Which of the 3 AL East elite teams gets left out of the playoffs?

[Pessimistic Pete]

The MLB REALLY needs a second wild-card, this is ridiculous.

Red Sox are currently in 3rd place (behind 4 games) in the AL East yet they'd be tied for/have the best record in EVERY other division.

Unfortunately, I think they will be the team that misses the playoffs.

Hell, even the Blue Jays are getting shafted, they're within 1-2 games of every other division leader.

 

[Nikolai]

It doesn't look good for the Red Sox, and the Blue Jays have no shot in the AL East. Adding wild cards is an interesting idea, but that might put the World Series deep into November. A late-November baseball game at Fenway?

There needs to be another solution, because I do agree, that especially in the AL East, the door is shut on the Blue Jays and one deserving team will be going home early. I do think it'll be the Red Sox; I didn't expect the Rays to storm back this year.

 

[chicowalker]

It doesn't look good for the Red Sox, ...

I think it's far too early to make that judgment.

It's only June and the Sox are only 4 back, plus an injury, particularly to a pitcher, on any of the teams could have a huge impact.

 

[Nikolai]

I think it's far too early to make that judgment.

It's only June and the Sox are only 4 back, plus an injury, particularly to a pitcher, on any of the teams could have a huge impact.

It's true that anything can happen. The Yankees showed that last year. It's just a hunch but I see either TB and NYY going (in whatever order), with the Red Sox lagging behind. I just see more holes in the Red Sox than I see in Tampa or New York.

We'll see, I suppose.

 

[chicowalker]

It's true that anything can happen. The Yankees showed that last year. It's just a hunch but I see either TB and NYY going (in whatever order), with the Red Sox lagging behind. I just see more holes in the Red Sox than I see in Tampa or New York.

We'll see, I suppose.

If Beckett gets healthy and the rest of the staff generally stays healthy, I think our pitching makes us an equal contender.

(otoh, if Beltre keeps knocking our OFs out of commission, we'll have issues )

 

[Nikolai]

The bad thing for the Red Sox is that the Yankees haven't been firing on all cylinders. Injuries to Posada and ARod, with Texeira slumping should have had a major impact.

I agree though, that if the Red Sox can get their pitching in order, it will help. Maybe Tampa Bay will have the mid-late season collapse that they failed to have in 2008?

(otoh, if Beltre keeps knocking our OFs out of commission, we'll have issues )

Indeed. How crazy was that?

 

[chicowalker]

The bad thing for the Red Sox is that the Yankees haven't been firing on all cylinders. Injuries to Posada and ARod, with Texeira slumping should have had a major impact...

Sure. On the other hand, it's quite conceivable that the Yankees could continue to experience injuries given the age of some key members of their team -- even ARod's 35, I think, and certainly Posada, as well as Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Burnett (re Burnett, not so much age as injury history).

It's also questionable how much the injuries and Teixeira's troubles have hurt them. They've been playing 640 ball, right? Are they really, say, a 680-700 team if healthy? They're very talented, but that seems far-fetched.

 

[Nikolai]

Sure. On the other hand, it's quite conceivable that the Yankees could continue to experience injuries given the age of some key members of their team -- even ARod's 35, I think, and certainly Posada, as well as Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Burnett (re Burnett, not so much age as injury history).

It's also questionable how much the injuries and Teixeira's troubles have hurt them. They've been playing 640 ball, right? Are they really, say, a 680-700 team if healthy? They're very talented, but that seems far-fetched.

Perhaps not, but they were a 660 team for about 100 games last year. I think 660 is the ceiling for them.

Fair points on the age of the team.

 

[bigcountry75]

The bad thing for the Red Sox is that the Yankees haven't been firing on all cylinders. Injuries to Posada and ARod, with Texeira slumping should have had a major impact.

I agree though, that if the Red Sox can get their pitching in order, it will help. Maybe Tampa Bay will have the mid-late season collapse that they failed to have in 2008?



Indeed. How crazy was that?

The same can be said for the Sox.....Beckett hasn't pitched well and has been on the DL for a while (and we are still winning lots of games).....Daisuke has been a train wreck when not injured.....Lackey hasn't figured out how to pitch for boston yet.....Ellsbury is still hurt....Cameron hasn't seen regular PT due to injuries.....Pedroia is finally starting to hit with more consistency....We have played with an OF consisting of Hermida, McDonald, Drew, Nava, Hall for a huge chunk of the season.....This could be good for the Sox if we can keep playing well with these guys filling in and when our regulars come back they won't have the wear on them of a 162 game season......It looks to me like the Sox haven't been firing on all cylinders either...

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

A second wild card is a ridiculous idea. If a team finishes third in a division they shouldn't have the opportunity to win the world series regardless of their record. So just because a division occasionally has a few winning teams we have to have a second wild card? I would have to see a team that earned "second wild card" win it all.

 

[Real World]

What they need to do away with, since there is a Wild Card slot, is the unbalanced schedule. How is that fair to teams in the AL East, like Baltimore persay? The Twins get to play the mediocre central squads 18 per, while the Orioles face the Sox, TB, Tor, and NY for that same number. Yet, each are vying for the WC. I understand that they want to put the emphasis on divisional play, and titles, but it's somewhat unfair IMO.


As for adding a second WC, how could you? That would mean 5 playoff teams. What would the playoff scenario be then? A bye for the first place finisher, while the 4 other teams play a best of 5 series? That doesn't work because no team would want to have 6-10 days off while the other series are played. Adding a 5th team would require some extremely out of the box tinkering, that a traditionalist sport like baseball, wouldn't be likely to accept. On top of that, is the money aspect that all these leagues not employ, where they care nothing about the fans, and only care about making sure every single game is televised individually, so no two games are on at the same time.

Some out of the box idea's would be to move back to 2 divisions, and add 4 WC teams. The 4 WC teams would play a best of 3 series, begining the day after the season is over, with the first series of the divisional round being played on day 4 after the series. This would suck for the WC teams, but hey, win the division then. It would mean only a 3 day layoff for the waiting division winner. The problem though, is what you do when there is a rainout. Hardly an ideal platform regardless.

Another option is to shorten the season by a week to ten days, using the old 154 game schedule from yesteryear, and have 8 teams make the playoffs like they do in the other sports. This would add one more series to the length of the current playoff system. Shortening the season would mean no games well into the cold weather. The problem with this is that it cheapens the regular season for the traditionalists, while owners and the league wouldn't want to lose 8 games X 30 teams. That's a lot of $$ to give up. Oh, and I'm sure the union wouldn't want that 5% (8 fewer games) deducted from their annual paychecks.

There are other possible options, but none of which that all parties involved, would agree to.

 

[Disco Volante]

Red Sox picked up 3 games in 3 days and are now a game back behind the Rays & Yankees.

 

[Haterproof]

Red Sox picked up 3 games in 3 days and are now a game back behind the Rays & Yankees.

Lord have mercy! It's going 2 be a bloodbath all the way to the end. I see the Red Sox getting in with either NY or Tampa getting left out. 1 of those 2 will collapse.

 

[ausbacker]

Hopefully the Rays and the Red Sox get through. Stuff the Yankees.

 

[Kontradiction]

I can't see the Yankees getting left out. So I'm going to go out on the homer limb here and say that the Yankees win the division with the Sox getting in as the WC. The Rays get left out in the cold. Hope I'm right.

 

[Disco Volante]

It really is amazing how good the top 4 teams in our division are.

 

[bigcountry75]

Unless they have a major collapse I would have to say the Sox get in....With them not having a full healthy pitching staff....Using young guys in the OF and they are still winning lots of games against good opponents can only bode well for them the rest of the season.....They are getting these young guys experience so when the regulars get back we will have a solid rotation in the OF of guys that can play.....This has actually been a fun team to watch the last month or so......Not the frustrating team from May.....

 

[ausbacker]

It is just me or do blown saves piss you off more than a pitcher simply throwing poorly and losing the game of his own doing?

Geez I was looking forward to handing Jimenez his second loss. Good one Paps.

 

[ausbacker]

It is just me or do blown saves piss you off more than a pitcher simply throwing poorly and losing the game of his own doing?

Geez I was looking forward to handing Jimenez his second loss. Good one Paps.

2 blown saves in 2 days.. to the Rockies. Hmmmm.

 

[Disco Volante]

Red Sox now in sole position of first place in the Wild Card standings for the first time this season.