16 NL teams,,,,,14 AL teams

[BWebb]

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Yes I would love to be a fan of a team in the NL Central where 1/6 will make the playoffs and see that the AL West has only 4 teams and 1/4 make the playoffs. It is retarded

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This is a very simplistic way of looking at it.

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It is, however, a correct way of looking at it. More teams ultimately and necessarily means it's more difficult to win your division.

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This is not necessarily true. Say, for instance the Cardinals and Braves were in the NL West this year. It would be easier for them to both make the playoffs because they would play those 4 crappy teams more often due to the unbalanced schedule.

[andyfox]

He said it would be more difficult to win your division, not to make the playoffs.

[BWebb]

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He said it would be more difficult to win your division, not to make the playoffs.

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With the wildcard, is there even a difference?

[SammyKid11]

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The Cards and Astros know that they are guaranteed to have a decent win rate against division opponents (whom they play more often) simply by virtue of not being horrible.

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It simply amazes me how prognosticators and fans alike can, year after year, treat the beloved Cubbies like a better team than the Houston Astros. EVERY year the Cubs are picked to outplay the Astros, and ALMOST every year the exact opposite happens. Obviously my 'Stros aren't as marquee a team as the Cubs...but if you're gonna make that statement about who can be assured of not being awful, you should know that in the life of the NL Central, the win totals are:
St. Louis Cardinals - 633
Houston Astros - 627
Chicago Cubs - 554

The Astros have either won or shared the division title three times (and been to the playoffs another time as a wildcard), the Cardinals have either won or shared the division title three times, and the Cubs have won ONE division title (and then only because 88 wins was good enough to take it down).

And again this season...what's happening? Cardinals leading the division. Astros leading the wildcard. Cubs on a collision course with the golf course.

STOP DEIFYING THE CUBS. STOP PUTTING THEM UP THERE WITH THE CARDINALS...OR THE ASTROS. They haven't been that caliber of franchise for a LONG time.

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Yes I would love to be a fan of a team in the NL Central where 1/6 will make the playoffs and see that the AL West has only 4 teams and 1/4 make the playoffs. It is retarded

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This is a very simplistic way of looking at it.

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It is, however, a correct way of looking at it. More teams ultimately and necessarily means it's more difficult to win your division.

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But the Cardinals get to play the truly awful teams like Pittsburgh and Cincinatti for most of their games. And you also get a decent amount against the NL West. The only real teams that you need to worry about during the season are the NL East teams.

Tell me, do you think your Cardinals have a good chance to beat Boston, New York, Chicago, Oakland, or Anaheim in a World Series? I don't. The NL is weaksauce.

[bugstud]

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The Cards and Astros know that they are guaranteed to have a decent win rate against division opponents (whom they play more often) simply by virtue of not being horrible.

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It simply amazes me how prognosticators and fans alike can, year after year, treat the beloved Cubbies like a better team than the Houston Astros. EVERY year the Cubs are picked to outplay the Astros, and ALMOST every year the exact opposite happens. Obviously my 'Stros aren't as marquee a team as the Cubs...but if you're gonna make that statement about who can be assured of not being awful, you should know that in the life of the NL Central, the win totals are:
St. Louis Cardinals - 633
Houston Astros - 627
Chicago Cubs - 554

The Astros have either won or shared the division title three times (and been to the playoffs another time as a wildcard), the Cardinals have either won or shared the division title three times, and the Cubs have won ONE division title (and then only because 88 wins was good enough to take it down).

And again this season...what's happening? Cardinals leading the division. Astros leading the wildcard. Cubs on a collision course with the golf course.

STOP DEIFYING THE CUBS. STOP PUTTING THEM UP THERE WITH THE CARDINALS...OR THE ASTROS. They haven't been that caliber of franchise for a LONG time.

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ok. nice not including the Cubs other wildcard postseason visit fwiw. I'll be willing to bet you the Cubs have a better record than the Stros at the end of year.

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I'll be willing to bet you the Cubs have a better record than the Stros at the end of year.

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I'm interested. What kind of odds are you offering? How about 1:1?

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I'll be willing to bet you the Cubs have a better record than the Stros at the end of year.

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I propose these betting terms:

We wager $50.

If the Cubs have a better record than the Astros at the end of the regular season, I pay you $50.

If the Astros have a better record than the Cubs at the end of the regular season, you pay me $50.

If they have the same record at the end of the regular season, but neither is in playoff contention, we push. Neither of us owes the other anything.

If they have the same record at the end of the season and there must be a one-game playoff to determine who gets the wildcard: if the Cubs win the game, I pay you $50, and if the Astros win, you pay me $50.

Scoot

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I'll be willing to bet you the Cubs have a better record than the Stros at the end of year.

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Oh I want a piece of this too.

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I'll be willing to bet you the Cubs have a better record than the Stros at the end of year.

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Oh I want a piece of this too.

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Me first. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]