MLB Playoffs Pick-Em!

[Laura]

Because the Astros keep winning games because of their cheap homeruns in that awful ballpark of theirs. Its like having two good basketball players, one tall, and one short. The tall guy raises the hoop to his hight so he can score baskets, while the little guy has alot more difficulty trying to shoot a basket.

:veryconfu

If the Astros have an easy ballpark, then shouldn't that give them a disadvantage? That means that all the other teams play regularly on more difficult fields, so when they visit the Astros they have an advantage. Then when the Astros go to other fields they have a harder time.

And just like Wilt said, it's not like they move the fence back between innings.

You make no sense.

 

[imagineer boy]

That's a BS analogy, dude. Both teams swing for the same fences. If they were moving them in when the Astros came up to bat, you'd have an argument.

Yes, but the Astros have more games there than any other team, therefor, they've figured out how to lift the HR balls there more than any other team. That's how they rack up wins and end up going to the play offs almost every year. The Crawford boxes also pushed the limits of field diminsion rules set up by MLB. I find it no coincidence that the Astros started doing better when their horrible ballpark opened. But its not just the crawford boxes where they get cheap homeruns, they also have a rediculous hill in the middle of center field with a flag pole sticking out of it which really throws off many visiting center fielders, except for the Astros because they've figured out how to work around it because of all of their home games. Its just not fair. Thank goodness for Busch Stadium, a clean and fair ball park. :sohappy: And thank god those Houston Astros and their "Killer Bees" never made it to the play-offs.

 

[DDuckFan130]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I will go on record and say Dolphin Stadium is the best ballpark and the fairest and the coolest!








But then I'd be lying and biased

The Cards won't win any World Series soon. They always choke :lookaroun

 

[dopey]

So were the White Sox and the Astros... :lookaroun

We liked that series just fine here on the South Side of Chicago.

If any team from New York is going to be in the series, I'd much rather it be the Mets. But I'd rather see the Tigers win it all this year, just because they're an AL Central team.

 

[imagineer boy]

I will go on record and say Dolphin Stadium is the best ballpark and the fairest and the coolest!

Atleast they've got a fair field. Their stadium is old and as empty on every game, but their field is fair. That's the important thing.

The Cards won't win any World Series soon. They always choke :lookaroun

What makes you say so? The Cardinals have the richest history and the second most visits to the World Series right behind the Yankees. This is why I love having our team be the underdog because the more people put your team down, then the better you'll do and shock everyone. That's what we've been doing these past couple of series.

 

[SpongeScott]

Yes, but the Astros have more games there than any other team, therefor, they've figured out how to lift the HR balls there more than any other team. That's how they rack up wins and end up going to the play offs almost every year. The Crawford boxes also pushed the limits of field diminsion rules set up by MLB. I find it no coincidence that the Astros started doing better when their horrible ballpark opened. But its not just the crawford boxes where they get cheap homeruns, they also have a rediculous hill in the middle of center field with a flag pole sticking out of it which really throws off many visiting center fielders, except for the Astros because they've figured out how to work around it because of all of their home games. Its just not fair. Thank goodness for Busch Stadium, a clean and fair ball park. :sohappy: And thank god those Houston Astros and their "Killer Bees" never made it to the play-offs.

That is the lamest argument I have ever heard.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Yes, but the Astros have more games there than any other team, therefor, they've figured out how to lift the HR balls there more than any other team. That's how they rack up wins and end up going to the play offs almost every year. The Crawford boxes also pushed the limits of field diminsion rules set up by MLB. I find it no coincidence that the Astros started doing better when their horrible ballpark opened. But its not just the crawford boxes where they get cheap homeruns, they also have a rediculous hill in the middle of center field with a flag pole sticking out of it which really throws off many visiting center fielders, except for the Astros because they've figured out how to work around it because of all of their home games. Its just not fair. Thank goodness for Busch Stadium, a clean and fair ball park. :sohappy: And thank god those Houston Astros and their "Killer Bees" never made it to the play-offs.

A. Like Laura said earlier, if anything, visiting teams would have an advantage in hitting HR's at Minute Maid since they're used to swinging harder to get it out of the park.

B. The Astros made it to the playoffs plenty of times when they played in the Dome. They didn't suddenly get good after switching parks.

C. As an NL Central rival, the Cardinals visit Houston multiple times in a season and have plenty of opportunities to adjust to any quirks that might exist when playing there.

D. The White Sox, an American League team with no rivalry with Houston, didn't seem to have all these vexing problems you say this park of doom brings down on visiting clubs.

E. Game 7 of the NLCS last year was played at Busch. Houston won.

No offense, bud, but I think you're a homer who'd sooner eat his own toenails than admit the Astros were a good team last year. The sour grapes approach probably plays fine on St. Louis talk radio, but not around here.

 

[imagineer boy]

Its not just sourness from last year. I've always hated the Astros. From the year before, to the year before, and the year before. Another reason is because many of their fans are extremely obnoxious.

 

[Dwarful]

Visiting teams get just as many at-bats/chances as the Astros do.

Ok maybe I am confused on this whole debate, but...I think the original poster (imagineer boy) was implying that home teams do have a home advantage..they play more games in their stadium than any other team...meaning the Astros would have more homeruns in their stadium (they play more games in their stadium so over the course of the season they have the MOST at bats in their own stadium..not in one game but over the course of the whole season). I hope you all understand what I am getting at... I can't really say as I don't follow the astros...I focus on the Cardinals (through good times and bad), boo the Cubbies and the Royals and all else I don't really care about.

 

[SpongeScott]

Its not just sourness from last year. I've always hated the Astros. From the year before, to the year before, and the year before. Another reason is because many of their fans are extremely obnoxious.

As obnoxious as some Cardinal fans can be?

 

[SpongeScott]

No offense, bud, but I think you're a homer who'd sooner eat his own toenails than admit the Astros were a good team last year. The sour grapes approach probably plays fine on St. Louis talk radio, but not around here.

:lol:

 

[Dwarful]

As obnoxious as some Cardinal fans can be?

sad to say, but I think every team in every sport has their own group of obnoxious fans...we were at Saturday nights game in St.Louis and Steven Tyler was singing God Bless America w/ a group of men from Ft.Leonard Wood (in southern MO.) and two guys in Mets tshirts were escorted from the stadium for " $*^# you St. Louis, &$*# you George Bush etc." the sad part was that they were part of a group of 6 guys all in Mets shirts, all from NY and the two guys almost got all 6 of them kicked out of the stadium. How obnoxious would that have been? Spend all the money for the tickets, airfare, hotel and transportation and then have two guys lose it during a game...I mean come on, it is after all only a game...

btw: I miss my old Busch Stadium...is it me, or does it seem like more and more fans are going to games because its the "in" thing to do? I've never had to get up out of my seat so many times during a game in all my life!

 

[SpongeScott]

2006 Astros batting at home:

G R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BA OBP SLG OPS
81 372 67714316981146357.254.335.430.765

2006 Astros pitching at home:

G R H 2B 3B HR TB BA OBP SLG OPS
81 367 731 156 15 94 1199 255 .315 .419 .733

Over the course of 81 games, Houston outscored their opponents at home by 5 runs and hit 4 more HR's. That's hardly an advantage over the course of a season. Home cookin' just doesn't add up statistically for the Astros.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Ok maybe I am confused on this whole debate, but...I think the original poster (imagineer boy) was implying that home teams do have a home advantage..they play more games in their stadium than any other team...meaning the Astros would have more homeruns in their stadium (they play more games in their stadium so over the course of the season they have the MOST at bats in their own stadium..not in one game but over the course of the whole season).

I still think it's a dumb argument. It'd be like NBA teams complaining that the free throw lines are closer to the basket at one arena. It serves to make the objective EASIER for BOTH teams. It might take a visiting team a little time to adjust, but to say it definitively swings the outcome of games is rampant speculation at best. The visiting teams get to take advantage, too, so you can't fake it. The Rockies play a mile above sea level where the thinner air causes the balls to lift out of the park easier (a scientific fact). When was the last time THEY made the playoffs?

Its not just sourness from last year. I've always hated the Astros. From the year before, to the year before, and the year before. Another reason is because many of their fans are extremely obnoxious.

You admit that it's based on the fact you hate them and have for years, before Minute Maid ever existed. I think that confession settles the issue.

 

[SpongeScott]

sad to say, but I think every team in every sport has their own group of obnoxious fans...we were at Saturday nights game in St.Louis and Steven Tyler was singing God Bless America w/ a group of men from Ft.Leonard Wood (in southern MO.) and two guys in Mets tshirts were escorted from the stadium for " $*^# you St. Louis, &$*# you George Bush etc." the sad part was that they were part of a group of 6 guys all in Mets shirts, all from NY and the two guys almost got all 6 of them kicked out of the stadium. How obnoxious would that have been? Spend all the money for the tickets, airfare, hotel and transportation and then have two guys lose it during a game...I mean come on, it is after all only a game...

btw: I miss my old Busch Stadium...is it me, or does it seem like more and more fans are going to games because its the "in" thing to do? I've never had to get up out of my seat so many times during a game in all my life!

oh, you're right--every team does have obnoxious fans. Mix a lot of beer with zealousness and it can get out of hand.

As for going to games, it's becoming the "in" thing to do--corporations are buying more and more tickets and it's the place to be seen, the place to wine and dine a customer, the place to turn a business deal. Sadly, the average family is priced out of the ballpark.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

2006 Astros batting at home:

G R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BA OBP SLG OPS
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=hou8137267714316981146357.254.335.430.765

2006 Astros pitching at home:

G R H 2B 3B HR TB BA OBP SLG OPS
81 367 731 156 15 94 1199 255 .315 .419 .733

Over the course of 81 games, Houston outscored their opponents at home by 5 runs and hit 4 more HR's. That's hardly an advantage over the course of a season. Home cookin' just doesn't add up statistically for the Astros.

Thank you. That's the next thing I wanted to say: "Show me some numbers."

 

[DDuckFan130]

Numbers?

Florida Marlins began in 1993. 1997: first time to win a world series and they are the youngest to do so in such a short time. Lo and behold they win it again in 2003! My my...for a crappy stadium, they've done well for themselves

And this year? Holy moly if they hadn't have choked in the end, it could've been good. But you cannot deny their accomplishments. :sohappy:

Cardinals? Meh whatever. :snore: I'll just stare adoringly at pictures of our 2 world series trophies from the past 9 years

:lookaroun

 

[imagineer boy]

As obnoxious as some Cardinal fans can be?

Have you ever been to a Cardinals game? Sure, there's always going to be the drunken lunatics, but Cardinals fans have a big reputation as the best fans in baseball. Its been said many times by many players. The Astros fans, they boo Albert Pujols when he comes to bat because they were sore about game five. At one point, a pitch almost hit Albert, and they cheered ( he then later hit a game winning HR heh heh heh heh... ) when he really is one of the classiest players in baseball. I've also read of some horrible things visiting cards fans have had to put up with Astros fans.

 

[imagineer boy]

Cardinals? Meh whatever. :snore: I'll just stare adoringly at pictures of our 2 world series trophies from the past 9 years

:lookaroun

Are you a cubs fan or something? Because I'll say it again, the Cardinals have the second most trips to the World Series behind the Yankees.

 

[DDuckFan130]

Are you a cubs fan or something? Because I'll say it again, the Cardinals have the second most trips to the World Series behind the Yankees.

Yes I adore the Cubs!




No I don't.


And the Marlins are 2 for 2 in their trips to the World Series. Oooooooh.

But I'm willing to portray a bit of sportsmanship, which is something you are having trouble with. I would prefer the Cardinals win, but come World Series time, I would rather see the Tigers win it all. Good job Cards...so far. There, happy?