Game Thread Twins @ Cardinals Doubleheader First Game @ 2:15 PM CST

[ashbury]

CRUZ !!!!

[USAFChief]

 

Another absurdity, the Astros are currently 21-21 and they’re a 6 seed, ahead of the 27-17 twins

Another absurdity, the 1987 World Champion Twins finished the regular season with the 5th best record in the AL, but were one of two teams to make the post season.

 

I bet I can find lots of examples. There's nothing more absurd about this year than most.

[Aggies7]

Royals two outs away from a win but the tying run is up

[ashbury]

Poppen made sure that run scored and charged to Alcala.

Nefarious, that one.

 

[twinbythebay]

 

Yes but the 1st AND 2nd place teams in each division automatically make it and automatically get a higher seed than a team who finishes third in one division but might have a better record than one of the 2nd place finishers. In this case, the second place team in the east (Toronto) and in the West (Houston) have significantly worse records than the currently third place twins. The twins would be punished for playing in the best division in baseball. I’d much rather be in the 4th of 5th place spot than in 7th, having to play the 2nd best division winner

Yeah, it's a crappy situation, but this is a potential problem with the playoffs even in normal years. We often see Wild Card teams that finish with better records than a division winner, and they're forced to play in that play-in game. Honestly, I think the seeding matters much less than normal this season since there's no first round bye to play for. I wish they had figured out a way to somehow reward division winners more.

[MNT1996]

Well Dobnak failed the boys today. 2 day break will be nice for them to rest up for a huge series

[Aggies7]

Another absurdity, the 1987 World Champion Twins finished the regular season with the 5th best record in the AL, but were one of two teams to make the post season.

 

I bet I can find lots of examples. There's nothing more absurd about this year than most.

That is true, but back in the days of two divisions of 7 teams, I have much less of a problem with a division winner having a weaker record. Now you can finish 2nd in a 4 or 5 team division and get placed ahead of a team ten games better? That’s crazy.

[Aggies7]

Royals win. Twins remain a half game back of Cleveland

[Aggies7]

Yeah, it's a crappy situation, but this is a potential problem with the playoffs even in normal years. We often see Wild Card teams that finish with better records than a division winner, and they're forced to play in that play-in game. Honestly, I think the seeding matters much less than normal this season since there's no first round bye to play for. I wish they had figured out a way to somehow reward division winners more.

Should have been, 3 division winners and 5 remaining best teams. Anything other than that was overthinking.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Mmmm... game over.

 

And i suppose it could be worse.

 

Some solice in being our own worst enemy...

[a-wan]

The Cruz HR killed the rally. 

[Danchat]

 

Another absurdity, the 1987 World Champion Twins finished the regular season with the 5th best record in the AL, but were one of two teams to make the post season.

 

I bet I can find lots of examples. There's nothing more absurd about this year than most.

Well, you learn something new every day - I had no idea only 4 teams went to the playoffs back then. That's really lame!

[Aggies7]

Well, you learn one thing every day - I had no idea only 4 teams went to the playoffs back then. That's really lame!

Or how about the days when chief was a young man and only the first place team went to the World Series?

[USAFChief]

 

Should have been, 3 division winners and 5 remaining best teams. Anything other than that was overthinking.

Currently, that'd be the same 8 teams in the AL. 

[jun]

I am getting tired of seeing Cave, Adrianza, Gonzalez and Poppen in Twins' uniform.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Should have been, 3 division winners and 5 remaining best teams. Anything other than that was overthinking.

I think i'm okay with how it is...

 

I wouldn't want a division that had a zero win team in it overly rewarded for that team's complete noncompetitiveness.

[Aggies7]

Currently, that'd be the same 8 teams in the AL.

 

Yes, but I’m talking seeding purposes. Unless I’m just completely wrong in my understand of how it’s going to go, you have an infinitely more difficult time advancing through the rounds if you’re seeded 7th...right now the twins are two games worse than the one seed, but I think 4 or 5 games up on the 8th team

[Otto von Ballpark]

Should have been, 3 division winners and 5 remaining best teams. Anything other than that was overthinking.

With 8 teams qualifying, I think they wanted to prevent teams from coasting in the middle of that group. So now we get teams fighting for the division, teams fighting for 2nd place, and teams just trying to qualify.

 

And the Twins are hardly being persecuted by this setup. We knew the rules, and we’ve had plenty of opportunities to pick up additional wins and we still have more opportunities head to head with Cleveland and Chicago.

[Aggies7]

With 8 teams qualifying, I think they wanted to prevent teams from coasting in the middle of that group. So now we get teams fighting for the division, teams fighting for 2nd place, and teams just trying to qualify.

And the Twins are hardly being persecuted by this setup. We knew the rules, and we’ve had plenty of opportunities to pick up additional wins and we still have more opportunities head to head with Cleveland and Chicago.

I’m not crying shout it, I’m just pointing out that there will almost definitely be a third place team from the Central with a better record than perhaps half the qualifying teams and they will be seeded 7th

[stringer bell]

Well, the Twins return home a half game closer to both Cleveland and Chicago. Royals and Pirates both rally for late-game wins.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I’m not crying shout it, I’m just pointing out that there will almost definitely be a third place team from the Central with a better record than perhaps half the qualifying teams and they will be seeded 7th

And I’m pointing out that team knows of this possibility in advance and has an opportunity to avoid that outcome through their own play.