Do the Playoffs determine the best team?

[Josh W]

I've had this debate with people a few times, and am preparing to have it again.

Do the baseball playoffs accurately determine who is the best team? Put another way, is the winner of the world series the best team?

(I think, no. The clearest example, to me, is in 2001 when DBacks beat a better NYY team).

[Clarkmeister]

See, I think the Yankees were not only clearly inferior to that Diamondbacks team (two total miracle games - they really should've lost like 6 games to 1 in that series) but I think they weren't even the best American League team. IIRC, my opinion isn't in the miniority either, I seem to recall even Yankee fans being pleasantly surprised at their run that year, but I could be mistaken.

[Josh W]

[ QUOTE ]
See, I think the Yankees were not only clearly inferior to that Diamondbacks team (two total miracle games - they really should've lost like 6 games to 1 in that series) but I think they weren't even the best American League team. IIRC, my opinion isn't in the miniority either, I seem to recall even Yankee fans being pleasantly surprised at their run that year, but I could be mistaken.

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh, there's no doubt that they (Yanks) were outplayed in the series. They were a few BYK meltdowns away from being embarassed.

And, shoot, I'm a diehard Mariners fan. I know that the Yanks weren't the best AL team that year...

It's just that ARI had the 3rd best NL record that year, and the 6th best overall. Sure, when RJ and Schill pitched, they were dominant. But I'm unable to say that they were the best team in 2001.

J

[Clarkmeister]

First, I agree that the best team doesn't always win. However, you seem to have a definition of "best" that equates to the entire season. I don't consider that definition to be that broad.

[craig r]

If the Padres get lucky, I would have a hard time saying they were the best team. In fact, I would be lying if I said they were.

craig

[andyfox]

Depends on how you define "best."

If best means winning the World Series, yes, by definition your team is the best. That, after all, is every team's goal.

The best way to win the World Series, is to win the most games you can. So the team that wins the most games can also be defined as the best team. I think only one time in the last eleven years (Yankees, 1998) has the team that won the most games won the World Series.

In order to win games, you have to score more runs than the other team. Some people look at the run differential between scored and allowed to ascertain the true "bestness" of a team. I believe Bill James did the first work on this.

I guess we define our great teams as those that won a lot of games, had a big runs scored/runs allowed differential, and also won the World Series. The 1927 and 1998 Yankees are probably the two most famous examples. The 1906 Cubs (116-36) and the 1954 Indians (111-43) are probably the two most famous examples of teams that won a lot but got schmottered in the Series.

In a 7 game series the best team always wins. Thats quoted by every former baseball and basketball player in history. Of course injuries can screw it up,

[Benholio]

[ QUOTE ]
In a 7 game series the best team always wins. Thats quoted by every former baseball and basketball player in history. Of course injuries can screw it up,

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, give me 5 quotes for each sport.

[Mvcode3]

GIVE HIM THE CLAMPS

[Hal 2000]

[ QUOTE ]
In a 7 game series the best team always wins.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not even remotely true.

'60 Yankees lost to Pirates
'90 Athletics lost to Reds

Plenty more examples from other LCS and WS, but I'm going to bed. No time to delve.