National League Divisional Series - Padres vs Dodgers

[reyes the roof]

I’m not saying anything is unfair, it’s just hard to get excited about the LCS if it doesn’t feature the teams that dominated the regular season. Anything other than Houston vs The Yankees and the 111 win Dodgers is going to feel like a letdown to me. The more teams you let in, the greater chance of a good team getting knocked out early. I preferred the one wildcard format or even the one game death match

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

But we are basing best teams off of overall records when the pathway thru a 162 game season isn't the same for all teams involved. Unbalanced schedule and injuries being the main culprits that make the journey to the playoffs for any two teams you find matched up in the playoffs different. I'll take my Cardinals as an example against the Phillies. The Cardinals had the better record, but I don't know, despite the playoff matchup outcome, that I'd consider the Cardinals a better team than the Phillies. The Phillies went 34-47 against teams with .500 or better record. The Cardinals went 34-38. The Phillies finished with a record better than the 2nd place team in the division the Cardinals won. The Phillies played in a division that featured two 101 game winning teams that they would've faced what, 30+ times combined, whereas the Cardinals would face the same two teams at best a combined 12-13 times. No matter how the playoff format is setup there is always an opportunity to say its unfair, its a crapshoot, its this or its that. But you at minimum have a best of 3 series to defeat a team and move on. And with each game featuring different pitching matchups and the concept of the sport itself, lends to the beauty that makes baseball's postseason so great, because each game of a series is distinctly different.

I'm not saying it's unfair (or rather, nobody really wants a "fair" Premier League type season format; I know I don't), but it's pretty clear that it's a crapshoot, and that it's more of a crapshoot than any other team sport. If MLB expanded its postseason to 24 teams, ANY of the 24 could beat anyone else in a best-of-3, and probably 16 could plausibly go on a hot streak and win the World Series. Whereas the NBA could let all 32 teams in, reduce all series to best-of-3, and you're still probably looking at only 4-5 teams who could win a title.

The questions I'm trying to get at are:

1. Should the regular season feel important? Should the length of the regular season play into it?

2. If MLB's champion is luck-based, and the NBA's is pretty much preordained, are those leagues better served by trying to reduce and increase the randomness of their postseasons? Should the LDS go to a best-of-7 and the NBA 1st round a best-of-5?

[Picci]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

Honest questions: How many teams do you think should make the playoffs every year?

I think this is perfect. The game is about series. 1 game elimination didn't make sense and we need to showcase baseball stars more to grow the game. I love it that Philly had to go thru St. Louis at home in a best of 3. It's not easy but they came through. Atlanta is a Top 3 and they took care of business. Even SD pitchers are stepping it up a notch now.

[Master Live 013]

I'm always for less playoffs teams and longer series.

[Picci]

1. Should the regular season feel important? Should the length of the regular season play into it?

It already does. We'll never really know what would have happened if the Mets won the division and faced Philly and Atlanta played SD. I believe things would be different.

2. If MLB's champion is luck-based, and the NBA's is pretty much preordained, are those leagues better served by trying to reduce and increase the randomness of their postseasons? Should the LDS go to a best-of-7 and the NBA 1st round a best-of-5?

Yes and Yes

[countryboy]

So you’re upset that there is parody in MLB postseason versus that of NBA where it’s fairly a given who the final 4 teams will be???

I guess I don’t understand the point of this exercise other than a continuous discussion of trying to fix a problem that will never have a definitive solution.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[ninertravel]

Let’s all remember 2020 a 60 game season that had Miami and a 29 win Astros but the dodgers the best team won it.

So yeah there’s that. I know everyone this happens people will bring up the crapshoot

I’m thinking the so many days off are effecting teams and other teams have gained momentum. Astros it’s even effected them it’s just that Seattle keep choking it away

[ninertravel]

Quote: Originally Posted by Master Live 013

I'm always for less playoffs teams and longer series.

How about 6 playoff team series?? Only division winners but seed 1 will have to have a week off waiting for 2 and 3 to play them?! Might be the only fair way to do it.