The 2016 Toronto Blue Jays Thread

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

It seems silly to me to. You play 162 games and then 1 team out of 5 in your division makes it???

So by June so many teams know they have no chance. What's the point of watching beyond that? I think that's why the Jays have such a huge following now, for years there was no point in watching them because it's way too hard to make the playoffs and see anything dramatic / interesting.

Talk about cutthroat. 162 games... jesus.

It's really reflected in the attendance, too. You can just tell many fan bases check out after August. Lots of 12-18k draws these days.

It's incredible they don't expand playoffs closer to the NHL and NBA formats. What do they have to lose? They have so much to gain in revenue and interest.

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

It seems silly to me to. You play 162 games and then 1 team out of 5 in your division makes it???

So by June so many teams know they have no chance. What's the point of watching beyond that? I think that's why the Jays have such a huge following now, for years there was no point in watching them because it's way too hard to make the playoffs and see anything dramatic / interesting.

Talk about cutthroat. 162 games... jesus.

Right now the two teams with the 7th best record in the league will get to play a coin-flip one-off game. So dumb.

[Senator Clay Davis]

The only way they could expand the playoffs is by having more wildcard spots and one game playoffs. Remember it's not like they have time for 4 rounds of series baseball, especially when the final two rounds at their max will take 18 days or so. If they wanted to have series, you'd have to cut the regular season down by a week or two, and that costs every single team money even if a few teams do better with a playoff game or two. Realistically there were only 10 teams totally out of it by the trade deadline, which is about what it is for the NHL and NBA too.

[mrkajz44]

Day game alert!

First pitch is at 10:37am - Estrada v Cobb

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The only way they could expand the playoffs is by having more wildcard spots and one game playoffs. Remember it's not like they have time for 4 rounds of series baseball, especially when the final two rounds at their max will take 18 days or so. If they wanted to have series, you'd have to cut the regular season down by a week or two, and that costs every single team money even if a few teams do better with a playoff game or two. Realistically there were only 10 teams totally out of it by the trade deadline, which is about what it is for the NHL and NBA too.

Maybe from a math perspective only 10 teams were out of by the trade deadline, but let's be real here. The only teams with a legitmate chance at the playoffs in the Al since the trade deadline were Boston, Toronto, Texas, Seattle, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Detroit/Yankees (if we are being generous). In the NL it's Washington, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, New York, and St. Louis. Basically 50% of the league was out of contention by the trade deadline, and honestly you could almost say were out of contention since the all-star break.

That's brutal as a fan. Baseball doesn't care though because it's all about the tv contracts, and as long as New York, Boston, Chicago, and LA are in the mix each year, it matters not to them.

I can remember so many years when Toronto would be hovering around the playoffs around the All-Star break, and you just knew that by the start of August the season was done because the big boys started playing and augmenting rosters if someone else was close to catching them and people completely lost interest. You can say that for about 15 other franchises as well.

This is not the case in hockey or football at all. It is now in the NBA again with the Lebron's super teams and Golden State, but just like baseball, they don't care so long as everyone is tuning in to watch Lebron and the Golden State Warriors. The other teams are merely there for fodder.

[Jiggy_12]

No JD again. Time to start worrying about him?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Maybe from a math perspective only 10 teams were out of by the trade deadline, but let's be real here. The only teams with a legitmate chance at the playoffs in the Al since the trade deadline were Boston, Toronto, Texas, Seattle, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Detroit/Yankees (if we are being generous). In the NL it's Washington, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, New York, and St. Louis. Basically 50% of the league was out of contention by the trade deadline, and honestly you could almost say were out of contention since the all-star break.

That's brutal as a fan. Baseball doesn't care though because it's all about the tv contracts, and as long as New York, Boston, Chicago, and LA are in the mix each year, it matters not to them.

I can remember so many years when Toronto would be hovering around the playoffs around the All-Star break, and you just knew that by the start of August the season was done because the big boys started playing and augmenting rosters if someone else was close to catching them and people completely lost interest. You can say that for about 15 other franchises as well.

This is not the case in hockey or football at all. It is now in the NBA again with the Lebron's super teams and Golden State, but just like baseball, they don't care so long as everyone is tuning in to watch Lebron and the Golden State Warriors. The other teams are merely there for fodder.

It's funny because NFL fans are generally strongly against expanding the playoffs because it devalues making the playoffs. Making the playoffs shouldn't be easy, and in the NBA we consistently see sub .500 teams in the playoffs, and no one wants that either. System is just fine as is, baseball needs a salary cap way worse than it needs playoff expansion. A hard cap would obviously be much more meaningful to competitive balance and thus the ability for teams to make the playoffs.

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

No JD again. Time to start worrying about him?

Obviously. Guy is a warrior and they are deep in a playoff race. If he can't keep going the injury is a problem.

[Jiggy_12]

Atkins on Donaldson: “He’s more miserable than any player right now that exists, that we’re in this hunt and he can’t contribute.”

[Senator Clay Davis]

MRI is scheduled for today, but he's still making the West Coast trip so you have to figure its a day-to-day thing rather than something serious.

[ClubFlames]

Please win Jays, please.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

It's funny because NFL fans are generally strongly against expanding the playoffs because it devalues making the playoffs. Making the playoffs shouldn't be easy, and in the NBA we consistently see sub .500 teams in the playoffs, and no one wants that either. System is just fine as is, baseball needs a salary cap way worse than it needs playoff expansion. A hard cap would obviously be much more meaningful to competitive balance and thus the ability for teams to make the playoffs.



Obviously. Guy is a warrior and they are deep in a playoff race. If he can't keep going the injury is a problem.

I agree fully on the cap for baseball. The discrepancy has gotten ridiculous.

[Jiggy_12]

All these years all I've wanted is meaningful September baseball. Last year was such an easy ride in September I didn't realize what I was asking for until now.

This is stressful and depressing. And yes, just please win.

[habernac]

Estrada just struck out the side. Nice start!

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

All these years all I've wanted is meaningful September baseball. Last year was such an easy ride in September I didn't realize what I was asking for until now.

This is stressful and depressing. And yes, just please win.

I think the frustration is from the team outright tanking, and not because of a close pennant/wildcard race. I wouldn't mind the ups and downs if we were playing good baseball, but we are outright sucking. Really hard to take, especially when you know the timeline the Jays are currently on.

[mrkajz44]

Did we just score a small ball run? Dear me

[habernac]

4 batters, 4 strikeouts. Go Marco!

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

Did we just score a small ball run? Dear me

With the way they are playing right now and against a team like the Rays, I will absolutely take it. They need to push runs across and get some positive things happening.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by habernac

4 batters, 4 strikeouts. Go Marco!

5 for 5!!

[nik-]

Originally Posted by habernac

5 for 5!!

stop it!

[Machiavelli]

Hate the Rays. Go away