Most important thing in BASEBALL playoff series

Scoring more runs than the other team.

My gut says pitching ... probably starting. But, there's nothing wrong with trying to score 20 runs in a game, either.

If good pitching always beats good hitting, the Yankees provide a good example of a team that haven't gotten over the hump because they get beat in the playoffs despite a great lineup.
If it's the other way around, the 2004 Red Sox or 2005 White Sox would be good examples.

 

Starting pitching ... but mostly, the matchups with the aces (usually in games 1, 4/5 and 7) ... if you can beat the other team's ace, you have a pretty good chance of winning the series.

 

Starting pitching.

 

In a game 7, do not use your starting pitchers in any capacity.

 

Is this really even a question? Yankee fans all know it's not a lineup, and Tiger fans (most recently) know it's not always just a great manager. Bullpens are important, but they don't matter when your top 3 starters give you 7-9 strong every night.

 

James has said that teams with deep starting pitching, like the late 1970s Royals, aren't built to win "a short series."

Take that for what it's worth.

 

Score more runs than the other guys.

You can do it with a better lineup or a better rotation or bullpen (by suppressing the opponent's offense). There is no one magic formula. A different way wins every year.

 

Is "depth" too pat an answer?
Strong starting pitching is great, but if you've got two aces and two bums you're still pretty vulnerable. Strong hitting is also great, but if you've got 5 or 6 solid hitters and 3 or 4 weak ones you'll lose to good pitching most every time.
But if you've got 3 or 4 starters who can take the hill and give you a shot against anyone, and if your lineup goes nine deep, even if not all those nine are all-stars, you'll get a lot more chances to win games. And you'll wear down the other team.
And when it comes to managers and bullpens, I'd argue it's no so much that "good" wins, as that "bad" loses. They just can't be a liability.

 

http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleID.18819/article_detail.asp

 

Strong lineup wins by a nose for me. If you can get a nearly unbeatable 1-2 punch (like the Diamonbacks with Johnson and Schilling) fantastic, but if you have a strong line-up, a good No. 1 starter and decent bullpen, I think you'll be fine.

 

well, if that fat fucking bastard said it, it has to be true.

you do know there's no clutch, too, right?

 

Fuck clutch.