The off-season is a time in which the people at the winter
meetings and at the Office of the Commissioner discuss and make decisions on
rule changes or playoff formats. I would like to see the wild-card playoff
format expanded to a best- of- three series provided that they shorten the
season.
A 162-game schedule
is a very long season and after playing all of those games it comes down to
simply one paltry game to determine whether or not you advance.
You make one
crucial error and your season is gone immediately without a chance of redemption.
That is why I never liked the one game playoff format. Also, the NBA and NHL never
had a one game playoff series.
With all fluxes in
the game and the chance nature of winning a game expanding the wild-card, in my
opinion, makes more sense, because that type of series is more likely to
determine which team is best suited to move on to the next round. Unusual plays
wouldn’t end a team’s season. There would be other chances for a wild-card team
to make things better.
They play a best- of- three games in the College World
Series to determine the champion, because having the series rest all on one game
would be much pressure and unfair to the players.
There is also pressure in a
best-of-five and best-of-seven series in which players have to execute, but at least
there were other games in the series where the team had chances to win and move
on. There is none of that in the wild-card which makes more sense to expand the
wild-card.
There wouldn’t be a problem with expansion if they decide to
shorten the season therefore the division winners would not have to worry about
being pushed back a few more days before they play. Also, they would not have
to worry about the chance of playing during the last week of October or the
first week of November.
The division winners
may feel that it isn’t fair for them to have to wait a couple more days to play
so the wild-card team can have a better competitive series with some people thinking that the wild-card team is the underdog and
will lose, however that isn’t always the case. If they don’t shorten the season,
then the one game playoff format can remain.
I think similarly, but I would not shorten the season for this idea.
ReplyDeleteI had offered my thoughts a while ago on this. Squeeze 3 games in, instead of one, by having a doubleheader on Tuesday and, if needed, a deciding 3rd game on Wednesday. Give both teams an extra pitcher for the 3 game series. The winner of the wild card best of 3 series would start the next round at the same time.
Their pitching might be stretched thin for the next series, but that would be the price you pay for not winning the division. It would make it less easy for the wild card team to win the next round, which is OK by me.
I too like the best out of three formula that you are writing about.
ReplyDeleteJust play them three days out of four (one travel day) at the end of the season and push the World Series closer to a snow storm.
Hey, how about a 3-team, round robin double elimination tournament for the 3three 2nd place finishers in each division. World Series final on Thanksgiving would add to the atmosphere. 1st/2nd place Division ties (and for that matter, 2nd/3rd) could be 2 of 3 to add to the excitement.
ReplyDeleteNah, leave it... or add/subtract 2 teams and have 4 divisions per league.
I strong disagree with an expanded WC format.
ReplyDeleteIt would just punish the teams that performed better during the season, further devaluing the regular season.
Used to be one team from each league made it. Now we're up to 10 overall.
The point of the WC is for owners to make more easy money and for fans to get more pleasure out of the regular season, where teams can now play .500 ball for 5 months and, with 3-4 good weeks, be right in the thick of it.
Is one game a good measure of talent? Of course not. That's why they play the full season -- you earn the right to avoid being in that spot. We don't need to further reward mediocrity in the MLB. Win the damn division.
Jimmy
There have been mediocre teams that have won the World Series as a wild card entry like I said before. I disagree when you said it would just punish the teams that performed better during the season, because some of those teams that performed better were favored to win it all and they failed terribly such as the Washington Nationals previously. It used to be one team from each league out of 20 teams that made it in the playoffs way back in 1968 which was a boring playoff format. It was obvious the change in the playoff format was a long time coming. It adds more excitement to the postseason. The other 3 major sports also expanded throughout the years mostly in the NBA & NHL like I said before.
ReplyDeleteTwo out of three ain’t bad...pass the Meatloaf.
ReplyDeleteTony, Great post. I am not a fan of the wild card playoff. I also don't like expanding the wild series but your idea is better than what we currently have. I would really the the Bob Costas approach and go back to two 12 team leagues and 2 divisions. And get rid inter-league play and the DH as well. And bring starting pitchers like Tom Seaver that can make 21 complete games a year...ahhh never mind.
ReplyDelete