Confession

[757690]

To be honest, I really don't mind it if the Cards win the World Series again. It won't mean much, and I will know that the Reds were a better team this year and had a better season.

For quite awhile now, the World Series has been tarnished, diminished in importance. Much has to do with the wild card, and Interleague play, which has made it not that special. Steroids played a big part in the way I looked at champions in the late '90's.

Looking back, since 1995, there really hasn't been a World Series Champ that I felt was truely deserving. I always thought that whoever won might have had a nice story behind them, but I never thought that winning their way through the current playoff system meant they were the best team in Baseball. Some might have been the best team in baseball, but I never felt and never will feel like winning these 11 games proved it.

Previously, if an underdog team won the World Series, I felt they deserved it because they beat the other best teams in baseball, who got into the playoffs by winning their division. And because it was the only time there were any games between the two leagues, it felt very unique and special.

Now, it's mostly luck, good and bad that decides who wins, and with two wild cards, winning these games is even less meaningful. If they just did a series of coin flips to decide who wins it, it wouldn't be much different in my mind and in my heart.

If the Cardinals win the World Series again, I say good for them. But they'll be more like Beauty Pagent winners than Champions of a sport. I will think the same thing, every time the Reds win the World Series in the future., it will be nice, but nothing like 1990, 1976 and 1975, the only times in my lifetime that the Reds truely will ever be World Champions.

[dougdirt]

The 1998 Yankees want to have a talk with you. 114-48, went 11-2 in the playoffs.

[AtomicDumpling]

Originally Posted by 757690

To be honest, I really don't mind it if the Cards win the World Series again. It won't mean much, and I will know that the Reds were a better team this year and had a better season.

For quite awhile now, the World Series has been tarnished, diminished in importance. Much has to do with the wild card, and Interleague play, which has made it not that special. Steroids played a big part in the way I looked at champions in the late '90's.

Looking back, since 1995, there really hasn't been a World Series Champ that I felt was truely deserving. I always thought that whoever won might have had a nice story behind them, but I never thought that winning their way through the current playoff system meant they were the best team in Baseball. Some might have been the best team in baseball, but I never felt and never will feel like winning these 11 games proved it.

Previously, if an underdog team won the World Series, I felt they deserved it because they beat the other best teams in baseball, who got into the playoffs by winning their division. And because it was the only time there were any games between the two leagues, it felt very unique and special.

Now, it's mostly luck, good and bad that decides who wins, and with two wild cards, winning these games is even less meaningful. If they just did a series of coin flips to decide who wins it, it wouldn't be much different in my mind and in my heart.

If the Cardinals win the World Series again, I say good for them. But they'll be more like Beauty Pagent winners than Champions of a sport. I will think the same thing, every time the Reds win the World Series in the future., it will be nice, but nothing like 1990, 1976 and 1975, the only times in my lifetime that the Reds truely will ever be World Champions.

I agree with you. The integrity of the World Series was pawned for billions of dollars. A championship that doesn't go to the best team is a worthless championship. Postseason series of five or seven games are way too short to determine which team is better. They play a 162 game season to find out who is best. There is no need for a postseason tournament copied from other sports.

Baseball needs to go back to their Glory Days when baseball was the National Pastime and the only sport that mattered, back when you had to be the best to make it to the World Series. Of course that will never happen because of all the huge profits the owners and players are making, but we can dream.

I must disagree with you about the Cardinals though. I would root for them to lose at any game they played, especially Russian Roulette.

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by 757690

Looking back, since 1995, there really hasn't been a World Series Champ that I felt was truely deserving. I always thought that whoever won might have had a nice story behind them, but I never thought that winning their way through the current playoff system meant they were the best team in Baseball. Some might have been the best team in baseball, but I never felt and never will feel like winning these 11 games proved it.





.

In 1987 the Twins with a record of 85-77 beat the Cardinals with a record of 95-67 in the WS.

Of the 4 teams to make the playoffs that year the Twins had the worst record.

Did you consider them to be the best team in baseball that year?

[757690]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

The 1998 Yankees want to have a talk with you. 114-48, went 11-2 in the playoffs.

Like I said, some WS champs were the best team in baseball that year, but what they did in the postseason had nothing to do with it.

[757690]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

In 1987 the Twins with a record of 85-77 beat the Cardinals with a record of 95-67 in the WS.

Of the 4 teams to make the playoffs that year the Twins had the worst record.

Did you consider them to be the best team in baseball that year?

They deserved to be World Champions because they won their division and beat the other teams that won their division. The best team won't win the WS every year, no matter what playoff system you use, but you need to use one that only lets in deserving teams.

[Superdude]

I'm kind of torn on the double wildcard. On one hand, it makes winning the division much more critical, but it also opens up the chance of an even lesser team taking home the trophy ie. Cardinals.

[vic715]

Nine teams won 90 games this year and it looks like none of them will be a world champion.I hate the one game wild card deal especially after Atlanta wins six more games than the Cards yet have to lay their season on the line for one game to them.If they want to continue this stupidity then at least make it two out of three,and if they don't want Baseball in November then get rid of the 5th team period. The 10th and the 11th best records in the MLB this year could be in the WS if the Cards advance.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by Superdude

I'm kind of torn on the double wildcard. On one hand, it makes winning the division much more critical, but it also opens up the chance of an even lesser team taking home the trophy ie. Cardinals.

I totally disagreed with the 2nd WC, and the way they set up the entire post-season format this year. It was simply mind boggling to me. The Braves simply got screwed IMO.

But having said that... if the Cards do go on and win the WS, looking at who they had to go through to accomplish that, are the really a "lesser" team?

[Superdude]

Originally Posted by GAC

But having said that... if the Cards do go on and win the WS, looking at who they had to go through to accomplish that, are the really a "lesser" team?

Yes. The St. Louis Cardinals have been, are, and always will be a lesser team.

[oneupper]

1990

Pirates 95-67 Lost NLCS
Reds 91-71 Won WS
Mets 91-71 No playoff

A's 103-59 Lost WS
Chisox 94-68 No playoff
Bosox 88-74 Lost ALCS

Wanna give that one back?

[Sea Ray]

I don't know. I've suddenly become a huge Tigers fan

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by oneupper

1990

Pirates 95-67 Lost NLCS
Reds 91-71 Won WS
Mets 91-71 No playoff

A's 103-59 Lost WS
Chisox 94-68 No playoff
Bosox 88-74 Lost ALCS

Wanna give that one back?

Heck no. They earned it. They didn't finish 10 games back in their division. I have a better analogy for you. The Cardinals winning the World Series would be as tainted as the Dodgers winning in the strike year of 1981

[mdccclxix]

I love the wild card and I love the Tigers. I think the Tigers win in 5.

The wild card has allowed an awesome, yes awesome, Cardinals team fight it out and get their postseason ace back in time to truly contend. Likewise, it made everyone jitter while Philly almost stormed back from a season beset by injuries. Meanwhile, a team like the Nats shut down their ace and were not the same team. So, it opens the door for teams that can have a say. I've felt all year that St. Louis is a much better team than their record, and their run differential is really good, so credit to them for advancing. They won't beat the Tigers this time, but if they do good for them.

[mdccclxix]

...And the Reds were a better team, no doubt. Just talked to a Cardinal fan and wanted to tell him how bad they were going to lose to the Reds. He was somehow surprised they were doing well, he must not pay much attention.