Mike Sixel

the thought that violence is the answer to a problem that doesn't actually exist is a huge problem in the world. Huge. I weep that anyone thinks this is a good idea. UFC, boxing, MA.....those are professional fights. That's their purpose. How is that the same thing at all?

I don't get how baseball is a child's game in the first place. That sounds like some kind of romantic statement that only a few really believe if they think about it. It is a profession, a really hard profession.

A: Not even close to the same thing. If my coworker celebrated his better presentation by high fiving someone, whatever. I might be annoyed for like 5 seconds. B: I don't react to things that "upset" me with violence.

this, 100% this. Who cares? It is only an insult if you decide to allow yourself to be bothered......so childish. It literally hurts no one to celebrate a HR.

this is either identical for me, or I move Sano into ROY. Especially the improved part, this is what Escobar did last year, pretty much. What changed is that the Twins brass finally figured that out..... And no way Hunter is more valuable to this roster than Escobar, imo.

That's a bizarre policy. Might explain how they lost money on beer sales......

Pathetic.

So basically, in an entertainment business......it makes sense to keep more fans entertained. Not the hard core, the fans that only sort of like baseball, or the excitement of sports in their city when things are going well. I don't get why that it's so bad. It is entertainment, with no real meaning.

Ouch. Not good. Love the numbers, thanks

Here is my complex proposal (I realize logistically, this is impossible to pull off). Also, yes, 2 AL teams could play for the playoff championship this way. Also, you need to cut 1-2 weeks off the regular season for this to work...... All 30 teams make the playoffs. Round 1: The 10 worst teams in each league do a 1 game playoff. That gets you to 10 teams remaining. Round 2 (one off day for travel after round 1, games played on back to back days, better team chooses what city they play in first): The winners and the next 3 teams in each league play a 2 game series……if the better team in the regular season wins one game, the series is over. The worse team needs to win twice. That leaves 6 teams in each league remaining. Round 3 (one off day for travel after round 2, 2/2/1 for home games): The remaining 6 teams play a 5 game playoff. Each league sends 3 teams to the WS playoffs. Round 4: The 4 lowest seed teams play a 5 game series (AL2 vs NL3, NL 2 vs AL 3) Round 5: The remaining 4 teams play a 5 game series (AL1 vs NL2, NL1vsAL2) Round 6: The remaining 2 teams play a 7 game series. this greatly increases the rewards for better records after 162 games, gives EVERY fan something to look forward to, and gives sports radio a chance to be amazed that a number 13 seed is still playing (and everyone a chance to talk about "fairness"). The only real issues are logistics, but someone who wants to could figure out a pretty set schedule for this..... like.....rounds 1 and 2 are week 1, every other round is a week also. Post season is now 5 weeks long, with set days to start and end each round.

Thanks, I love actual data to make a point. I wonder how much strikeout rate matters.....is Plouffe generally a GB hitter, or does it spike with a guy on?

If Plouffe hit where Dozier hits in the order, he'd have a lot less double plays.......it is largely a function of the fact he bats with guys on base, and he hits the ball hard (and he's slow).

And there are thunderstorms in the summer, and earthquakes in CA, and hurricanes on the east coast......and it isn't really colder here than Chicago, Detroit, NY, Boston in October/November, not in a way that matters for sports. I remember Halloween very well, first date with my future wife!

Correct, it is about predictability for everyone involved, not just tv.

How do they not deserve to be in? Remember all those years the AL East 2nd and 3rd place teams won more games than the AL West and AL Central division winner? Was that "fair" to them? Frankly, all 30 teams should be in the 2nd season, imo. With lots of byes and short series to start. That would be exciting and entertaining for EVERY market.

My favorite line, John: (And realistically, it was the closest they had been since the decision to start a guy who hadn't thrown a pitch in a game since August 9th.) If only Berrios was allowed to play.....and Duffey's innings limit? Ugh. But, I guess expecting the Twins to realize that the myth of innings limits is true is expecting too much. that said, at some point, Hughes has to come back into the rotation, doesn't he? Let's see.... Milone, Pelfrey, Gibson, Duffey are all available for the playoffs, and Santana can pitch in the regular season. Nope, Hughes could (should?) move to the bullpen. That would probably make them a better team this year, given where Hughes is health wise, imo.

How does it cheapen the game, and ruin the integrity? It is entertainment, there is no "integrity" of the game when it comes to saying who is the best. Really, the playoffs as a whole are a silly way to crown a champion. There is no way to agree on what the "best" team is. There are hundreds of articles on line about figuring out the "best" at something, in sports, in chess, in pinewood derbies. Is it the team that does the best game after game? The team that is the "best" in some kind of playoff where only some of the teams get to play? The team that finished with a better record than a division winner, but is excluded because their division had an even better team? Really, if you have some kind of belief that there is a "best" team.....that probably isn't a real thing. edit: as for the current playoffs, I like the 1 game deal. It gives some more good teams a chance, but makes winning a division more valuable than being the 2nd or 3rd best team in a division.

We can't talk position because what? And are those MLB numbers compared to AA numbers?

Dreamer.......

Except he is a human being.....not someone that should be treated like a robot.

We were ready, the Vikings were not.

Kepler is the correct choice, imo. Great, great season by him. that does not discount anyone else's season, btw, many of them had good to great seasons.

At least they won.

why does anyone respond to the Mauer parts? Ignore them......you'll be happier. As for their predicament, it was 100% foreseeable at the beginning of the year......and it is again this year. Hopefully something is done about it this off season, or it could get really ugly next year.

One of the articles I linked talks about why command and control are not on the same scale. Also, see the web for the distinction between accuracy and precision, as pointed out above. They just aren't the same thing, even though we sometimes think they are.