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View Full Version : The AL is better than the NL.

Gary!
10-26-2007, 12:46 AM
I think there's more NL fans here than AL so I'm sure you'll be pissed, but it's hard not to agree that the AL currently dominates the NL, right? I'm not just talking about this World Series, and I hate the Sox so I'm definitely not speaking in specifics of one team.

I just don't think that any team that came out of the NL this year would have had a chance against whoever the AL sent. (Unless the Yankees magically made it because anyone would have had a chance against our pitching). Don't worry, I'm not going to cite All-Star Game stats. I hate Interleague, but 2006 had the largest W-L descrepancy in Interleague history (154-98), and this year was 137-115. I feel like the Mariners or Tigers this year would have won more than 90 games in the NL (no NL team did). Hell the Jays won 80-something and play the Yanks and Sox all year (and have a middle-of-the-road payroll).

Yes I also realize the Rockies took 2/3 from the Sox and slammed the Yanks in the regular season too. Obviously you have to name teams in this agrument but I'd like to try to look at it from an overall league level. That said, thank god the Dbacks didn't make it to the Series. It would have been even worse.

So is it just talent? Or am I going to have to listen to nothing but payroll arguments...?

Here are 2006-07 payrolls (http://blog.sportscolumn.com/story/2007/4/9/1367/60158) just for ease of reference.
justinandimcool
10-26-2007, 12:47 AM
Agree 100%. Talent. Payroll. STAR POWER. Managing. Fans. Everything.
ProudestAnt
10-26-2007, 12:48 AM
It's talent. Plain and simple...
VanHorneDog
10-26-2007, 01:03 AM
yeah im an NL fan and i agree. why would i be pissed? look there are many more BAD teams in the NL than AL and the good teams dont match the good teams in the AL...

pretty simple. i mean fuck the Cubs made the playoffs!!! WTF....
BotheDMBFan
10-26-2007, 01:41 AM
1. Fuck you Alex.

2. It's pretty easy to see how much better the AL is than the NL.
DMBfan41
10-26-2007, 01:42 AM
Actually I think Ants is an AL message board. I'd say most of us are either Yanks or Red Sox
BotheDMBFan
10-26-2007, 01:49 AM
Actually I think Ants is an AL message board. I'd say most of us are either Yanks or Red Sox

Or the Cubs, ya basta!
crashintonickdm
10-26-2007, 01:52 AM
the NL is pretty weak.

i enjoyed when the marlins beat the yankees in 2003, that was pretty awesome. and this is coming from a phillies fan.

its nice to see the heavily favored go down.
VanHorneDog
10-26-2007, 01:55 AM
1. Fuck you Alex.

2. It's pretty easy to see how much better the AL is than the NL.

thank you!!!! :lol

nobody has taken my bait in like 3 weeks,,, except that boo boo kittyfuck patriots fan dude... but still.


hahah you made my night.
crashintonickdm
10-26-2007, 01:56 AM
Cubbies suckies!
DMBZeppelin
10-26-2007, 03:56 AM
I thought this was common knowledge.
SmoothD41
10-26-2007, 06:53 AM
in other news, 2+2 = 4.
Nick@Night
10-26-2007, 07:43 AM
in other news, 2+2 = 4.
Mind blowing.
DMBZeppelin
10-26-2007, 08:02 AM
in other news, 2+2 = 4.
:eek Now I've seen it all!
saygdbye4134
10-26-2007, 08:43 AM
the AL has been better for at least 10 years now.
jdmpsu339
10-26-2007, 09:13 AM
The edge definitely goes to the AL, but it's not as big as a lot of people think. A couple years from now we could be talking about the NL being the dominant league. It really won't take that much.
Nick@Night
10-26-2007, 09:26 AM
The edge definitely goes to the AL, but it's not as big as a lot of people think. A couple years from now we could be talking about the NL being the dominant league. It really won't take that much.
Such as?
jdmpsu339
10-26-2007, 09:34 AM
Such as?

A few top players switching leagues, a good run of young players coming up through NL farm systems, a few of the wealthier teams spending a little more on payroll, etc.

Case in point: the NL won the world series in '01, '03, and '06. The AL won in '02, '04, and '05. In a short series, the competition is close enough that the NL team can win a fair % of the time.

Obviously the all-star game is a different story. I would argue that it is a 1 game sample size, and thus fairly ridiculous to draw any conclusions from. I can personally attest to have flipped a coin 12 times and gotten heads 10 times. It happens.

Is the AL currently better than the NL? sure. but the chasm is not that wide between the 2 leagues.
CrushinPIG38
10-26-2007, 09:42 AM
Interleague play shows alot more then the World Series win comparison. I think interleague shows it is a little bigger a gap then you make it to be.

Oh and NL teams spending money on payroll, lol, thats a good one.
jdmpsu339
10-26-2007, 09:48 AM
Interleague play shows alot more then the World Series win comparison. I think interleague shows it is a little bigger a gap then you make it to be.

Oh and NL teams spending money on payroll, lol, thats a good one.

Uh...since interleague started 10 years ago, the AL leads the NL 1,386 to 1,317. This represents a 51.3% advantage. You think that is big? :lol :lol

Up until 2 seasons ago the NL was actually leading the all-time series. What we're looking at are short-term ebbs and flows in talent level.
Nick@Night
10-26-2007, 09:50 AM
The NL turns AL pitchers in to overpaid busts. Barry Zito, I'm looking in your direction.
jdmpsu339
10-26-2007, 09:51 AM
The NL turns AL pitchers in to overpaid busts. Barry Zito, I'm looking in your direction.

As a Giants fan, that one hurt. But I have to agree with your assessment on Zito :lol
Nick@Night
10-26-2007, 09:52 AM
As a Giants fan, that one hurt. But I have to agree with your assessment on Zito :lol
Zito raised the inflation rate, now the Twins won't be able to afford Johan.
UNC41
10-26-2007, 09:58 AM
The NL turns AL pitchers in to overpaid busts. Barry Zito, I'm looking in your direction.

Going from the NL to the AL is harder transition. Josh Beckett is the perfect example.
ProudestAnt
10-26-2007, 06:38 PM
A few top players switching leagues, a good run of young players coming up through NL farm systems, a few of the wealthier teams spending a little more on payroll, etc.

Case in point: the NL won the world series in '01, '03, and '06. The AL won in '02, '04, and '05. In a short series, the competition is close enough that the NL team can win a fair % of the time.

Obviously the all-star game is a different story. I would argue that it is a 1 game sample size, and thus fairly ridiculous to draw any conclusions from. I can personally attest to have flipped a coin 12 times and gotten heads 10 times. It happens.

Is the AL currently better than the NL? sure. but the chasm is not that wide between the 2 leagues. This is a good analysis, although it will be difficult to have that swing of power as a lot of the AL teams have their big players locked up in long-term deals or will resign their big name players due to excess money (LAA, Toronto, Boston, NYY, Oakland, Seattle)

And the young talent in the NL isn't really that much better than the young talent in the AL. For every great young NL player you can name, I can name you a comparable AL player of the same age and position.

I don't see a power shift coming anytime soon...