Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

[Blzer]

Re: Lincecum's quote about playoffs

I suppose you have a few valid arguments on his hypocrisy, but wouldn't this post just belong in the other thread about this instead of serving as its own thread?

[stlducks]

Re: Lincecum's quote about playoffs

Yeah it would, I did not see another thread about it.

[NYJets]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

1. Wild card teams should not be getting advantages or feeling they have an unfair draw because we're already telling the #1 team in the division that it's "fair" that you can win the division and still have a team you beat in the standings make the playoffs. The way it is now is highly unfair because with one fluke win, HFA shifts in a heartbeat in a 5 game series and all of those regular season wins are out the window anyway.

As long as there are wildcards there will be someone upset. You don't want to risk playing a team in a 3 game crap shoot.. win the division play hard down the stretch.

2. We don't know if Boston would have been the 5th team if the rule was in place because they only finished one game ahead of #6. Both Boston and Chicago were both out of the wildcard and divisional races that are in place and were playing spoilers in their final games. Would have been a different story if these two teams were fighting for the 5th seed that would be in place now.

As it would go, adding the 5th team would not only make the wildcard team have to play harder than everyone else who won their division, and not have just simply be punished with one less homegame, it would still keep the postseason relatively exclusive because only one extra team is getting in not 5, it would open the door for someone else to get into the playoffs so your season isn't over if one division is having a monster year, it would also increase ticket sales throughout the month of september when the NFL starts coming back, which the MLB as a business would be crazy not to do.

I just don't see why people think the MLB would be crossing the line in going through with this decision if they do it.

1. I don't think the wildcard team should be punished. Since 2002, of the 18 wildcards, only 3 of them ended up with the worst record of the 4 playoff teams in their league. So I'm fine with a little bonus like home field for winning the division, but I don't think we should treat the division winners like they are on completely different level than the wildcard, because that's rarely true.

2. That's true, good point. Doesn't really change the main argument too much though.

As others have been saying, it's just manufactured drama. Yea it will be intense and pressure packed at first, but when the top teams get knocked out earlier year after year just because of the nature of baseball, it's just going to feel watered down imo.

[Cardot]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

The bigger issue for me is that you have too many divisions. The fewer teams per division, the more likely that you will have an "NFC West" situation with one team winning a division with a far inferior record to a 2nd or 3rd place team from a tough divison.

But since the divisions won't be changed anytime soon, I like the proposal. Not so much for adding interest for a 5th city, but it rewards the division winners. Not only does the WC have an extra game to play, but they likey use their ace. (I would assume the division series would begin the day after the "play in").

[mvb34]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

Ah people cried when MLB add the wild card round in the mid 90s... This too will be okay.. MLB should schedule more doubleheaders so they can get all 162 games in and having the WS end by November.

[snepp]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

MLB should schedule more doubleheaders so they can get all 162 games in and having the WS end by November.

They should cut back to 154 games AND start scheduling doubleheaders again. It's all about the money though, neither of these things will ever happen.

They should also play a more balanced schedule while giving higher seeds a larger home field advantage as well, 4 games to 1 and 5 games to 2.

[Blzer]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

They should cut back to 154 games AND start scheduling doubleheaders again. It's all about the money though, neither of these things will ever happen.

Honestly, the only two problems I have with 154 games are:

1) Obviously, I would be watching eight less baseball games in the year.

2) Single-season records might not be as achievable (batting average and ERA, or other percentage statistics, are the only ones that might actually be easier).

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

This whole "season is too long", "don't want to be playing into November" stuff is overrated. As if a few more days or a few more games matter.

That shouldn't be the argument.

[snepp]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

1) Obviously, I would be watching eight less baseball games in the year.

This would be partially offset by the potential of additional playoff games. Given the choice of watching eight regular season games, or a handful of additional playoff games, I'll take the playoff games eight days a week.

2) Single-season records might not be as achievable (batting average and ERA, or other percentage statistics, are the only ones that might actually be easier).

What records does anybody really care about that would potentially be impacted? The HR record has already been made a mockery of, what's left?

[Blzer]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

This would be partially offset by the potential of additional playoff games. Given the choice of watching eight regular season games, or a handful of additional playoff games, I'll take the playoff games eight days a week.

True.

What records does anybody really care about that would potentially be impacted? The HR record has already been made a mockery of, what's left?

I guess I could extend it to careers as well. Eight less games every year for fifteen years of your career? That's four hundred less plate appearances minimum. A lot can happen with those PA's.

[slickdtc]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

Yeah, but they'll never CUT games. Only add.

Like another poster said, people cried when they introduced the Wild Card. If they're just adding 1 more team per league, it's 100% fine. They're not watering down anything because it's only one team. Probably should have been this way from the start because good teams still get left out. Which is cool that the playoffs are so exclusive, but also kind of sucks when you play damn well for 162 games but miss by a game or two. They're doing this the right way, I believe.

[wwharton]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

Yeah, but they'll never CUT games. Only add.

Like another poster said, people cried when they introduced the Wild Card. If they're just adding 1 more team per league, it's 100% fine. They're not watering down anything because it's only one team. Probably should have been this way from the start because good teams still get left out. Which is cool that the playoffs are so exclusive, but also kind of sucks when you play damn well for 162 games but miss by a game or two. They're doing this the right way, I believe.

This is what I think... they should've done this when they first introduced the wild card.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

The addition of the wild card team in the 90s made sense. This one doesn't.

They restructured the league back in the 90s to three divisions. Adding a wild card team meant they didn't have to have one team sitting around waiting in a first round bye. It also meant that the team with the second best record in the league was guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.

edit: there was also expansion to help justify the wild card.

[adice15]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

This whole "season is too long", "don't want to be playing into November" stuff is overrated. As if a few more days or a few more games matter.

That shouldn't be the argument.

Seriously. What difference does it really make if a World Series game is played on October 31 instead of November 1? The season started in March this year instead of April, but you don't see people complaining about it like they do about November. It's like something magical happens and everything suddenly turns cold and rainy once the calendar switches over to November.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Commish: 10 teams in playoffs for '12

I probably should be against it, but I actually like the idea. I've always hated the idea of a "Wild Card Champion," and hopefully the opening round would be short and sweet (and would encourage teams to go for the division title).