LabattBlue Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Make the wild card a best of 3 & the division series a best of 7. To make room and keep the schedule from drifting into November, drop 7 games off the regular season and start the postseason by the last week of September.
KD in CA Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Nope, sorry. I wanted the A's and Brewers to win too, but that doesn't change the fact that out of all the bad things baseball has done in recent years, the one GOOD thing is the Wild Card game. If you can't win your five team division, you do not deserve any better than a 50/50 shot to continue on in the playoffs. If you don't like that, get rid of the second wildcard. Or go back to having two divisions and no wild cards. Slowly turning baseball playoffs into hockey or basketball is not the answer. 4 1
BuffaloBud Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 There isn't any way that the owners of the teams that didn't make either the WC or playoffs are going to give up 7 regular season games. 1
Gugny Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 2 minutes ago, KD in CA said: Nope, sorry. I wanted the A's and Brewers to win too, but that doesn't change the fact that out of all the bad things baseball has done in recent years, the one GOOD thing is the Wild Card game. If you can't win your five team division, you do not deserve any better than a 50/50 shot to continue on in the playoffs. If you don't like that, get rid of the second wildcard. Or go back to having two divisions and no wild cards. Slowly turning baseball playoffs into hockey or basketball is not the answer. I agree 100%.
row_33 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) the game doesn't really want more 4-playoff-game days (see tomorrow), they conflict with each other and ad $$$ at least up here they've finally figured out they could put the start of another game on another of the 6 channels if the early game goes past 4 hours Edited October 3, 2019 by row_33
Golden Goat Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 8 minutes ago, KD in CA said: Or go back to having two divisions and no wild cards. I wouldn't mind this. (I know I'm in the minority). 1
row_33 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Golden Goat said: I wouldn't mind this. (I know I'm in the minority). it made for many great entire seasons in the AL East of the 80s, one year 5th finished 3.5 out of first. I enjoyed games meaning something the whole season, instead of hoping to stay around .500 and latch onto a WC spot Edited October 3, 2019 by row_33 1
May Day 10 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) Wild card game is great IMO. It also opens up a lot of cool scenarios of 1-off tiebreaker games. However, IMO, MLB and baseball need to change course. They are losing fans, and the ones they do have are aging. MLB also has a major 'tanking' problem, where many teams just let their bottom fall out if they arent going to compete to be in the top 5 in each league. If I was God of sports and could act on a whim (other than establishing a full-on promotion/relegation system), I would move toward decreasing the season to 140-ish games, increase the playoff field, and re-align the league (dont know, either 4 divisions or 8 divisions). 16 teams make the playoffs and have all Best-Of-7 Series. People almost unanimously love playoff baseball. They don't like the Royals and Orioles in September (or even July). This season, assuming a 'conference' alignment, you would have: Rangers vs Astros Red Sox vs Yankees Twins vs Indians A's vs Rays and Cubs vs Dodgers Braves vs Diamond Backs Nationals vs Mets Cardinals vs Brewers. Thats a hell of a 1st round Edited October 3, 2019 by May Day 10
row_33 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 letting teams slack off because of 2 WCs has hurt the value of early games. again the 1980s AL East had seasons where practically every game mattered to the teams, one year the Jays were in first or tied for the first 160 games, then choked it all away
Golden Goat Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) 13 minutes ago, row_33 said: it made for many great entire seasons in the AL East of the 80s, one year 5th finished 3.5 out of first. I enjoyed games meaning something the whole season, instead of hoping to stay around .500 and latch onto a WC spot For me, there will never be an NLCS that touches Mets-Astros '86. The year before that, the Mets won 98 games and still lost the division. There was no participation trophy, and I was fine with that. (Cue the "get off my lawn" meme guy in .... 3.... 2....1....) Edited October 3, 2019 by Golden Goat
May Day 10 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, row_33 said: it made for many great entire seasons in the AL East of the 80s, one year 5th finished 3.5 out of first. I enjoyed games meaning something the whole season, instead of hoping to stay around .500 and latch onto a WC spot In that case, the majority of the season in the American League would have been rendered pretty meaningless for everyone not in Houston, Minnesota and 80% of NYC. The Braves and Dodgers would have also been running the NL Divisions with little resistance. As an Indians fan, I am satisfied that the season came down to the final weekend, even though they didnt qualify. I have been there when they are obviously out by May and June and it sucks. With so many entertainment options, what was good in 1980 is not feasible today. Nostalgia loves 24 or 26 teams and actual 'pennant races'. In reality, it would make for a boring league in present-day.
row_33 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 13 minutes ago, May Day 10 said: In that case, the majority of the season in the American League would have been rendered pretty meaningless for everyone not in Houston, Minnesota and 80% of NYC. The Braves and Dodgers would have also been running the NL Divisions with little resistance. As an Indians fan, I am satisfied that the season came down to the final weekend, even though they didnt qualify. I have been there when they are obviously out by May and June and it sucks. With so many entertainment options, what was good in 1980 is not feasible today. Nostalgia loves 24 or 26 teams and actual 'pennant races'. In reality, it would make for a boring league in present-day. the game is mostly about a private TV$$$$ deal bringing in billions, and those teams are annually among the playoff contenders Toronto's ownership doesn't pay market for the TV rights, although possibly the richest ownership in North America, so the team is dead from the get-go with a half-effort. the main trouble with today's game is the imbalance in the scheduling, letting teams have an equal right to a WC spot while playing a clearly lower strength of schedule but it's not as though i'm gnashing my teeth over a team losing out on a WC spot
shrader Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 1 hour ago, LabattBlue said: Make the wild card a best of 3 & the division series a best of 7. To make room and keep the schedule from drifting into November, drop 7 games off the regular season and start the postseason by the last week of September. You're removing 105 regular season games off the schedule and replacing them with at most 4 extra playoff games. That's a lot of revenue spread out across all of the teams, which is why it will never happen. You're also leaving teams with an odd number of games, so an unequal number at home and on the road.
SinceThe70s Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Two changes I'd like to see, neither of which I think has any chance of happening: - eliminate more post-season off days. They play 162 games with a five man rotation and then all of the post season travel days allow teams to shorten the rotation. - East Coast bias here, but start the night games earlier. 1
LabattBlue Posted October 3, 2019 Author Posted October 3, 2019 All good points. I guess from a selfish pov, I just want more meaningful baseball and less late September games which are useless for more than 1/2 the league.
row_33 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 13 minutes ago, LabattBlue said: All good points. I guess from a selfish pov, I just want more meaningful baseball and less late September games which are useless for more than 1/2 the league. what do you actually watch as a fan of the game?
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) No. Go back in time. Best in AL & NL meet best of nine. Season should be playoffs. Play harder in June. Don't put field positions in as pitchers during blowouts (and vice versa). Here's looking at you Joe Maddon. Edited October 3, 2019 by ExiledInIllinois
row_33 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 i watch a game a day until football starts, then i pick up again for some playoff series, the Yankees continuing is the best thing for baseball audiences 1
Ned Flanders Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 2 hours ago, LabattBlue said: Make the wild card a best of 3 & the division series a best of 7. To make room and keep the schedule from drifting into November, drop 7 games off the regular season and start the postseason by the last week of September. Won't happen. First, you would never get the owners to go for a shortened schedule. And why seven? Why not the pre-sixties standard of 154? That said, however, owners would still balk at the idea.
Another Fan Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 1 hour ago, Golden Goat said: I wouldn't mind this. (I know I'm in the minority). Still pissed about the Cardinals winning the World Series in 2006 with 83 wins 1
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