How much do you care about winning the division?

[Malike]

2 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

I would be surprised if they actually made a wild card banner.

[Sanfran327]

27 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I think that over the long term there is absolutely a better chance of winning if you get to skip the first round of playoffs. It's simple probability. If you have a 60% chance at winning any given post-season series, you have a .6^3 = 22% chance of winning three straight series, and a 13% chance of winning four straight series.

Of course in any single post-season or series there's a reasonable chance that the wildcard wins and the division winner loses. But over 10, 20, 30 years you will almost certainly see an advantage from skipping the wildcard series.

It's like asking if you'd rather be a .320 hitter or a .270 hitter? Obviously .320, even though next week the .270 hitter might get more hits.

Agree. You gotta want that auto-in with the division win. 

[HowAboutThat]

17 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

In terms on banners:

1. World Series

2. American League

3. AL East

So, if we don't at least win the AL, winning the division is extremely important. Nobody wants a stupid Wild Card banner. In fact, everyone should find those embarrassing to display.

Exactly. How embarrassing is it to fly a flag that says 3WC. I know there are 19 teams that would love to have it, but still…

[DirtyBird]

Just now, Malike said:

That doesn't look like Texas, nor does it look like a WC and WS banner from the same season

[vab]

12 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

IMO it really doesn't matter much. We are almost assuredly going to be in the playoffs. What matters most is how we are playing at the close of the season (going into the playoffs). We won the division and won 101 games last season as we outpaced TB. And in October (neither teams' great regular seasons matter). And teams like HOU and TEX were playing in the ALCS who weren't nearly as good all year.

I don't even know if how they're playing at the close of the season matters. Texas had a 2.5 game division lead with four games to go last year and lost it on the last day getting shut out no less and they turned into a buzzsaw seemingly like the flip of a switch. Just get in and get hot, there's nothing else to it. 

[Malike]

2 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

That doesn't look like Texas, nor does it look like a WC and WS banner from the same season

"I would be surprised if they actually made a wildcard banner".

SURPRISE!

[HowAboutThat]

3 minutes ago, Malike said:

I have seen the 2012 2WC flag on display, and was just looking online for it but can’t find it. 
it’s possible they took it down, but I distinctly remember seeing it on display alongside the 2014 division banner.

But I agree that a flag for a wildcard is kind of silly. It’s much better to win the division, right?

That would be a flag to fly.

[HowAboutThat]

23 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Most supposedly obvious mistakes are not really. They're choices based on a bunch of different information, including things fans don't generally know like who's available today, who's nursing a whatever that makes him semi-unavailable, who spent the night on the can after bad crab cake... Hyde has to manage the clubhouse and personalities, and getting the bench guys some kind of playing time, and getting through 162 games, and on and on. 95% of "obvious mistakes" are going to have a plausible reason why they were made that doesn't involve the manager being stupid or spacing out.

And every manager has any number of decisions that some subset of fans will decry as an obvious mistake, so the baseline for whatever manager we're talking about isn't zero mistakes, it's the number that a typical MLB manager supposedly makes. I'll give you a big wad of cash if you can find me a fanbase in any sport that thinks their manager is brilliant all the time. The best you're going to get is "eh, at least he hasn't screwed anything up in a week or two."

We’ve talked about this too, and I mentioned Ned Yost, who apparently is the poster boy for stupid managers who managed to win a World Series.
Everything you’re saying is correct, and I’m not denying it.

But I stand by what I said, I’m not going to restate anything. I’ve already said, it’s not really purposeful.

[HowAboutThat]

17 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

I would be surprised if they actually made a wild card banner.

[DirtyBird]

11 minutes ago, Malike said:

"I would be surprised if they actually made a wildcard banner".

SURPRISE!

 

34 minutes ago, Malike said:

I'm certain that Texas is embarrassed to have the 2023 Wildcard banner right next to the 2023 World Series Champion banner.

Are you intentionally being stupid?

I quoted and replied to this post specifically referencing the 2023 Texas Rangers 

[DirtyBird]

3 minutes ago, Philip said:

"THEY" meaning the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers.

Heck, there isn't even a 1983 AL Champs banner next to the WS  banner in this pic. Thank you for illustrating my point.

[Moose Milligan]

Hilarious when he gets uppity 

[Malike]

2 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Hilarious when he gets uppity 

Old girl gets big mad. 

[RZNJ]

4 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Hilarious when he gets uppity 

And I’m an innocent bystander.   Nice.

[Moose Milligan]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

And I’m an innocent bystander.   Nice.

Are you ok Reezy?