2010 MLB Season

[papsrus]

Rays used eight pitchers in last night's win over the Royals. Chad Qualls got the win. He threw two pitches.

[Matthew]

Of course, I'm all on tenterhooks to see if the Mariners can reach their magic number of a 100 loss season. I have faith that my boys can lose the 2 of 3 that's needed, if not get swept this weekend. Go Mariners!

Way to go Mariners! last night you hit the 100 loss mark, good job. BTW, I checked, and there are seven teams with 90 or more losses this year -- there was some really awful baseball played this year.

[Brad]

If the Pods and the Braves both win tomorrow, then SF, Pods and Braves have identical records. Pods & SF then play a playoff game to determine the division winner. Loser of that game would then play the Braves, with winner as Wildcard and loser going home.

The Mets almost had the same scenario two years ago with the Phillies and Colorado, but the Mets lost on the last day of the season and were eliminated.

Don't remind me but wasn't that 2007: the Glavine game, where the guy didn't show up against the Marlins and wasn't all that upset about it. Last game with the Mets, thank god.

What is ridiculous is the scenario of all three teams making the playoffs, but having two playoff games to decide who plays who. Why would MLB want three teams to go through all that stuff, when the staffs are already worn out from the end of the season? There has to be a better way to do this, but Selig probably would love having two extra playoff games -- what a fool.

What would you expect him to do. You need to decide a division winner and then the winner should have the right to get the WC. I'm sure that Selig or the networks want additional play-in games as it delays the actual playoffs.

[BERIGAN]

If the Pods and the Braves both win tomorrow, then SF, Pods and Braves have identical records. Pods & SF then play a playoff game to determine the division winner. Loser of that game would then play the Braves, with winner as Wildcard and loser going home.

The Mets almost had the same scenario two years ago with the Phillies and Colorado, but the Mets lost on the last day of the season and were eliminated.

What is ridiculous is the scenario of all three teams making the playoffs, but having two playoff games to decide who plays who. Why would MLB want three teams to go through all that stuff, when the staffs are already worn out from the end of the season? There has to be a better way to do this, but Selig probably would love having two extra playoff games -- what a fool.

Well, IF the braves win today, and still have to play 2 pre real playoff games there is no way they can win anything with the rag tag arms and complete lack of offense. If they won the W.S. it would be a sure sign of end times.

[Matthew]

If the Pods and the Braves both win tomorrow, then SF, Pods and Braves have identical records. Pods & SF then play a playoff game to determine the division winner. Loser of that game would then play the Braves, with winner as Wildcard and loser going home.

The Mets almost had the same scenario two years ago with the Phillies and Colorado, but the Mets lost on the last day of the season and were eliminated.

What is ridiculous is the scenario of all three teams making the playoffs, but having two playoff games to decide who plays who. Why would MLB want three teams to go through all that stuff, when the staffs are already worn out from the end of the season? There has to be a better way to do this, but Selig probably would love having two extra playoff games -- what a fool.

Well, IF the braves win today, and still have to play 2 pre real playoff games there is no way they can win anything with the rag tag arms and complete lack of offense. If they won the W.S. it would be a sure sign of end times.

I keep forgetting that if all three end up with the same record, only two of the three make the playoffs. Guess there's nothing to be done, but still, Padre vs. Giants head-to-head record could be used to break the tie -- not too fair though. If it happens, it's the first time ever for three teams, some record.

[Chalupa]

Earlier this season, Placido Polanco of the Phillies got plunked on his left elbow during a game vs. the Braves. At the time he was the Phillies' leading hitter w/ a .320 average. Today Carlos Ruiz, who is the current Phils' leading hitter w/ a .302 avg., got plunked on the left elbow. The pitcher in both incidents - Tim Hudson.

Just sayin'.

[ghost of miles]

Barring the mother of all comebacks, looks like Boston will put the kibosh on NY winning the AL East championship today. Pretty pitiful performance on the Yankees' part, esp. given how decimated Boston's roster already is and that they fielded the B version of said roster in Game 2 last night and still knocked us off (as Jon Heyman quipped, the Bosox starting lineup for Game 2 probably looked like Murderers' Row to A.J.). Only consolation is that we won't be facing Cliff Lee twice in a five-game series...though given how mediocre NY's been playing lately, I'm not sure Lee would have needed to start a second time against us, and I'm not particularly optimistic about facing a hot and fired-up Twins team either.

[Dave James]

The Twins are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Gardenhire actually reamed the whole team out just the other day for their lackluster performance. That's the good news. The bad news is the Yankees are limping, and that may be a generous assessment, into to the playoffs. Like someone said, about all you can do right now if you're a Yankee fan is pray for four days of rain after every Sabbathia start. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to see a repeat of 2000 when New York entered the post-season on the same downward trajectory. No matter how I slice and dice the possibilities, it just doesn't feel right. I am already preparing myself for an early exit from the playoffs.

[Matthew]

The Twins are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Gardenhire actually reamed the whole team out just the other day for their lackluster performance. That's the good news. The bad news is the Yankees are limping, and that may be a generous assessment, into to the playoffs. Like someone said, about all you can do right now if you're a Yankee fan is pray for four days of rain after every Sabbathia start. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to see a repeat of 2000 when New York entered the post-season on the same downward trajectory. No matter how I slice and dice the possibilities, it just doesn't feel right. I am already preparing myself for an early exit from the playoffs.

Let's hope this year there's an umpire that can see fair from foul...

[ghost of miles]

The Twins are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Gardenhire actually reamed the whole team out just the other day for their lackluster performance. That's the good news. The bad news is the Yankees are limping, and that may be a generous assessment, into to the playoffs. Like someone said, about all you can do right now if you're a Yankee fan is pray for four days of rain after every Sabbathia start. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to see a repeat of 2000 when New York entered the post-season on the same downward trajectory. No matter how I slice and dice the possibilities, it just doesn't feel right. I am already preparing myself for an early exit from the playoffs.

Dave--shame on me for not tracking a potential playoff opponent over the past week and a half. I still think they'll be fired up to knock us off, though, and they'll have homefield advantage to try and do it. I agree w/you about preparing for an early exit, though. Here are some Yankee fun facts from the AP's recap of today's game:

New York was 66-37 at the start of play on Aug. 1 but went just 29-30 the rest of the way. It was just the third time the Yankees led through games of Labor Day and failed to finish first, according to STATS LLC. The others were in 1906 and 1944.

Entering Sunday, New York had a 4.66 ERA from Sept. 1 on, just 27th among the 30 major league teams, according to STATS.

We were also 9-17 in our last 26 games and our series record was one win, one tie, and six losses... a 1-1-6 stretch of abysmal mediocrity. Yes, people over at PA keep waving the 2000 flag, but I think that regular-season collapse was simply a terrible slump, whereas the long 2010 fade reflects deep-seated issues with the starting rotation and only-average situational hitting (not to mention that the bullpen is starting to look shaky again of late).

[Quincy]

Stop yer sobbin' Yankee fans.

"A statistical study five years ago showed that winning in September actually had a negative correlation to winning in the playoffs. The baseball statistics website The Hardball Times studied every playoff team from 1969 to 2004 and found that, on average, World Series winners had a worse September record (.607 winning percentage) than most playoff teams (.612). The average World Series champion had a better regular-season record than other teams in the postseason — so talent seemed to play a part — but playing well down the stretch was meaningless."

Link here, though that's the "meat" of it.

Also the 2000 Yankees had a losing September, yet won the title.

Edited October 3, 2010 by Quincy

[Chalupa]

So it's the Phillies vs. the Reds and the Giants vs. the Braves.

[Quincy]

Congrats to our Braves & Giants* fans. Now you have to face each other!

*Not you Matthew, undercover Dodger fan.

So it's the Phillies vs. the Reds and the Giants vs. the Braves.

It all has an old school ring to it. I like it!

[Chalupa]

Yanks/Sox rivalry leads to attempted murder?

[Neal Pomea]

Congratulations Red, Giants, and Braves! (Already sent out my nod to Phillies).

[Brad]

Guess we don't have to worry about those crazy playoff scenarios in the NL! Phillies are the pick to go to the WS. In the AL, hard to predict there since none of the three likely teams have been doing all that well (sorry Ranger fans!)

[Chalupa]

Just saw this tweeted...

The Phillies finish w/ MLB's best regular season record. First time they have ever done that. That's going all the way back to 1883.

[Tim McG]

[Matthew]

Interesting match-ups in the NL, I still think the Giants can take the Braves, Lincecum goes first, and he's pitching well right now. Phillies take the Reds. As for the AL -- *yawn*

[Tim McG]

Interesting match-ups in the NL, I still think the Giants can take the Braves, Lincecum goes first, and he's pitching well right now. Phillies take the Reds.

Good chance, Matthew.

The Phillies, however, will just wipe the floor with the Reds.

Go Giants!!!

Edited October 4, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[Matthew]

Congrats to our Braves & Giants* fans. Now you have to face each other!

*Not you Matthew, undercover Dodger fan.

[BERIGAN]

as a Braves fan, thanks! Man, they have really stunk for much of September, no offense....to be fair, it's kinda hard to lose not one, but two #3 hitters in the span of a few months.

Yeah, I expect the Giants to win.Having a 1.83(or so) ERA for the month of September is amazing.

DLowe, logged bone chip and all, has been the best pitcher on the team the last month or so. And before that he had almost been a bust since being a last minute signing to boost a then terrible rotation(Boy am I glad we lost out on A.J. Burnett now!)

Tim Hudson, coming off T.J. surgery , was someone I was very surprised to see the braves lock up. Would have much rather let him go elsewhere and keep Javy Vasquez. Well, last year at least...best starter on the staff.

Tommy Hanson is fine as a #3. Wish Jair Jurrjens knee wasn't messed up.

I still would argue that the braves have the best bullpen in baseball, even if it's overworked.

I would expect a lot of 1-0 games.

I also expect the Phils to be the Reds, but the Reds are going to at least give them a bit of a fight.

I guess the Yankees will beat the Twins, but it's going to take a lot of 10-9 wins for that to happen.

Rays over the Rangers in 5 unless Lee is like he was last playoffs.

Phils/Rays in the W.S. Phils winning again in 7. Place your bets accordingly!

[BERIGAN]

GoodSpeak, is your closer in a witness protection program, or is he going to star in the Billy Mays story???

[ghost of miles]

Oh boy, here we go:

Here are the particulars: since 2002, the Yankees are 54-18 against the Twins in the regular season and 9-2 in the postseason. Even with Jason Kubel’s game-winning grand slam off Mariano Rivera in the Bronx on May 16, the Twins have lost 14 of their last 16 to the Yankees. Nine of those games were decided by two runs or fewer, and the Twins lost all nine. That’s not the kind of thing that inspires confidence in Twins Territory.

Gah, the kind of recitation that always gives me a sense of dread. "(Yankees) (Team X) own this team," etc., etc. Sooner or later there's always a comeuppance... NY better go into this series ready for a fight. Twins 2-8 in their last 10? NY was 3-7. This team never recovered from Andy Pettitte's injury, and I don't think Pettitte has had enough time to get back to form for the playoffs.

[Matthew]

Of course, I'm all on tenterhooks to see if the Mariners can reach their magic number of a 100 loss season. I have faith that my boys can lose the 2 of 3 that's needed, if not get swept this weekend. Go Mariners!

Way to go Mariners! last night you hit the 100 loss mark, good job. BTW, I checked, and there are seven teams with 90 or more losses this year -- there was some really awful baseball played this year.

This sentence sums up a history making year for the Mariners:

The Mariners not only scored the fewest runs in the majors this season with 513, but their offense was the worst by an American League team in the Designated Hitter Era (since 1973).

Way to go guys....