Gander where are you?

Originally Posted by Crown@club

I haven't heard of any comparisons of this Detroit team to the Chisox last year. Both were faultering down the stretch, while one won the WS, the other one looks strong to take care of it also.

Playoff format - 5 game series! Ask the '84 Cubs how they liked that!

What makes me sick is this 17-21(I'm using the NL in my rant) game series that each division team faces each other a year, while facing interleague games a total of 15 games (6 with interleague rival). That leaves 57 to 75 games left played with the 10-11 teams in their league. Thats an average of 6 or 7 games. I don't like it. I've been preaching this ever since I started to write for a roto-service. Gone are the Great Mets-Cubs rivalries as one example.

The Cards were a pathetic 3-10 against the pitiful Cubs before they won the next 5 of 6 games against them. I'm sure they had enough at the start of the season. 12 games thats enough give me another team.

I love baseball, but its starting to get boring to see the same thing every year. YAWN! How about the Dodgers face the Mets for 12 games in a season and the Giants also. Not the 7 and 6 respectively that they've done in recent years.

I guess those days are long gone.

that's an excellent point, JS
I'd say cut it, and leave only one regional match-up
Cubs-Sox, Mets-Yankees, LA-LA, etc.
those are the only AL-NL matchups with big draws anyway
but I would definately make round one a best of 7

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Well, the Yankees were always going to be vulnerable in the playoffs to teams with excellent pitching.I must have told Oracle that 100 times this year.He refused to pay any attention.Gee,why did the Halos beat you last year in the playoffs? P I T C H I N G ....Why did a team like the Halos beat you 6 of 10 this year?....P I T C H I N G....... You say the Yankees were the best team in the A.L. this year,but it is tripe.The best team in the A.L. woke up and simply played to their potential.The Yankees deserve credit for playing very hard during the regular season.They do keep after it better than most anybody.The problem they have in the playoffs is that the bad teams are no longer around to beat up on.You have to face teams with good starters,and you have to face those teams with your mediocre starters.It hasn't worked for the last 6 years or so.Regardless of whether your expensive hitters didn't perform,or the opposing pitchers were too good.Forget that.Look at the runs YOU gave up.That's your problem.I know this problem well.The Dodgers scored enough runs in the 1st,and 3rd games against the Mets.Dodgers got like 15 hits in game 3.....5 runs should be enough to win a playoff game.Fact is that the Dodgers and Yanks got a similiar problem.Yes,you have a much better line-up,but neither team can stop good teams from scoring,and that's why both teams went bye-bye good night now in round 1.Pitching is elusive.If it was easy to buy,you would have done it.It is not always easy to know who will pitch good next season.Buying pitchers based on the last 5-10 years of results has not worked for you guys.Look at Weaver for the Cards.A total piece of dung for both the Dodgers,and the Halos.Goes to the Cards,and something clicked.It ain't always money.The right situation.The right pitching coach.The right manager.It is damn elusive.It is not like buying good hitters.

[SentToStud]

I'm convinced having a mix of young players as well as veterans is the right formula these days. The White Sox and RedSox got away with having veteran-filled rosters, but they went nowhere this year nor did the NYY. Who's to say the Yanks wouldn't have given Detroit a tougher series if Cabrera had gotten Sheffield's ABs? Tigers remind me a lot of the Marlins a few years ago. Good young pitching along with a mix of veteran and younger players. And you cannot overstate the importance of the manager and pitching coach. And while he won't be in the top 10 in MVP voting, it's arguable that no player was more important to his team's success this year than Pudge Rodriguez. One of my all-time favorite players.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

I'm convinced having a mix of young players as well as veterans is the right formula these days. The White Sox and RedSox got away with having veteran-filled rosters, but they went nowhere this year nor did the NYY. Who's to say the Yanks wouldn't have given Detroit a tougher series if Cabrera had gotten Sheffield's ABs? Tigers remind me a lot of the Marlins a few years ago. Good young pitching along with a mix of veteran and younger players. And you cannot overstate the importance of the manager and pitching coach. And while he won't be in the top 10 in MVP voting, it's arguable that no player was more important to his team's success this year than Pudge Rodriguez. One of my all-time favorite players.

Yo Bruce, I met Pudge when he was a rookie with the Rangers and I was at the Rangers spring training camp, at the time, the local newspaper were calling him the next Johnny Bench. Matter of fact, Tom House was the pitching coach at the time and my dad went up to him, House taught me what is called the 'karate chop' curve ball, no stress on the elbow for youngsters, and while I was practicing the pitch, none other the Ivan Rodriguez was catching, I was 11 years old at the time.