Re: Just too many holes to fill.
I was one of the people that have been surprised by the Cardinals the last 2 years. I really thought they would tank once they lost Pujols and LaRussa. But if they can replace Pujols, I'm going to believe they can replace Beltran.
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
LewGra
I was one of the people that have been surprised by the Cardinals the last 2 years. I really thought they would tank once they lost Pujols and LaRussa. But if they can replace Pujols, I'm going to believe they can replace Beltran.
I'm sure they can too. I just think going from Beltran to Adans has the potential of being a little bit of a dropoff.
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
Johnny Fan
Yes the playoffs are where the big boys play and they "earn" that right to play there based off of a 162 game season. Who wins in the playoffs isn't however always the best team. IF you just went with the system of old of the best NL team in each division and same in AL how many former winners of the WS wouldn't even be in the WS? Better yet, lets remove divisions and just have the best team in the NL after 162 games play the best team in the AL for the title. MLB and other sports have watered down the playoffs.
You realize that if you got your wish, the Reds wouldn't have their 90 WS title, and wouldn't have even made it to the playoffs after 1976, right?
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
ac084c
You realize that if you got your wish, the Reds wouldn't have their 90 WS title, and wouldn't have even made it to the playoffs after 1976, right?
I am okay with two divisions in each league, prefer just one but 4 is two many and the whole WC system is a joke. The regular season should mean something, if not lets drop it to say 100 games, and then have a playoff in each division which gets you a division champion who then plays the other division champion to decide who plays for the WS....:thumbup:
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Johnny Fan
I am okay with two divisions in each league, prefer just one but 4 is two many and the whole WC system is a joke. The regular season should mean something, if not lets drop it to say 100 games, and then have a playoff in each division which gets you a division champion who then plays the other division champion to decide who plays for the WS....:thumbup:
What happens if 4 teams in one division finish with better records than all the teams in the other division?
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
ac084c
What happens if 4 teams in one division finish with better records than all the teams in the other division?
You just blew my mind
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ac084c
What happens if 4 teams in one division finish with better records than all the teams in the other division?
Down side of multiple divisions, that is why I would prefer just 1 division in both leagues, then you have the top teams in each league play in the WS, like they use to, but that will never happen due to TV. So the only other viable option is going with two divisions like we use to have, and in that system you will have times where the winner of a division may have a worse record then a team in the other division that didn't win their division.
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
Johnny Fan
Down side of multiple divisions, that is why I would prefer just 1 division in both leagues, then you have the top teams in each league play in the WS, like they use to, but that will never happen due to TV. So the only other viable option is going with two divisions like we use to have, and in that system you will have times where the winner of a division may have a worse record then a team in the other division that didn't win their division.
Remind me again what's wrong with the current system?
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
ac084c
Remind me again what's wrong with the current system?
It deminishes the regular season. Look at last year, Reds finished THIRD in their own divison and made the playoffs...sorry I am a Reds fan but that is just wrong....:thumbdown:
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
Johnny Fan
It deminishes the regular season. Look at last year, Reds finished THIRD in their own divison and made the playoffs...sorry I am a Reds fan but that is just wrong....:thumbdown:
They played in the most competitive Division in the league, and had only 2 wins less than one of the NLCS representatives.
Plus it's not like they were given a free shot at the playoffs. Their penalty for not winning the division was a 1-game play-in, on the road, no less.
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
ac084c
They played in the most competitive Division in the league, and had only 2 wins less than one of the NLCS representatives.
Plus it's not like they were given a free shot at the playoffs. Their penalty for not winning the division was a 1-game play-in, on the road, no less.
They didn't win their division, they didn't even finish 2nd and in fact got SWEPT by that second place team at the end of the season. Sorry but I want the regular season mean something...:)
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LewGra
I was one of the people that have been surprised by the Cardinals the last 2 years. I really thought they would tank once they lost Pujols and LaRussa. But if they can replace Pujols, I'm going to believe they can replace Beltran.
The Cards have a strong farm system. They always have. Our system has improved over the years, but we still have the same type of hitters coming out of it, over and over. Would like to see some new instructors and a new philosophy on hitting.
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
Johnny Fan
They didn't win their division, they didn't even finish 2nd and in fact got SWEPT by that second place team at the end of the season. Sorry but I want the regular season mean something...:)
It did - the two best regular season teams met in the World Series in 2013.
I'm still trying to understand your complaint.
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
bullseye
The Cards have a strong farm system. They always have. Our system has improved over the years, but we still have the same type of hitters coming out of it, over and over. Would like to see some new instructors and a new philosophy on hitting.
Actually, under Jocketty, the Cardinal farm system was recognized as one of the worst farm systems in the country. In fact, Jocketty lost his job when he tried to stonewall DeWitt's plan to use Luhnow and reinvent the Cardinal approach.
Re: Just too many holes to fill.
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Originally Posted by
Johnny Fan
Okay, still don't see the Cards as improving themselves that much, stayed about the same. Right now I see them staying about even this offseason and the Reds and Pirates a step behind. Reds don't know what they have in Hamilton who will replace Choo and they have a stubborn pitcher in the pen who refuses to do what is best for the team. Pirates loss some nice late season additions and pitching.
You don't see it because you don't want to or because you're sure they haven't? They have the best fielding CF'er in the game right now. He has great speed. If his bat plays they have improved significantly from Jon Jay's weak arm and inconsistent routes to the ball.
Peralta is average to above average fielder with decent power and OBP. He's a significant offensive upgrade to Kozma.
The departure of Freese takes away one of the weaker bats from last year and replaces it with Carpenter who is a strong fielder....particularly at 3rd. They are replacing Freese's bat with Wong. While Wong struggled in his 59 plate appearances last year, his bat played awfully well at every stage in the minors. Wong also has very good speed. In any event, if he struggles, Ellis will get more at bats and that's a known quantity.
You can argue until the cows come home about Adams struggles vs lefties, but he hit 17 HR's in about 300 AB's and was a one man wrecking crew when Craig was injured late last year. There's a lotta pixie dust in that organization. Craig plays a better RF than Beltran and we all know about his hitting.
From the Cardinals' perspective, they have removed all weaknesses. With Garcia coming back, some starter is going to the pen. They aren't likely to have that early bullpen weakness that stunted them last year.
We can all point to Taveras and Wong and say what have they proven? It's a fair question. The same one we used to discuss Miller, Kelly and Wacha last year.
That darned farm system keeps grinding out quality players.