Expanding on Hagen's thought by including both leagues, not just the one with the highest lead:

(* - team had the best record in the league)

2008 Angels (21.0)* = lost in ALDS to Red Sox 3-1
2008 Cubs (7.5)* = lost in NLDS to Dodgers 3-0

2007 Indians (8.0) = lost in ALCS to Red Sox 4-3
2007 Cubs (2.0) = lost in NLDS to Diamondbacks 3-0

2006 Yankees (10.0)* = lost in ALDS to Tigers 3-1
2006 Mets (12.0)* = lost in NLCS to Cardinals 4-3

2005 Angels (7.0) = lost in ALCS to White Sox 4-1
2005 Cardinals (11.0)* = lost in NLCS to Astros 4-2

2004 Twins (9.0) = lost in ALDS to Yankees 3-1
2004 Cardinals (13.0)* = lost in WS to Red Sox 4-0

2003 Yankees (6.0)* = lost in WS to Marlins 4-2
2003 Giants (15.5) = lost in NLDS to Marlins 3-1

2002 Twins (13.5) = lost in ALCS to Angels 4-1
2002 Braves (19.0)* = lost in NLDS to Giants 3-2

2001 Mariners (14.0)* = lost in ALCS to Yankees 4-1
2001 Diamondbacks (2.0) = won WS

2000 White Sox (5.0)* = lost in ALDS to Mariners 3-0
2000 Giants (11.0)* = lost in NLDS to Mets 3-1

1999 Indians (21.5) = lost in ALDS to Red Sox 3-2
1999 Diamondbacks (14.0) = lost in NLDS to Mets 3-1

Hagen's convenient boundaries for whatever his "point" is leaves out the 1998 Yankees who won their division by 22 games and easily won the World Series.

He's saying that most of the teams that coasted into the playoffs with no sense of urgency and rested their guys along the way eventually lost their mojo and were knocked out by a hotter team....which means the Phils will lose in the NLDS to the Brewers, I guess...?

I think if the NLDS expanded to 7 games like the other sports, you'd see less upsets...

sports writers who bring up "trends" like that don't give a rat's ass if they're predictive or meaningful in any way--they're just finding new angles so they can produce more diverse content and keep readers coming back.

Good to see that Ryan Zimmerman is actually now the GM

BigEd76 wrote:dead body found on Larry Wayne's ranch

fingers and teeth?

If the Nats don't sell out on Strasburg's starts, they have to be contracted/relocated, right?

this is where i cite some study that showed attendance doesn't change, on average, when a stud pitcher is taking the mound.

if Strasburg is the savior of their team, it's going to take most of those six years of the Nats' control to get them to the point where he's had a significant impact. he'll certainly improve the team, which could conceivably attract a higher class of free agents. it could move the front office to take more risks. attendance will likely increase, but it'll be a gradual increase if the team gradually improves. if Strasburg is a stud and the team doesn't follow suit and he leaves when the Nats lose control of him, then you might as well contract them.

The D-Backs have gone 4 straight games without having one of their batters walked. 3 games by the Phils, and last night by the Astros.

Ed Wade has made his big move:

HOUSTON (AP) — Former big league closer Armando Benitez and the Houston Astros have agreed to a minor league contract.

BINGO!

Papelbon is good at teh math:

"We're 8-4 against them this season. We beat them half the time."

I wonder when the last game was that there was both a triple play and an inside the park homerun in it? To make it better, Mets lead off with the I.S.T.P.H.R. and Phils ended the game with the triple play.

Barry Jive wrote:this is where i cite some study that showed attendance doesn't change, on average, when a stud pitcher is taking the mound.

if Strasburg is the savior of their team, it's going to take most of those six years of the Nats' control to get them to the point where he's had a significant impact. he'll certainly improve the team, which could conceivably attract a higher class of free agents. it could move the front office to take more risks. attendance will likely increase, but it'll be a gradual increase if the team gradually improves. if Strasburg is a stud and the team doesn't follow suit and he leaves when the Nats lose control of him, then you might as well contract them.

The City of Washington shelled out $625M for a ballpark for that team. The Washington Nationals will exist until the terms of that lease run out at the earliest.

I assume meeting Craig Breslow would be awesome.

BigEd76 wrote:Papelbon is good at teh math:

"We're 8-4 against them this season. We beat them half the time."

or maybe he understands small sample sizes?

Cliff Lee has given up 7 less home runs than Brett Myers this year with 124 more innings pitched.

mozartpc27 wrote:

Barry Jive wrote:this is where i cite some study that showed attendance doesn't change, on average, when a stud pitcher is taking the mound.

if Strasburg is the savior of their team, it's going to take most of those six years of the Nats' control to get them to the point where he's had a significant impact. he'll certainly improve the team, which could conceivably attract a higher class of free agents. it could move the front office to take more risks. attendance will likely increase, but it'll be a gradual increase if the team gradually improves. if Strasburg is a stud and the team doesn't follow suit and he leaves when the Nats lose control of him, then you might as well contract them.

The City of Washington shelled out $625M for a ballpark for that team. The Washington Nationals will exist until the terms of that lease run out at the earliest.

I was just following up on what hhh said. I do think a couple teams should be contracted from baseball, but Washington isn't one of them.