Giants as World Series champs?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Now there's the american spirit

Somewhere there's a bridge abutment just waiting for you to drive your car into it at top speed.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Beavis, he said "abut-ment." heh, heh!

[sportsfan882]

Didn't watch one pitch of the World Series. We would have clobbered the Giants. Still heartbroken over Storen's choke job but have been so busy haven't had time to dwell on it. Hopefully we make some big splashes to get the fan base energized again after the most depressing loss in DC sports history.

[Ray D]

Didn't watch one pitch of the World Series. We would have clobbered the Giants.

If you had watched some of it, you might not be so convinced.   They were not the same Giants that we took five of six from.

[HalfSmokes]

If you had watched some of it, you might not be so convinced.   They were not the same Giants that we took five of six from.

the giants again proved the post season is less about the better team than about getting hot at the right time. I'll take a 162 game sample over 16 if you want to talk about the better team

[Ray D]

the giants again proved the post season is less about the better team than about getting hot at the right time. I'll take a 162 game sample over 16 if you want to talk about the better team

Right. The Nats were the better team. And the Giants would have won the Series against us.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This is kind of how I feel about the 18-1 Patriots.  It was harder to go undefeated in the regular season than to win the Super Bowl.  The Pats had a 9-1 or 10-1 record against playoff teams that year.  But the Giants were a better team for the playoffs, and the best team for the playoffs won the Super Bowl.

The worst thing about having divisions and even separate leagues is it devalues the best record over the season.  A pennant used to be an achievement.  I think the English have it right where you have an FA Cup and Premier League championship separate.  When the World Series was the only AL/NL match up, and it was only the best, it was closer to a champ of champs.  Now, it is a series based knock out tournament of where you really only need to be good or very good, healthy, and have a favorable draw to advance. 

[Ace_1106]

I guess I may be in the minority on this one but to me the best team is the one who is holding the trophy at the end of the year, regardless of what sport we are referring to. Everything is heightened come playoff time and players bring their A game on every play. I highly doubt they are playing with the same intensity over the course of a regular season and players even say it themselves. Then you have the extreme pressure these guys are playing under which is why we see some implode as opposed to playing just another game in a string of 162. At the end of the year after you have taken everybody's best shot and you are the last one standing you ARE the best team in my eyes.

[HalfSmokes]

At the end of the year after you have taken everybody's best shot and you are the last one standing you ARE the best team in my eyes.

by everybody, do you mean three teams?

[Ace_1106]

by everybody, do you mean three teams?

Exactly what I meant. They can't help who makes it and who doesn't, just make sure you beat the team in your way.

[HalfSmokes]

Exactly what I meant. They can't help who makes it and who doesn't, just make sure you beat the team in your way.

which makes you the champion, but that isn't the same thing as the best team

[Ace_1106]

which makes you the champion, but that isn't the same thing as the best team

I guess we'll agree to disagree. Being the champs but not the best just doesn't make sense to me. Step your game up like everybody else and prove it when it really matters. I could care less who ends up with the most wins at the end of the regular season, just win enough to get in. You can ask any player and coach and they will say the exact same thing. I guess the Yankees have been the best team in the show way more than their trophy case says. Will this same tune be sung if/when the Nats win it next year without having the best record in the regular season? 

[spidernat]

Didn't watch one pitch of the World Series. We would have clobbered the Giants. Still heartbroken over Storen's choke job but have been so busy haven't had time to dwell on it. Hopefully we make some big splashes to get the fan base energized again after the most depressing loss in DC sports history.

Yeah last night would've been game 7 at home. I was looking forward to being there for a Zimmerman walkoff bomb to win the series.   

[HalfSmokes]

Will this same tune be sung if/when the Nats win it next year without having the best record in the regular season? 

who knows, I've always thought that about most sports- I think the NBA is the only league where the better team usually wins

[JCA-CrystalCity]

As long as you go into the playoffs in the NBA with Big Core (3, or 4, or 2), you have a decent shot at going as far as you your team's talent should take you.  In the NHL, there is an extra emphasis on the hot goalie, like birther Tim a few years ago.  In the NFL, it definitely comes down to having a healthy roster. In baseball, it is roster health and quality of the pitching staff.

Somehow, with hitting being so difficult, it does seem feeling the pressure may impact baseball more than the other sports (except for free throw shooting).

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

This came up a lot when the Caps won the Presidents trophy which was greeted with sneers and snorts of derision from the likes of SF and Inane Bleat, and then with glee when they "choked" and went out "early".

Personally I think having the best regular season record is something that is way, WAY undervalued in this country. 

The worst thing about having divisions and even separate leagues is it devalues the best record over the season.  A pennant used to be an achievement.  I think the English have it right where you have an FA Cup and Premier League championship separate.  When the World Series was the only AL/NL match up, and it was only the best, it was closer to a champ of champs.  Now, it is a series based knock out tournament of where you really only need to be good or very good, healthy, and have a favorable draw to advance. 

[RL04]

Didn't watch one pitch of the World Series.

I didn't either.    What's the point?

Did Eddie Fisher go to Liz Taylor and Richard Burton's wedding?

[Boss Dealwiler]

Personally I think having the best regular season record is something that is way, WAY undervalued in this country.

The '72 Dolphins agree with you.

[OldChelsea]

Didn't watch one pitch of the World Series.[....]

Didn't watch any of it either, but caught most of it on the radio.