# MLB Playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 5, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791 "2012-10-05T11:22:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/221 "2012-10-12T15:55:00Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Well until MLB implements a 7-game DS, this is what we have. The Tigers were better than the A’s, despite many people claiming the AL Central was so inferior to the AL West. Oh, and sabermetrics. Well, there were also those win totals. But I am sure you can figure out a way to handwave those away. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/222 "2012-10-12T15:58:40Z")
If that’s what is most important, we wouldn’t have playoffs at all. We’d simply award the title to the team with the best regular season record. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/223 "2012-10-12T16:10:52Z")
Playoffs answer the question “Who won the playoffs this year?” Win totals answer “Who had the best regular season this year?” I am answering the latter, as was Happy. “[M]any people [are] claiming the AL Central was so inferior to the AL West” and that is why they are making the claim. It is only tangentially related to who won a 5 game playoff series. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/224 "2012-10-12T16:13:26Z")
I don’t think the Rangers and the Angels are into that new fangled sabermetric thing. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/225 "2012-10-12T16:24:48Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s gracious of you to tip your hat, but I don’t understand the comment. The rules of the game say that the winner is the one with the most runs after nine innings. So, our team did actually lose the game. > > And not only that, they missed a lot of chances to score. The last three games were not a good showing. I was paraphrasing something some football coach said – we didn’t lose, we just ran out of time. After falling behind 6-0, the Reds kept getting runners on base, and had the tying run come to the plate in the 8th and 9th. So they absolutely refused to die, which is a good thing. That they couldn’t get the runs home is either choking, or clutch relief pitching, depending on your POV. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/226 "2012-10-12T16:50:18Z")
> [@HoboStew](#): > > Well, there were also those win totals. But I am sure you can figure out a way to handwave those away. I’m not hand-waving anything away. They had more regular-season wins in a supposedly tougher division, which I had heard as evidence that the A’s were a tougher/better team than Detroit because the Tigers had less wins in a supposedly wimpier division. But head-to-head, both during the regular season and into the playoffs, I saw no evidence of Oakland being the better team. That being said, kudos to Oakland for a great season. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/227 "2012-10-12T17:34:45Z")
Alex Rodriguez is not in the starting lineup for game five. Ibanez will DH and hit fifth, after Cano and Teixeira, and Chavez will play third base and bat ninth. Jeter is playing shortstop. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/228 "2012-10-12T17:37:07Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Alex Rodriguez is not in the starting lineup for game five. Ibanez will DH and hit fifth, after Cano and Teixeira, and Chavez will play third base and bat ninth. Jeter is playing shortstop. Great news! A-Rod has had exactly one good postseason in his life. A sure sign of fall is A-Rod striking out three times in one game. It sure wouldn’t break my heart if he retired. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/229 "2012-10-12T17:38:52Z")
Just dropping in this thread to brag a little: got a last minute ticket to tonights Nats v. Cards game! Go Nats! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/230 "2012-10-12T17:42:18Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I was paraphrasing something some football coach said – we didn’t lose, we just ran out of time. Yeah, well, coaches usually say idiotic things. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/231 "2012-10-12T17:53:12Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > If that’s what is most important, we wouldn’t have playoffs at all. We’d simply award the title to the team with the best regular season record. Can we just do that and declare the Reds and Nats co-champions? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/232 "2012-10-12T17:55:36Z")
I’ll take that ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/233 "2012-10-12T18:11:58Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Well until MLB implements a 7-game DS, this is what we have. The Tigers were better than the A’s, despite many people claiming the AL Central was so inferior to the AL West. Oh, and sabermetrics. 7 games isn’t much better. You really think a 5 (or 7) game series really gives an accurate assessment? Better than a 162 game season? > [@BobLibDem](#): > > Great news! A-Rod has had exactly one good postseason in his life. This isn’t true. And guess who has the better postseason OPS (as of today). ARod or Jeter? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/234 "2012-10-12T18:59:21Z")
> [@](#): > > 7 games isn’t much better. You really think a 5 (or 7) game series really gives an accurate assessment? Better than a 162 game season? Well both teams did what they had to do in 162 games to win their divisions and make it to the playoffs. That’s what I take away from the results of the 162-game season. But only one team did what it had to do to make it to the ALCS. Are you saying the A’s are still better than Detroit? Even though they lost to them, head-to-head, in both their regular-season series \*and \*their post-season match-up? If you’re saying Oakland’s a better team than Detroit because they won more regular season games, why don’t we just skip the post season and give the championship rings to the team with the best record in 162 games? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/235 "2012-10-12T19:04:34Z")
The missing word here is “matchups.” Anyway Oakland was pretty clearly better than Detroit in the regular season. In the playoffs it comes down to matchups and there is a larger amount of randomness and upsets because of the format. Yes, you learn more about teams from 162 games than you do from five or seven. We have playoffs because people want to see the best teams play each other and because playoffs are dramatic. They are less fair, but they’re fair enough and interesting enough that on the whole it works. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/236 "2012-10-12T19:29:51Z")
Just came back from the gym, where SportsCenter was on. I wasn’t paying strict attention, but I believe they spent an entire 30 minutes on “OMG A-ROD NOT IN THE LINEUP!!!” freaking out. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/237 "2012-10-12T19:33:48Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > If you’re saying Oakland’s a better team than Detroit because they won more regular season games, why don’t we just skip the post season and give the championship rings to the team with the best record in 162 games? This is the conundrum of all sports championships. We don’t give trophies to the “best team” – we give them to the winner of the final game/series. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/238 "2012-10-12T20:39:15Z")
Detroit is obviously going to be better in a 5 game series than they were in the regular season. In the regular season, Justin Verlander does not start 40% of their games. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/239 "2012-10-12T22:24:30Z")
The Yankees get on the board after Teixeira hits a single, _steals second_, and Ibanez singles to center. Manufacturing a run to get off the schneid and take a lead. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791/240 "2012-10-12T22:44:32Z")
Sorry, Cal, but if it nicks the pole it is fair, not foul. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs/636791.md?page=13)