2012 MLB Season

[HedleyLamarr]

We speculated last week, but it actually happened - the Braves popped the champagne and celebrated for making a play-in game.To add to the stupidity, they still have a chance to win the division. So, if they make it into the ACTUAL playoffs, they will either pop the champagne again to celebrate winning the division or winning the play-in game. Even more ridiculous - the players were given "playoffs" shirts, which look identical to the division champ shirts except without the division champs wording. So if they DO somehow overtake the Nats, they will put out another round of nearly identical shirts which say division champs.

Come on, Braves. You're better than that. If anyone should understand that just making the "playoffs" is not that big a deal, it's you.

I bet the Cardinals don't celebrate anything until they're actually in the playoffs.

Considering the Braves' chokejob a year ago, and with pretty much the same cast.....let them celebrate with champagne. May be the last time Chipper gets to celebrate like that, so why the hell not?

[cshookemHORNS]

ESPN reports the Astros are expected to name Bo porter (Nationals 3B coach) as manager.

[Sport]

We speculated last week, but it actually happened - the Braves popped the champagne and celebrated for making a play-in game.To add to the stupidity, they still have a chance to win the division. So, if they make it into the ACTUAL playoffs, they will either pop the champagne again to celebrate winning the division or winning the play-in game. Even more ridiculous - the players were given "playoffs" shirts, which look identical to the division champ shirts except without the division champs wording. So if they DO somehow overtake the Nats, they will put out another round of nearly identical shirts which say division champs.

Come on, Braves. You're better than that. If anyone should understand that just making the "playoffs" is not that big a deal, it's you.

I bet the Cardinals don't celebrate anything until they're actually in the playoffs.

Considering the Braves' chokejob a year ago, and with pretty much the same cast.....let them celebrate with champagne. May be the last time Chipper gets to celebrate like that, so why the hell not?

Because they haven't made the playoffs yet.

[Epiphanic]

Yes they did. Even though people call it a "play-in" game, it's part of the post-season format. What's the difference between the "wild card" game in baseball and the "wild card" games in football? Does football count simply because the wild cards play a division winner right off the bat?

You can say that the extra wild card is stupid and shouldn't be a part of the playoff format, but you can't say that it isn't part of the playoff format.

[Sport]

Yes they did. Even though people call it a "play-in" game, it's part of the post-season format. What's the difference between the "wild card" game in baseball and the "wild card" games in football? Does football count simply because the wild cards play a division winner right off the bat?

You can say that the extra wild card is stupid and shouldn't be a part of the playoff format, but you can't say that it isn't part of the playoff format.

Good, then the 1999 Reds made the playoffs.

[Eye]

Yes they did. Even though people call it a "play-in" game, it's part of the post-season format. What's the difference between the "wild card" game in baseball and the "wild card" games in football? Does football count simply because the wild cards play a division winner right off the bat?

You can say that the extra wild card is stupid and shouldn't be a part of the playoff format, but you can't say that it isn't part of the playoff format.

Good, then the 1999 Reds made the playoffs.

But if that train of thought was used for this season, if a team is tied with another team and has to go to a one game playoff for the right to play in a one game playoff, would you say that that team has made the playoffs (provided of course they lose the one game playoff that is for the right to play in a one game playoff)?

[Sport]

Yes they did. Even though people call it a "play-in" game, it's part of the post-season format. What's the difference between the "wild card" game in baseball and the "wild card" games in football? Does football count simply because the wild cards play a division winner right off the bat?

You can say that the extra wild card is stupid and shouldn't be a part of the playoff format, but you can't say that it isn't part of the playoff format.

Good, then the 1999 Reds made the playoffs.

But if that train of thought was used for this season, if a team is tied with another team and has to go to a one game playoff for the right to play in a one game playoff, would you say that that team has made the playoffs (provided of course they lose the one game playoff that is for the right to play in a one game playoff)?

No because I'm not even counting the play-in game as the playoffs. The league can call it the playoffs if it wants and the Braves can celebrate getting to play an extra game if they want, but it won't be the playoffs in my eyes.

It's going to look silly when the Braves have another champagne party when they win the play-in game. Are we going to pop bottles after each and every playoff win now?

[rams80]

Yes they did. Even though people call it a "play-in" game, it's part of the post-season format. What's the difference between the "wild card" game in baseball and the "wild card" games in football? Does football count simply because the wild cards play a division winner right off the bat?

You can say that the extra wild card is stupid and shouldn't be a part of the playoff format, but you can't say that it isn't part of the playoff format.

Good, then the 1999 Reds made the playoffs.

But if that train of thought was used for this season, if a team is tied with another team and has to go to a one game playoff for the right to play in a one game playoff, would you say that that team has made the playoffs (provided of course they lose the one game playoff that is for the right to play in a one game playoff)?

No because I'm not even counting the play-in game as the playoffs. The league can call it the playoffs if it wants and the Braves can celebrate getting to play an extra game if they want, but it won't be the playoffs in my eyes.

It's going to look silly when the Braves have another champagne party when they win the play-in game. Are we going to pop bottles after each and every playoff win now?

You might as well, it's not like they can't afford it.

[NJTank]

With that win R.A. Dickey has clinched the Cy Young. If he does not win I swear to god I will explode

[pmoehrin]

With that win R.A. Dickey has clinched the Cy Young. If he does not win I swear to god I will explode

There's four guys with a realistic shot to win it, or at least should.

Dickey, Cueto, Gonzalez and Kershaw. If I had to rank them for who I think had the best year I'd proably go Dickey, Kershaw, Cueto and then Gonzalez.

[NEW.ERA]

Obviously want the Jays to play spoiler against the Yankees, rather than the Orioles. Good start so far!

[Kramerica Industries]

The Jays just split a four gamer in Baltimore this week. That's better than the Yankees could've realistically hoped for. The team that Toronto always lays down for are the Rays, not the Orioles or Yankees.

And Brandon Morrow always dominates the Yankees at the Rogers Centre. His ERA was 1.28 coming into this game (6 ER in 35 IP) and he threw seven more shutout innings tonight. Furthermore, Ivan Nova is a fricken' terrible pitcher who set the Yankees' record tonight for most extra base hits allowed in a single season, breaking Andy Hawkins' old record.

Based on all of that, this was probably the one game in this series where it came as absolutely no surprise the Yankees lost. It's a missed opportunity to put more ground between themselves and the Orioles (who have what should be an easy weekend with the Red Sox coming to Camden Yards), but what can you do, other than buckle down and beat three far more beatable pitchers this weekend?

[dfwabel]

With that win R.A. Dickey has clinched the Cy Young. If he does not win I swear to god I will explode

There's four guys with a realistic shot to win it, or at least should.

Dickey, Cueto, Gonzalez and Kershaw. If I had to rank them for who I think had the best year I'd proably go Dickey, Kershaw, Cueto and then Gonzalez.

I can understand that Chapman will take votes away from Cueto, but Kimbrel is even more dominant than Champan.

Kimbrel is the best NL pitcher.

[Kramerica Industries]

Unless we're talking about Eric Gagne circa 2003 dominance, I can never agree with giving the Cy to a relief pitcher.

The 190-220 innings a top-calibre SP will throw will always hold more value than the 60-80 that a closer will throw, even if they are the toughest innings of the game. Largest reason being, those innings mean almost nothing if not for the (likely to be) solid outing the SP had on those given nights.

Kimbrel is absolutely outstanding, but you know what else is outstanding? The Atlanta starting rotation, and the Atlanta middle relief. Remove either of those two factors, and Kimbrel doesn't have nearly as many opportunities to display his dominance.

[Kramerica Industries]

White Sox lose yet again, and now trail the Tigers by two games with only six games left. Tigers play the woeful Twins and Royals (albeit, on the road), while the White Sox play the insanely-hot Rays and Indians to finish up.

I think it's safe to say the Central race is over, and the White Sox have the painful knowledge of knowing they led the Central for, like, 90% of the season, but will miss out at the very end.

Speaking of the Rays, that's now eight straight wins. I would be shocked if the Rays missed the playoffs at this point, which actually bothers the crap out of me.

[pmoehrin]

White Sox lose yet again, and now trail the Tigers by two games with only six games left. Tigers play the woeful Twins and Royals (albeit, on the road), while the White Sox play the insanely-hot Rays and Indians to finish up.

I think it's safe to say the Central race is over, and the White Sox have the painful knowledge of knowing they led the Central for, like, 90% of the season, but will miss out at the very end.

Speaking of the Rays, that's now eight straight wins. I would be shocked if the Rays missed the playoffs at this point, which actually bothers the crap out of me.

Rays just took too long to get going.

They have to win out just have a shot at this point.

[Kramerica Industries]

They control their destiny if they win out.

And the schedule is in their favour. Chicago is a dead team walking at this point, and I expect the Rays to win at least two more games this weekend. And the Orioles series is at home. I'm a bit biased and slanted, I just have a bad feeling that the Rays are doing their usual, convenient act of getting hot at the right time.

[STL FANATIC]

Chiming in on something from above.

I think celebrating making the play-in game is rather lame.

I also, however, think (and really just acknowledge the truth) that it IS the playoffs. MLB says it's part of the playoffs, so therefore it is.

[HedleyLamarr]

Chipper shared a similar sentiment I had about the Braves celebrating on making the playoffs.....

_

_For years during their run, the Braves got some ridicule for not having much of a celebration for reaching the postseason each September. Now, even though the Braves have made the playoffs only twice (I think) in the last seven year, some folks gave them heat for celebrating

[GFB]

_White Sox lose yet again, and now trail the Tigers by two games with only six games left. Tigers play the woeful Twins and Royals (albeit, on the road), while the White Sox play the insanely-hot Rays and Indians to finish up.

_

_I think it's safe to say the Central race is over, and the White Sox have the painful knowledge of knowing they led the Central for, like, 90% of the season, but will miss out at the very end.

_

_Speaking of the Rays, that's now eight straight wins. I would be shocked if the Rays missed the playoffs at this point, which actually bothers the crap out of me.

_

_

_Just you wait, the Tigers will find a way to usher the White Sox into the playoffs.