POLL Division Tie: H2H?

[Yo Tee]

It is still a made-up rule. In baseball, ties are broken on the field. Most wins for the season is the winner. It's a marathon. Not every game is played 100%. One of the things that differentiate baseball from football, hockey etc. Playoffs games are embedded into the fabric of baseball. "Shot heard round the world"

I agree that playoff games are better in Baseball than any other sport, but I still don't agree with the extra game to decide a division champ. The Yankees could go 0-20 against the Red Sox, but as long as we have the same record and beat them one time a year, in the extra 163rd game, we are the division champs. To me, division champions should be the best team in the division. Usually, that means you've had the best record against the teams in your division.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Why? Theyve already played 19 games against each other. That’s definitely enough.

Reasonable point.

Still, I'm going for 163 because I love the drama.

 

[kburjr]

I agree that playoff games are better in Baseball than any other sport, but I still don't agree with the extra game to decide a division champ. The Yankees could go 0-20 against the Red Sox, but as long as we have the same record and beat them one time a year, in the extra 163rd game, we are the division champs. To me, division champions should be the best team in the division. Usually, that means you've had the best record against the teams in your division.

The problem with that becomes who is the best team now? Since June 1, the Brewers have a 7-4 record vs the Cubs. 4-2 in September. Would you say the Brewers are a better team right now?

All 162 games count. They are tied. Play a game to decide the division champ.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I feel like the season series has to mean something. Right now, it doesn't. The Dodgers could be winless against the Rockies in the regular season, but if they win this one game, they are the division champs? IDK, doesn't seem right to me. I say head to head matchups SHOULD decide the division champ.

A reasonable point, supporting rmilia's reasonable point.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

When deciding a division title, I don't think it should come down to a tiebreaking game. Yes, it makes for very exciting baseball, but I don't think it's the best decision for deciding a division title.

Meh. Now you lost me.

If 162 isn't enough for a team to demonstrate its superiority over the rest of the division, extra games are fine by me.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

All that means is the one team was better head to head

Seeing as they are tied. It also means the other team is the best against the other 28 teams.

A tiebreaker would be fucking mental. Play a game and let the teams decide it.

The advantage in the season series let’s you play at home. That’s fair enough.

Mr Hockey for the win!

 

[Yo Tee]

The problem with that becomes who is the best team now? Since June 1, the Brewers have a 7-4 record vs the Cubs. 4-2 in September. Would you say the Brewers are a better team right now?

All 162 games count. They are tied. Play a game to decide the division champ.

Like you said, all 162 games count. If you play a tiebreaker because they happen to have the same record, even though the Dodgers have won 12 out of the 18 matchups with the Dodgers, you're essentially saying that not all 162 games count, because those 12 didn't, apparently.

 

[kburjr]

Like you said, all 162 games count. If you play a tiebreaker because they happen to have the same record, even though the Dodgers have won 12 out of the 18 matchups with the Dodgers, you're essentially saying that not all 162 games count, because those 12 didn't, apparently.

What I am saying is that those 12 wins don't count anymore than the other 83 wins it took to get to this point.

 

[molsaniceman]

Like you said, all 162 games count. If you play a tiebreaker because they happen to have the same record, even though the Dodgers have won 12 out of the 18 matchups with the Dodgers, you're essentially saying that not all 162 games count, because those 12 didn't, apparently.

they beat themselves

 

[Yo Tee]

Meh. Now you lost me.

If 162 isn't enough for a team to demonstrate its superiority over the rest of the division, extra games are fine by me.

But in this instance, the Dodgers have. The Cubs have. The Dodgers are 44-32 against their division, while the Rockies are 41-35. Cubs are 41-35 against their division while the Brewers are 41-37. The Dodgers and Cubs have already won the H2H against their entire division, yet that's not good enough to show you're the best team in the division?

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Hence why I hate the addition of an extra WC team. The addition of a 2nd WC team was just to make more TV money. Can't hate MLB for that, that's a good business decision, but just doesn't work for me personally.

I'm sure that money was a driving factor for MLB, if not the factor, but for me, I like the second wild card because it gives favorable odds to the teams that were better over the course of the season and won their division.

I don't think Wild Card teams should enter the playoffs on equal footing as teams who won their division.

 

[Yo Tee]

What I am saying is that those 12 wins don't count anymore than the other 83 wins it took to get to this point.

I disagree. In a tie situation, I think H2H should count for something.

 

[kburjr]

I disagree. In a tie situation, I think H2H should count for something.

And today it will.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I agree that playoff games are better in Baseball than any other sport, but I still don't agree with the extra game to decide a division champ. The Yankees could go 0-20 against the Red Sox, but as long as we have the same record and beat them one time a year, in the extra 163rd game, we are the division champs. To me, division champions should be the best team in the division. Usually, that means you've had the best record against the teams in your division.

It stands to reason that if the Yankees were 0-20 vs Red Sox, but the two had identical records, the Yankees would have likely done 20 games better than the Red Sox vs the other teams in the division.

 

[Yo Tee]

I'm sure that money was a driving factor for MLB, if not the factor, but for me, I like the second wild card because it gives favorable odds to the teams that were better over the course of the season and won their division.

I don't think Wild Card teams should enter the playoffs on equal footing as teams who won their division.

Well the inequality is the fact that they have to not only play the best team in the AL/NL, but they also don't have homefield advantage.

 

[Yo Tee]

And today it will.

That's BS, to me.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

I don't mind the extra game, but then whenever we talk about expanding the playoffs MLB goes apeshit with concerns over length of season, additional opportunities for a player injury, and the fact that this 163 game could really fuck with a team's rotation for the division series.

 

[Yo Tee]

It stands to reason that if the Yankees were 0-20 vs Red Sox, but the two had identical records, the Yankees would have likely done 20 games better than the Red Sox vs the other teams in the division.

Not necessarily in their division. Yankees could be 20-0 against the AL West or 18-2 against the NL East while the Red Sox went 0-20 against the NL Central or 2-18 against the AL Central.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

All 162 games count. They are tied. Play a game to decide the division champ.

There it is, folks. Plain as day in black and white. Doesn't get more logical than that.

kburjr, Occam's Razoring the shit out of this debate.

 

[Yo Tee]

With all the shit I'm talking about these games, I am still gonna watch. Why? Because Baseball. That's why. Lol.

That's what the MLB banks on. Doesn't matter if I agree with the rules or not, what matters is that baseball fans are gonna watch them regardless.