No Place Like Home

October 2, 2007

         Home field advantage.  Is it as important as everyone thinks it is?  I am a huge proponent, as I’ve said many times.  I immediately think of playing game 5 in Anaheim in 2005 (thanks Buck Showalter) and game 7 in Arizona in 2001.  There’s nothing worse than being tangled up in a series in which the home team wins every game and the other guy gets game 7 in his home park because of circumstance, instead of anything meaningful, like best record.  In 2001 it was still alternating leagues.  But in the last few years we’ve seen a proliferation of series in which the team with the home field advantage goes out early, often at the hands of the wild card team, prompting MLB last year to look for ways to give the team with the best record a bit more of an advantage in order to provide an incentive for teams to shoot for that goal.  A noble idea, certainly, but let’s not kid ourselves.  What they came up with was lame.  The team with the best record gets to pick the series over 7 days or 8 days.  Awesome….

         Here’s what I think.  I think many people miscalculate when and where home field is advantageous, particularly in a short series.  When two playoff teams are involved, it’s very difficult to win two games in a row to start a series.  It happens, often, in fact, but it’s difficult.  It’s more likely that two teams will split the first two.  Here’s what I’m driving at.  In a five game series, I don’t like the two-two-one format.  I know it looks good on paper, and I know it checks all of the boxes that you think you should check, i.e. the team with home-field advantage gets to start at home (guaranteeing them two gates), and they get to finish at home.  The only down side, on paper, is that you end up doing more traveling, particularly if you have to fly cross-country if your short series is east coast against west coast.  But here’s what I’ll offer.  I think the old two-three format, the format that they used back in ’95 when the Yanks lost to the Mariners, was a lot more advantageous to the team with home-field.  Here’s why.  Most teams in the post season will have at least two top-flight starters.  Usually the first two games are great match-ups.  Home or no home, it’s tough to win both of those games.  And the minute you split at home, the other team has a shot to win two games in their own park to take you out without you ever coming back home.  And in those third and fourth games, you usually have the shakier back end guys going.  It’s those games where home field advantage will give you some more juice.  Two great starters locking horns will usually trump home-field.  I’ve seen this up close.  The Yankees lost two short series’ in the last five years this way.  Exactly this way.  And the other three also featured a split in the first two games.  Only once did the fifth game decide the series, and it certainly did matter for the home team.  So if you look at the two-three format, as soon as you split the first two, you go play the duration in the team with home-field’s park.  That’s a big monkey on your back as the away team, to know you have to go into the other team’s park and win two of three with your back-end starters.  And odds are your back-end starters are weaker if you aren’t the team with home-field (this doesn’t always hold true, as I would submit that the Yankees are stronger than the Indians at the back-end).  The downside is – surprise – money-related.  Teams are worried that they’ll close it out in three and only get one gate.  This, in my ever-so-humble opinion, is short-sighted, as the goal is to play as many games as possible.  Give yourself the best chance to move on and you’ll make even more money, I promise.  Keep in mind that all of this goes out the window once you get to the seven-game series.  This is strictly for the short series.

        So my point here is twofold.  First, if MLB wants to give the guys with the best records a bigger advantage, let them decide whether or not they want the 2-2-1 format or the 2-3 format.  If teams are smart they’ll give it some thought.  The other part of my point is that the Yankees are not really up against it being on the road in the first round.  All you need is one slip in Cleveland and the only thing separating the Indians and the golf course is Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd at Yankee Stadium.  Something to think about.

        Just saw happymeds comment that Gerry Davis is working left field this series.  Interesting note – the left field ump stands exactly in front of us in section 24.  Exactly in front.  So much so that I have cell-phone pictures of the left-field ump right in front of me in past years, and we have been known to chat them up between innings.  Not sure what I’ll do…  I’ll try to control myself…

        So I would be remiss if I didn’t give a recap of the super-successful 3rd Annual Wifflemania at Acclestick Park.  First and foremost, I usually post the pictures, but I’ll have to get them uploaded from Acc’s camera, so give me some time on that.  Paddy B had some good pictures also, so maybe I’ll see if I can track down some of those.  There was a bit of a shake-up this year, as regular Wifflemania all-star Mike Sherry was unable to participate.  This unraveled the 2005 champion and 2006 finalist Bombers, and had repercussions throughout the tournament (and for Acc, who Mike Sherry has only recently forgiven – maybe- for scheduling it when he couldn’t go).  Pitching sensation Sean was paired with Spiff on the Cryptonic squad, while Acc joined his two cousins, section 24 regulars Bobby and Big Angelo on Team Acc.  Newcomer Chris B, Paddy B’s older brother, made a splash on Big Red with Friedo and G. Burke.  The Pig, finalists from 2005, were split up, with McHale joining Petey Goods and Robbie Wonderful on Orange Crush, Greg Wilbs joining his two brothers on Striking Resemblance, and me joining Cryptonic.  Mikey Juice and Stevie D anchored Golden Shower along with Majtika, while everyone’s favorite was again Slim Richie, Mikey Rumble and Tony Sherry on Jeremy’s Wig/Green Bay/Crème de menthe/ Cream duh mint.  But the ominous presence looming over the tournament once again was the indomitable Stevie C. and Blue Balls, also featuring Paddy B and Marshall.  So when the dust cleared and the playoff round began, Rookie of the Year Chris B carried Big Red to extra-innings against Cryptonic, but Sean’s tying two-run bomb brought Cryptonic back, and they finally secured the win on a walk-off triple in extra-innings.  The tournament wasn’t without controversy.  Team Acc, fresh off a beating from Cream duh mint, had to face them again in a one-inning, start-with-the-bases-loaded game to decide the final playoff spot, and finally won on a walk-off walk.  There was some question about whether or not tournament rules actually called for the one-inning playoff, but the league commissioner decided it was called for.  The league commissioner, incidentally, is Acc.  Because it’s his house…  But all of this was moot in the end, as Blue Balls easily dispatched Team Acc in the first playoff round.  New tournament rules dictated that all three members of the squad had to pitch an inning in the playoffs, preventing the unhittable Stevie C from dominating the tournament as he did as the MVP in 2006.  This set up the match-up between the defending champion Blue Balls and Cryptonic.  In an upset, Cryptonic took down Marshall for eight runs in the first inning on their way to a 10-2 victory.  Congratulations to the 2007 Wifflemania at Acclestick Park champions, Cryptonic.  Some notables:

Best moment: tie between Tony Sherry’s Petey Goods impersonation and Slim Richie kicking the bucket of wiffleballs over and calling the ump a “crazy *sshole.”

Best pitch: Stevie C’s “kindergartener” so named because that’s what you look like trying to hit it.

Best play:  Chris B’s diving catch of a ball of the back wall with two men on to save two runs.

Looked coolest in their uniform:  Robbie Wonderful Flavors, of course.  Who else?  He won this award before he even showed up.

Most eaten at the barbeque:  Tough to say.  It was a free-for-all for the better part of the day.  It actually may have been Ciampi, even though he only showed up for five minutes.  Yup.  That’s how impressive the kid is.

Most alcohol consumed – team:  Cream duh Mint.  Team motto – “Cryptonic and Red Bull in one hand, bat in the other.”

Most alcohol consumed – individual:  Gotta be McHale….

Best footwear:  Tie – Bobby “Boots” and Mikey “flip flops” Juice

Most insults hurled at the umps:  Petey Goods

Most insults hurled at him while umpiring:  Petey Goods

All in all, great day as always.  Great job by the Big Boy putting on the show… 

Written by mlblogsbleedingpinstripes Posted in Dailies