2012 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[tim_m]

Congrats to the Giants and Matt Cain on a perfect game!

Yeah, just caught the end of that.  Good stuff!

How about R.A. Dickey though?  What a season he's had so far.  Didn't see that one coming.

Definitely exciting to see that, even better that its the first perfect game in their history. I was lucky enough to see the last 3 outs thanks to Eddie Trunk posting on twitter.

He's on a helluva run what is it like 39 scoreless innings now?

[pilferk]

When we're discussing the term "balanced" I was always under the impression that referred to more of an equal amount of games spread out within your league, not division.

As pilf's example above would describe an "unbalanced" schedule to my understanding, heavily weighed to games within your own division with fewer outside your division but still within your league.

Here's a good article from a week or so ago detailing possibilities on the horizon:

1) Yes, that's what "balanced" means...that you're playing the same schedule as everyone else.  Right not, that's not even close to reality...not within the division OR within the league. You have to start somewhere.

2) There are specific reasons MLB went to the divisional format (travel time, ticket sales, rivalries, etc)...and I don't see them making a "perfectly" balanced schedule because it would pretty much invalidate the need for divisions. If you do that,  you might as well just create 2 leagues and take the top 5 teams in each league for the playoffs.  They're not going to do that.

3) Keeping that in mind, but trying to create a "more balanced" schedule, you do something like I described, above.  It's not perfect, but it moves much further toward balanced than what we have now.  Your division might still be somewhat unbalanced...but you're playing the same schedule OUTSIDE your division as anyone else.  That's progress.

4) I read the same article...and almost every other article "sources" that one when talking about the subject.  I don't buy it.  I've seen too many other articles, from too many other "sources" that contradict it.  Unless something has radically changed in the past 2 weeks...and given what Selig sayed when announcing the extra WC team...it doesn't make sense.

[pilferk]

I wonder if they would be able to make a balanced schedule where everyone plays everyone? I think it might be too hard for baseball to do that though since they typically have 2-4 game series. Unlike other sports where its one game or a home and home. I would like to see every team every year though.

So...in short...no.

Because the players union wouldn't sign off on it.  There would be too much travel, and the need for too many 2 game series (which players hate).

The league probably wouldn't go for it, either, as you'd likely have to schedule too many travel days.  They want the regular season a couple days SHORTER (not in games, but in actual calender days) to fit that extra WC game in without having to give the WC team the first 2 games in the divisional round.

Not to mention...29 does not go into 162 evenly...so you still couldn't get it perfectly balanced.

[pilferk]

Imagine the outcry if/when the Sox, Yanks and Rays are battling out over the last week of the season with the Yanks/Sox playing each other and the Rays playing the Cubs.

You'd hear no complaints from me...because with the proposals I've heard about...the Sox and Yanks would likely have played the Cubs earlier in the season (because your schedule would include exactly the same teams as the rest of your division, with ONE possible exception).  If the Cubs were the "exception"....it all works out over time.

The biggest complaint urging on a balanced schedule isn't the one you're making, actually.  Timing in WHEN you play someone, in a schedule, is really a red herring if you're playing the same teams as the other teams you're being compared against.

It's that, with the extra wild card, you have teams playing a far easier schedule (in their division,out of their division and interleague) than others do...which gives them a better crack at the WC.  You can't do a lot about the division inbalance (without blowing up the divisional alignment altogether).  But you can fix the rest.

[pilferk]

Very true, for me personally i still think it would be cool to see every team every year. Unfortunately i don't see it happening cause as i mentioned baseball has obstacles other sports do not having to play a series. With hockey and basketball teams in other conferences only play one or two games a year against the other. If they do it in baseball you'd have to have every team play more than 1/3 interleague games. Something like 45 games unless they were to make them 2 game series. That would still amount to 30. So i don't think that scenario will ever happen. I am excited to see how they implement the year round interleague play next year instead of just isolating it to a series in may then a longer period in june.

The biggest hurdle to playing every team, every year is the sheer number of GAMES MLB plays.  Playing 162 games, as opposed to 80 or 82 or 16, really limits your options given you have a finite number of calender days to squeeze it all in to.

If the league commits to year round interleague...you almost have to figure teams will be playing 30-ish interleague games per year.  Otherwise, mathematically, it wouldn't work out.

They play about 18, now.

[GeorgeSteele]

The Mets appealing a call to try and get RA Dickey a no hitter it seems...

Oh the irony...

Your mama!

Actually, I agree, total BS to appeal that.  No-hitters, perfect games have so much more to do with being lucky than being good.  It feels great when it happens because as a fan (well, especially as a Mets fan), you feel that at least for that one night there wasn't a black cloud hanging overhead and forces are conspiring for you rather than against you (which made the hit that wasn't all the more sweeter).  But, if you don't get a call or a fielder doesn't make a play, that's it, those are the breaks.  You don't appeal. 

The other irony is that Dickey was so much more dominant than Johan was last week.  There were 2 hard hit balls all game --- one was foul, the other was a line-out to right.  Otherwise, nobody could touch him.  And how a knuckleballer doesn't walk anyone is bewildering.  He is in some Zen-like state with that knuckleball right now that I don't think has been reached by any other knuckleballer ever.  It's fascinating to watch, but must be hell to catch.  It does suck that he lost his scoreless streak because of 3 consecutive errors.  I'm predicting at least 4 passed balls in the All-Star game.

[Falcon]

Awesome night for pitchers last night, I love that shit.

Cain was, well - perfect.

Dickey was great, what a story.

Stasburgh just unreal.

Lance Lynn made the White Sox look helpless.

[tim_m]

Awesome night for pitchers last night, I love that shit.

Cain was, well - perfect.

Dickey was great, what a story.

Stasburgh just unreal.

Lance Lynn made the White Sox look helpless.

Cain was phenomenal last night, the outfielder saved his bacon though with that spectacular diving catch. You notice how every no hitter or perfect game has one sensational catch that saves the day for the pitcher.

I'm pretty amazed at how fast and well Strasburg has come back. He's pitching lights out.

[tim_m]

Bad news for the Yanks, they are gonna be without Gardner for an additional 3-4 weeks with an elbow strain.

[Falcon]

Bad news for the Yanks, they are gonna be without Gardner for an additional 3-4 weeks with an elbow strain.

Saw that as well, no surgery - correct?

[tim_m]

Bad news for the Yanks, they are gonna be without Gardner for an additional 3-4 weeks with an elbow strain.

Saw that as well, no surgery - correct?

No surgery. They gave him a plasma injection and a cortisone shot. He apparently has a strain, inflammation and a bone bruise. So no structural damage. He just has to be shutdown long enough for it to heal. Hopefully it will take just the 3-4 weeks.

[Falcon]

Here's a good article (albeit from a STL perspective, you can kinda "insert your team here" though)
on interleague scheduling as we've seen it up to this point in it's be(inter)leaguered history.

http://stlsportspage.com/first-of-six-cardinals-royals-game-exposes-myth-of-inter-league-play/

[tim_m]

The Nats have DFA'd Lidge. How one of the best have fallen so far.

The Yankees need to keep Pettitte around for as long as they can. He's having such an amazing effect on the young pitchers on the staff, Nova and Hughes. Ever since he has come back they have both turned it around big time.

[Falcon]

Just caught a great blurb from Buster Olney's twitter feed..

Mark Prior has K'd 15 through 6 2/3 for Pawtucket tonight.

Would love to see the guy make it back.

[tim_m]

Just caught a great blurb from Buster Olney's twitter feed..

Mark Prior has K'd 15 through 6 2/3 for Pawtucket tonight.

Would love to see the guy make it back.

Wow!

[tim_m]

What a shock, Clemens got off.

[Falcon]

What a shock, Clemens got off.

Yep, nobody saw that coming huh?

In other news...

RA Dickey at it again tonight, 1 hit shutout through 6 so far - awesome.

[tim_m]

What a shock, Clemens got off.

Yep, nobody saw that coming huh?

In other news...

RA Dickey at it again tonight, 1 hit shutout through 6 so far - awesome.

I could've saved the government millions and told them he wasn't getting convicted on that jerk McNamee's testimony. I honestly believe Clemens is lying but i knew the case was too weak for a conviction.

Yeah, he is just lights out.

[tim_m]

Speaking of Dickey, on Sunday night on national tv we get to see Dickey vs. Sabathia. That should be a great game.

[pilferk]

Speaking of Dickey, on Sunday night on national tv we get to see Dickey vs. Sabathia. That should be a great game.

Agree.

Looks like I was wrong about the Yanks pitcher hitting a homer...but I'll take the 10 straight wins as solace.