A radical baseball idea

[jrh31584]

I got this crazy idea for a new playoff format a couple of nights ago while I was trying to fall asleep. Here's how it would work:

Same 4 teams in each league would qualify as under the present system.

Each team would play a 3 game series against each other team at the home of whichever team had the better record, with a day off between the 1st and 2nd series for one league and the 2nd and 3rd series for the other.

After these series are done, the team from each league with the best record in these 9 games goes on to the World Series, which remains the same.

I feel this system would give more of an advantage to teams with more depth and put more emphasis on the regular season.

[OMMF]

I got this crazy idea for a new playoff format a couple of nights ago while I was trying to fall asleep. Here's how it would work:

Same 4 teams in each league would qualify as under the present system.

Each team would play a 3 game series against each other team at the home of whichever team had the better record, with a day off between the 1st and 2nd series for one league and the 2nd and 3rd series for the other.

After these series are done, the team from each league with the best record in these 9 games goes on to the World Series, which remains the same.

I feel this system would give more of an advantage to teams with more depth and put more emphasis on the regular season.

So you want to go round-robin in the playoffs? And if I am reading it right, the wildcard gets 0 home games? No owner would vote for that simply for the fact that postseason money is gold.

[CC97]

I would prefer shortening the regular season schedule and doing top 6 (football style) or top 8 (hockey style)... more playoff teams = more interest around baseball = more fans = more money = everyone's happy

[OMMF]

I would prefer shortening the regular season schedule and doing top 6 (football style) or top 8 (hockey style)... more playoff teams = more interest around baseball = more fans = more money = everyone's happy

How short are you thinking? And do you go to 7 games in all of your postseason series? I know that's what I really want to see.

[epper]

I would prefer shortening the regular season schedule and doing top 6 (football style) or top 8 (hockey style)... more playoff teams = more interest around baseball = more fans = more money = everyone's happy

Bingo.

I've wanted them to do that for years. then the jays would actually have SOME chance of making the playoffs in a division with the Sox and Yanks.

notice i said SOME chance, not a good chance.

[CC97]

I would prefer shortening the regular season schedule and doing top 6 (football style) or top 8 (hockey style)... more playoff teams = more interest around baseball = more fans = more money = everyone's happy

How short are you thinking? And do you go to 7 games in all of your postseason series? I know that's what I really want to see.

I was thinking a return to what it used to be (138?), if it were top 6 I would have a best 3 of 5 first round with the top two in each league getting byes, if it were top 8 i would have to go with best 4 of 7s all the way through (making the season a few games shorter of course).

[OMMF]

I would prefer shortening the regular season schedule and doing top 6 (football style) or top 8 (hockey style)... more playoff teams = more interest around baseball = more fans = more money = everyone's happy

How short are you thinking? And do you go to 7 games in all of your postseason series? I know that's what I really want to see.

I was thinking a return to what it used to be (138?), if it were top 6 I would have a best 3 of 5 first round with the top two in each league getting byes, if it were top 8 i would have to go with best 4 of 7s all the way through (making the season a few games shorter of course).

*trying to crunch numbers* Just remove the interleague games and it should work out, number wise.

[ROCHitman]

I would prefer shortening the regular season schedule and doing top 6 (football style) or top 8 (hockey style)... more playoff teams = more interest around baseball = more fans = more money = everyone's happy

How short are you thinking? And do you go to 7 games in all of your postseason series? I know that's what I really want to see.

I was thinking a return to what it used to be (138?), if it were top 6 I would have a best 3 of 5 first round with the top two in each league getting byes, if it were top 8 i would have to go with best 4 of 7s all the way through (making the season a few games shorter of course).

Current MLB record holders will love this 138 idea.

Ripken's record, if there was any doubt, would last for eternity.

Much the same with Rickey Henderson's records.

[pcgd]

I HATE best 3 out of 5. It allows a team that has 2 good pitchers to beat a solid team up and down. All series should be best of 7 IMO. I don't mind adding more teams however.

[OMMF]

I HATE best 3 out of 5. It allows a team that has 2 good pitchers to beat a solid team up and down. All series should be best of 7 IMO. I don't mind adding more teams however.

More teams does not a shorter schedule make.

[xyzzyva]

Why not just abolish the divisions and have the top 4 in each league advance? Though I'm a Royals fan, I'd hate to see them make the playoffs with 86 wins (many against a weak AL Central) while a team like the Jays, O's, A's, etc., cannot make it with 95 wins against mush tougher competition.

[slapshot]

The owners would not like a 138 game schedule. That's 12 games of revenue they would lose every season for lost home games. And the ticket & concession prices would be raised to compensate for the lost 12 home games.

They'll also raise a stink for a 154-game schedule, just for those lost 4 home games too.

[mjrbaseball]

My preference (which no one will ever do) is to abolish divisions and wild cards and go back to the old way: Top team in each league goes to the World Series. The end.

[OMMF]

My preference (which no one will ever do) is to abolish divisions and wild cards and go back to the old way: Top team in each league goes to the World Series. The end.

Not suggesting you said this but do you think that baseball is worse off with the division series and wild card?

[slapshot]

Baseball needs the wild card. One of the worst things that happened to the league was the lockout in 1994. Baseball lost so many fans, it took a while before the numbers started coming back.

One method was the wild card. Before the WC, if the 4 division leaders had substantial leads, interest fell off. Unless your favorite team was one of those 4 teams. Now, with the addition of 2 extra teams, the percentages figure that at least 2 of those playoff positions will be undecided down to the final week or two of the season. With more teams now potentially in playoff position, interest rises. People want to see if their team is going to the playoffs. Nothing is set in stone by mid August/early September like it had been in the past.

Look at the AMerican League, for example. Between 1990-1994, only one division winner won by less than 4 games...the Red Sox won the A.L. East by 2 games over Toronto. Detroit was 9 back. For those 5 seasons, the average final lead was 7 games. That's not very close. Not very interesting if you're team is 15 or so back.

Now brings 1995, and the Wild Card. One game between Seattle and California in the West. 1996, the smallest separation was 4 games. In 1997, it was 2. In 1998, it was 3, and the wild card was 5 games. In 1999, 4 games. In 2000, 1/2 games in the West, 2 1/2 in the East, 1 game for Wild Card.

More potential playoff teams equals more interest in the game. Leave it the way it is. Don't add more playoff teams, because the season will go to almost mid-November.

[pcgd]

This is something that I've heard before...and it wouldn't be awful in reality.

MLB...English Soccer stlye.

30 teams...split into 3 levels based on performance.

I'd say to start you based it off previous 4 seasons

So you've got (those numbers are the wins from the last 4 seasons, I gave the Angels the nod based on the last couple years proformances):

Premier

NYY 400

OAK 392

ATL 386

STL 380

SF 376

BOS 368

MIN 361

HOU 356

LA 356

ANH 343

Second Division

SEA 343

PHI 338

CW 333

CC 332

FLA 329

ARI 325

CLE 313

TOR 311

TEX 305

WAS 301

Third Division

SD 296

NYM 294

CIN 289

COL 288

PIT 281

BAL 279

KC 268

MIL 259

TB 250

DET 236

So then I say you play each team in your division 6 times. The next highest division 5 times, and the lowest division 4 times. (That should work) and then 12 additional games to play a natural rival.

EDIT: That won't work, but something similar to that...

Then each year top 4 teams meet for the division championships. Seven game series for each round played against teams in your division, the champion moves up while the last place team moves down a division. The champion of the Premier Division is the World Series Champion.

This creates 5 races at the end of the year. The races for the playoffs, and the race to not finish last and move down a division.

Its not developed completely, but it could be interesting.

[DarthMan]

so only 10 teams have a chance to win the WS????

[Swiss]

I'm liking the idea of pcgd.

[pcgd]

so only 10 teams have a chance to win the WS????

is this different than any other year? Now the lower level teams would have playoff fever as well. So that's a total of 12 teams with extended years. 12 cities that have playoff fans. And the winners get to move up to attempt to win the world series the following year.

I wouldn't support this, I like how things are now myself. Maybe just make the first round 7 game series, but other than that, I like what we've got now. Just something that I've seen floating around that I expanded on a bit.

[OMMF]

Third Division

SD 296

NYM 294

CIN 289

COL 288

PIT 281

BAL 279

KC 268

MIL 259

TB 250

DET 236

Look at all the travel San Diego has to do in that third division.