Dayn Perry did some great work last week. His Can \’O Corn column pointed out
how much of the difference between MLB and NFL \”competitive balance\”
is really a function of the shorter schedule. Sixteen is a very small number
of games, and serves to increase the amount of turnover in the playoffs each
year. There\’s just not enough time to recover from slumps, while luck and
injuries are much greater determinants of success and failure.
I want to look at that issue from a slightly different perspective. Consider,
if you will, the MLB standings as they would have looked through everyone\’s
13th game this year…
[Ed. Note: The Expos have scored 40 runs in 22 games through Wednesday, and are now 5-17]. That\’s not just league-worst, that\’s in the running for all-time worst. Thirty-six runs is a run-and-a-half a game in a season where normal teams are averaging five runs a game. They\’re hitting for a team line of .201/.283/.254. There are maybe–maybe–10 players qualifying for the batting title who are hitting worse than the Expos as a team. That\’s tough.
They would have to almost double their run-scoring to move up one spot in the standings (Tampa Bay, at 67, is second-worst). Of their five wins, one was 2-0 and the other four were one-run wins. They\’ve been shut out six times. Over a quarter of the time, they score no runs at all.
And that\’s just run-scoring. They\’re dead last in walks. Dead last in home runs. They\’re in the middle of the pack in strikeouts, which I\’m sure is small consolation to Frank Robinson. Their best regular, Jose Vidro, is down on the hitting leaderboard below the century mark, right alongside notable sluggers like Bobby Higginson and Omar Vizquel.
You might have noticed some construction going on around these parts. There\\\’s some dust and a bit of confusion, but I hope everyone is as psyched about the new design. Lots of work has been going on behind the scenes for months now, prepping to make BP a better experience. Bear with us as we work on things to give you more of what you pay your hard-earned money for.
One of those things lost in the shuffle of mail servers was UTK. It happens sometimes; no one\\\’s to blame, we just supersize and move on. So, after a night out with Christian Ruzich and TFD, I realize that I could talk baseball for hours. I got to do my Indy radio gig, talked with guys who stopped by for another hour, then beverages with two great guys after that. Life is good, and better now that the XM is installed in the Volvo. I\\\’m ready for next week\\\’s big trip. Let\\\’s get on to the injuries…