MLB Wildcard/Playoff Expansion

[getfoul]

With the possibility of MLB adding another wildcard team in 2012, it got me thinking of how baseball can improve the playoff format and schedule.

I am not an Orioles fan, but my idea for a better schedule directly impacts the Orioles, so that’s why I came here to get your thoughts on this idea.

So here goes...

I think MLB should eliminate divisions, go to a close-to-balanced schedule, and send the top five teams in each league to the playoffs. No more strong divisions. No more weak divisions. No more inferior division winners being seeded higher than superior wildcard teams. Just a flat, top-five teams seeded in the right order go to the playoffs.

I have two options:

1) The leagues stay the same. AL–14 teams, NL–16 teams

2) Both leagues go to 15 teams. Colorado moves to the AL, so the time zone distribution is the same in both leagues–7 in the east, 4 in the central, 4 in the mountain/pacific..

Option 1:

Each AL team plays seven teams 12 games (84 games), and six teams 10 games (60 games), for a total of 144 games, plus the 18 interleague games. I’m going with 12 or 10 games to avoid too many 2-game series if they played 11 games against the majority of teams.

12 NL teams would play twelve teams 10 games (120 games), and three teams 9 games (27 games), for a total of 147 games, plus 15 interleague games. 4 NL teams would play nine teams 10 games (90 games) and six teams 9 games (54 games) for a total of 144 games, plus 18 interleague games.

Option 2:

With 15 teams in each league, interleague play is all season with either one or three series going at all times. All teams play 18 interleague games.

The 144 league games are distributed this way:

Each team plays the ten teams outside their former division 10 games each (100 games), and the four teams from inside their former division 11 games each (44 games). So the Orioles would play the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Rays 11 games a season, over three or four series. The rest of the teams would be played 6 home/4 away or 4 home/6 away over three series. Schedules alternate year-to year. For the purposes of this option, the Astros would be considered a former NL West team, and the Rockies would be a former AL West team.

For both options, there would be a limited number of 5-game series included, but the overall schedule should be played over 25 weeks, not the current 26 weeks. There also would be one scheduled day/night doubleheader per month, per team (3 home/3 away). For all of these schedules, there would be 25 home series, and 25 road series. That’s 50 series over 25 weeks, compared to the 52 series over 26 weeks they have now.

Opening Day would be on a Thursday and the final day of the season would be on a Wednesday. At the earliest, Opening Day would be March 29. At the latest, Opening Day would be April 4. When Opening Day is April 4, then Game 7 of the World Series would be scheduled for October 31—and here is how it would go:

Opening Day–April 4

All-Star Game– July 2

Final Day of regular season– September 25

Play-In Series (4-seed hosts 5-seed in best-of-3 series)

Friday-Saturday-Sunday (9/27, 9/28, 9/29)

Division Series –now best-of-7 series.

AL– starts Tuesday

10/1, 10/2, 10/4, 10/5, 10/6, 10/8, 10/9

NL– starts Wednesday

10/2, 10/3, 10/5, 10/6, 10/7, 10/9, 10/10

League Championships–

AL--

10/12, 10/13, 10/15, 10/16, 10/17, 10/19, 10/20

NL--

10/13, 10/14, 10/16, 10/17, 10/18, 10/20, 10/21

World Series–Game1 on Wednesday/Game 7 on Thursday

10/23, 10/24, 10/26, 10/27, 10/28, 10/30, 10/31

So I’ve added a playoff team, seeded the teams in the right order, expanded the first round to best-of-seven, and still finished the World Series before November 1.

A couple downsides-

Opening Day in late March looks wrong, but I look at this way...they can schedule opening day in warm-weather cities in these years, and really what’s the difference in weather conditions in late-March and early April? Plus March baseball is better than November baseball.

Top-3 seeds would be off 5 or 6 days after the season ends, but I think the tradeoff is worth it. Under this format, a team would play 12 to 24 games over the 36 days following the final day of the season. Off days are a necessary evil in October baseball.

Thanks for reading (if you made it this far).

[getfoul]

Sorry for writing a book yesterday, but I wanted to be detailed.

So I'll keep this quick--

If they add another wildcard, do you want MLB to keep divisions the way they are and have the two wildcard teams face each other, or would you rather see no divisions, a close-to-balanced schedule, and just have the 4- and 5-seeds face each other?

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'd rather them not add another wild card, go to no-division leagues, and just take the top two or four.

Odd numbers like that don't work in the series lengths baseball uses.

[DrungoHazewood]

I guess it doesn't matter that much to me. I used to think the perfect setup was a long, balanced schedule with no divisions, and only one round of playoffs (the World Series). That's the way to ensure the best team wins most of the time.

But I've made peace with the idea that almost everyone who matters thinks the way to maximize revenues is with multiple rounds of playoffs involving eight or more teams. And that more rounds of playoffs is an advantage if one of your goals is to keep the high-revenue teams from winning every year.

So, give me a balanced schedule, give me no divisions, and give me the top X teams in each league in the playoffs.

But if you really wanted to do things right you'd eliminate the now almost completely cosmetic differences between the leagues, and have one 30-team league with the top 8, 10, 12, or whatever teams in the playoffs. DH rule would be home manager's choice.

[getfoul]

I guess it doesn't matter that much to me. I used to think the perfect setup was a long, balanced schedule with no divisions, and only one round of playoffs (the World Series). That's the way to ensure the best team wins most of the time.

But I've made peace with the idea that almost everyone who matters thinks the way to maximize revenues is with multiple rounds of playoffs involving eight or more teams. And that more rounds of playoffs is an advantage if one of your goals is to keep the high-revenue teams from winning every year.

So, give me a balanced schedule, give me no divisions, and give me the top X teams in each league in the playoffs.

But if you really wanted to do things right you'd eliminate the now almost completely cosmetic differences between the leagues, and have one 30-team league with the top 8, 10, 12, or whatever teams in the playoffs. DH rule would be home manager's choice.

I still like the differences in leagues. I don't see how they'll ever collectively bargain getting rid of the DH in the AL, or stop letting pitchers hit in the NL.

To me, two leagues of 15 each is the best format, with the top 33% having a chance at postseason play.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I still like the differences in leagues. I don't see how they'll ever collectively bargain getting rid of the DH in the AL, or stop letting pitchers hit in the NL.

To me, two leagues of 15 each is the best format, with the top 33% having a chance at postseason play.

There is an issue with having such a giant difference in the leagues. Practically every other difference has been eliminated from the game, from separate organizations to separate umpires to the obvious one of allowing interleague play.

It used to be that baseball was a town with a McDonalds and a Burger King. Now, it is a town with two McDonalds where one has something the other doesn't, like a play area or the McRib. Yeah, the difference is there and it can be important if you have an opinion either way, but most people aren't going to care outside of wondering why the two aren't the same.

[scOtt]

I wouldn't mind an extra wild card. 3 game playin and the same format afterwords. (you'd have to start earlier tho.) Leave the divisions alone.

I want a balanced schedule regardless.