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Expanded Playoff Proposal - 7 Teams from each League

Featured Replies

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32747556/sources-expanded-playoffs-draft-lottery-proposals-cba-negotiations

Summary:

- 7 playoff teams from each league, 14 total

- 3 Division Winners, 4 Wild Cards

- #1 seed in each league gets a bye to the best-of-5 Division Series

- The other two division winners pick their opponent, among the Wild Card teams, for a best-of-3 series. The unchosen Wild Card teams face off in a best-of-3.

This seems like a clear money grab. It waters down the regular season for some extra playoff TV revenue. I hate it.

The Jays and Mariners both would have made it under this proposal. But the Phillies and Reds would have too at just barely over 81 wins. 7 teams really is awarding mediocrity. 

You should be in if you win your division or you win 90+ games.

 

And yes, I still haven't let go of 2006.

Not surprised by this. I’ll be watching less postseason baseball, and the final day scoreboard watching…that’s done too. Thanks greed.

Cap it at 6, 7 is just excessive 

There just isn't enough difference between an elite team and a mediocre team, in terms of chances to win a given game, for this many teams to make sense in the playoffs in baseball, IMO. 

I also think it's ridiculous to expect something like this would increase spending. If you lower the talent bar necessary to make it in, you just make it more realistic for young, cheap teams to gamble on hitting on a couple breakouts to make it in. With a couple small market exceptions, bad teams already regularly spend each year on a token veteran or two to plug a big hole. I don't know what the solution is for making those teams spend, but it isn't this.

Just now, Eminor3rd said:

There just isn't enough difference between an elite team and a mediocre team, in terms of chances to win a given game, for this many teams to make sense in the playoffs in baseball, IMO. 

I also think it's ridiculous to expect something like this would increase spending. If you lower the talent bar necessary to make it in, you just make it more realistic for young, cheap teams to gamble on hitting on a couple breakouts to make it in. With a couple small market exceptions, bad teams already regularly spend each year on a token veteran or two to plug a big hole. I don't know what the solution is for making those teams spend, but it isn't this.

That's what the salary floor is for. This is just to get some more money from extra playoff games. 

awful proposal

C.R.E.A.M

10 minutes ago, TheTruth05 said:

C.R.E.A.M

Jerry with more dolla dolla bills y'all!

Please don't expand baseball playoffs.  Its what makes it better than all the other major sports that half the league doesn't get in.  Don't fix what isn't broken. 

Yuck

Honestly, I already stopped watching the postseason if the Sox aren’t in it. A little bit here and there but I just don’t care to invest almost 4 hours in a game my team isn’t in. When I was younger I watched most games.

Edited by Bob Sacamano

27 minutes ago, BigHurt3515 said:

Cap it at 6, 7 is just excessive 

Better yet, cap it at three, bottom two division winners play best of three or five, winner faces top seed, home seed gets all home games until the World Series.

If they implement this garbage, they should return to a balanced League Schedule. Since half of each league is making the playoffs, there is no competitive reason for teams in garbage divisions to have an advantage when it comes to padding their record over 18 games against each of the 1-4 tanking teams. 

168 game schedule, 12 games, 6 home, 6 away, against each of the 14 other teams.

Losers which would have made it under this scheme since the Wild Card Era:

  • 1995: Baltimore 71-73 & San Diego 70-74
  • 1997: Chicago A.L. 80-81; Detroit 79-83
  • 1998: Chicago A.L. 80-82
  • 1999: Seattle 79-83 & Pittsburgh 78-83
  • 2006: Cincinnati 80-82
  • 2014: Braves vs. Mets 79-83 play in game.
  • 2016: Miami 79-82
  • 2017: Three team play in game for the final two 80-82 spots: Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Los Angeles A.L.

Additional White Sox teams which would have made it: 1996 (85-77); 1997 (80-81); 1998 (80-82); 2001 (83-79); 2002 (81-81); 2004 (83-79); 2006 (90-72); 2010 (88-74).

17 minutes ago, TheTruth05 said:

C.R.E.A.M

Jerry is for the Children!

 

38 minutes ago, Eminor3rd said:

There just isn't enough difference between an elite team and a mediocre team, in terms of chances to win a given game, for this many teams to make sense in the playoffs in baseball, IMO. 

I also think it's ridiculous to expect something like this would increase spending. If you lower the talent bar necessary to make it in, you just make it more realistic for young, cheap teams to gamble on hitting on a couple breakouts to make it in. With a couple small market exceptions, bad teams already regularly spend each year on a token veteran or two to plug a big hole. I don't know what the solution is for making those teams spend, but it isn't this.

Increases overall revenue though, no?

34 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

Honestly, I already stopped watching the postseason if the Sox aren’t in it. A little bit here and there but I just don’t care to invest almost 4 hours in a game my team isn’t in. When I was younger I watched most games.

I haven't watched a baseball game the Sox weren't playing in since the World Series of the Braves vs the Yankees back in the 90's. 

I don't love the game anymore, just the team. 

I like it.  It should minimize tanking

 7 per league is reasonable compared to other leagues:

NBA: 53% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS: 16/30

NHL: 50% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFF: 16/32

MLB PROPOSAL: 47% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS: 14/30

NFL: 44% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS:  14/32

5 minutes ago, gogosox1959 said:

 7 per league is reasonable compared to other leagues:

NBA: 53% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS: 16/30

NHL: 50% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFF: 16/32

MLB PROPOSAL: 47% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS: 14/30

NFL: 44% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS:  14/32

Response-

162

2 minutes ago, gogosox1959 said:

 7 per league is reasonable compared to other leagues:

NBA: 53% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS: 16/30

NHL: 50% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFF: 16/32

MLB PROPOSAL: 47% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS: 14/30

NFL: 44% OF TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS:  14/32

NBA and NHL grind out two months of playoffs to cover a six month season.

NFL has a month of playoffs, with a significant advantage for the top four teams, to cover their four 1/2 month season.

MLB owners are proposing a one month playoff scheme to settle a six month 162 game schedule.

A World Series Champion had to win a regular season championship (League Pennant 1903-1968) or Division (1969-1993) to be eligible. Being a playoff team mattered, you had to earn a World Series over both a 162 game grind and 1-2 series against the other best teams. If this passes, it becomes a 14 team crap shoot, and degrades any value of fielding the best team possible over the 162 game season.

People here were completely bored watching the Sox "rest" the final three months of the season. Now teams will "rest" throughout the entire season.

I wasnt as invested in the season when it was clear the sox were going to the playoffs. This would make the season so boring

1 hour ago, BigHurt3515 said:

Cap it at 6, 7 is just excessive 

Five is excessive.  They won't be happy until the true baseball fan says I've had enough.  I remember when the best team in each league played for the World Championship.  Making money is now the goal.  Winning is just getting lucky for a few weeks.

It's not just more revenue for a couple more weeks in October, it's keeping fans interested in more cities.

When it was 1 team per league, there were only 8 teams in each league.  Today there are 15 teams in each league.  If only 1 team advanced, the season would be over for more than half the teams well before Labor Day...or sooner. 

With today's attention spans and competing outlets for casual fans' attention, that would be the end of baseball.

.......and I am also old enough to remember going to games starting in about 1957.

 

32 minutes ago, poppysox said:

Five is excessive.  They won't be happy until the true baseball fan says I've had enough.  I remember when the best team in each league played for the World Championship.  Making money is now the goal.  Winning is just getting lucky for a few weeks.

Making money has always been the goal. Don't let the good of days cloud your memories here.

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