Playoffs Expanded

[deathroh]

Officially...

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7638357/mlb-expand-playoffs-two-teams-10

 

[turok]

Game #163s, but minus the regular season division tie, essentially.

LOL @ MLB if a game163 becomes necessary in addition to the WC "playoff" @ the end of the regular season.

 

[tomdalton22]

I like it. It gives the division winners a bigger advantage.

 

[Thumb]

I like it. It gives the division winners a bigger advantage.

How so?


Or do you mean the #1 seed?

 

[turok]

I like it. It gives the division winners a bigger advantage.

Perhaps, esp. if a division-winning team matches up better vs whichever team winds up as the winner of the WC game, I suppose.

 

[tomdalton22]

I like it. It gives the division winners a bigger advantage.

How so?


Or do you mean the #1 seed?

I guess it only directly benifits the #1 seed but it does create an additional incentive to win your division no matter what.

 

[mattym]

In 2008, the American League playoff teams were Tampa, Boston, Chicago, and LA. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been New York.

In 2010, the American League playoff teams were Tampa, New York, Minnesota, and Texas. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been Boston.

In 2011, the American League playoff teams were New York, Tampa, Detroit, and Texas. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been Boston.

So in the five seasons from 2003 through 2007, Boston and New York both make the playoffs four times. And everything is fine.

In the last four seasons they've both made the playoffs only once, and now they're adding a fifth playoff team. How conveeeeeeeeeeeeeenient.

All this is is a way to increase the chances that both Boston and New York make the playoffs, and perhaps meet in the ALCS, which is MLB's wet dream.

 

[mattym]

And hey, if the Cubs or Mets sneak in as the fifth team in the NL, all the better...

 

[Mitchrapp]

I think you're onto something. And somehow ESPN was involved in the decision making

 

[turok]

Neither Boston nor Atlanta really deserved a WC spot last year, b/c of choking down the stretch, IMO. I was quite especially amused reading about how Red Sox fans felt afterwards, as well as Yanks fans after the Tigers beat them @ home in the deciding game 5 of their ALDS. Hope that their team comes up a game short of a WC yet again this season, even with the second WC spot in place.

 

[Thumb]

It could possibly negatively affect a division winner too, seeing as which ever teams wins the 1 game playoff might build some momentum, while the division winner they play was idle waiting on the outcome.

But since the playoffs are a different animal than the regular season, I don't know if it benefits or hurts anyone directly by having a 5th team added, aside from it just being about money.

 

[turok]

It has never happened, but imagine if all 3 second-place teams in each division of the AL or NL finished tied with identical records. I have no idea of how the two WC would be sorted out. Or even if two teams in one division tied with another second-place team in another division. One of the three would have an advantage, since all three can't play in one game 163, obviously.

 

[Mitchrapp]

It could possibly negatively affect a division winner too, seeing as which ever teams wins the 1 game playoff might build some momentum, while the division winner they play was idle waiting on the outcome.

But since the playoffs are a different animal than the regular season, I don't know if it benefits or hurts anyone directly by having a 5th team added, aside from it just being about money.

Not sure 1 extra day off effects it but I can imagine both teams in the play-in are using their number 1 starters. So whoever they play next but without their number 1 in game one will effect it more I suppose.

 

[manchild98]

This is stupid. A 1 game playoff doesn't make sense. One wildcard team could be 100-62 and the other wild card team could be 90-72 but we have to have a 1 game playoff to see who moves on? Dumb. If you can't play a some sort of a series then just leave it the way it is.

I don't really like it. Maybe one day the Tigers will be the team that benefits from this and I'll warm up to the idea, but the system was working just fine as it was. 3 division winners and 1 team with the next best record earn their way into the playoffs. That made sense.

 

[Mitchrapp]

I still like the 2 AL and 2 NL teams in the playoffs. I'm sure people older than I liked the 1 team from each side. Soon it will be 12 teams and top teams will get byes. More money means more teams.

 

[mattym]

2024: "Coming to you live from Citizens' Bank Park, it's Game One of the National League Quarterfinals, with the top-seeded Phillies taking on the 78-84 eighth-seeded San Diego Padres..."

(It'll push the start of the Detroit Tigers-New Jersey Dodgers World Series to November 10.)

 

[mattym]

A joke, obviously, but for the last 90 seconds I've been amusing myself imagining an interlocking "NJ" on that royal blue hat.

Like all swingers do on a Friday night...

 

[Mitchrapp]

It's coming. And series will go to 9 games like they had in the early days.

 

[tonyballs]

In 2008, the American League playoff teams were Tampa, Boston, Chicago, and LA. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been New York.

In 2010, the American League playoff teams were Tampa, New York, Minnesota, and Texas. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been Boston.

In 2011, the American League playoff teams were New York, Tampa, Detroit, and Texas. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been Boston.

So in the five seasons from 2003 through 2007, Boston and New York both make the playoffs four times. And everything is fine.

In the last four seasons they've both made the playoffs only once, and now they're adding a fifth playoff team. How conveeeeeeeeeeeeeenient.

All this is is a way to increase the chances that both Boston and New York make the playoffs, and perhaps meet in the ALCS, which is MLB's wet dream.

I agree with you big time. This whole process stinks worse than the Hudson River. What a joke....

 

[Rebbiv]

In 2008, the American League playoff teams were Tampa, Boston, Chicago, and LA. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been New York.

In 2010, the American League playoff teams were Tampa, New York, Minnesota, and Texas. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been Boston.

In 2011, the American League playoff teams were New York, Tampa, Detroit, and Texas. If there had been a 5th playoff team, it would've been Boston.

So in the five seasons from 2003 through 2007, Boston and New York both make the playoffs four times. And everything is fine.

In the last four seasons they've both made the playoffs only once, and now they're adding a fifth playoff team. How conveeeeeeeeeeeeeenient.

All this is is a way to increase the chances that both Boston and New York make the playoffs, and perhaps meet in the ALCS, which is MLB's wet dream.

Since 1995, the Yankees have been in the playoffs every year except 2008, so that is three times in the last 4 years. BOS has made the playoffs 6 out of the last 9 years, twice in the last 4 years.