2021 Blue Jays Season Thread

[Roof-Daddy]

It's definitely in the Jays best interest to have the Red Sox sweep the Yankees this week.

[Kidder]

Yankees came back, no surprise there.

Win against the twins, and we’ll gain on the Yanks or Sox this weekend, and be back in a WC spot.

Lose, and the Yankees series might be for all the marbles.

[Roof-Daddy]

If the Jays can't win 5 or 6 out of the 7 games against the Twins and orioles they don't deserve to be in the playoffs anyways

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Regardless the Yankees series is the big one.

[Kidder]

I guess in a sense, playoffs or not, we get an exciting playoff like series against the Yankees.

Better than it was looking a month ago.

A week ago it looked like a home wildcard game was in play. Unlikely now, unless Yanks sweep the Sox and then we sweep the Yanks.

[Ducay]

Sadly, barring a total collapse by Boston, we need BSox to win against the Yankees which mean's they'd likely have home in the wildcard.

I'd take it, don't get me wrong, but f a one game series in Fenway.

[Roof-Daddy]

Jays over here with 85 wins, 8.5 games out of 1st in the AL east and in 4th place in the division.

Braves over there with 79 wins and in first place in their division by 2.5 games.

Just a stupid useless rant, but #### I hate the division the Jays are in.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by chummer

Ya but stealing a card and lying about it isn't a weak move?

Piss off Kiermaier

https://twitter.com/user/status/1440817208079183875

I LOVE that they plunked him.

F that guy.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Jays over here with 85 wins, 8.5 games out of 1st in the AL east and in 4th place in the division.

Braves over there with 79 wins and in first place in their division by 2.5 games.

Just a stupid useless rant, but #### I hate the division the Jays are in.

It is unfortunate.

But I'd also say playing against the Yankees and Red Sox all season long really makes for great baseball.

[868904]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

I LOVE that they plunked him.

F that guy.

If I’m Borucki and the Jays and the media asks me if hitting Kiermaier was intentional, I say:

“Of course not, see in our data card, no where does it say to hit Kiermaier, he of all people should know that. So no, not intentional at all.”

[Skaloper]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

It is unfortunate.

But I'd also say playing against the Yankees and Red Sox all season long really makes for great baseball.

At least they added the second wildcard back in 2012. It's kind of silly though to have the wildcard a one-game series. They really should take 2 more games off the regular season and allow for a 3 game wildcard.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Skaloper

At least they added the second wildcard back in 2012. It's kind of silly though to have the wildcard a one-game series. They really should take 2 more games off the regular season and allow for a 3 game wildcard.

Yeah, I don't consider the wildcard game as being in the playoffs. That's goofy. Anything can happen in one game, the playoffs are when you actually get to a series in my mind.

I mean it's still an exciting day to be a part of, don't get me wrong. If anything it's the top wildcard team that should feel cheated. 4th best team in the conference and you play a toss up game to get into a series.

[Skaloper]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Yeah, I don't consider the wildcard game as being in the playoffs. That's goofy. Anything can happen in one game, the playoffs are when you actually get to a series in my mind.

I mean it's still an exciting day to be a part of, don't get me wrong. If anything it's the top wildcard team that should feel cheated. 4th best team in the conference and you play a toss up game to get into a series.

Exactly, the fact LA/SF in the NL is going to have to play a team that's 14 or so games behind them in a one-game play-in is just wrong. It's exciting that the Cards still have a chance but one game is not enough to decide which team is better, especially considering an ace for a team can easily steal a game.

[flames_fan_down_under]

There is a good article in The Athletic by Peter Gammons all about Marcus Semien.

https://theathletic.com/2840438/2021...-to-blue-jays/

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Skaloper

At least they added the second wildcard back in 2012. It's kind of silly though to have the wildcard a one-game series. They really should take 2 more games off the regular season and allow for a 3 game wildcard.

Just move to an expanded playoff. Playoff baseball is just more fun than regular season baseball, and did anybody really have an issue with a 16 team playoff last year?

Shorten spring training a little if you need to, and then play a 161 game schedule.

Division Games: 4 teams that you play 14 times each. (56 Games)
League Games: 10 teams that you play 6 times each (60 games)
Interleague: 15 teams that you play 3 times each (45 games)

This year it would be even more fun I think:

American League:

1) Rays: .614
8) Athletics: .539

2) Astros: .599
7) Mariners: .546

3) Red Sox: .575
6) Blue Jays: .559

4) White Sox: .563
5) Yankees: .562

National League:

1) Giants: .651
8) Padres: .503

2) Dodgers: .638
7) Phillies: .513

3) Brewers: .599
6) Reds: .513

4) Cardinals: .543
5) Braves: .533

Those would be pretty fun best of 3 series for sure, and I think you can easily argue all those teams deserve some form of post-season play.

[Scornfire]

Full agreement with an expanded Playoff, what's the matter, they don't like playoff revenue?

Baseball and it's old rules/code things make me wonder what century I'm living in sometimes

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Scornfire

Full agreement with an expanded Playoff, what's the matter, they don't like playoff revenue?

Baseball and it's old rules/code things make me wonder what century I'm living in sometimes

Totally agree, they would probably have to cut the season down by about 8 games or so though. Which in my opinion would be the worst idea there either.

[mrkajz44]

The thing about an expanded playoff is that baseball is so random that you'd be much more likely to award the trophy to a "non-deserving" team. Now if everyone is fine with that and they enjoy the excitement more (I'm thinking similar to how March Madness is not an effective way of having the best team win), then there is no issue with an expanded playoff.

The other downside to the expanded playoff is it makes the fringe teams, like Seattle this year, feel like they are much closer to winning it all than they really are. Lots of team in the NHL, including our Flames, seem to be sitting in this position.

Personally, I don't mind 5 teams making the post-season out of 15. Seems like its hard to obtain and there is strong reward for a good regular season. Just stop playing so many interdivision games. I don't need to see the Red Sox and Yankees umpteen times. Spread it out a little bit more.

[flamingred89]

I like the prestige of fewer teams making the playoffs. It makes it that much more special when you do make it. And the way baseball is set up with such a long season it's like the playoffs start in September anyway with the teams that are close. Just look at Seattle right now. They've seen more fan engagement than they have in decades because they're fighting for that prestige. And then when teams do make the postseason it already feels like a 2nd or 3rd round matchup.

I do get the notion of wild card reform though. Because it is a little ridiculous for your season to come down to one game. When so many intangibles can sneak in and steal your season away. So I would be open to a 6 team format where the top 2 teams get a bye, regardless of division, and then have 3 game wild card series to determine the teams who will move on. It also takes some of the power away from teams who win bad divisions from having more favourable matchups just because they won their weak division.

[Strange Brew]

Big no to the expanded playoffs from me. Part of the beauty of baseball is the regular season pennant race, rewarding teams with deep rotations, good bullpen and a strong bench.

I say 4 teams per league, and every series a best of 7.