The 2014 regular season is over and the playoffs are in full swing. While watching the playoffs, some random thoughts have crossed my mind. I thought I would share some with the fellow baseball fans in cyberspace. Here they are:
-This is 2nd year in row that the mighty New York Yankees have missed the playoffs. We are officially beyond the steroid era, where the Yankees could outspend for veteran bats and bash the ball all over the place. Game has gone to a more athletic, younger, small ball version. They really need to change their philosophy. Yankees have won only one World Series championship in last 14 years.
-With Kansas City making the playoffs, every MLB has made the postseason during Bud Selig's tenure as commissioner. If you been watching MLB over last a few years, there is more parity in MLB than NFL and the NFL has always preached parity. Longest playoff drought now belongs to Toronto (1993)
-Selig isn't well liked among baseball fans, but in the future, we will look back and see how successful Selig has been. New commish will have tough shoes to follow.
-World Series favorites Tigers and Nationals hired new managers with no prior managerial experience in 2014. Both made no impact whatsoever in postseason. Will this deter other General Managers with World Series aspirations in doing the same?
-Detroit is so toploaded in roster talent and salary wise, did the lack of overall depth hurt the Tigers the most? wonder what kind of impact a healthy Rajai Davis would have had. Will be an interesting off season in Detroit with free agents Max Scherzer, Victor Martinez and Torii Hunter along with tweaking a roster in a win now mode.
-Oakland went in a total freefall since the Yeonis Cespedes trade. Cespedes isnt high on the sabermetric radar as other A's hitters. The lack of Cespedes' presence was felt big time. Will this cause teams take a less emphasis on sabermetrics in future? Go back to some old school philosophies? Maybe, I am hoping some here.
-I believe A's GM Billy Beane would never have pulled the Jeff Samardzija/Jon Lester trades if the Tigers didnt sweep them in Detroit in July. Losing Cespedes and Addison Russell could come back and haunt the A's
-I find it ironic that if we get a KC/St Louis World Series in 2014, the same year instant replay is fully introduced. The last time these teams faced each other in a World Series, Royals won it largely aided by a blown call by umpire Don Dekinger. And if we have the matchup, how many times will hear Dekinger's name during the series?
-For the younger fans, KC was a playoff mainstay years ago. 6 divisional titles, 2 pennants and a World Series title from 1976-1985.
-KC is on the brink of a World Series appearance. Their manager, Ned Yost was a longtime coach with the Braves under Bobby Cox during the great 1990s run. Yost making the Series the same year as Cox, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine gets inducted in the Hall of Fame. A good year for former Braves, not so much for current ones.
-Yadier Molina strained his oblique muscle and missed his first playoff start for Cardinals in 83 games. Last Cardinal catcher to start a playoff game prior to Molina? Current Cardinal manager Mike Matheny.
-With the likely elimination of Baltimore, we will have a World Series of teams near the bottom of total home runs hit. Small ball is back.
-Wonder what kind of ALCS we would have if Baltimore was not missing a third of their regular day lineup. Not playing: 1B Chris Davis, 3B Manny Machado and C Matt Weiters. three pretty good players
-Will the Giants continue their trend in winning the World Series every two years? 2010. 2012. 2014? Buster Posey is taking over as Derek Jeter's "winner" status?
-We will have no big market teams in the World Series this year. So you might read that the series will result in low TV ratings. First thought maybe that baseball is lacking among fans interests. It is quite the opposite. The last Saturday of 2014, the minimum attendance of all 15 games was 30,000. The 2013 MLB attendance was the 6th highest in MLB history. MLB is doing quite well.
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