all the others (NBA, NHL, College Football), the increase in playoff teams undervalues the regular season.

It used to mean that 162 games meant something. The winner of the division moved on.

Heck, now you just have to win 84 games, finish second in your division, and get hot at the right time.

I know it's all about the money, but I liked the pre wild card days of the MLB.

A valid point... but that hurt the product as teams were knocked out of the playoffs MUCH earlier than now (except for 1)... if a team ran away from everybody then the attendance dropped.. both good and bad teams suffered with less revenue... having expanded playoffs has paid off to all the teams with higher revenue so 'bad' teams have a chance to get better.... it is not just the Yankees winning it all since they could outspend everybody...



The other thing to remember is that ONLY the top 4 teams played, so there were no 'bad' teams... and you only needed to win 8 games... now it is 11 or 13...


As for the only the top team going, this year was strange... there was 3 teams that could have won the West with I believe 3 or so games left in the season.. very unusual for it to go to the last day of play...

 

[easysurfer]

The old time baseball fan is me says I want a rematch from last year for the World Series.

The cynic in me says about the new playoff rules where the better record teams except for one got bounced, give the credit for that to the commissioner constantly changing rules.

 

[Breedlove]

I want the D-Backs and Astros . That would be so exciting .

 

[Dash man]

PHILLIES and Astros rematch!!!!

 

[aja8888]

I want the D-Backs and Astros . That would be so exciting .

My money is on the Rangers in that match up (D backs/Rangers).

 

[Car-Guy]

My money is on the Rangers in that match up (D backs/Rangers).

I'm going to gamble that you are right. I'll be stopping by the sports book in the next few days and will be placing bet's that the Rangers will win the AL pennant and the WS. Wish me luck!

 

[MuirWannabe]

I'm going to gamble that you are right. I'll be stopping by the sports book in the next few days and will be placing bet's that the Rangers will win the AL pennant and the WS. Wish me luck!

I could care less about your bet [emoji3]. But I’ll happily wish you luck on that outcome!!

 

[Car-Guy]

I could care less about your bet [emoji3]. But I’ll happily wish you luck on that outcome!!

Thanks, and I'm glad you "could" care less. Sure beats "couldn't" care less.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Thanks, and I'm glad you "could" care less. Sure beats "couldn't" care less.

Haha. Perhaps I really do care about your bet. Throw a Benjamin on it for me!

 

[Dash man]

Haha. Perhaps I really do care about your bet. Throw a Benjamin on it for me!

Lost money. This is the year of the PHILLIES!!!!!

 

[Car-Guy]

^^^^^
Well, I'm not betting the farm, but enough to make it interesting. Either way, I'll sleep pretty well.

 

[aja8888]

I'm going to gamble that you are right. I'll be stopping by the sports book in the next few days and will be placing bet's that the Rangers will win the AL pennant and the WS. Wish me luck!

Here's wishing you luck!

 

[steelyman]

I wouldn’t mind if they eliminated the Wild Card entirely. It’s a long season anyway. I do understand the business reason for it.

Don’t worry, I’m a Cubs fan.

 

[Koolau]

Don’t worry, I’m a Cubs fan.

Heh, heh, I guess that explains a lot!

 

[steelyman]

Heh, heh, I guess that explains a lot!

Like.. “collapse”?

 

[Car-Guy]

Astro's down two (already) or Rangers up two (already). Depends on if you like your glass half empty or half full.

 

[Montecfo]

Rangers a team of destiny?

 

[MuirWannabe]

Astro's down two (already) or Rangers up two (already). Depends on if you like your glass half empty or half full.

I’m rather enjoying it half full right now. But it’s always nail biters with the Rangers pen.

FWIW, when the playoffs were first expanded in 1995 to include a wildcard team, I believe the only no vote on that was from the Texas Rangers. They felt it diminished the importance of winning your division. That’s my recollection anyway.

Those same Rangers are now enjoying success so far through that wildcard position. But you can’t blame them for the complaint of too many teams in the playoffs.

 

[aja8888]

I think I said somewhere in this thread recently that i thought the astros would have a hard time with the Rangers this go around. Looks like they are going to Dallas with their bats cold and their pitchers struggling. My money is still on the Rangers to beat them.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Did you place that bet on Rangers car-guy?

 

[Car-Guy]

I think I said somewhere in this thread recently that i thought the astros would have a hard time with the Rangers this go around. Looks like they are going to Dallas with their bats cold and their pitchers struggling. My money is still on the Rangers to beat them.

Well mine sure is.... Now I'm thinking I should have bet more. We will see.

 

[aja8888]

Well mine sure is.... Now I'm thinking I should have bet more. We will see.

I'm just using Monopoly money (not a gambler).

 

[Timeisprecious]

Yep... top 2 teams lost... it would be interesting if both got knocked out...

No, that makes it boring. Since my home team wasn't in it, I was rooting for the Dodgers.