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Potential New Playoff System Is a Welcome Change


By Mike Silva ~ April 22nd, 2011. Filed under: Mike Silva.

I like hearing that Bud Selig is actually talking about something that will move the game forward. The cynic in me wonders how convenient it is that the news was released on the same day MLB took over the Dodgers, but a leopard isn’t going to change their stripes completely.

The new playoff system, if implemented, would start next year and give all six division winners a bye while four Wild Card teams (2 in each league) fight for the final spot. David Schoenfield of ESPN outlined some issues with the new plan:

Would the two wild-card teams play each other? A one-game playoff is the popular suggestion.

Would it be fair to have a 95-win wild card play an 84-win wild card in a one-game elimination?

Should the two wild-card teams play a best-of-three series? But that means four off days for the other playoff teams.

Should the best overall record get a “bye” while the other four teams play each other? But again, that means a bunch of off days.

I think the two Wild Card teams should play a best of three over a three day span. This could include an east coast to west coast trip, but that’s the price you will have to pay for not winning the division. I don’t support the best team being the only bye since winning a division has to mean something. I would think the extra rest would be welcome to the division winners, who likely have a very tired 25 man roster. Plus it gives them time to set up their rotation if they battled for a division title into the final days.

As for Schoenfield’s concern about the “worthiness” of certain Wild Card teams, it’s unlikely that many 95 win teams will play an 84 win team in the playoffs. If they do it shows what an imbalance there is in that league, making it even more necessary to implement this system.

I understand the argument that a 162 game season should result in the best team winning. The economics of a game that lacks a salary cap gives the big markets like New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago the ability to navigate such a season by paying for shortcoming. Teams like Milwaukee, Tampa, Miami, etc. can’t pay for another lefty reliever if the free agent they signed comes up with shoulder issues. This playoff scenario is the price to pay for economic inequity in the sport. I also question how big of a difference historically between the Wild Card winner and the next two or three teams. I believe very little with respect to talent and roster construction.

What I would like to see is the team with the best record get home field in the World Series. Forget the absurdity of making the All Star Game decide home field. Think about how often certain franchises make it to the World Series. You deny their fans an opportunity to go to an extra home game, despite the fact their team earned it over 162 games. No one watches the All Star Game more or less because of this stupid rule, and I challenge the league to support that claim factually if they do. Market research outside of the nonsense ratings system built to justify what they charge for ad dollars would be necessary to convince me.

Locally this plan would have a huge impact in recent years. The Mets would have been in the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. The Yankees would not have missed the playoffs in 2008 as well. We could have been treated to a best of three Boston/Yankees over three days to get into the Division Series. Not the ALCS, but a fun scenario to play out.

It sounds like we will see expanded playoffs in 2012. This is about additional revenue, hence why Selig is going against his nature and putting out a forward thinking plan. If executed as I see above there is very little downside to adding these additional Wild Card teams. Knowing how “difficult” it is to book hotels on short notice (at least that is why the commissioner says we need to have World Series home field months in advance), I wonder how they will overcome that challenging portion of the process.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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7 Responses to Potential New Playoff System Is a Welcome Change

  1. Stu B
    April 22nd, 2011 at 8:15 am

    “I think the two Wild Card teams should play a best of three over a three day span. This could include an east coast to west coast trip, but that’s the price you will have to pay for not winning the division.”

    Or they could do it as the NCAA does with the early rounds of college hockey playoffs – a best-of-three all played on the home field of the team with the better record. It would suck for one team, but it would minimize travel and that could be the price for being the lowest-seeded team.

  2. Anthony C
    April 22nd, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    Uh, how about back to a traditional 4 divisional winner system with a competitive salary cap.

  3. Stu B
    April 22nd, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    A salary cap will never happen in baseball. Unlike the NFL, NBA, and NHL, where the owners dominate and impose rules that are bad for players, the MLB players hold more power relative to ownership. They’ll never agree to a fixed amount of player compensation, just as the owners in the other leagues would never agree to a fixed amount of profit.

  4. Fox
    April 22nd, 2011 at 4:51 pm

    Anthony, I mean this in the nicest possible way because I actually agree with you in some sense, but get real man. There is no way MLB is going to go backwards at this point and revert back to a system it hasn’t had in place since 1993 (people forget that 1994 was when the first playoffs were to include the Wild Card, but the playoffs never took place). MLB will only go forward at this point, and much like the reason they will never do away will the ridiculousness of Interleague play, it all comes back to cold, hard cash. Between ad revenues and sold out stadiums, neither Interleague play or the Wild Card will ever go away because of those factors.

    If we do go to a four-team Wild Card format, MLB would HAVE TO take into account the trade deadline. They already missed the boat by not pushing the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline back when they expanded the playoff format, doubling the original format from four to eight teams. If there will now be TEN teams vying for a playoff spot, obviously many more teams will believe they have a 33% shot at making the playoffs, as opposed to the 14% chance they used to have when it was only divisional winners advancing (mind you, this was in 1993 when the Marlins and Rockies were first year expansion teams, though the Diamondbacks and Rays weren’t in existence, hence the 4/28 chance). I just don’t see how it’s possible to not annex the non-waiver trade deadline at least until August 15th, though hopefully even until August 20th. This way, it will give teams 2 to 3 more weeks to evaluate their chances at making the playoffs, and more teams can be buyers and sellers. The reason you rarely see the “hired gun” trades of the past is because MLB carelessly didn’t take into account that double the amount of teams would have a shot at the playoffs, therefore would be more hesitant to be sellers like they would most other years.

    Either way, it’s good MLB is making a change for the future. Hopefully, they take every precaution necessary when they make this major decision.

  5. Retta
    April 22nd, 2011 at 8:44 pm

    I am an avid yankee baseball fan for over 60 years. I strongly oppose the wildcard. If MR SELIG decides to expand it to 10 teams we will be playing until christmas…A liitle bit too cold for most. Lets go back to the original setup…american league winners against national league winners shall play for the world series.

  6. Stu B
    April 22nd, 2011 at 9:27 pm

    No going backward, Retta…

  7. Brian
    April 22nd, 2011 at 10:15 pm

    The 2 Wild Card teams in each league should play a regular 3 game series in the ballpark of the team with the better record thus no travel. If a team wins the first 2 games congrats you earned yourself an off day. If it goes to a 3rd game then the winner travels to the city of the team with the best record to play the next night. They could make the 3rd game a day game to make it a little easier. This way you’re only adding 3 days and you can even have the other division winners who wouldn’t play the wildcard start their series before the other matchup is even set since it doesn’t effect them.

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