2012 MLB penant race one of the best in recent memory!

[Adam]

Between the AL East and AL West titles going down to the final day, this has been one hell of a season. I never would have believed that my Orioles had a prayer coming into 2012, but here they are showing us magic for the first time since 1997. And frankly, I think this team is a lot more fun. Back then we were loaded with the big names. What we have here is a collection of misfits and I couldn't be more proud of them. Regardless of whether they make it as division champs or wild card, I'm thrilled. All I wished for was a winning record and here they are playing into October. How about you other guys? I'm particularly intrigued to hear the opinions of Yankees/Rangers/A's fans, since we're all on the edge of our seats here.

 

[jhop220]

Being a huge Phillie Phanatic....I have no horses in this race, but I can give my opinion.

Two teams that I know very well are the Nationals and Braves. They have strong pitching, great hitting, and are all around great. I will say that if Atlanta gets by St. Louis in the play in game that they will be the team to beat in the National League. That is if they forget that they are an Atlanta sports team in the playoffs. Atlanta pro sports teams seem always content when they make the playoffs. Its like they say "Alright boys we did it...now lets relax," instead of focusing on finishing strong and going for a championship.

The American League is very interesting. I like Baltimore this year. The O's are one of the miracle teams of the year with the best looking ball park in all of baseball (and I have been to a lot of ball parks). My hope is that the Yankees lose to the Red Sox and O's beat the Rays. That would make for a very interesting dynamic. That would mean that New York and Baltimore would be tied. Now I'm not sure what they would do in that situation whether it would depend on head to head rankings or what? I would love to see Baltimore take the AL East and force New York into a play in game against Oakland or Texas.

The other miracle team is the Oakland A's. Who would have thought that the Athletics would be in the playoffs? Not me that is for sure. The A's are in perfect position to take the AL West from the hands of the Rangers. They have a game at home today that will determine the division. We have a situation where Baltimore could take the AL East, Oakland could take the AL West, Detroit has already taken the AL Central from the collapsed White Sox, and we're looking at the Yankees and Rangers in a play in game. That is something else.

Either way...this is looking to be a hell of an October for MLB.

 

[Coup de Grace]

Not only did my Giants clinch the NL West, we dispatched of those rivals in Los Angeles with the billion dollar payroll. I'm looking at you, Milagros.

Vogelsong, take us home!

Any thoughts on this one game playoff system? I think it's stupid and a cheap marketing ploy for ratings. Some good teams are going to have a bad day and get eliminated. It should be a 3-game series, if anything.

 

[jhop220]

Not only did my Giants clinch the NL West, we dispatched of those rivals in Los Angeles with the billion dollar payroll. I'm looking at you, Milagros.

Vogelsong, take us home!

Any thoughts on this one game playoff system? I think it's stupid and a cheap marketing ploy for ratings. Some good teams are going to have a bad day and get eliminated. It should be a 3-game series, if anything.

I think it should be a best of 3 scenario too. Baseball needs a series, not a one game play in.

 

[Adam]

The American League is very interesting. I like Baltimore this year. The O's are one of the miracle teams of the year with the best looking ball park in all of baseball (and I have been to a lot of ball parks). My hope is that the Yankees lose to the Red Sox and O's beat the Rays. That would make for a very interesting dynamic. That would mean that New York and Baltimore would be tied. Now I'm not sure what they would do in that situation whether it would depend on head to head rankings or what? I would love to see Baltimore take the AL East and force New York into a play in game against Oakland or Texas.

If there were to be a tie between the Orioles and Yankees, the plan in place is for New York to travel to Baltimore for a one-game playoff on Thursday. So yeah, a one-game playoff before the next one-game playoff! At present though, the O's are losing and Yankees are winning, sadly. On the other hand, pretty amazing to see Oakland overtake Texas on the final day!

 

[Sodahead]

Atlanta pro sports teams seem always content when they make the playoffs. Its like they say "Alright boys we did it...now lets relax," instead of focusing on finishing strong and going for a championship.

No team really thinks that. Being a Braves fan though, I will admit they seem to crumble when it matters most, but it's not because of complacency.

 

[Sodahead]

The one game playoff in each league will do wonders for ratings. It will help both on the day of the Wild Card games and should garner interest going into the divisional series. MLB is basing that off last year when four teams were playing for two spots on the final day of the season and all of the additional viewers they got that night and all through the playoffs as a result.

 

[TheTickleMonster]

I'm so proud of my Athletics. They did an amazing job. The Texas Rangers hadn't lost three games in a row all season. They did now. They've been in the lead of the division all season. They aren't now. They were the first team in MLB history to be down 5 games with 9 games left and come back to win the division. The third team in MLB history to have the lead in the division for just one day since we got it today and the seasons over. Same thing happened to the Giants years ago and I don't remember what the other team was...

Whoda thunk it? Who imaged that we'd be in the play offs... but we're not just in the playoffs but we're the number 2 seed (I'm guessing the Yankees won?) If the Yankees lost we would have been the number 1 seed. And we had a horrible first half... but we have an incredible turn around after the all star break. And i love that we got the wild card but then kind of said "Screw the wild card, we're going for the division." And they kicked butt, winning their last game 12 to 5.

 

[jhop220]

No team really thinks that. Being a Braves fan though, I will admit they seem to crumble when it matters most, but it's not because of complacency.

If it isn't complacency then it is apathy which is a bigger problem.

 

[Sodahead]

If it isn't complacency then it is apathy which is a bigger problem.

So let me see if I understand your logic....... on second thought never mind, there's no point in responding to your last comment. Better luck next year

 

[Adam]

I'm so proud of my Athletics. They did an amazing job. The Texas Rangers hadn't lost three games in a row all season. They did now. They've been in the lead of the division all season. They aren't now. They were the first team in MLB history to be down 5 games with 9 games left and come back to win the division. The third team in MLB history to have the lead in the division for just one day since we got it today and the seasons over. Same thing happened to the Giants years ago and I don't remember what the other team was...

Whoda thunk it? Who imaged that we'd be in the play offs... but we're not just in the playoffs but we're the number 2 seed (I'm guessing the Yankees won?) If the Yankees lost we would have been the number 1 seed. And we had a horrible first half... but we have an incredible turn around after the all star break. And i love that we got the wild card but then kind of said "Screw the wild card, we're going for the division." And they kicked butt, winning their last game 12 to 5.

AL Manager of the year absolutely has to come down to Melvin or Showalter. Melvin has the benefit of having brought his team all the way back and taking the division when not much was expected of them. Showalter has the distinction of taking a team that had been terrible for 14 years and reversing their record from 69-93 last year to 93-69 this season and making it to the playoffs. It will be truly interesting to see how they vote. Obviously I'm pulling for Buck, but can understand arguments for both.

 

[jhop220]

So let me see if I understand your logic....... on second thought never mind, there's no point in responding to your last comment. Better luck next year

You tell me how the Braves can win 14 straight NL East Pennants yet only come out with one World Series in 1995. Braves had the best pitching in the major leagues for years with Glavine, Maddox, and Smoltz...among others. I'm not trying to make a huge argument out of it...I'm trying to understand how that can possibly happen other than the excuse that it just wasn't your year.

 

[Sodahead]

You tell me how the Braves can win 14 straight NL East Pennants yet only come out with one World Series in 1995. Braves had the best pitching in the major leagues for years with Glavine, Maddox, and Smoltz...among others. I'm not trying to make a huge argument out of it...I'm trying to understand how that can possibly happen other than the excuse that it just wasn't your year.

The same way the Phillies have one of the largest payrolls (and most talented roster) in baseball and finished with a losing record......it's hard to win championships, and if either of us could pinpoint exactly why the best teams don't always win, we would be working for the GM instead of quibbling here. To your point though, it is pretty lame that they didn't win more than one WS. I've always equated it to something of a curse or more realistically, a complete inability to perform under pressure. The fact that they had at least five hall of fame players on their roster at any given point during that stretch doesn't make it any easier to accept. I just refuse to believe apathy was the reason behind it, and I'm probably n the majority on that one.

To address your original point about O's and the Braves being the teams to beat in each league, I'd agree with you there. Though I wouldn't sleep on the Reds, they are sneaky good.

 

[jhop220]

The same way the Phillies have one of the largest payrolls (and most talented roster) in baseball and finished with a losing record......it's hard to win championships, and if either of us could pinpoint exactly why the best teams don't always win, we would be working for the GM instead of quibbling here. To your point though, it is pretty lame that they didn't win more than one WS. I've always equated it to something of a curse or more realistically, a complete inability to perform under pressure. The fact that they had at least five hall of fame players on their roster at any given point during that stretch doesn't make it any easier to accept. I just refuse to believe apathy was the reason behind it, and I'm probably n the majority on that one.

To address your original point about O's and the Braves being the teams to beat in each league, I'd agree with you there. Though I wouldn't sleep on the Reds, they are sneaky good.

The Phillies missing the playoffs this year with what they had is inexcusable to me. I will not argue with their abysmal record.

Another team that has me raising my eye brows is those Athletics in Oakland. They are scary good right now heading into the playoffs. Kind of like how St. Louis caught fire at the right time last season.

 

[Sodahead]

The Phillies missing the playoffs this year with what they had is inexcusable to me. I will not argue with their abysmal record.

Another team that has me raising my eye brows is those Athletics in Oakland. They are scary good right now heading into the playoffs. Kind of like how St. Louis caught fire at the right time last season.

In their defense they were plagued by injuries for a while.

As for the A's, they get to avoid that scary one game playoff but will have to beat Verlander and Miggs. It will be a fun postseason.

 

[MrMacphisto]

That infield fly rule call last night was bullshit. That rule shouldn't even exist.

 

[Sodahead]

That infield fly rule call last night was bullshit. That rule shouldn't even exist.

I was at that game when it happened. I used more profanity in a 20 minute span than I have in the last five years combined. My mom texted me to make sure I wasn't throwing trash on the field. I told her I wasn't only because I didn't have a good shot at the ump. After the game, I went to little five points to drown my sorrows and forget about the last decade of baseball. Every bar I went to was a gloomy atmosphere

 

[MrMacphisto]

I was at that game when it happened. I used more profanity in a 20 minute span than I have in the last five years combined. My mom texted me to make sure I wasn't throwing trash on the field. I told her I wasn't only because I didn't have a good shot at the ump. After the game, I went to little five points to drown my sorrows and forget about the last decade of baseball. Every bar I went to was a gloomy atmosphere

I can't blame you, man. It was just sickening.