playoff bs you have to see this

I can totally sympathize. Without citing all of the specific instances of "bad luck" that I've experienced, I truly question whether the rolls are random. For example, in the last league I participated in, I watched Robinson Cano decimate two LOOGY pitchers (Choate 7L and Rapada 9L) in clutch situations on more than a few occasions, despite the fact that everyone on the boards talks about how Cano is very weak versus left handers.

In Strat-O-Matic, the highly improbable is commonplace and, in my opinion, that detracts from the game. Teams don't routinely rally from 4 or 5 run deficits in the 8th and 9th innings very often, but it sure happens here a lot. Likewise, teams don't always collapse going down the home stretch, key injuries don't frequently occur where star players are out for the playoffs, and underdogs don't routinely beat a team that has dominated all season. Do these things happen in real life? You bet they do. However, they don't happend with the frequency seen in Strat-O-Matic.

They are random... if you've played the game with cards and dice or played craps, you see that the dice are very unpredictable, it's that's simple. Statistically they even out but in a very small sample, e.g., a game, a series, even a season they can roll way against what they're statistically "supposed" to do.

JT

Tough losses for sure, but the Pyth W/L difference between the 2 teams was only 3 games. With teams that close Is a 7 game series really an upset? The strength of the divisions factored into the records to, the "underdog" team had a little tougher division.

Just my opinion, only worth the bytes it's taking up to store it.

But the bottom of the 9th losses are definitely tough to take.

I wish I were good enough to make the playoffs that often-----If I were in your shoes I would be more upset about losing the free game credits than the playoffs. I think the 3 division winners should get a credit, and the league champ an extra credit, wildcard teams would be just that--have to be league champs to get a credit---probably never talk SoM into doing it as its 4 credits instead of 3.

I think the 3 division winners should get a credit, and the league champ an extra credit, wildcard teams would be just that--have to be league champs to get a credit

Totally agree with you!!!

I think the 3 division winners should get a credit, and the league champ an extra credit, wildcard teams would be just that--have to be league champs to get a credit

Totally agree with you!!!

Great idea.

The process is random. The worst team will win the world series at least 40% of the time. Seven games is too small of a sample. That's why miller.randall's idea is a fair one.

What reason would Strat have for manipulation? Strange events happen with a random process and tens of thousands of events, many "seem" strange because you are picking out the outliers. Last week my 116 win team lost to the wildcard. Last night there were 15 runs in one inning and so on.

I think the 3 division winners should get a credit, and the league champ an extra credit, wildcard teams would be just that--have to be league champs to get a credit

Totally agree with you!!!

Great idea.

The process is random. The worst team will win the world series at least 40% of the time. Seven games is too small of a sample. That's why miller.randall's idea is a fair one.

What reason would Strat have for manipulation? Strange events happen with a random process and tens of thousands of events, many "seem" strange because you are picking out the outliers. Last week my 116 win team lost to the wildcard. Last night there were 15 runs in one inning and so on.

I like this idea too.

Re randomness - how many times has the world series winner NOT had the best record in baseball? I think quite a bit, especially in the last 10 years (without looking it up). I think the randomness is actually a good reflection of real life MLB!

It's just frustrating when you come out on the losing end - especially if you are in an extended "playoff slump".

Yes, going away empty handed after winning a division is more frustrating than losing.

The best record guarantees nothing in real life and here in on-line SOM. Besides who says the best team even has the best record? What about run differential, maybe the team with the best run differential should win every time, but they don't and besides that would be boring. I am sorry you lost in the playoffs but it is quite an accomplishment to make the playoffs in one of these leagues. The competition is excellent and the salary caps keep it very competitive. The best thing to do is have fun and keep playing. I consider my team a success if I make the playoffs, anything else is just icing on the cake.

I think the 3 division winners should get a credit, and the league champ an extra credit, wildcard teams would be just that--have to be league champs to get a credit

Totally agree with you!!!

I like this idea too.

Someone should start an online petition. Where is Valen when you need him???

The best record guarantees nothing in real life and here in on-line SOM. Besides who says the best team even has the best record? What about run differential, maybe the team with the best run differential should win every time, but they don't and besides that would be boring. I am sorry you lost in the playoffs but it is quite an accomplishment to make the playoffs in one of these leagues. The competition is excellent and the salary caps keep it very competitive. The best thing to do is have fun and keep playing. I consider my team a success if I make the playoffs, anything else is just icing on the cake.

I looked it up. Fact - from 2000-2012 (13 seasons of real life MLB), the team with the best regular season record won the world series only twice - 2007 (Boston) and 2009 (NY Yankees). Only twice in 13 years. If you consider that 8 teams made the playoffs for most of those years, if the playoff World Series victory was PURELY RANDOM, the team with the top record would have won 13/8 times, or 1.625 times. 2 victories by the team with the best record during the season is just about bang on that random average.

I agree with Radagast (and I've heard other veteran managers say this) that **making the playoffs** is a big accomplishment in these leagues, and worthy of some recognition for a team well managed. What happens in the playoffs is fairly random in relation to regular season performance - even in the real life big leagues. That doesn't mean that strategy is not important in the playoffs. It's just that the team that happens to be "hot" in the playoffs (in strat, we say great die rolls) is the team that wins in the playoffs.