[GDT] Jays Series Thread - at Angels May 3 - 6

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by moon

Lol

Buster Olney talks the farce that is the unbalanced schedule at ESPN.com (Insider Olney), pointing out that Baltimore (103) played twice the number of games against .500-or-better opponents than the Detroit (51), and that– mother####ing get this– the six teams who played the fewest games against such opponents all made the playoffs, except for Atlanta, who missed by a hair (Arizona, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Atlanta, Detroit). Kinda makes your blood boil.

Love to hear the argument against this, with the exception of maybe Baltimore, which might just be riding a hot start ala Cleveland last season. With the new WildCard, you take the Jays out of the Al East last season and that incredibly tough schedule and they make the playoffs, same with the Red Sox. Same with the season, Tampa, Boston, New York, Toronto playing anything outside of an AL East schedule and they make the playoffs.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by moon

Lol

Baltimore is a bit of a stretch, but with the start they've had it's not that ridiculous.

The Orioles played 100ish games against teams with a record of .500 of better last year. The Tigers played 50ish. Switch their schedules around and Baltimore is probably close to an 80 win team.

The balanced schedule is a massive issue in the MLB and has a huge effect on the standings. I wouldn't expect a Cardinal fan to understand seeing how 90 wins pretty much guarantees an NL Central division title most seasons. That's 3rd place in the AL East.

[flames_1987]

Every other division in baseball you can throw a team together one year, get a little luck and win the division. The AL East you have no choice but to try and build an elite team and your way of building a franchise is different from every team in baseball outside your division.

[moon]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Love to hear the argument against this, with the exception of maybe Baltimore, which might just be riding a hot start ala Cleveland last season. With the new WildCard, you take the Jays out of the Al East last season and that incredibly tough schedule and they make the playoffs, same with the Red Sox. Same with the season, Tampa, Boston, New York, Toronto playing anything outside of an AL East schedule and they make the playoffs.

Well Baltimore is obviously the easy answer for years other than and Boston easily makes that up this year.

Also looking at the AL East playing tough games isn't as sime as saying they would automatically win games in other divisions.

I think the last 5 years the top 3 teams could make the play-offs in other divisions and the Jays would have had a chance as well but to say all 5 would is ridiculous.

And if the AL East was do much better than everyone else how come they aren't cleaning up the WS titles?

It is the toughest division but to say all 5 would make it is silly.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by moon

Well Baltimore is obviously the easy answer for years other than and Boston easily makes that up this year.

Also looking at the AL East playing tough games isn't as sime as saying they would automatically win games in other divisions.

I think the last 5 years the top 3 teams could make the play-offs in other divisions and the Jays would have had a chance as well but to say all 5 would is ridiculous.

And if the AL East was do much better than everyone else how come they aren't cleaning up the WS titles?

It is the toughest division but to say all 5 would make it is silly.

The AL East has produced the wild-card team for the American League in 13 out of the 17 years. The playoffs are simply a few weeks of baseball and whatever team is playing the hottest. The AL East has still been very well represented in the WS over the last decade.

Of course it doesn't mean automatic wins, but the chances of winning playing divisional opponents trading in the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees for any other group of divisional teams, means a much greater chance of winning.

I'm not ready to call the Red Sox the Orioles of this year. It would be insane to give up on this team this early after what they did last season after a slow start and the talent on that team when healthy.

With the added wild card, and if the Orioles can come close to sustaining this start at all, I don't think I'm reaching at all saying each 5 AL East team would make the playoffs in any other division.