So much of what sports fans and writers say and do is reactionary. We can’t help but to overreact-especially moments after a dramatic loss. It’s understandable that fans want to place blame and fire someone, we’re supposed to care that much about our teams. We’ve also been reminded countless times that “fan” is short for “fanatic.” There’s more than an implied lack of sanity.
After the first day of the second round of the 2023 MLB postseason (League Division Series), half the world is buying World Series tickets with the other half burning their foam fingers. It’s the nature of the new, best of three, best of five, best of seven, best of seven format. And it doesn’t help anyone’s blood pressure that the media is always pointing out the odds of winning a series having lost the first X number of games.
I’ve already read two columns about the chaotic nature of MLB’s postseason. The local columnist hasn’t really established himself as a true baseball fan or a champion of the sport but has declared himself as one against the more games is better system employed by every professional sport. As a columnist he’s not declared himself a fan of a particular team, but rather dislikes the winner coming from a pool of teams, rather than the two best teams playing it out.
Historically, I’ve found that most fans of a particular team are bothered more by this randomness or chaos, have seen their team (usually a favorite) bounced by a lesser team. I have yet to meet a Marlins fan that wants to give back either of their WS titles (both won as wildcards).
The other columnist’s approach was more objective, but unfortunately cited Michael Lewis, Billy Beane and Moneyball as one of the progenitors of the idea of the crapshoot/ chaos.” Chaos is the favored term of college football reporters when previously undefeated teams lose and someone with a loss may enter the playoffs. However, it’s been coopted.” I fear that too many in the media attribute too much to the three-especially Beane, who has President/GM/Whatever of the Oakland A’s has never won spit, and by spit I mean the World Series. Have you ever sat near a student that had all the correct answers in class, but could only muster a C on the tests? Or maybe worse, the student aced the tests but was clueless in class? That’s Beane as far as I can tell. He’s the Sidd Finch of the front office.
Looking back, I’d prefer reading and praising a book about the Charlie Finley A’s and how he and his crew drafted and developed a group of players in Kansas City, moved them to Oakland and won three consecutive World Series in 1972-74. For as much as Beane and company pretended to create the idea of searching for outliers, the 70’s won a lot without having the best individual position players in the world. Were Joe Rudi, Dick Green, Bill North. Sal Bando, Gene Tenace, Dave Duncan, Ray Fosse or Bert Campenaris ever the best at their position? Even Reggie Jackson wasn’t yet the straw that stirred the drink yet.
Back to that second columnist and notwithstanding his Moneyball reference, his study of the chaos was more reasonable, if no more conclusive as to why it happens. If one is looking for an answer as how best to construct a team that will survive, thrive and win in the postseason, I’m not sure anyone has the answer.
Clayton Kershaw getting waxed in Game 1 against the Diamondbacks isn’t exactly a rarity, but the Braves being shut out by Ranger Suarez and Six Guys Named Moe was a little surprising, although the Phillies do have recent history in their favor.
With all this chaos talk, I’m wondering who benefits from the one-day layoff, the game one winners or losers? Will the AL losers have an advantage by playing today?
At least we get two games on Monday.
Please note the revision re: chaos and crapshoot.
