2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[Hi-Def Steve]

Originally Posted by toef

I agree that it'd be better if the two teams dictated who got home field advantage, but unless the two teams played identical schedules, each team's record can be nitpicked apart, in terms of debating which team was actually better. So I think no matter what method is used, there are always going to be some issues with it. In the case of the All-Star Game, I think more people dislike it, because it seems like the teams that end up playing in the WS had so little influence on the outcome of the ASG.

You're right, everyone is always going to have issues with something no matter what. But I just think it's more sensible to have a team dictate their own ways. It was interesting, during the Dodger game today they had one of those public polls and it was about this very subject. I believe it was around 80-90% of the people disliked the All-Star method. Not to mention Vin Scully making the statement "I couldn't agree more".

[Jellybeans]

I hope Vasquez has a good game tonight against the A's and Yanks win it.

[supersix4]

I'd like to see the O's or Nats take a flyer on Dontrelle Willis.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

I'm not voting for the All Stars, I think online voting is a joke and I don't know enough of the players. I do hope the Twins hit their annual post-All Star break stride and start winning a bunch of games.

Online voting isn't a joke. The entire process of fan voting is a joke.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Agree he shouldn't be anywhere near the All-Star game.

Happens every year. I remember a few years back where something like 7 of 8 AL position players starting for the AL "All-Star" team were either Yankees or Red Sox.

It's probaby been 5 years or more since I've bothered watching one of these so-called "All-Star" games.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by toef

I agree that it'd be better if the two teams dictated who got home field advantage, but unless the two teams played identical schedules, each team's record can be nitpicked apart, in terms of debating which team was actually better. So I think no matter what method is used, there are always going to be some issues with it. In the case of the All-Star Game, I think more people dislike it, because it seems like the teams that end up playing in the WS had so little influence on the outcome of the ASG.

Here's a crazy idea. Let the team with the better regular season record get homefield advantage for the World Series. Works in the NHL and NBA.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Here's a crazy idea. Let the team with the better regular season record get homefield advantage for the World Series. Works in the NHL and NBA.

I have always said this. Pretty much ever since interleague play begin. Just give it to the team with overall best record in baseball. They do it for the division and championship series but not the World Series, go figure.

[toef]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Here's a crazy idea. Let the team with the better regular season record get homefield advantage for the World Series. Works in the NHL and NBA.

As mentioned in my previous posts, I think that solution is no better than the ASG one, and at least the ASG method makes me have some interest in the game.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by toef

As mentioned in my previous posts, I think that solution is no better than the ASG one, and at least the ASG method makes me have some interest in the game.

The All Star Game is the All Star Game. It's an exhibition game, it is no more interesting if the game means home field or not. Having the league that wins get homefield is beyond silly. There is no reasoning behind it. There is going to be a World Series where a team in either league that won 89 games is going to get homefield over a team that won 102 games all because of the result of one exhibition game. As I stated before, if homefield is going to be applied to the first two rounds of the playoffs then it needs to be applied to World Series as well.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by bootsy

The All Star Game is the All Star Game. It's an exhibition game, it is no more interesting if the game means home field or not. Having the league that wins get homefield is beyond silly. There is no reasoning behind it. There is going to be a World Series where a team in either league that won 89 games is going to get homefield over a team that won 102 games all because of the result of one exhibition game. As I stated before, if homefield is going to be applied to the first two rounds of the playoffs then it needs to be applied to World Series as well.

My thoughts exact. Giving homefield advantage for the World Series to the team that has the better spring training record makes about as much sense as giving it to the team from the league that wins the All-Star game.

The ONLY reason the winning league of the All-Star game even gets homefield advantage is because that dope "Bug" Selig called an All-Star game a tie then felt like a complete moron after a firestorm of negative publicity. He made a ridiculous assumption that doing this would somehow make the All-Star game important. Nevermind the fact that a good chunk of players in each All-Star games know their team has zero chance of even making it to the World Series.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

My thoughts exact. Giving homefield advantage for the World Series to the team that has the better spring training record makes about as much sense as giving it to the team from the league that wins the All-Star game.

The ONLY reason the winning league of the All-Star game even gets homefield advantage is because that dope "Bug" Selig called an All-Star game a tie then felt like a complete moron after a firestorm of negative publicity. He made a ridiculous assumption that doing this would somehow make the All-Star game important. Nevermind the fact that a good chunk of players in each All-Star games know their team has zero chance of even making it to the World Series.

I am really root for the scenario I mentioned before where a team with like 90 wins or something has homefield over the Yankees who have something like 103 wins. I want to see all the people that love the ASG deciding homefield say that is fair.

BTW when is Selig last year as commissioner, I can't wait until he is gone. He has been a terrible commish in my opinion.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by bootsy

I am really root for the scenario I mentioned before where a team with like 90 wins or something has homefield over the Yankees who have something like 103 wins. I want to see all the people that love the ASG deciding homefield say that is fair.

BTW when is Selig last year as commissioner, I can't wait until he is gone. He has been a terrible commish in my opinion.

Two words: Lifetime Appointment. Officially Commissioner is an elected position. In reality it's basically a lifetime job. Considering Selig is a former owner and other owners seem to love him he isn't going anywhere until he retires. Currently his contract with MLB ends at the end of the 2012 season. He claims he will retire after that.

[Hi-Def Steve]

Originally Posted by toef

As mentioned in my previous posts, I think that solution is no better than the ASG one, and at least the ASG method makes me have some interest in the game.

It amazes me that you actually think this.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Two words: Lifetime Appointment. Officially Commissioner is an elected position. In reality it's basically a lifetime job. Considering Selig is a former owner and other owners seem to love him he isn't going anywhere until he retires. Currently his contract with MLB ends at the end of the 2012 season. He claims he will retire after that.

I hope he does. This guy has had a vacant World series, the steroid era, and a tie in an ASG on his resume.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Two words: Lifetime Appointment. Officially Commissioner is an elected position. In reality it's basically a lifetime job. Considering Selig is a former owner and other owners seem to love him he isn't going anywhere until he retires. Currently his contract with MLB ends at the end of the 2012 season. He claims he will retire after that.

Selig said in 2007 he was going to retire after his contract ended in 2009, look how that worked out. Even if he does retire most people believe that one of his top lieutenants would take over, so odds are nothing would really change.

[supersix4]

I think they should just make ILP count so after everyone's played all the IL games which ever league has the better record in ILP gets the home field.

[toef]

Originally Posted by Hi-Def Steve

It amazes me that you actually think this.

Well to be clear, I've said I don't really like it, but I don't see any other option being clearly better.

On the most simple level (since nobody seems to understand what I'm saying):

All-Star Game method, in theory...

The better league wins the All-Star Game. The last man standing in the "better" league gets home field advantage in the World Series. Makes sense, because they were the best team in the "better" league, so it stands to reason that they are the best team in baseball.

Record method, in theory...

The better team wins more games. That's it.

~~~

There's a lot of gray area in the record method. What kind of parity exists in the leagues? What divisions were each team in? Remember when Seattle won 116 games a few years ago? Remember how well that "best" team in baseball did in the playoffs? Clearly best record doesn't necessarily indicate best team.

Sure, the better team might not always win the All-Star Game, but the better team might not also have the most wins. There's no perfect way to solve the problem, so I say leave it as it is, because at least it adds something to the otherwise boring ASG.

The biggest criticism of the ASG method is that the team eventually benefiting from home field advantage probably had very little to do with the outcome of the game. But explain to me how the Yankees or Red Sox have much control over the records of the Phillies or Braves when it comes to determining home field advantage?

As I said earlier, I'm not exactly a fan of either method, but if it's broken, don't replace it with something else that's broken.

[toef]

Just out of curiosity, I looked up league schedules for the rest of the major leagues.


In MLB, interleague play makes up 11% of a team's schedule, but no team will ever play every other team in a season (they play 2/3rds of the teams).

In the NHL inter-conference games make up 22% of their schedule, and every team plays every other team at least once.

In the NBA 37% of the schedule is played against teams in the other conference, and every team plays every other team at least twice.

In the NFL, the Super Bowl is at a neutral (in most cases, but pre-determined in any case) site, so it doesn't matter what their schedules are.

So the whole "it works in every other league" argument seems like a bad one. In the biggest league, the NFL, it doesn't apply. In the NHL, home-ice advantage, statistically, doesn't exist. In the NBA, every team plays every other team at least twice, so at least it seems more applicable there.

[ChadFL]

Good gawd I couldn't believe it when I read this guy made the NL All-Star roster.

Omar Infante
.302 Avg
.333 OBP
1 HR
22 RBI
3 SB

Ok, don't get me wrong, I like Infante. He's a decent utility man for my favorite team (Atlanta). But there is no way this guy deserves to be on the All-Star team. Amazingly this guy making it was not even the fans fault. He was chosen as a backup for the NL team.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by toef

Just out of curiosity, I looked up league schedules for the rest of the major leagues.


In MLB, interleague play makes up 11% of a team's schedule, but no team will ever play every other team in a season (they play 2/3rds of the teams).

In the NHL inter-conference games make up 22% of their schedule, and every team plays every other team at least once.

In the NBA 37% of the schedule is played against teams in the other conference, and every team plays every other team at least twice.

In the NFL, the Super Bowl is at a neutral (in most cases, but pre-determined in any case) site, so it doesn't matter what their schedules are.

So the whole "it works in every other league" argument seems like a bad one. In the biggest league, the NFL, it doesn't apply. In the NHL, home-ice advantage, statistically, doesn't exist. In the NBA, every team plays every other team at least twice, so at least it seems more applicable there.

I know you are really trying but it doesn't matter if interleague play accounted for 2% of a teams schedule. If you want to have it done right then you award home field to the team with the best overall record in either league. It's just the right thing to do. There is going to come a time as I stated before when a team that won 90 games during the regular season is going to have homefield over a team that won 105 games during the regular season in the World Series because that league won the ASG and I hope it happens soon because that seems to be the only way to get Pud Selig to react when something disastrous happens.