Re: How the weekend went !!!

On Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:03:24 -0400, DonFromBarre@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

Considering it could have ended anywhere between a tie and the Sox being
6 games out of first I'd say going into Tampa tonight just one game back
is pretty damned good.

If you mean the home stand, I agree. I thought we needed to win 2 out
of 3 from TB to stay in the division hunt, and I thought a split with
the Jays would be a good result --- pretty much knocking the Jays out
of the WC and keeping RS in the WC against CHI or MN. So 1-3 and 3-4
is a fine result. Just disappointing to lose those two close games to
TB.

The WC is not clinched, obviously, but the odds of losing it (aside
from winning the division) are small --- and tiny if the RS can play
..500 ball for the rest of the season. But the RS do have all tough
series left. NYY is still dangerous --- we should not forget how good
ARod can be without any pressure, as he showed ysterday <g>). The Jays
at home are tough, and the RS have been wiped so far in TB. And
Cleveland, after a terrible season, is playing some good baseball.

The division win would be nice, of course, but it seems to be
increasingly unimportant. We are not going to get home field against
the Angels (they have 92 wins and the tie breaker, and we have 88
wins). So the issue is whether we face them in the first round or the
second. Okay, the 2d round meeting is not for sure --- the Angels or
the RS or both could lose inthe first round. But I think for
discussions of the WS goal, we have to assume the RS would beat Chi/MN
in the first round and face the Angels.

So, if the Angels are the team to beat, the question is whether we
prefer to meet them in the first or 2d round. If the Angels are better
than the RS, s the respective records indicate, then a 5-game series,
which increases luck as a factor, is better than a 7-game series. Plus
the RS top three pitchers are a real challenge to any opponent.

On the negative side, I think home field advantage is more important
in a 5-game series than in a 7-game series. Indeed, the 2-3-2 format
almost neutralizes the home flied advantage, since the home team
really has to sweep the first two games to avoid falling in a hole.
That is, the the home team loses on of the first two, then the away
team can close out at home or, if it takes 2 of 3, can go back to the
other park needing only a split to win.

Now there is some significant benefit to a team in getting to the 2d
round of the playoffs. Revenue for one thing. But right now, going out
in the 2d round instead of the 1st is not a v. big deal for me, not
after 04 and 07 WS wins. Getting to the WS remains v. big, and, of
course, winning it all is the grand prize.

Right now, I want the RS to clinch the WC before the NYY series so
that those last 3 games, at most, matter for the division. I do not
want NYY and their fans to have the joy of being the real spoilers.
.

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