MLB Changing Postseason Structure - WTF?

[Beans]

[glory]

Haven't franchise values inflated about as quickly as the Toronto housing market since the 1990's? The business of baseball isn't exactly struggling. I get that the increase to the owners' pockets is part of the reason why they choose to put their head in the sand over the long term health of the sport.

 

Baseball is boring to some. But look at all the boring crap that's popular right now. Like esports. People will like s*** if you let them bet on it and let them feel like their a part of a community to supplement their miserable lives.

 

Baseball isn't in any immediate danger right now, but in ten years if their TV deals are structured differently and/or the product isn't as desirable to networks anymore, then it's going to make a significant difference. The average fan is damn near close to retirement age. Manfred clearly has no clue how to market his players, and MLBAM makes it next to impossible for the game to get promoted outside of the MLB umbrella. So basically the only way to appeal to TV networks is to give them more meaningful original content (more playoff games), and more teams being in the race might help increase attendance during the season which is getting worse every year.

 

The NBA is thriving now and even they are implementing some weird in season tournament next year which I don't even fully understand. Baseball has to evolve at some point. I don't know if this is the right way to do it, but the status quo that makes the current fans happy clearly is not attracting newer fans.

[Brownie19]

I hate the sudden death WC game. Happy that gets replaced.

 

Disagree with a team picking its opponent. That's just silly.

 

I love the WC game. I understand that after 162 games, it becomes a bit of a coin flip, but if you don't like it - win the division. Winner take all games are the f***ing tits.

[max silver]

Rob Manfred f***ing sucks ass.

 

This is reminiscent of the NHL adopting mandatory shootouts to end tied games

 

This is nowhere close to as bad as having an individual skills content to decide a winner. Baseball version of this would be more like having a home run derby after 9 innings to decide the winner in a tie game.

[Brownie19]

I'm not a huge fan of the division winners (who don't finish with the best records) only getting a 3 game series.

 

I hate the idea of more teams making the playoffs. I understand they think it will keep teams from tanking and keep fans in the seats. If that were true, I could probably live with it; however - if the playoffs started today, the Raps play the Nets, who are well under .500. In both the NBA and NHL, far too many s***** teams make the playoffs and it makes the regular season somewhat pointless. I want the regular season to matter.

 

I'm indifferent on the 'pick your opponent' option.

[max silver]

I have no problem with a few more teams in each league making the playoffs. If this helps to alleviate a bit of the tanking that's plaguing baseball right now then I'm all for it. It's not like Oriole/Tiger level teams are going to get in, and chances are better than not that the lower end playoff teams are going to be removed sooner or later. The part I don't care is the whole gimmick of picking your opponent. That feels like a WWE style gimmick, who is this part supposed to really appeal to?

[Spanky99]

This is just purposely leaked ideas by the MLB, I wouldn't sweat anything yet. I don't hate it, but the live pick your opponent is yuck. The most I got of this, is that Trevor Bauer continues to crack me up.

[Sammy225]

The one thing I love about baseball playoffs is that they don't drag on for too long like NBA and nhl. By the time the Stanley cup rolls around I have pretty much checked out. I don't want baseball to fall into this.

[bones10]

The one thing I love about baseball playoffs is that they don't drag on for too long like NBA and nhl. By the time the Stanley cup rolls around I have pretty much checked out. I don't want baseball to fall into this.

 

Well if the article is true the playoffs would only be extended for 3 or 4 days max

[5ToolPhenom]

I think to many teams make the playoffs in hockey and basketball. I think right now in Baseball its the right amount. Not really a huge fan of these changes. Would it create a buzz and have people taking about sure. But by year 3 everyone won’t care. If this is their way of trying to get people with short attention spans to like Baseball I’m not very optimistic about the future.

 

Exactly. There seems to be an air of desperation surrounding the sport lately. Last year we had ridiculous numbers with the juiced balls, then the cheating scandal black eye and now they're floundering around trying to overcompensate for the bad press.

 

Not really a fan of Manfred's approach.

[Bobthe4th]

The playoffs are more exciting than the overly long regular season. I’d be fully behind increasing the number of playoff teams. A couple of extra teams making it last season would have seen Cleveland (93 wins) and Boston (84) getting in for the AL, I don’t see how that would have been a bad thing.

 

It needs to be a balance though, the NBA with over half the league getting into the playoffs means that you regularly see sub .500 teams making it.

 

The pick your opponent also seems a bit gimmicky, but at least it’s unique.

[Boxcar]

This is nowhere close to as bad as having an individual skills content to decide a winner. Baseball version of this would be more like having a home run derby after 9 innings to decide the winner in a tie game.

 

I meant in terms of a desperation move for a gimmick to keep fans interested.

[Boxcar]

I love the WC game. I understand that after 162 games, it becomes a bit of a coin flip, but if you don't like it - win the division. Winner take all games are the f***ing tits.

 

I feel like that's the draw of the NFL and soccer tbh. Every game is so meaningful, including the playoffs where you can lose just one game and you're out. That aspect made the WC games the best part of the playoffs imo. There were no bullets being saved for another chance, it's balls to the wall and most of the time, the better team ends up winning.

 

I'd probably even reduce the best of 7 and have all best of 5s.

[Amok]

I feel like that's the draw of the NFL and soccer tbh. Every game is so meaningful, including the playoffs where you can lose just one game and you're out. That aspect made the WC games the best part of the playoffs imo. There were no bullets being saved for another chance, it's balls to the wall and most of the time, the better team ends up winning.

 

I'd probably even reduce the best of 7 and have all best of 5s.

 

Then you have a lot of "terrible teams" winning the WS. Cards I am looking at you.

 

If you put too much chance into a baseball what the point of being good? A terrible team (sub .500) will beat the great teams 30% to 40% of the time.

[Brownie19]

I have no problem with a few more teams in each league making the playoffs. If this helps to alleviate a bit of the tanking that's plaguing baseball right now then I'm all for it. It's not like Oriole/Tiger level teams are going to get in, and chances are better than not that the lower end playoff teams are going to be removed sooner or later. The part I don't care is the whole gimmick of picking your opponent. That feels like a WWE style gimmick, who is this part supposed to really appeal to?

 

The issue is in a 3 games series - anything can happen. The 2nd base team in the league will have to play very short, 3 game series against some team that just snuck into the playoffs. Personally - I'm OK with this when it's the wild card teams. If you don't want to play in a coin flip, winner take all game - then win the division; however, I feel like teams that actually win the division should get the opportunity to play in a 5 or 7 game series.

[Laika]

I feel like that's the draw of the NFL and soccer tbh. Every game is so meaningful, including the playoffs where you can lose just one game and you're out. That aspect made the WC games the best part of the playoffs imo. There were no bullets being saved for another chance, it's balls to the wall and most of the time, the better team ends up winning.

 

I'd probably even reduce the best of 7 and have all best of 5s.

 

It's different in baseball because of the pitchers. A mediocre team that limps to 85 wins in the season can have an Ace that makes them the heavy favourite in a wild card game. It's not like football and the other football, where winner take all games can be random but are still essentially the full rosters of both teams fighting each other.

[Laika]

Upon reflection, I'm not sure that adding more playoff teams would increase competitiveness at all. If the playoffs are easier to make, does that not incentivize mediocrity? Owners of teams like the Rays could actually lower their bars since all they have to do is limp into the playoffs with ~85 wins half of the time, and that will produce enough lucky playoff runs to excite their 17 fans.

 

s***** teams like the Padres and Reds and White Sox are already spending.

[Bobthe4th]

Then you have a lot of "terrible teams" winning the WS. Cards I am looking at you.

 

If you put too much chance into a baseball what the point of being good? A terrible team (sub .500) will beat the great teams 30% to 40% of the time.

 

IMO this is where the balance comes in. In the NBA, a sub .500 team might get in the playoffs but they are never going to beat the elite teams. In baseball getting into the playoffs gives you a chance to win it all, so expanding it too much would make the regular season almost irrelevant.

 

But if it's only expanded a bit, it's unlikely we'd see "terrible" teams making it. You'd have a hard time convincing me that if say the Red Sox had made an expanded playoffs last year, gone on a great run and won it all, that they would have been undeserving of a title. In the same way that if the A's (who finished 10 games behind the Astros) had gone on an epic postseason run and won the World Series, we'd be talking about the amazing postseason they had and not the fact that they weren't the best regular season team. I mean the Nats didn't even win their own division and they are the current champs.

[Beans]

Hate to sound cynical here, but after all the scandals that came out this offseason, this is Manfred using the media to try to change the conversation.

[glory]

Upon reflection, I'm not sure that adding more playoff teams would increase competitiveness at all. If the playoffs are easier to make, does that not incentivize mediocrity? Owners of teams like the Rays could actually lower their bars since all they have to do is limp into the playoffs with ~85 wins half of the time, and that will produce enough lucky playoff runs to excite their 17 fans.

 

s***** teams like the Padres and Reds and White Sox are already spending.

 

I think they want to incentivize mediocrity, not over being great, but over tanking. Basically, win 85 games every year and have a real shot at a playoff spot, rather than intentionally lose 90+ games because you feel the playoffs are impossible.

 

Teams need to stop tanking. The baseball season is long and boring enough when you're a fan of a great team. It's almost torture when you're a fan of a team that is tanking. If adding more playoff teams means less scorched earth BS tanking (Orioles, Tigers, etc), then that's definitely one benefit.

[Abomination]

Upon reflection, I'm not sure that adding more playoff teams would increase competitiveness at all. If the playoffs are easier to make, does that not incentivize mediocrity? Owners of teams like the Rays could actually lower their bars since all they have to do is limp into the playoffs with ~85 wins half of the time, and that will produce enough lucky playoff runs to excite their 17 fans.

 

s***** teams like the Padres and Reds and White Sox are already spending.

 

I think there's lots of things you could do regarding that. Maybe add a decent chunk of regular season TV revenue to the postseason pot for rounds beyond the first or something. I don't think it would incentivize mediocrity, at least for teams who aren't the Marlins.

 

I still believe the best solution is 32 teams, half the teams get in, the regular season is cut back to 150 games with fewer offdays and a balanced schedule, and all playoff series are best of 7. Playoff pool money only extends to teams who make it out of the first round. I like the top seeds picking their opponent idea, so maybe add that in too. You could let selections be from either league if you want to spice it up even further.

[Bobthe4th]

I think there's lots of things you could do regarding that. Maybe add a decent chunk of regular season TV revenue to the postseason pot for rounds beyond the first or something. I don't think it would incentivize mediocrity, at least for teams who aren't the Marlins.

 

I still believe the best solution is 32 teams, half the teams get in, the regular season is cut back to 150 games with fewer offdays and a balanced schedule, and all playoff series are best of 7. Playoff pool money only extends to teams who make it out of the first round. I like the top seeds picking their opponent idea, so maybe add that in too. You could let selections be from either league if you want to spice it up even further.

 

IMO that's too many teams in the playoffs and all series being 7 games would take too long. I'd be happy with a playoff structure something like this:

 

Teams

a. division winners - top 2 seeds (i.e. most wins).

b. 2 best other records join 3rd division winner.

c. 2 wildcards (i.e. 6th and 7th best records in the league)

 

Rounds

1. Teams from c. play each other in 1 game elimination.

 

2. Winner of round 1 joins the 3 teams from b. 5 game series, the division winner either gets to pick who they play (if MLB wants to introduce that) or plays the wildcard winner.

 

3. Teams from a. have home field advantage over the round 2 winners in a 5 or 7 game series.

 

4. Winners from 3. play in 7 games series.

 

This wouldn't massively lengthen the duration of the playoffs, allows 2 extra teams per league in, would still make it difficult for non elite teams to win it all, and keeps an advantage for having the best record and for winning your division.

[Abomination]

IMO that's too many teams in the playoffs and all series being 7 games would take too long. I'd be happy with a playoff structure something like this:

 

Teams

a. division winners - top 2 seeds (i.e. most wins).

b. 2 best other records join 3rd division winner.

c. 2 wildcards (i.e. 6th and 7th best records in the league)

 

Rounds

1. Teams from c. play each other in 1 game elimination.

 

2. Winner of round 1 joins the 3 teams from b. 5 game series, the division winner either gets to pick who they play (if MLB wants to introduce that) or plays the wildcard winner.

 

3. Teams from a. have home field advantage over the round 2 winners in a 5 or 7 game series.

 

4. Winners from 3. play in 7 games series.

 

This wouldn't massively lengthen the duration of the playoffs, allows 2 extra teams per league in, would still make it difficult for non elite teams to win it all, and keeps an advantage for having the best record and for winning your division.

 

It wouldn't take too long because you're also knocking 12 games off the regular season and reducing off-days. The season would actually be shorter than it is now. The playoffs would probably be over mid-October. I personally don't like the wildcard structure, but that's just me.

[Brownie19]

I'm not sure it's possible to reduce off-days...

[Abomination]

I'm not sure it's possible to reduce off-days...

 

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.

[Bobthe4th]

It wouldn't take too long because you're also knocking 12 games off the regular season and reducing off-days. The season would actually be shorter than it is now. The playoffs would probably be over mid-October. I personally don't like the wildcard structure, but that's just me.

 

No I mean the playoffs would be too long, separate to the regular season, just like in the NBA they'd drag on IMO. I'd reduce the regular season in any case.

[Laika]

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

[Abomination]

No I mean the playoffs would be too long, separate to the regular season, just like in the NBA they'd drag on IMO. I'd reduce the regular season in any case.

 

They drag on in the NBA and NHL because of the absurd number of off-days during the playoff series. Some of those are three days between games.

[TheHurl]

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!

[Bobthe4th]

They drag on in the NBA and NHL because of the absurd number of off-days during the playoff series. Some of those are three days between games.

 

16 teams with 7 game series is up to 98 games - IMO that is far too many. For me the playoffs drag on in the NBA because the first round or two are mismatches for the elite teams. TBF I have no problem with off days or short series, so I think we just have different preferences.