So before we move on to the hometown AL, let's finish off the NL ... which of Da Box's choices wins the flag and goes to the World Series?
| NL West Champ ARI |  25 (19.69%) |
| NL Central Champ CHC | 17 (13.39%) |
| NL East Champ NYM | 69 (54.33%) |
| NL Wild Card MIL | 16 (12.60%) |
127 votes | 4 featured comments
I didn't participate in all the other polls... but does anyone else think it is weird (esp. with all the volatility in the NL) that all 4 of the winners were in the mix up until the last week last year, especially when three of the four that da box readers have picked weren't on the radar at this time in 2007.
Basically, I'm working on the idea that much of baseball prediction is very "conservative" and that pundits/projectors/media-types rarely get "breakout" projections right (I didn't hear one pundit mention MIL last year).
Just a thought...
Basically, I'm working on the idea that much of baseball prediction is very "conservative" and that pundits/projectors/media-types rarely get "breakout" projections right (I didn't hear one pundit mention MIL last year).
Just a thought...
when three of the four that da box readers have picked weren't on the radar at this time in 2007.
They were certainly on our radar. My memory tells me that a lot of us had the Brewers as our 2007 pick in the NL Central. I went back and looked, and it appears that we seemed to have been split between the Cubs and the Brewers.
Now the Diamondbacks... no one understands the Diamondbacks. The normal rules of baseball, life, and mathematics do not apply to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are a phenomenon with no parallel...
They were certainly on our radar. My memory tells me that a lot of us had the Brewers as our 2007 pick in the NL Central. I went back and looked, and it appears that we seemed to have been split between the Cubs and the Brewers.
Now the Diamondbacks... no one understands the Diamondbacks. The normal rules of baseball, life, and mathematics do not apply to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are a phenomenon with no parallel...
Well, I mean, it's kind of definitionally impossible for a poll to pick a surprise breakout team - if enough people think a team is going to massively improve, they stop being a breakout candidate. Boston was the consensus pick for World Series winner before 2007 began despite being a third place team in an impossible division, and Chicago and Cleveland were popular picks in the Centrals despite having finished 36 combined games below .500 the year before. This year, Detroit will probably win our AL Central poll even though they didn't even sniff the playoffs last year.
Besides, more half of the NL was in the mix last year. Who are we going to pick that isn't conservative and hasn't already thrown the towel in on 2008? Houston and Cincinnati are basically the only teams left.
Not to go on, but also I think people did expect Milwaukee to be good enough to win 83 games last year. What they didn't expect was St. Louis's injury trouble. That's where the big surprises really come from - which good team is going to get the bad luck?
Besides, more half of the NL was in the mix last year. Who are we going to pick that isn't conservative and hasn't already thrown the towel in on 2008? Houston and Cincinnati are basically the only teams left.
Not to go on, but also I think people did expect Milwaukee to be good enough to win 83 games last year. What they didn't expect was St. Louis's injury trouble. That's where the big surprises really come from - which good team is going to get the bad luck?
As much as I would love it to be the Brewers, it's just not safe to bet against the Mets.