MLB Off-Topic

[Master Live 013]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Major League Baseball has issued a proposal to the players to start the season a month late, a request that includes expanded authority for the commissioner of baseball to cut the season short, according to a baseball source on Sunday.

The players are expected to reject the proposal. The 2021 season is scheduled to begin April 1, with spring training kicking off by the middle of February.

The MLB proposal calls for a 154-game schedule with players earning 100 percent of the salaries they would get for a 162-game schedule. The full pay for a season appeals to the players, but the expanded authority of the commissioner means their salaries would not be guaranteed, an unsurprising deal-killer in the eyes of the union.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/31/sports/major-league-baseball-proposes-one-month-delay-spring-training-2021-season/

Yeah, that proposal is dead.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

That sounds stupid if I read it right.

"Hey, well shorten the season but give you 100% of your pay!"

"Great, sign us u..."

"But we have full authority to end the season prematurely on any given notice and you won't get your 100% anymore"

"Wait, what?"

I'm all for expanded playoffs being a permanent fixture in baseball. 6 or 7 teams being in doesn't devalue anything. The 6 and 7 seeds are often good quality teams too. It's the 8 seed and below where we see drops.

But how would it have worked? Start a month late, play just over a week less games, but somehow the season only ends a week late? How are they making up the other 2 or 3 weeks here?

The proposal sounded fine except the non-guaranteed guaranteed money. If they said that players get 100% no matter what, or 90% for the minimum (even if 75% of games get played) then MAYBE the PA listens.

[Speedy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Smoltz has been advocating for a 154-game season for a decade at least.

[KSUowls]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I know that we have been down that road before, but going to 6 or 7 team absolutely does devalue the season.

At 7 teams then you would have had multiple instances in the last 10 years of teams that were 500 or below making the playoffs.

6 teams wouldn't be as drastic, but you still open the door for teams to play 162 and just be a couple games over 500 and still get in.

I guess to be fair though. I'd rather see 3 full series rather than the 1 game playoff BS.

Sent from my S10 using Operation Sports mobile app

[kehlis]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I know that we have been down that road before, but going to 6 or 7 team absolutely does devalue the season.

At 7 teams then you would have had multiple instances in the last 10 years of teams that were 500 or below making the playoffs.

6 teams wouldn't be as drastic, but you still open the door for teams to play 162 and just be a couple games over 500 and still get in.

I guess to be fair though. I'd rather see 3 full series rather than the 1 game playoff BS.

Sent from my S10 using Operation Sports mobile app

Yep, agreed. I’d rather they just go back to four team playoffs than see them add more teams.

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I know that we have been down that road before, but going to 6 or 7 team absolutely does devalue the season.

At 7 teams then you would have had multiple instances in the last 10 years of teams that were 500 or below making the playoffs.

6 teams wouldn't be as drastic, but you still open the door for teams to play 162 and just be a couple games over 500 and still get in.

I guess to be fair though. I'd rather see 3 full series rather than the 1 game playoff BS.

Sent from my S10 using Operation Sports mobile app

I’m totally against expanding, it creates too much of a chance for a bad team with a great starting pitcher to knock off a good team

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

If people want to see the game grow, you have to take some bad with the good.

Yes, 6 or 7 teams in means we're guaranteed non 90 win teams making the playoffs, but it also means more fan interest league wide which obviously is good for the game which has an issue of attracting new fans.

But it also puts more emphasis on finishing 1st or 2nd since you'd get that "BYE" meaning you go into the LDS with a rested team and start game 1 with your ace.

8 teams for sure I agree isn't good. We saw even this past season what happens with 8 teams. Astros had no business being in.

6 though I think is a good compromise. 1 and 2 seeds get a BYE, worst division winner and top WC seed each have home field vs the 5 and 6 seeds in a 3 game series.

[kehlis]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

If people want to see the game grow, you have to take some bad with the good.

Yes, 6 or 7 teams in means we're guaranteed non 90 win teams making the playoffs, but it also means more fan interest league wide which obviously is good for the game which has an issue of attracting new fans.

But it also puts more emphasis on finishing 1st or 2nd since you'd get that "BYE" meaning you go into the LDS with a rested team and start game 1 with your ace.

8 teams for sure I agree isn't good. We saw even this past season what happens with 8 teams. Astros had no business being in.

6 though I think is a good compromise. 1 and 2 seeds get a BYE, worst division winner and top WC seed each have home field vs the 5 and 6 seeds in a 3 game series.

That doesn’t grow the game. All it does is bring out temporary band wagon fans who will go away again once their team is eliminated until the next time that team makes the playoffs.

Personally, I don’t care about the game growing and that’s mainly because the best way to do that are to institute a bunch of time related rules to make games easier to watch on a regular basis.

(And yes, I really don’t want to see any of that so I’ll raise my hand and say I think the game is fine as is)

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I don’t know that I’d want a bye, let me hit the ground running after the regular season ends instead of having an extended amount of time off where everyone’s timing can get messed up

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Average wins per seed since 2012 2nd WC rule:

1 seed:
AL-100 wins
NL-100 wins

2nd best division winner:
AL-98 wins
NL-95 wins

3 seed: (worst division winner)
AL-92 wins
NL-91 wins

4 seed: (best non division winner)
AL-92 wins
NL-93 wins

5 seed:
AL-91 wins
NL-90 wins

6 seed:
AL-88 wins
NL-86 wins

Looking at the numbers, even 7 looks like it'll be too low a win count (still above .500, but just barely). But 6 seed vs 5 seed doesn't seem as bad. Only 4 wins in the AL separates the average 3 and 6 seed. Only 5 wins between the worst division winner in the NL and the 6 seed.

[The Kid 24]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

This is an incredible read....

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30800732/san-francisco-giants-outfielder-drew-robinson-remarkable-second-act

I'm a very big fan of Drew Robinson now.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Angels suspend pitching coach Mickey Callaway after allegations from female reporters came out about some of the things he's done dating back to his time in Cleveland.

[Master Live 013]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

For anyone wondering:

<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code">

Source: Mickey Callaway has denied any wrongdoing, which protects him from being fired without an investigation. MLB and the Angels are hoping to wrap up this investigation in relatively short order.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 2, 2021

********
</code></samp>

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

For anyone wondering:

<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code">

Source: Mickey Callaway has denied any wrongdoing, which protects him from being fired without an investigation. MLB and the Angels are hoping to wrap up this investigation in relatively short order.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 2, 2021

********
</code></samp>

I mean, has anyone in the history of anything ever initially been like "Yeah, I did it!"

Seems theres already evidence out there, so he shouldn't be suspended very long, he'll be gone altogether soon.

[KSUowls]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

If people want to see the game grow, you have to take some bad with the good.

Yes, 6 or 7 teams in means we're guaranteed non 90 win teams making the playoffs, but it also means more fan interest league wide which obviously is good for the game which has an issue of attracting new fans.

But it also puts more emphasis on finishing 1st or 2nd since you'd get that "BYE" meaning you go into the LDS with a rested team and start game 1 with your ace.

8 teams for sure I agree isn't good. We saw even this past season what happens with 8 teams. Astros had no business being in.

6 though I think is a good compromise. 1 and 2 seeds get a BYE, worst division winner and top WC seed each have home field vs the 5 and 6 seeds in a 3 game series.

Maybe, but I'm also not sure that just attracting more fan interest for October baseball is vital to the sport. It would be nice, but if that's the only consideration then why stop at 6 or 7 teams? Why not go to 24, or have a regular season champion and then have a full 30 team end of season tournament? I'm not saying that to be facetious, I just mean that I don't think that a lack of playoff expansion is what is holding the sport back.

I thought 3 division winners + the best of the rest was kind of perfect for the sport. If I had to choose from the various expanded playoff options then I'd agree that 6 teams is the way to go since the win% difference is still pretty close to the #5 seed, and it would get rid of the antithetical 1 game playoff. I still think that it detracts a lot from the accomplishment that is supposed to be the regular season, but it would also do the least damage (versus other proposals) to the regular season since getting that first round bye would be important (though as reyes mentioned, there are negatives with the bye as well).