leviramsey Posted October 5, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted October 5, 2009 The Jays had a very good start and a decent finish... unfortunately the filling in that sandwich was rather dire. Through 1 June: 29 wins, 24 losses On 1 September: 59 wins, 72 losses End of the season: 75 wins, 87 losses So for the months of April, May, and September: 45 wins, 39 losses June, July, and August: 30 wins, 48 losses Winning 38% of your games sounds good, but that's not enough to get you away from the dregs of baseball. It's rare for a team to lose fewer or win fewer than 60 games... only the Yankees lost fewer than 60 games (59), and only the Nationals won fewer than 60 (also 59, as it happens). A fairly rare playoff game will be played Tuesday in Minnesota, as the Twins and Tigers finished the season tied for the division crown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 what surprised me most was how cheap it was. $9 for a ticket in the higher tier of the rogers center, which i expected to be too far too see, but it was a perfectly fine distance. gonna catch as many games as i can next season only really started to "get" baseball since i moved over here. never really had any interest and just wrote it off as a poor mans attempt at cricket, but its a really enjoyable day out. obviously i havent a clue about the technical side of things, but im sure thatll come as i watch the game a bit more going to my first nba game this month too, raptors v celtics cant wait for that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted October 5, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted October 5, 2009 A bit more than 3 home games a week for six months means that teams can (and in most cities (outside of Boston, New York and maybe Philadelphia, basically) have to) offer tickets on the cheap. Much better to get somebody through the door and sell them the beer, hot dogs, and nachos than to let a seat go empty (and the pace of baseball provides plenty of time for consuming food and beverages). On that theme, the Pirates have a section of seats with a special set of concession stands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnIQX3nOfj8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 thats a pretty sweet deal considering the cost of stuff at games $9.50 for a CAN of bud from the roaming vendors... thats insane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Is the Tigers-Twins game on at the moment a tie-breaker? If so, what defines a tie. Is it just the same season record and that's it, or they go to the head-to-head results as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Is the Tigers-Twins game on at the moment a tie-breaker? If so, what defines a tie. Is it just the same season record and that's it, or they go to the head-to-head results as well? Yeah, they finished with identical records, so this is a one-off to determine the central division champion, who will then play NY. Quite a game going on too, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Yeah, Detroit just made a double play in the bottom of the 10th to keep the game going. Literally inches away from their season being over! Personally hoping for a Yankees-Dodgers WS. Anybody but the Phillies to win it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted October 7, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted October 7, 2009 If it's a tie that would decide whether one team makes the postseason, then it's a one-game playoff (the National League used to play a 3-game series but when the wild card came in that was dropped). If it's a tie where one team would win the division and the other would be the wild card, then it goes to head-to-head. In theory you could have a mini-tournament, if there were ties in two divisions where the tied clubs in each division each had the same record (since you would first have playoffs to determine the division winners and then the losers would play each other to determine the wild card). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Thanks for clearing that up, guys. Minnesota win it in extra-innings. Detroit had the division all but wrapped up a few weeks ago, what a collapse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vojskovoda Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Yeah, that game between Detroit and Minnesota was pretty incredible earlier and I must admit it's my first ever baseball match I've watched properly seeing as it's always on at night-time on ESPN over in England, but I've never really taken an intrest in baseball until I started to get fasinated by Yankees two weeks ago. I think I now understand why it's called "America's pastime" even if I do say it shits all over Eggball haha. Should be a great game tommorow between Yankees and Minnesota... just don't understand why the game is being played 18 hours after Minnesota have played; even if Yankees will have the extra advantage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted October 7, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted October 7, 2009 Should be a great game tommorow between Yankees and Minnesota... just don't understand why the game is being played 18 hours after Minnesota have played; even if Yankees will have the extra advantage! That's why the Yankees chose to play it tomorrow (basically, because the American League gets better TV ratings than the National League, their postseason schedule is stretched a bit to allow more games to be shown in prime time. As such, the top seed in the AL gets a choice of schedules (while the two National League Division Series have their games played on the same days). Tbf, the Yankees probably don't need the extra advantage, though. Yankees vs. Twins 7 October: @ Yankee Stadium 9 October: @ Yankee Stadium 11 October: @ Metrodome (if necessary) 12 October: @ Metrodome (if necessary) 14 October: @ Yankee Stadium Angels vs. Red Sox 8 October: @ Angel Stadium 9 October: @ Angel Stadium 11 October: @ Fenway Park (if necessary) 12 October: @ Fenway Park (if necessary) 14 October: @ Angel Stadium Dodgers vs. Cardinals 7 October: @ Dodger Stadium 8 October: @ Dodger Stadium 10 October: @ Busch Stadium (if necessary) 11 October: @ Busch Stadium (if necessary) 13 October: @ Dodger Stadium Phillies vs. Rockies 7 October: @ Citizens Bank (a subsidiary of RBS) Park 8 October: @ Citizens Bank Park 10 October: @ Coors Field (if necessary) 11 October: @ Coors Field (if necessary) 13 October: @ Citizens Bank Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 back to back to back to back to back games seem to be the norm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted October 7, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted October 7, 2009 It's honestly not that much of a strenuous game (except for the pitchers... with the exception of knuckleballers like Tim Wakefield, most can't use their pitching arms for anything the day after throwing a hundred pitchers). The games become a bit more spaced out during the postseason to accomodate travel and television schedules: during the regular season, the norm is 14 games in 15 days... and it's not uncommon to be playing one day in Boston and the next in LA. Indeed, the cross-continental travel is a major reason for the number of day games on Wednesdays or Thursdays: if the home team is set to be playing a few thousand miles away the next day, they'll play the game in the afternoon to allow reasonable travel time. These "businessmen's specials" draw an interesting blend of fans... lots of kids (at least in Boston it's considered reasonably acceptable to call in sick on such a day and take your kid to the game), lots of rowdy college students, and lots of senior citizens, very few yuppies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vojskovoda Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Hey; thanks for explaining a lot Levi - I really appreciate that, you've given me more insight into the playoffs itself that seem to resemble pretty similar to the NBA playoffs. Is that the norm for all Americans sports where 8 will make the playoffs and eventually the best from Western Conference meets best from Eastern Confernce in teh final; except the best from NL plays the best from AL in baseball otherwise known as the 'World Series' in baseball (btw, the 'world series' really does need to be changed haha)? As for the T.V. coverage... that's very interesting. Even though the AL and NL seem to be evenly matched (correct me if I'm wrong) it seems like an unfair advantage to the clubs who are playing National Division Series... but it does sound all too familiar with the Sky 4 lol. Just a couple more points: I really am amazed how often baseball clubs have to play, nearly every day which is pretty astonishing. I'm still surprised to see packed stadiums when it's the afternoon American time because you'd think that kids would still be at school, men and women at work... but ofcourse, because the MLB seems to be such a loooooooooong schedule of games I suppose these matches have to be played at these odd times during the day. But fair play to those who attend, I couldn't even to begin to imagined if the F.A. started having matches on Tuesday afternoons. And finally... why does this annoying commentator (no idea what he's called) on ESPN keep saying it's inevitable that it'll be a Yankees - Dodgers final? Obviously In know Yankees and Dodgers are two of the best teams around in MLB, but don't you think it's possible for Red Sox and Phillies to get gatecrash the party? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-dub Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Part of me would like to see a Twins-Rockies World Series because that would b the worst-case scenario for the TV executives. On the other hand a Red Sox-Dodgers World Series would be the worst-case scenario for these neurotic Yankee fans who are just as obsessed with the Red Sox/Mets/Manny as they are with their own team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-dub Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 thats a pretty sweet deal considering the cost of stuff at games $9.50 for a CAN of bud from the roaming vendors... thats insane It's not quite that bad in most stadiums, but point taken. My brother and I used to smuggle our own store-bought beer into Shea Stadium back in the day (saved us a ton of money), but ever since 9/11 they search people's bags/backpacks before entering the stadium for security reasons, which makes it far more difficult to sneak in outside booze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted October 7, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted October 7, 2009 Hey; thanks for explaining a lot Levi - I really appreciate that, you've given me more insight into the playoffs itself that seem to resemble pretty similar to the NBA playoffs. Is that the norm for all Americans sports where 8 will make the playoffs and eventually the best from Western Conference meets best from Eastern Confernce in teh final; except the best from NL plays the best from AL in baseball otherwise known as the 'World Series' in baseball (btw, the 'world series' really does need to be changed haha)? They all run playoffs after the regular season to determine an overall champion (even MLS). They vary in the proportion of teams let in... baseball is eight from 30, the NBA and NHL are 16 from 30 (!!!), and the NFL is 12 from 32 (and MLS is eight from 14 (I think there's 14 clubs in MLS... it's probably telling that I couldn't tell you the number!)). The norm is Eastern and Western Conferences, except where history dictates otherwise. In baseball's case, the American League and National League used to be completely separate leagues (the Commissioner of Baseball exercised comparatively little oversight) that recognized each other as equals (though National League fans will still call the American League the "Junior Circuit"). In recent years, while still somewhat distinct (for instance, the two leagues play slightly different rules), they've effectively merged in the past 15 or so years. In the NFL's case, the American Football League was started by a few rich guys who wanted NFL franchises but were turned away by the league. The AFL developed as a much higher-scoring league and started signing stars from the NFL. Eventually the two leagues agreed to a truce and eventually a merger that would see the NFL franchises (except for Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore) make up the National Football Conference and the AFL franchises (plus Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore) make up the American Football Conference, with the champions of each conference meeting in the Super Bowl. The World Series is the ultimate reason that every other league adopted the format of having two subleagues' champions meet for the title: the other leagues simply copied the format (much like how other sports elsewhere more or less took the single-table, league plus cup plus Europe format of football as a starting point) because that's what fans were used to. The Super Bowl was referred to by journalists for its first few years as "the Football World Series", and there may be no sweeter words for an American sports fan than "Game Seven". I also suspect that it's easier to market the losers of the NBA Finals/Stanley Cup Finals/World Series/Super Bowl as the Eastern Conference/American League/NFC champions than as the finalists (though any team that styles themselves as American League champions is implicitly saying that they're losers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted October 7, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted October 7, 2009 Elaborating on the TV schedule (Eastern time): 7 October: Colorado @ Philadelphia - 2:30pm; Minnesota @ Yankees - 6pm; St. Louis @ Dodgers - 9:30pm 8 October: Colorado @ Philadelphia - 2:30pm; St. Louis @ Dodgers - 6pm; Boston @ Angels - 9:30pm 9 October: Minnesota @ Yankees - 6pm; Boston @ Angels - 9:30pm 10 October: Dodgers @ St. Louis - 6pm; Philadelphia @ Colorado - 9:30pm Sunday's times will be determined by the broadcasters based on which NL series are still going and what storylines are emerging in the AL series (e.g. if the Sox are 2-0 up on the Angels and the Yankees are level with the Twins, they'll probably put the Yankees-Twins game on in prime time). Note that the only afternoon games are in the NL (as even the second Dodgers game is an afternoon game in local time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vojskovoda Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Yeah, really good post there levi - thanks for clearing up a few issues I was not sure about. The T.V. times for tonights matches are perfect over the pond here because watching sports in the evening/night-time always seems better for whatever reason... only problem is that the Dodger- St Lewis game will finish around 4:30 where I'll be asleep by then but the first two games will be great I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Thanks to only having a part-time job at the moment, it makes it fairly easy for me to stay up until 4:30 in the morning and still get enough sleep in before work. Works for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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