ESPN Power Rankings

by andrewinnewyork on Aug 12, 2007 3:27 PM EDT Comment 13 comments

ESPN's power rankings come out weekly (on Fridays, for reasons that make little sense to me). So I was checking where the NL-leading Snakes would wind up, and it turns out that we are tenth.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/powerranking?season=2007&week=19&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1po s1

I know we have run differential issues, but it still doesn't make sense that from August 3-August 10 we went 5-1 and dropped a spot (to San Diego, who went 4-3 over the same period).

I know it's mainly AL teams ahead of us, and only the Mets, Braves, Padres in the NL, but seriously. Tenth?

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They don't call it

Eastcoast Sports Propaganda Network for nothing now.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Aug 12, 2007 3:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I've seen that

and if you look at the comments everyone is dogging on the rankings. Espn is taking a lot of shit for ignoring us. So.... Baseball Tonight had a good 10 min. of nothing but D-Backs last night.

Tippecanoe and Pena too! (let's hope pena doesn't die after 30 days in office)

by seton hall snake pit on Aug 12, 2007 5:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

mlb.com

has the "fab 15" in which we're getting the respect we deserve. #3 behind boston and anaheim.

by leemellon on Aug 14, 2007 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

#3?

Hope it doesn't make me less of a fan to say....that's a bit of a reach.

by AZSEAfan on Aug 15, 2007 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Congratulations.

You've just discovered one of the many reasons why I hate ESPN in all it's iterations. They've probably ranked the Diamondbacks low because we get low TV ratings. That's how they roll.

This is why I read Sports Illustrated, in magazine form and internet form. SI employs REAL sports journalists that don't linger on sensationalism.

In fact, the SI MLB homepage right now has a few features on the Diamondbacks:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/
Including giving mad props to Jose Valverde.

Go to SI before you go anywhere else. By the way, John Donovan has us at #4 in the official SI power rankings: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/john_donovan/08/13/power.rankings/index.html

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 16, 2007 5:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed, but along with our #4 ranking (thank you, Mr. Donovan), Donovan has this stupid comment:
"I'm still not convinced. Their NL West lead is more a function of the rest of the division sinking than anything else. "
Uhhh... I understand if you're still not convinced. No problems there... but the reason you're not convinced CANNOT be that you don't think the division is strong. That is just stupid. I haven't looked up the numbers, but I'd venture to guess we're #1 when it comes to win percentage (perhaps #2 behind the AL Central).

by johngordonma on Aug 16, 2007 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very ignorant

Especially as our record is only 24-23 against our divisional rivals. If it's anything, it's our record against the NL East - now standing at 22-8 - that's responsible for our lead.

by Jim McLennan on Aug 16, 2007 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is what Donovan was talking about

Record over last 10:

Dbacks 7-3
Padres 5-5
Rockies 6-4
Dodgers 3-7
Giants 3-7

Only the Rox, who are kinda hot right now, have a record over .500 in their last 10. The woeful Dodgers have even slumped themselves into 4th place and 7 games back.

Regarding your 2nd comment, I was keeping track of this very phenomenon awhile back and posted something about it in the diaries in either May or June. I just recalculated, with the Rockies leading the Padres 2-0 and the Dodgers leading the Stros 2-0:

AL East: 302-298 .503
AL Central: 299-301 .498
AL West: 250-229 .522
NL East: 306-297 .507
NL Central: 337-382 .469
NL West: 309-294 .512

So by strict win-loss, we would be the second best division to the AL West. (Which is exactly the same as when I was calculating it a few months ago) However, Donovan wasn't talking about the Dbacks record as tied for the best in the NL. He was talking about our being in first place in the NL West. Whether you're playing in the NL Central or the AL West, a division lead is just that: a division lead, irrelevant to the rest of the league.

Frankly, I think the 4th place might still be a bit high. Oh, and everyone turn and laugh at the NL Central. :-P

(The Rox playing the Pads guarantees both another NL West W and another L, and for the Dodgers-Houston game I just assumed the score will hold up, which is giving LA the benefit of the doubt. Of course, even with interleague, this also doesn't account for the fact that the AL fields much better teams this year)

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 16, 2007 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

last 10

Yeah, I get what Donovan is saying, but that still doesn't make sense. Our division rivals' poor W-L record over the last 10 isn't what has given us the second highest win % in the NL.

by johngordonma on Aug 17, 2007 7:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No,

But it's what's given us a precarious 3 game lead over everyone else in the division.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 17, 2007 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

More or less given up on ESPN

Hardly any info is now not behind the dreaded 'Insider' wall: I only ever visit for some of the stats they make available. SI is definitely better these days (not least because they keep plugging us!).

by Jim McLennan on Aug 16, 2007 7:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

ESPN is all glitz and showbiz now.

The only reason to watch is because they have all sports, so it's sometimes worth watching Sportscenter or whatnot.

The website is almost as worthless, because as Jim said, everything of any worth is only available to ESPN Insiders. I think in the public areas, the only ESPN.com writer who has anything intelligent to say is Len Pasquerelli, and he writes gridiron. (There, I used your term, Jim. Oh, and good writer or not, I somewhat dislike Len Pastabelly because he hates my Redskins)

ESPN comes from the television and entertainment side of sports journalism. SI comes from the printed word side, the actual journalistic side. Who do you think is going to have more substance?? Guess...

PS- Jim, you're right about Fungoes plugging the Snakepit. In fact, that's how I came to this site. :-)

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 16, 2007 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least...

This week's ESPN rankings bumped us up to 5th.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/powerranking?week=20

They also noted that CY was second in MLB among center fielders with 22 (now 24) HRs. After tonight, he's now tied for first with 24. (The Twins' Torii Hunter)

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 18, 2007 2:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs