A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

[SPTO]

From SI:

TOKYO (AP) -- The champions of U.S. Major League Baseball could face the champions of Japanese professional baseball in a regular Global World Series under a plan being discussed by the two countries.

In meetings with Japanese commissioner Ryozo Kato in Milwaukee, MLB commissioner Bud Selig proposed that the Japanese and U.S. champions play each other, the Nikkansports newspaper reported Thursday.

"I was surprised, Mr. Selig said he wants to realize the plan before his tenure ends," Kato told the Nikkansports.

Selig is set to retire in 2012.

When he took office in 2008, Kato, a former Japanese ambassador to the United States, said one of his goals was an international series between the world's two biggest baseball nations.

Japan is the two-time defending champion of the World Baseball Classic, a national-teams tournament which involves professional players from leagues around the world.

Personally I find this very intriguing but i'm wondering about the logistics. Doesn't the Japanese baseball season end earlier then the MLB season? I suppose they could move their season up so that it ends around the same time as MLB.

Then again, it would be MURDER on the World Series champs to go out and play a (presumably) 7 game series against the Japanese team. If this is to happen MLB would probably have to scale back and maybe go back to a 154 game schedule or scale it even further back to a 144 game schedule.

What are your thoughts?

[Sportsforever]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

From SI:



Personally I find this very intriguing but i'm wondering about the logistics. Doesn't the Japanese baseball season end earlier then the MLB season? I suppose they could move their season up so that it ends around the same time as MLB.

Then again, it would be MURDER on the World Series champs to go out and play a (presumably) 7 game series against the Japanese team. If this is to happen MLB would probably have to scale back and maybe go back to a 154 game schedule or scale it even further back to a 144 game schedule.

What are your thoughts?

It would be interesting I guess. I would have a hard time because for sure I'm going to root for the Americans, yet that may mean I have to root for a team I never root for. I also don't know how much anyone would care. For example, if your team won the World Series would you really care if your team then lost to the Japanese champion? The season would still be dubbed a success despite the loss.

[CMH]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

People will care if MLB and the MLBPA made people care. That would mean that both MLB and MLBPA will have to care. No owners complaining about their team traveling to Japan. No GM wanting to hold back a pitcher because he's thrown 250 innings. No player saying he hates the plane ride.

That stuff will happen (it happens even now in the States), but an overwhelming numbers have to convince the public that the game matters. It's not just an exhibition. It's a new round in the playoffs. That means talking about it during the World Series. Hyping it up during the playoffs. Making it a real event.

Do it every year and eventually it'll become so normal that people will treat it as real and expect that the MLB winner defeat the NBP winner.

The only way I could see this working logistically is to have each country host the series once a year. You can't have them go back and forth in one series.

[DrJones]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

The only way I could see this working is if the Japan League champion actually received an automatic berth in the MLB post-season somehow and had an actual chance (albeit slim) of winning the World Series.

You know how some people have been saying the wild cards get it too easy (and they do) and have been proposing a one-game play-in against a 2nd wild card team? What if each wild card had to face the Japan League champion (or Japan League runner-up) in a 1-game showdown to determine who gets the postseason berth? Sounds a little far-fetched, but it would make for compelling viewing.

Can you imagine if the Yankees or Red Sox, accustomed to claiming the AL wild card every year with ease, suddenly had to face a Japanese team that they'd never seen before in a winner-take-all game? Even with a huge talent advantage, they'd be terrified. You can't tell me people wouldn't watch.

[Taur3asi3]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

I find it sad and horrifying that Major League Baseball might get this done before the NBA and NHL.

[Whitesox]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

I would be really into this, but I agree with YP. Everyone needs to do something, I'm just not sure if it would work out.

[EnigmaNemesis]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

The only way I could see this working is if the Japan League champion actually received an automatic berth in the MLB post-season somehow and had an actual chance (albeit slim) of winning the World Series.

You know how some people have been saying the wild cards get it too easy (and they do) and have been proposing a one-game play-in against a 2nd wild card team? What if each wild card had to face the Japan League champion (or Japan League runner-up) in a 1-game showdown to determine who gets the postseason berth? Sounds a little far-fetched, but it would make for compelling viewing.

Can you imagine if the Yankees or Red Sox, accustomed to claiming the AL wild card every year with ease, suddenly had to face a Japanese team that they'd never seen before in a winner-take-all game? Even with a huge talent advantage, they'd be terrified. You can't tell me people wouldn't watch.

That would be slick. And something more in the realm of reality, without taking away the awe of the World Series now.

If the World Series now gets resorted to winner has to play a "real" world series, I think its awe will dwindle, and that is something that should NOT happen.

The way you present, prevents that a bit I think.

[CMH]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

The only way I could see this working is if the Japan League champion actually received an automatic berth in the MLB post-season somehow and had an actual chance (albeit slim) of winning the World Series.

You know how some people have been saying the wild cards get it too easy (and they do) and have been proposing a one-game play-in against a 2nd wild card team? What if each wild card had to face the Japan League champion (or Japan League runner-up) in a 1-game showdown to determine who gets the postseason berth? Sounds a little far-fetched, but it would make for compelling viewing.

Can you imagine if the Yankees or Red Sox, accustomed to claiming the AL wild card every year with ease, suddenly had to face a Japanese team that they'd never seen before in a winner-take-all game? Even with a huge talent advantage, they'd be terrified. You can't tell me people wouldn't watch.

Interesting. I need to sit on this for a bit, but I like the idea.

[NYJets]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

I'm not very interested in it and I don't see the point. And I don't see any players being too excited about traveling across the world to play a series after winning the only championship that really matters.

[nemesis04]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

I like the idea of a real World Series! I do not think I would like the teams intermixed in the playoff race but would rather just see the two champions battle it out. A short series would be fine.

[Chaos81]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

What are your thoughts?

Simply put, I don't see the point (Other than money).

I'd watch it because it's the last baseball until ST, but it's not going to mean any more to me than an exhibition game would. Seems like it'd be the same as the WBC. People would watch because it's baseball, but if their team made it they'd just be sitting around hoping nobody gets seriously hurt.

[DrJones]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

Simply put, I don't see the point (Other than money).

I'd watch it because it's the last baseball until ST, but it's not going to mean any more to me than an exhibition game would. Seems like it'd be the same as the WBC. People would watch because it's baseball, but if their team made it they'd just be sitting around hoping nobody gets seriously hurt.

Exactly. It would be an exhibition series that the US players wouldn't want to play. I wouldn't care about it, and I love the WBC. If they want us to care about it, take it seriously and give the Japanese champs a small chance to actually become World Series champions in the manner that I described. Would it be fair to MLB teams/fans to import a couple of "foreign" teams into the playoff bracket? No. Would it be interesting, would it make money, would American baseball fans care? Hell yes.

[DrJones]

Re: A REAL World Series? (MLB Champs vs. J-Ball Champs)

Interesting. I need to sit on this for a bit, but I like the idea.

For the record, I'm not sure I'm in favour of this actually happening. But it's a fun idea, certainly more interesting than having a best-of-7 exhibition series in November. It would liven up the MLB division races a little bit, as getting in as a wild card would be far from desirable.