MLB Changing Postseason Structure - WTF?

[Spanky99]

ABOM...owners say "f*** you" to all of your proposals. Come up with something that isn't incredibly stupid and we will still hate it because we can't get past your previous stupid ideas. Thanks!

 

...

 

[Brownie19]

I don't see why not. Teams can play double headers if games are lost due to weather. You can't eliminate ALL of them, but maybe half.

 

Don't like it? Next time you build a stadium, add a retractable roof.

 

anyone know how many days off they actually get in a season? I thought teams got like 3 or 4 per month. I'm not sure reducing that is a good idea. That said, I would like to see the # of days off in the playoffs reduced. Keep the strategy more consistent to what you'd see in the regular season.

[TheHurl]

Just put J2 players in the draft. No need for a separate international draft. Bonus pools increase by the international spending budgets.

 

Not to get too off topic but if they ever do this what age caps? Are you still making it 16. And at what age are they free agents and don't have to go through the draft?

[Abomination]

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I'll forgive it if Hurl lets me send him Vanny's BBDL invite. I can't seem to reach Vanny.

[Brownie19]

My drastic CBA proposal would be something like:

 

- Kill the NL and AL. Pitchers don't hit anymore.

- Replace them with a Western League and Eastern League. This is geographic for travel purposes because we are also getting rid of divisions.

- Every team plays each team in their own League 5 times (145 games; probably a 3 game set and a 2 game set).

- Every team plays 8 teams from the other League 2 times (16 interleague games, 161 game schedule)

- Interleague opponents are based on some algorithm using last year's standings so each team gets a relatively fair distribution of opponent strength.

- The result of this is a pretty balanced schedule.

- Top 4 teams make the playoffs.

- Every series is 7 games long.

- Less off days during the 7 game series. Currently they get two off days for travel - make game 2 an afternoon game and they travel on that day. Only one off day during a 7 game series, after game 5, if it goes that far.

 

- Arbitration starts a year earlier, in a player's third year.

- Teams lose a year of control if a player makes their MLB debut after a certain age (it's getting nuts, some players are debuting at 27/28 and they will be cost-controlled for their entire careers. Doesn't seem fair).

- To penalize service time manipulation, some some of bonus in the final arbitration year for players who enter that year with excess service time. Example, if a player starts year "6" with 5.160 service time, that 160 extra days is used in some calculation to compensate the player and penalize the team.

- No more "competitive balance pick" ********. Revenue sharing is enough.

- All draft picks can be traded

- Just put J2 players in the draft. No need for a separate international draft. Bonus pools increase by the international spending budgets.

 

- Streamline the instant replay process. Managers should have to decide whether to challenge without the help of off-field staff. Review umpire support staff should be looking at close plays immediately in case they are challenged.

 

- Roy Halladay's hall of fame plaque gets a Jays logo

 

Top 4 teams in each 'league' make the playoffs (ie, 8 total?)

 

Regarding the replay review....is that what the NBA is doing? Are the coaches just making decisions based on what they see (or what their players say) v. waiting for some guy to look at the replay? I fully agree with this approach.

[TheHurl]

anyone know how many days off they actually get in a season? I thought teams got like 3 or 4 per month. I'm not sure reducing that is a good idea. That said, I would like to see the # of days off in the playoffs reduced. Keep the strategy more consistent to what you'd see in the regular season.

 

The non travel ones are community days so you can't get rid of those. Getting rid of the travel ones means way more weekday day games which again cost the owners. There is barely a thing Abom said which helped the owners. You have to think of both sides when making changes. And on the players side they have such a history of stupidity that you really only have to think of the owners side with an occasional bone to the players

[TheHurl]

I'll forgive it if Hurl lets me send him Vanny's BBDL invite. I can't seem to reach Vanny.

 

He says he doesn't have an invite. Send again today. Message me when sent and I'll text him right away.

[Laika]

Top 4 teams in each 'league' make the playoffs (ie, 8 total?)

 

Regarding the replay review....is that what the NBA is doing? Are the coaches just making decisions based on what they see (or what their players say) v. waiting for some guy to look at the replay? I fully agree with this approach.

 

Yes, 4 from each league. 8 total. Like it used to be

[Laika]

Not to get too off topic but if they ever do this what age caps? Are you still making it 16. And at what age are they free agents and don't have to go through the draft?

 

I don't think it really matters - the specific rules could be drafted to make any age work.

 

- To be eligible players must be 16 years old by January 1 of the draft year

- Players must declare for the draft

- If a player declares and is not selected they are a free agent, eligible to sign with any team without restrictions, unless they declare for a future draft (or attend a US high school or college, or CDN high school) which declaration will revoke their free agent eligibility

- Players who are selected but do not sign are not free agents. They can declare for a future draft.

- International players can declare for the draft any number of years until they are 22 years old. If a player is 22 years old on January 1 of the draft year, they cannot declare for the draft. They are a free agent without restrictions.

 

Tell me what is glaringly wrong about something like that.

 

the 16 to 22 gap means almost every player would declare - they could get a bonus at 16 and be in the majors by 22.

[Beans]

The non travel ones are community days so you can't get rid of those. Getting rid of the travel ones means way more weekday day games which again cost the owners. There is barely a thing Abom said which helped the owners. You have to think of both sides when making changes. And on the players side they have such a history of stupidity that you really only have to think of the owners side with an occasional bone to the players

Taking the side of management over labour, Hurl... didn't see that coming from you!

[TheHurl]

Taking the side of management over labour, Hurl... didn't see that coming from you!

 

I'm very anti-union. I'm a realist, pleasing the owners is what will keep a labour stoppage from happening.

[TheHurl]

I don't think it really matters - the specific rules could be drafted to make any age work.

 

- To be eligible players must be 16 years old by January 1 of the draft year

- Players must declare for the draft

- If a player declares and is not selected they are a free agent, eligible to sign with any team without restrictions, unless they declare for a future draft (or attend a US high school or college, or CDN high school) which declaration will revoke their free agent eligibility

- Players who are selected but do not sign are not free agents. They can declare for a future draft.

- International players can declare for the draft any number of years until they are 22 years old. If a player is 22 years old on January 1 of the draft year, they cannot declare for the draft. They are a free agent without restrictions.

 

Tell me what is glaringly wrong about something like that.

 

the 16 to 22 gap means almost every player would declare - they could get a bonus at 16 and be in the majors by 22.

 

I don't think anything is wrong. Not sure if the declare and not get drafted works as a high schooler going to college isn't a Free agent if they aren't drafted. It's close though. It's going to be a tough set of rules to maneuver when it finally happens.

[Boxcar]

Yes, 4 from each league. 8 total. Like it used to be

 

Let's make it just like hawkey there eh

[Spanky99]

Let's make it just like hawkey there eh

 

Yer dumn

[Terminator]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-new-playoff-format-would-disincentivize-competition/

 

This article makes a pretty good argument against the format.

[glory]

 

Bauer goes off on Manfred.

[Boxcar]

 

Bauer goes off on Manfred.

 

Bauer is the best.

[Brownie19]

I thought this was a terrible idea at first (and the choosing your opponent part still is), but I think I’d be okay with a bigger playoff. I don’t want to wait another 2 decades for a Jays playoff appearance. I’d really like if they got rid of divisions and everyone played a balanced schedule.

 

The Nationals tied for the 8th best record last year so 14 isn’t a stretch.

 

I guess the question is....is making the playoffs really that exciting when there's a very slim chance of winning - or even hosting a playoff game at home (see fangraphs breakdown). If the answer is 'yes - I'll be super excited to see us make the playoffs even if our chances of winning are <5%' - then I guess you'll support more teams.

[Beans]

Here is the TL;DR for everyone interested:

 

[wilko]

Here is the TL;DR for everyone interested:

 

 

Now that they put it that way. I still hate it.

[glory]

This is just a distraction to take eyes off the Astros scandal. But I would support playoff expansion. I hate being out of it before the season starts.

 

It's probably a distraction but Manfred is trying to sell baseball to TV networks. Adding more original/playoff content is only going to increase the type of deal they get. I don't know if this specific format is the one they end up adopting, but something similar will probably happen by the next CBA.

 

I've been hearing a lot of radio talk about this, and one point that I agree with is that every other sport has changed drastically. Look at the NBA during Jordan's time and compare it to now. It's practically a different game. The NFL as well. Baseball is the sport that avoids change like the plague because they have felt for so long that they didn't need to. Now the world has changed, and they need to. It's just a matter of how much change is required.