A Couple of observations about the MLB divisional series

[Barbershopman]

I don't relate this on the magnitude of Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series but it's on the same ladder, just a few rungs lower...Brock Holt hit for the cycle in Boston's 16-1 drubbing of the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS. It is the first time in history that a player has hit for the cycle in the post-season in MLB history. I'd say that makes it pretty significant considering it is the first time in 115 years.


Secondly, Alex Bregman of the Huston Astros laments that his team has played three playoff games and all of them in the afternoon. "Does Tiger Woods tee off at 8:00AM when he's going to win the Masters? Does Floyd Mayweather fight on the first fight of the night, no he's in the main event? The 'Stros need to be playing in prime time." I tend to agree, this is the baseball playoffs, they can't schedule these games at night?

Aren't the baseball playoffs important enough to be scheduled in the evening?


Barbershopman

 

[Mitchell]

Barbershopman, I've never liked daytime playoff games either. My Braves were scheduled for a 4 pm start yesterday.

The problem is.. with more teams now involved as a result of the Wild Card playoffs, Division Series, etc. Baseball has to get more games in every day to allow for travel days, etc, to prevent the season being extended deep into November. The seventh game of the World Series is often not until the first week of November, even with the current format.

If they cut the regular season schedule to 154 games, and ended the season in the middle of third week of September. or made every round prior to the World Series say, five games instead of seven, they could cut out several games, and then maybe schedule the games at night.

With the revenue involved, it is unlikely this will happen.

 

[milagros317]

In the current format, there will be 4 NLDS/ALDS games on the same day some of the days of the early postseason. That means two games in the afternoon and two in the evening. 😀

 

[Barbershopman]

You're right Mitchell, it's all about the money. More games in the post-season equals more money. And Milagros, yeah, they can't play three or four games a day unless they schedule games in the afternoon. It sucks.

Back in 1985 when my Royals won the series, they wouldn't have made it out of the championship series. They were down 3-1 to the Blue Jays. Luckily, that was the first time the Championship series was expanded to seven games. There were two divisions in each league which meant one 7 game championship series per league and then the world series. Now with three divisions, you have a wild card round, a 5 game divisional round, a seven game championship series and then the World Series. It would be impossible to have all those games without scheduling games into November. I didn't even know the divisional series was a 5 game playoff until I read the Brewers won the series against the Rockies and they'd only played three games.

The first game of the World Series isn't even scheduled until October 23rd. And game 7, if necessary is scheduled on Halloween. The 85 series went seven games and ended on October 27th.

Hell, the World Series can end at the end of October and the next season starts the last week in March. That means training camps will open with pitchers and catchers and rookies reporting the last week in February. Only a four month layoff. So, yes, major league baseball is all about the money!!!

Barbershopman

 

[Mitchell]

Barbershopman,

I hope this is "On topic"

I just want to make a point.

Those who follow, know the NBA,. remember how a few years ago, all rounds of the playoffs, including the first round, were expanded from five to seven games.

What I honestly think.

I think that they should get rid of the two wild cards playing each other the one game.

Go back to the old way that it was from 1995 until whenever they changed it.

Four playoffs teams. Three division champions, and the wild card.

Somehow, either by shortening the season to 154-156 games or whatever.

Make all round of playoffs. LDS, LCS, and World Series all best of seven.

That to me would be the most fair way.

I think, that the NBA changed the first round from five to seven games.

Part because of $$$ of course, but also because of being fair.

To me, many more variables exist in the seven game series than a five game series.

It gives more time/games for pitching to rest, teams that are down 2-0, 2-1, or even 3-1 in games, to rally.

I doubt that what I'm suggesting will ever happen.

Its just a thought.

 

[Barbershopman]

Mitch,

I agree. I think that the division series and championship series should be seven games. If baseball insists on a wild card, at least make it fair and make it a best of 3. If they say "that's too much baseball", shorten the season to 154 games.

I've never liked the current format of a one-game playoff because any pitcher, hitter, team can have an off day. Look at the Yankees in game 3 of the ALDS, lets face it, at 10-1 that game was over by the fifth inning. Imagine if that was the one game playoff, MLB would be screaming because the TV audience would have disappeared. Lost money.


Having said that, I do like the wild-card round. More teams in means more interest nation wide and there is some team you can get behind. I'm actually rooting for the Brewers this year. Partially because they have many former Royals on the team, but mainly to get some new blood in the post-season. It gets boring having the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers (sorry Mils) and Houston in it every year. Those of us in the upper Midwest and Pacific northwest need someone to root for if none of those four work for us, and the wild card helps that.

I usually watch the post-season of any sport, because I enjoy watching sports. But, unless your team is in, it gets monotonous if the same teams are in it year after year.

Barbershopman

 

[Mitchell]

I agree, Barbershop.

I've discussed this with a few friends/chat co horts in a baseball chatroom I belong to.

They seem to like the one game playoff.

For the whole idea of the drama of

"One game, and go home"

My feeling is.

It is not football, where it is played only once a week.

In every other sport. (Hockey, NBA etc)

Each series is at least five or seven games, regardless of round.

I doubt that baseball will change it, unless they decide to do so for the purpose of revenue, TV etc.

Until then, those like me who dislike the one game playoff will just have to deal with it.