Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/rumblings120907/baseball-potential-postseason-mess

Good. This is what you GET for this stupidity, MLB.

[phenom1990]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

So the teams with best records have to start the LDS round on the road?

[ImTellinTim]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/...ostseason-mess

Good. This is what you GET for this stupidity, MLB.

This was raised as a possible problem when the decided to go ahead this year. Nothing new. I believe that they will properly schedule for this next year.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

So the teams with best records have to start the LDS round on the road?

Yeah, but this has been known for some time. It's not ideal, but Baseball says that they will have it fixed for next year.

[SPTO]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

Even though the Blue Jays' season was torpedoed, I have to say that the added Wild Card has made this season pretty exciting.

Hopefully the scheduling snafus really do get fixed next season.

[DrJones]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

They should've waited until 2013 to adopt the new format, but MLB aren't exactly masters of long-term planning.

[phenom1990]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

Yeah, but this has been known for some time. It's not ideal, but Baseball says that they will have it fixed for next year.

It's just me but in a scenario like this... if you have to put someone in a tight spot. I think you put the wild card team and not the team with the best record in a potential bad spot.

[slickdtc]

Shenanigans. It's only a disaster because of TV ratings. The games can be played perfectly fine. They just won't be ideally timed.

Do NOT make a better team start on the road. And like OMG, 5-7 days straight of baseball... Like they don't do that ALL year. I always wondered why they didn't play straight through like they do all season. I'm excited. We'll see more 4th and 5th starters and I think it'll add to the unpredictability.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

They might play every day, but they don't zig-zag across the country for 3 straight days. That's where the problem is.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

It's just me but in a scenario like this... if you have to put someone in a tight spot. I think you put the wild card team and not the team with the best record in a potential bad spot.

I agree with the above, but they rushed it in for this year because of television commitments and the like. They'll have it fixed for next year.

BTW I'm Telling Tim, I'm probably the only Texan that gets your avatar. Classic.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

BTW I'm Telling Tim, I'm probably the only Texan that gets your avatar. Classic.

LOL, born and raised there

[NYJets]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

My thinking is that while I don't think it's fair to have a 1 game playoff round after playing 162 games, it will be exciting and entertaining, so I like it. If it means a lot of the games are going to be at 1 in the afternoon or starting at 11 at night though, than why do this, if most people aren't going to be able to watch them.

Hopefully they get this ironed out, but I still don't get why they needed to rush this in before they could figure out a reasonable schedule.

[dickey1331]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

I agree with the above, but they rushed it in for this year because of television commitments and the like. They'll have it fixed for next year.

BTW I'm Telling Tim, I'm probably the only Texan that gets your avatar. Classic.

LOL, born and raised there

Hey now Im a Texan and I get it too

[Cardot]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

My thinking is that while I don't think it's fair to have a 1 game playoff round after playing 162 games

The alternative for the 5th seed last year was that you are out. And lots of folks think the same should happen to the other wild card.

I think the system is great. More teams are in contention in September, and there is now a premium for winning your division. Not to mention the excitement of two new elimination games.

[Braves Fan 21]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

I don't like the second wild card and think it is incredibly short sighted for the following reasons:

1. Using last year as an example instead of having 2 thrilling finishes for the last 2 weeks of the year(4 teams going all out trying to win every game) everyone would have known the outcome for 2 or 3 weeks and played all their triple A guys in anticipation of the 1 game playoff, look at the standings for the last 10 years the race for 1st amongst non division winners is usually much tighter than the race for 2nd

2. It's also stupid because using last year as an example as a Braves fan the Cardinals beat us fair and square, a 162 game schedule was played and they won more games, therefore why should we get the opportunity to beat them in a 1 game scenario?(a single A team can beat the Cardinals in a 1 game scenario so that's kinda unfair don't you think) we had our chance and lost fair and square that's how she goes, any real man can see we ABSOLUTELY DID NOT deserve to get a chance to beat them in a 1 game scenario they beat us fair and square that's all there is to it

3. Look at the standings this year the Braves are 4 or 5 up from everyone else in the Wild Card, yet we could lose a 1 game scenario and be out, even a 5 year old can see that this is stupid

4. It puts the wild card team at a disadvantage. For years division or wild card it didn't matter once the playoffs started both had an equal opportunity, but now the wild card team is at a severe disadvantage because in most situations they will only be able to pitch their number 1 starter 1 time in the first round while the other guys number 1 starter goes twice, therefore once the playoffs start then wild card team is at a big disadvantage(not a team like the Phillies or Rays though who have multiple No.1's which is another thing that I think is unfair) meaning that although the wild card is now easier to get for teams it's also less valuable because you're chances of winning the W.S as a wild card team are significantly lower(unless you're a team with multiple No.1's like the Rays and Phillies)

5. It weakens the trade deadline, it didn't so much this year but give GM's a year or two and they will realize that it makes no sense to give up prospects for vets unless you have the division locked up because the wild card playoff spot is essentially worthless(for the Braves for example we have the 6th best record in baseball yet if you calculate our odds of being one of the wild card teams it's about 90% then you divide that by 2 we only actually have a 45% chance of even making the playoffs and since we'll be at a distinct disadvantage because we'll probably only have Medlen going once in the first round basically it means any GM that doesn't just stand pat unless they have a damn good shot at the division is an idiot and within a year or 2 it will make the deadline a lot less fun and active)

5. The real biggest reason it is stupid is that it generates LESS interest, like I said in point one using last year as an example you would have traded about 40 great must win games(each teams last 10 I forget if the Sox and Rays played each other sorry) for 2 must win games, basically this format in most seasons just deadens the last 2 weeks of the season to make 1 day more exciting, which is utter insanity in my opinion


To sum up this format generates less excitement during the seasons final 2-4 weeks, is grossly unfair and is probably going to make the trade deadline a lot more mundane all in the name of playing 2 must win games,
this format is so stupid that it obviously came straight from Bud(the ladies call me Dud) Selig, the man who is so stupid that he needs to constantly have someone reminding him to breathe or he'll forget to and die.


Also somewhat separate question but to me I don't count the 1 game wild card as making the playoffs, for example if the Braves lose that 1 game I won't look at it like we made the playoffs and lost I'll look at it like we just tied for the last spot and lost the tiebreaker, therefore 2 years from now I'll look back and think we missed the playoffs, what do you guys think about that? Do you count the wild card loser as a playoff team or not?