Comments on: Playoff Positioning

By: Nick G

Nick G — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 06:09:24 +0000

Why does everybody underestimate the A’s? It’s not like the team that plays them will have a holiday in the first round…

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 05:33:09 +0000

This doesn’t relate to playoff “positioning,” but I’m bored and feel like posting. Without Stairs, is Thames going to start at DH in the playoffs? Will Shelton get any meaningful at-bats? Is Rodney trustworthy, or will Leyland try to go straight from Zumaya to Jones?

By: Nick G

Nick G — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 05:19:35 +0000

We all want a division title. Most definitely. The point, it appears, is that a wildcard isn’t a death sentence.

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 05:16:11 +0000

Another follow-up on the merits facing the Yankees now or round 2. In round 1, because the Yankees have clinched so early, their rotation will be set up. But if they get pushed to a 5th game in round 1, we might face Wright or someone multiple times in a 7-game series, because their rotation won’t be set.

Of course all this depends on winning round 1 … first things first.

By: ron

ron — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 05:09:33 +0000

It doesn’t matter who the tigers face; if the young pitchers are on their game, each and every game, they will win the whole enchilada. if not, it’s been a hell of a season.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 04:52:17 +0000

I, too, would like to see a division title, because as someone, somewhere put it, flying a division pennant in your stadium is acceptable. Flying a wildcard pennant is not.

By: Nick G

Nick G — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 04:18:42 +0000

Billfer, once again, you’re right on. Out here in Orange County where I live, the 2002 Angels were the wildcard and had the unenviable task of beating the Yanks at Yankee Stadium. You know the rest. They beat the Yanks, the Twins and the Giants to claim an improbable trophy. Funny, it was before Vlad even arrived in Los Angeles, California, Anaheim, Orange County.

What do the Tigs have in common with the 2002 Halos? Deep pitching. Deep pitching. Deep pitching. It’s like gold in the playoffs.

In the words of Eminem when he heard he drew Lickety Split in the first round of the rap battle in the movie “8 Mile”…

“I don’t give a f$#@ who it is.”

By: Lee Panas

Lee Panas — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 04:04:11 +0000

Billfer, I couldn’t agree more. I want them to win the title simply because a division title is a more significant accomplishment than a wild card berth. While they are at it, I also want them to catch the Yankees. Best record in the league during the regular season would be an amazing accomplishment regardless of what happens in post-season.

By: T Smith

T Smith — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 03:55:20 +0000

Bottom line is, in theory, the argument Bilfer advances makes sense. One could also argue that Tigers play just as well on the road as they do at CoAmerica… However, the Tigers simply have not demonstrated (to me anyway) that they can get past the “mystique” of the Yankees. You know, that “magic something” the Yankees have that Lou Pinella got all hot under the collar about a couple years ago. Talk about a team that gets in your head. The Yankees get into everybody’s head.

By: T Smith

T Smith — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 03:47:33 +0000

I have to agree with Greg on this one. I would prefer to face the Yankees in a 7 game series; in 7 games, I think we have the depth advantage. I also want to see the first two playoff games at CoAmerica. That’s the main thing. Going into Yankee stadium, we could very easily be coming back to CoAmerica 0-2, facing Mussina the third game. I’m not saying the Yankees would sweep, but that’s a lot of pressure on our wet-behind-the-ears playoff club. Given a matchup between the Tigers under pressure against the Yankees, you have to pick the Yankees. In my humble opinion, the Tigers simply have little to no chance given those cards.

Then there’s the argument of having the Twins knocking the Yankees off first. I would much rather play the Twins than the Yankees. Look, we can beat the Twins–we’ve been beating them all year. So the last series didn’t go our way…a couple different calls, a couple more hits, we could have easily taken three in that series, which is more that I can say about our two series against the Yankees. In fact, we could easily be 0-7 against the Yanks this year (no Riveria in both games we won).

By: Ryan S

Ryan S — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 03:14:51 +0000

I agree with Greg that the Tigers stack up better against the Yankees in a 7 game series. The Yanks fourth starter (probably Jaret Wright) is definitely their weak link. You wouldn’t even see him in the division series.

Another thought. If we start with Oakland, we won’t have to potentially play the Yankees AND the Twins.

…oh yeah – and I want a Division title, too.

By: Kyle J

Kyle J — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 03:12:58 +0000

I’d like to give the Twins a chance to knock off the Yankees in a 5-game series. With Santana potentially pitching in NY in games 1 and 5 and games 3 and 4 in the evil dome, I think they’d have a decent shot.

But in the end, I want to win the division for the title. With the way they dominated the league for most of the year, it’d be nice to win something you can fly a flag for. (I don’t think anyone flies “Wild Card Winner” flags, do they?)

By: Adam Holwerda

Adam Holwerda — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 02:10:21 +0000

Um…I’m pretty much for the idea that I want my team to be in the playoffs for as long as possible.

I want them to win the division, so that we DON’T get knocked out right away…although that could happen no matter which team we were playing (the Orioles, for example.) I don’t see the Tigers winning the World Series, I just want our boys to get a little more respect and go out strong. And there’s a better chance we do that when we AREN’T playing the Yankees right out of the gate.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 23:32:33 +0000

Also, regarding the 5 vs. 7 games, it might be preferable to face the Yankees over 7 games. The Tigers are superior to the Yankees in depth of quality starting pitching, but in a 5 game series we might not get very deep in the Yankees’ playoff rotation.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 23:29:27 +0000

I disagree with the logic. You want to avoid the best team early, hoping that someone else knocks them out and you don’t have to play them. Take the path of least resistance for as long as possible. Don’t the Mets prefer to stay in the NL playoffs as long as possible?

That said, I agree to root for the division championship mostly for that reason–the championship.