80-somethings

by BillyMojo on May 6, 2009 2:38 PM EDT

2008 Angels

2007 Cubs

2006 Cardinals, Padres, & Dodgers (wc)

2005 Padres

2004 (none)

Don't want to go back any further but those are teams that made post-season appearances winning their divisions (and one wc) with 80-something wins. The low 90-somethings aren't a whole lot different, but they are a hell of a lot more common, and I think it has more to do with having one team in your division that is a total dog.

We aren't the total dog anymore.

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Why are we worring about 80-something wins?

We are on pace for 93 wins!!!!

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 5, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions

yes!

. I didn’t get into all the details that are going through my head since I’m at work. It would have been a more involved post. My goal was just to get the discussion started.

My point is just about the same thing as you said. As good as we are doing right now, like you said on a pace to win 93 games, we should win the division hands down. But which teams that we play lots of games against are going to stay as bad as they are right now?

Some preliminary looks over at NYRoyal’s Confidence Index Post, where lots of people are confindent that we’ll be in the “80-somethings”. I predicted 86. That prediction could well be enough to win the division. Oh yeah it would be tight. That’s winning the division by maybe 2 or 2.5 games ahead of 2nd place.

Having a total dog in the division, I think for us to go on into the “90-sometings” would require either Cleveland to continue their current semi-meltdown, or the Twins to not turn anything around; or et cetera.

To get the added wins, some teams will have to get added losses. The “90-somethings” are frequently getting post-season action. Just an observation.

Come on, Annie, think of something clever to say, huh? Something full of magic, religion, bullshit. Come on, dazzle me.

by BillyMojo on May 5, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I think there will

have to be one team in the division that will suffer a good number of those tough losses that we have seen so many of in recent years. A lot like what happened to the Tigers last year. They don’t take the cellar without us sweeping them in week one, which surprised everyone.

Who is going to suffer those losses if not us anymore? I can’t say for certain, but it seems at this point to be the Indians, their pitching has fallen off a cliff. No pun intended.

I also can say that based on recent years watching the Royals, once those tough losses start happening, they barrel roll.

I also believe if we play .500 ball within the division, and have success in other places, such as against the NL, like we have the last couple of years, and also have success against teams outside the Central, we stand a strong chance of getting 90 wins.

This may not follow conventional wisdom, but it just might be the formula for winning this division.

"What Greinke's doing right now is like walking around 1980s Mexico with a hundred dollar bill in his pocket: he can't even buy anything because if anyone gave him change, he'd liquidate the country's assets, so its easier for him to just be given whatever he wants."

by topekaroyal on May 5, 2009 4:12 PM EDT reply actions