Selig: Expanded Baseball Playoffs For 2012

[Mitchell]

I dont have a link, but maybe someone else could post it.

I just read in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, that baseball commissioner Bud Selig said today that there will be expanded playoffs in 2012. While the details of the new format of playoffs have yet to be worked out, it seems as though a plan is being put in place to have two wild card teams in each league, instead of one, and for those two teams to meet in a first round type playoff series, against one another, while all divisional winners sit and rest. After that, the playoffs would proceed as they are now.

Two wild card teams is an interesting concept. There would be a problem presented, if the teams involved in the playoffs, would be teams in cold weather cities, such as contenders Philadelphia, or the Yankees, which would push baseball into November in those places.

It has also yet to be determined whether this new playoff round would be a best of three, or best of five.

Personally, I've not been opposed to the idea of reverting back to the old 154 game pre early 1960s schedule, and having expanded playoffs. The problem with that is, that each team would lose four home dates under such a circumstance, and considerable revenue, especially for teams like the Yankees and Phillies, who draw large crowds each night.

If anyone has a link to this story, and would post it, it would be appreciated.

Thoughts on this?

Mitch

 

[ndj101982]

I think an additional Wild Card team makes it more exciting to watch. Gives another team with a good record a chance to make the post-season. I personally don't like the way it is now because a team could finish 3rd in their division, such as the AL East, yet have a better record than the winner of the AL West, and get snubbed from the playoffs. This gives that team a chance to get in now.

 

[Big_Dogg85]

I've also read this... COME ON BLUE JAYS THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! NO MORE BITCHING ABOUT BEING STUCK IN THE AL EAST WITH THE YANKEES AND RED SOX!!!

 

[Dave Pavet]

Being an older guy I pretty much hate expanded playoffs in any sport. It just cheapens the regular season but yet it does bring in more revenue and probably keeps more teams afloat.

 

[ndj101982]

Being an older guy I pretty much hate expanded playoffs in any sport. It just cheapens the regular season but yet it does bring in more revenue and probably keeps more teams afloat.

It's meant to keep the fans into the game and their favorite teams. It also makes for more merchandise sales. I'm currently in a sports economics course and it's crazy when you realize the amount of extra money teams make from additional ticket and merchandise sales, as well as television revenue when they make the post-season.

Initially I thought it was lame when league allow like 6 teams into the playoffs or something, but i think the idea of having a "on the bubble" match-up between 2 wild-card teams makes an exciting start to the post-season. It gives one additional team a shot to make it in, but it's not ridiculous like hockey and basketball with 8 teams in each league making it in.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

You think it's ridiculous now? How about when 16 teams made it in the NHL, and there were 21 teams in the whole league?

Better yet: ONE winner take all game between the wild cards. As the TNT promo goes, win or go home.

 

[milagros317]

Here is a link to one story about it:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110422/SPORTS90/104220361/-1/SITEMAP

I don't like the idea. I didn't like the idea of wildcard teams in the first place. Win your Division or go home, period.

 

[Mitchell]

Knox has an interesting idea. I'm not sure your idea would be implemented, my friend.

mils, I understand your feelings.

For myself: I might like this idea for a selfish reason. If a third place team can make the playoffs, and my Braves were to for some reason finish third, behind say.. The Phillies, and Florida, this could enable Atlanta to make the playoffs, or., if Atlanta finished with the second best record after the divisional winner, and the wild card team, and say if you had a wild card team with 92 wins, and the Braves had.. 88.. Atlanta could make the playoffs.

I will say that sometimes I find the NBA and NHL playoffs to be way too long. Two months, of all seven game series, seemingly never ending. How about in 1995, when the sixth seed Western Conference Houston Rockets won the NBA title? Or.. in 1999.. when the eighth seeded Eastern Conference New York Knicks made it to the Finals before losing. Both situations happened because those teams, after mediocre regular seasons, had awesome playoff runs. As we know, this can happen in baseball too, such as when the 88 wins Yankees of 2000 won the WS, or the 84 win Cardinals of 2006 beat the 98 win Tigers in the WS.

I have a feeling they may implement Selig's plan, both to stimulate interest, and generate playoff revenue, in cities whose teams otherwise might not make the playoffs.

Mitch

 

[ndj101982]

You think it's ridiculous now? How about when 16 teams made it in the NHL, and there were 21 teams in the whole league?

Better yet: ONE winner take all game between the wild cards. As the TNT promo goes, win or go home.

My post said hockey and basketball are ridiculous, not baseball.

 

[ndj101982]

Here is a link to one story about it:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110422/SPORTS90/104220361/-1/SITEMAP

I don't like the idea. I didn't like the idea of wildcard teams in the first place. Win your Division or go home, period.

Professional sports leagues are in the interest of making money first and foremost. They don't care if it waters down the post-season just so long as more money is being brought into the league from spectators and fans.


To me, this is why I think College Football would be wise to go to a playoff system for the top 8 teams in the rankings at the end of the season. It would make for far more interesting bowl games when a team wins and has a chance to move on to the national champship.

 

[The Fallen Angel]

all sports need to take football's method and have one game in each round of the playoffs, there is no reason for a 3,5,7 game series.... one game win and move on lose and go home

 

[ndj101982]

all sports need to take football's method and have one game in each round of the playoffs, there is no reason for a 3,5,7 game series.... one game win and move on lose and go home

Tell me you're joking. Football is so much different than any other sport. The game is so physical and so exhausting that they only play 16 games in a season. They couldn't have series for each round in football because of the rest time needed between games, much like during the regular season.

Every other sport has longer seasons and most of them, especially baseball, do not nearly require as much exerted energy in a game. What would be the point to playing 162 games, or 82 games in other sports, to play a one-and-done playoff round?

 

[The Fallen Angel]

Tell me you're joking. Football is so much different than any other sport. The game is so physical and so exhausting that they only play 16 games in a season. They couldn't have series for each round in football because of the rest time needed between games, much like during the regular season.

Every other sport has longer seasons and most of them, especially baseball, do not nearly require as much exerted energy in a game. What would be the point to playing 162 games, or 82 games in other sports, to play a one-and-done playoff round?

because thats what playoffs are.. or should be, do or die one game win or go home.. there is no reason to have more than 1 game no matter how many games the season is

 

[ndj101982]

because thats what playoffs are.. or should be, do or die one game win or go home.. there is no reason to have more than 1 game no matter how many games the season is

Second of all, do you know how good it is economically for leagues to have longer playoff series in other sports. They bring in far more gate revenue, tv revenue, and merchandise revenue from expanded playoffs. The NFL far exceeds any other sport in total revenue for single games, and the playoffs are obviously far more profitable for the NFL with all the commercial advertisment on television networks, which pay a percentage of their profits to the NFL for being able to broadcast them on their station. More people watch football than any other sport so it is fine for them to have one and done playoffs. Other sports need longer series and even more teams involved to keep people watching.

Honestly, sports leagues aren't about the "way it should be." They are about $$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[The Fallen Angel]

Second of all, do you know how good it is economically for leagues to have longer playoff series in other sports. They bring in far more gate revenue, tv revenue, and merchandise revenue from expanded playoffs. The NFL far exceeds any other sport in total revenue for single games, and the playoffs are obviously far more profitable for the NFL with all the commercial advertisment on television networks, which pay a percentage of their profits to the NFL for being able to broadcast them on their station. More people watch football than any other sport so it is fine for them to have one and done playoffs. Other sports need longer series and even more teams involved to keep people watching.

Honestly, sports leagues aren't about the "way it should be." They are about $$$$$$$$$$$.

secondly? you had no first point? and im aware of why they do it, that doesn't make it right. The way the playoffs should be is one game win or go home for all sports. Unfortunately it is all about the money and sports is a greedy business which is why it wont ever be that way, and why we will never have a college football playoff system instead of the bcs

 

[ndj101982]

secondly? you had no first point? and im aware of why they do it, that doesn't make it right. The way the playoffs should be is one game win or go home for all sports. Unfortunately it is all about the money and sports is a greedy business which is why it wont ever be that way, and why we will never have a college football playoff system instead of the bcs

I meant to erase the secondly. It was supposed to be part of my first response where I disagreed with the one-and-done concept.

I mean, to be honest, what would be the point to playing 162 games in baseball, or 82 in hockey and basketball, if you do it all just to play one-and-dones? More games means more likelihood that the better team wins. With a one game elmination the Royals could win the world series if they got hot and won 3 straight. All baseball season is played in 3 and 4 game series, not just one game and move onto the next team.


Now, if they elimated sports seasons Altogether and created a European UEFA Champions League Pool Style of play, that to me would be badass. Break all teams up in each sport into different pools where each team plays another team in the pool a certain number of times. The top 2 teams from each pool at the end of the round-robin move onto one-game elimination matches in the next rounds.
That would be exciting.


I also like the stakes being higher with the concept of relegation like in Premier league soccer. They could break the leagues up in sports into leagues based on how good the teams are, like league 1 and league 2. League 1 would have teams like the Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees. League 2 would have teams like the Royals and Pirates. Each season the bottom 2 teams from the powerhouse League 1 get relegated to the weaker League 2, and the top 2 teams in League 2 get promoted to League 1 for the next season. It makes the stakes higher and teams won't just flop when they aren't having a good season because being relegated is emabarassing and can result in revenue loss when less people want to see you play in a league that has less meaning.

 

[The Fallen Angel]

I meant to erase the secondly. It was supposed to be part of my first response where I disagreed with the one-and-done concept.

I mean, to be honest, what would be the point to playing 162 games in baseball, or 82 in hockey and basketball, if you do it all just to play one-and-dones? More games means more likelihood that the better team wins. With a one game elmination the Royals could win the world series if they got hot and won 3 straight. All baseball season is played in 3 and 4 game series, not just one game and move onto the next team.


Now, if they elimated sports seasons Altogether and created a European UEFA Champions League Pool Style of play, that to me would be badass. Break all teams up in each sport into different pools where each team plays another team in the pool a certain number of times. The top 2 teams from each pool at the end of the round-robin move onto one-game elimination matches in the next rounds.
That would be exciting.


I also like the stakes being higher with the concept of relegation like in Premier league soccer. They could break the leagues up in sports into leagues based on how good the teams are, like league 1 and league 2. League 1 would have teams like the Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees. League 2 would have teams like the Royals and Pirates. Each season the bottom 2 teams from the powerhouse League 1 get relegated to the weaker League 2, and the top 2 teams in League 2 get promoted to League 1 for the next season. It makes the stakes higher and teams won't just flop when they aren't having a good season because being relegated is emabarassing and can result in revenue loss when less people want to see you play in a league that has less meaning.

i like that idea, i haven't ever watched english premier league soccer but that sounds like an interesting concept.

and i understand that in baseball they play series of 2-4 games in the regular season, but personally i still think that one game should be the playoff method

 

[FlockOfSeagulls]

I meant to erase the secondly. It was supposed to be part of my first response where I disagreed with the one-and-done concept.

I mean, to be honest, what would be the point to playing 162 games in baseball, or 82 in hockey and basketball, if you do it all just to play one-and-dones? More games means more likelihood that the better team wins. With a one game elmination the Royals could win the world series if they got hot and won 3 straight. All baseball season is played in 3 and 4 game series, not just one game and move onto the next team.


Now, if they elimated sports seasons Altogether and created a European UEFA Champions League Pool Style of play, that to me would be badass. Break all teams up in each sport into different pools where each team plays another team in the pool a certain number of times. The top 2 teams from each pool at the end of the round-robin move onto one-game elimination matches in the next rounds.
That would be exciting.


I also like the stakes being higher with the concept of relegation like in Premier league soccer. They could break the leagues up in sports into leagues based on how good the teams are, like league 1 and league 2. League 1 would have teams like the Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees. League 2 would have teams like the Royals and Pirates. Each season the bottom 2 teams from the powerhouse League 1 get relegated to the weaker League 2, and the top 2 teams in League 2 get promoted to League 1 for the next season. It makes the stakes higher and teams won't just flop when they aren't having a good season because being relegated is emabarassing and can result in revenue loss when less people want to see you play in a league that has less meaning.

Heck if we are gonna toss out the regular season why don't we just have a paper champion and not even play at all .


Premier league uses aggragate scoring because soccer has so many tie games. Last time I checked baseball doesn't have tie games because of a concept called extra innings .

Look at NCAA football for example. their are six so-called '' power conferences '' and then a bunch of mid -major conferences . Yet teams like TCU & Boise St. continue to kick the shit out of teams from the bigboy conferences when all the experts and computers say it can't be done

 

[ndj101982]

Heck if we are gonna toss out the regular season why don't we just have a paper champion and not even play at all .


Premier league uses aggragate scoring because soccer has so many tie games. Last time I checked baseball doesn't have tie games because of a concept called extra innings .

Look at NCAA football for example. their are six so-called '' power conferences '' and then a bunch of mid -major conferences . Yet teams like TCU & Boise St. continue to kick the shit out of teams from the bigboy conferences when all the experts and computers say it can't be done

I wasn't being serious about that. I like it in soccer, but I like baseball the way it is. In some ways I wish baseball did it like other sports and added more playoff teams, but in baseball a bye-week would really screw momentum for teams with the best record. I do wish that there was more incentive for teams at the bottom to play harder though. It would be nice to see the Pirates or Royals make the playoffs again before I die.