Re: An American View of Cricket (longish)

Richard R. Hershberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Randy Myers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > Richard R. Hershberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > Randy Myers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >  
> > > So if I were to take a poll, asking people which was the better
> > > team last season, the Yankees or the Devil Rays, most people
> > > would respond by inquiring what exact day I meant?  Only in your
> > > version of reality.
 
> > No, the season is over now.  The Marlins were the best team this
> > year.  The NYY were the best team in the AL.

> You are weaving and dodging (badly): 

?

> I didn't mention the Marlins.

Since we are talking about the best we felt the Marlins should be
mentioned.

> I asked about the Devil Rays.  The vast majority of people, when
> asked whether the Yankees or the Devil Rays were the better team
> last season, would compare their respective overall records and
> conclude that the Yankees were the better team. 

And if you actually read what we said you would read "The NYY were
the best team in the AL."

That means that the NYY were the better than all the other teams in
the AL.  Tampa Bay is in the AL.  Therefore, the NYY were better
than the Tampa Bay squad.

Is this "weaving and dodging?"

> If it were the case that the Devil Rays won most of their games
> against the Yankees this would be regarded as an interesting
> fluke, but would not change the answer. 

In the games that the Devil Rays won they were the better team.

> Which team happened to win the last of their games against one
> another would not matter in the least.

It would if that team moved on to the playoffs.  But otherwise it
wouldn't.

> The problem is that, in your definition, the question "which was the
> better team last season" is meaningless. 

Not at all.  If you wish to qualify best team with the phrase "over
last season" then you look at the playoff/WS structure to determine
which team was the best over last season.

But that hardly means that the team that wins the WS is the best
w/o qualification.

That's the part that seems hard for you to grasp.  Teams do not
have absolute levels of ability.  They don't have even absolute
potentials.  

> The question can only be asked with regard to one game.

The question can only be answered with regard to one game.  That's
why scores start at 0-0, game in and game out.

> Why you think that this is a useful,
> much less necessary, definition is one thing.

Whether it is useful matters not but it most certainly is
necessary.  Game in and game out the score starts at 0-0 and each
team plays to find out who is better.

They don't play to find out who is luckier.  If they did, nobody
would go to see them play.

G'nite Wanda,

cordially, as always,

rm