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September 19, 2007
Today's Boston Herald
Yeah, they're feeling it in Beantown today.
But, it sounds like the Red Sox don't really care that much about finishing first. From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette News:
The Red Sox’s magic number, the way manager Terry Francona looks at it, is four.
That’s the combined number of Boston wins and Detroit losses the Sox need to clinch a playoff berth as the wild-card team, with both the Tigers and Sox losing last night. Winning the AL East title for the first time since 1995? That would be nice, but not imperative.
“It means something in terms of what we set out to accomplish,” Francona said of Boston finishing in first place, “but it means nothing in terms of the World Series.”
Which is why the Sox already are setting up their starting rotation for the playoffs, and why they are being so careful in giving injured, and tired, players days off, and why they used Eric Gagné in a save situation last night, and left him in when he got into trouble.
Boston is almost looking at these games as spring training.
Winning a divisional title has not meant much recently when it came time to postseason play. The White Sox and Cardinals won the last two World Series last year after capturing division titles, but the three world champions before that all were wild-card teams, including Boston in 2004.
Francona said that he was actually relieved when the Sox were eliminated from the AL East title chase in 2004 because it let them concentrate on getting their pitching set for the Division Series. The next year, the race for first with the Yankees went down to the final weekend of the season, and that didn’t turn out well.
“In ’05,” Francona said, “it came down to the last days with us not knowing, then we got into the playoffs and got knocked around.”
If Boston were to finish with the best record in baseball, which would mean an AL East title as well, it would be guaranteed of home-field advantage throughout the postseason, which is nice to have, but not essential.
Interesting. Sounds like the Red Sox have a plan - or, is it just the foundation of laying an excuse for not finishing first (in case it happens)? What do you think?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at September 19, 2007 10:09 AM
Comments
Sounds like the Red Sox have a plan - or, is it just the foundation of laying an excuse for not finishing first (in case it happens)? What do you think?
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It can be interpreted either way. The way the system is, all a team has to do is make the playoffs. It's pretty much a lock that both teams will make the playoffs, it's now just a matter of who they'll be facing. This is similar to the 1996 NL West race, where both the Dodgers & Padres made the playoffs.
Posted by: Raf ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.waswatching.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 19, 2007 10:37 AM
Interesting - I was about to say that I thought a team like the Sox would care a lot about home field advantage, but then I checked and their home-road split isn't as extreme is it's been in other recent years - 47-28 at Fenway, 43-34 on the road. So maybe it's not a bad plan for them to concentrate on resting up and setting rotation for the playoffs.
Posted by: carla at September 19, 2007 11:19 AM
If the Sox don't care about finishing with the best record in the league, then they don't care about the playoffs. Home field advantage is not insignificant...from the boost you get from playing at home, to the 'last chance' in the 9th you are guaranteed.
I'm going to say they're just trying to cover their asses and not seem 'panicked', even though you have to think they kind of are.
Posted by: Andrew at September 19, 2007 11:57 AM
If the Sox don't care about finishing with the best record in the league, then they don't care about the playoffs.
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Not necessarily true, especially given that the team with the best record in the league often isn't the last team left standing @ the end of the postseason.
Posted by: Raf at September 19, 2007 12:07 PM
"Not necessarily true, especially given that the team with the best record in the league often isn't the last team left standing @ the end of the postseason."
So I guess Cleveland and the Angels should work to lose games, so they don't end up with the best record?
The team with the best record has an additional advantage this year: they get to choose which schedule they want in the ALDS.
Posted by: Andrew at September 19, 2007 12:20 PM
The team with the best record has an additional advantage this year: they get to choose which schedule they want in the ALDS.
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First, I find this "choice" to be abhorrent. No other sport gives teams the freedom to choose their schedule. The league should simply set the playoff schedule as they always have and be done with it.
Second, I fail to see how it's much of a choice anyway. Would any team willingly opt out of getting an extra day's rest and having the chance to pitch their best pitcher twice in a full series? Why would anyone pass that up?
Posted by: MJ at September 19, 2007 12:29 PM
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Here's my take - if you're not going to have some pride and set a goal to win that division from the Yankees for the first time in, what, 8 years, then you don't deserve it.
Francona's a master at trying to put up a facade of tranquility in the worst of sh*tstorms, but the problem is he always comes off as defensive & angry when pressed by the media.
Gotta learn from the master, Tito - Joe never wavered ALL season with this team, even at 14.5 out.
Posted by: Pete at September 19, 2007 12:35 PM
So I guess Cleveland and the Angels should work to lose games, so they don't end up with the best record?
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No, your reasoning is flawed. Just because they don't care about being overtaken does not mean they don't care about the playoffs. Barring a monumental collapse, they're in either as the AL East rep, or the Wild Card. At this stage they can prepare for the postseason. It's like 1996 with the Dodgers and Padres; both teams were guaranteed a playoff spot. In 2005, the Yanks could've started Mussina over Wright the last game of the season to secure home field (not a guaranteed win, but their chances would've been better), but they didn't.
Once again, how often does the best team in either league wins the WS? The wildcard doesn't get home field advantage, yet since 2000 the wild card has made it to the WS 6 of the 7 years.
Since 1995, the best team in the AL has made it to the WS 5 times in 13 years (1995, 98, 99, 03, 05). NL, 4 times (1995, 96, 99, 04). Of the two times the best teams in baseball matched up (1995 & 99), only one has clinched @ home (1995 Braves)
I'd have to look it up, but I would think that many teams have clinched their series on the road. I also wonder how often does a home team win in their last AB?
Posted by: Raf at September 19, 2007 01:10 PM