15 Numbers that Actually Mattered this Baseball Season

With the MLB season about over, as I’m writing this I am waiting for game 4 tonight. It is safe to assume that the Giants will win it all this season but we all know that really that isn’t what sports are about. So now I will present you with the numbers that actually mattered this year. Also remember that this numbers are just a representation of what people thought thought in the beginning of the year and that gambling on sports is VERY VERY BAD and is not at all the only reason that sports are a major industry.

1. The money on Oakland to win the division this year was +3700 making them the biggest upset among division winners.

2. Baltimore, while they took second division were at +10,585 to win it at the beginning of the year. I know that a Baltimore fan has to be excited that the team made the playoffs for the first time in forever, but anyone that bet on them ended up 2 games a way from a huge pay day.

3. Washington was the second biggest upset to win the division at +699.

4. The Phillies, at 11/2, were pre-season favorites to win the World Series and did not even make the playoffs.

5. The presumable champion San Francisco Giants started the season at 15:1 odds

6. Oakland managed a 97-62 record against the spread this year

7. The Cleveland Indians were a disappointing 66-95 against the spread

8. Philadelphia and Boston both had disappointing seasons both in gambling and in the playoff rice; finishing 66-92 and 70-91 against the spread respectively

9. The Cardinals and Rangers; who both made the playoffs as well as meeting in the World Series last year finished 74-86 and 74-87 respectively

10. You like a lot of runs? then the Brewers are for you. 55% of their games ended up in the over categorey

11. Do you enjoy the plate being clean the whole game? Then watch the Reds as 63% of their games were under the line

12. Oakland was 61-53 as the underdog and Baltimore was 58-51; meanwhile Texas was 9-13

13.  Yankees were 83-57 as the favorites; Texas was 83-56

14. Oakland covered by an average of 1.2 runs

15. 0, the total number of beers and chicken wings consumed by the Red Sox in the clubhouse this year. Also happens to be the number of playoff games they played in this year.