Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

[KSUowls]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

Terrible decision. The current format is fine.

Also, a 1 game playoff seriously diminishes the divisional series. It means you have to send out your ace to make the playoffs even if you had a nice lead in the standings, which affects who you can pitch in the divisional series.

Whoever gets to play the WC team will be throwing their #1, #2, #3, #4 guys against the WC teams #2, #3, #4,#1. It's bad for the WC team and it's bad for entertainment purposes.

[Knight165]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

I agree. And what if you were able to put it to a vote today? Would the majority of baseball fans vote to abolish the wild card? I doubt it.

My point about complacency.
Once it's "the norm" ...nobody cares.

Nature of the beast I guess.

Like I said. I don't hate the WC. I prefer just division winners but things change...I can accept that. I myself am complacent sometimes!

M.K.
Knight165

[24]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

The last thing we need is the playoffs going into mid November. Frankly there shouldn't even be a wildcard just the ALCS and then the World Series is all that is needed. Im sick of this its just about the owners and bud selig getting more money

[snepp]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

The last thing we need is the playoffs going into mid November.

Dude, it's 1 game.

Frankly there shouldn't even be a wildcard just the ALCS and then the World Series is all that is needed.

There's an idea that every Yankees fan should get behind.

[DrJones]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

Also, a 1 game playoff seriously diminishes the divisional series. It means you have to send out your ace to make the playoffs even if you had a nice lead in the standings, which affects who you can pitch in the divisional series.

That's why I like it. The WC team should be at a disadvantage.

[KSUowls]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

That's why I like it. The WC team should be at a disadvantage.

WC teams in every sport are already at a disadvantage.

They do not have home field advantage for the series for one. They probably aren't as good as the division winner anyway so that is another hill to climb (there are off course exceptions to this), and they probably did not have the luxury of giving guys a little rest down the stretch (yes there is some debate as to whether or not that hurts or helps, but the WC team does not have a choice in the matter)

Any more than that screws with the game. You don't see WC teams in the NFL have to sit their starting QB for a quarter just because they did not win their division.

The WC team is already at a disadvantage with at the very least not having home field advantage. That is how it is done in all sports, and it works. This system would screw it up for the fans. We would be trading a potentially good best of 5 series for a potentially good 1 game WC play-in.

As a fan, using a scenario off the top, I want to see David Price and Justin Verlander go head to head in game 1, and again in game 5 if necessary. I don't want David Price to have to pitch in a play in game and then not see him again until game maybe game 3 of the ALDS.

The playoffs in all sports are supposed to be the best of the best. The fact that it is one really good team against another is what makes October baseball, NFL/NBA/NHL playoffs so much fun. You seriously cripple this set up by forcing a team to not be able to use their best pitcher in game 1 and maybe even game 2 as well.

[snepp]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

Home field advantage in the MLB is pretty small, they only win about 54% of the time. Add in that you only get one more home game than road game and it makes for a pretty pitiful bonus.

I would even be in favor of 4/1 and 5/2 home-road splits, that would give home field advantage considerably more meaning.

[DrJones]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

All-time series record for wild card teams in the LDS: 17-15
All-time series record for wild card teams in the LCS: 9-6
All-time series record for wild card teams in the World Series: 4-5

If wild card teams are currently entering the postseason at a disadvantage, I'm not seeing it.

[p_rushing]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

It is also going to increase the number of tied teams at the end of the season. Now teams will need to play 1 game to get the final wildcard spot. Also what happens to determine the 1 game location? What if say the Braves and Cards where tied at the end of the year. Both would get in, but who would get to be at home for the 1 game series? Would they have to play 1 game to determine the WC1 and WC2 spots? Then play the 1 game series?

[KSUowls]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

All-time series record for wild card teams in the LDS: 17-15
All-time series record for wild card teams in the LCS: 9-6
All-time series record for wild card teams in the World Series: 4-5

If wild card teams are currently entering the postseason at a disadvantage, I'm not seeing it.

Not having home field advantage is an inherent disadvantage. Simple. There are a number of ways that the those records can be explained, but they are all irrelevant to the overall argument. The postseason should be the best teams against the best teams to bring out the best competition for the best entertainment. That was extremely repetitive, but it is to show my point.

I mean just how big of a disadvantage do you people want the WC team to be in? At that point why even bother having an LDS at all? Just give the top team a bye in the first round and let the other two division winners play a best of 5 to get into the LCS. If you want to cripple a team's chances of success then don't even bother with it.

Also, when you have a situation where the the WC team is in the same division as the team with the best record in baseball then the #1 seed really gets the shaft. They will have to play the #3 seed's full compliment of pitchers while the #2 seed will probably only see the opposing teams ace once the entire series even if it goes 5 games.

[bwburke94]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

It is also going to increase the number of tied teams at the end of the season. Now teams will need to play 1 game to get the final wildcard spot. Also what happens to determine the 1 game location? What if say the Braves and Cards where tied at the end of the year. Both would get in, but who would get to be at home for the 1 game series? Would they have to play 1 game to determine the WC1 and WC2 spots? Then play the 1 game series?

The location of the game will likely be the home field of WC1; in the case of a tie, use an NFL-style tiebreaker. Remember, there's no one-game playoff between DIV2 and DIV3.

What I'm worried about is the possibility of the following:

AL EAST

Yankees 99-63
Red Sox 99-63

AL CENTRAL

Indians 97-65
Tigers 95-67

AL WEST

Rangers 94-68

How would the AL East tie work, since an NFL-style tiebreaker wouldn't work for balance reasons? Would they play a one-game playoff for guaranteed entry into the ALDS?

[mjbird123]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

I heard that they will add 2 wild cards next year or the year after

[1Rose]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

As much as I dislike the idea of ruining the exclusivity of the current playoff system, I really think two play-in games would be really exciting. Nothing is more tense and dramatic than a lose or go home scenario.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

As a fan, using a scenario off the top, I want to see David Price and Justin Verlander go head to head in game 1, and again in game 5 if necessary. I don't want David Price to have to pitch in a play in game and then not see him again until game maybe game 3 of the ALDS.

You make some great points and I find myself almost agreeing with you, but to play devils advocate, we kind of see this anyway with teams playing one-game playoffs just to get into the post season on the final day.

Because TB, Boston and St. Louis didn't win their divisions or clinch a playoff spot earlier, they are all forced to burn their aces (Lester on short rest, Carpenter and Price) on the final day of the season get in. And if these teams all win, they are going to have to burn more tomorrow and are going to be even thinner when they open up the DS.

We rarely see #1's match up in the playoffs because we almost always see a team or two scratching and clawing on the final day of the season to sneak in. And we almost never see it in the CS and WS because it's rare that the two teams clinch the previous round in a position to both be able to lineup their aces in the next round anyways.

So to me, this is almost a non-issue and have others have said, the matchups should favor the top seed in every aspect possible. They should be rewarded for winning their division early and getting to set their rotation.

What I don't like is that the div winner can't play a wild card from their division...shouldn't matter. And the #2 see shouldn't get an advantage because of it.

#1 - Div A - 105-57
#2 - Div B - 95 - 67
#3 - Div C - 97 - 65
WC - Div A - 88 -74

Because #1 and WC are both from Div A, they can't play each other, so #1, who finishes with the best overall record gets a tougher opponent and #2, who won seven fewer games, gets an easier opponent. Doesn't make a lick of sense to me at all....what is the reasoning behind this except that they played each other more during the regular season?

[Cardot]

Re: Next CBA likely to add two wild card teams and one-game playoff

That's why I like it. The WC team should be at a disadvantage.

I totally agree. This will also create two levels of drama in the pennant race. You will have the 5th/6th place teams battling to get in the playoffs, but you will also have emphasis on teams winning the division. Before September, the Sox and Yanks were battling for first, but it wasn't too big of a deal as both teams were locks for the postseason (whoops). But had there been a one game elimination wild card game facing the loser of the pennant race, the summer would have been more intense.

To me, the 5 team playoff should be appealing to both sides. The purists should like it as it put's a premium back into winning the division. And for non-purists you add the excitement of a one game do or die situation.