|
|
|
|
Baseball Primer Newsblog— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Theo Epstein on the practical implications of the playoffs being closer to a crapshoot than the regular season:
“In our mission statement, part of it is we want to operate with a long-term view to put ourselves in a position to win 95 games and get in the playoffs as often as we possibly can. Now we’ve done it six out of seven years. Part of the thinking is that if you make the postseason multiple times, you improve your chances of making the World Series. Theoretically, if you’re in eight times, you’ll win one World Series. Well, we’ve been in five times. This is our sixth time in. The first five times in, we won two World Series. I’m not going to [complain] about that.
“I don’t believe in building a team with the season goal of winning the World Series, and the next year you look up, you’re old all of a sudden, you don’t have any options. ‘Now we’re a 75-win team. Hey, we won the World Series two years ago.’ It doesn’t work that way. We want to try to always operate with the broadest possible lens, so we have a solid foundation so that every year, or just about every year, we’ll be in a position to win 95 games and get in, and then trust our players, trust our manager, trust our coaching staff, trust our advanced scouting, trust our ability to perform under pressure to go win a World Series.’’
|
Support BBTF
Thanks to
phredbird
for his generous support.
Bookmarks
You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.
Hot Topics
Newsblog: Boston.com: Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios lays off all staff (118 - 12:15am, May 26)Last: Paul D(uda)Hall of Merit: Most Meritorious Player: 1973 Discussion (15 - 12:13am, May 26)Last: DanGNewsblog: Wilmoth: Nate McLouth Designated For Assignment (11 - 12:03am, May 26)Last: The Gurus DO NOT BourbonSamuraiNewsblog: Bud Selig -- No need for more MLB replay for now - ESPN (86 - 11:59pm, May 25)Last: cardsfanboyNewsblog: The Hall of Very Good: Former Cards Slugger Critical of "LaRussa's Regime" (4 - 11:26pm, May 25)Last: cardsfanboyNewsblog: CSN to host ‘Phillies at the Beach’ on Memorial Day (18 - 11:25pm, May 25)Last: Fielder's the first baseman, Felder is the fielderHall of Merit: Most Meritorious Player: 1972 Ballot (28 - 11:25pm, May 25)Last: lieiamSox Therapy: A Winning Ballclub? (20 - 11:24pm, May 25)Last: DanNewsblog: Matschulat: Did I Miss The "Paul Konerko Is So Overrated OMG" Bandwagon? (27 - 11:16pm, May 25)Last: baudibNewsblog: TBO: Nerdy Rays head north (17 - 10:07pm, May 25)Last: PreservedFishNewsblog: Himrich’s Top Ten Target Field Foods (6 - 9:57pm, May 25)Last: Long John McCaine Mutiny on the Bounty (scott)Newsblog: T.R. Sullivan: Of Frank Robinson, Milt Pappas and Jim Palmer (6 - 9:42pm, May 25)Last: TR_SullivanNewsblog: Dodgers want to host NHL's Winter Classic (22 - 9:38pm, May 25)Last: Cris ENewsblog: Greenberg: Cubs' Ricketts decries proposal (817 - 9:08pm, May 25)Last: The Yankee ClapperNewsblog: HP: Baseball is leaving the human factor behind (55 - 8:48pm, May 25)Last: Squash
|
|
Reader Comments and Retorts
Go to end of page
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.
1. TerpNats Posted: October 11, 2009 at 12:54 AM (#3348109)Didn't think so, either.
& John Schuerholz wants his other ring.
Would he say what? Do you think Beinfest wouldn't like to build a team that has a good chance to win 95 games every year?
Presumably you're saying that winning 95 a year is an achievable goal for the Red Sox because of their resources while it isn't for the Marlins, consequently the Marlins should try to pick their spots and maximize their chance when they've got that shot. Probably both Epstein and Beinfest would agree with you and I don't see anything in what Epstein said to suggest he wouldn't.
Unless you're arguing some sort of "crapshoot" angle but the Marlins are prime evidence of the crap-shooty nature of the playoffs.
On a quibble, neither of the Marlins teams that won the WS were particularly old. Neither were 95 win juggernauts either.
And let's not belittle Epstein's goal here -- there aren't many teams that put together long stretches of 95 wins a year (or averaging 95 over a long period of time). He's not shooting for 85 wins every year and hoping to win the AL Central now and again.
Not only is Epstein aiming high, as this comment notes, he's also being realistic about his circumstances. From 1996-2009 -- the fourteen 162-game seasons in the Wild Card era -- the Yankees have averaged 97.5 wins per year.
Averages wins from 1996-2009
AL EAST
New York: 98
Boston: 90
Toronto: 81
Baltimore: 74
Tampa: 69
AL CENTRAL
Cleveland: 84
White Sox: 84
Minnesota: 82
Detroit: 71
Royals: 68
AL WEST
Angels: 86
Oakland: 85
Seattle: 83
Texas: 80
Epstein appears to be taking into consideration the strength of the AL East and accounting for the possibility of a team in another division having a particularly strong season as competition for the Wild Card (e.g., 2001 Athletics). If Epstein's goal is simply to consistently shoot for a playoff spot and take his chances from there, he's not looking for the easiest way to October play, just the most likely route. And he seems to have pegged that at about 95 wins per year.
You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.
<< Back to main