NLDS game thread

jon abbey

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Pilgrim said:
So Puig is finished in LA too, right?
 
I was trying to figure out if the Yankees could put together a compelling package for him earlier today, I would definitely roll the dice on him if possible.
 

Pilgrim

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jon abbey said:
 
I was trying to figure out if the Yankees could put together a compelling package for him earlier today, I would definitely roll the dice on him if possible.
 
Either Pineda or Severino would at least get their attention, then spend on a pitcher in FA.  Its a pretty good match.
E5 Yaz said:
 
Would you trade Rusney+ for him?
Oh god yes.  They would probably want one of the young players on the 25 man roster rather than prospects, though.
 

The Gray Eagle

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The Dodgers keep falling short in the playoffs. They need to trade for Proven Postseason Winner and Hero Pablo Sandoval. 
 
Maybe trade Puig and that scrub with the beard and red hair for Panda and Castillo.
 

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jon abbey said:
The Cubs beat the Mets all seven times they played this year and had a better record by 7 games, nice system that gives the Mets home field advantage. 
 
 
I'm sure you were complaining in 2001 about how unfair it was that your vile 95 win team had home field advantage over a 102 win wildcard A's team.  
 

E5 Yaz

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Remagellan said:
 
 
I'm sure you were complaining in 2001 about how unfair it was that your vile 95 win team had home field advantage over a 102 win wildcard A's team.  
 
That post must have be lost in a server crash
 

jon abbey

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Heh, I don't think I was here yet in 2001, but that was at least somewhat balanced by a World Series where the 92 win D'Backs had home field in a series where all seven games were won by the home team.
 

ehaz

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Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
There is 0.0% chance of Mattingly returning
 
You'd have to think Tito is the perfect fit for this job.  Even though he said he wasn't going to use it, Francona has an opt-out clause in case Mark Shapiro leaves the organization (isn't he becoming President of the BJs?).
 

Tyrone Biggums

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I guess that homer in the 6th inning was God's will.

Mattingly has to be out. Right?
 

Remagellan

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jon abbey said:
Heh, I don't think I was here yet in 2001, but that was at least somewhat balanced by a World Series where the 92 win D'Backs had home field in a series where all seven games were won by the home team.
 
 
You have the 1994 strike to blame for that. Before the World Series was canceled that season, the AL had the home field advantage in odd years and the NL in even years.  
 
And the MFYs only won 95 games that season.  I think the 1987 Cards that won 95 games and lost a seven game series in which the home team won every game to an 85 win Twins club have a stronger gripe.
 
I'm just glad we have a relatively fresh final four.  Sure the Royals are back in the ALCS but it's not like we've spent the last ten years watching them in the playoffs.  
 

54thMA

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Here's a crazy, weird, off the wall idea; for the World Series, instead of odd/even, winner of the all star game or any other moronic concept, how about if oh, I don't know, the team with the best record gets HFA?
 
I know MLB is incapable of following along with such a radical, bizarre idea, but there's always hope.
 

BaseballJones

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Here's the records of this year's final four teams over the past four seasons:
 
2012
Toronto:  73-89 (.451), 22 gb
Kansas City:  72-90 (.444), 16 gb
NY Mets:  74-88 (.457), 24 gb
Chi Cubs:  61-101 (.377), 36 gb
TOT:  280-368 (.432), 98 gb
 
2013
Toronto:  74-88 (.457), 23 gb
Kansas City:  86-76 (.531), 7 gb
NY Mets:  74-88 (.457), 22 gb
Chi Cubs:  66-96 (.407), 31 gb
TOT:  300-348 (.463), 83 gb
 
2014
Toronto:  83-79 (.512), 13 gb
Kansas City:  89-73 (.549), 1 gb (lost in WS)
NY Mets:  79-83 (.488), 17 gb
Chi Cubs:  73-89 (.451), 17 gb
TOT:  324-324 (.500), 48 gb
 
2015
Toronto:  93-69 (.574), --
Kansas City:  95-67 (.586), --
NY Mets:  90-72 (.556), --
Chi Cubs:  97-65 (.599), 3 gb
TOT:  375-273 (.579), 3 gb
 
It's a pretty impressive climb for each of the four teams.  Meanwhile, just for fun, here were the division winners from 2012, and where they finished this year:
 
Team:  2012, 2015, win differential
NY Yankees:  95-67 (.586), 87-75 (.537), -12 wins
Detroit:  88-74 (.543), 74-87 (.460), -14 wins
Oakland:  94-68 (.580), 68-94 (.420), -26 wins
Washington:  98-64 (.605), 83-79 (.512), -15 wins
Cincinnati:  97-65 (.599), 64-98 (.395), -33 wins
San Francisco:  94-68 (.580), 84-78 (.519), -10 wins
TOT:  566-406 (.582), 460-511 (.473), -110 wins
 

JimD

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Never mind the Ethier stuff - here is Mattingly on Murphy being gifted third base by his team:
 
 
 
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly acknowledged it was “probably” the rookie Seager’s responsibility to anticipate the play and get to third base.
 
“He’s on that side, whoever’s on that side,” Mattingly said – and Seager was the only infielder to the left of second base. “Obviously, we don’t shift a ton but it’s probably his responsibility there. It's probably all of our responsibility as far as guys on the field about kind of talking about that, making sure that we know. I think we know on a hit that the catcher's going (to third) and Zack's going home. But with the walk … Corey's on that side, he's got to stay over there.
 
“But really we should all be kind of … communicating ‘Get to third. Get to third.’ So just a breakdown right there.”
 
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dodgers-687809-game-third.html
 
Way to throw the rookie under the bus, skipper.
 

VORP Speed

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Short term outcome sucks for Dodger fans, but the team will be much better off in the long run by having a reason to get rid of Mattingly now and letting Friedman go get his own guy. A guy who can manage.
 

jon abbey

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54thMA said:
Here's a crazy, weird, off the wall idea; for the World Series, instead of odd/even, winner of the all star game or any other moronic concept, how about if oh, I don't know, the team with the best record gets HFA?
 
I know MLB is incapable of following along with such a radical, bizarre idea, but there's always hope.
 
I'd be totally fine with that, or even the team from the league with the better interleague record that season gets it. 
 

glennhoffmania

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JimD said:
Never mind the Ethier stuff - here is Mattingly on Murphy being gifted third base by his team:
 
 
 
 
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dodgers-687809-game-third.html
 
Way to throw the rookie under the bus, skipper.
 
That's a lot of probablies and thinks.  If only the team had someone in charge who could implement a strategy and convey it to the players prior to the games being played.
 

Al Zarilla

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glennhoffmania said:
 
That's a lot of probablies and thinks.  If only the team had someone in charge who could implement a strategy and convey it to the players prior to the games being played.
With the plethora of shifts employed against just about any hitter these days, it's obvious teams aren't making a list of all things that may happen that wouldn't without the shifts, and covering those things. MLB is a copy cat league like the NFL. Maddon's and Girardi's teams, whatever teams, are shifting, must be the thing to do.  
 

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jon abbey said:
 
I'd be totally fine with that, or even the team from the league with the better interleague record that season gets it. 
 
I like both ideas, but we have this discussion every year and apparently the World Series going to the team with the better record is a non-starter from a business point of view.
 

54thMA

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singaporesoxfan said:
 
I like both ideas, but we have this discussion every year and apparently the World Series going to the team with the better record is a non-starter from a business point of view.
For those of us who haven't been part of that discussion in the past; why is it a non starter from a business point of view?  So it's bad for business for the team with the better record to get HFA as is the case with basketball and hockey?
 
Just curious is all................
 

Section15Box113

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singaporesoxfan said:
 
I like both ideas, but we have this discussion every year and apparently the World Series going to the team with the better record is a non-starter from a business point of view.
Since the team with the best record could come from the weaker league, someone floated that the team with the best record would have home field as long as their league had the better interleague record. If that was a split, a third factor (winner of the ASG, coin toss, whichever league did not have home field the prior year, etc.) would come into play. If Manfred loves the ASG, use that.

I'm more interested in the seeding within the league.

Didn't love that the WC and NLDS setup this year automatically eliminated two of the best three teams in baseball (according to record). It doesn't happen a lot, but it's suboptimal in my book if you want the best teams standing at the end.

Of course, if you went to straight seeding, winning the division wouldn't matter - and I do see value in that.

I'd like to see the division winners get a pass to the Division Series (as they do today), but then would re-seed once the WC winner is determined. In the NL, this would have led to STL-NYM and CHC-LAD, with both NL Central teams having home field.

And it would have preserved the chance to see the two best teams in baseball (other than the bounced-out Pirates) facing off for the trip to the WS.
 

Section15Box113

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54thMA said:
For those of us who haven't been part of that discussion in the past; why is it a non starter from a business point of view?  So it's bad for business for the team with the better record to get HFA as is the case with basketball and hockey?
 
Just curious is all................
I think the argument is related to getting the blocks of hotel rooms, etc. - at least that's what I've heard.

Once the LCS is set, you know which two cities you need to focus on logistically for Game 1.

Of course, if you did best record, it's three cities for Game 1 at the same point in the planning process, so that argument (if accurate) doesn't hold water for me.
 

E5 Yaz

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Section15Box113 said:
Of course, if you did best record, it's three cities for Game 1 at the same point in the planning process, so that argument (if accurate) doesn't hold water for me.
 
 
Have you had to deal with the logistics in such a situation? If not, that it "doesn't hold water" for you is meaningless.
 

kieckeredinthehead

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E5 Yaz said:
 
 
Have you had to deal with the logistics in such a situation? If not, that it "doesn't hold water" for you is meaningless.
Maybe they could try to hire away one of the super geniuses who are able to do it for the NBA
 

E5 Yaz

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kieckeredinthehead said:
Maybe they could try to hire away one of the super geniuses who are able to do it for the NBA
 
Sure, with two days off between games and every game played indoors during the spring ... that would work