1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Changes to MLB Playoffs?

Discussion in 'Sports Forum' started by TomVols, Apr 5, 2009.

Top Posters
  1. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2000
    Messages:
    11,170
    Likes Received:
    0
    In thinking about how we see 2009 shaking down, I started thinking about what I like and dislike about the MLB Playoffs, and started wondering: what changes would you make to the playoffs?

    1. I don't like the rule about intradivisonal opponents in the first round. That is, if you win your division and the team that won the wild card is also from your division, you cannot play in the first round despite your record. So you could have the best record in baseball, and you have to play a division winner in your opening round. I say let 1 play 4, 2 play 3, and let the chips fall where they may.

    2. I have a mild problem with the Wild card winner always being seeded fourth, but I can live with it.

    3. I think the LDS should go to seven games, but I am not rigid about this.

    4. I am somewhat in favor of the WS going to a best of 9. I know, the playoffs would run to Veterans day. That's why I'm not screaming mad about it. But it's still an intriguing idea.

    1 & 2 are my biggest bones of contention.

    Your take?
     
    #1 TomVols, Apr 5, 2009
  2. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2005
    Messages:
    4,459
    Likes Received:
    1
    I have more of an issue with the playoff schedule than I do anything else. I think it's crazy they have so many days off throughout the playoffs. It also annoys me that they start the games so late. Some of us have to work the next day and don't want to stay up till 1am.

    Agreed. I don't see a good reason for the way it is now. Seeding by record takes care of #1 and #2.

    I'm against it under current ridiculous TV schedules. If they tighten up the TV schedules, I wouldn't have a big problem going to 7.

    I'm not in favor of a 9 game World Series.
     
    #2 ccrobinson, Apr 5, 2009
  3. EdSutton

    EdSutton New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Messages:
    8,755
    Likes Received:
    0
    I might be in favor of expanding the playoffs by adding the several games additional rounds would call for, such as in the NHL, NBA, and NFL. Maybe, if we went to two eight team playoffs, we could stretch this out at least an additional month, with the potential Game 7 or Game 9, of the World Series scheduled to fall on Thanksgiving Day afternoon.

    That final WS game would have to be a better TV draw than "Turkey Day" pro football, these days, since the Dallas Cowboys are no longer to be considered "America's Team", in the same manner in which they were in past years, and the Detroit Lions have now managed to reach a previously unreached level of futility.

    Besides, since about the first time that would occur, the most likely participants would no doubt come from among the Cubs, Brewers, and Rockies of the NL, and the Twins, White Sox, Indians and Tigers of the AL, and this on a day with wind chill knocking on about 0*, it would almost be worth the price of "Game Day" admission alone, just to watch Pro Baseball Players attempt to play, while wearing insulated "long johns" and watching 6 Major League umpires out there wearing only their short-sleeve uniforms for 3 hours, pretending like the temp was a balmy 75* or something like that.

    Now "That's Entertainment!"

    :D

    Ed
     
    #3 EdSutton, Apr 6, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 6, 2009
  4. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    Messages:
    3,147
    Likes Received:
    0
    I definitely think the first round should be 7 games, but I also agree with cc's comments about the scheduling, days off and late games, but we all know why that's the case - TV revenue.
     
    #4 Andy T., Apr 6, 2009
  5. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2000
    Messages:
    11,170
    Likes Received:
    0
    Forgot to mention that about the days off.

    Why, CCRob, are you opposed to a 9 game WS? My logic:
    in a 7 game series, you have four outcomes: 4-0, sweep...4-1, domination, 4-2...taking two out of three.....OR 4-3, a virtually even series. There's no middle ground. I think nine games, gives some better outcomes. 5-0 or 5-1 is a beatdown. 5-2 is pretty similar to the season series win. 5-3 is close but a decided win. a 5-4 would be a classic and a true close series. There's only one game difference between a 3-2 series win and a 4-2 series solid victory. I just think we need a truer measure of an interleage series.

    I could be wrong...and as I said, I'm not married to a 9 gamer. But it used to work, so why not now? (TV, I know)
     
    #5 TomVols, Apr 8, 2009
  6. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2005
    Messages:
    4,459
    Likes Received:
    1
    I don't see what a 9 game series would accomplish that a 7 game series doesn't.

    Since MLB changed from 9 to 7, I'm not sure that this suggests that 9 games actually worked all that well.
     
    #6 ccrobinson, Apr 8, 2009
  7. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    Messages:
    3,147
    Likes Received:
    0
    They only had a 9-game WS for a few years back in the late 1910's and early 20's. I don't think this one ever has a chance of coming back.
     
    #7 Andy T., Apr 9, 2009
  8. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2000
    Messages:
    11,170
    Likes Received:
    0
    In my mind, the accomplishment is you get a more definitive outcome, if you will. I know it will never come back for a myriad of reasons (MLBPA being one).

    I don't buy the notion that, whenever a pro sport makes a change, it's a change for the better. NASCAR would be a good example (been missing your recaps, CCROB...what, too busy kicking my tail in fantasy baseball? :laugh:). MLB's changing of the All-Star game is a questionable one. I applaud Selig's possible desire to start weeknight games a tad earlier but laud his decision to play weekend games during the day. Dumb idea. You'll be going up against too much else on Sat and Sun afternoons.

    MLB going from 9 game WS to 7 could be better, but it's not automatically so.
     
    #8 TomVols, Apr 11, 2009
  9. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2005
    Messages:
    4,459
    Likes Received:
    1
    *checks fantasy baseball... wonders what matchup Tom is looking at since I'm getting crushed* :wavey:

    3 weeks ago, I was up until 2am working and slept the entire afternoon, missing Bristol. 2 weeks ago, I was up until 3:30am working and slept the entire afternoon, missing Martinsville. Sometimes, I really question the wisdom of my career choice being IT. Last week, I made the mistake of sitting in my blue chair to do a recap of Texas. My wife and I think the chair must have been sprinkled with sleeping dust when we bought it, because that chair will put your lights out. Anyway, that's why I haven't done one.

    Stupid decision. Home field advantage for the World Series ought to be determined by your record, not by a mid summer's exhibition game that can be won by a guy whose team doesn't even make the playoffs.
     
    #9 ccrobinson, Apr 12, 2009
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Loading...