Selig looks to change the Playoff format

[ironman]

I'd just love them not to play the CS games at the same frickin' time.

[BritSox]

I'd say add another wild card team to the mix. Then have the two best teams in the league get the bye.

They should just get rid of the Wild Card altogether, expand each league by a few more teams and go to 2 league/4 division/4 team setup. After 13 years I'm completely sick of teams that can't win their division making it to the World Series.

You see, I HATED the two-division setup. Meant a team that was sometimes the fourth best in the league got into the LCS by virtue of geography, rather than winning the most games.

Imho, if you have any kind of divisional setup at all, you have to have the one wildcard. It guarantees that at least the two best teams in the league get a shot at the playoffs. Any more, and it gets like the NFL, when the regular season doesn't really matter and you can get into the playoffs with a .500 record. Oh, hang on, that last part already happened.

[Tavish]

I'd say add another wild card team to the mix. Then have the two best teams in the league get the bye.

They should just get rid of the Wild Card altogether, expand each league by a few more teams and go to 2 league/4 division/4 team setup. After 13 years I'm completely sick of teams that can't win their division making it to the World Series.

You see, I HATED the two-division setup. Meant a team that was sometimes the fourth best in the league got into the LCS by virtue of geography, rather than winning the most games.

Imho, if you have any kind of divisional setup at all, you have to have the one wildcard. It guarantees that at least the two best teams in the league get a shot at the playoffs. Any more, and it gets like the NFL, when the regular season doesn't really matter and you can get into the playoffs with a .500 record. Oh, hang on, that last part already happened.

See, I feel that the Wild Card does the same thing to the MLB that it does to the NFL. Winning the division really doesn't have nearly the same meaning it used to. I never really did get excited about the Phillies chasing the Dodgers for the NL wildcard spot. But I couldn't stop myself from following the Cards vs Astros battle for the Central Crown even though both were likely lesser regular season teams than the Phillies. I would have much rather seen another .500 team that won a crappy division make the playoffs if it would have made the Twins vs Tigers race mean more than simply who played the Yankees in the first round.

[soxfan364]

Why not some weekend day games for the World Series and playoffs. I'd support a 7 game ALDS, and maybe cut the season down to 160 games, maybe 154 games?

MLB does not want to compete with the NFL on Sundays, but they do now anyways (Mets/Cardinals tonight, and the NBC NFL game is on too, right?) And I guess the Saturday reason is because of college football? There is so much sports on TV now that i don't think they should have to plan around the NFL. But I'm pretty sure the networks decide the starting times now, and not MLB. That is something they should work out.

[BritSox]

I'd say add another wild card team to the mix. Then have the two best teams in the league get the bye.

They should just get rid of the Wild Card altogether, expand each league by a few more teams and go to 2 league/4 division/4 team setup. After 13 years I'm completely sick of teams that can't win their division making it to the World Series.

You see, I HATED the two-division setup. Meant a team that was sometimes the fourth best in the league got into the LCS by virtue of geography, rather than winning the most games.

Imho, if you have any kind of divisional setup at all, you have to have the one wildcard. It guarantees that at least the two best teams in the league get a shot at the playoffs. Any more, and it gets like the NFL, when the regular season doesn't really matter and you can get into the playoffs with a .500 record. Oh, hang on, that last part already happened.

See, I feel that the Wild Card does the same thing to the MLB that it does to the NFL. Winning the division really doesn't have nearly the same meaning it used to. I never really did get excited about the Phillies chasing the Dodgers for the NL wildcard spot. But I couldn't stop myself from following the Cards vs Astros battle for the Central Crown even though both were likely lesser regular season teams than the Phillies. I would have much rather seen another .500 team that won a crappy division make the playoffs if it would have made the Twins vs Tigers race mean more than simply who played the Yankees in the first round.

You see, I don't. At all. A third of the NFL makes the playoffs. A quarter of MLB does. The regular season still matters much more. I'd definitely rather see more good teams in the playoffs than more 'meaningful' division races between two teams who both deserve to be playing in October.

[TheYanks04]

I think we need to change the Commissioner not the payoff schedules. The manthat has bought us revenue sharing (err welfare for millionaires including himself), Competitive balance ("errr...free money to millionaires from George), Interleague play (err, can;t wait fo rthat TB vs Pitts matchup), unbalanced schedules, the winner of the AS game getting home field in the WS. the WBC stupidity, etc. should have been axed years ago.

[BritSox]

I think we need to change the Commissioner not the payoff schedules. The manthat has bought us revenue sharing (err welfare for millionaires including himself), Competitive balance ("errr...free money to millionaires from George), Interleague play (err, can;t wait fo rthat TB vs Pitts matchup), unbalanced schedules, the winner of the AS game getting home field in the WS. the WBC stupidity, etc. should have been axed years ago.

Revenue sharing has been a huge hit.

[Tavish]

You see, I don't. At all. A third of the NFL makes the playoffs. A quarter of MLB does. The regular season still matters much more. I'd definitely rather see more good teams in the playoffs than more 'meaningful' division races between two teams who both deserve to be playing in October.

I think the difference between our thoughts are just who "deserves" to play in October. I don't think that a second place team in a tough division deserves to make the postseason. The playoffs this year shouldn't be 7 AL teams and the Mets simply because they were the best teams. Meaningful division races are what make the regular season interesting to me, not two teams battling to see which is the best second place team.

[wrveres]

I think we need to change the Commissioner not the payoff schedules. The manthat has bought us revenue sharing (err welfare for millionaires including himself), Competitive balance ("errr...free money to millionaires from George), Interleague play (err, can;t wait fo rthat TB vs Pitts matchup), unbalanced schedules, the winner of the AS game getting home field in the WS. the WBC stupidity, etc. should have been axed years ago.

I am not a big Selig fan, but under his watch, the sport has never seen such a huge growth spurt, not only in attendence, but in overall league/team/owner/player value.

You can't argue with results.

My wish is that once he retires, if he retires, that Joe Torre is the next commish. Get somebody in there that has experienced both sides of the arguement.

I really like Tavish's scenario of (8) 4 team divisions, especially If they kept it regional. There would be some amazing pennant races every year, and that would put lots of butts in those seats ..

Imagine a Division of

NYM
NYY
BOS
TOR

Or

SDP
LAD
LAA
ARZ

SFG
OAK
SEA
COL

CWS
CHC
STL
KC

CIN
CLE
PIT
PHI


It would also make scheduling easier. Play each team in your league 20 times, 10 home and 10 away. Two 3 and 3's and make the 4 game series' always fall into the first month and the last month's of the season.

just a thought

[1337_Dude]

I think we need to change the Commissioner not the payoff schedules. The manthat has bought us revenue sharing (err welfare for millionaires including himself), Competitive balance ("errr...free money to millionaires from George), Interleague play (err, can;t wait fo rthat TB vs Pitts matchup), unbalanced schedules, the winner of the AS game getting home field in the WS. the WBC stupidity, etc. should have been axed years ago.

I am not a big Selig fan, but under his watch, the sport has never seen such a huge growth spurt, not only in attendence, but in overall league/team/owner/player value.

You can't argue with results.

My wish is that once he retires, if he retires, that Jow Torre is the next commish. Get somebody in there that has experienced both sides of the arguement.

I really like Tavish's scenario of 8 4 team divisions .. If they kept it regional, there would be some amazing pennant races, with lots of butts in those seats ..

Imagine a Division of

NYM
NYY
BOS
TOR

Or

SDP
LAD
LAA
ARZ

SFG
OAK
SEA
COL

CWS
CHC
STL
KC

CIN
CLE
PIT
PHI


It would also make sceduling easier. Play each team in your league 20 times, 10 home and 10 away. two 3 and 3's and make the 4 game series' always fall into the first month and the last month ..

That actually would be really cool. I've been saying for awhile that I'd like to see them realign the leagues.