vs. Royals 10/14, (Game Three A.L.C.S.)

[DrungoHazewood]

Not speaking for Drungo, but nobody is suggesting that KC stinks. They are a good team on a winning streak. The Orioles are a good team on a losing streak. Just like happens without comment over and over in the regular season.

Exactly. The hyperbole in the playoffs is crazy. The Nats now stink, and their manager is terrible. The Tigers collapsed and have to rebuild. The Orioles can't come through in the clutch. But the Royals and Giants have what it takes. Bull. They got the breaks and they hit and pitched a tiny bit better for a couple weeks.

[ArtVanDelay]

Discouraged is different than defeated. Discouraged is different than deserting the team. Discouraged is different than insulting the team and it's leaders. There are many, many examples of all three of those things. I'm discouraged but I will support my freaking team until the last damn out. Why? Because they ****ing deserve it!

I don't know if anyone is deserting the team. The team absolutely deserves our support. It's been an awesome season.

[DrungoHazewood]

So, we are down 3-0 to a team that only has luck on its side? What? The Royals pitch well, they play D well, they run well, and they have taken advantages of the opportunities presented them. There is NO luck in that. What am I missing? I am as a blind Orioles fan as the next, but mostly I'm a baseball fan, and I don't see luck, I see a damn good team on the other side.

I see a damn good team with Baltimore on their shirts, too.

[jjnono]

Anything can and will happen in a short series. I've said that pretty much forever. The O's didn't prove their superiority to the Tigers, they happened to win three straight. If the Royals were this spectacular how come they didn't even win the division? Why did they lose their lead to the now-discredited Tigers? It's because the playoffs are a crapshoot.

Would you prefer a best of 15? The better team emerges. 7 games is enough to determine this. Look, I respect you and your viewpoint, but I can't come to any conclusion that, as of right now, the Royals are a better team with fewer weaknesses. Luck is not that much of a factor...

[Why Not?]

I am honestly heartened by the comments from some of the long-time posters at the tail-end of this thread. I appreciate the perspective.

[clapdiddy]

I am honestly heartened by the comments from some of the long-time posters at the tail-end of this thread. I appreciate the perspective.

Agreed. I've been a bit rash about the Royals. They are a good team, and sometimes good teams lose to good teams. In fact, it happens in every post-season series. A good team goes home after each one.

[DrungoHazewood]

Would you prefer a best of 15? The better team emerges. 7 games is enough to determine this. Look, I respect you and your viewpoint, but I can't come to any conclusion that, as of right now, the Royals are a better team with fewer weaknesses. Luck is not that much of a factor...

No, 15 games would be ridiculous, unworkable. 7 is a compromise, but not in any way enough to determine quality. If you want to know who's best look at regular season record, just be sure to sift through the unbalanced schedule. The playoffs are fine, they make a ton of cash, they're fun (at least when your boys win), they're exciting, high-quality ball. But all they are is about awarding pennants and trophies. They have little to do with "best".

[jjnono]

No, 15 games would be ridiculous, unworkable. 7 is a compromise, but not in any way enough to determine quality. If you want to know who's best look at regular season record, just be sure to sift through the unbalanced schedule. The playoffs are fine, they make a ton of cash, they're fun (at least when your boys win), they're exciting, high-quality ball. But all they are is about awarding pennants and trophies. They have little to do with "best".

Well stated, and I'll just have to agree to disagree. I'm hoping like hell that there's a 4-straight miracle in our future! My love and respect for our team is undiminished, but sometimes you just have to look in the other dugout and agree that they are good, good enough to beat you, and good enough to advance. I'll be in Salt Lake City tomorrow night on business, hoping to hell I can find a place to drink a few beers and watch a win...

[Why Not?]

Agreed. I've been a bit rash about the Royals. They are a good team, and sometimes good teams lose to good teams. In fact, it happens in every post-season series. A good team goes home after each one.

That's a fantastic way of stating it.

[jjnono]

do you want me to go back and point out all the superior teams that lost in the playoffs? Good gracious what were you watching during all those Atlanta and Oakland playoffs in the last 20 years? Keep believing that a game which has a run inferential of +/- 80 runs separating the best from the worst over 162 games can discern the best team in 7. Lol

We are 3-7 against the Royals this year, including these playoffs. Enough? Or do we need to play the Royals 162 times to figure it out?

[DrungoHazewood]

Well stated, and I'll just have to agree to disagree. I'm hoping like hell that there's a 4-straight miracle in our future! My love and respect for our team is undiminished, but sometimes you just have to look in the other dugout and agree that they are good, good enough to beat you, and good enough to advance. I'll be in Salt Lake City tomorrow night on business, hoping to hell I can find a place to drink a few beers and watch a win...

The Royals are a good team. But so were all of the playoff teams. I think we're all hoping for a miracle. But it'll take almost that. I love this team, but even the worst MLB team would usually beat the best one out of every four games.

[DrungoHazewood]

We are 3-7 against the Royals this year, including these playoffs. Enough? Or do we need to play the Royals 162 times to figure it out?

The Orioles and Royals both played the same opponents, just some a few more times than others. And the O's had more wins over 162 games. But even those conclusions aren't foolproof.

You can't go on forever, you can't sim the season 1000 times, so you have to draw some lines somewhere, and hand out some trophies.

[jjnono]

Nope, not nearly enough when looking at the scoring differential for these 10 games. A very rudimentary statistical analysis makes it clear. The Orioles are clearly better than the Red Sox but the Sox would beat them in a 7 games series about 1 in 3 to 1 in 4 times.

Alright, I put my sword down. Baby steps tomorrow! Be good Vatech...

[Reboulet'sStache]

I don't see a ton of "luck" really on KC's side. Baltimore was a team with weaknesses. As was KC. KC has been able to exploit our weaknesses over 3 games, we haven't been able to really exploit there's, or at least not enough to the extent that was needed to win.

[jjnono]

Otto? The lights are growing dim... I know a life of crime lead me to this sorry fate... and yet.. I blame society!!!

Come on O's forge a miracle!!! Always tomorrow...