2012 MLB Regular Season Running Thread

Getting the first two games at home isn't really an advantage. Either you subscribe to the "every game is equally important" theory or you have to say that the later games are the most important.

Splitting the wild card in half is one of the most genius moves of Bud Selig's career. He's frequently awful, but credit where credit is due.

 

It's not the second pitcher you are worried about it is your best starter getting only one start if it goes 5 games. The biggest benefit to winning your division is simply avoiding the potential one and done game. I think it makes the 162 games more meaningful.

 

I'd be fine with that, I guess it all comes down to time. I would like to see the first round expanded from 5 to 7 games. There is a hell of a lot more incentive to win your division now than their was before. Other than home field there was no real advantage to being a division winner over a winning the wildcard.

 

If they add any more playoff games, the World Series will be counterprogramming for the Lions and Cowboys games on Thanksgiving.

 

Wow, didn't realize that. I have tickets to (home) Game 2 of the ALDS, assuming the Rangers get that far.

 

Buster Olney brought up some really good points in his blog the other day about the one-game playoff that I didn't realize:

For one, you set a 25-man roster for that game only. So you only have to put one starting pitcher on the roster. Teams can carry 10 relievers, all specialists, plus three catchers and a ton of pinch running options. Could make for some really long games and the potential for serious over-managing. But obviously, in a one-game situation, every run is crucial.

 

If you're a wild-card team, you're down to your #3 pitcher for your second home game. The ace pitches the wild-card, the #2 guy pitches the series opener.

 

Damn, didn't know that either. Tony LaRussa would tank a division title to have a chance to manage a wild card game.

 

He'll give the clubhouse a motivational boost with his presence. Even more so if he pitches well. Carpenter is a warrior but who knows what St. Louis will get out of him.

 

Braden had another shoulder surgery last month - He's not going to pitch again until next summer at the earliest.

Angels lost again last night. At 4.5 games back of the A's/O's and now 8.5 behind the Rangers with just 12 games remaining, I think you can close the book on them.

 

Not to drag people away from a really good pennant race, but since Joe Mauer has inspired countless SJ debates, I thought this was worth posting. It's long, but it's a very good magazine story about Mauer by Tim Keown.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8391985/minnesota-twins-joe-mauer-ignores-critics-extends-career-espn-magazine