Everybody thinks that was a pretty good way to kick off the 2008 baseball post-season: Chicago's 1-0 play-in game win against the Minnesota Twins last night at Comisky Park or Cell Fone Field or whatever the hell it is the call the home of the second team in the Second City these days.
Jim Thome's bomb was the games only run in the only 1-0 win the Sox got all year long but the fact is that Chicago may have won this game not on the field last night, but rather with the flip of a coin on September 19.
That was the day Major League Baseball conducted a series of coin flips to determine which teams would have home field advantage in the event tiebreakers were required to decide any Division Titles or Wild Card berths. Chicago won the toss that day, and that's why they were the home team last night.
I wouldn't have thought much about it except for a graphic I saw during the game that said Chicago was 1-8 at the Metrodump in Minneapolis this season. Conversely, the Twins were 2-7 in Chi. this season. (The win by the White Sox last night was their 6th in a row at home against the Twins).
The thing is, in any other sport, home field advantage would have been earned as a result of head-to-head competition, not awarded in a coin toss; and the Twins won the season series against the White Sox 10-8. In any other sport, therefore, the Twins, playing in that funky dome of theirs were the fans are loud and the hops are queer, would have been the home team last night.
None of this is to say that the same result would not have occurred had the game been played in Minny, Everybody just thought it was interesting, that’s all.
Besides, Baseball has a long history of not making a big deal out of home-field advantage. Until just a few years ago when they decided home-field advantage in the World Series –the sports ultimate event -- would be given to the winner of that years All-Star game, home field advantage depended not upon which team had the better record but rather on what year it was. If it was an even World Series year, the National League hosted four of the seven games, including, if necessary, game 7. In odd years, the American League hosted four games including #7 if necessary.
In another note, Everybody also thought it interesting that in the game Sunday in Chicago, Cleveland elected not to start 22-game winner and likely 2008 Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee against Chicago in what was, for the Indians, the final game of their season. It was Lee’s turn to start and he was listed as the probable Cleveland starter in the Indians Game Notes on Friday and Saturday. But, come Sunday, Lee was not out there against the White Sox. Had Lee pitched and won, Minnesota would have won the AL Central title Sunday and there would have been no need for the White Sox to play the Tigers Monday to tie the Twins for first since they would have been a game and a half out with one to play. It would also have meant, of course, that there would have been no AL Central tie-breaker on the far-see device last night.
Perhaps what this means is that the baseball fates are hard at work as they always are. They said at the end of the broadcast last night that this is the first time in 102 years both Chicago teams are in the postseason in the same year. 102 years ago, the playoffs consisted of a single round called the World Series and the White Sox won that Series, the World Series of ought-eight, only the third World Series ever played, in six over the Cubs.
Without a dog in the fight (you should have heard the whelps of my beaten curs who came last this season at 74-88) our allegiance now goes to the Cubs in honor of our friend David von Ebers. In fact, I say, “We are all Cubs, now!” I hope I didn’t hurt his feelings posting the other day, I was just kidding around, clumsily. And if he wants an all-Chicago World Series then dammit, that’s what Everybody wants too!
We’ll get back to politics shortly (Ain’t that John McCain a dick?), but we will spend some time here over the next three weeks or so holding forth on the state of our National Game as well.
Reflecting on Richard Hauptmann
2 years ago
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7 comments:
In a 1-0 game, I don't think home field advantage entered into the result, really. The bats weren't really alive for any team.
I met Earl Weaver once, at a book signing. Among the remarks that he made was the one saying that baseball was the fairest of games. Every team has it's chances. Same number of outs.
I'd have been ok had the Twins won. They are a playoff worthy team. But I'm sure each team member can now tell you of one game, or two games that got blown, and would never have had to play the Pale Hose in the playoff game. It's what happens. (And I remember this as a Mariner fan in 95 when the Angels blew a 13 game lead in mid-August...the Angels had their chances).
Like you, I have no pony in this race. I will not be crushed by any result the post-season has in the offings. Except, of course, if somehow Gramps McCain pulls off an electoral stunner. To which, at this point, I'd call bull crap.
seattledan:
8 teams in the AL were .500 or better in '08, but only two AL teams(LA at 50-31 and NY at 41-40) had winning road records in 2008. So it seems to me that something is going on regarding home field advantage.
I agree with the contention that when you go back over a 162 (or 163) game season there are any number of breaks that could have gone either way that affected the outcome of any number of games.
My point is that in a 1-game winner-take-all situation, which last nights was, if there is any advantage at all, such as home field, it ought to go to the team that earned it on the field, not to the team that won a coin toss.
Bless you, Richard ... if you believe in that sort of thing. I know Sparky Anderson does.
I'm glad the White Sox made the playoffs; but as you know, I'm a Cubs fan first, last and always.
It would, however, be nice to get revenge for the 1906 Series!!
Oh, and I took no offense at your earlier post. In my response, I was just trying to sound all tough and Chicago-y. Perhaps my attempt at humor failed ...
I agree that there has to be a better method than a coin flip. But shouldn't we trust in the wisdom of Bud Selig?
Well, it's 8:54 p.m. Central Time. Sigh.
On the upside, maybe I don't have to worry about my Cubs losing the World Series to the White Sox. Or anybody else for that matter.
Buck up, Dave. The starter had a bad night, that's all. It happens.
That said, the (our) Cubbies should never, never, ever pitch to Manny at Wrigley. Walk his ass. Walk him every freaking time.
I was SHOCKED that the fans booed at the end of the game. That is not good fanage. Now the players feelings are hurt and they are resentful and they will say things like, "F--- the fans" and this is not where you want their heads at at this point in time.
Of course, a good outing by the starter tomorrow night fixes all.
seattledan:
Somehow I forgot all about our Baseball Overlord Herr Selig. I don't know how this could have happened inasmuch as I, for one, welcomed him when he was named Interim Commish, what, thirty years ago?
Your are correct and I should erase the original post and all comments related to the post.
We should, indeed we MUST, trust the wisdom of the Budsterweiser.
What was I thinking?
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