For the past 15 years, baseball has used the following format for their playoffs: 3 division winners and a wild-card in each league. This meant that only 8 teams out of 30 would make the playoffs, and teams compete for more than just their division pennant. Baseball has the fewest number of teams make the playoffs, and also has the highest number of games in their regular season. The result is a regular-season that counts more than any other professional sport in America, with the (at least in my opinion) exception of football.
I’ve long argued that while the baseball season is way too long, tradition and the fact that it matters so much to determine playoff teams, kept the 162-game season relevant. Now, however, in the tradition of college football and the BCS, baseball is poised to add another two teams to the playoffs . The proposed format would have the wildcard teams play each other in the first round, with the winner advancing and playing against the best division winner in the Divisional series.
This is not a big change for the playoff system, but it is a big change for baseball. If you use 1900 as the start of the modern era, baseball has modified its playoff format twice, by creating two divisions in each league in 1968, and by creating three divisions and a wildcard in 1994. A third change, to two wildcard teams, will most likely occur in 2012, meaning that there have been two format changes in 18 years.
I’m opposed to this new format change, because, like college basketball and the NCAA tournament, I see it as only a first step. You get some more teams in the playoffs (or the tourney), but the format is so odd that no one really likes it. So then you’ve got to make it better, and the only way to do that is to add some more teams to make the first round a “real” first round. It’s like having a baseball’s version of a play-in game for the playoffs. And while VCU was a play-in team and had a great run in the NCAA tourney this year, I argue that most people think the extra games just make the playoffs go too long and cheapen a good thing.
In the end, what’s driving this is the almighty dollar. More games = more TV time = more money from broadcasting rights. It’s a simple formula to which it seems every major sport in America is selling out. I liked baseball’s 4-team playoffs; it made sense and worked to benefit divisions that had more than one good team. Now I’m just waiting and wondering when the next “improvement” to baseball’s playoffs is coming.
3 comments:
WIERZBOWSKI
WHERE'S APONE?
As for Kevin's post, I agree. I hate the idea of a "1st round" wild card game or series. However, I hate it for another reason.
I like getting a couple more teams into the playoffs. It equalizes playoff chances somewhat for smaller market teams (like the Reds). However, I hate the proposed format!!! A 1 game playoff SUCKS. That isn't even a playoff series. A 3 or 5 game series also sucks. It pushes back the postseason another week, and we'll have Mr. November every year. Also, that's a lot of extra time off for division winners, which can kill momentum in baseball.
If MLB wants to add more teams to the playoffs, I think regular season changes need to occur as well. Obviously, they won't cut games. Maybe we start a week earlier and schedule games in warmer ballparks. I think we need to bring back day/night doubleheaders too. If you play one doubleheader every month, that would cut a week off the season. Then, they could have a short series and still wrap things up in October.
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