EVIL~! alkeiper

Its also easier to dominate in the NBA than in MLB, due to a number of factors. In MLB, 100 wins is considered outstanding. That's a .617 Win %. In the NBA, seven teams topped .617 this season alone. Thus, high win percentages are more impressive in baseball than in basketball.

In my opinion, the 1936-39 Yankees are easily the best Yankees team ever, and the best baseball franchise ever. First off, they were one of only two teams to win four consecutive World Championships. Not only did they win four World Series, but they completely dominated the regular season. They led the league in runs scored AND runs allowed for four consecutive years. No other team has ever come close. The closest any team came to beating them were the Red Sox, who finished only 9.5 games back in 1938. Great teams need great players. The Yanks featured Hall of Famers Joe Dimaggio, Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, Tony Lazzeri, Lefty Gomez, Red Ruffing. Joe Gordon is HOF caliber. George Selkirk, Tommy Henrich, and Red Rolfe were quality regulars as well.

But if he could, why isn't he? If these kids are so untalented, why hasn't some team figured it out and exploited the advantage?

The guy behind him could strike out. The batter could fail to execute the sacrifice bunt. A lot of things can go wrong in an at bat. You can not live in fear of them. Remember we're not just pushing theory. Numerous studies have outlined the importance of not giving up outs. I don't have a problem with it. The only time its completely nuts is when you use a power hitter to bunt.

On a better note, Akinori Otsuka is a damned good pitcher.

I imagine Anglesault will get here any moment now to bitch about the Yankees.

Still I few days left. I've gotten some interesting responses thus far.

The list covers the ESPN era (79/80-Present). The Dolphins fall before that period.

That has more to do with the number of posters. Notice it usually happens following Raw or PPVs. Not that it never happens any other time, but that is when its most frequent.

In that situation, you have a better chance of scoring a run if you just let Freel hit. He could move the runner to third on a single, or even score the runner on an extra-base hit. Use the sacrifice bunt, and you take away an opportunity.

For the heck of it, I applied my three-year methods to the NBA. Here's what I've come up with..... 1. 96-98 Chicago Bulls 2. 84-86 Boston Celtics 3. 91-93 Chicago Bulls 4. 86-88 Los Angeles Lakers (the 85-87 group would rank equally) 5. 88-90 Detroit Pistons 6. 00-02 Los Angeles Lakers 7. 83-85 Los Angeles Lakers 8. 80-82 Boston Celtics 9. 81-83 Philadelphia 76ers 10. 96-98 Utah Jazz 96-98 Bulls are a clear #1. Any selections one slot apart are close, and open to debate.

Yes they could. I just maintain they are no more likely to win than a team composed in another manner.

I don't think the motivation factor would outweigh the talent. If it did, bad teams would always play better the next season, and good teams would play worse.

Almost never. If you have a specific situation you can come up with though, I'll evaluate it.

Oh certainly. They're top 10 when I did a three-year list. I just finished the four-year list, and they're top seven. They came just four wins away from becoming one of only five franchises to win 100 games three years in a row. Not bad for an aberration.

Ah, the old sacrifice bunt debate. The first real critique of the strategy was done by Pete Palmer and John Thorn in The Hidden Game of Baseball, back in 1983. Subsequent studies done have backed the conclusions reach in that book. Here it is.... The sacrifice bunt is a bad strategy. Not just with a runner on second. With a runner on first, its a bad strategy. With runners on first and second, its a bad strategy. The problem is, your gains from advancing runners are completely negated by giving up outs. Palmer and Thorn printed a run expectancy chart, and EVERY situation found that more outs = less chance of scoring a run. Palmer and Thorn gave one situation where the sacrifice bunt is a suitable strategy: Its 1968, late in the game, and Bob Gibson is pitching. The sacrifice bunt is a relic of the Dead Ball Era, and it has somehow survived to this day. One might have thought that Earl Weaver's success would have killed the strategy, but apparently not. If you can find them, The Hidden Game of Baseball, and Weaver On Strategy are excellent reads. See also Total Baseball, a new edition of which comes out next month.

Most of the guys are as fundamentally sound as anyone in the world. Iverson is one of the best ballhandlers in history. You're judging based on the image the NBA is attempting to sell, but the players ARE well-rounded players.

I'm working on a side-project for the best MLB teams of the past 25 seasons. In selecting great teams, I think a team should put together more than one good season. The Mariners for example won 91, 116, 93 and 93 games from 2000-03. That 2001 season was excellent, but the 90 win seasons are more indicative of their true level of ability. The obvious MLB candidates as I see them are the late 90s Yankees, the late 80s Athletics, and the 90s Braves. After those three, the early 90s Blue Jays, the mid 90s Indians, and the mid 80s Mets.

The game's been postponed. Here comes a real problem of interleague play. They have to re-schedule, somehow finding a day where both teams are off.

Odd Cubs fact. The last time they followed a playoff run with a winning season was 1946.

Possible rainout, so the offense gets stopped somehow.

Phillies-White Sox coming up. The teams have combined for 48 runs in the first two games of the series.

I'd call it an exaggeration. The Tribe simply doesn't get many save opportunities, and most of that bullpen has been terrible, except for Rafael Betancourt.

Consider accomplishments from both leagues, and choose one where you feel he made the most impact. Obviously for Robinson this is quite difficult, but if he were to receive an abundance of combined votes from each league, I'd make an arrangement.

Regardless of Mondesi's attitude, it wasn't even a smart move a week ago.