I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

[BGarrett7]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

The AL is still better then the NL. I don't care if the Cards did sweep the Tigers. Seriously, you guys won, so celebrate but the AL is much better then the NL.

But five years from now, who is going to actually remember how much more dominant the AL was in the ASG and Interleague play? I'm betting on far less than will remember who won the Series. Can you tell me off the top of your head who had the better Interleague play record in '97? How about '00? Hell, even '03 or '04? Now, who won the Series in those years? Which of those was easier and more common knowledge? Based on that, which one means more?

[ehh]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

Good point, BG.

Seriously, why is this even a topic of debate? Who the heck cares who the better league is? No one will remember because no one cares.

[skitch]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

I don't see how you can compare leagues by the results of ONE series. In interleague play, there are tons of series going on between the two leagues. I'd much rather take into consideration a bigger sample size to prove which league is superior.

What you're doing is comparable to a scientist conducting a study on if men are superior to women in a household, but only looking at one household. Kind of an interesting way of looking at things, but you can't make judgments off of ONE SERIES.

[BGarrett7]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

No one will remember because no one cares.

Exactly. From year to year, it doesn't matter who the better league is, because when '07 comes around, no one will even care who was more dominant. Assuming the Cards are able to hang on here, they become the team to beat next year, number one, king of the mountain, the defending champs. Will the fact that the AL was more dominant in the regular season this year even matter when pitchers and catchers report in February? Nope. So why is it even relevent now? The Tigers were the best team in the best division in the AL this year, from naerly start until finish, there's really no denying or question about it. And a beat-up, broken-down Cards team has a chance to knock them out in five games. Shouldn't that alone clue everyone into the fact that "league dominance" is nothing short of hogwash?

[jonpt]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

The AL is still better then the NL. I don't care if the Cards did sweep the Tigers. Seriously, you guys won, so celebrate but the AL is much better then the NL.

I'm ok with people saying the AL is better than the NL. But I don't think you can say they are much better. They play a completely different schedule. And to be honest St. Louis is an NL team that had a complete breakdown at the end of the year. They faced a Pedo,Floyd-less Mets team and the pitching staff had to start Reyes the 1st game of the WS. But their still up 3-1 and you still say the AL is much better than the NL. How? I know people say look at interleague play but it's not a big enough sample size for me. So many injuries change everything too. Cards were without Pujols for a month.

[skitch]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

I know people say look at interleague play but it's not a big enough sample size for me.

Wait...

So you're saying Interleague play isn't a big enough sample size... but the World Series, which is AT MOST seven games, is?

[BGarrett7]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

I don't see how you can compare leagues by the results of ONE series. In interleague play, there are tons of series going on between the two leagues. I'd much rather take into consideration a bigger sample size to prove which league is superior.

But something that isn't taken into consideration whenever the Interleague-as-litmus card is played, is that the schedule rotates from year-to-year and isn't a balanced, true representation. Until every team has at least a three-game series with every team from the opposite league, things are always going to be dependent on how the schedules fall during a given year and how those match-ups play out. The basis isn't currently which league is better in head-to-head matchups, it's which divisions in one league are better than another division in the other league. Until we can an actual balanced schedule, like the NBA, you really can't say the Series is biased for being a seven-game series without saying that Interleague play is biased, as well.

[ehh]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

I'm ok with people saying the AL is better than the NL. But I don't think you can say they are much better. They play a completely different schedule. And to be honest St. Louis is an NL team that had a complete breakdown at the end of the year. They faced a Pedo,Floyd-less Mets team and the pitching staff had to start Reyes the 1st game of the WS. But their still up 3-1 and you still say the AL is much better than the NL. How? I know people say look at interleague play but it's not a big enough sample size for me. So many injuries change everything too. Cards were without Pujols for a month.

The Tigers were just as bad the end of the season. Plus you can argue that the Tigers are losing the WS more than the Cards are winning. Those errors from the pitchers are mind boggling.

As for the line I bolded, hmm - IL play is the biggest sample size there is, how can it not be big enough for you?

[skitch]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

But something that isn't taken into consideration whenever the Interleague-as-litmus card is played, is that the schedule rotates from year-to-year and isn't a balanced, true representation. Until every team has at least a three-game series with every team from the opposite league, things are always going to be dependent on how the schedules fall during a given year and how those match-ups play out. The basis isn't currently which league is better in head-to-head matchups, it's which divisions in one league are better than another division in the other league. Until we can an actual balanced schedule, like the NBA, you really can't say the Series is biased for being a seven-game series without saying that Interleague play is biased, as well.

Very good point.

[jonpt]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

Wait...

So you're saying Interleague play isn't a big enough sample size... but the World Series, which is AT MOST seven games, is?

No I never said the WS was. I''m just saying you can't say the AL is much better than the NL. On both accounts(WS and IL play). Also IL play happens close to the begining of the season. Since then teams change...people get traded, players get injured or healthy, rookies come up and start and change teams. The only thing you know is who is crowned the best team at the end of the year. You can't say St. Louis is lucky also just because Detroit makes a few errors. They both play on the same field and St. louis isn't making em so far.

[jonpt]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

But something that isn't taken into consideration whenever the Interleague-as-litmus card is played, is that the schedule rotates from year-to-year and isn't a balanced, true representation. Until every team has at least a three-game series with every team from the opposite league, things are always going to be dependent on how the schedules fall during a given year and how those match-ups play out. The basis isn't currently which league is better in head-to-head matchups, it's which divisions in one league are better than another division in the other league. Until we can an actual balanced schedule, like the NBA, you really can't say the Series is biased for being a seven-game series without saying that Interleague play is biased, as well.

thank you...he said it better.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

Put it this way, what we have in the WS right now isn't the ALs best or the NLs best. Sure one of them will win the WS but that's because any team can win in a short series.

But, if you put the Cards in the AL Central and the Tigers in the NL Central, Cards would win 70-75 games, while the Tigers will go 100+. I'm talking about the wya things were this year.

[jonpt]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

Put it this way, what we have in the WS right now isn't the ALs best or the NLs best. Sure one of them will win the WS but that's because any team can win in a short series.

But, if you put the Cards in the AL Central and the Tigers in the NL Central, Cards would win 70-75 games, while the Tigers will go 100+. I'm talking about the wya things were this year.

I'm sorry but what we have RIGHT NOW is the two best teams. It's always who's the best at the end of the year(not in may or june). Detroit proved it by beating the Yanks and A's and Cards beating the Padres and Mets. ten years from now when they look back at 2006, whoever wins this seires will be champion.

[jonpt]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

One other thing. How many times has a wild card team won the world seires and nobody says they were lucky. It happens in every sport. just because your the best team during the season doesn't make you champion. You have to prove when it really counts in the playoffs.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: I hate to root for the Cardinals but......

I'm sorry but what we have RIGHT NOW is the two best teams. It's always who's the best at the end of the year(not in may or june). Detroit proved it by beating the Yanks and A's and Cards beating the Padres and Mets. ten years from now when they look back at 2006, whoever wins this seires will be champion.

Yes they will be champion, but imo aren't the best team. Ofcourse that doesn't matter because they win the WS.