anyone have insider? interesting stuff if I'm reading this right (and I'd like to think I am), then you could essentially call up anyone for the one game playoff... Buster Olney Blog Wild rules could alter playoff games September, 18, 2012 Some of the San Francisco Giants spoke recently about how they view the Atlanta Braves as a really dangerous postseason team because of their dominant bullpen pieces and the power in their lineup. It's possible that the Braves will finish this season with the second-best record in the National League, a reflection of how well they've performed. But it's also possible that their postseason will last exactly one game. If the Braves finish as the No. 1 wild-card seed -- and right now, that appears likely -- then they'll have to win the wild-card game against the St. Louis Cardinals or Los Angeles Dodgers or one of the other five teams vying for the last NL playoff spot. "When it's just one game, the worst team in baseball can knock out the best team," a GM mused last week. "Anything is possible." The wild-card games will be conducted under circumstances we've never seen before in the postseason. The participating teams will set 25-man rosters for this one-game, winner-take-all extravaganza -- rosters that don't have to carry over to the division series matchup. > To read Buster Olney's full blog every morning of the baseball season, you must be an ESPN Insider.
A 3 way TLC match inside of a steel cage, with the ticket to play the Braves up on a pole 50 feet high... Matchup would have been Aramis Ramirez vs Uribe vs Marte...
So... is the new WC system worth it? Let's face it, without the second wildcard our season would have been over weeks ago.
I like it for two reasons. It extends the stretch run into more meaningful games for more teams(like the Dodgers). It also punishes the WC teams with having to play an extra do or die game. The previous format made all things equal and so many wildcard teams would win it all by riding their momentum into the playoffs and it shouldn't be that way. burning your Ace or two before the LDS should give the division leaders an advantage which they've earned.
It is worth it. But the ultimate execution is bad. It should be a three game series. Either cut games or move the season up a week and a half so temas like the A's and O's don;t have to kill themselves in a one game playoff after their great seasons.
My idear for the sport: Start the season earlier so it doesn't go past mid October. Avoid conflicts with the NFL as much as you can. ESPN should broadcast some Sunday Night Baseball games on ABC. I know networks are hesitant to put any sports other than football in prime time slots, but Selig should've played hardball with these networks until he got REAL national regular season time. Sunday Nights on ESPN and regional FOX games on Saturdays don't cut it for me. One of the over the air big 4 networks that are carrying the sport need to have real pre and post game shows. Also have a "This Week in Baseball" that's actually a good program with highlights, behind the scenes stuff, analysis, etc. Make baseball a bigger brand. The 4th of July, Memorial day and September 11th should be baseball days in America. I feel like Selig has the 4th of July and Memorial day at his disposal and they don't take advantage of it. Thanksgiving=football. Christmas=NBA March=NCAA. Opening day needs to be marketed as an event. 3 division winners, 2 wildcards per league. Wildcard is a 1 game playoff Division Series is 7 games NLCS is 7 games WS is 7 games
I like the 1 game WC, I like a 7 game Div Series too, and I agree the WS should wrap up by mid October. I think the season should be shortened to 155 games.
Well, we could fit a 3 game series for the WC and also switch the current stupid 5 game series to 7 without extending the season length much. There just has to be some scheduled double headers for each team during the season. Didn't they do that in the old days? You basically have to add 4 games to the postseason, so there would have to be 4 scheduled double headers per team per season....right?
Yes. In fact, Bobby Thompson's HR was the clincher of a 3 game tie-breaking playoff. As well as 1962, again, losing to the Giants in a 3 game playoff to decide the division.
I was actually questioning if scheduled regular season double headers(not just makeup games) were commonplace. I think they were.
The double headers is a cool idea. Problem is the postseason already goes into November. WS games have been played on Halloween. That is wrong IMO. The postseason needs to begin in September.
I think with the money involved, as well as the amount of specialty arms, pitch counts, and TV/attendance revenue, Double Headers aren't gonna work for mlb. It was good when Koufax would throw 9 innings in game 1, Drysdale would come in and throw 8 in game 2, players weren't so pampered, and money wasn't as big of a deal...it used to be single admission for both games. Now it's probably a hassle with the day-night DHers, drawing a good crowd for both games, and of course injury risks with the bitch players nowadays.
