1 minute ago, South Side Hit Men said:

True, my bad. OK with contraction to 14 or expansion to 16. Think the most feasible solution is to have two divisions in each league and four playoff teams. Best of 7 = up to 28 games.

Current set up will have an extra week of playoffs, but the regular season is diluted with these unworthy teams in the playoffs.

I put asterisks by wild card "World Champions", they couldn't even win a four or five team division.

Once you have more than one team in the playoffs you have an "unworthy" team. The only question is how many unworthy teams you want in. 

To me at some point in the season you stop to eliminate some bad teams and allow better teams to continue. We typically call that playoffs.  At that point the league is more interesting. I'm in favor of any plan that cuts the crappy teams early. That means a shorter regular season and more playoffs. Keeping bad teams around longer doesn't make the games more meaningful.

 

15 minutes ago, maxjusttyped said:

Why not try to find another Santos/Middleton instead of wasting a roster spot on 38 year old Bryan Shaw?

Hoping they claim Phil Bickford to take Shaw’s spot.

I don't know if it's because of the trades, or if it's just one of those streaks where teams just play well, but I hope they keep it up.

1 minute ago, YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES! said:

Hoping they claim Phil Bickford to take Shaw’s spot.

That seems like a no brainer to me, but if the Sox were interested, wouldn't he have been in the Lynn/Kelly trade?

How about this is. (Which could never happen logistically). After 80 games divide into two divisions a 16 team loser division and a 14 team winner division. They each play an additional 80 game regular season with a four team upper division playoff. No playoffs for the losers. 

4 minutes ago, Texsox said:

How about this is. (Which could never happen logistically). After 80 games divide into two divisions a 16 team loser division and a 14 team winner division. They each play an additional 80 game regular season with a four team upper division playoff. No playoffs for the losers. 

I actually like splitting up the season into halves somehow, so that a team well out of it but starting to play well has some hope for a "new" season at the half way break.

17 minutes ago, South Side Hit Men said:

The pathetic MLB owners tried to pull bullshit by ending relegation and creating a Super League. Europeans wouldn't stand for that bullshit.

North American owners would never risk relegation, it would never happen, but doesn't mean it shouldn't. Would cure tanking incentives for certain.

It could also increase tanking depending on how the finances are distributed. Not much different than now if TV and other money is equally distributed. Profits could be greater for a second division team with a low payroll. V

The AAA to MLB sounded good until I realized a franchise could have two teams in MLB and another franchise none. 

21 minutes ago, hankchifan said:

Too bad that the Sox waited so long to get wins like the last two days.  I guess they don’t feel as much pressure now as the sell off has been defined.

Guess the relief valve was released after the trades. Was hoping all year someone (read Pedro)  would help take the pressure off and it is unfortunate it took punting the season to finally see some smiles. Could be short-lived but maybe they start playing better.

You can only win the World Series one game at a time. 

48 minutes ago, maxjusttyped said:

TA looking very TAish over the last few weeks

Good.  Maybe someone will trade for him.

13 minutes ago, soxfaninfl said:

Guess the relief valve was released after the trades. Was hoping all year someone (read Pedro)  would help take the pressure off and it is unfortunate it took punting the season to finally see some smiles. Could be short-lived but maybe they start playing better.

Pedro has lacked leadership.

Watch out AL Central. About to go on a heater!

2 minutes ago, DirtySox said:

Watch out AL Central. About to go on a heater!

May as well Major League this thing 

6 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

May as well Major League this thing 

I have no desire to see Hahn get stripped to his skivies 

the last 3 days have been the best in at least a year. get rid of a few more whiners please.

2 hours ago, wegner said:

I actually like splitting up the season into halves somehow, so that a team well out of it but starting to play well has some hope for a "new" season at the half way break.

They did it in 1981.

2 hours ago, wegner said:

I have no desire to see Hahn get stripped to his skivies 

It'd be Reinsdorf if we're following the movie plot

2 hours ago, Texsox said:

Once you have more than one team in the playoffs you have an "unworthy" team. The only question is how many unworthy teams you want in. 

To me at some point in the season you stop to eliminate some bad teams and allow better teams to continue. We typically call that playoffs.  At that point the league is more interesting. I'm in favor of any plan that cuts the crappy teams early. That means a shorter regular season and more playoffs. Keeping bad teams around longer doesn't make the games more meaningful.

This is not an accurate assessment of my proposal. What I offered was a round robin intro-league schedule for each of the two leagues, and the league champions compete in a World Series, the same format as 1903 & 1905-1968.

The owners created a divisional format in 1969. It is the second best proposal pitting each of the four division winners. Only division winners are eligible.

While it’s not my preference, the division playoff format held between 1969-1993 until Jerry and his hand puppet Bud Selig cancelled the 1994 season was acceptable.

This format is certainly preferable to the complete garbage system of the past 28 years, now to the point where a fourth place team in a five team division can make the playoffs. It’s pathetic.

2 hours ago, Texsox said:

It could also increase tanking depending on how the finances are distributed. Not much different than now if TV and other money is equally distributed. Profits could be greater for a second division team with a low payroll. V

The AAA to MLB sounded good until I realized a franchise could have two teams in MLB and another franchise none. 

All teams would be independent, no team or franchise would own multiple franchises as they do today, consistent with how the minor leagues were operated until Branch Rickey created the Farm System in Saint Louis.

8 hours ago, Texsox said:

How about this is. (Which could never happen logistically). After 80 games divide into two divisions a 16 team loser division and a 14 team winner division. They each play an additional 80 game regular season with a four team upper division playoff. No playoffs for the losers. 

Starting to sound more like the NBA...

5 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

This is not an accurate assessment of my proposal. What I offered was a round robin intro-league schedule for each of the two leagues, and the league champions compete in a World Series, the same format as 1903 & 1905-1968.

The owners created a divisional format in 1969. It is the second best proposal pitting each of the four division winners. Only division winners are eligible.

While it’s not my preference, the division playoff format held between 1969-1993 until Jerry and his hand puppet Bud Selig cancelled the 1994 season was acceptable.

This format is certainly preferable to the complete garbage system of the past 28 years, now to the point where a fourth place team in a five team division can make the playoffs. It’s pathetic.

Well...would fans rather watch the Central winner or Boston/NY/LAA etc.?

9 hours ago, White Sox Park said:

I don't know if it's because of the trades, or if it's just one of those streaks where teams just play well, but I hope they keep it up.

Unfortunately with this team, a winning streak is usually 2 games. 
They did look good the last 2 games and maybe they can keep it going for a week or so. 

 

1 hour ago, The Mighty Mite said:

Unfortunately with this team, a winning streak is usually 2 games. 
They did look good the last 2 games and maybe they can keep it going for a week or so. 

 

See Braves series...

8 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

This is not an accurate assessment of my proposal. What I offered was a round robin intro-league schedule for each of the two leagues, and the league champions compete in a World Series, the same format as 1903 & 1905-1968.

The owners created a divisional format in 1969. It is the second best proposal pitting each of the four division winners. Only division winners are eligible.

While it’s not my preference, the division playoff format held between 1969-1993 until Jerry and his hand puppet Bud Selig cancelled the 1994 season was acceptable.

This format is certainly preferable to the complete garbage system of the past 28 years, now to the point where a fourth place team in a five team division can make the playoffs. It’s pathetic.

You want to keep bad teams around as long as possible. As a Sox that makes sense. 

I want bad teams out sooner so the good teams can start playing each other. The shorter the regular season, the more meaningful each game is. Lose one game out of 162 is much different than losing one game out of three, four or seven. 

We can call it eliminating them from some of the regular season if you prefer. 

8 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

All teams would be independent, no team or franchise would own multiple franchises as they do today, consistent with how the minor leagues were operated until Branch Rickey created the Farm System in Saint Louis.

Ok. So teams wouldn't be responsible for developing their own players. As a Sox fan I see how that would be a boost. Would you eliminate the draft then?