BBTF's Sox Therapy Discussion :: I want the division!

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— Where Thinking Red Sox Fans Obsess about the Sox

Monday, September 10, 2007

I want the division!

And judging from the cursing in the game threads recently, I’m not the only one who does. The division is key because it sets up home field advantage for the Sox, but there’s another reason that I want it. The division, to me, is an important achievement in its own right. The Yankees have at least tied for the AL East for the past decade, and to knock them off would be a really impressive accomplishment.

I’m not saying I want to see Papi hobbling out there on one knee, Manny rushed back, or Buchholz throwing complete games. I’m not even especially frustrated by Lugo being the DH tonight (their options were pretty limited, especially since they didn’t call up Lowrie). I’m just saying I’m really rooting for them to pull it out.

Darren Posted: September 10, 2007 at 10:35 PM | 105 comment(s)
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101. Biff, Red Sox Jinx Posted: September 17, 2007 at 12:29 AM (#2528117)

I think that Sabathia has the clear advantage and even has the whole phony baloney "team in contention" thing working.

I really don't think anyone cares about that w/r/t the Cy Young. Just the MVP.

102. Dan Posted: September 17, 2007 at 12:31 AM (#2528119)

I think it would come into play as more of a tiebreaker between a couple nearly identical candidates. For instance if Wang and Scott Kazmir had nearly identical stats, it would probably go to Wang for being on a winning team. Whereas it's more of a qualification or prerequisite for an MVP candidate.

103. Biff, Red Sox Jinx Posted: September 17, 2007 at 12:33 AM (#2528122)

For instance if Wang and Scott Kazmir had nearly identical stats, it would probably go to Wang for being on a winning team.

In the sense that he'd probably just plain have more wins because of that, sure. But I'm unconvinced that it would matter if they were both 19-8 or something. I'd be more likely to believe that it would work in the opposite direction.

104. Dan Posted: September 17, 2007 at 12:36 AM (#2528128)

I meant identical stats including record, and I still stick to my opinion that in such a case they'd go with the guy from the playoff team.

105. bunyon Posted: September 17, 2007 at 08:31 AM (#2528207)

The Sox did the minimum they needed. So did the Yanks, wrt to the Wild Card. I think both races look over. Ah, well. The last two weeks would have been more fun if either team had swept - the division race if the Yanks swept and the wild card race if the Sox had swept. As it is, we'll simply get to see these two in the playoffs. Kudos to them, though, for not playing for four hours again.

106. TomH Posted: September 18, 2007 at 01:02 PM (#2529949)

re: Cy Young - there is a bonus many voters insert for being on a playoff team. However, there can also be a reverse bonus for being on a truly lousy team; the "poor guy, he could have won 20 if he wasn't on the Pirates" vote; and after all, ithis does at elast have some common sense to it, as it's hard to rack up the "W"s on a cellar-dwellar. So, if you wind up on a non-playoff team with 83 wins, you're hosed. You don't the clutch vote OR the sob story vote.

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Monday, September 10, 2007

I want the division!

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