Introduction to the Playoffs...

[The Godfather]

From what I've read on the boards, it seems like the best record in the league traditionally gets bounced from the playoffs pretty easily.

Well, I have to say that I feel initiated into the group because my first venture into the playoffs for my 2008 Live Draft league has produced:

[u:3b81df5a04]Semi-Finals Game 1[/u:3b81df5a04]
My ace SP (second in Cy Young results behind my closer) laid an egg. My team rallied back and loaded the bases with no outs in the 9th inning (down by 1 run) with the following result:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=75620&g_id=973

[u:3b81df5a04]Semi-Finals Game 2[/u:3b81df5a04]
My #2 SP pitches a gem, but the only run of the game (possibly unearned?) holds up as the difference:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=75620&g_id=975

I say "possibly" unearned because I wasn't sure if it was a botched inning-ending double play? I'm playing a good team so I didn't think this was going to be easy, but I didn't think it would be this heartbreaking. I won 35 1-run games in the regular season and lost my first two 1-run games of the playoffs.

[RICHARDMILTER]

[quote:2299c0b19c]From what I've read on the boards, it seems like the best record in the league traditionally gets bounced from the playoffs pretty easily.[/quote:2299c0b19c]



I disagree with the above quote. I think if you were to look at every league for a particular year you would find that the team with the best regular season record won the championship at least 1/4 of the time if not at a higher percentage. It is just that a few winers make it seem like the top regular season team gets knocked off at a higher rate.

[The Godfather]

Thanks for the clarification, I wasn't sure if it was a universally accepted fact or not. I'm happy to have made the playoffs. I missed by two games during my first try. I'm playing in an advanced league so I'm happy (overall) with the results so far. Hopefully I can win my first playoff game tonight.

[apolivka]

whine, whine, whine....

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=196940

Wins 110 games, gets bounced in the 1st round last night by an 84 win team...

Seems to only happen to me then. :)

TSN really needs to make the 1st round a seven game series, not that it would help me much. For me winning 100+ is the kiss of death--I'm 0-3 with them. I guess I'll need one more test the one-out-of-four theory.

[keyzick]

[quote:5ac378fd23="apolivka"] For me winning 100+ is the kiss of death--I'm 0-3 with them. I guess I'll need one more test the one-out-of-four theory.[/quote:5ac378fd23]

I've had a couple 100+ win teams with the 08 set...both made (then lost) the Championship.

I have another team heading for 100...and I dread it. Always looks cool to see triple digits in the Win column, but I swear they only win championships maybe 10% of the time :?

Sigh...oh, well, if nothing else it fits in with a nice conspiracy theory!

[The Godfather]

I was shocked to see that I won Games 3 and 4 last night:

[u:03ea0f2959]Semi-Finals Game 3[/u:03ea0f2959]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=75620&g_id=977

[u:03ea0f2959]Semi-Finals Game 4[/u:03ea0f2959]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=75620&g_id=979

I have two key injuries returning for Game 5 tonight, which should help. As for tonight's SP, my ace got bombed in Game 1 (and I don't think he did that well against this team during the regular season either) so I'm bypassing him to go with my #5 SP...............Kyle Lohse.

Crazy??

[The Turtle]

yep, crazy!

[The Godfather]

My craziness almost paid off, as Lohse only gave up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. That is exactly what I was hoping for, but two unearned runs led to my demise:

[u:1ca61dff30]Semi-Finals Game 5[/u:1ca61dff30]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=75620&g_id=981

Kind of strange that the only bullpen guy HAL used was my mop-up guy, but it wasn't exactly a mop-up situation. Also, my Cy Young winning closer (Billy Wagner) never made an appearance in the series.

Overall, I'm pleased with how my team did and I'll chalk this up as a learning experience in my first playoff experience.