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So I guess baseball is going through with this extra wild card team. Two wild card teams from each league will play a one game playoff to make it into the playoffs. The winner plays the #1 seed.Because this was added so late, there are travel issues. So, the team with home field advantage in the first round actually opens up on the road. You play two games on the road and then games three through five are at home. They did this for a few years when the wild card was first introduced and it was stupid then too.More schedule details here.
I just really don't get this. It's like Selig just wants to show what he can do. How does this play-in game improve the experience at all? I just don't see that one game generating enough money to counter the dampening effect on the popularity of the next playoff series.The only thing I like about it is that it gives the division winners a significant advantage, since the wild card team normally would have been able to set up their rotation just like the division winners, but now will be forced to use one of its best starters in the play-in game.
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Cardinals and Red Sox  

missed it by that much  

If you root for St. Louis and you're not from the immediate St. Louis metro area, you're a horrible person.

The only thing I like about it is that it gives the division winners a significant advantage, since the wild card team normally would have been able to set up their rotation just like the division winners, but now will be forced to use one of its best starters in the play-in game.
Yeah, but what if the two best teams in the league are in the same division? You could have them playing a tie-breaker after the season while the #3 and #5 seeds (because the loser of the tie-breaker would be the #4) have clinched early. I think the problem with all the different possible playoff formats is that the division winner is weighted too heavily against overall record. I'd rather have the division winners get automatic playoff berths, but have it not mean anything regarding seeding.
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Yeah, but what if the two best teams in the league are in the same division? You could have them playing a tie-breaker after the season while the #3 and #5 seeds (because the loser of the tie-breaker would be the #4) have clinched early. I think the problem with all the different possible playoff formats is that the division winner is weighted too heavily against overall record. I'd rather have the division winners get automatic playoff berths, but have it not mean anything regarding seeding.
I agree it doesn't really work in the current competitive environment, with 4 of the top 5 teams in the MLB playing in two divisions. In general though, I like the idea of playing a schedule weighted towards divisions, and giving a lot of weight to the division winners.It seems pretty likely that the rule about two teams in the same division not playing each other in the LDS was just designed to keep the Red Sox and Yankees in as long as possible - not a lot of logic to it, IMO.
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This is...are you serious? It's his job to drop shit off at a local fedex, you're really trying to excuse the fact that he was unable to figure out that there were open locations within close proximity? That's absolutely absurd, regardless of the other issues at hand. "Oh well, it's supposed to go to a labaratory for testing, but it's getting a bit late, and there's probably no open locations around here, I guess I'll just take it home with me. No need to take two seconds to call the company or check online to make sure. What could go wrong?"The guy fucked up. MLB is saying he followed protocol because they don't want to admit that, by extension, they fucked up.The arbitrator who has never sided with a player before. Does that not make you pause to think that maybe there's something you might be missing here?100% safer than [however save the warehouse is] does not make it 100% safe. What I still don't understand is why MLB didn't make the right PR move, take the minor embarrassment of poor protocol, and laud the the whole process which exonerated (sort of) one of the game's best players.
Some of these collectors have to travel great distances to do the collections. If went to the site to do the drop off and was late he probably couldn't get to another one. He also could have made the decision, that site is 20 miles away, it closes in 15 minutes, no way I make it, and just went home. That is very reasonable, and what I would expect. There is very possible we are missing something, but from everything that has been put out publicly, he followed protocol.
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Some of these collectors have to travel great distances to do the collections. If went to the site to do the drop off and was late he probably couldn't get to another one. He also could have made the decision, that site is 20 miles away, it closes in 15 minutes, no way I make it, and just went home. That is very reasonable, and what I would expect. There is very possible we are missing something, but from everything that has been put out publicly, he followed protocol.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/spring2012/story/_/...t-system-failed"The collector, identified by two people with knowledge of the case as Dino Laurenzi Jr., took the sample at about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, after Milwaukee opened the playoffs with a 4-1 win over Arizona, and left Miller Park about 30 minutes later with the urine in a triple-seal container manufactured by Capitol Vial. Braun said the collector's son was with his father at the ballpark.Braun, however, said at least five FedEx locations within 5 miles were open until 9 p.m. and there also was a 24-hour location. But Braun said the sample wasn't left with FedEx until 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 3."I assume that Braun was able to provide proof of this, which would be why the arbitrator sided with him. Obviously if there really were no locations still open in the area, the appeal would have been denied."The collector didn't think the sample would be sent until Monday to the WADA-certified lab in Montreal, and believed it would be more secure at home than at a FedEx office during the weekend."This I can understand...he assumed that even if he did get it to a location, it wouldn't be sent. But that's not the protocol. The protocol is to take it to a FedEx if you can, not to make a judgement call.My guess is that the collector is an honest guy who made a very, very minor mistake. And I honestly wouldn't be surprised by anything regarding the test itself...false positive, true positive, some kind of lab screwup, etc.
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the salvador pereze injury makes me very sad indeed. i actually tuned in to watch him catch, he's that good.soria? who cares, should have traded him last year at the deadline for anything they could get. it was obvious his career is trending down.also, to red sox fans: just know that i never really liked you or your team, but now that you've hired bobby valentine i passionately hate you. i hope all the bad things in life happen to the red sox and no one else. he is the worst. my only consolation is he wont be on espn saying ridiculous and stupid things anymore. but i hate him and now i hate you.

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Utley, Carpenter, Salvador Perez, Joaquin Soria, Michael Martinez, Crawford...All missing the start of the season with various new injuries. Exxxcitement
Joba Chamberlain suffers "open ankle dislocation."What the fuck? Open ankle dislocation? "As we understand, they were at, they have these kids places where you jump on trampolines and stuff like that," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Friday.Chamberlain had surgery on Thursday night at St. Joseph's Hospital, and is expected to remain in the hospital for several days for the injury, which resulted in an open flesh wound around the ankle. Manager Joe Girardi was at the hospital early Friday morning.Holy crap.
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Matt Bush & Bobby Jenks both get charged with DUI's. Bobby said he was on muscle relaxers, and that's why he drove into a car at the strip club. Bush blew blew a .17 and .18. At 5pm.Professional athletes!

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Wait, Bobby Jenks is still on the Red Sox? Dammit. Not dammit that he got arrested (although that too) but dammit that we're paying him to play AAA, most likely.

According to the police report, Jenks was at a Fort Myers bar called Babe's. He allegedly struck two vehicles in the establishment's parking lot while driving a white Mercedes Benz SUV.
Come on.
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Baseball's "season opener" in Tokyo tilts me. ESPN has an opening day counter on their website that shows 7 days left. Why do you open your season in the middle of the night? Every other sport makes opening day an event, MLB hides it. So lame.

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Baseball's "season opener" in Tokyo tilts me. ESPN has an opening day counter on their website that shows 7 days left. Why do you open your season in the middle of the night? Every other sport makes opening day an event, MLB hides it. So lame.
Bud Selig...remember the all-star game determines the home team for the WS....he is special.
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Baseball's "season opener" in Tokyo tilts me. ESPN has an opening day counter on their website that shows 7 days left. Why do you open your season in the middle of the night? Every other sport makes opening day an event, MLB hides it. So lame.
Finally, real baseball is here. Marlins and Cardinals on national television tonight. In the meantime, I think I'll watch a little Yankees-Mets online...wait, why are they opening with an interleague game? Oh, so some teams are still playing spring training games while just two teams open the season. I mean, besides the two teams that opened the season a week ago. Hoooly fuck, MLB.
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Hoooly fuck, MLB.
I don't know what the deal is. Apparently Oakland and Seattle split a 2 game series in Japan in like mid-March? I didn't even pay attention because whatever, but that's what the standings say (well, they don't say it was in Japan). Wait, and Miami and St. Louis just had a one-game-series because Miami is at Cincinnati tomorrow? Why is the beginning of the season so retarded?Anyway, Stephen Strasburg tomorrow.
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I don't know what the deal is. Apparently Oakland and Seattle split a 2 game series in Japan in like mid-March? I didn't even pay attention because whatever, but that's what the standings say (well, they don't say it was in Japan). Wait, and Miami and St. Louis just had a one-game-series because Miami is at Cincinnati tomorrow? Why is the beginning of the season so retarded?Anyway, Stephen Strasburg tomorrow.
They've rarely had a good idea to open the season. Usually it's a two-game series, but the 1-game is very silly. The world champions playing the newest ballpark, I guess. I don't hate the Japan thing. 3rd or 4th time they've done it. Probably should have picked at least one team that could hit though. Merry Strasmas!
i mean bud selig is in charge guys.
This is a valid point to just about everything.
Man I fing love the new Miami stadium.
I do too, except for the abomination in center. That thing is the worst. I don't get it. I love the aquariums, I like the weird lime green everywhere. I like all the bullpen stands. I like that they limited capacity to 37k. I feel nothing but disgust every time a fly ball is hit to center field. I was hoping one of Stanton's bombs would go out (jesus christ the park plays huge) just to see the whirlygig in action, so I could hate it more.
Also, if moyer pitches into his 50's, he should go to the hall of fame.
He's pretty amazing. What isn't amazing is that the Rockies have him starting their 2nd game. He needs 33 more wins to get to 300, and if that happens, that's a pretty damn fun case to put into the Hall.
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I don't know what the deal is. Apparently Oakland and Seattle split a 2 game series in Japan in like mid-March? I didn't even pay attention because whatever, but that's what the standings say (well, they don't say it was in Japan). Wait, and Miami and St. Louis just had a one-game-series because Miami is at Cincinnati tomorrow? Why is the beginning of the season so retarded?Anyway, Stephen Strasburg tomorrow.
You left out two important insanities:- After playing two "real" games in Japan, Oakland and Seattle came back and played MORE SPRING TRAINING.- Many teams are opening their seasons today, then skipping Friday, and finishing a series Sat/SunThe whole thing is idiotic.i) The Japan series could've just been exhibition games. Everything the same, but don't make them count. Don't tell me that whether they count in the standings would've made any difference.ii) Have an 'opening day' consisting of more than 1 game. I don't even know why they do it that way, it is insane. If you're going to open with one game, it has to be Yankees/Red Sox anywayiii) The "opening game" has to be part of an opening series. Pretending that baseball fans care SO MUCH about the defending champs playing in a new park is so wrong as to be insane. Making such a big deal of it to play the game on a night by itself, and not as part of the team's regular schedule is nuts.iv) Why are teams playing Thursday/Saturday/Sunday? I don't get it. Play Fri/Sat/Sun or some shit. Skipping a day is just weird.
Also, if moyer pitches into his 50's, he should go to the hall of fame.
This is accurate. Same goes for Omar Vizquel, though he probably won't make it another year.
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I do too, except for the abomination in center. That thing is the worst. I don't get it. I love the aquariums, I like the weird lime green everywhere. I like all the bullpen stands. I like that they limited capacity to 37k. I feel nothing but disgust every time a fly ball is hit to center field. I was hoping one of Stanton's bombs would go out (jesus christ the park plays huge) just to see the whirlygig in action, so I could hate it more.
I couldn't possibly disagree with you more. I think it's hilarious and amazing, and I can't believe they put it in. It gives me nothing but joy every time I see it, and I can't understand why people have such visceral hate for it. IT's freaking hilarious.
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