The Frosting and the Cake

CaliCub — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:41:50 -0000

During my self-imposed banishment the past couple days, I compiled a list of MLB teams that finished with the best won-loss records per league for each season since divisional play. You can view my list here.

Prior to 1969, each league was one single unit without divisions and wild cards. Therefore whoever came in first went to the World Series automatically. So the purpose of my analysis was to see how many teams that finished with the best W-L records also went on to the World Series since divisional play began in 1969.

My findings show that, since 1969, roughly 58% of the teams with the best AL record also went to the World Series, while roughly 47% of the NL clubs with the best league record went onto the World Series. Although my list includes 1994, I left that year out when calculating the percentages as no World Series was played that season.

What's more, the percentages get lower when the analysis focuses on the years since the wild card was initiated in 1995. In the AL, only 46% of the clubs who finished with the best league record went onto the World Series - in the NL, only 38% went all the way to The Show.

No doubt, expansion of the postseason format has diluted the significance of having the league's best record, except for having home field advantage in the playoffs. A team like the 2001 Mariners had to be thinking, "We won 116 games for nothing?" Now, fans like my wife would argue "Well, if they were so good then they shouldn't have lost to inferior teams in the playoffs". Don't know if I agree, since anything can happen in a short series (1973 NLCS, 1987 ALCS, and the 2006 Cardinals).

I'm starting to believe more attention should be paid to the "cake" of having an outstanding regular season, and the "frosting" of the playoffs and World Series regarded as just a special treat having little-or-nothing to do with the regular season. People dismissed the 1981 Reds for awarding themselves their own "Best Overall Season Record" flag as so much sour grapes, but actually their point is well taken. Isn't a team's domination of its league over 162 games the real definition of success, as opposed to the flukiness of a short playoff series?

The NHL presents its annual Presidents' Trophy to the team with the best overall record. Doing so rewards a team for their success during the course of a long season - especially since dilution of the post-season keeps the Stanley Cup Finals from serving as that reward. So should MLB start doing the same thing? Should there be a "Commissioner's Trophy" awarded to the team with the best overall winning percentage for that year?

1969 Survivors Unite!

CaliCub — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:57:46 -0000

With the astounding success of the Cubs this year, comparisons have been drawn between this year's edition and the squads from 1984 and 1969. I was around for the good and bad of 1984, but I was but a mere 4 years old during the year of the Moon and the Mets.

So what I wanted to know is if any of our fellow BCBers are old enough to recall that triumphant/tragic year. What was it like being at the Friendly Confines that summer? Was the team the toast of the town like all the books say? Who was your favorite player from that team? And what in your opinion caused the collapse?

By no means am I trying to be a Negative Nancy (or even Sluggo). All I've heard is how special a year it was and I'd love to hear some first hand stories.

A's Trade Blanton to Phillies

CaliCub — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:15:29 -0000

Link

Hmm, thought that maybe St. Louis would make a play for Blanton but looks like the Phils beat them to it. Not a bad trade, and one that could help the environs of Citizens Bank Park.

Hmm, thought that maybe St. Louis would make a play for Blanton but looks like the Phils beat them to it. Not a bad trade, and one that could help the environs of Citizens Bank Park. We'll see.

SB Nation User Blog: CaliCub

The Frosting and the Cake

1969 Survivors Unite!

A's Trade Blanton to Phillies