Domino Effect: What If The Atlanta Braves Hadn't Folded?

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 9:07 AM PDT

{NOTE: THIS IS ALSO THE GAME THREAD FOR GAME 3 OF THE WORLD SERIES}

Back 8.5 in the Wild Card in September, the St. Louis Cardinals had to keep winning something fierce, but they were far enough back that just winning wasn't going to be enough. Beyond their control, they needed the Atlanta Braves to really tank -- and tank they did, losing 18 of their final 26 and their last 5 in a row, or else despite their September efforts the Cardinals would have finished in 9th place for an 8-team post-season bracket.

Who knows what else would be different besides St. Louis watching from the sidelines the whole time, rather than entering tonight's game just three wins shy of a World Series title?

As a Wild Card coming from the Eastern Division, Atlanta would have played Milwaukee while the Phillies would have matched up with the Diamondbacks. Perhaps that would have allowed the Phillies, baseball's winningest team in the regular season, to advance at least to the NLCS and possibly on to send Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee to the mound four times against the Texas Rangers.

On the flip side, as good as the Phillies were throughout the season, perhaps three sports hernias and a ruptured tendon would have relegated them to be bounced anyway. Maybe Tim Hudson would have come up big and led the Braves to a series of upsets, or perhaps Huddy would have visited a bar in Milwaukee and...Too soon.

The point is, we haven't seen or heard from the Atlanta Braves for nearly a month now yet their complete and utter meltdown has profoundly changed the NL landscape throughout the post-season: Right down to the fact that the NL is represented in the World Series by baseball's hottest team and that team did not fully control its own destiny in September. The Braves just had to be "not gawdawful" and they couldn't do it. And here we are.

Game 3 at 5:00pm PDT features your basic legendary aces: Kyle Lohse and Matt Harrison. Are these going to the be the starters if the series goes 7? Ruh-roh.

There will now be a medium-sized intermission and we'll see you at 5:00pm. Discuss! Frolic! Gambol! Dissect! But enough about lunch.

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What if, last year, the San Diego Padres hadn't folded?

We would not have had the experience of that “other team” winning the world series.

by BatDay on Oct 22, 2011 10:30 AM PDT reply actions

Right -- if they just could have gone 2-8 instead of 0-10

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions

Michael Choice is tearing it up in the AFL

He’s batting .367 with 5 HR’s and 8 RBI’s through 8 games.

The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He'll knock you 'round and upside down
And laugh when he's conquered and won.

by duballers23 on Oct 22, 2011 4:53 PM PDT reply actions

Which team has the better radio team to listen to?

"As the tag line of my favorite dirty joke would have it: 'Keep your hat on. We could wind up miles from here.'" ~Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus

by Elvez on Oct 22, 2011 5:24 PM PDT reply actions

Phillies

Could have totally just dropped the ball on one of those games against the Braves. Yankees style.

by Hit4TheCycle on Oct 22, 2011 6:46 PM PDT reply actions

game thread? could have fooled me

BTW great throw by the unsmiling one, and tag by my favorite Molina brother.

by OaklandSi on Oct 22, 2011 6:49 PM PDT reply actions

Apparently, this series is riveting to A's fans

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions

is spring training starting already?

Those games don’t count, you know.

by MobiusKlein on Oct 22, 2011 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions

A lot of our regulars are at Jesa's party tonight

Oh look, another pitching change.

I don't feel that I'm feeling your feelings, about these feelings that you feel.

by doctorK on Oct 22, 2011 7:12 PM PDT up reply actions

well, I've been watching it

by OaklandSi on Oct 22, 2011 9:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Me too. Baseball is baseball.

Hard not to when it’s your last chance for 5 months.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 9:46 PM PDT up reply actions

A long, long 5 months :-(

by OaklandSi on Oct 23, 2011 6:13 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Slusser ROXS

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/22/SPMT1LKO5S.DTL

On Saturday in Arlington, Texas, Slusser was elected vice president of the Baseball Writers Association of America,

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/22/SPMT1LKO5S.DTL#ixzz1bZByNe1g

You go gal! We love you. Don’t forget about us, always remember your roots.
And always, you are welcome to visit us still.

by MobiusKlein on Oct 22, 2011 7:07 PM PDT reply actions

Omigod, no Susan, do NOT remember your roots!

They are the saddest thing about your hair. ;-(

-Cindi

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 7:07 PM PDT up reply actions

How do you fold dominoes?

- player20

by player20 on Oct 22, 2011 7:26 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

she remembers them

not that she needs to.

by MobiusKlein on Oct 22, 2011 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Hooray for Susan!

by whiteshoes40 on Oct 22, 2011 7:55 PM PDT up reply actions

AWESOME!

"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."

by Kyli on Oct 23, 2011 4:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Nelson Cruz

One dangerous man.

by Hit4TheCycle on Oct 22, 2011 7:17 PM PDT reply actions

This is shaping up to be a long evening. Runz!

Sisko: All right Niners, let's hear some chatter!
Kasidy: Hey batterbatterbatterbatterbatter!
Leeta: Hey batterbatterbatter! Batterbatterbatterbatter!
Worf: DEATH TO THE OPPOSITION!!!

by CmdrKhraanik on Oct 22, 2011 7:22 PM PDT reply actions

mustard

ack-A
Häägëñ Dääs

by ak_A on Oct 22, 2011 7:24 PM PDT reply actions

sauerkraut

by Hit4TheCycle on Oct 22, 2011 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions

FREE KRAUT

I don't feel that I'm feeling your feelings, about these feelings that you feel.

by doctorK on Oct 22, 2011 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions

boom

I don't feel that I'm feeling your feelings, about these feelings that you feel.

by doctorK on Oct 22, 2011 7:43 PM PDT reply actions

back to football

ack-A
Häägëñ Dääs

by ak_A on Oct 22, 2011 7:44 PM PDT reply actions

Ogando is AWFUL Tonite

by Trainman on Oct 22, 2011 7:54 PM PDT reply actions

Hee.

susanslusser Susan Slusser
I’m one of the three official scorers tonight, which is good because I believe I have seen this same game at this ballpark 100 times before.

by whiteshoes40 on Oct 22, 2011 7:55 PM PDT reply actions

As much as I like Wash (though I dislike the Rangers),

I have to say he is such a bad tactical manager. Worse than Geren, IMO.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 7:56 PM PDT reply actions

With Geren it was just arbitrary

With Wash it’s like he’s trying to be so different that he’s going overboard

"I'll guarantee this: The A's will have a better season in 2012." - George Zimmer

by cuppingmaster on Oct 22, 2011 8:10 PM PDT up reply actions

So, this Pujols guy is pretty good, eh?

I don't feel that I'm feeling your feelings, about these feelings that you feel.

by doctorK on Oct 22, 2011 8:15 PM PDT reply actions

If the Rangers sign him, I'll probably molest a kitten.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 8:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd leave poo in their holes

"I'll guarantee this: The A's will have a better season in 2012." - George Zimmer

by cuppingmaster on Oct 22, 2011 8:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Mike Napoli is

Walter Sobchak

That rug really tied the room together...

by Streams Of Whiskey on Oct 22, 2011 8:31 PM PDT reply actions

This Pujols guy will probably do well on the free agency market.

by 4-6-3 on Oct 22, 2011 9:03 PM PDT reply actions

So everyone talks about how the ball carries in this park

Blah blah blah.

But then you see the HRs and most of them aren’t weak hits that just carried. The batters are getting good pitches to hit and taking advantage of them. How does this park change that dynamic?

by 4-6-3 on Oct 22, 2011 9:04 PM PDT reply actions

It's more the ones by Young (and to some extent Cruz)

hit to RF that get into the jet stream and carry farther than they would elsewhere. Pujols’ bombs would go just as far anywhere.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 22, 2011 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Same thing can be said about 2010

The Giants shouldn’t have been in the playoffs w/o the collaspe by the Padres. It all goes back to Billy Beane calling the playoffs a crapshoot. The best team in the regular season doesn’t always win. I think this is more evidence that the playoffs should be expanded by at least one team in each league.

Re-sign Josh Willingham now!

by sf drift king on Oct 23, 2011 2:29 PM PDT reply actions

I look at this just the opposite.

Since the best teams tend to rise to the top over the 162 game season, I’m for balancing the schedule( everyone plays the same teams the same number of times), with just two division winners going to the playoffs. Wildcards are a fake to me. They don’t “deserve” to be in the playoffs. If you want two more teams, then make them legitimate, and make four divisions.

"Trying not to rec a "F**k the Giants" post is like trying not to look at boobs."

by Tutu-late on Oct 23, 2011 7:03 PM PDT up reply actions

something to remember when thinking about an extra playoff team

If Selig had added the extra team for each league this year, as he wants to do soon, then the Braves and Red Sox would’ve made the tournament and we wouldn’t be discussing the collapses now or in the future. That addition would’ve taken away what little suspense there was in the last week of the season, instead of adding to it.

Diluting the playoffs further isn’t the way to create more interest in more cities. The answer is tweaking the system so that teams like the Pirates and Royals can make runs at the postseason more than once a generation.

by rudirules on Oct 24, 2011 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Contemplating what would happen if a team didn’t fold isn’t always good. The fact that they did not shows that they stuck it out the whole time. Any team who can bounce back from having four serious injuries is definitely one to be reckoned with.

Halloween

by msunjeeve on Oct 23, 2011 7:34 PM PDT reply actions