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Thread: A question about moving up in the standings

  1. #1
    Haunted by walks
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    A question about moving up in the standings

    I’ve always heard that it’s such a burden to have multiple teams in between you and the top spot because someone’s always winning and you don’t gain ground. So you should root for the teams in between to lose if they’re playing the top team. I’d like for someone to do the math on that because I’d rather whittle away at the top team’s 10-game lead, let’s say, and tighten the pack, than be closer to the third place team and gain no ground on first. Am I making any sense?


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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Quote Originally Posted by BCubb2003 View Post
    I’ve always heard that it’s such a burden to have multiple teams in between you and the top spot because someone’s always winning and you don’t gain ground. So you should root for the teams in between to lose if they’re playing the top team. I’d like for someone to do the math on that because I’d rather whittle away at the top team’s 10-game lead, let’s say, and tighten the pack, than be closer to the third place team and gain no ground on first. Am I making any sense?
    Yes, you make a lot of sense. Just keep winning and gain on the first place team. Whomever is in first.

  4. #3
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    The only team losses you can control is that day's opponent. So win today. In fact, win. every. day.
    Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum.

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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Quote Originally Posted by PuffyPig View Post
    Yes, you make a lot of sense. Just keep winning and gain on the first place team. Whomever is in first.
    Yes, you want to get closer to the first place record no matter how many teams are ahead of you

  6. #5
    Member kaldaniels's Avatar
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    I think of it like this.

    Let's say the Reds are trailing all the teams in the division by 15,10,5 and 1 game respectively. That means they have to make up 31 games in the standings to at least tie for first. But they do have to be the "right" 31 games made up. And in a vacuum the toughest ones to make up of that lot will be the 15 games behind the first place team. (It's harder to gain 15 games than 1 game)

    So if 2 teams above the Reds in the standings play (let's say the first and 4th place teams) - It will be a wash as far as how many games the Reds still have to gain. But anytime you can chip that big lead the division leader has, it helps. Now granted it now makes the fourth place team a bit harder to jump. I'm sure there is some math that shows it's a small marginal gain, but anytime you can get that one big lead down by a game it's an advantage for you.

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    malingered here too long malcontent's Avatar
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Quote Originally Posted by BCubb2003 View Post
    So you should root for the teams in between to lose if they’re playing the top team.
    I've never heard that, and it makes no sense. If you're playing for the post-season, that is. If the goal is 4th or 3rd...
    Everything is perfect, but there is a lot of room for improvement. --- Shunryu Suzuki-roshi

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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    having 2 wildcard teams makes this topic even more interesting, imo.

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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    In a lot of contexts, it makes perfect sense. I would imagine in most cases, if you are 15 games back, you aren't catching that team. If you assume that to be true, then the best you can do is try to finish ahead of enough teams that you win a wildcard spot. And the way that you do that is to win, while the clubs between you and first place lose. And the first place team beating those clubs, helps you accomplish that.

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    Falls City Beer (06-21-2019)

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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Just win a hundred games. That should do it.

  12. #10
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Quote Originally Posted by BCubb2003 View Post
    I’ve always heard that it’s such a burden to have multiple teams in between you and the top spot because someone’s always winning and you don’t gain ground. So you should root for the teams in between to lose if they’re playing the top team. I’d like for someone to do the math on that because I’d rather whittle away at the top team’s 10-game lead, let’s say, and tighten the pack, than be closer to the third place team and gain no ground on first. Am I making any sense?
    The teams that win the most out of 162 go to the playoffs; doesn't matter when they win 'em or who's ahead of you in june. If it's a math equation, it's pretty simple.

    The old cliché about it being a marathon--not a sprint are true. Set a good pace early so you won't have to bust it at the end.

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    Knowledge Is Good Big Klu's Avatar
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Quote Originally Posted by Burger Beer View Post
    The teams that win the most out of 162 go to the playoffs; doesn't matter when they win 'em or who's ahead of you in june. If it's a math equation, it's pretty simple.

    The old cliché about it being a marathon--not a sprint are true. Set a good pace early so you won't have to bust it at the end.
    Worked in 1990.
    Eric Stratton, Rush Chairman. Damn glad to meet ya.

  14. #12
    Haunted by walks
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    You all make sense to me, but I know that if Milwaukee or St. Louis were playing Chicago, I’d hear someone somewhere say that we should root for Chicago to win to help get one of those tweener teams behind us. It always seemed wrong to me.

  15. #13
    Knowledge Is Good Big Klu's Avatar
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Doesn't really matter, because you gotta catch 'em all!

    Eric Stratton, Rush Chairman. Damn glad to meet ya.

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    Spanky (06-21-2019)

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    Member kaldaniels's Avatar
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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Quote Originally Posted by texasdave View Post
    In a lot of contexts, it makes perfect sense. I would imagine in most cases, if you are 15 games back, you aren't catching that team. If you assume that to be true, then the best you can do is try to finish ahead of enough teams that you win a wildcard spot. And the way that you do that is to win, while the clubs between you and first place lose. And the first place team beating those clubs, helps you accomplish that.
    Yes, at some point you throw in the towel on winning the division but I don’t think that was the spirit of the question here. I just threw out the 15/10/5/1 games numbers so the math would be easy for my simple brain. But yes, if you are going for he WC you want the first place team to win every game against other divisional opponents.

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    Re: A question about moving up in the standings

    Root for the Reds to win. Root for the Cardinals and Cubs to lose. No matter the situation.
    Hoping to change my username to 75769024


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