Sports What Ifs.

[Calcaterra]

As a Diamondbacks fan, I didn't really care about the scandal, just thought I'd get some interesting responses. I wanted Houston to win, since the Dodgers are our rivals and knocked us out that year, but if I knew Houston cheated, I probably would not have watched. I think without the cheating, LA would have won it all for sure. 2018 is interesting, but I think the Red Sox still beat the Dodgers that year. I like your replay though Calcaterra.

Thank you! I agree that the Dodgers would win it all in 2017, without the trash can banging, and the Red Sox would likely still win the next year. In my opinion, it would be interesting to see how 2019 goes with all of that. The Astros would've lost some momentum without the 2017 title, and then Cora would leave and win almost immediately. Hinch would have a fire under his ass to finally bring it home after three appearances and a ton of potential.

He would be better than Rojas, don't lie to ourselves in that regard.

Nope, Yankees outplayed the Indians when they got them on the edge of elimination, even chaos theory can't change that massive collapse. if anything Cleveland windows was shut hard in 2016.


I add a better butterfly, they beat the Royals in 15, who win ALCS? I Dunno is 50-50 As bluejays rallied hard to beat the Rangers so could be a toss-up, regardless of who wins 2015 WS , without the trauma of that elimination that might kill cheating in their cradle

Say anything you want (I for one think that Rojas is the least inspired managerial choice in years), but at least Luis has significant coaching experience. It's not best to put an untested man into that position and expect anything other than a disaster in his first season.

I disagree with the idea that chaos theory can't change that. Firmly disagree. This is baseball we're talking about- a closer tips a pitch in June, loses the game, and we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of a slide. It's perfectly likely that the Indians could win.

Probably the Blue Jays. Man... those Blue Jays teams were a thing of beauty. But them against the 2015 Mets, and you have at least five games of great baseball.

 

[Nivek]

I disagree with the idea that chaos theory can't change that. Firmly disagree. This is baseball we're talking about- a closer tips a pitch in June, loses the game, and we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of a slide. It's perfectly likely that the Indians could win.

Maybe because how i saw that series, but for me when yankess got that hit onward...the Indians couldn't answer at all, but possible a lucky break... i can't see them beating the astros.

Probably the Blue Jays. Man... those Blue Jays teams were a thing of beauty. But them against the 2015 Mets, and you have at least five games of great baseball.

If that happen, them astros cheating is butterflied away, not need as a loss vs red hot bluejays is nothing to be ashamed of

 

[dsp19]

Maybe because how i saw that series, but for me when yankess got that hit onward...the Indians couldn't answer at all, but possible a lucky break... i can't see them beating the astros.


If that happen, them astros cheating is butterflied away, not need as a loss vs red hot bluejays is nothing to be ashamed of

If the Astros cheating is butterflied away, perhaps the Yankees win a couple of more World Series recently (2017, 2019)

 

[WB18]

Thank you! I agree that the Dodgers would win it all in 2017, without the trash can banging, and the Red Sox would likely still win the next year. In my opinion, it would be interesting to see how 2019 goes with all of that. The Astros would've lost some momentum without the 2017 title, and then Cora would leave and win almost immediately. Hinch would have a fire under his ass to finally bring it home after three appearances and a ton of potential.



Say anything you want (I for one think that Rojas is the least inspired managerial choice in years), but at least Luis has significant coaching experience. It's not best to put an untested man into that position and expect anything other than a disaster in his first season.

I disagree with the idea that chaos theory can't change that. Firmly disagree. This is baseball we're talking about- a closer tips a pitch in June, loses the game, and we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of a slide. It's perfectly likely that the Indians could win.

Probably the Blue Jays. Man... those Blue Jays teams were a thing of beauty. But them against the 2015 Mets, and you have at least five games of great baseball.

2019, i'd say the Nationals still get it. That team just got hot at the right time and it showed. Maybe the Yankees win that year or maybe the Dodgers if they bring Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning of game 5 against the Nats instead of Kershaw. Houston winning is possible, but I just can't see it. 2015 is also interesting, if the 'Stros beats KC in the LDS, we might see the Astros beat Toronto and play the Mets in the World Series. Blue Jays vs Mets 2015 also sounds interesting, i'd say it goes six or seven games, It's really a toss-up who wins that one.

 

[dsp19]

2019, i'd say the Nationals still get it. That team just got hot at the right time and it showed. Maybe the Yankees win that year or maybe the Dodgers if they bring Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning of game 5 against the Nats instead of Kershaw. Houston winning is possible, but I just can't see it. 2015 is also interesting, if the 'Stros beats KC in the LDS, we might see the Astros beat Toronto and play the Mets in the World Series. Blue Jays vs Mets 2015 also sounds interesting, i'd say it goes six or seven games, It's really a toss-up who wins that one.

I think the Mets are cursed now, like the Red Sox were. They sold their souls to the devil for that ball going through Buckner's legs.

1988: Should have beaten the Dodgers easily (won 10 of 11 in the regular season that year), lost to them in 7 games in the NLCS.
1989: Should have won the NL East easily, lost to the Cubs.
1999: Kenny Rogers in Game 6 NLCS in Atlanta walking in the winning run.
2000: Lost Game 1 to the Yankees in the World Series when they had the lead, ultimately leading to them losing the series.
2006: Adam Wainwright striking out Carlos Beltran looking with the bases loaded in the last playoff game ever at Shea, Game 7 of that NLCS vs the Cards
2007: Blowing a 7 game lead to the Phillies with 17 games remaining in the season to lose the NL East.
2015: Lost some bizarre games against the Royals in that World Series

 

[Nivek]

If the Astros cheating is butterflied away, perhaps the Yankees win a couple of more World Series recently (2017, 2019)

NAH, not with girardi or boone.

2019, i'd say the Nationals still get it. That team just got hot at the right time and it showed. Maybe the Yankees win that year or maybe the Dodgers if they bring Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning of game 5 against the Nats instead of Kershaw. Houston winning is possible, but I just can't see it. 2015 is also interesting, if the 'Stros beats KC in the LDS, we might see the Astros beat Toronto and play the Mets in the World Series. Blue Jays vs Mets 2015 also sounds interesting, i'd say it goes six or seven games, It's really a toss-up who wins that one.

Is a toss up that make it so fun

 

[dsp19]

NAH, not with girardi or boone.


Is a toss up that make it so fun

Girardi won a World Series with the Yankees (2009) and was still manager of the Yankees in 2017. Maybe Boone still fails in 2019 but the Yankees had a top team two years ago (not anymore though)

 

[Nivek]

Girardi won a World Series with the Yankees (2009) and was still manager of the Yankees in 2017. Maybe Boone still fails in 2019 but the Yankees had a top team two years ago (not anymore though)

Girardi won thanks the superteam of jeter, rodriguez and co, once that collapse he was loss(see his stint with Phillies) Still they got luck ALE was a mess before Boston rebounded back a few times

 

[Calcaterra]

Curses in sports are just a bad way of passing blame. The Mets fail because of organizational incompetence and imperfectly built teams. The Yankees wouldn’t win 2017; that Dodgers team could go the distance with anyone else. In 2019, as has been said, the Nationals got hot and ran with it, right to the end.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

I have a couple of unrelated ideas:

1) What if the National League never contracted out the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville, Cardinals, and Washington Senators and how would the American League play out if it were to do so at all?

2) I know someone asked what if Nebraska won the Big 12 championship game in 2009, which would mean Cincinnati of the Big East goes to the 2010 BCS Championship game as ranked #2. However, what if West Virginia never lost to Pittsburgh in 2007 and thus would be ranked #1 in the BCS Standings and head to the 2008 Championship game (they were ranked at #2 before Pittsburgh beat them). How does conference realignment in both scenarios play out?

 

[brunohusker]

I have a couple of unrelated ideas:

1) What if the National League never contracted out the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville, Cardinals, and Washington Senators and how would the American League play out if it were to do so at all?

2) I know someone asked what if Nebraska won the Big 12 championship game in 2009, which would mean Cincinnati of the Big East goes to the 2010 BCS Championship game as ranked #2. However, what if West Virginia never lost to Pittsburgh in 2007 and thus would be ranked #1 in the BCS Standings and head to the 2008 Championship game (they were ranked at #2 before Pittsburgh beat them). How does conference realignment in both scenarios play out?

In regards to #2 I don’t think much changes as they’d have to play Ohio State and personally I think Ohio State barely beats them but that’s my Big Ten bias showing. If West Virginia won however they might get a serious look from the SEC and might get in over Mizzou and join along with Texas A&M. At least divisions would make geographical sense again.

As for Mizzou in that scenario, I think they either stay in the Big 12 or join Rutgers in the Big Ten. Delaney always wanted to be in NY as commish so I think Rutgers has an edge over Maryland. This then means the Big 12 is stuck at 9 and probably tries to add Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida as they were former BCS conference members. A worst case scenario might involve Texas and Oklahoma going to the PAC 12 but Texas seemed happy and Oklahoma doesn’t want to leave Okie State behind.

As for the rest, the AAC is left with Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Memphis, East Carolina, UCF, and Temple. They’d probably still add Navy in football and get Army to join in and to round it out to 12 I could see Marshall and maybe Southern Miss in the league. I’m at work now so I might continue with more scenarios later but it certainly might make the Mountaineers more attractive to the SEC and is a better cultural fit than Mizzou

 

[Colonel Zoidberg]

1) What if the National League never contracted out the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville, Cardinals, and Washington Senators and how would the American League play out if it were to do so at all?

You would have to avert the disastrous 1899 campaign for the Spiders, and that starts with a forward-thinking owner pushing a rule - a rather obvious one - that no one can own a stake in more than one team at a time. That dumpster fire of a team was brought on by the Spiders’ owners, two brothers, buying the St. Louis team at the same time as owning the Spiders and shipping anyone who was worth a shit to St. Louis (called the Perfectos at the time.)

Before that, the Spiders were actually a pretty good team. So if instead, those two brothers are forced to sell the Spiders before buying the Perfectos, local ownership could keep them afloat and make them a viable draw, meaning that the NL decided it’s worth it to keep them around.

I’m not sure what else would have had to happen to save both Baltimore and DC’s teams as well as the hapless Louisville Colonels. If I had to guess, the right move would be to have either the Orioles or Senators move - say, Detroit - and set up the Colonels as a second Chicago team.

If they really want to put a stranglehold on the sport, they could expand some more - Milwaukee is obvious, and MSP would work as well. They could go back to either Baltimore or DC (or Detroit if they don’t move at all) and then...Hartford?

 

[AndyWho]

What would it take for baseball to become either THE international sport or the same level of international reach as soccer?

 

[Nivek]

What would it take for baseball to become either THE international sport or the same level of international reach as soccer?

The main barrier was equipment cost, yet Latins children played with improvise balls and glove(or gloveless) and some with bottlecaps and tree branches even...it just need the support, maybe French and German Loved it for the dry spring and summer months?

Maybe a different china(stronger or one that balkanize) like Japanese loved the sports and adopted it too? Indians(and pakis,etc) considered cricket too much British aristocratic sport and adopted the more culture neutral baseball too?

 

[OldNavy1988]

If the 1994 MLB season was able to be finished to its completion, would Tony Gwynn have still collected his 3,000th hit halfway through the '99 campaign?

 

[Jim Smitty]

If the 1994 MLB season was able to be finished to its completion, would Tony Gwynn have still collected his 3,000th hit halfway through the '99 campaign?

Depends on injuries honestly. It could come as late as the 98 campaign or early 99 if I have the math right.

 

[fb111a]

Here is a "what if" for everyone:

February 13, 2011:
Days before the start of spring training Milwaukee Brewers GM Doug Melvin is at Miller Park on a cold day - there is a table with four chairs. Milwaukee media is buzzing - Mark Attanasio's private jet has been busy the past couple of days, and there have been rumors and buzz about something being up.

He walks out, joined by manager Ron Roenicke, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and newly-acquired Zack Greinke.

"Today, I am thrilled to announce that we have come to terms with Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and Zack Greinke on deals that will keep them in Milwaukee through the 2020 season..."

 

[Nivek]

Prince Fielder

Would he avoid the injuries plagued him once he leave the brewers? The rest that core could make some noise rather fizzling out in divisional round like tradition.

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

I have a couple of unrelated ideas:

1) What if the National League never contracted out the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville, Cardinals, and Washington Senators and how would the American League play out if it were to do so at all?

I did a timeline with the pod of Robison not buying the St. Louis club, the Perfectos were the ines to fold. If I recall, they were in bankruptcy, and Louisville was in bad shape.. Whether they'd have gone down to 8 teams or 10 I don't know. I have OTL Cardinals in the A.L., forming the Heavyweights League.

Speaking of bankruptcy, the Braves struggled a lot in the mid-30s, and in 1934 rumors came around of a move to Baltimore... but Montreal was another thought. A team there that early would be interesting, could they have stayed?

 

[AltSptHst]

Apparently, the reason that Ron Harper was traded was that he was caught socializing with suspected drug traffickers:

No one from Cavs wanted to trade Ron Harper ... except the man whose opinion mattered most

Athletic and talented shooting guard was viewed as Cavs' answer to Michael Jordan, but then came The Trade

www.si.com

When he found out, Gordon Gund, the Cavs' owner, said that they needed to trade him right away, even though no drug charges were filed against Harper.

They ended up trading him to the Clippers for Danny Ferry, and the rest is history. Cleveland was unable to get by the Bulls without him.

However, what if cooler heads prevailed? What if they waited to see if Harper was really guilty?