ESPN: West Coast leg really necessary?

by jbox on Oct 9, 2005 5:25 PM PDT in News Comment 8 comments

After the Cardinals dispatched the Padres 7-4 for a three-game series sweep Saturday, you had to wonder: Given the spiraling cost of airline fuel, was the final West Coast leg really necessary?

ESPN makes a good point. Why not just give the Cardinals a bye all the way until the World Series. I mean obviously the Padres don't deserve to be in the post season and it's just a waste of everyone's time to play the games. After all there are Yankees games that are being played!

"We have a ton of respect for the Padres, and we're not out there to jump around and make fools of ourselves," said Matt Morris, the winning pitcher in the clincher. "We came in here and tried to celebrate in the privacy of the clubhouse, knowing we have some unfinished business. But in the end, it's all about popping champagne."

That was good of them. At least somebody has respect for our team.

Oh I got a Phil Nevin update via Flannery on 1090. Apparently Nevin calls Sweeney outta the blue when he sad. He needs Sweeney's advice and gets cheered up talking to him. Nevin is still on suicide watch, so keep an eye on him in the off season.

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Pads-Cardinals

The national media coverage of the Padres was both amateurish and juvenile. For whatever reason the Padres are (and have always been treated) like a franchise from the back-water. I never heard anything about how the Padres had to deal with injuries to Hernandez, Loretta, Eaton, et al through the season, or any recognition that the Padres had playoff caliber players (excepting Peavy and perhaps Hoffman). Nor did anyone that I heard care to talk about the pay-roll disparity between the Padres and all the other play-off teams.

For those that are interested here's a list

1 New York Yankees $208,306,817
2 Boston Red Sox $123,505,125
3 New York Mets $101,305,821
4 Los Angeles Angels $97,725,322
5 Philadelphia Phillies $95,522,000
6 St. Louis Cardinals $92,106,833
7 San Francisco Giants $90,199,500
8 Seattle Mariners $87,754,334
9 Chicago Cubs $87,032,933
10 Atlanta Braves $86,457,302
11 Los Angeles Dodgers $83,039,000
12 Houston Astros $76,779,000
13 Chicago White Sox $75,178,000
14 Baltimore Orioles $73,914,333
15 Detroit Tigers $69,092,000
16 San Diego Padres $63,290,833

So the closest other playoff team paid out over 12 million more than we did (and the Cardinals almost 30 million). Hmmm. My question is, if this had been the Mets, Red Sox, Phillies or Cardinals with this payroll, would they be getting the same level of disrespect?

by Jacojre on Oct 9, 2005 6:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Disrespect

They weren't disrespected for any other reason than poor play and winning a horrible division.

by thenerdhater on Oct 10, 2005 7:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

It's tough to get over the East Coast bias telling you that you suck, when you have trouble proving otherwise.

by Dex on Oct 10, 2005 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nothing new

The funny thing is, is that coverage isn't an East Coast bias thing. I don't think, for example, the Giants or Dodgers would get this kind of treatment. How much respect did the Padres get in 1998 when they blew through the NL playoffs? Not much.

To the media the Padres might as well be the Royals (the latter which has earned it's lousy reputation).

Funny how in football things are different: Chiefs and Chargers both get respect -- though not doing much outside the regular season.

by Jacojre on Oct 10, 2005 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you too

Everybody's right! I could also see it being a little tough to market the personalities that we have on the team. No Gwynn, Rickey, Boomer, or anybody like that.

I do think there's a market for whatever Giles is selling though. I just have to find that market, and avoid meeting it in dark alleys.

by Dex on Oct 10, 2005 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Payroll and Playoffs

Just for fun, I'd like MLB to add a Wild Card spot for the team with the best combination of Winning Percentage-Lowest Payroll. Don Fehr probably wouldn't like it, but it would be good for the game.

This year's NL winner (I believe) would be the Milwaukee Brewers with a 81-81 record and 27 out of 30 in payroll (at $39,934,833); this year's AL winner (I believe) would be the Cleveland Indians with a 93-69 record and 26 out of 30 in payroll (at $41,502,500).

by Jacojre on Oct 9, 2005 6:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Brewers don't count

The Brewers are nothing more than a tax shelter for Bud "I don't own a Team" Selig and his family. There should also be a playoff spot for "Teams with Real No BS Owners." Sadly the spot would often be left open.

by Russ on Oct 10, 2005 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brewers don't count?

Should ownership matter? Why not reward the team in spite of management/ownership? In fact, that shows an even greater achievement -- part of why the Minnesota Twins franchise achievements are some of the best achievements in baseball (in my book).

by Jacojre on Oct 10, 2005 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs