Why Playoffs are a Crap Shoot

Agreed. You can prepare for the playoffs by manipulating your starters or keep players from being injured, but in the end it is a crap shoot. Too may of us have experienced it.

If you thought the playoffs were purely a crapshoot, Scumby, you wouldn't bother to even manage your teams during the playoffs. Since I'm sure you do do so, I'm sure you don't actually believe the playoffs are just a crapshoot.

Yes, you are correct. Like the Budweiser commercial showing fans thinking they can influence the outcome of games I do it anyways. I'll take credit for any playoff wins, but when I lose it is a crapshoot.

Sounds perfectly reasonable...

Way too many teams in the playoffs since 1995 for my taste. I miss "the old days"

I disagree,( being an Indians fan no season matter until 1994.) I love the expanded playoffs, it keeps fans in more cities interested, deeper into the season.

I'd say we're at the point where the 162 game season has no practical meaning. Just cut it down to 120 games and then have 2 months of playoffs. Each series could be best 6 of 11 or 8 of 15 or something like that

Way too many teams in the playoffs since 1995 for my taste. I miss "the old days"

I disagree,( being an Indians fan no season matter until 1994.) I love the expanded playoffs, it keeps fans in more cities interested, deeper into the season.

I agree, RB, it definitely keeps the interest going for many teams throughout the season. Under the old playoff system, you had a lot of fans giving up on baseball in August, if not earlier. And with only 5 out of each 15 teams in each league making the playoffs--a lower pct. than the NBA or NHL--the regular season is still definitely relevant, and there is no need to shorten the season.

Agreed. You can prepare for the playoffs by manipulating your starters or keep players from being injured, but in the end it is a crap shoot. Too may of us have experienced it.

If you thought the playoffs were purely a crapshoot, Scumby, you wouldn't bother to even manage your teams during the playoffs. Since I'm sure you do do so, I'm sure you don't actually believe the playoffs are just a crapshoot.

Yes, you are correct. Like the Budweiser commercial showing fans thinking they can influence the outcome of games I do it anyways. I'll take credit for any playoff wins, but when I lose it is a crapshoot.

This gets to the heart of the issue!

That inferior teams stay playoff contenders longer is a positive in the sense of team revenues.

Of course the playoffs are a crap shoot in Strat, just like real life, if not my Cardinals wouldn't be where they've been for years. I think one of the things that gets us 'stat geeks' is that the playoffs matter in the sense of what some call 'clutch' I think that all of us that even played high school, college or even little league baseball know what clutch means and those that can ramp it up in the playoffs are the true champs. Didn't we all watch Madison Bumgarner last year chuck those fastballs in that his opponents just watched or fanned at? Do any of us think the Clayton Kershaw isn't the better pitcher overall? But why does Bumgarner rock the playoffs? It's that other level. Unfortunately there is no way to account for it statistically, so we are all at the mercy of math in Strat, but we can pretend........

Crapshoots from the far, far right tail....

I had 56 teams in 2013.

Using standard percentages, I would expect to have had 37 teams miss the playoffs. Of the 19 who made the playoffs, say 10 would advance to the finals and 5 would win rings.

Actual results were 22 teams missed the playoffs. Of the 34 teams who made the playoffs, 21 advanced to the finals and 17 would win rings.

21-13 in semi-finals appearances and 17-4 in finals appearances...a very lucky year indeed!!

Of course the playoffs are a crap shoot in Strat, just like real life, if not my Cardinals wouldn't be where they've been for years. I think one of the things that gets us 'stat geeks' is that the playoffs matter in the sense of what some call 'clutch' I think that all of us that even played high school, college or even little league baseball know what clutch means and those that can ramp it up in the playoffs are the true champs. Didn't we all watch Madison Bumgarner last year chuck those fastballs in that his opponents just watched or fanned at? Do any of us think the Clayton Kershaw isn't the better pitcher overall? But why does Bumgarner rock the playoffs? It's that other level. Unfortunately there is no way to account for it statistically, so we are all at the mercy of math in Strat, but we can pretend........

the flip side is the St. Louis Blues. Totally unsurprising they get bounced in the first round while the Blackhawks will probably make the finals.