08-01-2009, 12:17 AM
You know... if the division doesn't work out, I'm starting to believe the WC is coming out of the Central. Again, I'd rather win the division and it's possible we'd get a home series in the NLCS(yeah, I know, I'm just saying), but I'm not going to bitch and complain if it's the WC. We won 2 division titles the last 2 years and I'm not one bit proud of it. Regardless, you're going to have to go on the road to play the Dodgers or Phillies in the 1st round. And honestly, I might rather play the Dodgers, who are likely to have the #1 seed.
The Giants are either going to be 2 up or 1 up on us pending their outcome tonight, then the Rockies are a game ahead of us. The argument I keep hearing from people is how those two teams get the Padres and Diamondbacks for a bunch of games, making the road easier for them. So I decided to look at the 4 clearly worst teams in the NL in the Nationals, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Pirates, and see how many games these teams(Cubs, Cards, Giants, Rockies) have against them. And remember, all 4 of those teams will just get worse because they've given up on the season and will be playing guys we've never heard of.
<b>Cubs: 18</b>... 9 vs. Pirates(6 at home), 3 vs. Diamondbacks(all at home), 3 vs Nats(all at home), 3 vs. Padres(all on road)
<b>Cardinals: 16</b>... 7 vs. Padres(4 on road), 6 vs. Pirates(all on road), 3 vs. Nats(all at home)
<b>Giants: 15</b>... 9 vs. Diamonbacks(6 at home), 6 vs. Padres(3 at home and road)
<b>Rockies: 15</b>... 6 vs. Padres(3 at home and road), 6 vs. Diamondbacks(3 at home and road), 3 vs. Nats(all on road)
So yeah, if anything, the Cubs and Cards have the easier roads if you're going by the really beatable teams. Those 9 games against the Pirates for us look much more favorable than when they were playing okay ball just over a month or so ago.
And let's be honest, the Cubs and Cards are each much more talented than either the Giants or Rockies. Can the Giants' offense be good enough all year? They're a little bit better with the additions of Garko and Sanchez, but it's still a poor lineup outside of the Kung Fu Panda. As for the Rockies, Marquis, Hammel, and De La Rose are pitching so much over their heads it's ridiculous.
Again, this is not our goal of course, just pointing out that I think the Cardinals and Cubs might both get in, and I think sometimes people just feel like the division is our only possible way to do so. In 14 years since the WC's existence, 4 times the WS champion has come from it, and 9 of the 28 teams in the WS have been WC teams.
The Giants are either going to be 2 up or 1 up on us pending their outcome tonight, then the Rockies are a game ahead of us. The argument I keep hearing from people is how those two teams get the Padres and Diamondbacks for a bunch of games, making the road easier for them. So I decided to look at the 4 clearly worst teams in the NL in the Nationals, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Pirates, and see how many games these teams(Cubs, Cards, Giants, Rockies) have against them. And remember, all 4 of those teams will just get worse because they've given up on the season and will be playing guys we've never heard of.
<b>Cubs: 18</b>... 9 vs. Pirates(6 at home), 3 vs. Diamondbacks(all at home), 3 vs Nats(all at home), 3 vs. Padres(all on road)
<b>Cardinals: 16</b>... 7 vs. Padres(4 on road), 6 vs. Pirates(all on road), 3 vs. Nats(all at home)
<b>Giants: 15</b>... 9 vs. Diamonbacks(6 at home), 6 vs. Padres(3 at home and road)
<b>Rockies: 15</b>... 6 vs. Padres(3 at home and road), 6 vs. Diamondbacks(3 at home and road), 3 vs. Nats(all on road)
So yeah, if anything, the Cubs and Cards have the easier roads if you're going by the really beatable teams. Those 9 games against the Pirates for us look much more favorable than when they were playing okay ball just over a month or so ago.
And let's be honest, the Cubs and Cards are each much more talented than either the Giants or Rockies. Can the Giants' offense be good enough all year? They're a little bit better with the additions of Garko and Sanchez, but it's still a poor lineup outside of the Kung Fu Panda. As for the Rockies, Marquis, Hammel, and De La Rose are pitching so much over their heads it's ridiculous.
Again, this is not our goal of course, just pointing out that I think the Cardinals and Cubs might both get in, and I think sometimes people just feel like the division is our only possible way to do so. In 14 years since the WC's existence, 4 times the WS champion has come from it, and 9 of the 28 teams in the WS have been WC teams.
@TheBlogfines