pebadger

For people of my age group who grew up with Saturday morning TV, the next installment in this thread pretty much posts itself. Home Field Magic Number: 8.

Nobody is disputing any win is better than any loss. I just don't understand the fear of playing some teams. Just win.

But I WANT to see the Brewers beat the Phils. I want to see the Brewers beat the Yankees. Mostly I want to see them win no matter who they play or when they play them, but given my druthers I want them to do it beating those teams. I went to the World Track and Field Championships about 10 years ago in Canada. I didn't go there hoping the guys I was cheering for won metals because the other guys false started. Yeah, it's not quite the same situation, but it's kind of the same sentiment.

May as well keep tracking this too: Magic Number to clinch the #2 seed is now 9.

Heath Bell killing me, but thanks to the home plate ump in ringing up Overbay.

It's the thought that counts.

The only intermediate step that makes some sort of difference to me is winning the NL pennant, because it is the NL teams against which the Brewers competed to make it to the playoffs in the first place.

Well, it's a waning gibbous moon. That and they got to face Bronson Arroyo yesterday.

Phils hold on to 3-2 thru 7.5. Thanks for making it interesting though.

Fire up the Google image finder . . .

Yo was great when I saw him on Sunday. Tonight he's better (even adjusting for opposition just a tad).

I think the Phils care about winning once they get to October. That's why he's in there.

Phils had chance to blow it open but failed to land a haymaker. Phils up 2-0 end of 4.

Of course I'd rather the Brewers win. But once they lose, if they lose, I don't see how them losing later than someone else makes much difference in terms of evaluating the season, especially when the order of play is somewhat arbitrary. It's just wierd to me how some will put a lot of stock in ideas such as "true talent" and other objective measures of how "good" a team is on one hand, and then at the same time judge the degree of success of a season based on the rather arbitrary vagaries of a post-season construct in any terms other than simply winning the tournament. I prefer not to worry about the opponent and focus on my team. If they play better than the other guy, they win. If not, they weren't good enough. To the extent that they can control who their opponent is by winning games that determine the tournament setup, great. Otherwise, just play who you play and not worry about it. It just seems to me to foster a poor attitude by worrying more about who you face than determining that you will beat your opponent no matter who that is. For fans it doesn't matter. I guess growing up around coaches with that mindset has me wired to see it the way I do. My town has a very good HS football program. I'm very confident that when they won the state championship a few years ago the last three teams that they beat on the way to Madison all would have won the game in Madison if they had had that chance. I don't think it made their seasons any less simply because they were second, third and fourth in line to be beaten by a dominant state championship team.

That's not what I said at all. I want the Brewers to win. I don't care who they play. I'll be happy with whoever they play. The Brewers season is a success in my eyes as soon as they clinch a playoff spot. The Brewers don't become automatically more successful in my mind just because, for example, they win the NLDS and then lose in the NLCS. If the Brewers go to the WS by beating the Phils in 5 and then the D-Backs in 6 does the make the D-Backs season any better than the Phils, simply because of the somewhat arbitrary order in which they lost to the Brewers? What I don't understand is people actively hoping that the Brewers avoid teams, as if they are afraid. If they play the Phils in the first round and lose a hard-fought series I can live with that. Once they reach the playoffs all outcomes short of winning the WS are pretty much the same to me. What I want to see is good baseball, win or lose.

So as long as the Brewers win we want them to face the worst possible opponents? Given that, I should be hoping that all possible opponents are stricken by long-lasting flu-lke virus which leaves them no worse for wear by mid-November?

I don't think hosting matters in terms of the gate revenues. IIRC, the only thing that matters is the sheer number of games played in terms of gate revenues. Gate revenues for a series are split between both teams after taking a significant portion off the top the goes to MLB and the player pool. I'm pretty sure that the MLB/player pool is only based off of revenues for the first 3/4games depending on whether it's a 5 or 7 game series. More games, more revenues to get split up, but location of the games is irrelevant. In fact, from the standpoint of only those particular monies (and ignoring the ancillary effects such as excitement generated for next season resulting in more seaons tix sold), it works out best for everyone if the series goes the distance and the majority of games are played in the biggest possible park.

I'm not saying a WS win is the only measure of success. On the other hand, to use a different sports situation, people make a big deal out of a college basketball team making the Sweet 16. But is making the Sweet 16 and losing really that much different in terms of "success" than is losing in the second round? What if you make the Sweet 16 in large part because some other team did most of the heavy lifting for you in upsetting the best team in your pod? How does that make your tournament any more successful than that of the team that knocked off Duke for you? Because you won one more game before losing? I'll be very excited no matter what the Brewers do. But I don't understand the fear some have of playing the Phils. To me you prove you are the best by beating the best. So, if the Brewers make the WS, would most prefer to face the worst possible opponent?

This is probably more about psychology than baseball but it's interesting to me anyway. At the risk of jinxing this (which I don't really believe in but giving the disclaimer to be inclusive to people of that faith) . . . It seems like people are concerned about who the Brewers face in the NLDS. Frankly I don't care. It would be preferable if they had home-field for Game 5 which, in practice this season means they wouldn't face the Phillies, but I think most reasonable folks would have that preference regardless of the potential opponents. I guess my question is: Why should it matter? I understand that some folks like the idea of "going farther" in the playoffs and for that reason would like a "favorable" first round matchup so as to have a better chance at making the NLCS. For me the goal is simple: watch the Brewers win the World Series. Anything short of that just means they lost at some point. I don't see that it matters where they lose when they lose. They lost. You can take some consolation in your team playing well, especially if they lose to a great team that is just better than them, but they still lost. I can appreciate that there is some utility to the fan in the Brewers simply getting to the NLCS: we get to watch at least 4 more games. But would it make anyone any happier if the Brewers beat the Braves 3-1 only to get beat by the D-Backs in 5 or 6 games? To me they still got beat. If we change the hypothetical a bit, why should it make any difference if they beat the Braves and then lose to the Phils? Short of the Brewers winning it all is the payoff to the fan that much greater just getting to see a few more games over the span of a few more days? I understand that this answer varies greatly from person to person and there isn't a "right answer". In any event, for those who like the numbers, isn't the Brewers best chance of beating the Phils a 5-game series? Assuming that's correct (and maybe it's not), and assuming the Brewers will have a better chance in a 7-game series against any other opponent than they would against the Phils, isn't it better to just beat the Phils right away and get it over with, from a probability standpoint?

Well, I can go to my football game now. RR has this under control. . Arroyo is a godsend for this offense.

Cards score 1 in Top of 2, lead 1-0.

Prince didn't even hit that on the sweet spot. Darned near trademarked it and it still went out. That's why it sounded funny. Strong, strong man.

Did that sound funny coming off the bat?

Well, if you're going to try to "sell" the NL playoffs what are your story lines? The Phillies are clearly the team to beat. What the networks need is a compelling opponent for the Phils who people believe just might have a chance. The defending champion Giants are gone. Atlanta has been scuffling a bit lately and it is a terrible sports market and won't see the Phils until the NLCS if at all. The D-Backs have been playing well, but they probably have a smaller following than the Brewers and are largely anonymous other than Upton. The Brewers have great players in Braun and Fielder, a character in Morgan and pitching that gives them a chance. Brewers vs Phillies is really the only shot the networks have at any sort of compelling NL playoff series from a national TV perspective. A Brewer/Phils series could end up being lots of things (or at least it's easy to sell it as such): both teams can pitch, both teams have star offensive players who are known quantities. In terms of expectations, it's really the only series that gives "neutral" fans much a buzz before the series starts. Other potential series might grow on fans after they start, but Brewers/Phils can be hyped.

Prince made his statement in the context of a longer-form sit-down talk with BA. That is the kind of media interaction he rarely does. From my perspective, if he wasn't going to be a bit more open than he usually is then the whole enterprise was pointless. A sit-down talk is a lot different than the short give-and-take stuff that goes on in the clubhouse every day and night. He didn't say he hated Milwaukee. He didn't say he was gone for sure. He said "probably". In a lot of ways it sounds like he was sort of reminiscing about the good times he has had here with Braun. The underlying sentiment is that he really hopes he can go out, if he does go out, on a high note. Everybody in that clubhouse knows the score. He didn't say a single thing to change that. Maybe some people outside the clubhouse had their sensibilities ruffled a bit, but from the perspective of the clubhouse right now, who cares? So yeah, maybe Prince never should have agreed to the interview. But if that's the case, and he leaves Milwaukee, you never ever get that interview. He's certainly not giving a long-form sit-down interview during the postseason. So what do you want, Brewer fans? Do you want to hear from Prince now, or never (or at least until he's long gone)?