Opinion: Manfred Proposes a Playoff Restructure

One thing I don`t like about it which someone had beat me to in another thread is that towards the end of the deadline most teams will believe they`re still in it & hold on their player instead of trading them. It`s bad enough the way that it is.

So your telling me no one gets excited when their team gets in as a wild card? and that that 2014 Royals A's match up was so boring you fell a sleep and having the Royals make a run for the title was so very nauseating that you wish it had never happened? OK how about Washington last year?  That was terrible to watch too I suppose?

I think the reason they are willing to expand the playoffs is that they have already proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the wild card has brought more drama and excitement that they are willing to double down on the idea.

It should keep fan excitement higher for more teams as they won't be eliminated from playoff contention as early.   I don't care how people spin it the playoffs are exciting pretty much no matter who plays and if the under dog wins a game or a series it is even more exciting (i.e. see NFL and NCAA Basketball for reference).

If you want to go with the dilution theory then I ask if the other teams are so good how could they lose to a supposedly inferior team. Personally I think this is more fear of change talk than anything else.  Has the current wild card system hurt the playoffs or baseball?  if not I fail to see how expanding a little more would do more damage.

In football/basketball, stars dominate the game, and the best team will most likely win. In baseball, anything can happen, which is why there’s a long season to even out the results. Reward only the best teams every year. 1/3rd of the teams making the playoffs is enough, although a 3 game Wild Card playoff would be a decent idea.

I just think you do a random pick at the beginning of the year on East plays West, ect....I'm sick of playing the Yankees every year. And I think they cheat too....I said it. My opinion.

Have you seen the World Series television ratings from the late 70's compared to today? Once you let in too many teams it degrades the product.

I have a better proposal. After 154 regular season games the last 8 games and 2 weekends, 4 home and 4 away, are played against one team. Your opponent is dependent upon the standings after 154 games before the last 2 weekends. Number 1 in the division would play Number 2 in the division. Number 3 would play other number 3's and Number 4 and number 5 play each other.

These last 8 games are sold at the beginning of the season. The 8 games count as regular season stats. After 162 games we have the same format as today or just one wildcard. Its possible that the #3 team could finish first or wildcard if after 154 games the standings for the top 3 are close together.

In years which little separates the top teams these final games would have an old time playoff atmosphere.

I'm not against a reformatting of the playoff structure, but this seems to me to be a way to try and appease the young, uninterested former fans who need some flashy, reality show type gimmick to be interested.  I agree with the concept that the loser of the WC game is not a playoff team, but never liked the one game idea.  It should at least be a best of 3.  If you want to have a 6 team playoff structure, then teams 1-2 get a bye, teams 4-6 play a 3 game series and then you have the 2 rounds like we have now.  Just spitballing while the 7th graders work in groups on a project........

You get a play off spot and you get a playoff spot and you get a playoff spot.... everyone gets a playoff spot.... So why bother with a regular season?

At least now I won't have to wait to know the Twins are in every year. Their competitive cycle is never ending.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

And it wouldn't be adding a third wild card team, to get to seven they would need to add two wild card teams making four wild card teams...one more than division champs.  And I hate the idea of any team choosing who they play.  

Too many teams in the playoffs is a joke.  Why play the regular season.  No matter the format you will always haves teams that tank.

I dislike the one game playoff, but adding a round of playoffs would extend the season far beyond what it should be.  Baseball should not be played in November with players wearing sock caps and mittens.  There "WILL" be a snow-out some day and I don't want to see the World Series moved to a neutral warm site like football.

Reality TV.  WHY?????  It is also ridiculous for teams to pick their opponents.  And all for gimmicky TV special revenue.  Matchups based on records is fair.  It gives at least a little meaning to the season.

It is crazy changes like this that will definitely ruin the game.

Trevor Bauer voiced his opinion:

I propose expanding the league to 32 teams. This format would allow every team to be included in the PO's and also not give the best teams the advantage of a bye. A bye of course is unfair. After all we are living in a world where we don't want anyone to feel left out or feel at a disadvantage.

No - it hurts my old man's soul to see the game water down their playoffs like the NBA and NHL.  We do not need more teams in the playoffs.  I am happier with three division winners and one wild card. Check out this NBA summary for early round playoffs.  https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2019/04/nba-playoff-ratings-down-first-round/

I don't want more playoff teams added. We don't want baseball to turn into the NBA playoffs where basically half the teams make the playoffs. This cheapens the regular season and makes the 162 games mean even less if that's even possible.

Personally, I love change.

If you're going to go for it, then totally go for it.

DH? Universal!

162 games? Gone! - More like 140

Two leagues? OK... that stays.

30 teams? Not enough! - Expand to 32

Three divisions per league? Gone! - Two divisions of 8, per league.

5 Playoff teams? Gone! 6 playoff teams per league - 2 div winners (they get byes) and 4 WC teams that play a best of 3 series. Followed by best of 5, then best of 7 for the AL/NLDS, then 7 for the WS

Tanking? Stays! You're never going to solve tanking, and frankly, why do we want to stop it? It's probably your best chance as a small market team, to "pop up"

Draft picks? You can trade any of them!

Minimum Payroll? Institute it! - Around $100M. Tie revenue sharing to this. This will help with the movement of draft picks because tanking teams will take on other teams' albatross contracts if they also get draft picks. This becomes more of the NFL model of bad teams becoming playoff teams very quickly. Not exactly the same, but closer to it

Minor Leagues? Contract out some teams (like 1 per MLB team), but everyone makes a livable wage!

Local TV blackouts? Banned!

Rip the band aid off. Solve it all in one fell swoop. Season would start at the same time as it does now and be done by mid October.

Oh man... I need a cold shower.

If all of this is intended to increase interest and attendance, teams should try making going go games affordable for families instead.

I think the amount of competition the World Series is facing for ratings today, compared to the 70's, is a lot bigger factor for lower ratings than the quality of teams playing.

I don't watch much of the WS or Stanley Cup unless my team is in it. It's true that there is so much to do. I don't know how TV revenues keep increasing for badeball.

When the leagues switched to 3 divisions and 1 wild card I was very pleased.

When they added the 2nd wild card and 1 game playoff I was ambivalent, but it does make the 1 game "sudden death" playoff interesting.

If you HAVE to change the current format...and I DO NOT think you have to or should, just stick with 6 teams, bye or no bye.

But for goodness sake, getting to "pick your opponent" sounds like playground rules and is an absolute joke!

Apply the rule to 2017 and 2 sub .500 teams are in the playoffs. That is gross. At least they would have had to settle a 3 way tie of 80-82 teams.

Cleveland 102-60

Houston 101-61

Boston 93-69

NYY 91-71

Twins 85-77

KC 80-82

LAA 80-82

Rays 80-82

Nothing better than baseball outdoors in Minneapolis (or Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, etc.) in November.

The only thing I would implement is getting rid of the one game playoff. Best of three but not all three games in the home park of the higher ranked team.

Apply the rule to 2017 and 2 sub .500 teams are in the playoffs. That is gross. At least they would have had to settle a 3 way tie of 80-82 teams.

 

Cleveland 102-60

Houston 101-61

Boston 93-69

NYY 91-71

Twins 85-77

KC 80-82

LAA 80-8

Rays 80-82

That is a good point. If a team has a losing record I fail to see how they deserve to be in playoffs I think at minimum a winning record should be required. If only 6 teams with a winning record then whoever would have faced team 7 gets a bye. You just can't have a losing record an be in the playoffs. Totally defeats the purpose.

I proposed this a couple of years ago:

Regular schedule to 154 games; expand to 32 teams, total 8 playoff teams from each league; 4 4-team divisions each league, 2 conferences each league - 2 divisions each; 2 wild cards each conference; wild card teams may come from same division, based on record (so possible for 3 teams from one division); Conference semi-finals, best of 3; division winners 2 home games; best record division winner plays worst record wild card; Conference Finals, best of 5; Division winners always take first priority for home field advantage, best records second priority (if division winners both eliminated); Championship series, best of 7, conference winner vs conference winner; World series as normal, best record has home field advantage.