one consideration that has been raised in ownership committee meetings is eliminating the divisions altogether, so that 15 AL and 15 NL teams would vie for five playoff spots within each league.
via ESPN
This will never ever happen.
It’s hard enough marketing a 4th place team. Now imagine an 11th place team..even if top 5 make the playoffs. Imagine trying to sell hope when your customers are looking at the standings seeing how low on the list your team is.
I haven’t run the scenario yet my gut tells me some team would clinch a berth fairly early. Then what?
Do they fight for the bye?
Is a bye the best scenario? Sure you skip a round, but I’ve seen plenty of pitchers not be sharp on 11 days rest.
Don’t worry, it won’t happen. “Consider” is a worth that leaves a lot of room. I actually considered driving to Pittsburgh this morning, then did the math and realized it was a non-starter. I have considered that if I moved to SF I might root for the Giants and wear an NY cap all the time. However, I didn’t move to San Francisco so it’s moot.
The solution has been and continues to be Modified Costas.
Move the Astros to the AL West.
One interleague series per day. Who cares.
TWO Wild Cards in each league.
The two wild cards play each other the day after the season. Don’t whine about travel, you had 162 games to win a division.
The winner of that plays on the road at the #1 seed the next day.
For example…on September 29th the Mets beat the Reds at home to win their 88th game and clinch the second Wild Card. They get on a plane and head to Atlanta.
Colactus, having no other choice in a do or die series uses Santana (9-0 since returning). Mets win.
Back on a plane to the #1 seed.
They play again, but have to start their #2 Mike Pelfrey against a well rested Roy Halladay.
The Phillies get a small advantage/reward for winning the division. The Mets get the opposite. Fans get an exciting do or die game which is better than the season having already been over.
Now just for fun let’s make the top Wild Card Arizona. The Mets leave Citi, fly to Arizona and win with Santana, then right back to Philly.
I considered standing in line for Mets playoff tickets but then I realized there would be no line, no tickets and that it was a non issue!
I would favor this radical idea, possibly:
1) no more DH, unless both teams agree
2) divisions based on region, with most games inta-region, i.e. intra-division
DIVISION 1
Red Sox
Phillies
Yankees
Mets
Orioles
Nationals
DIVISION 2
DBacks
Rangers
Astros
Braves
Rays
Marlins
DIVISION 3
Pirates
Indians
Reds
Tigers
Jays
DIVISION 4
Cardinals
Royals
White Sox
Cubs
Twins
Brewers
Rockies
DIVISION 5
Mariners
Giants
Athletics
Dodgers
Angels
Padres
Granted the divisions aren’t equi-sized, but I think half the fun of these games is playing regional rivals, so it’s worth the imbalance.
3) No wildcards. Five divisions. Round robin playoffs, best record in round robin takes championship. No ‘world series’ per se.
PS. If Buffalo gets added, as it may one day, it can go into DIVISION 3. They already have the makings of a MLB-quality stadium, though it’s a city on the steady decline. Alternatively, one day a re-emerged Montreal team could hit DIVISION 3.
with MLB the way it is today,i will believe any thing.
enough inter league play. lets just have one interleague series…the world series.
also if selig has his way,there will be expanded play offs. then we can call the world series the early winter classic.
Thing is, the most fun games I see each year, in terms of fan reaction and packed houses, are the Yankee Met games. If anything I want more of these, but w/o the DH.
I like knowing their are Cubs-Chisox games. Sounds like fun. I would visit Chicago just to check one out.
Whereas I could care less about Mets-Marlins or Cubs-Padres.
Etc.
no fun- cubs comming into new york once this year. going to see the visiting teams like the cubs and cardinals stir up memories from games past. enough inter league. old school rival match ups sell tickets.