2011 MLB Postseason

[McCall]

Am I the only one who feels like the postseason just drags ... ?

Its more exciting when you have just the LCS and the World Series because you actually win a title rather than "advancing to actually have a chance to win a title (League Champ, World Series Champ)."

You pose an interesting question. One thing that irks me about the Division Series is when a team wins it, they celebrate with champagne. Winning a division (even the Wild Card), I can understand it, winning the LEAGUE Championship too I can understand it, but I don't like when there are champagne celebrations for winning a Division Series.

Personally I don't mind the length of the post-season, though my idea I posted about how I'd like to see it change would actually lengthen it by 3 games per league, and in doing so, would make it much more challenging for a wild card team to advance to the World Series. In football wildcards make much more sense, it's only a 16 game season.

The playoffs don't need any lengthening. MLB playoffs are synonymous with October. Don't need to go into into November. One or two WS games is already too much in that month.

[BigEd76]

Just like Bengie Molina last year, Arthur Rhodes will get a ring no matter what happens in the World Series

He's never won a ring, has he?

If he hasn't, I now have my reason to pull for a team in the World Series. Would love to see the old guy win a ring.

No, but he will now. So this still doesn't give you a reason to pull for someone.

[CS85]

Here's hoping for a Rangers sweep.

Yes, that will surely salve the 103 years of Cub futility, now won't it?

You said it, not me.

[Mings]

Here's hoping for a Rangers sweep.

Yes, that will surely salve the 103 years of Cub futility, now won't it?

Well I guess keeping the Cardinals from having to use their toes to count the number of World Series championships is a moral victory.

It is. However, the Cards potentially winning and the fact it was Cards/Brewers in the NLCS means all the NL Central haters can suck it.

Personally I'm rooting for the Rangers. Being a Reds fan, I can't bring myself to root for the Cards.

[CS85]

I've had it out with dozens of cardinals fans this week and all I hear is 103 years this, 103 years that. My main argument is that the wild card is kind of stupid because it gives the hottest team in baseball a best of 5 with a team that likely won it's division weeks and weeks ago. The Phillies obviously battled, but the Cards are hitting out of their minds right now, and it irritates me that the season is so damn long only to have Random McHotbats win the title because the magic was found a week before the season ended.

However, because I'm a cubs fan I have to be reminded/belittled that I'm a lesser fan because I cheer for a franchise that drowns itself in ineptitude, so I can't even begin to fathom what I'm talking about. What a foolish fan am I for not making the easy choice as a young man to root for the glorious Cardinals. Whatever.

[McCall]

The Cardinals were in it at the end of July, neck and neck with the Brewers. And after the trades at the deadline, they were actually being favored to win the Central. Then when the calendar flipped to August, things went south and that's why on August 25th they were 10-1/2 out of the wild card. But then they started playing well again and it's carried all the way here. So...

Is this really just a nearly 2 month hot streak or was August just a 3-1/2 week slump? Think about it.

[McCall]

I've had it out with dozens of cardinals fans this week and all I hear is 103 years this, 103 years that. My main argument is that the wild card is kind of stupid because it gives the hottest team in baseball a best of 5 with a team that likely won it's division weeks and weeks ago. The Phillies obviously battled, but the Cards are hitting out of their minds right now, and it irritates me that the season is so damn long only to have Random McHotbats win the title because the magic was found a week before the season ended.

However, because I'm a cubs fan I have to be reminded/belittled that I'm a lesser fan because I cheer for a franchise that drowns itself in ineptitude, so I can't even begin to fathom what I'm talking about. What a foolish fan am I for not making the easy choice as a young man to root for the glorious Cardinals. Whatever.

Well you weren't provoked here, so I'm gonna say it's more of you playing the "I hate the Cards because I'm a Cubs fan so hate them and feel bad for me" pity seeking that is drawing all the ire.

If you're a Cubs fan and are rooting against the Cardinals based on that, that's fine. That's what happens in rivalries. But don't blame the other teams fans just to get pity from the neutral people. That's much sadder than the 103 years without a World Series win.

[CS85]

I've had it out with dozens of cardinals fans this week and all I hear is 103 years this, 103 years that. My main argument is that the wild card is kind of stupid because it gives the hottest team in baseball a best of 5 with a team that likely won it's division weeks and weeks ago. The Phillies obviously battled, but the Cards are hitting out of their minds right now, and it irritates me that the season is so damn long only to have Random McHotbats win the title because the magic was found a week before the season ended.

However, because I'm a cubs fan I have to be reminded/belittled that I'm a lesser fan because I cheer for a franchise that drowns itself in ineptitude, so I can't even begin to fathom what I'm talking about. What a foolish fan am I for not making the easy choice as a young man to root for the glorious Cardinals. Whatever.

Well you weren't provoked here, so I'm gonna say it's more of you playing the "I hate the Cards because I'm a Cubs fan so hate them and feel bad for me" pity seeking that is drawing all the ire.

If you're a Cubs fan and are rooting against the Cardinals based on that, that's fine. That's what happens in rivalries. But don't blame the other teams fans just to get pity from the neutral people. That's much sadder than the 103 years without a World Series win.

I'm rooting for the Rangers because I want to see their franchise get a title. Cardinals have already won, it's tiresome. I'm not looking for pity, I don't understand how I came off like that, but it would be a bonus to see the Cardinals lose it, now that you mention it. I'm mostly venting my frustration that I can't argue baseball because my "fan credentials" are dismissed by the redbird faithful that I know. It's obviously personal in that regard (and that's what provoked my response, sorry for spilling it here), yet I'm friends with many cardinals fans who are great people and enjoy having baseball conversations that don't end in various tired insults on the Cubs sorry ass lore. I don't hold any furious grudge against the Cardinals franchise at all, so yeah.

And you make good points on the wild card, but I wish the game would make more changes to make the season more accessible and timely. I feel like it's trapped by it's tradition.

[vicfurth]

Rangers have already beaten one destiny team this postseason. I'm calling a second one.

[wdm1219inpenna]

Rangers have already beaten one destiny team this postseason. I'm calling a second one.

Totally unrelated to this post, but your artwork w/the Cowboys & Broncos helmets always makes me think of Super Bowl XII, even though Dallas didn't wear the white helmets during that game.

[rams80]

Here's hoping for a Rangers sweep.

Yes, that will surely salve the 103 years of Cub futility, now won't it?

Well I guess keeping the Cardinals from having to use their toes to count the number of World Series championships is a moral victory.

Toes? I was planning on using MOD EDIT.

[Seadragon76]

You know, it's kinda nice to have those from the East Coast Yankee-Phillie-Red Sox Suckfest Jubilee stay away this year. It makes this year's World Series somewhat bearable.

With that, I'm going with St. Louis in 7 games. Sometimes, you just get hot at the right moment... That, and you cannot tell me that Pujols is going to jump ship after the Cards win it all, right?

[TFoA]

I want the Cardinals to win it because I at least want to say that the Braves were a primary contributor to a Cardinals World Series ring ( ), but my head has the Rangers winning this series. Nelson Cruz is just on another level right now, and if he can continue that form into the World Series, then the Rangers are gonna have a much better memory of the 2011 WS than the 2010 WS.

[HedleyLamarr]

Just like Bengie Molina last year, Arthur Rhodes will get a ring no matter what happens in the World Series

He's never won a ring, has he?

If he hasn't, I now have my reason to pull for a team in the World Series. Would love to see the old guy win a ring.

No, but he will now. So this still doesn't give you a reason to pull for someone.

Sure it does. I want to see Rhodes jumping up-and-down on the mound at the end of the World Series and not being handed a ring at Spring Training by some random Texas staffer just because he started the season with the Rangers....

[The Six]

You know, it's kinda nice to have those from the East Coast Yankee-Phillie-Red Sox Suckfest Jubilee stay away this year. It makes this year's World Series somewhat bearable.

At the very least this postseason has temporarily silenced the crowd who claims no team other than those 3 will be able to contend until there's a salary cap.

[CubsFanBudMan]

The Yankees have shown that money can get you into the postseason, but doesn't guarantee you anything once you're there. The Phillies seem to tasting a bit of that now, which is strange, because I really thought the pitching set them up great the past two years.

I like the two wild cards playing a 1-game playoff, but realize that anything beyond that to give the wild card a disadvantage (win 5 vs. 3?!) will only give the most powerful teams more power.

Since there was some Cubs talk in here, I'll add this as it relates to this debate: Sometimes it doesn't matter if you're the hot team that slips in late (2007) or the team with the best overall record in the NL (2008). But perhaps the Cubs will always be the exception to any "rule."

When it comes to the Yankees and Cardinals, sometimes you just have to tip your cap and accept that they're going to get theirs and enjoy the moments when others emerge. That said, I'm rooting for the Cardinals. I'm an NL guy, and for some reason I tend to root for division rivals in the MLB and NFL when my team is out of it. I realize that's the opposite of most people.

[wdm1219inpenna]

You know, it's kinda nice to have those from the East Coast Yankee-Phillie-Red Sox Suckfest Jubilee stay away this year. It makes this year's World Series somewhat bearable.

At the very least this postseason has temporarily silenced the crowd who claims no team other than those 3 will be able to contend until there's a salary cap.

Same could be said in 2010 - San Francisco Giants, 2008 - Tampa Bay Rays, 2007 - Colorado Rockies

That being said, I do wish MLB would institute some kind of a more controlled salary range. While you do get somewhat different teams in, many teams you already know are out of it before Spring Training even begins (Pirates, Nationals, Royals, Athletics, Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jays). The NFL's problem is there is too much parity, while in MLB, it doesn't seem like there's quite enough...

[infrared41]

Same could be said in 2010 - San Francisco Giants, 2008 - Tampa Bay Rays, 2007 - Colorado Rockies

That being said, I do wish MLB would institute some kind of a more controlled salary range. While you do get somewhat different teams in, many teams you already know are out of it before Spring Training even begins (Pirates, Nationals, Royals, Athletics, Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jays). The NFL's problem is there is too much parity, while in MLB, it doesn't seem like there's quite enough...

How so?

[Cujo]

Selig, you prick.

MLB denies Dirk Nowitzki first-pitch

[Punch]

Selig, you prick.

MLB denies Dirk Nowitzki first-pitch

The owners don't want to make it seem like they are choosing a side by letting Dirk throw the first pitch? If anything, they are siding with the NBA owners by not letting him appear. I mean, if Dirk would have shown up at Game 3 and threw out the first pitch, no one would have thought twice about it. Now it is a bigger deal that it should have been and I hate the NBA even more.

On a side note, I love all of the microphones networks like FOX use for games. We can hear players cursing and fans heckling players.