2008 MLB Season

[footballfiji]

So if New York Yankees were 100-61 and Boston Red Sox were 20-141 and they happened to play each other for game #162, and Tampa Bay and Toronto were 90-71 and facing each other for the last playoff spot, it would be more exciting to watch the Red Sox/Yankees because it's a rivalry? There are other factors in rivalries than age. (And no, I'm not saying that the Red Sox will ever go 20-141.) Real-world example, Mets/Phillies will be a better rivalry for this season if not historically, because their level of competition is closer, and the Mets are looking to recover from their big drop-off at the end of last season.

Actually yes, I am.

If the Red Sox were ever that terrible, I'm sure NESN, ESPN, Fox Sports, and everybody else would want to televise this game because it would serve as one final chance for the Sox to beat the Yanks. The Red Sox would be trying to pull out all the stops to save face.

Think about it this way. Last year, how many of you took time out your day to watch the Padres/Rockies one game playoff? Would the Padres/Rockies now be considered a rivalry? Hardly.

Again, level of competition has nothing to do with the fierceness/quality of a rivalry. Take the Royals and Cardinals. One team has been terrible and another has been excellent. However, every time they meet on the field there is a competitive game.

Baseball is a game about history. That's what makes rivalries. Whether it's historically close games, or shared history between the teams (Dodgers/Giants or Dodgers/Yankees), or Championship History (Braves/Yankees). History is what makes rivalries, not that two teams are going to have similar talent levels.

[ShinyHubCaps]

Last year and '82. Good job.

Please tell me you didn't quote that whole thing just to point out one sentence...

Besides, only last year applies because it is the only of those with the National League. I was referring to last year anyway, and that was my point on relevancy. And if last year was any indication, it will be like that this year too.

Beyond that, this clearly will not go anywhere because STL FANATIC, rams80, and you are all Cardinals fans, so you have your preconcieved opinions and I have mine. And it doesn't matter which one is a "better" rivalry, because words like "good," "better," and "best" are all subjective and relative anyway. So again, there is no argument. I just pointed out one way (combined record) that CHI-STL is not better than CHI-MIL, since STL FANATIC said that it was better in every way.

Think about it this way. Last year, how many of you took time out your day to watch the Padres/Rockies one game playoff? Would the Padres/Rockies now be considered a rivalry? Hardly.

Again, level of competition has nothing to do with the fierceness/quality of a rivalry. Take the Royals and Cardinals. One team has been terrible and another has been excellent. However, every time they meet on the field there is a competitive game.

Baseball is a game about history. That's what makes rivalries. Whether it's historically close games, or shared history between the teams (Dodgers/Giants or Dodgers/Yankees), or Championship History (Braves/Yankees). History is what makes rivalries, not that two teams are going to have similar talent levels.

If we amended this to replace "rivalry" with "match-up," I think that match-ups between teams who play each other with a lot at stake and have comparable talent levels are more exciting than two teams with a history, whether these teams would be considered "rivals" or not. I don't even care how many times they play each other in a year or whatever. In my previous example, I would be more interested in Tampa Bay vs. Toronto if it were one game and the winner makes the playoffs and the loser does not, for the reason that there is more at stake. I watched the Padres and Rockies, and it was a darn exciting game all the way through. It was great given the stakes, as well as the Rockies' unbelievable hot streak, which was irrelevant because the teams matched up well despite it.

But then again, I started watching baseball regularly last year. I look for things to go by a single season, and I was excited for the season on the whole, but only that. Just one season, until next season starts. I couldn't care less about how old a rivalry is or the match-ups over the span of many years, because once the next year starts, you all have the same record again.

[Gothamite]

But then again, I started watching baseball regularly last year. I look for things to go by a single season, and I was excited for the season on the whole, but only that. Just one season, until next season starts. I couldn't care less about how old a rivalry is or the match-ups over the span of many years, because once the next year starts, you all have the same record again.

If you've only been regularly watching the game for a year, then it should come as no surprise that you're only really interested in what happens in the course of a single season.

I would suggest that once you've been watching baseball for a couple years, what happens over the course of those couple years will take on a new importance.

This can be true with any sport. Packer/Bear games are always a hell of a lot of fun, even though it's been very rare for both teams to be good at the same time.

[gingerbreadmann]

Yesterday's Games:

LAA 9 @MIN 1

NYY 3 TOR 2

BOS 2 @OAK 1

TEX 5 @SEA 4

FLA 5 NYM 4 (10)

LAD 3 SFG 2

SDP 2 HOU 1

COL 2 @STL 1

Standings:

AL

East W L GB

NYY 1 0 ---

TBD 1 0 ---

BOS 2 1 ---

BAL 0 1 1.0

TOR 0 1 1.0

Central W L GB

CLE 1 0 ---

KCR 1 0 ---

MIN 1 1 0.5

CHW 0 1 1.0

DET 0 1 1.0

West W L GB

LAA 1 1 ---

SEA 1 1 ---

TEX 1 1 ---

OAK 1 2 0.5

NL

East W L GB

WSN 2 0 ---

FLA 1 1 1.0

NYM 1 1 1.0

PHI 0 1 1.5

ATL 0 2 2.0

Central W L GB

MIL 1 0 ---

PIT 1 0 ---

CHC 0 1 1.0

CIN 0 1 1.0

STL 0 1 1.0

HOU 0 2 1.5

West W L GB

LAD 2 0 ---

SDP 2 0 ---

ARI 1 0 0.5

COL 1 0 0.5

SFG 0 2 2.0

[Brendan]

Is it really necessary to post the standing just two games in?

I'm also surprised tnak hasn't come in and proclaimed the world is over since Pedro is hurt.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

Well, the Phillies are doing their customary April sleep-walk.

Cy Young candidate Tim Redding and two relievers one-hit the Phightin's, and Ryan Zimmerman's solo shot off Cole Hamels resulted in the only run of a 1-0 shutout.

Phils now 2½ out of first. At least there's 160 to play.

[See Red]

It's gonna be a long year for Mussina. First start of the season and he already looked like he's gassed and has nothing left. His fastball was around 84-86. The Yankees offense is good enough to win them a lot of ballgames, but between Mussina and the two young'ns, their rotation looks bad.

Burnett looked good tonight... Toronto's gonna make a serious push for the division if he stays healthy.

[NJTank]

It's gonna be a long year for Mussina. First start of the season and he already looked like he's gassed and has nothing left. His fastball was around 84-86. The Yankees offense is good enough to win them a lot of ballgames, but between Mussina and the two young'ns, their rotation looks bad.

Burnett looked good tonight... Toronto's gonna make a serious push for the division if he stays healthy.

I think Mussina is done, by the end of the year he will be on the scrap heap.

[infrared41]

Is it really necessary to post the standings just two games in?

Thank goodness he did. I would have had no idea of where to look for them otherwise. It's not like MLB has their own website or anything. It's pretty tough to get sports information on the internets.

[Jimmy!]

Is it really necessary to post the standings just two games in?

Thank goodness he did. I would have had no idea of where to look for them otherwise. It's not like MLB has their own website or anything. It's pretty tough to get sports information on the internets.

Wait. You're telling me I can find this information out on the internets? Screw the newspaper. I'm gettin' me one of them internets.

[rams80]

Is it really necessary to post the standings just two games in?

Thank goodness he did. I would have had no idea of where to look for them otherwise. It's not like MLB has their own website or anything. It's pretty tough to get sports information on the internets.

I completely misplaced my sports section from today's paper as well. What would I have done without you?

[gingerbreadmann]

Oh my, you're all just so hilarious!

How can you stand it?

[Ez Street]

How about the 3-0 Kansas City Royals?

Sweeping Detroit on the ROAD.

NICE!

[TFoA]

Hmmmm...could Kansas city be showing signs of things to come for this year? Or are the Tigers just starting off horribly. The AL Central might be pretty damn interesting after all.

[fiasco!]

How about the 3-0 Kansas City Royals?

Sweeping Detroit on the ROAD.

NICE!

[Ez Street]

How about the 3-0 Kansas City Royals?

Sweeping Detroit on the ROAD.

NICE!

Sorry, but when you are the defenition of SUCK for the past 20 years, you gotta grab at something.

I refuse to believe this trend will last for the Tigers.....or the Royals for that matter.

[gingerbreadmann]

How about the 3-0 Kansas City Royals?

Sweeping Detroit on the ROAD.

NICE!

Sorry, but when you are the defenition of SUCK for the past 20 years, you gotta grab at something.

I refuse to believe this trend will last for the Tigers.....or the Royals for that matter.

Yeah, didn't the Royals start 7-0 a few years ago? That worked out well...

Either way, I think the Royals are headed in somewhat of the right direction, even if it is only around 1 degree in said direction.

[Shumway]

Ervin Santana didn't suck today, and it was on the road. WOOO! And Torii HUnter hit his first HR as an Angel.

[HedleyLamarr]

Yeah, didn't the Royals start 7-0 a few years ago? That worked out well...

Either way, I think the Royals are headed in somewhat of the right direction, even if it is only around 1 degree in said direction.

The Royals finished the season with a winning record not too long ago.....

[NJTank]

Yeah, didn't the Royals start 7-0 a few years ago? That worked out well...

Either way, I think the Royals are headed in somewhat of the right direction, even if it is only around 1 degree in said direction.

The Royals finished the season with a winning record not too long ago.....

Yeah in 2003

But they lost 100+ three years in a row before last year