Standings, Twenty-Twelve

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Correct, the winner of the WC one-game death-match will face the division winner with the best record regardless of what division each came from -- as opposed to the old system where the sole WC team could not face its division rival in the opening round.

and this year only, at HOME if it's the AL.

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Correct, the winner of the WC one-game death-match will face the division winner with the best record regardless of what division each came from -- as opposed to the old system where the sole WC team could not face its division rival in the opening round. and this year only, at HOME if it's the AL.

Say what?

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Correct, the winner of the WC one-game death-match will face the division winner with the best record regardless of what division each came from -- as opposed to the old system where the sole WC team could not face its division rival in the opening round. and this year only, at HOME if it's the AL. Say what?

AL Wild Card team opens the ALDS at home this yaer.

[Frayed Knot]

OK, why?

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Frayed Knot wrote: OK, why?

It eliminates a travel day. The series will be played in a 2-3 format, rather than 2-2-1. This was all done to squeeze the wild-card games in after the regular season schedule was locked in.

As far as I can see, both leagues have the same format for the DS.

http://mlb.si.com/2012/08/14/2012-playoff-schedule-major-league-baseball/ See also the link to Jayson Stark's piece in this article.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: OK, why?

supposedly scheduling. since the schedule was determined before the second wild card was decided, there wasn't enough off days so it's a 2-3 schedule instead of 2-2-1.

At least, that's what they're saying. I'm not sure it actually holds up. It means the Rangers* don't know where they have to travel for the game the next day until the game is over, despite best record. And if the second wild card team wins, they're going to have to travel anyway.

Unless I'm missing something.

So say Oakland plays as the second wild card against Baltimore. if Oakland wins, both teams have to fly to oakland. and if the O's win, one team still has to fly, but it's the best record team instead of the WC team.

[Frayed Knot]

OK, I originally read that as the WC team having the overall home-field advantage in the first round.

If it's just the order of the games that's moved not only don't I mind but I actually prefer the 2-3 format to the 2-2-1.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

The point that I have seen made most often is that only if the series goes five games does the team with the home field advantage actually get the home field advantage.

[Ceetar]

I think there's something to the team with the best record in the league having to sit around and figure out where they're playing instead of sitting cozy at home saying "We're the best, who's going to come take us on?"

[batmagadanleadoff]

Ceetar wrote: I think there's something to the team with the best record in the league having to sit around and figure out where they're playing instead of sitting cozy at home saying "We're the best, who's going to come take us on?"

If they don't like it, they could switch slots with one of the two wild card teams.

[Edgy MD]

Just to be clear, guys like Houston still have an elimination number but they are actually eliminated, because even should the current leaders were to utterly collapse, and Houston to run the board, the teams that beat Washington and Atlanta would beat them to the top.

NL East
Team	W	L	%	GB	Net GB	M#/E#	BP % Champs
Washington	78	51	.605	---	---	28	86.1%
Atlanta	74	57	.565	5.0	5.0	28	13.9%
New York	61	69	.469	17.5	30.0	16	0.0%
Philadelphia	61	69	.469	17.5	30.0	16	0.0%
Miami	59	72	.450	20.0	40.0	13	0.0%

NL Wildcard
Team	W	L	%	GB	Net GB	M#/E#	BP % Champs
Cincinnati	80	52	.606	Div.	Lead.	---	2.0%
Washington	78	51	.605	Div.	Lead.	---	13.6%
San Francisco	72	57	.558	Div.	Lead.	---	4.8%
Atlanta	74	57	.565	---	---	32	75.8%
St. Louis	71	59	.546	---	---	32	68.4%
Pittsburgh	70	60	.538	1.0	1.0	32	27.9%
Los Angeles	70	61	.534	1.5	2.0	31	7.9%
Arizona	64	67	.489	7.5	20.0	25	0.1%
Milwaukee	62	67	.481	8.5	24.0	25	0.1%
New York	61	69	.469	10.0	31.5	23	0.0%
Philadelphia	61	69	.469	10.0	31.5	23	0.0%
San Diego	61	71	.462	11.0	38.5	21	0.0%
Miami	59	72	.450	12.5	50.5	20	0.0%
Colorado	53	76	.411	17.5	95.5	16	0.0%
Chicago	49	80	.380	21.5	135.5	12	0.0%
Houston	40	89	.310	30.5	234.5	3	0.0%

[Edgy MD]

Come on... let's re-take third! LET'S ACHIEVE A PLAYOFF LIKELIHOOD THAT IS MEASURABLE BY TENTHS OF A PERCENT!

(Actually, in order to do that latter, we need to root for Philly tonight.)

NL East
Team	W	L	%	GB	Net GB	M#/E#	BP % Champs
Washington	80	51	.611	---	---	25	95.7%
Atlanta	74	58	.561	6.5	6.5	25	4.3%
Philadelphia	63	69	.477	17.5	28.5	14	0.0%
New York	62	70	.470	18.5	31.5	13	0.0%
Miami	59	73	.447	21.5	43.5	10	0.0%

NL Wildcard
Team	W	L	%	GB	Net GB	M#/E#	BP % WC
Washington	80	51	.611	Div.	Lead.	---	4.3%
Cincinnati	81	52	.609	Div.	Lead.	---	0.4%
San Francisco	74	58	.561	Div.	Lead.	---	3.3%
Atlanta	74	58	.561	---	---	31	84.4%
St. Louis	71	61	.538	---	---	31	63.7%
Pittsburgh	70	61	.534	0.5	0.5	31	33.9%
Los Angeles	70	63	.526	1.5	2.5	29	8.7%
Arizona	66	67	.496	5.5	14.5	25	1.2%
Milwaukee	63	68	.481	7.5	22.5	24	0.1%
Philadelphia	63	69	.477	8.0	25.0	23	0.0%
New York	62	70	.470	9.0	31.0	22	0.0%
San Diego	62	71	.466	9.5	34.5	21	0.0%
Miami	59	73	.447	12.0	54.5	19	0.0%
Colorado	53	77	.408	17.0	99.5	15	0.0%
Chicago	51	80	.389	19.5	124.5	12	0.0%
Houston	40	92	.303	31.0	251.0	0	0.0%

[Edgy MD]

Deliriously Optimistic Standings Report:

Tonight we gained a game on: Washington, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and either the Dodgers or the Diamondbacks, who are tied 1-1 in the fourth
Tonight we kept pace with: Philadelphia, St. Louis, Milwaukee and either the Dodgers or the Diamondbacks, who are tied 1-1 in the fourth.

We started the day 31.0 net games out of Wild Card contention, and will finish 27.0 out. Not a bad day's work for a team with a month left to pull of a miracle.

I look forward to tomorrow to see if our playoff odds will be up to 0.1% yet.

[Edgy MD]

And one brass ring (a piece of third place in the division) denies us another (a visible post-season possibility percentage). Even as our fellow third-placers Philadelphia retain a 0.1% likelihood, ours remains at zero as the phumbln' Phils blow a 7-2 lead and fall to Chipper Jones and the Braves, shaving a game off our elimination number.

The one thing we have going for us is that every team we play in September is ahead of us in the standings. Of course, we've earned that the hard way, by letting them get ahead. But St. Louis is the team we want to be playing right now.

Other teams we need to root for today, in order of importance.

Rockies to beat the Braves.
Padres to beat the Dodgers.
Astros to beat the Pirates.
Marlins to beat the Brews.
Giants to beat the Diamondbacks.
Cubs to beat the Nats.
Phils to beat the Reds.

NL East
Team	W	L	%	GB	Net GB	M#/E#	BP % Champs
Washington	81	52	.609	---	---	23	95.9%
Atlanta	75	59	.560	6.5	6.5	23	4.1%
New York	64	70	.478	17.5	28.5	12	0.0%
Philadelphia	64	70	.478	17.5	28.5	12	0.0%
Miami	59	75	.440	22.5	48.5	7	0.0%

NL Wildcard
Team	W	L	%	GB	Net GB	M#/E#	BP % WC
Cincinnati	82	53	.607	Div.	Lead.	---	1.2%
Washington	81	52	.609	Div.	Lead.	---	4.0%
San Francisco	76	58	.567	Div.	Lead.	---	3.9%
Atlanta	75	59	.560	---	---	28	85.1%
St. Louis	72	62	.537	---	---	28	67.2%
Los Angeles	72	63	.533	0.5	0.5	28	25.1%
Pittsburgh	70	63	.526	1.5	2.5	28	21.2%
Arizona	66	69	.489	6.5	17.5	22	0.5%
Milwaukee	65	68	.489	6.5	17.5	23	0.2%
New York	64	70	.478	8.0	25.0	21	0.0%
Philadelphia	64	70	.478	8.0	25.0	21	0.1%
San Diego	62	73	.459	10.5	42.5	18	0.0%
Miami	59	75	.440	13.0	62.5	16	0.0%
Colorado	55	77	.417	16.0	89.5	14	0.0%
Chicago	51	82	.383	20.5	134.5	9	0.0%
Houston	41	93	.306	31.0	250.0	E	0.0%

[Ceetar]

Rooting for the Phils to beat Cueto and Reds can be copied to the R.A. Dickey thread as well.

[Edgy MD]

Magic number for clinching fourth place is six.