Shiat! Win 106 and you're in the Wild Card game.

[LafayetteBear]

Gotta hand it to the Giants for winning 107, but this sucks ballz. This Dodgers fan is already assuming the Boys in Blue will lose to the Cards in this single game elimination fiasco they call the Wild Card game. Wainwright is money in big games, and the Cards just recently reeled off 17 straight.

Yanks-Bosox in the AL Wild Card game is pretty epic, but I loathe these single game eliminations. Otherwise, I look forward to the MLB playoffs. If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

 

[SLUPSU]

Gotta hand it to the Giants for winning 107, but this sucks ballz. This Dodgers fan is already assuming the Boys in Blue will lose to the Cards in this single game elimination fiasco they call the Wild Card game. Wainwrigght is money in big games, and the Cards just recently reeled off 17 straight.

Yanks-Bosox in the AL Wild Card game is pretty epic, but I loathe these single game eliminations. Otherwise, I look forward to the MLB playoffs. If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

You worry about Wainright and I worry about Scherzer, he's been dominant since he's been a Dodger.

Let's go Cardinals!!!

 

[bcspsu]

Gotta hand it to the Giants for winning 107, but this sucks ballz. This Dodgers fan is already assuming the Boys in Blue will lose to the Cards in this single game elimination fiasco they call the Wild Card game. Wainwrigght is money in big games, and the Cards just recently reeled off 17 straight.

Yanks-Bosox in the AL Wild Card game is pretty epic, but I loathe these single game eliminations. Otherwise, I look forward to the MLB playoffs. If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

These wild card games easily could be expanded into 3-game series. Considering that 4 of the big boys are playing in these games this season and two of them are going home after one game, maybe things will change.

 

[BW Lion]

It's called inflation....106 games doesn't get you as much as a few years ago...

 

[MJG-90]

That happened to the Bucs last time they made the wild card game. Had MLBs second best record behind the Cardinals. Then lost to the Cubs (who had the third best record) and Jake Arrieta (Cy Young winner) in the one game playoff. I hate the system. I think a best of three all at the higher seed’s park is more fair.

 

[Obliviax]

These wild card games easily could be expanded into 3-game series. Considering that 4 of the big boys are playing in these games this season and two of them are going home after one game, maybe things will change.

Agreed. there is so much luck involved with baseball that a single-game elimination is absurd. A blop single or throwing error is separating four teams in the playoffs (RS, Yankees, mariners, blue jays) over 162 games.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

Personally, I'll watch the games out of interest, but when the Phils are not in the playoffs, I don't have much of a preference for who wins the Wild Card game (which I agree is a terrible way to decide anything in baseball) or most of the other series. If I do have any preferences, it's more along the lines of rooting against a team that I dislike. If the Mets were in the playoffs, or the Nationals were in the playoffs, I would root against them regardless of who they were playing. In the Dodgers-Cardinals Wild Card game, I'm not a big fan of either organization, so I'm pretty neutral on the game. My dislike for the Cards is probably not quite as high as my dislike for the Dodgers, but it's a pretty small degree of difference. And the winner has to play the Giants, who I'm not a great fan of either, so I really have no preference in that part of the bracket.

I'm not a big fan of the Brewers, but my dislike for the Braves is much greater, so I will root for the Brewers in that series.

The AL matchups are more intriguing to me, perhaps in part because the Phils are part of the NL, so I don't have a lot of rivalry or other type of feelings against those teams. The Red Sox-Yankees Wild Card is crazy. Those two teams, and their fan bases, despise each other, and it all comes down to one game. The winner of that game plays the Rays. I respect the Rays, as they've been able over the years to put together teams that could compete with and even beat the teams assembled with all the money that the Red Sox and the Yankees have. As such, I'll probably root for the Rays in that series. The other matchup is the White Sox-Astros. I'll probably root for the Sox, in part because they haven't had a lot of success over the years.

MLB playoff games are always fascinating, especially with the way every move, every pitch, etc. can be discussed, debated, argued about for decades after the fact.

 

[bcspsu]

Agreed. there is so much luck involved with baseball that a single-game elimination is absurd. A blop single or throwing error is separating four teams in the playoffs (RS, Yankees, mariners, blue jays) over 162 games.

One of the wild card games isn't even until Wednesday. There's no reason why they can't be made into 3 game series, starting on Monday.

 

[Obliviax]

Personally, I'll watch the games out of interest, but when the Phils are not in the playoffs, I don't have much of a preference for who wins the Wild Card game (which I agree is a terrible way to decide anything in baseball). If I do have any preferences, it's more along the lines of rooting against a team that I dislike. If the Mets were in the playoffs, or the Nationals were in the playoffs, I would root against them regardless of who they were playing. In the Dodgers-Cardinals Wild Card game, I'm not a big fan of either organization, so I'm pretty neutral on the game. My dislike for the Cards is probably not quite as high as my dislike for the Dodgers, but it's a pretty small degree of difference. And the winner has to play the Giants, who I'm not a great fan of either, so I really have no preference in that part of the bracket.

I'm not a big fan of the Brewers, but my dislike for the Braves is much greater, so I will root for the Brewers in that series.

The AL matchups are more intriguing to me, perhaps in part because the Phils are part of the NL, so I don't have a lot of rivalry or other type of feelings against those teams. The Red Sox-Yankees Wild Card is crazy. Those two teams, and their fan bases, despise each other, and it all comes down to one game. The winner of that game plays the Rays. I respect the Rays, as they've been able over the years to put together teams that could compete with and even beat the money that the Red Sox and the Yankees have. As such, I'll probably root for the Rays in that series. The other matchup is the White Sox-Astros. I'll probably root for the Sox, in part because they haven't had a lot of success over the years.

MLB playoff games are always fascinating, especially with the way every move, every pitch, etc. can be discussed, debated, argued about for decades after the fact.

Agreed. Football and hockey are games of, primarily, excitement. Baseball is drama. Each pitch, the ball/strike count and the suddenness of the game is amazing. The balance. A challenge for me is that if it is any team other than the Pirates or Indians Guardians, I root for the underdog. When teams like LA, NY and Boston have so much more money to play with, it is very difficult. It is also hard to root for SFO because that area has enjoyed so much sports success (even though they are lousy sports fans).

 

[Aardvark86]

Gotta hand it to the Giants for winning 107, but this sucks ballz. This Dodgers fan is already assuming the Boys in Blue will lose to the Cards in this single game elimination fiasco they call the Wild Card game. Wainwrigght is money in big games, and the Cards just recently reeled off 17 straight.

Yanks-Bosox in the AL Wild Card game is pretty epic, but I loathe these single game eliminations. Otherwise, I look forward to the MLB playoffs. If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

...and, if you win the wild card, you get to play the team that won 107!

Agree that single games are stupid - entirely against the long haul/statistical nature of the game, much like the change in officiating standards during the stanley cup is inconsistent with how you build a regular season roster. I suppose i am cheering for the dodgers on this one given my uncle's history with them, and the fact that i generally view giants fans as basically like breast implants.

 

[ericstratton-rushchairman]

They really need to figure out how to make WC a 3 game series at site of higher rated team, then go 5 games for AL/NLDS and the 7 games for AL/NLCS, WS.

Now, I was in the 8th grade in 1978 when the Sox blew a 14 game lead mid summer to eventually having to win last 8 in a row to force one game playoff in Boston (in Fenway cause Sox won coin flip). Football practice ended early so we could all watch game together in school cafeteria on a b&w TV.

Bucky Dent (forever known in Boston as BFD) hit a 3 run pop-up hr over the green monster to propel NYY to win (they eventually won WS).

Not sure which was more gut-wrenching, the BFD game of game 6 of '86 series

 

[LafayetteBear]

i am cheering for the dodgers on this one given my uncle's history with them, and the fact that i generally view giants fans as basically like breast implants.

It is also hard to root for SFO because that area has enjoyed so much sports success (even though they are lousy sports fans).

I'm wondering where the inclination to diss Giants fans comes from. Although I'm a Dodgers fan, I have to admit that the Giants have no shortage of hard core fans. They sold out a whole lot of games for YEARS, and it took the Pandemic to put a real dent in their attendance numbers.

I just got back from touring some East Coast ballparks (Citizens Bank Ballpark, the Link, and Oriole Field at Camden Yards). I liked ALL of them (especially Camden Yards) and the Pirates' home field as well, but the Giants' ballpark is, IMHO, the best. It's hard to beat a place that has San Francisco Bay as a backdrop, McCovey Cove as a potential destination for home runs, and a street address of 24 Willie Mays Plaza. I just wish they wouldn't keep changing the name of the place. (For those of you keeping track at home, it's now called Oracle Park.)

 

[Obliviax]

I'm wondering where the inclination to diss Giants fans comes from. Although I'm a Dodgers fan, I have to admit that the Giants have no shortage of hard core fans. They sold out a whole lot of games for YEARS, and it took the Pandemic to put a real dent in their attendance numbers.

I just got back from touring some East Coast ballparks (Citizens Bank Ballpark, the Link, and Oriole Field at Camden Yards). I liked ALL of them (especially Camden Yards) and the Pirates' home field as well, but the Giants' ballpark is, IMHO, the best. It's hard to beat a place that has San Francisco Bay as a backdrop, McCovey Cove as a potential destination for home runs, and a street address of 24 Willie Mays Plaza. I just wish they wouldn't keep changing the name of the place. (For those of you keeping track at home, it's now called Oracle Park.)

I agree, that stadium and stadium experience is great. But that area is about 8million peeps. Compare that to stadiums that draw pretty well with MUCH less people like CLE (500k) or St. Louis (400k). They've won several world series and been competitive. If they put up the w/l numbers of the mets, pirates, or Indians Guardians you'd see a LOT of empty seats.

 

[Lion84]

As a Cubs fan all I can say is go Dodgers!

 

[PSUTENN1]

What an unbelievable division!!!

Great baseball!!!!

Gotta hand it to the Giants for winning 107, but this sucks ballz. This Dodgers fan is already assuming the Boys in Blue will lose to the Cards in this single game elimination fiasco they call the Wild Card game. Wainwright is money in big games, and the Cards just recently reeled off 17 straight.

Yanks-Bosox in the AL Wild Card game is pretty epic, but I loathe these single game eliminations. Otherwise, I look forward to the MLB playoffs. If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

 

[Aardvark86]

They're just weiners.

 

[PSU Soupy]

Crazy that the regular season is so long and if you lose 1 game you are out.

 

[bkmtnittany1]

They really need to figure out how to make WC a 3 game series at site of higher rated team, then go 5 games for AL/NLDS and the 7 games for AL/NLCS, WS.

Now, I was in the 8th grade in 1978 when the Sox blew a 14 game lead mid summer to eventually having to win last 8 in a row to force one game playoff in Boston (in Fenway cause Sox won coin flip). Football practice ended early so we could all watch game together in school cafeteria on a b&w TV.

Bucky Dent (forever known in Boston as BFD) hit a 3 run pop-up hr over the green monster to propel NYY to win (they eventually won WS).

Not sure which was more gut-wrenching, the BFD game of game 6 of '86 series

Don't forget Aaron ****ing Boone...that one hurt a ton. '86 was the worst for me. But, 2004 was THE BEST! In April of this year I thought the Bosox would win 83-85 games at best. Thought they would only beat the O's in the division. Amazing that they are in this one game deal. But, after 2004, I can't get hurt anymore!

 

[RGWhirly]

Not a baseball fan, however think wild card games should be a best of three series.

 

[Connorpozlee]

It wasn’t that long ago that those 106 wins wouldn’t have gotten you any playoff games. I have no problem with it.

 

[LionJim]

It wasn’t that line ago that those 106 wins wouldn’t have gotten you any playoff games. I have no problem with it.

The 2019 Washington Nationals finished 2nd in the NL East and ended up winning it all. On April 1 everyone knew what the setup was. It’s like complaining about the offsides rule in soccer in the middle of a game.

 

[bvillebaron]

Gotta hand it to the Giants for winning 107, but this sucks ballz. This Dodgers fan is already assuming the Boys in Blue will lose to the Cards in this single game elimination fiasco they call the Wild Card game. Wainwright is money in big games, and the Cards just recently reeled off 17 straight.

Yanks-Bosox in the AL Wild Card game is pretty epic, but I loathe these single game eliminations. Otherwise, I look forward to the MLB playoffs. If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

Well it’s better than not making the playoffs. If I recall correctly before Braves were switched to the NL East they won the NL West one year and the Giants who finished second with over 100 wins went home.

 

[bvillebaron]

Agreed. there is so much luck involved with baseball that a single-game elimination is absurd. A blop single or throwing error is separating four teams in the playoffs (RS, Yankees, mariners, blue jays) over 162 games.

Fair point but like it or not MLB views the 1 game wild card as an incentive to win your division. At least the Wild Card teams all have a chance.

 

[bvillebaron]

Personally, I'll watch the games out of interest, but when the Phils are not in the playoffs, I don't have much of a preference for who wins the Wild Card game (which I agree is a terrible way to decide anything in baseball) or most of the other series. If I do have any preferences, it's more along the lines of rooting against a team that I dislike. If the Mets were in the playoffs, or the Nationals were in the playoffs, I would root against them regardless of who they were playing. In the Dodgers-Cardinals Wild Card game, I'm not a big fan of either organization, so I'm pretty neutral on the game. My dislike for the Cards is probably not quite as high as my dislike for the Dodgers, but it's a pretty small degree of difference. And the winner has to play the Giants, who I'm not a great fan of either, so I really have no preference in that part of the bracket.

I'm not a big fan of the Brewers, but my dislike for the Braves is much greater, so I will root for the Brewers in that series.

The AL matchups are more intriguing to me, perhaps in part because the Phils are part of the NL, so I don't have a lot of rivalry or other type of feelings against those teams. The Red Sox-Yankees Wild Card is crazy. Those two teams, and their fan bases, despise each other, and it all comes down to one game. The winner of that game plays the Rays. I respect the Rays, as they've been able over the years to put together teams that could compete with and even beat the teams assembled with all the money that the Red Sox and the Yankees have. As such, I'll probably root for the Rays in that series. The other matchup is the White Sox-Astros. I'll probably root for the Sox, in part because they haven't had a lot of success over the years.

MLB playoff games are always fascinating, especially with the way every move, every pitch, etc. can be discussed, debated, argued about for decades after the fact.

And why exactly do you dislike the Braves? Because of their success I guess. The Phillies and Mets to a lesser extent had every opportunity to win the division this season. In fact, many experts were claiming they should toss in the towel after they lost Acuna right before the All Star break. IMO the Braves showed resiliency in the face of much adversity this season.

 

[LafayetteBear]

Don't forget Aaron ****ing Boone...that one hurt a ton. '86 was the worst for me. But, 2004 was THE BEST! In April of this year I thought the Bosox would win 83-85 games at best. Thought they would only beat the O's in the division. Amazing that they are in this one game deal. But, after 2004, I can't get hurt anymore!

Do you remember the headlines in the New York Post the day after the Bosox completed their four game comeback? They ran alternate editions. One had the headline "Tankees" and the other had the headline "Dive Bombers." ROFL. The Post is just brutal.

 

[nits74]

The Post is a rag.

 

[BUCKSCOUNTYLION]

Gotta hand it to the Giants for winning 107, but this sucks ballz. This Dodgers fan is already assuming the Boys in Blue will lose to the Cards in this single game elimination fiasco they call the Wild Card game. Wainwright is money in big games, and the Cards just recently reeled off 17 straight.

Yanks-Bosox in the AL Wild Card game is pretty epic, but I loathe these single game eliminations. Otherwise, I look forward to the MLB playoffs. If you're a fan of the Phils or Buccos, who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

They should have stuck with last year's format...more $$$...more fanbases engaged....best of 3...winners go to a best of 5 LDS

The best of 3's would have looked like this

1 Giants vs 8 Padres
2 Brewers vs 7 Phillies
3 Brewers vs 6 Reds
4 Dodgers vs 5 Braves

1 Rays vs 8 A's
2 Astros vs 7 Mariners
3 White Sox vs 6 Blue Jays
4 Red Sox vs 5 Yankees

 

[AvgUser]

They should have stuck with last year's format...more $$$...more fanbases engaged....best of 3...winners go to a best of 5 LDS

The best of 3's would have looked like this

1 Giants vs 8 Padres
2 Brewers vs 7 Phillies
3 Brewers vs 6 Reds
4 Dodgers vs 5 Braves

1 Rays vs 8 A's
2 Astros vs 7 Mariners
3 White Sox vs 6 Blue Jays
4 Red Sox vs 5 Yankees

That’s not fair to make the Brewers play split-squad games 😁