Author Topic: Magic Number: Angelos can suck it and like it  (Read 27680 times)

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Offline wpa2629

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^^ OMG

wut ?

Offline welch

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Last night's win over the Mets was very good when combined with the Brewer's win over the Braves, but let's win the next game. That was consensus among five -- 5! -- Nats fans on the 7 train from CITIField last night.

Offline tomterp

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Last night's win over the Mets was very good when combined with the Brewer's win over the Braves, but let's win the next game. That was consensus among five -- 5! -- Nats fans on the 7 train from CITIField last night.

See any ghosts last night?

Offline welch

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See any ghosts last night?

I overheard Clark Griffith talking to Bucky Harris as we walked from the subway.

"Griff, I think the boys can do it".

"Stanley, I hope you are right. It's too bad we can't lend them Walter for a few games, but Connie Mack and I spoke yesterday about that trade the A's made to pick up those young players. Mr. Rizzo did just what I would have done. Mr. Mack thinks the Nationals got the better of the deal, too. Young Gio Gonzalez will do just fine. Isn't it good to see the town wake up to baseball again?"

Offline tomterp

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I overheard Clark Griffith talking to Bucky Harris as we walked from the subway.

"Griff, I think the boys can do it".

"Stanley, I hope you are right. It's too bad we can't lend them Walter for a few games, but Connie Mack and I spoke yesterday about that trade the A's made to pick up those young players. Mr. Rizzo did just what I would have done. Mr. Mack thinks the Nationals got the better of the deal, too. Young Gio Gonzalez will do just fine. Isn't it good to see the town wake up to baseball again?"

Stop it, I think I got something in my eye...


Actually, I was referring to robdibblesghost, but your story was outstanding nonetheless.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Dropping the magic number for home field down one because the Nats have the tie-breaker against the Reds.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Good news, bad news, Braves lost, Reds about to win.

Offline Hogie

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Today is the first day in history that these Washington Nationals can clinch a playoff berth.

Offline 114D

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Today is the first day in history that these Washington Nationals can clinch a playoff berth.

True.  Need a sweep today and we could clinch -- but only if the Brewers also lose.  A split (or a sweep with a Brewers win) gives us a magic number of 1.

Offline welch

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Down to 9, it says. Wow.

Gary Sarnoff's book says that in 1933, fans gathered outside the Washington Post office, as the Post had rigged up a Nats scoreboard. People took off work and hung out...all day games then. The Post had Shirley Povich (himself!) reading through a loudspeaker from a ticker tape from away games. (Nats hired a radio broadcaster in '34).

Nine games. Those fans in '33 were accustomed to good ball teams -- Nats had been respectable since Griffith became manager and then owner -- but had not had a pennant winner since 1925.

Eight years for them...eighty years for us.

Offline aspenbubba

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I put together a chart for the Nats to clinch the division over the Braves

NATS (14 games remaining) w/ 90 wins   BRAVES (12 games remaining)  w/ 86 wins

0 wins-14 losses  =90                              0 wins-12 losses    =86
1   "     -13   "      =91                             1    "   -11     "      =87
2   "     -12   "      =92                             2     "  -10    "       =88
3   "     -11   "      =93                             3    "    -9     "       =89
4   "     -10   "      =94                             4    "    -8     "       =90
5   "       -9   "      =95                             5    "    -7     "       =91
6   "       -8   "      =96                             6    "    -6     "       =92
7   "       -7   "      =97                             7    "    -5     "       =93
8   "       -6   "      =98                             8    "     -4    "       =94 The Braves would have had to go 12-0 to tie
9   "       -5   "      =99   We win the division no matter what the Braves do.

ANY combination of Nats wins and Braves losses totally nine wins the division

Offline PowerBoater69

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Once again, the division is nice, and it's a virtual certainty, but the real goal of the regular season is home field advantage.

Offline PC

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Once again, the division is nice, and it's a virtual certainty, but the real goal of the regular season is home field advantage.

...which in reality, we have very little chance of getting.

Offline PowerBoater69

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...which in reality, we have very little chance of getting.

Certainly not at our current pace over the past week, but this team needs to turn things around quick, limping into the playoffs is a sure path to a quick exit.

Offline PebbleBall

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Once again, the division is nice, and it's a virtual certainty, but the real goal of the regular season is home field advantage.

I disagree, a division championship has value on its own regardless of what happens in the postseason.

Offline Displaced Bucco

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Once again, the division is nice, and it's a virtual certainty, but the real goal of the regular season is home field advantage.

This may really belong in the other thread, but I think I'd rather have the 2nd seed and face the Giants than the winner of Braves and Cards/Brewers/Phils. 

Offline welch

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Once again, the division is nice, and it's a virtual certainty, but the real goal of the regular season is home field advantage.

I've watched so many losing Washington teams, always called "the Nats" for short, that I won't consider the division a virtual certainty until it's a physical certainty. Get the nine!

For that matter, I consider a division championship a modern equivalent to a pennant, since it marks the winner of the regular season. (The schedule puts more games inside the division).

Playoff baseball is chancy...the regular season shows the best team.

Maybe it was sitting at Shea II (aka CITI Field) and seeing all the division championship flags hanging on a line in left field. Let's start a new Nats line!


Offline OldChelsea

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[...]Maybe it was sitting at Shea II (aka CITI Field) and seeing all the division championship flags hanging on a line in left field. Let's start a new Nats line!



You can get that image even closer to home - go to Verizon Centre and check out banners honouring all the Capitals, Mystics and Wizards/Bullets near-misses through the years.

Offline DPMOmaha

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This may really belong in the other thread, but I think I'd rather have the 2nd seed and face the Giants than the winner of Braves and Cards/Brewers/Phils. 

Give me the top seed, i'll take my chances with the team that can't use their ace in game 1.

Offline DPMOmaha

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...which in reality, we have very little chance of getting.

really?

Offline PC

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really?

We're a half game ahead of the Reds and they have the easier schedule...and I can't recall the last time a Reds first baseman was called off the bag when he was clearly not and an opposing baserunner said to have touch homeplate before a third out was applied when it clearly wasn't.

Offline DPMOmaha

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mmm.  Gotcha.  We're counting games that haven't been played yet. 

Offline PowerBoater69

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I disagree, a division championship has value on its own regardless of what happens in the postseason.

Minimal, absolute minimal. I'd much rather win a DCS as a wild card than go one and done as a division winner.

Offline aspenbubba

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We're a half game ahead of the Reds and they have the easier schedule...and I can't recall the last time a Reds first baseman was called off the bag when he was clearly not and an opposing baserunner said to have touch homeplate before a third out was applied when it clearly wasn't.

There was also the blown call in the Yankees series at home plate.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Give me the top seed, i'll take my chances with the team that can't use their ace in game 1.

Right, even more so than the actual home field advantage in the LCS this is why being the #1 seed is critical.