Congrats to the Guardians, Mariners, and Phillies moving on to the next round.
Cleveland won a marathon, the Mariners a slugfest, and the Phillies stifled the Cardinals offense for a second straight game bringing an unceremonious end to the careers of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright.
The Mets/Padres are the only series to go the distance so we will see which one moves on to play the Dodgers
There is nothing forgettable about Yan Gomes first season in Chicago, as a catcher, you cannot be more proud of the work you put in aiding in the development of Steele who pitched like a top of the rotation starter the entire second half, Thompson who pitched fantastic until fatigue caught up to him, helped Wesneski, Hughes, Assad, Sampson among other develop and/or reach new heights.
Cubs are not trading Yan Gomes, Gomes is their Martin Moldenado. Anything offensively Gomes brings to the table will be icing but his job is to continue to help the cubs developing their impressive pitching core. That what catchers (using Michael Scott’s impersonation of Chris Rock voice) “are supposed to do”.
Yan Gomes did what the Cubs needed him to do. Be a solid veteran defensive backstop. He had +5 defensive runs saved. He may have had a sub-.650 OPS, but like 90% of catchers in the MLB can barely put up a .700 OPS anyway.
Three teams made the playoffs and a 4th team (Orioles) barely missed out so i would say yes with the NL East coming in second. Out of 12 playoff teams 6 came from the AL/NL East, 4 from the West and 2 from the Central. The Astros having the best record stems from both the Yankees monumentally poor play following the first 60 games and the fact that they played 56 games against the Angels/A’s/Rangers
Is that a fact?
5- 2 against the Yankees
4-0 against the mets
5-1 against Tampa
12-7 against the Mariners
We call the world you’re living in “the land of delusion” The reality of the situation is that the Astros are the best team in the AL and at the trade deadline they got better and not worse the way the Yankees and Mets did which is why the Yankees collapsed and why the Mets coughed up a 10 game lead to finish second in the division.
Anything can happen I’m the playoffs but the two best teams are hands down the Astros and Dodgers, from the start to the finish
Astros punked the Yankees, who are the only team left and could very easily lose to Cleveland. Right now there’s a lot of parity in the AL. The only great team is the Astros.
Yes. Cleveland, for example, likely finishes behind the Orioles if they played the entire season in the AL East. The AL Central has a significant losing record against the other five divisions, playing at the rate of a 72-90 team.
Yet, the AL East hasn’t been very dominant in the World Series have they? You would think the teams from “the toughest division” would fare a little better against teams from weaker divisions.
The AL West Astros had the best record in the league…
The second best team in the AL West beat the second best team in the AL East… Hmmm… that doesn’t sound like the East is the toughest.
I put more stock in the results of a large number of games over a small number when determining which team or division is better. Anything can happen in a three-game series, and the same is true in a five- or seven-game series.
The “best” team doesn’t always win. The Braves had the fewest regular-season wins of any playoff team last year and still won the World Series.
That’s absurd. The team that gets to the required victory total in a series first always wins. That doesn’t mean they’re a better team. There’s lots of randomness in short series.
“a team like the Mets who won 101 games and could get eliminated seems a bit unfair.”
This participation trophy era is really something. My favorite team won 100+ games they deserve a WS appearance! People in favor of expanded playoffs need to stop saying this, because you know most people would never want to go back to the postseason that was in place in 1993 and before. Teams like the Mets wouldn’t have even made it to the postseason under those rules.
If you want a 5 game series for this type of stuff we would have to talk about shortening the season. It’s inevitable that this sport is headed right in the NBA’s playstyle, only there will still be more regular season. Sooner or later half the league will be in the postseason.
These expanded playoffs do not work well for baseball.
Ideally they need one series of best of 5, and LCS and WS should be best of 7.
The other problem is that MLB needs so many games – both regular season and post-season – to get the revenue to pay those huge salaries. Baseball is supposed to be the summer game. Endless playoffs are fine with the NFL – football is an outdoor sport, including in the wintertime. Hockey is actually an outdoor sport but the NHL plays it indoors, so they can have their payoffs during a blizzard. And basketball is primarily played indoors. But baseball……
When MLB playoff games aren’t played in a covered dome or outside in warm weather city in October it totally changes the game. Some of the players are dressed with headgear, excessive underwear and gloves to keep warm – particularly those from Caribbean and South American countries that have little, if any, experience playing in cold temperatures. The baseball is hard, so it doesn’t ping off the bat and doesn’t carry. Defensive players lock up standing in the cold between pitches. In short, many post-season games are played in conditions that aren’t fit for baseball, yet it’s supposedly the showcase of the sport to fans watching around the world. It’s no coincidence that MLB post-season viewing is primarily between fans of the teams still competing and the hard core fans.
Prior to expansion baseball started the 2nd week of April and the WS ended the first week of October. And even then there were problems with the weather. Ideally MLB should cut back to 135 or so games, start the season the 3rd week of April and end the WS September 30. Not going to happen of course.
Within the next 30-40 years all teams in cold weather cities will be required to have parks with retractable domes.
I just seen on MLB.com that Cashman manned up and punished Aroldis Chapman for missing a practice and left him him off the 1st playoff round roster. Wow!
I’ve said this before, but Mark is the goat of live chats. Love his humor and speed he brings to them. Sorry for your Jays
Congrats to the Guardians, Mariners, and Phillies moving on to the next round.
Cleveland won a marathon, the Mariners a slugfest, and the Phillies stifled the Cardinals offense for a second straight game bringing an unceremonious end to the careers of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright.
The Mets/Padres are the only series to go the distance so we will see which one moves on to play the Dodgers
I don’t believe Wainwright is retiring.
He is.
There is nothing forgettable about Yan Gomes first season in Chicago, as a catcher, you cannot be more proud of the work you put in aiding in the development of Steele who pitched like a top of the rotation starter the entire second half, Thompson who pitched fantastic until fatigue caught up to him, helped Wesneski, Hughes, Assad, Sampson among other develop and/or reach new heights.
Cubs are not trading Yan Gomes, Gomes is their Martin Moldenado. Anything offensively Gomes brings to the table will be icing but his job is to continue to help the cubs developing their impressive pitching core. That what catchers (using Michael Scott’s impersonation of Chris Rock voice) “are supposed to do”.
Yan Gomes did what the Cubs needed him to do. Be a solid veteran defensive backstop. He had +5 defensive runs saved. He may have had a sub-.650 OPS, but like 90% of catchers in the MLB can barely put up a .700 OPS anyway.
Is the AL East the toughest division? Mariners beat the Jays… Guardians beat the Rays… Astros best record.
That’s like saying Big 10 is better than the SEC in college football.
Three teams made the playoffs and a 4th team (Orioles) barely missed out so i would say yes with the NL East coming in second. Out of 12 playoff teams 6 came from the AL/NL East, 4 from the West and 2 from the Central. The Astros having the best record stems from both the Yankees monumentally poor play following the first 60 games and the fact that they played 56 games against the Angels/A’s/Rangers
Second place AL West team swept the AL East team. The Central team swept the AL East team. The CENTRAL team!!!!
AL East being the toughest division is fake news.
Four playoff games matter more than a few hundred regular season games? Right…
Is that a fact?
5- 2 against the Yankees
4-0 against the mets
5-1 against Tampa
12-7 against the Mariners
We call the world you’re living in “the land of delusion” The reality of the situation is that the Astros are the best team in the AL and at the trade deadline they got better and not worse the way the Yankees and Mets did which is why the Yankees collapsed and why the Mets coughed up a 10 game lead to finish second in the division.
Anything can happen I’m the playoffs but the two best teams are hands down the Astros and Dodgers, from the start to the finish
Astros punked the Yankees, who are the only team left and could very easily lose to Cleveland. Right now there’s a lot of parity in the AL. The only great team is the Astros.
Yes. Cleveland, for example, likely finishes behind the Orioles if they played the entire season in the AL East. The AL Central has a significant losing record against the other five divisions, playing at the rate of a 72-90 team.
Yet, the AL East hasn’t been very dominant in the World Series have they? You would think the teams from “the toughest division” would fare a little better against teams from weaker divisions.
The AL West Astros had the best record in the league…
The second best team in the AL West beat the second best team in the AL East… Hmmm… that doesn’t sound like the East is the toughest.
The Rays lost to a Central team. LOL
But hey, it’s a cool story though.
I put more stock in the results of a large number of games over a small number when determining which team or division is better. Anything can happen in a three-game series, and the same is true in a five- or seven-game series.
The “best” team doesn’t always win. The Braves had the fewest regular-season wins of any playoff team last year and still won the World Series.
The best team always wins. World Series Champions are remembered… The team that won the most games in the regular season doesn’t matter.
That’s absurd. The team that gets to the required victory total in a series first always wins. That doesn’t mean they’re a better team. There’s lots of randomness in short series.
LOL. The world series is not absurd. The best team wins.
One thing I haven’t heard this season…
“I wish the pitchers would bat.”
Angels fans would like a word. JK
It is funny how many people complained before it happened and now nothing.
Ohtani, Lorenzen (FA)…their rotation are better hitters than their middle IF.
How about those Blue Jays?
“a team like the Mets who won 101 games and could get eliminated seems a bit unfair.”
This participation trophy era is really something. My favorite team won 100+ games they deserve a WS appearance! People in favor of expanded playoffs need to stop saying this, because you know most people would never want to go back to the postseason that was in place in 1993 and before. Teams like the Mets wouldn’t have even made it to the postseason under those rules.
If you want a 5 game series for this type of stuff we would have to talk about shortening the season. It’s inevitable that this sport is headed right in the NBA’s playstyle, only there will still be more regular season. Sooner or later half the league will be in the postseason.
Fw-;
You hit it on the head.
These expanded playoffs do not work well for baseball.
Ideally they need one series of best of 5, and LCS and WS should be best of 7.
The other problem is that MLB needs so many games – both regular season and post-season – to get the revenue to pay those huge salaries. Baseball is supposed to be the summer game. Endless playoffs are fine with the NFL – football is an outdoor sport, including in the wintertime. Hockey is actually an outdoor sport but the NHL plays it indoors, so they can have their payoffs during a blizzard. And basketball is primarily played indoors. But baseball……
When MLB playoff games aren’t played in a covered dome or outside in warm weather city in October it totally changes the game. Some of the players are dressed with headgear, excessive underwear and gloves to keep warm – particularly those from Caribbean and South American countries that have little, if any, experience playing in cold temperatures. The baseball is hard, so it doesn’t ping off the bat and doesn’t carry. Defensive players lock up standing in the cold between pitches. In short, many post-season games are played in conditions that aren’t fit for baseball, yet it’s supposedly the showcase of the sport to fans watching around the world. It’s no coincidence that MLB post-season viewing is primarily between fans of the teams still competing and the hard core fans.
Prior to expansion baseball started the 2nd week of April and the WS ended the first week of October. And even then there were problems with the weather. Ideally MLB should cut back to 135 or so games, start the season the 3rd week of April and end the WS September 30. Not going to happen of course.
Within the next 30-40 years all teams in cold weather cities will be required to have parks with retractable domes.
Not a Mariners fan, but happy to see the Blue Jays choke again
Contreras in a Tiger uniform next year would suit me just fine.
I just seen on MLB.com that Cashman manned up and punished Aroldis Chapman for missing a practice and left him him off the 1st playoff round roster. Wow!
Carlson is gonna go down in history as the reason the Cardinals didn’t get Soto.