The 2008 season started with the Red Sox as champs. They were beaten by the A's, who were beaten back by Boston, who were then swept by Toronto, who lost to Oakland, who lost to Cleveland, and so on, until we reached our current champion.
The Heavyweight of the Year is the team that wins the most title bouts at the end of the season.
2008 Title Bout Records:
| Mets | 23 | 17 |
| Athletics | 13 | 13 |
| Red Sox | 11 | 7 |
| Cubs | 9 | 1 |
| Padres | 8 | 6 |
| Rockies | 7 | 14 |
| Angels | 6 | 4 |
| Indians | 6 | 11 |
| Brewers | 5 | 0 |
| Cardinals | 5 | 5 |
| Reds | 5 | 5 |
| Dodgers | 5 | 7 |
| Marlins | 4 | 3 |
| Rangers | 4 | 6 |
| Blue Jays | 3 | 3 |
| Nationals | 3 | 5 |
| Mariners | 2 | 1 |
| Yankees | 2 | 3 |
| Phillies | 2 | 5 |
| Tigers | 1 | 2 |
| Giants | 0 | 3 |
| Orioles | 0 | 3 |
2006 Heavyweight of the Year:
Oakland Athletics
2005 Heavyweight of the Year:
Oakland Athletics
Ken: catfish AT zombia d.o.t. com
Ryan: rarmbrust AT gmail d.o.t. com
Philip: kingchimp AT alamedanet d.o.t net
2008 Stats
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I've finally gotten around to reading Guns, Germs, and Steel, a great book. How did Europeans conquer North America? With germs, more than with firepower.
Right now, I'm lying at home, suffering from some germs of my own. I feel like crap, and not just because the A's had their winning streak broken by Jon Garland and the White Sox.
I've had a fever twice this year, once during spring training in Tucson, and again this weekend. Both times I got sick, the White Sox were in town, playing the A's. Coincidence? I think not.
The White Sox were 53-25 going into tonight's game, but according to Baseball Prospectus' Adjusted Standings, they should have been 10 games worse, about 43-35. How are they defying the numbers?
Germs, I say! The White Sox are a carrier, like fleas, mosquitos and rats. And like European conquerors, they spread disease wherever they go, rendering their opponents in a weakened state, so that they can win despite their mediocre talent.
Damn parasites. Begone! I hate you.
vr, Xei
In regards to your argument about the White Sox, I would state that considering the Sox have an overall record of 4-20 versus the A's over the past 24 games, it's the A's who have spread a smallpox on the Sox. Even in this glorious year where the WHite Sox are winning games they shouldn't, they are 2-4 versus the A's.
I have to say that I feel little guilt about outperforming the Adjusted standings, as the White Sox have generally been in the negative almost every year, as the Twins have been the masters of beating the Adj. standings.
I have the book and I didn't feel that it showed an anti-European bias. I'll reread it and repost if my feelings change...but I don't think they will. From what I remember, societies became dominant/more advanced due to the geography of the lands they occupied. Societies in more isolated areas didn't have as many tools as did people who could move more freely.
http://www.agron.iastate.edu/courses/agron342/diamondmistake.html
My recommendation for Mr. Diamond is that he get the hell out of polite society and head toward some primitivist idyll -- the prison known as Cuba, for instance, or the remoter parts of the Amazon.
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