Happy day asked:
What do you think if MLB change the rules to have the best 8 regular season teams advance to the playoffs, rather than have the winners in weak divisions to advance?
What do you think if MLB change the rules to have the best 8 regular season teams advance to the playoffs, rather than have the winners in weak divisions to advance?
Would it be fair?
What can a division title really prove? Do Chi White Sox play better than Yankees?
Could it be possible that one team lost a lot to its rivals in the same division but won a lot when playing against other division opponents and/or inter-leagus opponents?
No. Why even have divisions, or even leagues, in the first place, then?
I SORT of agree with this, but just have the top 4 teams in each league go.
The Dodgers had 84 wins. The Mets, Cardinals, and Astros all had more wins than them, yet they don’t get to call to the playoffs, when they should, since they had a better record.
In the AL the Yankees had a better record than the White Sox.
Ask the 2000 Yankees if that would be fair. In 2000 the Yankees won the East at 87-74. White Sox won the central at 95-67, and the A’s won the west at 91-70 with Seattle getting the wild card at 91-71. The Cleveland Indians were left out of the playoffs despite a 90-72 record.
If you took the Top 4 then the Yankees would have been out instead of being the World Champions that year.
I would disagree with you as it starts to make the regular season less exciting and it devalues the post season. And this is coming from a Mets fan. I think baseball has the perfect format right now, as well as the NFL. I think the NBA and the NHL let FAR too many teams into the playoffs. It’s almost a given each season that the NBA and NHL will have at least one club with a sub .500 record making the post season. I think baseball has it right. You have 162 games to do the business. It would be unfair for a team who’s 100-62 to have to play a best of 5 first round series against a club that was say 84-78.
From a marketing standpoint, it would be a great idea. Especially during the months of August and September when attendance is down usually for a lot of teams. If they expanded the playoffs to 8 teams, then it would give more teams hope to make the postseason, thus increase attendence to teams on the bubble.
Having said that, I am more against this move because the more teams you put in the playoffs, the longer the season will be. With more playoff brackets/series being played, there will be baseball being played well into November. With increased season lengths come increased risks of injuries. Especially to pitchers.
I say keep the playoff format as is. What is next? World Series one day being played during Christmas?
How would you measure the best team though? How many games that team won? That doesnt really work because the Cubs won 97 exhibition games this season (the most out of any team). They blew against the Dodgers and shouldnt have even been allowed into the playoffs.
no thats stupid. cuz then the dodgers wouldnt have had the opportunity to beat the cubs. Or the rockies last year going on their amazing run. That would result in a lot less excitement in the postseason
I think they should do something to try to ensure that the teams with the best record are in the playoffs. However, a simple ‘top 8′ isn’t really fair. Teams play an unbalanced schedule (a lot more games against their own division) so winning your division means something. Division winners should qualify.
Personally, I think they should go back to just two divisions in each league. The two division winners qualify and then two wild card teams from each league.
Make it really interesting and go to how it was prior to 1994.
NL West
NL East
AL West
AL East
Only the top two from each league advance. You get an NLCS and a World Series
they should put teams in the playoffs like in hockey
Why should it be changed? If certain teams don’t do their part to get in the playoffs then they don’t deserve to be in to begin with.
Only if they abolish divisions and re-balance the schedule. Else why even have divisions? If they is to be divisions, they must serve some purpose.
And, remember, the pennant race then comes down to jockeying for fourth place.
No, I don’t think this is a change MLB needs.
i think there should be two wild card teams and the team with the best record overall should get a first round bye.
No, because teams have more games against their own division, and some divisions have much better teams than others. For instance, in recent years (not ‘08) it’s been a lot more difficult to win 90 games in the AL East against the Yanks and Sox than in NL West or Central, which had many of the weakest teams in baseball.
yeah they should. them the postseason would be longer and funner.