by Steve Shoup
Expanding the Playoffs?
September 23, 2009 in Uncategorized by Steve Shoup
Peter Gammons of ESPN had an interesting take today when he suggested expanding the number of teams that make the playoffs in baseball. His idea is one that hopefully gains some traction, because it is long overdue. Gammons suggests that they have a second Wild Card team and there is a three game “play-in” series in each league. I think it is highly intriguing, but say why stop there, and why limit it to a three game series?
The fact that only four teams in each league make the postseason is ridiculous (while we are at it can we expand by two teams so both leagues are even, and go to 4 divisions like the NFL). The NBA and NHL both have 30 teams like baseball and they have 16 teams make the playoffs, they also have ‘best of series’ showing its possible for baseball to expand as well. Now 8 teams per league would be too much, but going to an NFL format, where six teams (per league) make it and the top two division leaders get a bye in round one, makes a lot of sense. I would like to see the battle for three Wild Card spots (two if they did move to four 4-team divisions per league, but I shouldn’t get too greedy) opposed to what we have this year, when the playoffs are predetermined with 10 days to go (with the exception of the AL Central).
When you think about it an MLB season is twice as long as the NHL’s or NBA’s (in games played), and 10 times as long as the NFL, yet 22 teams don’t have a chance to win the World Series. I think we should expand the number of teams, not just to benefit the fans interest in the waning months of the season, or to help small market teams compete, but to add another incentive for teams to compete all they way to the end. Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers might have acquired talent at the trade deadline this year, if their playoff chances were that much better. Its not just small to mid-market teams that would change their strategy, look at the New York Mets, their season went off the tracks early with a number of big injuries. By the time the trade deadline rolled around the Phillies were entrenched in first, which left the Mets competing with about 7 other teams for the NL’s one Wild Card spot. They decided, and rightly so, that with little chance of making the playoffs they would essentially ’punt’ on the rest of the season, and not give up any prospects in trades. Now if their post season chances were higher, they might have made some moves and been in the chase. The one detractor that most people say is that by extending the post season, baseball will go on until mid-November. I don’t think that has to be true, and with a few simple changes the problem can be solved. First I think you do what Gammons suggested and start the season half a week earlier. Next you eliminate at least two of the off days that teams get in April. Then you eliminate some of the off days that are already built into the playoff schedule. Right now there is only one ‘travel’ day built into the World Series, yet there are 3-4 built into the Divisional and Championship Series. Eliminate those and you have plenty of time for an extra round of playoffs. Which among other reasons to sell owners on expanding, will add millions of dollars in national television and radio money, to all baseball teams, not just the 12 in the playoffs.
Can’t find many flaws in the argument. And this coming from someone who grew up watching MLB where there were 8 or 10 teams in each league and only one team in each league got a shot at the World Series! But I think it would help ensure more fan interest late into a season. My big concern always has been going too long into late October or early November. (is it true that Minnesota’s new stadium is not going to have a roof?? Might need to get the snowplow guy from New England out of retirement to clear the basepaths for a November World series in Minnesota!) But Gammons suggestion has merit – although, those April off days are often quite important to accommodate make-ups from early season bad weather. Not sure that expansion to even out the leagues is feasible at this time – the economy and the poor attendance in many cities should make the league wary of expansion.
No I realize that expansion is probably two years away at the very least, but the league should have more teams and I think could support them. MLB was talking about contracting two teams just a few years ago, and that would have been the worst mistake the league could have made. Also the attendance rates being down are a little deceiving. Yes they are down about 6% across the league, but two of baseball’s largest stadiums that were pretty much sellouts in their final season, Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium, closed, giving way to newer, more expensive and smaller ballparks. The difference’s between the old and new New York ballparks is over 16,000. Over 81 home games between the parks thats over 1 million less fans that could attend game this year, in the nations biggest market. Was that the only attendance issue, no of course not, but does explain some of the reason why attendance dropped so much this year.
as it would be great to see more teams make the playoffs, after 162 games, shouldnt we know who the top 4 teams in each league are? this year is a great example of why we dont need more than 8 teams… other than the tigers (please hold on and win the central!!) and the twins, the other playoffs races are pretty much dead and the picture is rather clear on who is playing who in the divisional series. It is a product of the top teams separating themselves from the others during the grueling 162 game season. And, even when the races come down to the end, it is like playoff baseball anyway, every game matters and every team is playing to win so the atmosphere is nearly the same as we count down those magic numbers until our team is in or eliminated.
my real problem with the MLB playoffs is the wildcard rule… “you cant play the team from your division in the divisional series.” we should just call it the yankees/redsox rule. obviously this rule was made simply to prevent the yanks from playing the redsox before the ALCS and a chance to go to the world series. it makes no sense. the 3 division winners should have the top 3 seeds before the wildcard team, no matter what.
I definitely understand that after a long season its easy to feel that the best 8 teams make the playoffs. But how many times have we had in one league a play-in-game because two teams were tied. Or a team or two missing the wild card by a game or two. This year it might not matter, but most years a number of years you could find a couple of extra worthy playoff teams. And I do agree that when you are playing to win in a tight race at the end of Sept. its like playoff ball anyways, but the other teams aren’t necessarily doing the same things. A lot of times in these final weeks we hear of some playoff team playing a cellar dweller who is fielding rookies and young players to give them experience. While a lot of people try to fault teams for doing that, they are doing whats best for their long term organization. Expanding the playoffs will give contenders a more balanced chance and not leave it up to the schedule makers.
I do agree with you wholeheartedly about the yankees/redsox rule. I think that needs to be changed ASAP. Who cares if you are facing a division rival in the first round. It shouldn’t make any difference.