The year of the great teams?

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,376
For the first time since 2003, MLB has three teams with 100+ wins.

In 2003, here were the top teams in baseball:

Atl: 101-61 (+167)
NYY: 101-61 (+161)
SF: 100-61 (+117)
Oak: 96-66 (+125)
Bos: 95-67 (+153)
Sea: 93-69 (+164)
Fla: 91-71 (+59)
Min: 90-72 (+43)

Combined winning %: 767-528 (.593)
Combined run diff: +989

With one day left in the regular season, here's the top teams in baseball in 2017:

LAD: 102-58 (+185)
Cle: 101-59 (+253)
Hou: 100-61 (+195)
Was: 97-63 (+153)
Bos: 93-68 (+118)
ChC: 92-69 (+129)
Ari: 92-68 (+142)
NYY: 91-70 (+199)

Combined winning %: 768-516 (.598)
Combined run diff: +1374

It just seems like MLB right now is LOADED with premium quality teams. The top four, of course, are all fantastic. But the Cubs are the defending champs, Boston has won the AL East two times in a row, and the Yankees, with the worst record in this group, have the 2nd highest run differential.

And just for what it's worth, of all those great teams in 2003... it was the 91-win Florida Marlins who won the World Series. Because, you know... baseball.
 

Stanley Steamer

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 11, 2012
1,436
Rossland, BC
Job done. Well done, Sox. At the beginning of the year, one might have expected more from this team, but as it happens, they almost over achieved. They will be true underdogs now, but that hardly matters. Get 'em ready, John. Coach as if your job depended on it.
 

simplicio

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2012
4,735
That run differential table just tells the story of the season. Your 2017 Red Sox: an agonizing march toward victory.
 

trekfan55

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 29, 2004
11,587
Panama
The 2003 Chicago Cubs (88-74), Central Division winners, beat the 101 win Braves 3-2 in the NLDS, but we know what happened in the NLCS...
The 2003 Cubs had Kerry Wood and Mark Prior as 1-2 starters. In a short series that proved an effective weapon. Of course they also had Dusty Baker, who managed to basically destroy their arms.

Even going into Games 6 & 7 of the NLCS, they had Prior and Wood going. Yet one of the unheralded factors in the "Bartman Game" was Dusty Baker's slow hook.
 

glasspusher

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
9,973
Oakland California
The 2003 Cubs had Kerry Wood and Mark Prior as 1-2 starters. In a short series that proved an effective weapon. Of course they also had Dusty Baker, who managed to basically destroy their arms.

Even going into Games 6 & 7 of the NLCS, they had Prior and Wood going. Yet one of the unheralded factors in the "Bartman Game" was Dusty Baker's slow hook.
No kidding. It didn't stick in my head that they were a sub-90 win team. Doesn't matter how good your starters are, in the playoffs you have to have a quick hook- see also Anderson, Sparky
 

Michelle34B

New Member
Aug 2, 2006
264
The opening game of the 2003 NLCS between the Cubs and Marlins gets forgotten easily, because of what followed in the series. Sammy Sosa hit a 2-run HR of Ugueth Urbina with two out in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game in Wrigley and send it to extra innings. Fast forward to the top of the 11th, the scored still tied 8-8, and the Cubs had lefty Mark Guthrie, and righties Dave Veres or Antonio Alfonseca to relieve Joe Borowski after 2 IP, with Urbina's spot, Juan Pierre, and Luis Castillo due up. Todd Hollandsworth had been used earlier, so the strongest PH choice for Urbina's spot was 29 years old Mike Lowell, who had lost his starting 3B job to 20 years old rookie Miguel Cabrera.

Dusty chooses his only lefty available in Guthrie, McKeon easily chooses Mike Lowell to pinch hit for Urbina, and