Baseball Wildcard Playoffs

deadsolid...shank · October 8, 2015

First off, I'm not a Pirate or Yankee fan so it's not sour grapes. But does anyone else really strongly dislike this one game playoff system?

To me it goes against the old "baseball is a marathon not a sprint" adage. You go too long in the season to have it end because you run into one really hot pitcher.

I'd like to see them shorten spring training and start a couple of weeks earlier, then you could have at least a three game series for the wildcards and maybe lessen the chances of playing the WS in a snowstorm.

blaird · October 8, 2015

Im a huge cubs fan so right now I love this playoff system. If it wasnt for this, our season would be done.

But overall, no I am not a fan. You make the wildcard and get one game to keep going. I agree it gives one extra team a chance but anything can happen in a 1 game series. Then it throws off the rest of the series. Like Arrieta pitching last night, now he will probably only go once against St. Louis. I wanna see everyones best players on the field and find out who the better team is. I understand some players get hurt and may miss the playoffs as well.

What about a bye of some sort. The top 2 division winning records get byes. The other division winning team and then the best record who didnt win a division play a best of 3 or 5 series against the next two wildcard teams. Seems like a lot of baseball though.

J_Tizzle · October 8, 2015

As a Cardinals fan, I don't feel great about their chances just due to injuries. But with that said, I was rooting for the Bucs over the Cubs just because I could stand to lose a series to the Bucs, but the thought of losing a series to the Cubs makes me physically ill.

I'm happy Houston won, I like seeing the young guys play some awesome baseball. Boy, Correa is going to almost instantly give Trout a MVP run for his money in the next few years (even though I still think this year is Donaldson).

Yanki01 · October 8, 2015

I like it but STOP PLAYING BASEBALL IN NOVEMBER! Shorten spring training by a week or so? WS Game 5 will be in November (yes I know if necessary). Why call it October baseball when it ends in November sometimes.

I can say the same about "March Madness" going until April.

knock it close · October 8, 2015

I'm cheering for the cubs, I'm a red sox fan so I want to see Theo and Lester get another one. Really happy Houston won, and I hope Texas beats the Jays, do I have to turn in my citizen papers?

I love playoff ball, but I hate that they play 162 and then have the 1 game wildcard play-in. Should just cut it to 160 and then make it a best of 3.

Springsteennut · October 8, 2015

If I were a Pirates fan I'd hate the one game playoff.( Lost 2 of the Last 3 years ) Unless they eliminate some of the off days I keep it the way it is the post season is way too long with 3 possible 7 game series and all the off days.

RJRJRJ · October 8, 2015

I think a series would make the waiting game too long for the teams that already have a playoff spot.

JimNewton · October 8, 2015

One problem with a 3 game series is the division winners are sitting around doing nothing for an entire week plus getting cold. Not much of a reward...

I would be in favor of a reseed so the Mets and Dodgers play it out. Both the Cubs and the Pirates deserved (by a long shot) to not have to play that game. Even if I was a Dodgers or Mets fan I would hold that viewpoint. Enjoy the free lunch.

bscinstnct · October 8, 2015

Preach!

*#@ď& bs.

And you capture the essence.

Baseball is a long, lazy, game of summer. You take time to smell the grass, shag some fly balls, go around the horn.

Roam center field. Guy steps up, you size him up, run the calculations in your head on his power, stance, what you know about him, what you know about your pitcher. Move to the gap...

Spit out some dip juice.

Pitcher goes into a full, slow wind-up, then

Flash!

Pitch going to outside corner, most likely ball will go to left center on contact, lean left

There it goes, run, run annnnnd got it, slow down. Lazy toss back to the infield and go back out to center.

And now these buttheads make this game about a one game playoff.

Weak.

Yanki01 · October 9, 2015

[quote name='bscinstnct' timestamp='1444353935' post='12430552']
Preach!

*#@ď& bs.

And you capture the essence.

Baseball is a long, lazy, game of summer. You take time to smell the grass, shag some fly balls, go around the horn.

Roam center field. Guy steps up, you size him up, run the calculations in your head on his power, stance, what you know about him, what you know about your pitcher. Move to the gap...

Spit out some dip juice.

Pitcher goes into a full, slow wind-up, then

Flash!

Pitch going to outside corner, most likely ball will go to left center on contact, lean left

There it goes, run, run annnnnd got it, slow down. Lazy toss back to the infield and go back out to center.

And now these buttheads make this game about a one game playoff.

Weak.
[/quote]

I take it you didn't make the coach pitch team as a kid and quit from there.

chickenpotpie · October 10, 2015

You can't make the season start earlier, unless you want the AL and NL central to have postponed games due to snow.

They need to do one or more of the following:

1) shorten the season (do you really need 162 games? Why not 140?)
2) play double headers on purpose
3) tighten the strike zone back up (pitchers are favored now to encourage shorter games, but this will counter the "we ran into a buzz saw in a one game playoff" issue)

RJRJRJ · October 11, 2015

[quote name='chickenpotpie' timestamp='1444505415' post='12438544']
You can't make the season start earlier, unless you want the AL and NL central to have postponed games due to snow.

They need to do one or more of the following:

1) shorten the season (do you really need 162 games? Why not 140?)
2) play double headers on purpose
3) tighten the strike zone back up (pitchers are favored now to encourage shorter games, but this will counter the "we ran into a buzz saw in a one game playoff" issue)
[/quote]

Or expand interleague play.

LouieLouie · October 13, 2015

[quote name='chickenpotpie' timestamp='1444505415' post='12438544']
You can't make the season start earlier, unless you want the AL and NL central to have postponed games due to snow.

They need to do one or more of the following:

1) shorten the season (do you really need 162 games? Why not 140?)
2) play double headers on purpose
3) tighten the strike zone back up (pitchers are favored now to encourage shorter games, but this will counter the "we ran into a buzz saw in a one game playoff" issue)
[/quote]

Couldn't agree more with shortening the season. The season is so long that most games mean absolutely nothing. I'm a casual fan though so I don't really get interested until the playoffs and only if one of my teams makes it. So my vote probably doesn't count with the hardcore baseball crowd.